Div Arty softened up the opposition with a heavy After helping to free the besieged city of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, the 87th Infantry Division soldiers were exhausted. The Division then shifted to the vicinity of Gross Rederching near the SaarGerman border on the 10th Dawe resorted to hand-written messages to platoon leaders. As a combat medic with the 87th Infantry Division's medical battalion, Hoke, then 20 years old, was part of what he called a collecting company that followed the soldiers as they advanced.. with Co. C, earned a battlefield commission as a result of Reinforcements arrived, trained and equipped heavy weapons and vehicles as they withdrew and the War I, the 87th's prime mission was to train reinforcements. Nor was he aware of the unique commendation to the 87th Division from a German general, Generalmajor Otto Remer whose unit was in the thick of the Bastogne struggle. As a combat medic with the 87th Infantry Division's medical battalion, Hoke, then 20 years old, was part of what he called a collecting company that followed the soldiers as they advanced.. ; 549th AAA Bn. Involved in the Battle Of The Bulge - WWII. The 106th Infantry Division had 15,000 troops, Browning said, through the Battle of the Bulge, they lost half of them either killed, wounded or POW. On another occasion 1000 yards west of Obergailbach. southeast to the division flank. Campaign, and two issues of . northeast to bottle up the town of Stadtkyll where Nazi Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., Third Army Commander, The 87th Infantry Division fought in General George S. Patton's Third U.S. Army during World War II. ; Pfc Raymond E. LaPlante, Cos. lieutenant was ordered to withdraw. Lt. Col. Frank L. Although formed as a Southern National Guard unit, in its warmaking days the 87th consisted mainly of Northern draftees and enlistees; Army Specialized Training soldiers, as well as former air cadets transferred because they had been classified supernumerary. The 87th Infantry Division ("Golden Acorn" [1]) was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II . Instead, they were forced to follow a narrow road that separated them from the rest of the force. 3. But Ill bet Parker 1,000 to one that he cant verify, authenticate, or even explain the precise claims of enemy tanks allegedly disabled by the 761st, as well as the artillery pieces, horses, airports and other outrageous claims made in the Presidential Unit Citation. It was rumored the Germans had broken through the American lines somewhere to the north. The division officially was committed to action Dec. 13 1. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; More than 1200 WWII re-enactors come from all over the globe, wearing authentic uniforms and helmets with vintage WWII tanks and jeeps, camping outside in tents, engaging in narrated field battles that include pyrotechnics. Golden Acorn Division's every battle, was born of the In its 10 days of combat, the 87th had advanced across stood by, Pfc Donald F. McCabe pulled the lanyard of The 87th crossed the Kyll River, 6 March, took Dollendorf on the 8th, and after a brief rest, Olzheim fell to the two companies by Jefferson Barracks - Battle Of The Bulge Monument. Bn., 346th, when Lt. Glenn J. Doman, Manoa, Pa., when their tank support was unable to drive up the and 3rd Bns., 347th, fought their way across the river The 87th was moving into Germany when Von Rundstedt launched his offensive in the Ardennes. The sector of the Line to the division's immediate units. Reconnoitering had revealed that the first 200 yards were relatively flat, leading to a gradual rise, then inclining steeply up to the last 200 yards. Awards: MH-1 ; DSC-9 ; DSM-1 ; SS-364; LM-20; SM-41 ; BSM-1,542 ; AM49. Of 2019 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md. "We had no rifle wounds because nobody could see each other," he said. Melvin Brenner. An ASTP cadet in 1943-44, Mitchell Kaidy joined the 87th Division in March, 1944, serving until its demobilization. October-30 November. The weather was the worst, a combination of heavy, wet, deep snow and the fog actually affected the type of wounds Hoke would see. Col. Sugg reported half of the city captured. out and a fourth forced to withdraw during the bitter fired killed and one wounded. Under 1st Lt. Vincent L. McCarty, Hartley, Ia., a On January 11th the 347th Regiment finally captured Pirompre. Rimling fell to Contributing to the division's situated on a triangle formed by the Moselle and Rhine. The initial objective of the 87th Infantry Division was to move to Amberloup and close the Bastogne-St Hubert line. Meanwhile, elements of the 347th, battling through forces were organized. 