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778 AAA AW BN (SP) From Activation to Victory
Then
we were ready for the real test against the enemy, which came in December
1944 with our first taste of the real thing. At first we were all just a
little uncertain, we weren't sure just what combat was all about, but we
soon were battle wise and working as the well oiled machine we were
trained to be. Fighting in continuous combat for 139 days without one
single day of relief, we all had the experience of seeing the vaunted
German Army crumble, before the armed might of the United States Armies.
In
the past two and one-half years the men and officers of the 778 AAA Auto
Wpns Bn (SP), have lived, worked, fought, and played together in the most
harmonious manner, all for one and one for all in perfect team work, that
had made it a great outfit, one I am sure all are proud to be a member.
The
war has ended, some have gone home, some are going home, some few will
never go home, they have made the highest sacrifice; to these I want to
pay my humble respect; to their families, I say they are gone in body but
not in spirit, they were our buddies and we shall not forget, we are proud
that we were privileged to have such men among us.
In
conclusion I hope this can serve as a warm and friendly hand shake as we
depart for different ways in the paths of life, hoping I may see you all
from time to time in years to come, my comradeship with the men and
officers of this outfit has grown so fine and close, that I hope it may
never cease. Major Dewey S. Harwood Commanding
Index
FOREWORD TRAINING DAYS STAGING AREA AND TRANSPORT DAYS ENGLAND AND FRANCE
FRANCE, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG
GERMANY
OCCUPATIONAL DUTIES
DEDICATION
CREDITS
The victory, though a glorious one, was a difficult and costly struggle. The trail we blazed through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany was not easy. Each step was fraught with hardships, danger and bloodshed. A highly trained and fanatical enemy had to be probed from defenses that he prepared for years to hold. It was a task that called for stout-hearted men with courage, determination, and an indomitable will to win.
In writing the history
of this Battalion, we were confronted with a difficult problem. Time was
short. The history starts and finishes with personalities. Each one -
nearly 800 - deserves particular mention. Yet if each individual were mentioned there would be no room to tell the story of the great organization which is the 778th Anti-Aircraft Battalion - nor of the accomplishments of the team which are acknowledged, by greater authority than ourselves, to have been indispensable to winning the war with Germany. Yes, we were a part of that great team which defeated Nazism and all that it stood for.
We will be proud of our
accomplishments; we will be sad at having lost contact with buddies; we
will be envious of the freedom inherent in being a part of a conquering
army; we will wish for a touch of that old comradeship; and we will have
forgotten most of the unpleasant things. In writing this history, it is
hoped that these finer things will be, in part, preserved for ourselves
primarily and for others to admire.
By your efforts, and the
efforts of those who have left us, you have distinguished yourselves and
the Battalion in the annals of American History. We pay humble tribute to those who gave their blood and their lives in adding to our achievements. Though they have left us, this victory will ever stand as a monument to their heroic sacrifices, and the memory of their deeds will never be forgotten. It is the sincere hope that this book will give something tangible to the loved ones of both the living and the dead so that they might gain a slight idea of what their soldiers endured to aid in our great victory.
THE EDITOR (Sgt. Tom
Lowery)
The
enlisted cadre, which was assigned to the 778th to teach us the
fundamentals of soldiering, was taken from the 205th Coast Artillery
(Anti-Aircraft) then located at Santa Monica, California. The cadre was
greeted by Lt. Col. Arthurs and the newly assigned officers, who reported
direct from Camp Davis, North Carolina, to undertake the task of making
soldiers out of civilians.
Then
came the big day on March 25th as the rookies fresh from their reception
centers and the rigors of civilian life behind them commenced to arrive in
Area 4 to complete the formation of this new organization. These rookies,
composed mainly of men from Ohio and Pennsylvania, trudged into camp
loaded down with luggage expecting the worst. But life in the army wasn't
as fearful as their impression of it was. Then came long periods of training with men coming in and men going out and these rookies soon learned the old army slogan of "hurry up and wait" and it has stuck with them ever since. After the usual army routine of organization had been completed, the men settled down to the serious business of learning the intricacies of the Bofors 40 mm. gun, the 50 caliber machine gun, the M-1 rifle, bugle calls and infantry drill. Hikes in the hot California sun with a finale of the obstacle course, bayonet drill, infantry drill, classes, calisthenics, KP, and guard were all a daily occurrence and the men were mighty glad to see the coveted weekend roll around so they could trek off to Riverside, Los Angles and Hollywood.
After nearly two weeks of rain and indoor training, we were relieved to see "Old Sol" blossom forth so we could return to our job of trying to learn the working mechanism of the Bofors 40 mm. And just as the men were grasping an idea of its operation and working parts they received the news that the Battalion had been redesignated as the 778th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion (Self-propelled) as of May 10th, 1943.
On
the 17th of May the 778th experienced its first taste of desert training
at "dear old Irwin" and managed to survive two weeks of fighting the wind
and sand so famous of the Mojave Anti-aircraft Artillery Training Center.
