Account of events attending awarding of Distinguished Service Cross to D.C.Pence, 14 June 1945

Pence Citation Awarded by Hqs ETO

SYNOPSIS OF EVENT AS REPORTED

The 275th Infantry Unit Report for February 6, 1945, noted that a raiding party from A Company had been assigned to attack a well fortified outpost at a mill complex on the Lixinger creek between Lixing and Grosbliederstroff. Intensive MG and small arms fire encountered had to be overcome, then the three buildings cleaned out. The report noted that the mission was accomplished when a Company B unit was committed and reduced the enemy resistance.

BACKGROUND AND ACTION PARTICULARS

A reinforced platoon of Co A was to advance on the objective before dawn. However, the defenders heard them deploying and opened fire, then maintained it, pinning the attackers down. This resulted in many men wounded, then a serious wounding of the platoon leader. An Able LMG crew crawled the creek bottom to reach a flanking position and fired for several minutes nearly exhausting its ammo. The crew withdrew just before the enemy's firing retort raked the position.

Then the 1st Bn CO LTC R. J. Pierce instructed Capt. D. C. Pence, new CO of Co B, to commit his force and end the stalemate. Having been watching the action since daylight, Pence had become convinced that the mill could be taken by an assaulting force supported by accurate fire while it moved and fired to gain the edge of the declivity--the site of the mill complex. From there a brief sizing up would find the winning course.

The 275th's B Co had been reconstituted less than two weeks earlier, the original Baker Company having been practically written off the morning report by a combination of KIAs, MIAs, and WIAs after it had been isolated on a frigid Vosges ridge by the enemy's advancing NORDWIND forces. These losses had been only nominally replaced by some 40 men, about half of them transferred from the other companies of the Regiment and the rest from reinforcement depots. From old but mostly new Baker men, two rifle platoons, each with two 10-man squads, plus a platoon leader and sergeant were formed. Weapons platoon--one 60mm mortar, 5 men.

From an OP in the woods, Pence walked a few yards to where one of the new Baker platoons waited in its cover to join the platoon leader, newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Nils Ramstedt, a transfer from the Regiment's Co. C. Pence told him what he had in mind--one squad would attack and the other would be the base of fire. Pence would be with the attackers, and Ramstedt would direct the shooters. Pence wanted the lieutenant to keep the weapons hot and the firing accurate.

The attackers entered the meadow, a line of skirmishers with Pence following. The support firing opened up as soon as the skirmishers cleared their fire lane. Presently the attackers began their marching fire, and the enemy response was noticeable. Halfway to the objective the attackers hit the ground, having sensed intensification of enemy fire. His DSC citation says that about here Pence remained on his feet and encouraged the men to keep moving. Pence agrees he did that and further deposes that his emotion was one of acute concern for his men's and his own safety, his voice was loud and threatening, and his vocabulary was salty and personal. Then, seeing the men rising, Pence hurried forward to get in front, not noticing that two of his men were still down. A third would be added.

Reaching the rim of the declivity, Pence discovered a barbed-wire obstacle and, at the foot of the nearest building, a lone GI huddled against it. Pence bawled, "Let's go!", jumped over the wire, and ran to the lone GI. The men didn't follow at once, for the next action had already started to play. Pence had asked the GI from which windows the enemy was firing. The man gestured only toward the nearest window. With both hands on the grenade he'd readied, Pence backed away from the designated window to find himself in a confrontation. The man with the burp gun pulled its trigger just as Pence was hit, watched his grenade go through the window, then fell. The two were out of action, for the German didn't fire again. The seven surviving Co. B squad members came down quickly, checked through the mill and sent for the other squad.

The initial first aid given Pence was by a captured German "Sani", who was brought by another Baker man, Sgt. Robert Atkinson. He guarded while the German cut the shoe pac off Pence's wounded leg. While he did so, Pence asked how many "Soldaten" were there at the mill. His response--a smile and shrug. Was it because he knew his Geneva Convention and/or wanted to protect men who might still escape to the east via the creek bottom? Pence is sure there were 5 POWs taken and is pretty sure more men than 4 or 5 would have been needed to defend the mill. He suspects they got away.