Post by floydragsdale on Dec 15, 2013 19:44:36 GMT -5
The day is Saterday evening and the date is December 16, 1944. Eight, or perhaps ten fatigued Soldiers are in a Bunker, an underground shelter made of sand-bags and logs. All of those men, including yours truly were chatting about the days action.
The day opened just minutes before 05:50 in the morning. The majority of us were stirred from sleep by exploding German artillery projectiles all over our area. The barrage continued for about two more hours.
Every-one of us understood one thing. Get to your battle stations (foxholes) at once. As the bombardment lifted, out of the misty-foggy weather, German armor and infantrymen were observed advancing toward G Company locations.
Like a cat waiting for its’ victim, G Company men held their fire until enemy soldiers were well within target range and then the bloodbath began. Enemy soldiers began dropping as if they were ducks in a shooting gallery.
Yet on they came, as if they had an attitude of, “I don’t care if I get killed or not.” This Soldier was in a mortars squad and targets had been well zeroed in by 2nd Division Soldiers.
A column of enemy soldiers was observed advancing toward a small hamlet close to our gun-position. Our observer yelled to our gun crew, fire on target number so and so. Our crew (two of us) put six shells in the air before the 1st one hit the ground. Bulls eye, right on target. They detonated between those advancing troops.
That’s the way the day continued. All day long, at entervala, German missiles pounded G Company locations. To say the least our Company suffered many causalities from that enemy fire.
One of our men could speak German fluently and he coxed a squad of German Soldiers into surrendering. One of them could speak fluent English and he said, “You will not stay on this hill, our Army is too big and powerful. American forces will be crushed” he told us.
That evening, while in the Bunker, some very tired Soldiers were discussing our predicament. “Were in the hell did those darn Germans get all this war making stuff, we wondered?
We had no idea that two of our Regiments were about to surrender and the 424th Regiment would almost suffer the same disaster.
It wasn’t going to be a Merry Christmas or a Happy New Year for the 424th Regiment. Also, 424th Regiment Soldiers didn’t realize that there would be many days and night of freezing hell still directly ahead of us.
It’s a good thing we didn’t have a crystal ball.
Floyd
Company G, 424th Regiment
The day opened just minutes before 05:50 in the morning. The majority of us were stirred from sleep by exploding German artillery projectiles all over our area. The barrage continued for about two more hours.
Every-one of us understood one thing. Get to your battle stations (foxholes) at once. As the bombardment lifted, out of the misty-foggy weather, German armor and infantrymen were observed advancing toward G Company locations.
Like a cat waiting for its’ victim, G Company men held their fire until enemy soldiers were well within target range and then the bloodbath began. Enemy soldiers began dropping as if they were ducks in a shooting gallery.
Yet on they came, as if they had an attitude of, “I don’t care if I get killed or not.” This Soldier was in a mortars squad and targets had been well zeroed in by 2nd Division Soldiers.
A column of enemy soldiers was observed advancing toward a small hamlet close to our gun-position. Our observer yelled to our gun crew, fire on target number so and so. Our crew (two of us) put six shells in the air before the 1st one hit the ground. Bulls eye, right on target. They detonated between those advancing troops.
That’s the way the day continued. All day long, at entervala, German missiles pounded G Company locations. To say the least our Company suffered many causalities from that enemy fire.
One of our men could speak German fluently and he coxed a squad of German Soldiers into surrendering. One of them could speak fluent English and he said, “You will not stay on this hill, our Army is too big and powerful. American forces will be crushed” he told us.
That evening, while in the Bunker, some very tired Soldiers were discussing our predicament. “Were in the hell did those darn Germans get all this war making stuff, we wondered?
We had no idea that two of our Regiments were about to surrender and the 424th Regiment would almost suffer the same disaster.
It wasn’t going to be a Merry Christmas or a Happy New Year for the 424th Regiment. Also, 424th Regiment Soldiers didn’t realize that there would be many days and night of freezing hell still directly ahead of us.
It’s a good thing we didn’t have a crystal ball.
Floyd
Company G, 424th Regiment