On this and shortest of our many trips to the "hell hole" the battalion
personnel got their first test in small arms range firing. And despite
the fact that "Maggie's Drawers" continued to fly over the target pits at
consistent intervals the men managed to fire and qualify with their small
arms.
Days
of firing small arms, trudging on long hikes over miles and miles of the
desolate desert land, eating sand with their food served as something not
to look forward to on our future trips out there in the middle of nowhere.
But
all this had ended for the ack-ack boys now and we were headed back for
Camp Haan and a little more pleasant atmosphere. We were moved into
Topside Area 30 close by the service club, the favorite hangout for an
occasional bit of "goofing off".
Once
more back in the heart of civilization the men were anxious to begin
training on their equipment but weeks passed by and still no equipment.
The officers were throwing promises around right and left that the
equipment would arrive any day now but added until it does we'll learn the
guns and equipment from our books. Tramping around from class to class we
looked more like a bunch of school boys instead of combat bound soldiers.
Finally the battalion managed to secure some antiquated 37 mm. ground
mount guns to work on and life wasn't so monotonous. Things began to liven up about the 1st of June 1943 as the Battalion began 50-mile marches through Riverside County, Brigade problems and assimilated attacks, target recognition and other training problems at Camp Haan.
Overnight problems were plentiful now and we protected nearly every
stream, creek and lake in that area of California particularly Lake
Elsinore, scene of many an AAATC midnight attack promised us but which
failed to materialize.
Seasoned "rookies" we were now so the big "Brass Hats" at AAATC
Headquarters sent orders down for the Battalion to prepare to move to the
garden spot of the Mojave - Camp Irwin - for a more advanced type of
training in firing our combat vehicles which were to be sent to us there.
So on
August 30th the battalion proceeded by motor convoy through Cajon Pass,
Victorville and Barstow and thence to Camp Irwin where it set up residence
on the West range.
Thus
began our first real test of living under field conditions, target
practice at towed sleeves and rockets, and culminated by a 5-day field
problem enroute back to Camp Haan.
The
summer months of 1943 at Camp Irwin will be long remembered; those
beautiful nights where nothing was heard but the wind and the sand, the
normal summer days when all you needed to do to get a hot cup of coffee
was set your canteen cup full of water on the hood of the half track and
let the scorching hot Mojave sun do the rest; the gentle breezes and
whirlwinds that would tear down everything and scatter it helter-skelter;
those hectic weekend passes to civilization as it was then called in
Riverside and Los Angeles. No one will forget the night we lost our way on
Coyote Lake with the Battery Commanders spending the better part of it
finding our way out of the maze of coyote tracks and sand dunes.
Recreation was nil at the Mojave training center except for a daily or
evening run to Camp Irwin for showers, ice cream and Cokes and then back
again to nature with pup tents and mattresses of sand. Finally our stay was up and we set off on our "rat race" over the granite mountains into the southern end of Death Valley, participating in convoy firing at towed sleeves. Then we took a scenic drive through old river beds and to the hills over Barstow. The next move was to Cajon Pass and the night we were supposed to spend guarding the vital railroad we spent drinking beer at a little restaurant on the highway leading into San Bernardino as our pup tents were floating away in the downpour of rain.
Our
problem ended there at Cajon Pass and we moved back into a more
comfortable lodging in Topside area in Camp Haan. The "desert rats" scattered to the four winds with everyone trying to say they lived on the east coast so they could secure a few extra days at home where things left off eight months earlier. By the end of November we were all back in camp sweating out the latest rumors and swapping furlough news.
It
was on one of these many problems in December of 1943 that Able Battery
suffered the first casualties of the Battalion as two of its men, Cpl.
Walter P. Stauffer and Tec. 5 Berlyn H. Ferrenberg, were killed in an
accident as their half track overturned. Their loss was quite a blow to
their fellow GI's and officers and things were never the same without
them.
After
nearly a year at Camp Haan now and getting quite accustomed to Riverside
and its Mission Inn and the San Bernardino night spots we were a little
upset when orders were received March 10, 1944 directing movement to Camp
Cooke, California where we were to further our training with units of the
11th Armored Division, under control of the III Corps and the 28th AAA
Group.
It was
quite a change from the warm sunny days we were used to at Haan as Camp
Cooke was situated near the ocean and the cool breezes chilled us
continually for the three months that we spent there. Training with the
11th Armored Division, we received advanced firing practice on the firing
ranges and learned the trick of providing AA defense for a fast moving
armored division. It was to come in handy later on in combat.
Passes were few and far between while at Camp Cooke as we were practically
isolated except for the small towns of Lompoc and Santa Maria. Quite a few
of the men chanced the long trip into Los Angeles on the weekends and the
battalion sent a convoy of trucks into Santa Monica weekly.
