World War II was unique among Wars. It was a war against tyranny as never could be visualized. The Germans had built a war machine that nearly conquered the entire Western world and with the intention to include our country in their plans to conquer the world. We became involve in the war against Germany after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
We are the members of the G. I. Generation – children of the depression, who saved democracy in World War II. There was a sense of shared sacrifice during World War II. We had the draft, everybody was in it together. At home there was rationing of gasoline, shoes and meats.
It was 68 years ago that we faced our worst enemy in mortal combat in World War II. Today we are old men, and our memories after a half century are sometimes a little faded but they remember the cold, hunger, confusion and they remember the dead. The veterans wants this generation to know the suffering of war. At the age of 20, I was drafted into the Army on Dec. 12, 1942 and was assigned to the Tank Destroyer training center at Camp Hood, Texas. This was a new type of military unite, to be used specifically for combating and destroying enemy armor. The logo of a Tank Destroyers, is a orange circle containing a Black Panther crushing a tank in its teeth.
After extensive training, I was assigned to the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. The Battalion had approximately 640 officers and enlisted men assigned to three Tank companies. Reconnaissance company. Medical and Headquarters. I was a staff Sergeant responsible for the Battalion communications.
The Battalion departed for overseas from New York City on Jan. 9, 1944 on the British ship the Mauretania. It was formally a Cunard Line passenger ship that was converter to a troop ship. This ship held the trans-Atlantic speed record and we were able to go without a convoy. There was five thousand troops aboard from all branches of the service. Our Battalion had the assignment to man all the ships weapons (3 inch canons and 50 caliber machine guns) and submarine watch from the bridge, bow and stern areas of the ship. It was a great feeling when the ship docked in Liverpool, England on January 18th.
FOUR CHAPLAIN’S- Feb. 3rd marks the 68th anniversary of the USAT Dorchester sinking 120 miles south of Greenland and the heroism of Four Chaplains- The Dorchester departed from New York bound for St. John’ s, Newfound Land on Jan. 22, 1943. disaster struck at 1:00 AM on Feb. 3, 1943 when a torpedo from a German U-boat hit the Dorchester. Only 2 of the 14 lifeboats successfully launched. The Chaplains moved among the panicking troops and to help to organize an orderly evacuation. They handed out life jackets and when they ran out, gave their own to four soldiers. As the ship went down, they were last seen in prayer together. Of the 902 soldiers and crew aboard the Dorchester, 675 died. In 1944 the four chaplains were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart. The four chaplains were, George Fox-Methodist, Clark Poling- Reformed, Alexander Goode- Jewish, Rev. John Washington- Catholic.
In England the Battalion was assigned to the 1st Army, 5th Corp in the south of England (Dorset county, town of Bridport). At times we lived in tents, barns, castles and we had the pleasure of living with English families. During the months of April and May, training became more intense, including boarding landing crafts on the English Channel and making dry runs out a few miles and return to port. This was intended to throw the Germans off and to keep them guessing on the invasion date and place. On April 28, 1944 EXERCISE TIGER the war’s most deadly U.S. training exercise accrued as a dress rehearsal for D-Day, it ended with 749 U.S. soldiers and sailors dead in the English Channel. Infantry Divisions, 893rd Tank Destroyers, 3000 ships combat and soldiers in full battle dress in their final drill. But the drill became a death trap, when a pack of nine German torpedo stumbled onto eight (LST’s -Landing Ship tanks). Two LST’s were sunk and a third was damaged in 30 minutes. The news of this attack’ was kept secret from the British and American public.
D-DAY – June 6, 1944- Operation Overflord Before dawn, 68 years ago, the greatest seaborne invasion in history began on the wind swept Normandy coast of France. June 6, 1944 is now known as D-Day – military jargon for starting and the beginning of the end of World War II. In overall command was 53 year old General Dwight Eisenhower who launched the attack by telling his forces “you are about to embark upon the Great Crusade”. The unprecedented operation brought 3 million soldiers across the English Channel. Also that day 1,000 American bombers were pounding Hilter’s Altantic wall. In Normandy the 893 Tank Battalion was assigned to support the 1st Army, 2nd Infantry Division. By the time “Operation Overlord”, as the invasion was called, was over. Allied losses were estimate at 37,000 dead and another 172,000 wounded or missing. But the Germans also suffered 200,000 casualties and 200,000 troops captured.
We participated in every major battle through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and southern Germany. After five months of combat the Battalion was assigned to support the 28th Infantry Division in the Hurtgen Forest. This was a designated rest area for the Battalion to repair its equipment and our troops to recover their strength. The rest did not last long. The German’s launched a major counter-attack. B & C Tank Companies took the blunt of this attack and suffered heavy casualties and loss of equipment. I was awarded a Purple Heart during the action in the Hurtgen Forest.
On November 18th the Battalion was assigned to support the 78th Infantry Division (their first combat assignment). Our mission was the attack on Kesternich, this town meant control of the Roer River. This was a heavily fortified area including the Siegfried line, bunkers and anti-tank obstacles (Dragon Teeth).
Battle of the Bulge On December 16th the start of the Battle of the Bulge and our Battalion had not recovered from the German counter attack in the Hurtgen Forest. This Bulge attack was Hilter’s plan to split the bond between the Allied forces of the British, Canada and the United States. Hilter was also hoping to buy time on further development of secret weapons that they had been working on (Buzz bombs and Jet fighter planes).
Problems at the Start of the Bulge-
-A “Ghost Front” A frozen Hell
-275,000 Germans against 83,000 Americans
-Spread out 2,000 square miles in Beligum and Luxenbourg.
-60 miles of front lines.
-Bone chilling cold and dense fog.
-Difficult terrain, heavily forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg plus the German fortifications of the Siegfried Line and surrounding bunkers and anti-tank obstacles called “Dragon Teeth.
Malmedy Massacre on Dec. 17, 1944, elements under command of SS Peiper encountered the American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief battle, the Americans surrendered. A single SS officer pulled out a pistol and shot a medical officer and then shot the next soldier. Other German SS soldiers joined in with machine guns, killing all the captured American soldiers.
Bastogne By Dec. 21, the German forces had completely surrounded Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough, most of the medical supplies had been captured. However, despite German attacks, the perimeter held. General McAuliffe was asked by the German’s to surrender, he wrote on the paper delivered to the Germans “NUTS”. That reply had to be explained to the Germans and to the non-American allies. On Dec. 23 the weather condition started improving, allowing the Allied air forces to attack. They launched devastating bombing attacks on the supply points and decimating troops on the roads. On Jan. 12, The last German left the Bulge and on Jan. 15,1945 the Battle of the bulge was over.
CONCLUSION OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE After 41 days, the Battle of the Bulge, broke the back of the German’s. Within 6 months, more than 120,000 lost their lives. Four months latter. Hitter was and Germany surrendered. Those unsung heroes If there ever was Unsung Heroes of the Bulge, they were the Replacements. They would be parceled out to the units as casualties would occur Most came with very little training and some would be only a few days from the states. If they survived the first 4 days, they probably will get by for a while. If we get 20 replacements before an attack, the next morning. 5 might be alive