DRAGOON

Unit Composition:

4 gun crews/battery before Anzio
6 gun crews/battery after Anzio

Tony Spagnol:

"At the breakout at Anzio, Bob Langfeld was killed with others when the jeep they were riding in hit a mine. I was assigned permanently to the Forward Observer section as a radio operator. The breakout campaign began on or about May 15, 1944. From this date onward I served as an FO and served with Lt. Merriman and others in our section for the duration of the war. I requested and received my old "Browning Camera" from my mother in mid April 1944.
"As the Germans retreated from the Anzio area, the First Special Service Force (FSSF) pushed hard to reach Rome. During the drive I volunteered several times to go on patrol with the FSSF. We were lucky we had no losses because the Germans moved so fast that we were more concerned with land mines than Germans shooting at us. We captured Rome on June 4, 1944. I felt very proud because I was in on the capture of Naples and Rome. At each city I took pictures and updated my diary."

Doug Bailey:

For five months we lived like moles in one man slit trenches dug into the sides of the irrigation ditches. It was on Anzio we left the 456th Parachute Battalion and became the 463rd Parachute Battalion.
After 38 years, memories of Anzio all run together. The shelling and counter shelling, German bombers over at night bombing by the light of parachute flares that lit everything like daylight, firing thousands of rounds at the enemy, firing TOT missions (Time on Target) when every gun on the beachhead would open up at the same time and pulverize the same target area, watching our own bombers being shot down as they flew overhead to bomb enemy positions, German bombers dropping radio controlled glider bombs in front of our gun positions and then directed to hit ships in the harbor. Picking up German propaganda leaflets telling us to get off the beachhead while we still had a chance, building fox hole radios out of a carbon out of flashlight batteries, a razor blade, some wire, lead out of a pencil, and the crystal out of a sound power phone. We could pick up the girl broadcaster in Rome putting out propaganda programs. We referred to her as the "Berlin Bitch". Week after week of C & K rations, and having our battery commander killed, and our battalion commander so badly wounded that he never returned to the battalion.

Joe Lyons (article appearing in Bronx Home News):

When the Germans across the Pontine Marsh just beyond the canal say, "Ach, Heinrich, another Mark IV shot to pieces-it's that 'Red Beard' again," they are unknowingly talking about First Lt. Joseph W. "Red Beard" Lyons, 226 E. Tremont Ave., the Bronx, New York, and his flaming, bushy red beard.
An artillery observer gifted with excellent eyesight plus a set of powerful binoculars, Lieut. Lyons peers into the private lives of German soldiers-and directs his battery's artillery fire accordingly. Enemy lines are so close on the Pontine Marsh front that the Germans often stare back through Nazi binoculars and sight the bright splotch of red jutting from the lieutenant's chin. They also see Lyons' binoculars gazing intently back to them.
To numerous groups of Germans this red signal was their death warrant. Lieut. Lyons was hurrying across the marshlands, closely followed by his radioman, Corp. Fay E. Kizer, West Kelso, Wash., and his wireman, Corp. Thomas J. Strider, Huntersville, N.C. Lyons waved to his men and stopped abruptly to scan the horizon. Raising his binoculars, he saw a German crew seated around their gun. One of their number was intently eying Lyon's position with field glasses.
It wasn't until several minutes later that it occurred to the Germans to fire their machine gun. Now they began to shell the mud far ahead of Lyon's party, harmlessly, but they were getting closer.
The three Yanks worked fast. Readjusting their artillery fire onto this singular position, they saw the German gun and its crew almost completely wiped out. Only two of the Nazi crew escaped. That was just enough to help spread the terror story of the "Red Beard" Lyons who commands a deadly accurate barrage.
On another occasion, "Red Beard" Lyons made a moonlight patrol into the depths of no-man's land, a muddy plateau near the canal.
Hours later when the first light of dawn unmasked the Germans ahead, Lieut. Lyons saw two platoons carrying boxes of demolitions along a garden wall to a highway bridge. Again he met the enemy eye-to-eye via binoculars. But too late for them! His battery was already dropping artillery shells increasingly closer to the enemy. They carefully set their wooden boxes on the ground and dashed madly to the rear, possibly shouting: "The Red Beard! The Red Beard!" (Fifth Army engineers carefully examined the boxes, found them loaded with useful TNT, and will use them against the Germans).
During one of Kesselring's last big efforts to seize the Fifth Army's beachhead, a German attacking party attempted to grab the Pontine area. Lieut. Lyons was observing it from a hidden spot.
"The Krauts didn't have me spotted this time," he said, "although their air bursts were exploding somewhere overhead. The flash from their big guns made great targets, so we laid down another barrage."
The battalion's executive officer, Maj. John T. Cooper, Jr., Wewoka Okla. credits Lyons with having an important part in stopping the Nazi thrust over the Marsh.
"I was talking over the field phone to the 'Red Beard,'" said Maj. Cooper. "I asked him if the shells were landing close. He answered "no," then a pause, then Wham! 'Red Beard' said: 'Major, that one almost seared off my whiskers.' Another phyff-wham! 'That one nearly lit my pipe,' he said. And so, under shellfire from the enemy, "Red Beard" Lyons directed fire until he silenced the attack party."
Lieut. "Red Beard" Lyons is mild-mannered when away from no-man's land in the Pontine Marshes. He dotingly washes and trims his flourishing whiskers until the next forward observation mission.

Jay Karp:

When we made the landing on the Anzio beachhead, we grouped and took up positions in one of Mussolini's canals inland. Nearby was a farmhouse, and in time we became very friendly with the people living there. Many nights, a few of us would sneak over and mix with the occupants. One of our group, Joe Heble, went so far as to milk the cow at times. This was a help, since many of the males were out of the area. One of the girls who was pregnant, had a baby born to her. Since there were no men around, she asked Joe Heble if he would be the Godfather. After quite some persuasion he did agree and a date was set for the christening. When the big day came, Joe had to take the child to church. It was the first and only military christening I ever attended. Picture Joe in full battle gear carrying the baby, the mother alongside. The other members of the family stringing out behind him, and three flankers, myself included, strung out on both sides of the road as a precaution. We did get to the church, which was about one mile from the farmhouse, in good order. The baby was christened, and of course a wine party was held later on, at the farmhouse. To this day, I often wonder how this 35 year old baby is and someday would like to make a trip back to Anzio to see it.