June
1944 was a busy and exciting month for the 778th as the Allies started
their grand slam invasion of Omaha Beach on June 6 for a big D-Day assault
and on the 23rd of that month the unit was alerted for overseas movement. The rumors began to fly fast and furious. Furloughs were again handed out to some of the men and they went home for their last time to see their folks and their home towns.
Near the end of June the outfit received their orders to return to Camp Haan via Camp Irwin where they were to undergo a strict Army Ground Forces proficiency test. The unit left by train for Barstow, California where they unloaded their equipment and supplies and proceeded by convoy to the Mojave Desert Training Center.
We
passed the AGF proficiency test with a high score of 86.8 percent after
test after test by AAATC umpires climaxed by a 25-mile blackout drive over
back country roads which would have tested Barney Oldfield's driving
ability. Aside from some fine examples of profanity, about all this
nightmare proved was that it was possible to take a 12-ton half track over
precarious mountain roads by touch without killing the members of the
vehicle. At the conclusion of this overnight test, Col. Burgess, Group
Commander, gave us a short but impressive speech. The part of his speech
that remained in our noggins was when he said, "You'll probably land hard
and when you land, land fighting and give 'em hell." And hit them hard we
did.
On
July 27th furloughs were given to the personnel eligible while the
remainder of the battalion really got a workout with the War Department
document known as POM (preparation for overseas movement).
Our
area took on the aspects of a box factory as we packed, unpacked and
repacked again and again all the T.A.T. equipment. The only limiting
factor to us was the size of the box.
Meanwhile the local post exchanges were practically depleted of razor
blades, soap, lighter fluid, and Kodak film as the men stocked up for
their overseas shipment. The Camp Haan "underground" was in full operation
now even overshadowing the king of all rumorers, Tec. 4 Jack McGovern, of
Headquarters Battery.
The
furlough boys came back and we stood inspection after inspection with
Colonels and Generals floating around the area like ants on honey. But now
everything was complete and we were ready to move to our staging area.
The train ride across
the United States was all that could be expected on a troop train and we
arrived at Camp Kilmer after six days and five nights of traveling. Some
wrote letters, some played poker, while some of the men were actually
interested in the scenery since the route we were traveling was right by
their homes. Along the way, the American Red Cross had a morale booster in
the form of stomach reinforcements but despite these varied forms of
entertainment, it was a relief to descend into this new atmosphere.
Arriving in the wee
hours of the morning, the battalion wasn't greeted by any reception
committees except for a few sleepy transportation officers and men who
assigned us to an area and a much welcomed bed.
Camp Kilmer will go down
as a notable era in our history. The first 48 hours of our sojourn there
was mostly a frenzied rush to complete the necessary staging area
requirements, such as lectures on censorship and allotments, typhus
inoculations, gas chamber exercises with the new lightweight masks, and
abandon-ship procedures. With those necessities behind us, it was possible
to secure passes for 8 hours at a time. The average stay of a unit in the
staging area was short so everyone started out like Jesse Owens for New
York City and a last fling at night life.
Before our Camp Haan
departure, many wise heads were overheard saying confidentially, "I'll
never pass the overseas physical examination." But we had our examination
and were pronounced fit for overseas combat. The main purpose of the exam
was to determine if anyone had died on the trip and wasn't sure of it yet.
If you could walk with the help of two or less men, you could walk out
physically fit for combat.
Our respite at Camp
Kilmer was filled with passes to New York City, Newark, Elizabeth,
Philadelphia and many of the men were able to make it home once again for
a few short hours with their folks.
Upon reaching the port
we piled out of the trains amid much confusion and luggage and went aboard
a ferry ship which was to carry us across the harbor to the ship we were
to sail on for the ETO. On the evening of the 13th of October the unit
boarded the S.S. Marine Robin for their first trip aboard a sea
going vessel. The first night found us still technically in the U.S. as
the ship remained tied up to the pier.
We left the New York
Port of Embarkation at 1800 on the following day and we were now in
foreign service with our destination said to be Cherbourg, France. Lt.
Col. Arthurs, our battalion commander, was in command of the troops aboard
the ship which included in addition to the 778th, the 567 AAA Battalion
and a battalion of Engineers.
On 16th of October we
were informed that our destination had been changed to Plymouth, England
and seven days later received word again that another change had taken
place and that we would land at Liverpool, England.
But about this time the
men didn't care where they were going as the beautiful Atlantic Ocean was
playing havoc with their insides and life wasn't any too pleasant. This
12-day voyage to England is one trip that won't be forgotten with the
savory chow that was served to us in the ship's mess and the lonely
feeling we had in departing from the states and everything that we loved.
The foggy shores of
England was first sighted on October 25th and the decks were lined with
men anxious to catch a glimpse of the land they had heard so much about.
The Liverpool dock was swarming with Englishmen who proceeded to toss
English coins up on the deck and the GI's returned the exchange with
cigarettes and got quite a laugh as the limeys fought each other in mad
scrambles to grab the cigarettes. Growing tired of throwing cigarettes to the limeys, the men finally hit the "hay" and retired for the night anxiously looking forward to the morning when they would debark on English soil for the first time.