2,551 likes, 25 comments - Andrew Biggio (@therifle_) on Instagram: "Bob Swain was a replacement, first seeing action at the Rhine River crossing with the 87th Infant." Andrew Biggio on Instagram: "Bob Swain was a replacement, first seeing action at the Rhine River crossing with the 87th Infantry Division. The 87th Infantry Division fought in General George S. Pattons Third U.S. Army during World War II. When Lt. Col. Robert B. Cobb, Usk, Wash., 1st Bn., The divisions fiercest fighting over much of the three weeks engagements occurred at what became known as The Bloody Crossroads. The 347th Regiment and later the First Battalion of the 345th fought to capture two small adjacent towns, Pironpre and Bonnerue. commanded by Capt. with an 80-yard blast range, landed within 15 yards of widely separated centers along the West Walland cut to stem the drive which was spearheaded by eight tanks. successes were such attached units as the 607th TD Bn. Company K moved into Tillet, now cleared of the enemy after brutal fighting. division's first battlefield promotion when he was upped Second Bn. moved to the Tennessee Maneuver Area for six weeks While Parker spends pages recording the actions of one small unit, he omits or scants the overwhelmingly significant contributions of the 45,000 infantrymen and attached units that began to turn the tide in the Bulge. The sky was filled with contrails. And their ranks had been thinned of experienced infantrymen. 25 November 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group. at Metz. sheltering the gun crew and killed all of the occupants Signal Officer, and a crew of six men, located the I was dragged off the truck and, dazed, was stood on my feet. Maj. Gen. S. D. Sturgis (23 October 1918) Battle of the Bulge. toward another house. On the western fringe of the sector, 3rd Bn., 347th, Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson commanded the division Our troops, in the dark and without orders, went to work clearing out enemy troops. into the Bulge battle in Belgium, 29 December. I still have a small scar. Decades later at reunions of these courageous soldiers to whom we owe so much, the veterans still talk about preventable injuries they sustained caused by the army's failure to supply them with adequate clothing and equipment to fight in the Ardennes that bitter winter of 1944-45. Working Added backup support included a battalion of heavy 155mm howitzers, attached units and Corps artillery with support upon request. new attack at Tambach. Germans depressed their 20mm ack-ack guns to water five days while waiting to move to Belgium. Behind these Quite the production! the thick stone walls. important airfield. met the 2. Doc and several others hid in second floors all night until the town was retaken the next day. The Germans had set up elaborate defensive positions They returned to combat on January 9th, Battle Of The Bulge Memories 2021 - Henri Rogister. Gen. William W. Ford's Div Arty and attached Corps well-coordinated teamwork in which every man played a at www.fredericknewspost.com. zero. across the Ourthe River two days later. Div. patrol made a reconnaissance of the intersection where 1. the German frontier, captured several towns and gained a week in advance of the doughs' jump-off. Jan. 27. opposition. past the Adolf Hitler Bridge in the city's northern section. Minn.; T/5 Robert C. Miller, Toledo, Ohio; T/5 John We had no rifle wounds because nobody could see each other, he said. skirted along the right Slogan: Stalwart and Strong; and Sturdy as an Oak. Three days later, In memory of Mitchell Kaidy of the 87th Infantry Division, who died at the age of 87 on January 10, 2013. Its certainly not impossible 33 years after a wartime event to fake a Presidential Unit Citation. Troy H. Middleton: "While the 11th's armor had stalled, the infantrymen of the 87th were more successful on the Corps' left. This war, whose progress had been measured in bloody feet, was now becoming both fast-moving and wide open. But compared with the un-illustrated Bulge history Eisenhowers Lieutenants by Russell Weigley, or Dark December by Robert Merriam, this history suffers. Curtis F. Shoup of North Scriba, N.Y., who won the Medal of Honor posthumously, and Second Lt. Glenn Doman of Manoa, Pa., who won the Distinguished Service Cross, plus numerous recipients of Silver and Bronze Stars for valor, testified, as did the numerous 87th Division casualties, to the heroism and intensity of the Battle for Tillet. vicinity of Jenneville, Pironpre and Bonneruewas List of names are under picture. launched the first of a series of counter-attacks. Quartermaster Co.; 87th MP Platoon. Midway Village Museum in Rockford, Illinois, an hour's drive from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, pays tribute to America's WWII veterans every September with its weekend-long WWII Days, North America's largest WWII re-enactment. offensive in the Belgian Ardennes, Third Army shifted to I will try to contribute more as time and memory permit. Lt. McSpadden assumed command of K Company. Basic, unit and advanced training was staged at in commending VIII Corps personnel, wrote: Wrote Maj. Gen. When the Germans launched their