Ridgway's Paratroopers, Clay Blair

At that time, Ridgway had his two glider artillery battalions but no parachute artillery. Both Wilbur Griffith's 376th and Hugh Neal's 456th were still in Italy with Tucker's 504th. Since it was imperative that Ridgway begin training some parachute artillery (and aircraft pilots) for NEPTUNE, he was finally able to pry loose one 75 mm pack-howitzer battery of Neal's 456th (along with the battalion's numerical designation) and have it shipped to England. Neal was naturally incensed at having his outfit "broken up" and later called it "the rape of a battalion." What was left of the 456th in Italy was thereupon re-designated the 463rd Parachute Artillery Battalion and did not ever rejoin the 82nd Division. When Neal was seriously wounded, his exec, John T. Cooper, took command of the 463rd. Command of the 456th cadre shipped to England was given to an 82nd Division Artillery staffer, Wagner J. d'Allessio, who quickly expanded it to a fully manned parachute artillery battalion. (pg. 192 - 193)


May 23, 1944 Truck 1500 yards NE Conca, Italy

Assigned with 155th Field Artillery Battalion to reinforce fires of 151st FAB which was firing in direct support of 133rd Infantry.



Gus Hazzard:

Breakout of Anzio began this morning at 5:00AM, the day Neal returned from leave. Provided effective support against heavy concentrations of Tiger and Panther tanks. Knocked out 16 tanks.


(1SSF 216/219) - Arrived 3 miles southeast of Cisterna at 8PM.


Casualties:
1/Lt. William W. Biggs WIA - LW - Buttocks

May 24, 1944 1500 yards NE Conca, Italy

Direct support of 1st SSF with 155th & 938th FAB in support.


Casualties:
Pvt. Robert D. Langfeld KIA on OP
T/4 Roland C. Crandall WIA
1st Lt. Aubrey Milne WIA
Pvt. Wendell D. Gillman WIA
Pvt. George M. Akin WIA - LW - Face

May 25, 1944 3 miles East Cisterna di Latina, Italy

155th & 938th FAB relieved from reinforcing fire and 39th FAB placed in general support.

May 26, 1944 Truck 2 miles West Cori, Italy
Arriving 9AM. Took Highway 6 road to Rome.

May 27, 1944 Truck Colle Tafo, Italy

Arrived 5AM



Casualties:
Cpl. Billy J. Lester WIA

May 28, 1944 Colle Tafo, Italy

2 kilometers southwest at 1AM. That night, Germans moved in tanks and flak wagons which began firing up and down the steep streets of Artena.
463rd observers well placed and began engaging targets as fast as appeared. (1SSF 226/227) Fighting "Tic, Tac, Toe" (Hazzard)



Casualties:
2/Lt. Melvin A. Dewar WIA - LW - Face

Pfc. Dominick Lanese WIA - Abrasion, Chest


May 29, 1944

Casualties:
1/Lt. Henry L. Smithers WIA - LW - Hand
Cpl. James Schwartz WIA - KW - Arm

May 30, 1944 Colle Tafo, Italy

?? (missing page in Col. Cooper's report requires certain assumptions) Lt. Rozen crawled to an exposed position 200 yards from the target and destroyed it with fire. He then found his retreat cut off by another tank that was holding up the surging infantry and be destroyed that one also.
The 463rd was credited with opening the hole that let the infantry through.


Casualties:
1/ Lt. James K. Rozen WIA
1/Lt. William W. Biggs WIA - LW - Leg

May 31, 1944 Truck Colle Tafo, Italy

Major Neal was seriously wounded with shrapnel in liver by an 88mm shell and was replaced by Major John T. Cooper who was the battalion executive officer.


Casualties:
Maj. Hugh A. Neal WIA
Pfc. Alexander D. Price WIA
Sgt. Felix H. Mendoza WIA - LW - Neck
T/4 Kenneth Yochum WIA - LW - Finger
T/5 Walter H. Sckerl WIA


Monthly Report
Fired 41,245 rounds of ammunition on following targets:
personnel 70; tanks/SPs 23; vehicles 7; guns/mortars/MG 47; ammunition dump 1; observation posts 21.
Fired 2121 rounds fired in breaking enemy counterattack on May 29 at midnight.

Targets disabled or neutralized: 16 tanks; 7 vehicles; 7 SPs; 14 machine guns; 5 mortars; 28 gun postions.


Decorations: Bronze Star to S/Sgt. Robert J. Donahue and Pvt. Raymond R. Rogers of Battery A for action on Feb.27.
1st Lt. Rozen 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters for completion of 70 field artillery observation sorties between Feb. 27 and April 11.


Officers Enlisted
Hq 14 169
A 5 77
B 4 88
Med 2 7
TOTAL 25 341


June 1, 1944 Truck 2 Km SW Artena, Italy

Fighting around Artena and Valmontone lasted until June 2


June 2, 1944 Truck 2 Km SW Artena, Italy

1.5 miles west at 4PM.

John Cooper:

The assistant S-2, while on reconnaissance, entered the town of Colle Ferro and contacted the French forces advancing from the southern front. This was the first contact made with the forces moving from the south and information which was exchanged proved very valuable and aided materially in facilitating a rapid union of troops.

June 3, 1944 Truck 11/2 miles West Colle Ferro, Italy

1.5 miles west. 463rd PFA and First Special Service Force spearheaded attack on Rome.

June 3, 1944 Tor Sapienza, Italy
Arrived at 12AM

June 3, 1944 11/2 miles West Colonna, Italy
Arrived 6:00AM

June 4, 1944 1 mile NE C. del Finocchio

Arrived 4:00AM coming under fire by anti-tank guns with orders to secure the 6 bridges over the Tiber River to north of Vatican City. Had secured 8 bridges over Tiber by 11:00PM. Bob Bolen, Steve Polinone & Gus Hazzard went into Rome and had a ball, the only G.I.'s in Rome. (Hazzard)

John Cooper:

On a late evening reconnaissance in front of the infantry, which was dug in for the night, Cooper's party cleared a house of enemy personnel with small arms fire before setting up a temporary advance CP for an early morning attack. The same night, the gun batteries quietly moved out in front of the infantry and into position to deliver maximum direct and indirect fire for the attack.

June 5, 1944 Tor Sapienza, Italy

John Cooper:

The 463rd was in position in suburbs of Rome. In order to deliver fire on the Tiber River bridges, which was the only escape route for enemy troops in Rome, it was necessary to move 2 battery positions far to the right flank. Suddenly a tank battle was observed 1,000 yards to the right rear and the howitzers were turned 3,200 mils to fire in support of the French coming up on the flank. Fire was observed from the battalion CP. Headquarters Battery turned in two prisoners captured in the battalion area.

Arrived 4:00PM


June 6, 1944 Truck Rome, Italy

Monthly Report - Attached to 6th Armored Field Artillery Group & firing in direct support of 1st SSF from June 1 to June 6. Fired 1907 rounds.
Placed in 5th Army Reserve on June 6th.