Today
was the day of days for us as we disembarked from the Marine Robin
to set foot on foreign soil for the first time in our young lives. Moving
from the dock to the railway station, we were met by a group of English
Red Cross girls with the inevitable coffee and doughnuts. After this bit
of refreshment we boarded the train for our first station in England,
Shrewton Wilts and muddy tent city, Pinkney Park. One of many such camps
throughout England, Pinkney Park was located on a huge estate of an
English lord and was miles away from anywhere. But the men managed to find
a few forms of entertainment including a few of the celebrated English
pubs dotting the countryside surrounding the camp and were quite amused as
they listened to the strange accent of the limeys as they sat drinking
their beer and biding the time of the day with their neighbors.
Five
days of mud and rain at Pinkney Park and we were ready to move again this
time to Winchester Barracks in Winchester, England. Winchester was a
typical English town and was one of the more pleasant stations with
movies, the American Red Cross and our many trips to London.
But
it wasn't all play though as the day after we arrived we were given guard
details and the men were sent to various camps in the surrounding
territory. The next week was one of the busiest periods in "Merry Old
England" as we received all of our brand new combat equipment. Work went
on from dawn until dusk, removing waterproofing and assembling guns.
On
November 9 Col. Arthurs, Major Harwood, Major Kaczmarek and Capt. Starr
were guests of the 761st Mayor Making Service at Winchester and created
quite an impression on the English residents.
Our
stay at Winchester Barracks was up now and on Nov. 24 we left by motor
convoy enroute to Tilshead Lodge, Camp No.1 where we were to test fire our
guns and receive our assignment as combat troops.
These
few weeks at Tilshead were busy ones. T.A.T. equipment, given up for lost,
finally arrived. The passes to London and Piccadilly Circus were frequent
as well as short stays in Salisbury and Winchester.
Orders were received on December 12th assigning the unit to General George
S. Patton's famous Third United States Army and with that we were off for
Camp D-14, subport C27 of the 14th port, near Weymouth, England, to embark
aboard LST's for our jump across the English Channel into France and our
first fling at combat.
After
three days of "dry runs" at D-14, we assembled to load aboard LST's with a
minimum of confusion under the expert guidance of the U.S. Navy. Admiral
Stark, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, witnessed the loading of the LST's.
Dog
Battery, part of Charlie Btry and attached Medics embarked aboard LST 527
and departed at 0830 the 15th of December. The balance of Charlie Battery
and part of Baker followed on LST 397; Headquarters Battery, the second
platoon Able Battery on LST 350 and the balance of Able and Baker
Batteries on LST 332 departing between the 16th and 19th of
The
channel, usually rough this time of year, was calm and the blue waters and
good Navy food made war seem rather remote until we sighted the shores of
France and the ruins so evident everywhere. The morning of the 16th the
first contingent of the battalion including D Btry plus the personnel of C
Btry and Medics arrived in Rouen, France.
The
remainder of the battalion arrived a few days later and unloaded at Rouen
also and from there departed for Camp Bevelent where the unit billeted in
war torn available buildings and pup tents. Camp Bevelent was a former V-2
launching site.
Then
came the long cold trip through France as we left Camp Bevelent on the
morning of December 24th enroute to Longuyon, France. The battalion
bivouacked in the vicinity of Soissons, France on Xmas eve after traveling
128 miles and slept on the frozen ground with thoughts of the folks
spending Xmas at home.
It
was at Soissons that we received our first baptism of fire as we were
strafed by a lone German plane. It was a memorable Xmas eve that we spent
here and not one easily forgotten. On this mad dash across France we were
following close on the heels of the 11th Armored Division which was being
rushed to the Ardennes to help stop Von Rundstedt's great counter
offensive. We later met the 11th Armored at Bastogne during the great
"Battle of the Bulge."
On
Xmas day the unit continued on to Longuyon, France and billeted there
overnight and again were the recipients of a lone German plane which
strafed them and then took off for Nazi land. These token raids did no
damage to our battalion but only served as a morale booster for the
Luftwaffe.
The
Luftwaffe strange enough, was conspicuous by its absence at this stage of
the war, but came the night it would try to slip by the gun positions. One
Jerry attempted to slip by Dog Battery's defenses at Mamer but the alert
ack-ack men opened up on the JU 88 and brought it down in flames to claim
the distinction of being the first battery to knock out one of Goering's
Luftwaffe. With out first kill written down in the records for the 26th of
December, we were determined now to add a few more to the list as we later
did.
The
pace was quickening now and Von Rundstedt desperate to make a break
through was throwing everything the Germans had against us. Bastogne,
Belgium had been completely surrounded by this time with the 101st
Airborne Division on the inside and thousands of Krauts on the outside
trying to get in. General Patton sent down orders to get there by the
quickest means and it was obeyed literally, and the roads were jammed
bumper to bumper with vehicles from Metz, through Longuyon and Longwy to
Arlon. The whereabouts of the German line was still somewhat of a mystery.