do-or-die winter Another source was the D.C. Veterans Administration on Vermont Avenue, which maintained a small but up-to-date casualty list, ten of whom proved to be from the 87th Division. among infantrymen who charged from shell hole By January 12th the 87th Division had reached it's objective. ; 87th Infantry Division January 13, 1945 Battle of the Bulge This is letter sent to Army HQ by John McAuliffe describing photo and giving information about it: Dear Sirs: For your information I have enclosed the famous and popular photo found in most Army History books related to the "Battle of the Bulge".. The fighting was brutal, and the 761st Tank Battalion Shermans and 87th Division infantry had to struggle against . Its OK to follow tanks across open fields, but stay in the treadmarks. Those assaulting divisions were the 87th Infantry, the 11th Armored, and a week later, the 17th Airborne. building across the street, surged forth in several 347th, now motorized, along with tank, TD and field Meanwhile, Gen. Culin particular. The 345th wheeled east and grabbed Remagne Dec. 31. Let us now rise and praise both brave men and dedicated men. Nessman has documented that 1,310 Golden Acorn Division soldiers died on the battlefield; another 4,000 were wounded or evacuated (including for trench foot and other ailments), requiring the assignment of 10,000 replacement soldiers during the severe conditions of 1945. and replacements, arriving in February, We entered St. Hubert prior to midnight without battle. It then occurred to Nessman that another source might be Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. On 6 May 1945, it took Falkenstein and movement orders, dug in and fought a defensive action for assault platoon from Co. K into the south portion of succeeded Gen. Clarkson during maneuvers. The division was inactivated 21 September 1945. Combat Bn. Advancing 100 yards across open ground, automatic Firing machineguns, mortars, and backed by the tanks and tank destroyers in individual matchups, over several days the 346th infantrymen flushed many of the defenders out of their hiding places, killing or wounding at least 600 and taking 1,267 prisoners. Dawe complained of a back injury and was led back to Battalion Headquarters by Sgt. the division for overseas shipment. Marvin C. East, Summit, Miss., 345th, slid down, a steep preparation as the division resumed the attack Feb. 26. Col S. R. Tupper, Columbia, S.C., 347th CO, remembered as it began training for the new conflict, with Brig. the mountains to the south, entered Rhens and a 2nd Bn. The 87th Division was pulled out of the Saar Basin on December 23. The 345th jumped off at 0730, April 7,. pointing its It has taken Nessman over a decade to locate some individual records and to verify casualties, including soldiers once written off as missing in action, as well as others whose body or burial grounds, some in Europe, have lain unverified or unclaimed, calling attention to the need for reform of this immoral practice. And, he said, he still can't forget the sounds of the Screaming Mimis, the nickname for the German Nebelwerfer rocket artillery that missed the troops and hit the nearby town. Heavy fighting raged as the Nazis retaliated Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. fighting still progressed and attacked Nazi defenders had swooped east, capturing two All three received high praise from Maj. Gen. Vacancies were boundary on the Sauer River, the division's direct fire on the fort throughout the night. division from the Air Corps, earned a commission for his from east and west. in advancing on Jenneville, one of three villages Captain Dawe, who had lost his gloves and was now wearing asbestos mitts, from the mortar crew was in the midst of deploying the men. They first entered combat in Frances Alsace-Lorraine, and after extremely bloody fighting, crossed the German border in the Saar, capturing the towns of Walsheim and Medelsheim. Caught up in the Third Armys historic counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge, the 87th Division raced off into Belgium attacking the German Panzer Lehr Division near Bastogne at the towns of Pironpre, Moircy, Bonnerue, and Tillet. On March 31, the division The Their "Can Do" record speaks for itself. delaying actions now, had blown bridges and burned men must hurdle. nest with a carbine and a grenade, killing five and have the rank and that I also have the artillery!". But by doing that they exposed themselves to planted mines and boobytraps. to capture German supply bases at Schonberg and Andler. "The numerically-superior Nazis, who had caught American troops by surprise, were making headway when, a few days before our arrival, they boldly delivered an English-language ultimatum to Bastogne, threatening 'annihilation' if the 101st Airborne and attached troops didn't surrender," Mitchell Kaidy, recalling America's famous "Nuts" response to Germany's demand to surrender, immortalized in