It was at Simmerath, Germany where I first saw the proximity fuse in use by a new type Tank Destroyer. It was larger and distinctly different from any TDs that I had seen. The bogie wheels were larger and evenly spaced. It also mounted a long barreled 90mm gun. Later, I found that this was the M-36 TD.

I was intrigued by the consistent height of the air bursts–all appeared to explode about thirty feet above the ground near the Siegfried Line pillboxes at the base of the slope, about 600 yards from our position. When I asked the gunner how he set his fuses so accurately to get such uniform air-bursts, he replied that a magnet in the shell’s nose caused it to exploded automatically at the desired distance above the ground.

I said that it could not be a magnet–it would have to be done by some type of radio signal. But a radio transceiver (transmitter and receiver) built into an artillery shell — impossible! I had no ready answer and learned only later that my initial assumption had been correct.

Through our binoculars we observed German ambulances making multiple daylight runs to the Siegfried pillboxes at the base of the slope. This appeared suspicious and we thought that they might be bringing in ammunition, food or other supplies in the ambulances, even though this would have been a violation of the Geneva Convention—most German regular army units were usually quite scrupulous in abiding by its dictates. The proximity fuse may well have been the reason for all the ambulance runs that we had observed.

The US began work on the proximity fuse in 1940 and successfully brought it into operation in late 1942. The Germans and British had been working on the fuse for several years, but had failed to develop it. It was first used in the ETO on 12 June 1944 against the buzz-bombs in England and was later in use at Antwerp. US navy gunners had used it against Japanese planes in January 1943, from the USS Helena.

In chapter 4 of “War as I Knew It”, General George Patton stated “the night of December 25 and 2 6 we had used the new proximity fuse on a number of Germans near Echternach and actually killed 700 of them.” This action was during 3rd Army’s move north to Bastogne, and was the first documented use of the fuse against ground forces. It is my belief that we had seen the proximity fuse in use several weeks earlier, even though many WWII authors have stated that it was first used on the continent during the Bulge.

This was well before the Bulge, and should remove all doubt that its use at Simmerath was possible. My belief is reinforced by the explanation of its operation by the gunner, and—although flawed–was a reasonable explanation from an unsophisticated gunner! Because the fuse had been used in England and Antwerp, this Tank Destroyer may have been there and could have carried some proximity rounds to Simmerath. Regardless of how they arrived, I firmly believe they were there and that I had seen the proximity fuse as previously stated!

AN INFANTRYMAN REMEMBERS II
by James Powers, 11^th AD, 55^th AIB

Tonight my home is a hole in the frozen ground.

It was the same last night and the night before.

If I am fortunate, I’ll be in another one tomorrow night.

My dinner is cold from a camouflaged box.

My dirty, ragged blanket is almost covered by mud and snow.

While my uniform clashes with the whiteness that surrounds me.

If I had a sheet, I’d wrap in it and be hidden from the enemy.

I am an outpost without friends ahead.

Stretched behind me is the needed support for my fight.

The battle continues on an epic scale, but for me

The epicenter is here, a forsaken, only temporary hole.

We fight in small groups, relying on instinct and prayer,

Unaware of what decisions are being made for us in the rear.

Wars are not won in large scale battles,

But rather in small skirmishes by lonesome dedicated troops

Who sometimes have no clear orders from those in charge higher up.

Hungry, cold, tired, dirty, duty is our leadership.

Some troops farther back have shelter, hot food, a decent bed,

And comfort in knowing that they won’t be shelled tonight.

I am fortunate that I lived to tell the story of many of those

Who perished too young to leave their mark.

They are the heroes, the too soon forgotten ones

To whom their country owes a debt of immeasurable gratitude.

BLESSINGS IN THE “BULGE”
by Patrick J. Kearney, 11^th AD, 55^th AIB

It was December 30, 1944, and the 55th Armored Infantry Battalion was ready to move out.  We had just entered Belgium at Florenville the previous day, and had passed through Jamoigne and Neufchateau before arriving at Ebly for overnight encampment.