With the whole Third Army on the scene now, the German 6th Panzer army was
beginning to wish it had stayed back in Germany. The U.S. 4th Armored
Division broke through to Bastogne on December 27 to relieve the 101st
Airborne Division which had been surrounded for six days.
The
German drive, spearheaded by an armored brigade of Germans in American
uniforms driving American vehicles, had almost reached the Meuse River at
Dinant, Belgium - 60-miles from their jump off point in Germany. And with
that it was the sign for the 778th and other units to jump into action on
the orders of General Patton to get to Bastogne the quickest way possible.
Baker
and Charlie Batteries were detached from the organization at this point
and set up AA defense at Sedan and Stenay, France respectively and on the
31st of December the remainder of the battalion, Headquarters, Able and
Dog proceeded by convoy for Bastogne.
The
story of Bastogne is a saga of courage, bravery and loyalty of the
fighting youth of America that was so important in the victory over Nazism
and is so typical of the American fighting man of today. The anti-aircraft
men of the 778th were a comparatively green outfit and untried in combat
when rushed into the thick of the battle at Bastogne but they weathered
severe shell fire and the elements of winter warfare and drove the
Luftwaffe right out of the skies.
It
was a cold snowy December night that we set out on our trek for our first
real taste of combat and the horrors of modern warfare. The road leading
into Bastogne was clogged with tanks of the 4th and 11th Armored Divisions
who were rushing up to the front to drive the Kraut Armor back and clear
the way for the infantry to move up.
We
traveled all night long and finally arrived at our destination on noon of
the next day. It wasn't a pleasant sight moving into this shattered
Belgian city and having to live in foxholes on the cold snowy ground with
the Krauts only 400 yards from us. It was impossible to pitch our pup
tents.
We
weren't in position long until the Luftwaffe tried a sneak attack and
attempted to drop a load of bombs and strafe the infantry who were
recuperating in the city, but the alert gunners drove them off before they
could inflict any damage.
Unable to make a breakthrough on the ground or in the air, the Krauts got
desperate and started shelling the city and us with barrage after barrage
of 88 shells. The 778th literally caught hell but they stood their ground.
Their foxholes shook from the concussion as the 88's landed nearby and
things looked pretty black with the Huns zeroed in on our positions. But
our artillery got busy and it wasn't long until they had wiped out the 88
gun positions and things quieted down. Meanwhile with Headquarters, Able and Dog Batteries in Bastogne, Baker and Charlie were busy themselves getting a taste of winter warfare at Sedan and Stenay. Capt. Medill's boys were protecting a series of bridges across the Meuse River which were to be used in case of retreat by our "Doughboys" and were constantly being strafed and bombed by Goering's Luftwaffe. It was during one of these attacks on New Year's eve that they suffered their first casualties as Pfc. Laverne Grebe and Pfc. Grant Angel were hit by 20 mm. shell fragments and severely wounded.
We
came out of "The Bulge" battlewise and ready for our adventures that were
to lead us through Belgium, Luxembourg and finally through Germany as the
Nazis crumbled in our path. For their work at Bastogne, Stenay, and Sedan
the 778th soon earned the reputation as one of the best anti-aircraft
units in the Third Army despite the fact that they were a "green unit" and
untried until those missions.
With
the exception of Charlie Battery which was sent direct from Stenay, France
into the cold at Bastogne, and Baker Battery which was protecting two
bridges near St. Vith, the battalion regrouped at Arlon, Belgium for
another assignment. That short visit at Arlon was everything a GI could
desire with beer, movies and the friendly Belgium people to talk to. January 22 marks a decided change in the fortunes of the 778th, at which time we were attached to the 76th Division - the Onaway Division, commanded by Major General Schmidt. The Batteries at that time were attached to the Infantry Regiments and supporting Field Artillery Battalions as follows:
By
the 29th of January 1945, the battle of the Ardennes had become merely a
chase to catch the last Kraut before he could get across the Our River on
the Luxembourg-German border . By the time that the Division and the 778th had swung into position as Corps reserves, the Krauts had pulled back into Northern Belgium so on the 25 of January the division was deployed into Luxembourg in preparation for an attack on the most powerful belt of fortifications in Western Europe - The Siegfried Line facing Echternach.
Charlie Battery was catching a little hell in the vicinity of Echternach as the Germans shelled them continually from their fortifications across the Sauer River high above the city of Echternach. Sgt. Manuel's section also managed to shoot down a Jerry plane just before the 76th made their big assault on the Siegfried Line.
With
the "Battle of the Bulge" completed, the Third Army prepared to crack the
vaunted Siegfried line. In our sector the 76th was busily preparing for
the crossing of the Sauer River from Echternach, Luxembourg and in the
latter part of February received orders to make their attack against the
Siegfried fortifications.
