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Date: July 26, 1944 |
Action: Operation Cobra |
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Unit: 4th Infantry Division, F Company |
Location: Normandy, France |
"SAINT-LO BREAKTHROUGH"
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a shell exploded inside the first building beyond the wall, and instantly I
hit the dirt. When I looked up a few seconds later from my prone position in
the brick gutter, a Jerry Mark IV medium tank was cutting around the corner
only a short block away heading directly toward me. Our Sherman tank and the
Mark IV began to fire at each other at once from point-blank range. Our tank
began to back up as it was firing, apparently looking for some kind of
cover. And this left me in front, actually between the two tanks. I looked around frantically, but the stone wall appeared impossible to climb, and the buildings ahead were too close to the oncoming Mark IV, so I stayed flat in the gutter and watched the tank battle. Each tank fired as rapidly as possible as the distance closed to less than one hundred yards. The muzzle blasts shattered windows in the houses and storefronts, and each explosion knocked my helmet halfway off my head. The narrow, walled-in street seemed to act like a sound tunnel, and the concussion smashed at my ears. The Mark IV kept firing as it came toward us. Both tanks somehow kept missing at this close range or their armor-piercing shells were bouncing off. Finally, after exchange of about a half-dozen rounds each, the Jerry suddenly went up in flames. Two Krauts crawled out of the tank's belly escape hatch and ran back for the corner. Both were knocked down by the machine gun fire from our tank. The German tank commander, a sergeant, then jumped down from the turret - and charged right at me. I struggled to my feet but could not raise my M-1 rifle to my shoulder. As I shook with excitement and fright my rifle came up to my waist and fired three times - and was empty. Had I been more experienced, I would have reloaded my rifle before walking into a burg with a clip of eight bullets. On the other hand, it was probably better for my peace of mind that I didn't have a full clip, for I probably would have killed him. After he had fallen, I did my best to reload but was all thumbs. I just couldn't get that damned clip to fit into the breech. The Kraut sergeant had blood seeping from his ears and mouth due to the concussion of his tank being hit, and, with his eyes staring directly into mine, he grabbed his thigh where my bullet had struck and then hobbled across the street into a doorway - all before I managed to get my rifle reloaded. Luckily, he never attempted to shoot me with the pistol he wore as a sidearm. He must have been in much greater shock than I and had every right to be unable to function. We didn't pause to search the buildings, so I don't know how badly he was hurt. The shooting of m first man, face-to-face, was not covered by the infantry school at Fort Benning, and I was deeply shaken. I'm glad I didn't kill him. |
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Source: |
If You Survive | |
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By: George Wilson |