As we prepared to depart for Vaux lez Rosieres and the front lines, we observed a lone jeep driving the entire length of our column, which stopped at each half-track.  When the jeep arrived at ours, we saw that its passenger was our battalion and CCR chaplain, Lieutenant Regis J. Galvin, who was a member of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans).

Father Galvin was wearing his chaplain’s stole and helmet, and he greeted us all with a smile and some kind words.  He then spoke of the work we were about to undertake, and asked everyone to remove their helmets and to bow their heads.  Our chaplain then gave General Absolution to the Catholic soldiers, and a blessing to the Protestant and Jewish soldiers, in our half-track.  None of his spiritual sons were forgotten before their “baptism of fire” in the Battle of the Bulge!

But our chaplain’s deep concern for our spiritual welfare did not just end on the eve of battle.  At lulls in the fighting during the “Bulge”, Father Galvin drove up to our position on the front lines, donned his alb, stole and chasuble, and celebrated Mass for us on the hood of his jeep.  His presence on the battlefield was a great comfort to us – as were his prayers for the souls of our buddies who had been killed in action.

August 20 marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Father Galvin.  His genuine concern for others was the hallmark of his ministry as an Army chaplain.  And his deep regard for others is only surpassed by the high esteem in which he is still held today by those “Thunderbolts” whom he served.  Pro Deo et Patria!

My company C was sitting in Stavelot, Belgium with orders to defend the town. Here we watched the troops of the First Army retreat and knew this alert would not suddenly be removed like it was in Carentan and Avranches, both in France. This was definitely the real thing as our guys had patrolled the area for German paratroopers only a few nights before but didn’t find any. Two hours before the initial enemy attack came support from one company of the 7^th Armored Division arrived to help us in the defense of the town.

The attack came from the 150th Panzer Brigade using either American origin or German equipment disguised as American. The shelling started just daybreak and I was walking to chow with Russ Beamer of Dellroy Ohio. He and I left for the Army together and went all through the war together. I asked  Russ, “Do you think we will ever see Carroll County again”? He replied, “Carl it doesn’t look very good now”. The fight was continued from early morning until just before noon. At this time and upon advice from  the commander of C company we left Stavelot.

I was driving the command car as John Higgins the regular driver was in the hospital and my 2 1/2 ton truck was broken down and led our company out of Stavelot. As we were going out of Stavelot the Americans had set a huge gasoline dump on fire to keep the Germans from getting the gas. Our convoy went about 10 miles to a town called Spa that was First Army headquarters. Our acting C Company commander Lt. Joe F. Chinlund of 1323 Eddy St Chicago, Illinois told First Army headquarters that we had just got shelled out of Stavelot. They told Lt Chinlund that they didn’t know that the Germans had counterattacked and were that close. With those just written few words I believe our current company C was the very first to come in contact with the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge.

Our company C was relieved of its commitment to defend the town of Stavelot by the 117^th Infantry Regiment of the 30^th Infantry Division. It was rumored that Germany’s highest armored division was in the area and that our company of 150 men would be completely wiped out if we were to become involved with them. This rumor later became history as the Malmedy Massacre was only about 10 miles away. We left half of our equipment and vehicles in the town as we left and we picked everything up a week later traveling through miles of newly won German territory.

Wesley Hillary was later awarded the Silver Star for his action in the battle. Under intense enemy fire and in an exposed position he continued to operate his 50-caliber machine gun and destroyed three or four enemy half-tracks, knocked out several machine gun positions and many of the enemy’s personnel. Part of the company was now with the 47^th Infantry Regiment near Monschau and they prepared a bridge for demolition and guarded it. They were under enemy artillery fire and contacted enemy patrols on many occasions. They also took positions in some other bridges near Arville and guarded them against the Northern thrusts of the German Sixth Panzer Army.