It
was a cold winter night that the 417th Inf. Reg. made the initial crossing
in assault boats against Hitler's gigantic wall. They suffered a great
number of casualties but the crossing was successful. The dragon's teeth
had been sheared. The impenetrable Siegfried line had been penetrated.
With
the infantry clearing the way and capturing the small German towns of
Fleishweiler, Dickweiler, Wolsfeld, Esslingen and Niederweis, the 76th had
the Jerries on the run. A few days later the 778th crossed the Sauer River
along with the supporting artillery and set up AA defenses over the entire
area. The Krauts attempted to defend Holstrum before our onslaught and the
city was left a mass of rubble as the artillery blasted it with salvo
after salvo.
Once
past Holstrum we quickened our pace and was hot on the heels of the
fleeing Nazis. The road conditions were improving, the enemy was
disorganized and in hasty flight, the full strength of the Third Army was
poised for rapid thrusts and "the rat race was on." Our objective now was the great city of Trier and we traveled night and day wiping out small pockets of Germans who attempted to resist our advance. We were traveling so fast that it was difficult to keep our supply lines open. Gas was an important item these days and it took every available means of transportation to keep us supplied. The "Doughboys" who were used to traveling by foot now had to be transported by trucks to catch up with the Krauts. Transported with such speed the foot soldiers were able to strike the Jerries fast and furious.
The
disintegration of the German army was becoming more apparent each day as
we raced for the Rhine. Thousands and thousands of Nazi supermen were
moving toward the rear of the Allied Lines with their hands over their
heads. For them, Hitler's dream of conquest had already ended in a walking
nightmare.
After
taking Trier we drove on with untold speed and the important city of
Wittlich fell before our onslaught. It was here that it first became
apparent that more Military Government forces were needed. So half of the
battalion were put into Military Government work and to them fell the task
of controlling the civilians and taking over after the towns had fallen.
All
along the roads leading to the Rhine, the Germans had painted propaganda
signs such as "The road to the Rhine but never back again" and "turn back
now before it is too late" but we paid little heed to them and continued
on our way.
It
was a memorable day when the 9th Armored Division found the Ludendorff
Bridge spanning the Rhine still intact, and proceeded to exploit one of
the greatest blunders in military history. The Ludendorff Bridge incident
forced the Germans to rush off all available troops to the area, thus
weakening the entire southern portion of their defense on the east bank of
the river. The Nazi "watch on the Rhine" had failed. The very heart of the
Third Reich was now being overrun by the Allies.
It
was late in March when we made a comparatively quiet crossing of the Rhine
River over a pontoon bridge at Boppard, Germany. German tanks and
transports littered the roadside. Charcoal burning halftracks and
personnel carriers were frequently found lying in the ditches - their
ersatz fuel unable to keep them ahead of their armor.
Once
across the Rhine our new objective was now Kassel, a strong point of the
German defense. On the way the Krauts attempted to make stands at their
small towns. Where he attempted to defend a town, he built a rubble pile
as a monument to his futile efforts.
On
our way to Kassel we were assigned to the 6th Armored Division task force
which was moving with rapier like speed through the German defenses. The
armored boys with their General Sherman tanks cleared the way whenever the
Kraut armor threatened our advance and we did the rest.
Almost within reach of Kassel, we were ordered to bypass the city and let
the artillery reduce it to a mass of ruins as the Krauts were stubbornly
defending it. The air war up to this point was practically nil except for
an occasional visit by the Luftwaffe. The question in everyone's minds was
"where is the Luftwaffe?" We began to wonder if the Germans actually had
an air force left or were just saving it for the final big push.
It
wasn't long though until Goering gave us our answer as the Luftwaffe
sprang to life. The "fun" started April 8th when Able Battery, out front
with the 304th Inf. reported perimeter aerial attacks around Langensalza.
The Luftwaffe was out to stop our advance at all costs as we were driving
into Germany just a little too fast for their comfort.
With
that things began to pick up as we experienced our first bit of real enemy
air activity since joining the 76th. Now the "Doughboys" and the artillery
men were beginning to appreciate the ack-ack boys. The Jerries attack
through the air around Langensalza cost them dearly as the gunners shot
down a number of their now scarce planes. From Langensalza we moved on
with such speed that the Krauts slipped in from the sides of our spearhead
and cut us off from our supply lines. But the armor broke through two days
later and reopened them.
On
Friday, the 13th of April, an ominous date, the unit moved into the
vicinity of Zeitz. Here they met a determined stand of fanatical SS troops
and were victims of extensive mortar, shell and sniper fire. As a result
of this one man was killed and three more injured from Able Battery. It
was also the day that we heard the sad news of the death of our Commander
in Chief, President Roosevelt.
The
following day a JU 88 bomber carrying a piggy back plane attempted to slip
through the defenses of the entire battalion of 64 halftracks and met with
a hail of fire never before seen. The plane was shot down and crashed into
flames killing the pilot and all occupants.