John Cooper:

Relieved from combat at 6AM going into Fifth Army reserve. The unit had been in the lines 166 days and fired 120,000 rounds of ammunition. In the previous 14 days, the unit changed position 11 times, on two occasions, three different positions were occupied in one day. While in Italy, the battalion destroyed or neutralized 41 houses, 111 enemy gun positions, 27 command posts, 24 mortars, 46 machine guns, 46 enemy observation posts, 39 self propelled guns, 111 pill boxes, 44 tanks, 26 vehicles, 13 ammunition dumps, and 400 personnel targets.

Total casualties:
Officers Enlisted
MIA 0 1
Non Battle 0 2
Wounded 10 38
Killed 3 1
Died of Wounds 0 1



Organization:
Officers Enlisted
Hq 13 170
A 4 76
B 4 86
Med 2 7
TOTAL 23 341

GENERAL NOTES ABOUT ROME
Alfred Mury (tape) - The breakout was very brutal with a lot of fire and bodies. About 3PM, the advance was stymied. Col. Walker of the 1st SSF ordered Mury and his crew to accompany a patrol along a ditch. Mury said he should go to a hill and observe from there rather than remain on the ground. Walker told him to accompany the patrol or he'd be court-martialed and placed so far back in Leavenworth that they'd have to feed him with a slingshot. Just then German fire came in flattening everyone. When Mury got up, he couldn't see Walker so he took his crew to the hill.
Alfred Mury (tape) - From a hill overlooking a valley between Artena and Valmontone, Mury and Tim Moran saw Germans everywhere. They called for "ladder or smoke" to find out where our guns were. The guns fired and the valley became a shooting gallery. 2 guys with GI clothes and war correspondent patches came over and one of them introduced himself as Homer Bigart, the New York Herald Tribune correspondent. Bigart interviewed them and included them in his article published May 29, 1944. They proceeded from there to Rome with little resistance.


Claude Smith (tape) - was gun sergeant for gun #1, Battery B. During the push into Rome, Smith's gun shot 17 rounds in 43 seconds when rapid fire was considered 7 rounds/minute.

Laidlaw (tape) - During push into Rome, Laidlaw was with Sgt. Hodge. They stopped their jeep on the outskirts of Rome and saw a German Volkswagen zip out from under a bridge, headed in the opposite direction. They had run into a long line of American tank destroyers near Colle Ferro that were stopped along the road. They passed the lead tank destroyers who were cheering Laidlaw's jeep on. About a half mile from Colle Ferro, they had a flat tire. Good thing that happened since the town had not yet been taken. The tank destroyer crews thought it a good idea to cheer a pair of paratroopers into a trap. (Laidlaw tape)

Jay Karp (tape) - During the breakout, Karp was part of a number of fire missions, moving forward, stopping, firing, and moving forward again. They passed many vehicles, stopping many times and firing a mountain of ammunition.
Jay Karp (tape) - When the unit was busted up, Gavin and Fredericks argued over the unit. Fredericks wanted to keep the 456th and Gavin wanted to take them to England. The argument went all the way to Eisenhower who decided to split the unit up to placate both generals. All had a good time after taking Rome.

Armond Cerone (tape) - traveled to Italy on the same liberty ship as John Mockabee and Martin Graham. (Paratrooper, Gerard Devlin, pg. 441 - In May 1944 the 517th sailed for Italy from Hampton Roads, Virginia, aboard the Santa Rosa, whose passenger list included some four hundred Army WACs. After nearly two weeks of nautical naughtiness between paratroopers and WACs, the Santa Rosa docked in Naples.) They went to Oran, Naples, Trapani, Naples, and Rome. Armond was a trained infantry paratrooper. He was interviewed by different officers. The candidates were told that they had to fill the ranks of different batteries and infantry outfits. Capt. Roman Maire told Armond he looked like he could be an artillery replacement, so without the chance for much say, he became an artilleryman. His outfit stayed in apartment buildings with balconies in Lido di Roma. Roman Maire was a very strong personality. Armond did not have a specified assignment. He was a cannon-cocker, he pulled the lanyard and he loaded the gun. Corporal Shephard from Alabama and 1st Sgt. Dirty Neck Howard were the NCOs. Armond was only at Lido di Roma for about 3 to 4 weeks before the invasion of Southern France. He went through intensive training, briefed on sand tables.


Hargus Haywood:

Our ship from the States landed in Naples, Italy in early May, 1944, and the troopers on the ship were assigned to the Airborne Task Force. We stayed a few days in Italy and then went to Sicily for more training. We made a practice jump near Trapani, Sicily and had a few casualties. We remained in Sicily about two weeks and went back to Italy. During a truck convoy the leading jeep with Captain Bates and the jeep driver ran over a land mine and it killed the Captain and driver. We moved a little town in Italy and there we joined the 463rd and we, I mean three of us were assigned to the medics. Captain Moore was our officer in charge of the combat training. There we learned how to treat a wounded soldier, gave injections & administered IVs to those in need. We later moved to Lido Di Roma, Italy for more training.

John Cooper (proposed citation) - The 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion fought for one hundred sixty-six days in Italy, on two of the bloodiest fronts of the war and in one of the most fiercely fought pushes to date, Casino, Anzio, and the drive to Rome. During this six month period the Battalion was at all times under strength and yet they asked for and received four extra howitzers, just before pushing off to Rome, in order to increase their fire power. All available personnel were used on the gun crews. At Anzio, the men were forced to live for months in a drainage ditch. To step out of the ditch meant certain enemy artillery fire, because the enemy commanded all of the heights. There were two and three air raids nightly and at least twice a week the Battalion motor pool was shelled. The unit lost one Battalion Commander, one Battalion Executive Officer, two Battalion Communications officers, two air observers, one S-2, one assistant S-2 and one assistant S-3, from the Staff during this period. Vacancies were filled from available personnel, however, as fast as they occurred and at no time was the efficiency of the organization seriously impaired. Seven large scale counter attacks were repulsed by fire from this Battalion. A flash base was set up by the Battalion survey section in lieu of a flash observation group for the sector, operated nightly with excellent counter battery results. On the push to Rome, all personnel worked overtime to assure the success of the Battalions function as Division Artillery. Forward displacements were made right along with or in front of Infantry assault companies. Battalion officers flying in the liaison planes often scouted ahead for advancing friendly tank columns, sometimes flying sixteen hours a day. Tremendous preparation barrages, and accurate call fires by the Battalion made possible the initial breakthrough from the Anzio beach-head on the push to Rome, the second breakthrough at Artena, and the union of French troops and American troops at Colle Ferro.


June 7, 1944 Truck Lake Albano, Italy (Pope's summer retreat)
Arrived 6PM. Sent for re-equipping and re-training.

June 16, 1944

Col. Thomas E. de Shazo, 6th Field Artillery Group, Commendation to the 463rd PFAB:

I especially desire to commend the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion who operated under this Headquarters during the battles of Artena, Valmontone, and Rome, while in direct support of your command. The attitude of all of the personnel of the Battalion was aggressive at all times. In spite of changing situations, the 463rd PFAB was constantly prepared to carry out its missions of supporting fires.

