Lorient to Commercy
As the Sixth Armored Division took over the siege of Lorient, we moved day and night with Combat Command "B" through Baud toward Orleans. In one thirty-hour period, the battalion moved two hundred thirty-three miles. Men were tired, but more important at this time was the maintenance. All tank and gun motors needed overhauling and the radios, that had been in continuous 'operation since the beach, were sadly in need of replacement parts.
At Prunay, near Vendome,*on 17 August, the Fourth Armored Division was transferred to XII Corps. Here we performed several days of needed maintenance on equipment, and, on the twentieth of August, moved fifty-six miles in three and one-half hours to join Combat Command "A" near Orleans for its dash across France. The 'battalion had a payday, — twenty days late, — the only combat organization in the division to get paid during that month, thanks to our personnel officer and section.
Heavy rain, soft ground and mud were now beginning to affect operations.
The mission of Combat Command "A", led by Colonel (now Brigadier General) Bruce C. Clarke, was to seize and hold Sens on the twenty-first of August. This was accomplished in twelve hours, — a ninety mile move. The batteries were laid on different avenues of approach for all-around defense. As usual there were no other troops on our flanks. One of the open flanks at Sens was outposted by Lieutenant Truitt and his Battery "C" reconnaissance section. They saw no enemy activity and enjoyed a chicken dinner through the courtesy of French civilians. The next day, the Sixty-Sixth Armored Field Artillery Battalion fired in support of a tank attack about five miles to our front against an SS Battalion moving from Denmark to Sens to delay us. Coordinated tank-artillery-and-air (P-47's) wiped them out.
On the twenty-third of August, Colonel Graham ordered greater dispersion of the vehicles. This was done and proved highly profitable, for at 1500 hours fifteen German planes attacked. Thirteen were shot down, nine by organic guns and attached anti-aircraft and four by P-47's. The battalion claimed one sure kill.
On the twenty-fifth of August, the battalion, as part of Task Force West of ,CCA marched thirty-three miles east and went into positions on the side of a hill three mile's northwest of Troyes. The map situation had been critical; only four 1/100,000 maps and road maps were available. We used map. templates and road maps for sending initial data for fire missions.
Troyes was an important industrial and railroad town lying astride the Seine River and was reported lightly held. The Combat Command plan was to pass Task Force Oden acros-s the Seine to the northwest to a flanking position, and then to assault the town. frontally with Task Force West. No sooner did the Ninety-Fourth move into position than the battalion came under heavy and accurate enemy counter-battery fire. Private Donald C. Ramey of Battery "A" was killed. Three men of Battery "B" and three from "C" were wounded. Technician Fifth Grade Lawrence Craggy, Battery "B" aid man, received the Bronze Star Medal for heroism when he was wounded assisting the casualties under this fire. First Sergeant Porter J. Snyder, Battery "C", received the Bronze Star Medal for assisting the wounded and directing their evacuation. For his actions in putting out a fire in a loaded ammunition trailer caused by the shelling, Technician Fifth Grade George J. Wilds, of "C", was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
Late that afternoon, the assault on the town was launched.. The two infantry companies and one tank company moved rapidly in extended formation-crosscountry across the gently sloping plain west of Troyes, exposed to enemy observation and fire. The sudden attack from the west was actually a surprise to the two thousand men of the Fifty-First SS Brigade, who had planned the defense of Troyes along the main road and particularly to the south. It also was a surprise to our small force to find Troyes so heavily defended. The attack was vigorous and the fighting bitter. Lieutenant Lewis S. Dent and Private Victor H. Greenwalt were killed and Staff Sergeant Herman L. Orsbon was wounded by machine gun fire while adjusting artillery fire as they accompanied the attack in the Battery "A" observer peep. Lieutenant Hoffman, who was also riding a peep, together with Lt Colonel West, whose vehicle had been destroyed, led the attack which carried into the center of town. Private First Class Elsbury P. Chappell, .Battery "B" radio operator, was killed in action. Both Lieutenants Hoffman and Dent were awarded Silver Star Medals for their gallantry by Lt Colonel West. The fight for Troyes continued throughout the night and the next morning Liutenant Seaman, our tank forward observer, was slightly wounded in the shoulder by a 20mm shell. That day Task Force West was relieved by the Fifty-Third Armored Infantry Battalion and it moved to join the rest of Combat Command "A" across the river at Vailly. Our practice of booby-trapping the perimeter of our area rewarded Battery "B" that night with four wounded Germans.
On the twenty-eighth of August, the Fifty-Third Armored Infantry Battalion and the Thirty-Seventh Tank Battalion relieved the Tenth Armored Infantry and Thirty-Fifth Tank Battalions in Combat Command "A", and the column moved out on a sixty-nine mile march to the northeast. A task force of Lt Colonel Jacques of the Fifty-Third with our Battery "C" attached was detached to contain Vitry Ie Francois while the remainder of the column forced a crossing of the Marne, building a bridge and improving a ford, to take up positions flanking Chalons-sur-Marne at L'Epine.