Within six days after the Luftwaffe put in an appearance, the 778th
accounted for 19 enemy planes, including 15 category ones. During one
18-hour period we engaged 15 of 21 planes, scoring five "cat ones" and
three "cat two's." On one other day, six "cat ones" and six "cat two's"
were claimed in an equally successful defense.
During this period no damage was sustained by protected F.A. and Inf., and
only one man was wounded despite intensive bombing and strafing. Enemy air
activity died off during the latter part of April as the last attempt of
the Luftwaffe was broken up and the German air force was now a thing of
the past.
On
April 22, we were relieved of our assignment to General Patton's Third
Army and assigned to the First U.S. Army commanded by General Hodges.
The
products of Hitler's experiment in psychological warfare were trudging
along the roads as the armies liberating them were thrusting deeper and
deeper into Germany. These walking skeletons, victims of Nazi forced labor
and concentration camps, were staggering along the highways often without
shoes and begging for food and cigarettes. So touched were the men by this
appeal that they often went without their cigarettes themselves in order
to give a little something for these down and out victims of Nazism. But
as bad off as these victims were they were lucky compared to some of the
atrocities that Herr Himmler committed against other members of the forced
labor battalions. Groups of Jews, Frenchmen, Polish and Belgium people
alike were burned alive at Dachau and Buchenwald torture camps and those
scenes weren't at all pleasant to our war weary eyes. The vicious cruelty
of the Nazis was something we just couldn't realize or believe until we
saw it with our own eyes.
The
final drive into the heart of Germany was a continuous session of moving
into firing positions and in a few hours moving again. We couldn't even
boresight our guns before we were forced to move again to keep up with the
fleeing Germans. And sometimes we didn't even bother to try but
merely stopped for a few hours before moving on. It was rough in some ways
but we had the consolation of knowing that every move we made was a step
closer to home. Hitler's death was announced by the Germans on May 1, only a few days after Mussolini was captured and shot by Italian patriots. The historic link-up between the Seventh Army and the Fifth Army took place in the famed Brenner Pass.
Pfc.
Richard Smiley of Baker Battery wrote the finish to the 778th war with an
M-1 Rifle on the 3rd of May. He plastered a kraut liaison plane with 10
rounds of cal. 30, dropping his target and two German officers into a
nearby field. And a few days later the German army commenced wholesale
unconditional surrender to the Allies. All the German forces in the
Netherlands, Denmark, and Northwestern Germany laid down their arms. The
enemy in Czechoslovakia and other small pockets resisted until May 8. But
at 0001 on May 9 the war was officially over. V-E Day was at last a
reality.
For
the records of those interested, the war in Europe ended for the 778th
with Headquarters and Dog Batteries stationed in Limbach, A Btry in Penig,
Baker Btry in Hohenstein and Charlie Battery in Hartmannsdorf. From
Bonnert, Belgium to Altmittweida, Germany, the 778th supported the 76th
Division as it blitzed its way across Germany to within 50 miles of the
Czechoslovakian border. And then they were halted by corps order at the
Mulde River as the Russians were advancing to the Mulde from the opposite
bank. The 76th with 778 in support penetrated into the crumbling Reich
farther than any other American Infantry Unit. A chicken in every house, a box of cigars on every table and a bottle of wine, champagne or cognac in every GI's hand; that is the story of the paradise in warfare that the battalion enjoyed on the drive in Germany. But they also tasted the horrors of modern warfare and saw death in its most gruesome forms and those memories will not be forgotten soon. Alles Kaput in Deutschland so now our task is one almost as hard as the one just completed, mainly the important job of occupying Germany to show her that this time we mean business.
With
the end of fighting in Europe, the battalion spent the next few days
taking it easy and just sweating it out. What next? We would just have to
wait and see. What were the possibilities? The battalion could be used for
occupation, sent to the United States to be retrained, or sent to the
Pacific Theater to continue the fight against the Japs.
On
May 12th our troubled minds were relieved as it was announced that the
battalion would assemble together at Neustadt, Germany to assume our
occupational duties. We were placed in Category I, which was the
designation for occupational troops.
Now
that we knew what the score was on this our main topic of conversation was
"how many points do you have?" The rumblings and grumblings of the Army
Educational Program were beginning to be heard, too, but the main interest
was in the "Point System" as Chief of Staff, General Marshall, announced
the critical score as 85 or more points to be eligible for a discharge.
Neustadt was one of the most pleasant German cities we had been stationed
in with the beautiful homes we occupied and the "scenery" around us. For
the next few weeks we were kept quite busy with our occupational duties:
road blocks and the task of keeping the German civilians in line. But even
with all the guard that we pulled the men found varied forms of
entertainment to suit their taste.
