My First Taste of Combat

My first taste of combat came on the night of Feb. 17 '45. I was in an open field when the flares went up and we advanced through small arms, artillery and mortar fire. I was present when a group of Germans (I was told there were 25) in a pillbox surrendered without firing at us. We then walked about 30 or 40 yards when all around people started tripping AP mines. It seemed an eternity before we were able to backtrack and get to assumed safety from the mines.

One of the wounded was in agony and he begged for someone to come help him. The officer present ordered us to leave the wounded and at daylight someone should help them. S/Sgt Leiter told the officer "A man's dying in there. I'm going to help him." In a few seconds S/Sgt Leiter tripped two mines. - He called out that his legs were gone and he needed help. - NO one responded. Shortly after the sergeant tripped more mines and was killed. (The next day we were told that a soldier had entered the minefield and rescued the man Leiter was going to. The wounded man had lost a leg but was still alive). Our group then headed out in another direction which crossed a ridge and when we got about 40 yards down an incline a German pillbox about 20 feet in front of me opened fire. (There were a machine gunner and three riflemen in the PB).

Their muzzle flashes were blinding to us but the Germans seemed to be able to pinpoint our return fire and respond with a hail of bullets and grenades. (We couldn't use grenades because some of our men were between us and the PB).

We were ahead of our intended objective and the area we were in was to be subjected to a 30-minute barrage by our 105s. Our radioman had been killed early on and no one could get the radio and report our position. So we lay on the open ground as "friendly fire" burst among us for a seeming eternity and illuminated our location so those in the PB could rake us with gunfire. During the artillery barrage I saw and jumped into a trench that was 3 to 5 yards in front of the PB. There were at least five of us in the trench. We still couldn't fire at the PB or use grenades because a group of GIs were ahead of us, pinned down, and apparently unable to get grenades or rifle fire into the box. As the barrage lifted daylight began to dawn and we were ordered to withdraw to the other side of the ridge. (The parapet of the trench faced the PB and, I guess, provided an 18 inch high barrier, the top of which was raked by the MBs in their lowest setting). As we were leaving the trench I saw a GI, introduced to me as 'Olson' lying just below the parapet's crest. I yelled at him that we were to fall back but he didn't respond. I thought he hadn't heard me because of the battle noise so I went back and shook him. To my dismay I was shaking a dead body. Then as we were falling back the enemy strafed the area mercilessly. As daylight revealed the landscape we found ourselves on an open area several hundred acres in size, which was bisected by an anti-tank ditch as well as trenches. Downhill where a plain began our company occupied a trench.

We spent that day and night in the trench, waist deep in water that contained the bodies and body parts of Americans that had been killed in an earlier battle. All German dead had been removed. There was little small-arms fire by either side but the Germans had the trench zeroed-in and every half-hour or so sent in 120mm mortar rounds with telling effect: Also, during the first day we were in the trench two or three fighter-bombers arrived and made several strafing and bombing runs over the terrain ahead of us. Many of us got out of the trench and were waving and yelling when one of the planes peeled off, circled to our position, made two strafing passes and on the third pass dropped two bombs. I am not aware of the planes causing any damage or death to us or to the Germans.

The next day when we left the trench we advanced into a wooded area, on our right front, through 88, small-arm and mortar fire which, it seemed, we were always exposed to. Shortly after entering the wooded area we came to what appeared to be a municipal dump. Then the SA fire ahead of us became furious. We attempted to climb up the pile of trash and enter the area ahead but only one or two persons in my sight got to the top before the trash caved in or shifted from under them and they fell back.

Before I made it up the dump fire ahead quieted down and word was received that the village was taken and we were to head out to our left front. We were ascending a wooded slope and upon reaching its crest came to a steep wooded decline that had an open area between it and a road. The road entered a wooded area to the right. To the left were some multi-story stone buildings that faced (away from us) upon a large open area ringed by a semi-circle of woods. To the left of these buildings was a vacant area and then there was a large multi-story civilian hospital with a Red Cross flag flying above it's cupola. Numerous buildings were to the left of the civilian hospital. (We were on the outskirts of Forbach, France.)

We spent the rest of that day and that night on the hillside about 50 yds back from the edge of the open field. With an unrelenting constancy the Germans directed 88 and mortar fire into our position. The trees were being reduced to branchless broken and jagged poles. Most of the 88s were air bursts. I am only aware of about six casualties in my little sphere. A mortar round hit a foxhole that was literally filled with people because the surrounding ground with its rock strata made digging a deep trench or foxhole almost impossible. The foxhole that was hit was large, at least 4 1/2 feet deep with excavated dirt and rock about one-third of the protection.

Early the next day we began to try to gain entry into the city. As soon as the first group left the wooded area and became exposed in the open area between woods and buildings, all hell erupted. SA, MG, mortar, 88 and sniper fire was instantaneous and deadly effective. The group I was with got to the 1st building and every time we sought to advance a concentration of MG & SA fire drove us back. We were told to await tank support. (It never came). In mid-afternoon we began to enter the first buildings. I located 3 elderly civilians in a room I entered. A sergeant came in and told me to stay with them until I was relieved. I remained there the rest of the day and all night.

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