Memories of World War II
(in no particular order)
from Paul Albert Brown, S-2, 2nd Bn., 275th Inf. Reg. Intelligence Officer

New Year's evening, we were in the Ardennes in a heavy fog - around midnight we spotted a very startling sight and sound - up along a road that slanted deeply from our position on a high plateau downward to the bottom of our dark, fog covered high position, we saw quite a sight - and, first we were alerted by loud singing and some approaching tanks all with enemy soldiers riding on the tank- and singing 'Roll Out the Barrel' in German! We counted six tanks and I reported this to Col. George Barten - and he took charge - he placed our men at intervals at our location - and told us not to fire until he fired first.

We waited in amazement, and after Col. Barten gave us a signal - we opened our small arms fire on the approaching tanks all covered with soldiers! As they got closer to our high position our Bazooka squad fired at the tank treads and disabled them - one tank was able to get on our hill top - the soldiers riding on them were all killed or escaped down the steep road.

Our bazooka squad soon jammed the treads on one side - and the tank went in circles. They then slipped up in the darkness and we threw gasoline on the spinning tank - then the flame-throwers set it afire - the screams from inside the tank were horrible - and the fire was fatal to all occupants!

Christmas Day - 1944

We entered a small village and planned to stay there for the night due to the bitter cold. Lt. John Cruell and I approached a house and told the elderly German lady we were going to sleep there - she said we were welcome and that one bedroom was vacant. We slept in our bed rolls in semi-comfort and left the next morning. I thanked the host - then she told me that the night before we stayed, two German officers had slept in 'our' room! We shared our food rations with her - and thanked her.

One evening I sent out a patrol to go into enemy lines and bring back some prisoners for me to interrogate. My best recollection is we were in or near Baerenthal - the patrol returned with a few 'Krauts' - but they also reported finding a large cave out in no-man's land - occupied by approximately 150 people - man, women and children. I reported this to Col. Barten and he told me that he and an armed squad were going out to check it out. They did complete their mission and told a fascinating story. Only Col. Barten can recite this story and do justice to it. I'm sure he will tell you if you remind him of it.

We had entered a small German village and my duty was to secure a home for our headquarters to temporarily occupy. I selected a house and told the owner we were going to use it - he raved and cursed and said "hell, no!" I notified him in my 'German' language that he could still occupy the furnace room - he still said no! - saying that he had lost one leg in World War I and he hated Americans. I then informed him they started WW#1 and #2 and lost #1 and were doomed to lose #2! He cursed me in German - not knowing I spoke his language, and interrogated prisoners in German. So, we took his house as headquarters. His attitude remained very arrogant until I informed him if he continued his protests - we would blow up his home when we left. He quieted down and stayed out of my sight in the furnace room.

One evening we were near Heidelburg on the Rhine River - a loud speaker on the German side of the river blasted out: "Lt. Brown, in the event you have forgotten your password for today, it is '-----'." They knew our password which we carefully thought was secret! Since it changed daily, we were not too concerned.

One facet of being our S-2 (Intelligence Officer) was giving 'safe passage' through our lines to German spies sent by our 'higher intelligence'. I had a 'contact' in 'higher intelligence' who would phone me with instructions about the spies for the selected nights - number of people, type of dress, time of arrival and where in our territory they wanted to enter German lines.! I was never told of their mission - my informer always called me in code and we talked in a coded fashion - his accent led me to think he was French - he was 'Capt. Charlie' then used a pre-arranged code word so I could be sure he was OK - and I answered in a code to assure him I was OK. He later would call me to arrange their returns through our lines; fully detailed as to how many and how disguised and time and place. Many spies were dressed like German soldiers, some in Nun's dress, some in plain German civilian attire, some as priests, some women as attractive German women, usually each of the groups were totally mixed as to dress and genders. All I did was give them safe passage and safe return through our own lines.

Our last city we took was Frankfurt, Germany. After we were well into the city and I had interrogated captured German prisoners they informed me that there was a 'Panzer Factory" - tank factory and it was manned by slave labor, prisoners of the German Army, primarily by Russian prisoners, and they told me the location. After reporting this information to our headquarters a decision was made to take some heavily armed squads and check it out. We arrived at the location and realized that the front gate was heavily guarded by several large locks. Col. Barten ordered the gate be opened - but the Germans had fled the scene before we arrived and none of the prisoners had keys to the iron gate. So he ordered some of our troops to shoot the locks off. They finally accomplished this. We entered and were greeted by a very large number of Russian soldiers cheering us. Their leader was told to stay put until we could bring a large detail of men to survey the situation. We left a small detail of men to guard them. Soon after we returned to our headquarters we received a message that the Russian prisoners were rioting and looting with clubs and lead pipes and were taking revenge on the nearby German civilians. We responded by rushing back to the factory in our jeeps with armed men to stop the carnage. On arriving we soon regained control by shooting over the heads of the Russian mobs. They stopped the looting and clubbing of the nearby German civilians and returned to their former barracks. Soon after that the Russian leaders informed us that they were going to thank we American troops with a celebration the next day in the factory. We agreed and they really did entertain us in Russian style. I remember even Col. Barten and myself among others of our troops, after 'much vodka', trying to dance the 'Cossack' style 'squat position' music supplied by our hosts. All guitars and other Russian instruments, most 'improvised' and their loud singing. It was really a great and joyful celebration celebrating their release from years of slave labor.