June 22, 1944

Brig. Gen. Robert T. Frederick, First Special Service Force, Commendation to the 463rd PFAB:

1. I wish to express to the officers and men of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion my appreciation for the manner in which they performed their missions during the recent operations prior to the occupation of Rome.
2. The aggressive willing spirit displayed in the execution of all assigned missions was gratifying and a tribute to your organization. The speed and exactness with which all orders were carried out were important factors in the excellent artillery support your unit provided. Your missions were difficult and placed unusual demands upon the battalion, but each was accomplished in a superior manner.

June 23, 1944 Lake Albano, Italy
Pope Pious XII appeared and gave silver medals to nine out of ten of the boys. (Hazzard)

July 5, 1944

Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark's Letter of Farewell to the 463rd PFAB:


1. It is with sincere regret that I see the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion leave the fold of the Fifth Army. You leave us with an enviable record of achievements and with the high esteem of the infantry units which you supported so vigorously and effectively.
2. The field artillery has played a most important role in the entire Italian campaign and a spectacular one in the recent great offensive which you are now called upon to leave its completion. We have had ample confirmation of this from German prisoners as well as from our own infantry.
3. I am well aware of the difficulties and hardships which you have had to overcome in order to achieve these outstanding results. However, regardless of the mountainous terrain, scarcity of roads, long supply lines and a constantly changing tactical situation, you have done a superb job in accordance with the highest traditions of the artillery.
4. At this time I wish to congratulate you for the task performed and extend my heartfelt good wishes for further successes in the new assignments which you are about to undertake. With my renewed thanks for you help and splendid cooperation, I am

Sincerely yours,

Mark W. Clark

Lieutenant General, U.S. Army.

Commanding

July 9, 1944 Lake Albano, Italy
Big party celebrating invasion of Sicily. (Hazzard)

July 15, 1944 Truck Lido Di Roma, Italy





Officers at Lido di Roma
(click image to enlarge)


So far we identified :
[#1] 1st Lt Benjamin (Ben) WRIGHT (Air Observer)
[#2] 1st Lt James K. (Keith) ROZEN (Liaison Officer #3) - Iowa
[#3] 2d Lt Harold L. HODGE (Asst Bn S-2) - Wisconsin - (KIA Korea)

[#4] 1st Lt Grahame WOOD, Jr (Asst RO Btry "A") - New Jersey

[#5] - ? -

[#6] 1st Lt Douglas SAUNDERS (Btry "C")
[#7] WO (jg) John M. KIRCHNER (Personnel Officer) - New York
[#8] Capt Aubrey MILNE (Btry Comdr Hq Btry & Communications O.) - New York
[#9] Capt Timothy (Tim) S. MORAN (Bn S-2) - Maryland
[#10] Capt William (Bill) H. GERHOLD (Btry Comdr Btry "A") - Michigan
[#11] Major Stuart M. SEATON (Bn Exec O and S-1) - Virginia
[#12] Lt Col John T. COOPER (Bn Commander) - Oklahoma
[#13] Major Victor (Vic) E. GARRETT (Bn S-3) - Texas
[#14] Capt Ardelle (Kiddo) E. COLE (Btry Comdr Btry "B") - Tennessee
[#15] Capt William (Dick) R. LAIDLAW (Asst Bn S-3) - California
[#16] Capt Roman W. MAIRE (Btry Comdr Btry "C") - New Jersey

[#17] 1st Lt James M. AUSTIN (Maint O. Hq Btry) - Georgia
[#18] Capt Donald (Don, Bull) MARTIN (Liaison Officer #1) - Mississippi
[#19] 1st Lt Alfred (Al) MURY (DS (US)) - New Jersey
[#20] 1st Lt Joseph W. LYONS (Exec Officer Btry "B") - New York
[#21] 1st Lt Donald (Don) W. MERRIMAN (RO Btry "A") - Pennsylvania
[#22] 1st Lt Louis (Lou) W. KRANYAK (Exec Officer Btry "A") - Ohio
[#23] 1st Lt Henry (Hank) L. SMITHERS (Liaison Officer #2) - New Jersey
[#24] Capt John (Doc) S. MOORE (Bn Surgeon) - Washington D.C.
[#25] Capt Victor (Vic) J. TOFANY (Btry Comdr Btry "D") - New York

[#26] 2nd Lt Robert (Bill) F. ANDERSON (Asst Exec Btry D) - Oregon

[#27] - ? -






"B" Battery at Lido Di Roma
(click to enlarge)



Arrived 9:30AM. Training for invasion of Southern France. Battalion received 200 replacements for Batteries C and D on July 13. Batteries C and D activated on July 21. Became part of the 1st Airborne Task Force, 5,600 infantry and artillery paratroopers. They were to launch Operation Albatross, the airborne component of Operation Dragoon. The 463rd was assigned as artillery support for the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Missions:

To fire in direct support of the 509th PIB
To assist by fire the capture of Le Muy by the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade
To prevent by fire the movement of all enemy forces within allocated sector of responsibility
To be able to fire on Le Muy
To aid by fire the advance of Seaborne Troops
To reinforce on call the fires of the 460th PFAB and the 64th Light Battery.



Tactical Mission for Subordinate Units:

Headquarters Battery after landing will secure equipment, assemble on proper light and move to the South end of the DZ and install Battalion CP and FDC. Then set up Battalion Communications, mark resupply field and establish security for CP.
"A" Battery, after landing, will assemble according to plan, secure equipment and go into position on the South side of DZ. They will establish battery defense.
"B" Battery, after landing, will assemble according to plan, secure equipment and go into position on the South side of the DZ. They will send on Battalion order, one 75mm Howitzer as an anti-tank gun to go into position, prepared to fire on enemy armor approaching from North and South on Le Muy-Ste Maxime Rd.
"C" Battery, after landing, will assemble according to plan, secure equipment and go into position on South side of DZ.
"D" Battery, after landing, will assemble according to plan, secure equipment, and proceed to outpost south side of DZ and furnish all round anti-aircraft and anti-tank protection. They will pay especial attention to repelling enemy reconnaissance parties.


Bob Bolen & Gus Hazzard started running their own bar. Best customer Ray White. (Hazzard)

Moves:

Truck Civitavecchia, Italy

Truck Tarquininia, Italy


Aug. 11, 1944 Truck Grosseto, Italy

Arrived 4PM. Major Cooper commanded half of Headquarters Battery (3 planes), all of Batteries B (12 planes) and C (12 planes), and 3rd and 4th Platoons of Battery D (2 planes). They were part of Serial 5 and boarded 29 C-47s for invasion of Southern France on August 14.