When placed under Lt Colonel Jacques at Vitry, Battery "C" occupied a position in a large bowl surrounded by a triple ridge which the Fifty-Third Infantry manned. Lt John F. Kelly stayed with the battery as tank observer and Lt Harry Truitt acted as infantry FO. Missions were fired in support of infantry outposts which were manning road blocks. The night was spent under a rain of enemy artillery fire which covered the entire ridge manned by the infantry. The battery was rewarded by the Fifty-Third with one bottle of champagne per man. Meanwhile, the remainder of the battalion went into position at L'Epine, registered and fired about five hundred rounds of harassing fire during the night. During this period, the air observers reported that the enemy was getting away in numerous vehicles. The enemy seemed capable of strong defensive actions but did not seem to make them. We were now running into efficient bridge demolition, however. Air support was lacking and would have been useful. The Luftwaffe attacked again, — forty to fifty planes. We downed one but one, shot down Lt Merrick's plane, which he had loaned to another pilot.
While at L'Epine, the attack of Chalons-sur-Marne came off as scheduled on the morning of the twenty-ninth of August. Major Parker acted as a forward observer with Colonel Abrams. Little or no resistance was met, but the preparatory fires were shot as planned. Lt Donald E. Guild discovered 100,000 gallons of German gasoline, which later American troops used.
The battalion moved as planned on the thirtieth toward St Dizier and encountered resistance just as the head of the column reached the edge of town. Battery "C", as advance guard battery, went into position and was adjusted by Lt Merrick, air observer, who did great damage to enemy vehicles and personnel with time fire. He fired the three batteries simultaneously on as many as five targets.
In its first position at St Dizier, Battery "C" was visited by Colonel Ernest A. Bixby, Division Artillery Commander. After being told that the reason for all the shooting was because the battery was pouring out rounds on an estimated battalion of enemy infantry spotted by Lt Merrick, Colonel Bixby was seen to smile happily. The battery remained in this position until the rest of the battalion moved up and was ready with survey, after which Battery "C" rejoined the battalion. One of the vhicles hit by our fire was a German kitchen truck; the French got there first but enough cognac was rescued to allow one bottle per vehicle in the battery. The tanks and assault guns knocked out two 88mm AA guns and the town was taken and outposted by the tanks and infantry. Our observation post in the brewery tower was fired upon. The airport near town was prepared for demolition by placing booby-trapped 500 and 1,000 pound bombs on the runways. They were never set off as our tanks had over-run them too swiftly.
On the thirty-first of August, Combat Command "A" moved in two columns again, now toward Commercy. There was no opposition after clearing St Dizier; the bridges across the Meuse River were intact. The two columns occupied the high ground on the north bank. Rail traffic was still moving as the column arrived in town and several trains were shot and left to block the tracks. Observation posts were set up on the hills and the combat command set up for defense. Lt Hoffman registered Battery "B" on a base point. About half an hour later a few hundred Germans on foot and one tank came along picked the base point as a resting place. After they were nicely settled down, the battalion went into fire for effect with plenty of time fire. Artillery fire was received during the night. Long columns of Germans were observed moving out on all roads and were fired upon. There was no air support. At Commercy the battalion had to restrict firing because of ammunition shortage. Targets of opportunity were restricted to large personnel groups and to more than one vehicle.
On the first of September, the combat command remained in position the whole day. The situation began to stabilize. Some artillery fire was received both along the front line observation posts on the mountain and also in the position area east of Commercy. At dawn, fire was placed on three enemy tanks -near the base point, disabling one. Numerous concentrations were fired at enemy parties escaping to the east.
Colonel Graham had the feeling that the position area in the bowl of the valley was unsuitable in case a real fight should get started, and he began the displacement to alternate positions in the scrub woods on the slopes of the hill. The displacement had not been completed when twelve ME-109's attacked the troops in the valley, strafing, bombing and firing rockets, causing many casualties.
This attack was followed by an artillery concentration in Battery "B" 's position which killed Technician Fifth Grade Alexander Dubovy, wounded Private First Class Irvin C. Pinkerton and set fire to an SP Howitzer. As 50 calibre ammunition and high explosive began to explode, Colonel Graham, who was at the Command Post watching the action, rushed to the gun and alone mounted into the compartment and attacked the fire with fire extinguishers and handed red hot shells to "B" Battery men who, inspired by his courage, returned to the gun to help. The gun was miraculously saved.
For ten days, the combat command waited at Commercy for the remainder of the Third Army to catch up and for much-needed gasoline which was being deflected to Montgomery, the First and Ninth Armies. Combat Comand "A", by their furious assault and pursuit, had forced the Seine, the Marne and the Mease before the enemy could properly organize their defense. Colonel Clarke received the following telegram from General Eddy, the XII Corps Commander, in recognition: HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS. ANOTHER JOB QUICKLY AND WELL DONE. SO FAR YOUR COMMAND HAS BEEN THE SPEARHEAD OF THIS CORPS WHICH TODAY IS LEADING ALL OTHERS IN ITS ADVANCE TO THE EAST. EDDY.