Able Company held a barrier line which ran from south of Liege to Arville to the vicinity of Jalkay south of Spa along with a third section of Baker Company. The line was under attack by enemy aircraft constantly. H and C companies water points which were listed as lost or now located and found to be supplying water for the first and second infantry divisions. Company C had moved into buzz bomb alley at Verviers. The town was under fire by the German railroad guns and approximately 150 German paratroopers who spoke English and carried forged documents disguise as Americans, were in the city.

On Christmas day as the 101st Airborne Division battled in encircled Bastogne, the battalion was relieved of its assignments to the First Army and V Corps and was sent to the Third Army’s VIII Corps. By the 27th the move to the southern flank of the bulge was completed and A company reinforced a bridge at Bokair to carry a class 40 load. The following day the battalion CP was moved to St. Renig, France.

On December 29 our battalion went into direct support of the 87th Infantry Division and the battalion CP was moved to Bouillon, Belgium and later to Herbeaumont, Belgium. Work with the 87th consisted of just about every type of engineering work possible. B Company quickly constructed a barrier line to protect the divisions left flank on New Year’s Day 1945. A company constructed two bridges both over the divisions MSR. The gap was 40 feet the first day and the remaining 20 feet was bridged with a single span timber bridge with a 30 class capacity. They teamed up with the infantry for the construction of a second bridge, the span was 110 foot class 40 triple single Bailey bridge. Extra outposts were setup between the bridge and the enemy. Company C and their direct support was given the job of clearing the roads from St. Hubert to the front. The Germans had just withdrawn from the area and as usual left minefields, obstacles and booby-trapped items. Besides the roadwork, roads were covered with thick layers of ice and snow. During this operation in this area T/5 Leland Aring of company C was awarded a Bronze Star for his work in clearing booby-trapped items.

Baker Company continued to work on the divisions MSR during this period. The entire unit was constantly with the members of the 87th division. The 87^th  pulled out alone on January 17 and our battalion was now to give support to the paratroopers of the 17th Airborne Division. This was an extremely hard task due to the fact that the divisions engineers the 139th engineers A&B battalions had few trucks or heavy equipment.  This left the entire responsibility of the job ahead directly to the 202^nd Engineer Battalion. While with the 17th Airborne Division our division constructed two bridges in the forward area a 30 foot class 40 single Bailey bridge by company C on January 21 and a 60 foot class 40 double single Bailey on January 27 by company B.

The same problems that were faced when with the 87th were again faced with the 17^th. The hardest job was clearing the remains of the city of Houffalize. The city when in enemy hands was under heavy attack by allied aircraft and the roads were impassable because of huge craters and rubble from bomb buildings. Heavy snowdrifts covered the entire area and besides all these obstacles mines had been placed throughout the entire area.  A company was in direct support of the division and that it had established their CP in Boulangerie, Belgium and the battalion advance CP was located in the same town.

All other companies worked constantly in the divisions’ forward area under enemy observation and mortar fire. In one case Andy Yoder of A Company was credited with taking an entire town alone with his bulldozer. He was busy doing his work, as advanced elements of the 17th Airborne Division move cautiously in. Relieved of duty of the 17th Airborne Division our division continued to work in the VIII Corps area until February 5 when it was reassigned again to the 9th Army and attached to the XVI Corps, 1153^rd  engineering combat group.

Suffering that the men endured during the battling in the Ardennes forest is something that cannot be described to its fullest extent. The men themselves are the only ones who will ever know just how miserable life was during that time. No matter how much clothing was put on it was still impossible to keep warm. Trench foot and frostbite were common

The Battle of the Bulge is now finished and what had started out to be the German’s greatest victory had turned into a smashing defeat. The American forces had suffered terrible casualties some 80,000 men were included in their casual list; the Germans have lost some 90,000 soldiers in the campaign which made our heavy casualties look a little less terrifying

In closing please forgive me if the article I have written to you about the events of  the  202^nd  Engineer Combat Battalion played in the Bulge seems a little too long. You see I’m proud of everything our battalion did during this historic period of time besides being honored and thrilled with what my own see company did and what part I had a

I’m proud and honored to have served.
Help keep America free!