Aug. 11, 1944 Truck Follonica, Italy

Arrived 4PM. Major Stuart M. Seaton commanded half of Headquarters Battery (2 planes), Battery A (14 planes), and 1st and 2nd Platoons of Battery D (4 planes). They were part of Serial 4 and boarded 20 C-47s for invasion of Southern France on August 14.


Aug. 15, 1944 Air San Tropez, France

Serial 5 jumped at 0430 at altitudes of 600 to 1,000 feet. Due to navigational error and fog, they landed more than 12 miles from DZ. Major Cooper severely fractured ankle during jump. Area occupied by strong enemy forces: 2 Coastal Batteries, 1 AA battery, and 2 garrisons of troops: one on an overlooking hill and the other on a nearby slope. 3 actions:

Fighting as infantry, attacked hilltop garrison and coastal batteries inflicting heavy casualties and taking numerous prisoners. Patrols from B & C batteries attacked the garrison on the slope and, meeting heavy resistance, called for artillery support. 1 gun from B Btry was brought up and its crew fired 5 rounds of direct fire scoring 3 direct hits after which the Germans surrendered.
Lt. Saunders with elements of B & C batteries occupied the high ground above San Tropez, then joined B company of the 509 Parachute infantry and both units moved into San Tropez, capturing the Citadel and other strong points.
Major Vincent Garrett, Battalion S-3, moved to a position northwest of San Tropez with one gun crew from B Btry where he bought direct fire upon 2 enemy pill boxes. This single 75MM howitzer, under heavy enemy small arms and machine gun fire, landed 2 direct hits upon each bunker and forced the enemy to surrender.
A patrol from B Btry. was sent toward the beach in an effort to make contact with amphibious forces. Finding no landing had yet been made they joined a patrol from C Btry and attacked a stronghold of enemy troops covering the landing areas. After 2 of the enemy were killed, the rest (about 90 Germans) surrendered.

Aug. 15, 1944 Air Le Muy, France

Serial 4 jumped at 0425. Even though the ground was blanketed by fog and there was no signal, with the exception of 2 planes, Major Seaton's command landed within 1,000 yards of DZ. Of the two remaining planes, one stick landed near St. Raphael and the other near Les Arcs. The combat team's mission was to cut major road and rail junctions and seize key terrain features. By 7AM, A Battery had 3 of their 4 guns assembled but not in battery positions. At 9:30AM, the Battalion CP was established near A Batteries' guns and by 10:30AM the first gun was moved into position, laid and ready to fire. The other two were in position by 3PM. Headquarters Battery and D Battery moved into position throughout the morning and early afternoon.


Vic Tofany

Before we boarded the planes, we were given antiemetic medication. Nobody got sick but some were sleepy. I fell asleep after the crew chief notified me we were 15 minutes from the drop zone. The kid next to me woke me up and we got hooked up and jumped on schedule, landing just south of Le Muy. The next day I found one guy, Eldon Jones, sleeping beside the road. I gave him a kick and said, "Hey, soldier, get going. There's a war going on."

Aug. 15, 1944

Casualties:
Pvt. Chester B. Jezefski KIA
Pfc. Theodore N. Legg KIA (buried in Draguignan Cemetery)
S/Sgt. Paul E. Allen IIA - Contusion, Knee
1st Lt. James M. Austin IIA - Contusion, Chest
Pvt. Richard M. Bailey WIA
T/5 Daniel W. Boden IIA - Abrasion, Leg
Cpl. Rester W. Bryan WIA
Pvt. Richard A. Carroll IIA - Contusion, Knee
Pvt. John M. Carver IIA - Contusion, Nose & Knee
Maj. John T. Cooper IIA - Sprain Ankle
Pvt. Julian J. Cwynar WIA
Pvt. James J. Dineen WIA
Pvt. Thomas H. Ensor WIA - SFW - Chest
Sgt. Bernie Estep IIA - Sprain Ankle
Pfc. James E. Flewelling IIA - Abrasion, Nose
Pvt. Donald J. Gallipeau WIA
Cpl. Nick A. Gattuso IIA - Contusion, Face
S/Sgt. Noah D. Gray WIA
Pvt. Clifford M. Haerr WIA
Pvt. Rachambeau A. Herosian WIA
Sgt. Weldon W. King WIA
S/Sgt. Robert C. Kircher IIA - Sprain Foot
1st Sgt. Ralph B. Leggett IIA - LW - Lip
Pvt. Harvey J. Lozier IIA - LW - Thigh
Pvt. Raymond F. MacDonald, Jr. WIA
Pfc. Apostolis J. Maravelias IIA - Abrasion Elbow
Cpl. Gilbert A. McKnight IIA - Sprain Knee
T/5 Winifred L. Mellon WIA
Pvt. Eugene Menaco IIA - Abrasion, Face
Pvt. Joseph G. Miller IIA - Contusion Foot
Pvt. Harry Murphy WIA
Pvt. Paul N. Nesbitt IIA - Sprain Ankle
T/5 Thomas Pace IIA - Contusion, Arm
S/Sgt. Derwood Parker IIA - Contusion, Toe
Pfc. John A. Phillips WIA
S/Sgt. Joel O. Pierce IIA - Abrasion, Face
Cpl. George N. Porteous IIA - Abrasion, Face
Pfc. Odis P. Powell WIA
1/Lt. James K. Rozen WIA - GSW - Buttocks
S/Sgt. Harry Rudyk IIA - LW - Forehead
Pvt. Ethan E. See WIA
Cpl. Roy C. Simmons WIA
1st Sgt. Joseph F. Stolmeier IIA - LW - Wrist
T/5 James F. Strothers IIA - Strain Feet
S/Sgt. Samuel Tapryk IIA - Sprain Foot
T/5 Ray V. Tennis IIA - Sprain Ankle
Cpl. Leo A. Traeder IIA - Contusion, Knee
T/5 George L. Walker WIA
Pvt. Raymond W. White WIA
Sgt. Joseph Yagesh WIA
T/5 Riley J. Watts MIA

Aug. 16, 1944 Le Muy, France

The batteries under Seaton fired a total of 62 rounds during the 15th and 16th in support of the 509th's attack on Le Muy.


Aug. 16, 1944 San Tropez

At about 10AM, Cooper and other casualties were evacuated with Major Garrett assuming command.


Casualties:
Pvt. Walter Danowski WIA
Pvt. Dan P. Garner WIA - SFW - Right Hand
Pvt. William Hough, Jr. WIA
Cpl. Billy J. Lester - WIA - LW - Arm
Pvt. Regis Mills WIA
Cpl. James E. Murphy WIA
T/5 Michael L. Sajazovich WIA
S/Sgt. Samuel Tapyrik WIA

Aug. 17, 1944 Truck 3.5 miles southwest Le Muy, France

463rd PFA reunites. Major Seaton succeeds Cooper as battalion commander for two months. Relieved from combat at 12 midnight. Battalion credited with capturing 375 Germans, more than those captured by the remainder of the Task Force combined.