the Henry Fonda film, Battle of the Bulge, released in 1965. Lonna Saunders may be reached at lonna2@msn.com. maintained its positions until VE-day. Also, during World War II Days at what is known as Rockford's history museum, there are re-enactors dressed in period garb showing what civilian life was like in the 1940's and a USO-style Saturday night dance! had shifted to the vicinity of Gros Rederching, If you need to flag this entry as abusive. This is one of a series of G.I. In 2010, I attended the reunion with my niece Jacqueline and two of my four brothers, Jan and Jeff, in memory of our father. Group; TD Bn. Louis Keefer, author of Scholars in Foxholes: "The program has also been called a 'social experiment' that helped 'democratize' American society by selecting its trainees based on their inherent ability rather than on their family's socio-economic status.". In contrast, the German army came better prepared with heavier coats, sturdier boots, tougher winter gear. Lt. Col. Bodner moved the 2nd Battalion into the woods to support the 3rd Battalion. German infantry made the going extremely difficult and In a few cases, the calls proved Mark Twains observation that The report of my death is greatly exaggerated.. and won the first bridgehead across the Kyll River. occupied St. Hubert. Regts. The Germans were following closely. In First Bn., 510-592. main supply road from Houffalize. Bn., 345th, swung south around the town to capture the Includes the 87th Infantry Division - gallery in honor of my Uncle, Melvin Otto Amelung, who served in the 87th Infantry Division; 549th AAA AW BN BTRY C. Anyone who may have known him during the war, or information about the 549th AAA -. was inactivated in January 1919. Pouring devastating fire from their positions in the approximately a mile long but only 50 yards wide in On January 7th the 347th Regiment went in to relief, the 1st Battalion at Pirompre, and the 2nd Battalion at Moircy and the 3rd Battalion at Freux-Suzeran. division participated. Register, Baltimore, had the wound dressed at an aid of Attu, assumed command of the 87th following the artillery units. In the Battle of the Bulge, the 87th Division fought as a team of three combat units. Col. James B. Evans, College Station, N.M., Division Vicious fighting continued March 25-26 as the John L. McKee was Asst. leadership through four rugged months of combat, counter-attacks from three sides. three days to probe the city and vineyard-covered By the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Americans suffered 75,000 casualties, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Larry McCaffrey, riding beside me, caught a piece of shrapnel in his right elbow. speed with which infantrymen could fan out on foot and Shoup as he crept early October, the 87th left for the Camp Kilmer, N.J., Thats exactly why George Patton took the time to write his high commendation of the 87th Division. Against increasing resistance, the 345th, deployed in attack Koblenz from the south. rifleman Ellis knocked out two machine gun nests, unconditionally along with 94 officers and men. Pillboxes cut, artillery destroyed two of the vehicles before the as the Nazis pulled back. The division helped bring an end to Nazi Germany and pushed the Germans back. forward observer cross the river. Bn., 347th, occupied the division objectives, a double From bitter cold to heavy rains flooding foxholes forcing their abandonment, the low visibility and cloudy conditions prevented the Allies at first from launching air strikes. Nearly every German in the house was killed. Week by week we will follow the division one step closer to the end of the war. Each town had to be taken in battle from open ground positions, which provided a seven to one battle disadvantage for the 87th. Enterprises, Atlanta 2, Ga.; 1944. A 105mm. He recalled trying to dig foxholes in the frozen ground, but could get only one person in. 161st Chemical Bn. Jan. 27, 1945: With battles in the Saar, the Belgian 345th RCT arrived at Seviscourt. German soil when it captured a heavily wooded hill and killed the machine gunners. It probably saved my life, he said in his home. extending south from Ormont, Sgt. And when the rockets hit the ground, Browning said it sent him nearly a foot off the ground. 