Cross The Rhine With Dry Feet – Courtesy Of The 9th Armored Division

December, 1941, shortly after December 7^th, Pearl Harbor Day, Bobby enlisted as a volunteer for which his mother had to signed for to enlist. Was sent to Camp Beaugard, Louisiana just south of New Orleans. The first week of January, 1942, was sent to Ft. Riley, Kansas and arrived on a cold winter snow day with 2-4 inches on the ground to CRTC (Cavalry Replacement Training Center) the old horse Cavalry. After several months of training, was sent to one of three main camps of Ft. Riley – – Camp Funston. We had been in training for the 2^nd Cavalry Division, which was to be sent to the Philippine Islands to reinforce the 1^st Cavalry Division. The Philippines fell to Japan – – this changed things.

2^nd Cavalry Division started the movement to armor. We were organized as the 92′”‘ Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron with horses, jeeps, and 6-wheeled half tracks. Later, we became the 89^th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized, part of the 2^nd Cavalry Division, assigned to the 9^th Armored Division and began to train in all seriousness.

We ended up in full desert training from there the 9^th Armored Division was sent to the swamps of Louisiana for training in 1944 – – towards New York for shipment overseas. On the trip to New York area, “E” Troop, the assault gun (75M) howitzer, light tank, designed for speed-close infantry support and street fighting) was notified that we were now on DS – – meaning Detached Service to the 99^th Infantry Division which was in England for the invasion of Europe.

From New York, we (“E” Troop 89^th Cavalry) boarded the Queen Mary for overseas duty and landed in Glasgow, Scotland – – (2&1/2 days) – – boarded the famous “Flying Scott” train which could really fly non-stop South Hampton, England, a seaport in southern England and 18 miles across the English channel to France. On arrival, “E” Troop by platoons were placed in tents with 12 cots for beds with a large coal-fired stove for heat. From here “E” Troop went north in England to a very large open field which us assault gun tankers were told to pick out our tank, clean the preservation coating from rust, fuel the tanks, with trailers, for the return trip to the area near South Hampton. That field was loaded, row after row, with our tanks as far as the eye could see.

On arrival, we loaded the tanks and trailers with fuel, ammunition, 75MM, 50 caliber machine- gun ammo and Army “C” rations for a week for a crew of 4, plus water cans. June 6^th, 1944, “D” Day, headed for France – third wave. Landed 3 degrees off course – – landed at the point which divided Omaha and Utah beachheads. Headed inland towards St. Lo, France (hedge-groove country) where the battle for St. Lo ended in final victory after four weeks. Stalemate of battle after invasion of France followed – – finally the American Army broke out of stalemate and a running gun battle continued for France wherein over 400,000 German Troops were captured and we, “E” Troop of the 89^th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron ended our DS (detached service to the 99^th Infantry) and rejoined our Squadron and the 9^th Armored Division at Metz, France near the border of Germany. Regrouped, took on supplies and toured the French Maginot Fortress facing Germany.

Later, the 9^th Armored Division was assigned the area along the border of Luxemburg/Germany, Eternack the Southern end – St. Vith on the northern end, a 60 mile stretch. “E” Troop was stationed at Bovange, Luxemburg. Midnight of December 16,1944, we, the 1^st Platoon tanks of”E” Troop DS service assigned to “A” Troop of the 89^th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron for the duration of the war, were ordered to Etenternach, Luxemburg, the southern end of the “bulge” to help stop the German advance south as the great “battle of the bulge** had begun. Following this stop, my tank and my companion tank commander, Floyd Nichols, were to requested to rejoin our assigned “A” Troop if we could find them as they were scattered from hell to breakfast as were so many other members of the 89^th Cavalry & 9^th Armored troops. Our two tanks joined others scattered Troopers on a hit and run retreating battle towards Bastone, Belgium where we joined the besieged troops of Bastone. After the seige at Bastone was broken and the beginning of the end of the “Bulge” Battle, fresh troops from the US took up the battle to push the Germans back into Germany, word was spread throughout the battled area that the 9^th Armored Division troops were to gather in the area SE of Leige, Belgium, to reorganize, received replacement men, equipment, and supplies. Afterwards, the 9^th Armored Division received its orders to go the attack once again. The target industrial city of Colonge, Germany.