Casualties:
Pvt. Joe L. Rodriquez WIA - SFW - Face



GENERAL NOTES ABOUT THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

Ordnance carried:

Crew served weapons:

Four 75mm howitzers/battery
Eight rocket launchers by Headquarters Battery
Fourteen rocket launchers by "D" Battery
Two heavy machine guns by Headquarters Battery
Two heavy machine guns by "A", "B", and "C" Batteries
Eleven heavy machine guns by "D" Battery



Equipment carried on persons:

Hung, worn or sewed: Tags, identification, w/tape, drawers, woolen undershirt, woolen socks, light wool suit, parachute (padded w/suspenders), steel helmet, M-1
Coat knife pocket: Parachute or PX knife
Left Chest pocket: Notebook, watches, 1 pencil, toilet paper (48 sheets), 1 bottle Halizone tablets, toothbrush, map, 1 bottle mosquito repellent
Right Coat pocket: 2 fragmentation grenades, 1 cotton drawers
Left Coat pocket: Colored and smoke grenades (6 yellow/battery), 1 cotton undershirt
Watch pocket or belt: Compass, watch, or lensatic
Right Hip pocket: handkerchief, 2 pair socks
Right Leg pocket: 2 meals "K" rations, Spoon, M-10
Insert in bandolier liner: 6 meals "D" rations
Left Leg pocket: 1 meal "K" rations, cleaning patches, soap & razor w/4 blades, towel & face huck
Right Chest pocket: 1 can insect powder
First aid pouch: Sulfadiazine packet
On left side: Lightweight gas mask w/ointment and eye shields, rifle or pistol belt w/suspenders
Tied on left from suspenders: First aid kit, parachute
Suspended from belt: double web pouch, mag. pistol, filled canteen w/cup & cover, entrenching tool, trench knife, first aid packet w/pouch
Contents of "A" bag: 3 pair cotton shorts & drawers, 1 garrison cap, 2 handkerchiefs, jacket & trousers, 3 pair light wool socks, 1 wool shirt, 1 wool trousers, 3 cotton undershirts, 2 wool blankets, 2 bath towels, 1 parachute boots, 1 can meat w/knife, fork, spoon, 5 pins for tent, shelter half, 1 pole for tent shelter half, 1 raincoat, 1 insect & field bar.

Radio Communication
SETS NETS FREQUENCY

SCR-284 45th Div. Arty. 4075 Kcs

SCR-300 509th Prcht. Inf. To be announced

SCR-609 Army "A" channel 27.4

SCR-609 A/B Arty. channel 32.7

SCR-609 Bn. "A" Channel 30.4


Wire Communication

1. Bn. will lay to battery switchboard in vicinity of guns

2. Btrys. will lay one line direct from guns to Fire Direction Center

3. Bn. will lay two trunk lines to switchboard of 509th

4. Maintenance of wire lines will be a joint responsibility

5. Btrys. will establish wire communication with their OP's


Assembly Signals

Headquarters Battery - Blue

"A" Battery - Green

"B" Battery - Red

"C" Battery - Yellow

Bn. assembly signal will be a white flare fired into the ground

John Cooper - broke ankle in jump on August 15th. Stayed with unit until August 17th when transferred to a hospital in North Africa. Remained there for a while before he left for Paris, his leg still in a cast. He ran into a surgeon he knew who x-rayed the leg and determined that the cast could be removed. He removed it and Cooper set off across country to rejoin his unit. He rode with another. He had written orders for himself to rejoin his unit, orders being necessary to get through the many checkpoints across Southern France. He rejoined the 463rd at Barcellonnette on October 14.

Stu Seaton - Prior to boarding the plane for the jump into Southern France, Seaton supervised the packing of the cells to be loaded onto the bottom of the plane. Once they were loaded and in place, they started boarding. When he saw the pilot, Seaton told him that everything was ready to go and not to touch any of the buttons for releasing the cells until they were above the drop zone. The pilot mistakenly hit the button releasing the cells onto the runway (6 of them).


Alfred Mury - While preparing for the jump, the men were trained on sand tables and talks with the navy. 5 minutes from the French coast, the plane filled with mist. When Mury's stick jumped, they landed on the coast, practically on the beach. They knew the navy was going to bombard before the invasion, so they looked for cover. They found little enemy resistance and took plenty of prisoners without firing a shot.


Stu Seaton - While on the flight, Seaton saw that his plane had crossed the French coast. He waited for the red light which he expected any second. When no red light came, he had the men begin to line up. The green light suddenly came on (without the red) He looked down and could only see fog and what appeared to be the peaks of the two mountains signifying they were close to their drop zone. He sent the men out and they landed near their DZ.


Claude Smith - landed within 1,000 yards of San Tropez. Ordered not to use radios because of interference with Navy communication. Navy barrage came within a few yards from him. His gun fired on a pillbox causing the Germans to surrender. American troops came in and surprised to see paratroopers there. Went into Monte Carlo and got drunk.

Gus Hazzard (tape) - went into Southern France by boat since he had gotten into some trouble with Col. Cooper. He was taken off jump status. He didn't join the unit until the Alps.

Laidlaw - Asst. S2 in Hdqts. Battery, landed within 5 miles of Le Muy. Very dark. He took his chute off, found his cricket and tried to remember the password. Very careful at the beginning but within half hour was shouting trying to round up his men. Within an hour after daylight, found nearly everyone, putting batteries into place.

Jay Karp - Everybody on Karp's plane was confident and not very worried. He landed just inland from San Tropez. Formed up with Barney Brian, Joe Hibble, Red McVicar, August Chruscial, Gene Olivant and a few others. Told to put German bunker out of commission. On the way up the hill, found Lt. Rozen laying on his stomach cursing because he was wounded in the rear end. They continued up the hill and found a German in a hole. After a few rounds, he surrendered. He told them there were about 35 Germans in the bunker ready to surrender. The 4 Americans got about 40 Germans with only small arms fire. They left the bunker and were going down the hill, the Germans with their hands on their heads. American planes appeared above and Karp was afraid they were going to be straffed. They waved their helmets and the Germans kept their hands on their heads. The planes shook their wings and kept going.