The
Battalion Special Service Office began functioning and sports and games
were the most important activities. The battalion organized an
inter-battery softball league with Manager John Carbone's Able Battery
team carrying off the top honors after a late start. Volleyball,
horseshoes, movies and swimming also were quite popular with the men. A
beautiful EM Beer Club was started here in Neustadt with a club house
about a mile from the city limits.
On
the 15th of June we were relieved from our assignment to the Ninth Army
and assigned to the Seventh Army and the rumors began flying again. Some
thought we would be occupational troops for sure now while others figured
it was a one way ticket to the Pacific. On the 29th of June we received
orders to move out of Neustadt as it was Russian occupation territory and
A few
days of extensive guard duty here until the Russians arrived and we were
on the move again this time traveling into the Bavarian territory
surrounding Ebermannstadt. We were in the hot bed of Nazism now and the
country people living there were all firm believers of Hitler and were
outspokenly in favor of him.
Lt.
Col. Arthurs, Battalion Commander of the 778th since early activation
days, was succeeded by Lt. Col. William H. Francis on the 3rd of July as
he was transferred to the 535 AAA Bn. preparatory to shipment to the
states and a discharge. Before leaving, Col. Arthurs, issued a letter to
each of his men telling them how proud he was to have served with them
during
Softball games continued to occupy most of our time here, along with some
detached observations of Bavarian farm folk and their farming methods,
particularly of the little fertilizer wagons so often seen (?) along the
roads. The point score was gradually being lowered now and the men began
leaving the outfit and new men began coming in.
While
the battalion was in Ebermannstadt they formed an MP detachment at
Streitburg and assumed military control over the entire area. Lt. Alfred
G. Mansfield, in command of the Military Police at Streitburg, received
the commendations of the commanding officer of the 35th AAA Brigade for
their efficient work in controlling their area of responsibility without
one disturbance.
Battalion Headquarters moved to Pegnitz the middle of August and Charlie
Battery took over guard duties at the huge quartermaster warehouses in
Nurembourg. Another MP detachment was formed in Pegnitz and they had the
job of guarding PW's and supervising their work.
On
the fourth of July the battalion was relieved of its assignment to the
Seventh Army and reassigned to General Patton's Third Army, with which
they had served all during combat.
Early
in August rumors began to originate that the 778th would not go home as a
unit but would lose all its high point men to another AA outfit. The
surrender of the Japanese permitted the movement of troops to the states
to gain impetus and the point score was announced as 70 for October and 60
for November. As this took effect only a few of our old-timers remained
behind.
The
latter part of August we received a new assignment and one that would
probably prove permanent as we were ordered to move to Munich to assume
charge of all guard duties at the huge army warehouses here.
Munich proved to be interesting and cameras clicked rapidly as sightseers
visited Hitler's home during the organization of the putsch, the street
where Adolph and crew had marched in the abortive putsch of 1923,
Mussolini's home during his exile from Italy, the building where Prime
Minister Chamberlain had signed the infamous Peace Pact, and the beer hall
where two unsuccessful attempts were made on Hitler's life. A more
peaceful Red Cross is now housed in the last-named place.
Sports again were on the upswing here as football weather rolled around.
The battalion organized a football team with 1st Lt. Walter J. Nikodem as
coach. The team as this history is being written has rolled on to a very
successful season with only one defeat, a 6 to 0 loss to the Munich
Marauders. The "Wolf Pack" reached its peak with the 784th AAA Bn. as it
downed them by a 57 to 0 score.
In
Munich the GI's "never had it so good." The Red Cross Club, the EM club,
and many others were favorite hangouts for the point weary soldiers. As
this is being written, the 778th is definitely scheduled for occupation
duty and the men with points in the 60's are still sweating it out waiting
to go home. We're proud of having been in the 778th, no matter what we
might have said in a gripe.
It
was one hell of a war. We're glad its over.
TO THOSE MEN, BOTH OF OUR OWN AND THOSE OF FELLOW FIGHTING UNITS, WHO WERE FORCED TO DROP OUT OF THE MARCH BY THE FORTUNES OF BATTLE, WE DEDICATE THIS BOOK. Chaplain George Kissinger III
IN MEMORIAM
Cpl. Walter P. Stauffer Tec. 5 Berlyn H. Ferrenberg Tec. 5 Gordon D. Crago Tec. 5 Willis F. Jackson Pfc. Clifford Reagan, Jr.
Editor: Sgt. Tom Lowery Art Editor: Tec. 5 Robert Bonning Map Drawing: Sgt. Mike Groholy
BATTERY REPRESENTATIVES A Battery: Sgt. Tom Lowery B Battery: Sgt. Harry Englehart C Battery: 1st Sgt. Lawrence Miller D Battery: Cpl. Otto Kiajcovic HQ Battery: Sgt. Elwood Latschar
Advisory Board: Major Dewey S. Harwood, Chaplain George Kissinger III, 1st Lt. Harris Horwich
Printed by F. Bruckmann KG,
Munich, Germany (undated) |