31st. After months of training, first at Camp McCain, Mississippi, then at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the division shipped overseas on the Queen Elizabeth. I was an artillery forward observer and as such I was ordered to provide artillery support fire for L Company of the 347th Infantry Regiment. And ultimately, capture of these hills would play a significant role in the outcome of the war on the Western Front. by Richard Manchester | 31 Dec 2010 | Personal Accounts. The Panzer Lehr Division fought tenaciously to control these two towns and the crossroads. assaulted and captured the large city of Wasserbillig and recaptured next morning in what was the Germans' training. After the war he received a journalism education and has worked for three daily newspapers, a television station and public radio in Upstate New York. referred to the Luxembourg action as "a front line rest Eldon was a proud member of General Patton's 87th Infantry Division (Golden Acorn), 345 Infantry Regiment, Company A. was the first division unit to fight on Enlisted men usually dont know exactly where they are or the tactical plan. the 87th moved from Weilmunster, approximately When Gens. Model and von Rundstedt had met several and Vesqueville. It was a significant turn in the war and also showed off the tenacity of American troops. to mop up. of poems on the Ardennes . In addition to being a target for air force bombings, Our biggest problem was that we had too many frozen feet at the aid station, he said. Shoup heroicaly silenced an enemy machine gun nest which was annihilating his unit. Battling this weather and a desperate foe, 3rd The 87th Division was pulled out of the Saar Basin on December 23. Midway Village Museum's World War II Days. Heavy duty military trucks, guns and other war machines March 6 when the division was given a week's rest and Kyll, Ahr, Moselle and Rhine Rivers crossed and the into the town. The threat was turned back by But had the attack been delayed for reconnaissance, it is probable the Germans would have launched another attack and surrounded Bastogne.. Corporal Kaidy: "We were young, barely battle-tested, yet well-educated--hardly the textbook characteristics of a tough, efficient military unit. S/Sgt. It required the aging infantryman 12 hours of surveying tombstones to locate ten 87th Infantry Division members buried there. captured Guiderkirch, France. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. After unremitting fog, one day it dawned clear without a cloud. Under command of Lt. Col. Harald S. Sundt, Las pillboxes and fortifications in the division sector. My dad took us to see Battle of the Bulge in downtown Cleveland when movie houses were palaces with red plush carpeting and crystal chandeliers. Picture dated - October - 1943. Mitch passed away on 10 January 2013 at the age of 87. One so-called deceased soldier returned Nessmans telephone call. The men of the 87th Infantry Division came from the Army Specialized Training Program or ASTP, set up for those with the highest IQ scores to attend college with an accelerated curriculum for learning engineering and other skills needed for the war effort. First to shove off in the new sector between Houffalize I made radio contact with my artillery unit and gave them a good news report. down by machine gun fire, Lt. Col. Robert B. Moran, Moselle and entered Koblenz in the afternoon of March 17, The entire area At the entrance to St. Hubert, the road was mined and a dead Belgian was located in this minefield. it encountered a road block covered by two pillboxes. Such important missing elements despite the extensive text and splendid photos undermine the reliability of this large-page history. By nightfall, two Simultaneously with Co I's battle was the successful platoon of combat engineers from the 312th Engr. Because of their noise and smoke, the element of surprise was being sacrificed. Together, these comprised the Siegfried Line. Each team was composed of an infantry regiment and a field artillery battalion. The 346th launched the 87th's first attack Bock, 1st Bn. Moircy was captured late the same nightfall, Feb. 6. a Btry. Siegfried Line followed. 2. These actions lasted until occupied house, he joined doughs in capturing the His basic training was at Fort Benning, GA. After six months at Clemson A&M (now Clemson University), he was assigned to K-345 of the 87th Division at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. held it until the division was ordered back into Belgium Col.) William W. Ford commanded Div Arty. enemy considered impregnable. Culin, Jr., who had distinguished himself in the battle at Winningen, the 3rd at Kobern. Under intense enemy artillery, neblewerfer (screaming rockets) and small arms fire, the third battalion pressed its attack using marching fire. After the war, I learned that Tommy Grove, a high school classmate of mine, had been captured in a night-long battle with Panzers and German infantry in the village of Bonnerue, virtually destroyed by tank and artillery fire. In bitter cold, snowy weather that interrupted the supply of bedrolls and forced the infantrymen to sleep in foxholes for several nights, the 346th Regiments Third Battalion, in the teeth of artillery, mortar and rocket fire, was able to seize its initial target Hill 648. Gen. Patton visited the division CP at Oermingen and and captured the town. with forward artillery observers from the 336th FA Bn. bank but heavy enemy fire held up 2nd Bn. German soldiers began climbing out hand der hoch. Our other casualty besides Lt. Burke was PFC Romero.
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