John Mockabee (tape) - jumped as a 50 caliber machine gunner and landed near the drop zone. He landed between two peaks that had been studied on their sand tables. As he was floating toward the ground, he heard someone yell "Water". John scooted up into the saddle on the harness and prepared to unbuckle. He looked down and saw chutes disappearing and heard branches breaking. John realized it was only ground fog. His first action was to set up on a curve in a road near a river by a town thought to be occupied by Germans with orders to block enemy troops attempting to get by. Some Americans were firing into a house. John's gun crew was then moved back about 3/4ths of a mile and placed along another curve. They had 2 containers of 300 rounds of 50 caliber ammo. They heard vehicles coming their way. They thought German vehicles were approaching but found it was the lead jeep of the 45th Division with the Division commander riding in the lead jeep. The 463rd Lt. in charge briefed the General on the situation. The 463rd was brought together and then got orders to back up the 509th heading up along the Mediterranean. The 509th asked for 4 - 50 caliber machine guns and onve volunteer for each of them. The 509th supplied the extra men. When John got there, however, he found out that the 463rd were supposed to supply their own gun crews. So the call went out for 12 more men (for the 4 men gun crew). Assigned to heavy weapons company. They waited until dark and set guns in place by a woods filled with German snipers. At about 6:00AM, machine gun fire and artillery fire hit the patch of woods, but the infantry could not advance because of sniper fire. A Lt. from the 509th had just been hit in the leg by sniper fire and sat behind a rock next to the gun crew. 509th squad leader came up and the Lt. told him that he wanted him to take the squad over the back part of the hill to get behind the woods. The squad leader said he couldn't take men there because Gerry had artillery fire concentrated there. It was just a plain hill with no covering. The Lt. repeated the order and the sergeant repeated that he couldn't do it because they'd get mowed down. The Lt. said he would have him court-martialed if he didn't obey the direct order. The sergeant took his men behind John's position and began to move to the position. Gerry let loose with everything he had. The sergeant came back shortly with a few men and asked the Lt. if he would like to go up on the hill and pick up his men. The Lt. didn't say a word. Medics shortly moved the Lt. down the hill to the rear. John's group was ordered to move back because of sniper fire. The gunner stood up to grab the handle on the barrel, but was shot in the knee and fell backward. John ran to pick up the 50 caliber and a shot rang out and hit him in the helmet. John was thrown backward and said he was bleeding but was reassured that he wasn't. His left ear was deafened and remained so for 15 minutes. Others got the weapon and moved it to the bottom of the hill. They set the gun up and began once again to fire into the woods. Snipers didn't give up until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. 9 men came out. Members of John's gun crew were John Hay, PFC Walker, PFC Knapp and a corporal from the 509th. On the 2nd morning they were told to move forward to another hill which was laid out with 50 caliber and 30 caliber guns. They were ordered to fire at enemy bunkers. An offshore cruiser also fired. John was ordered to fire at the bunker so the captain on the ship could follow the tracers to the enemy bunker. The 509th took another hill and John's group moved forward again. Soon after, John's group was ordered back. The 509th corporal told them to place their gun at another position. They placed the gun on a cart and Hays was on the left side when the left rear wheel struck a mine. Hay was right above the mine when in exploded and everything went into his chest. Kay and Knapp were knocked forward. Every time Hay would breath, bubbles of blood would pour out. Shrapnel had also entered the breach of the machine gun and blew it into a tree where it was left. John remained with the 509th in case they needed more help. They came to a bridge that was blown out and the Lt. wouldn't let the men move forward on either side or down because he was sure there would be mines. He called back for engineers to check area. An officer came up with a jeep and the Lt. told him that they had stopped because of fear of mines. Officer said he doubted mines were there and he was going on through. He went forward and hit a mine. It blew the wheels off the jeep but didn't hurt the officer of the driver. Mine detector personnel came up with mine sweepers and probes.


Armond Cerone (tape) - landed 30 miles from the drop zone, around San Tropez, within shooting distance of the town, at about 4:30AM. The first persons he met were 463rd guys. He went into town around the time the seaborne outfits were landing. His outfit was unable to get gun crews together and didn't have any maps. Germans there were mostly from the 4th Army - Czechs, Slavs, etc. They herded the captured into one area and Cerone left to guard them. A few Germans, were dressed in black, SS, and were aggressive. The 463rd guys went through abandoned enemy garrison and collected money and other things.

Hargus Haywood:

We moved to Grosseto, Italy and there we stayed about three days and was informed we were going to invade Southern France in early morning and about 0100 hours we boarded the C-47s. It was about 0430 when we jumped in the Southern France near the town of Menton. We had some casualties and I saw one trooper hanging in a tree killed by anti-aircraft-artillery. Major Cooper had a leg injury as you have already described. I recalled of one thing that happened to me. Before we jumped in Southern France and before we hooked-up and trooper noticed my chute as dragging the floor. He immediately adjusted the straps and showed me how to place my M-1 rifle so it wouldn't tangle up with my suspension lines. Think the trooper was named Lester or Hesler.

Doug Bailey:

When the 463rd was pulled out of the lines after Rome was captured, we first went to Lake Albano, which is south of Rome and where the Pope has his summer residence. After a short time we moved out to the coast to Lido de Roma which was a summer resort for the wealthy Italians. Here we received replacements to build the 463rd up to full strength for the next combat jump. They sent some officers back to the replacement depots in Africa to hand pick the qualified troops.
Just before we left Lido De Roma, some Engineers came out with a compressor and spray guns to camouflage us. We fell out with our jump suits on, and all our webbing and musset bag. One guy sprayed us with black paint and the other guy sprayed us with green paint. We also had tubes of grease paint to paint our faces, so by the time it came to load the planes, we would be a mean looking bunch.
We left the Rome area and went north about 100 miles to the Grosseto airport where we would take off for France. We left around midnight and flew west over the Ligurian Sea, then north about on the same route that Napoleon took when he returned to France from exile.
The 463rd and the 509 made up a Combat Team, and we took off about 40 minutes before the rest of the Airborne. These two little Bastard Battalions spearheaded the attack. Jumping around 4:30AM just before daylight. We were supposed to jump at a place called Le Muy about 15 miles inland, but quite a few plane loads of the 463 and 509 got the green light over St. Tropez, which is on the coast.
When we went to the planes to chute up, there were two extra main chutes and two reserves left over at our plane. So we just threw them in the plane. About half way to France, one of the guys got his back pack snagged and the chute came out behind him. So we grabbed one of the extra chutes and somehow, in that dimly lit plane, got the old one off and the new one on over all the equipment.
When they made the big plan, they did not figure that when all those planes arrived over the coast, that the coast and miles inland would be covered by low clouds. When I went out the door and my chute popped open, I immediately entered what I thought was a ground mist or fog and got ready to hit the dirt. I came out of that cloud and went into another one, and thought this must be a ground fog. I came out of that one and then I could see in the moonlight that we were coming down on the coast. I could see the coast line real clear in the moonlight and knew that they had dropped us in the wrong area. I could see that I was over land, but not by much. So I grabbed my front risers and tried to slip further away from the coast and the Ack Ack fire, which I had become quite allergic to after the Sicily invasion jump. We had jumped from quite a high altitude, in fact the highest I ever jumped, so it was quite a long ride down. (One whole planeload of 18 troopers from the 509 were lost when they came down through the clouds to land in the water and they all drowned.)
I came down on a dirt road with trees on both sides, and could hear other troopers coming crashing down through the trees and high brush. I scurried over to a ditch and had a heck of time getting out of my chute. The belly band that goes between your body and through the reserve chute had twisted up my back and I could not reach the Quick Release tab. I had to get my jump knife out to cut myself loose. The first guy I met was out of my gun section. He was an Apache Indian from the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona. He had joined us as a replacement on Anzio.
We joined up with a few others, captured one garrison and took many prisoners, and also captured a large pill box on the beach, and took them prisoners too. Most of them were not Germans but from other Balkan countries that the Germans had captured and impressed into the German army. They had German uniforms and had German equipment. The big Pill box we captured had a German Sgt. and corporal, but the other 12 or 14 soldiers were these other troops. We also got into a street fight in St. Tropez with some German Marines, but they soon showed the white flag.
While all this was going on, other 463rd guys were capturing a German Coastal Battery. Jay Karp, who was one of the guys that made that charge up the hill told me, "We came upon Lt. Rosen, who had been shot in the rump. He hollered at us. 'Don't mind me, go get those Bastards.'" -- "So we did." Later that evening we turned our prisoners over to the 3rd Infantry Division that had landed, and we moved by amphibious ducks to Le Muy, which was the original drop zone.