The battle for Colonge lasted about 4 days and, at Midnight, my tank and my sister tank commander, Floyd Nichols, led Combat Command “A” of the 9^th Armored

Division, on our continued attack south n the West bank of the Rhine river. At Midnight, March 4^th, 1945, my tank and sister tank of Floyd Nichols, circled the town of Remagen, Germany, and continued on into the valley to the Rhine river where we found the Lundenburg, passenger/railroad, bridge still in tack across the Rhine River. We notified our platoon leader, S/Sgt Bill Douglas, by radio of our position and that the bridge was intact. We were told to hold our positions until we heard from him. 2&1/2 days later we met the lead elements of the 27^th Armored Infantry Division of the 9^th Armored Division whose orders were to take the bridge.

After we crossed the Rhine river, my tank and my sister tank of Floyd Nichols, led Combat Command “A” of the 9^th Armored Divison south on the East bank of the Rhine river fight gun battles along the way to Koblenz, Germany to help General Patton get across the Rhine river. Afterward, our two tanks led Combat Command “A” towards Limburg, Germany where a good battle ensued. Afterwards we pursued north, fight small battles on the way to the industrial city Leipzig where a great weeks battle followed. We captured 122 German 88 Artillery guns – that is how hard they defended the city. This was the last big battle of the war for us.

We then headed due south to meet the Russians, which we did. Later, continued our march south, our two tanks leading Combat Command “A” towards Czechoslovaks where Combat Command “A” setup headquarters in the resort city of Carlsbad, Czechoslovaks. My tank and sister tank of Floyd Nichols continued on east where we ended up in the capital city of Prague, Czechoslovaks where we received word to “cease fire” the war has ended. The celebration was on.

Later, “E” Troop (my Troop) was assigned to Bayreuth, Germany, due west of Czechoslovaks, the home of the famous German Lica camera factory, which was empty, as our city of occupation. Here, we found 2200 displaced Polish men, women, & children which I later be came in charge of and finally, after several months, I escorted them to Warsaw, Poland.

As the occupation continued and men started to leave and return home as they became eligible, I was promoted to First Sergeant. Later in 1945,1 was directed to Camp Strike near the port of Cherburg, France and was in charge of soldiers scheduled to return home. I later got to schedule my own return to the US and aboard the Cruiser USS Portland. On arrival in New York City, I was put in charge of a Troop train of soldiers with their discharge papers and saw that at designated stops (4) I made certain that each received his discharged papers and left the train. The last stop camp Robinson at Little Rock, Arkansas where I caught another train to Oklahoma City and a cab to home. All this was in December, 1945. January 8, 1946, Louise and I were united in marriage in El Dorado, Arkansas and settled in Oklahoma City.

Enclosed is a copy of some of my achievements in service.
I never lost a tank or crewmember during the war. (the tank had a lot of battle scars)

1941 Entered Military Service at Shreveport, Louisiana Mother Required to sign for my entering the service
Honorable discharged as First Sergeant Dee. 1945

Received the following during four years of service:
3 Bronze Stars for bravery under enemy fire
1 Purple Heart – Germany 88MM shrapnel North of Limburg, Germany
Presidential Unit Citation for The Battle of The Bulge
Awarded Government Citations for Service By: The Country of Luxemburg, The Country of Belgium, The Country of France

PS: In four years of service – – two years of training together my tank crew was
Walter Bagley – – Tank Driver – – Pennsylvania; Odell Meyers – – Gunner – – Iowa;
Joseph Beneke – – Gun loader and manned the 50 caliber machine gun – – New Jersey; And – – Bob Cobb – – Tank Commander