Joe Stolmeier

Just after we came through Cannes and set up our gun positions, I was blown up (blown sky high) by the 1st incoming shell of a barrage. None of the shell fragments got me just the explosion and concussion, the big shell probably an 88 mm from a tank in the hills, although the men said it was a coastal gun they'd turned inland came in flat trajectory and hit the road right where I was walking, so up in the air I went, along with the 2 bottles of wine I had just purchased from a French lady in one of the 3 houses that was torn apart by the shell fragments. Both bottles busted when I came down on the asphalt road, the only thing I had in my hands were the bottle necks - "NO WINE!" I remember Cannes cause its the last town I saw for several days until we were in the Alps and I recovered enough strength to move around, we were then in Jausiers before we went up a mountain 12,750 ft. high to a French fort, and set up our gun positions.

Pvt. George Dorsey ( Stars & Stripes Staff Writer) "Lost Paratroopers, FFI Take Riviera Resort"

A beautiful Riviera fishing and resort town was captured by a group of lost paratroop artillerymen and a force of French Patriots who rose vengefully against their German masters.
Dropped miles from their target, the paratroopers came down through a hail of small-arms fire onto some craggy, wooded country near the sea during the night before D-Day. Several of the men, who comprised two batteries of mobile artillery, were shot to death before they hit the ground, and others were wounded in the air. "But," said Pvt. Francis Heitz, of Chester, Pa., "the moment we landed the first of the Frenchmen who aided us rushed up. Arsenault (Pvt. Roland Arsenault, of Couthbridge, Mass.), who's a French-Canadian, interpreted for us, and those French Partisans really began to go into action.
"They took the guys that were wounded, gave them a shot of brandy and carried them into their homes," said Pvt. Barney Dryan, one of a group lounging along one of the shop-lined streets. "Then they pointed out the minefields and told us where the Krauts were."
"They pointed out the houses where the garrison for this point was staying," reported Pfc. Harold True, of Buffalo, Iowa.
"Me and tree other guys lined up our 75 and sent six rounds into one of the houses. For the six rounds, we got 58 prisoners, toute suite."

Cpl. John Cunnius, of Brooklyn, N.Y., said, "When we got to the town these FFI (Free French of the Interior) men really helped. They must be given a lot of credit. They must have kept hundreds of guns in hiding for all these years.

"Yeah," added Pfc. Julius Karp, also of Brooklyn, "there was a girl with a repeating rifle. She was tough, and she was ready to shoot anyone who got in her way."

"Then there was the captain of the underground," said Cpl. Lou Bonucci, of Pittsburgh. "He got shot through the neck, a bad wound, but he just bandaged it up and went on fighting, shouting orders and everything. A lot of credit should go to these people."

"This morning," he continued, "the regular infantry came up. There were only a few snipers around by then, and when they saw that we and the French had taken the town, they laughed and said, "Thanks."....


Operation Dragoon
"At the same dark airfield (Lido di Roma), Sgt. Charles B. Rawls, Jr., a member of the Intelligence section of headquarters company of the 1st Airborne Task Force, was checking his personal equipment and mulling over his encounter earlier that day with one of the most prominent officials of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, Archbishop Francis Spellman of New York City. Early in the war, President Roosevelt had agreed to the appointment of Spellman as apostolic vicar to the United States armed forces. Now he was on hand to give his blessing and to lend encouragement to Dragoon assault troops.
"Catholic paratroopers and glidermen were blessed at Lido Airfield, but members of all denominations had been invited to participate. [Note: On returning to New York after the Dragoon assault, Archbishop (later Cardinal) Spellman wrote personal letters to the parents, wives, or next of kin of the many hundreds he had blessed] (pgs. 109-110)
"About three miles from his DZ, Capt. Tims Quinn of Louise, Mississippi, was lying stunned alongside a stone was bordering a large field. The twenty-six-year old Quinn, operations officer of Colonel Joerg's 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, had jumped with the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, which was attached to the 509th Parachute Infantry, in order to be on the drop zone when Joerg's men bailed out in daylight hours. Captain Quinn had crashed into the stone wall but, other than being dazed, suffered no serious injury.
"When he had shaken the cobwebs out of his head, Quinn instinctively began feeling around the dark ground for his personal weapons. Then his woozy mind played a flashback: When his parachute popped open he had received a terrific jolt; his Tommy gun, Colt 45, and musette bag had been ripped from his body by the hurricane blasts that had engulfed him. Now, in enemy-held territory and alone, he was armed only with a trench knife. Silently Captain Quinn cursed the pilot of his C-47; obviously he had flashed the green jump signal while racing at a speed far in excess of the 110 miles per hour orders specified for dropping paratroopers.
"Quinn started stealthily slipping through the night in what he thought was the direction of his DZ. In the quiet, he heard a barely restrained "Psssttt!" The captain froze. "Psssttt" certainly was not the password. Then he heard it again, this time louder and more insistent-- "Psssttt!". As the battalion operations officer gripped his trench knife tightly, there was a rustling in the bushes and an American paratrooper, clearly overjoyed to discover a friend, edged up to Quinn. The captain, too, was relieved to find a comrade. He said nothing about the "Psssttt" password, presuming that the trooper had been too excited to remember the real one. The pair trekked off into the night." (pp. 136-137)

Paratrooper, Gerard Devlin - In another drop error, three planeloads of troops from Company A, 509th Parachute Battalion, along with two planeloads of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery, were given the green light two minutes too soon. Landing near Saint Tropez, all five planeloads banded together, linked up with Free French forces, and liberated that plush resort town. (pg. 449)