arrivée à la 101st AB et BASTOGNE

Dec. 12, 1944 Train Reims, France
Dec. 12, 1944 Train Mourmelon, France

Arrived 2:30PM. Temporarily attached to the 101st Airborne Division for administration and rations.
A drinking spree for everyone. (Smith tape) (Hazzard tape)



ATTACHING THE 463RD TO THE 101ST:

The 463rd Wasn’t AWOL After All (By Ken Hesler)



Ken McAuliffe, nephew of Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, in a recent online communication with Filip Willems, webmaster of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on Trigger Time Forum noted his discovery of a wartime document from Gen. George C. Marshall to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower that expands the story of how the battalion came to “join” the 101st Airborne Division on its dash to the defense of Bastogne, Belgium in December 1944. (see image below)



The oft told story of how Lt. Col. John T. Cooper, 463rd Battalion Commander volunteered the unit’s services to the Screaming Eagles although assigned to become part another airborne division is now a historic footnote in the Bastogne saga. But the document recently found by Ken McAuliffe, along with related research, has expanded that story.



Activated in February 1944 on the Anzio Beachhead from Headquarters and two batteries of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 456th Field Artillery Battalion and with months of combat in Italy, Southern France, and the Maritime Alps, the battalion was sent north in early December 1944 to join the 17th Airborne Division.



Arriving in Mourmelon, France, December 12, following a truck and "forty-and-eight" box car ride from Gattieres, just west of Nice on the Mediterranean coast, the battalion was quartered with the 101st at Fort Mourmelon to await the arrival of the 17th.



But the Battle of the Bulge intervened. On December 16, 1944, the same date that the Germans counterattacked across the borders of Luxembourg and Belgium, Marshall sent a message to Eisenhower saying that, upon the latter’s concurrence, “War Department will immediately issue the necessary reorganization directive for 101st Airborne Division...” to “incorporate” the 463rd in the 101st.



The Marshall letter was sent from the War Department at 7:33 p.m. December 16, 1944, and was received at Eisenhower’s headquarters at Versailles, France, at 2:24 a.m. the next morning. Cooper made his offer to join the 101st at a 9 p.m. meeting called that same day by Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe who said, “All I know of the situation is that there has been a breakthrough and we have go to get up there.”



In his article titled “High Tide at Bastogne” for the December 1944 World War II Magazine, Martin Graham, son of a 463rd veteran, describes the incident this way:



“As the meeting broke up, Cooper approached McAuliffe and the acting division artillery commander, Colonel Thomas Sher­burne, to remind them that his unit was only temporarily at­tached to the 101st and requested permission to join the division in its advance. McAuliffe directed Cooper to talk to Colonel Joseph H. "Bud" Harper of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, which lacked direct support artillery. Cooper found Harper, who had just made it back from England, and asked, "Do you need me?" Harper replied, "You're goddamn right."



During the exchange with Willems on the Forum, Ken McAuliffe writes, “When the 463rd arrived in Mourmelon, they had already been designated to be assigned to the 17th Airborne Division. The 17th was still in England, but was coming to France in the near future. The 463rd was attached to the 101st only administratively for quarters and rations. Obviously, neither Cooper nor the 101st knew about Marshall's letter. If they had, Cooper wouldn't have had to ask to be included in the move.”



The December 1944 463rd narrative reports that "At about 2100 hours on 17 December, the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery, attached to the 101st Airborne Division, was alerted to move from its bivouac area Mourmelon, France, to the vicinity of Bastogne."



As a historical note, the 463rd was attached to the 101st just before Bastogne but not assigned until March 1945 under a planned reorganization of the division. Shelby Stanton’s encyclopedic World War II Order of Battle” reports the 463rd as being attached to the 101st December 9, 1944. When the 463rd accompanied the 101st to Bastogne rather than wait to join the 17th Airborne, some have referred jokingly to it being AWOL, but that can no longer be alleged.





John Cooper:

Although the 463rd was slated to join the 17th Airborne Division, Colonel John Cooper requested that the battalion accompany the 101st to the Ardennes line following word that Germans had broken through in Belgium. General McAuliffe called a meeting of all officers in camp at 2100 hours, informing them about the German breakthrough in the Ardennes and informed officers that the 101st division was to prepare during the next two days to pull out to confront the enemy somewhere near Bastogne. After the meeting, Col. Cooper met with McAuliffe to offer the 463rd's services. McAuliffe asked, "How soon can you move out with the 101st?" Since the battalion had not yet unloaded their trucks since their arrival at Camp Mourmelon, Cooper replied, "45 minutes - but I don't have any orders" (the 463rd was slated to join the 17th Airborne Division which had not yet arrived from England). "To hell with that," McAuliffe said, "to see Bud Harper of the 327th." Cooper found Harper, who had just returned from England and was still in dress uniform. "Do you need me?," Cooper asked, to which Harper replied, "Your Goddamn Right." Cooper went back to his officers and gave them a choice, either join the 101st in its drive to Belgium or remain behind as camp guards. To a man, the officers voted to go. The men were given 45 minutes to prepare to leave.

Battalion Officers:

Commander: Lt. Col. John T. Cooper, Jr.

Executive Officer/S-1: Major Stuart Seaton

S-3: Major Victor E. Garrett

S-4: Capt. John F. Keester

Surgeon: John S. Moore

Battery A: Capt. William H. Gerhold

Battery B: Capt. Ardelle E. Cole

Battery C: Capt. Roman W. Maire

Battery D: Victor J. Tofany



Departed at 2130 hrs December 18 for Werbomont, Belgium.463rd convoy included: 27 1/4-ton trucks, 27 2.5-ton trucks, and 12 2.5-ton trucks attached from the 645th Quartermaster Company. The 463rd was the last unit to leave Mourmelon and on the way out went through the ammunition dump and loaded all the ammunition that they could possibly carry in every vehicle they had. The convoy moved out in a heavy fog and misty weather northeast from Mourmelon along muddy & slick roads, turned north at Suippes on the road to Sedan, passing through Sommepy-Tahure, Attigny, Poix-Terron, and across the historic battlefields of Sedan.


Officers Enlisted
Hq & Hq Btry 20 168
A 5 92
B 4 89
C 5 97
D 5 93
Met Det 2 14
TOTAL 40 553



2 enlisted men returned from hospital and 2 from confinement. Took about 1,500 rounds of ammunition.

Tony Spagnol

"About 2 days after I returned from Paris, we were told to get ready to move out because the Germans had broken through somewhere east of our position. We were trucked to Bastogne, Belgium and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division to support the 327 Glider Infantry. Lt. Merriman, about 2 other guys from our section and I were sent to an infantry outpost near a section where the 502 Parachute Infantry and the 327 Glider Infantry joined near a town called Hemroulle northwest of Bastogne."


Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Suippes, France

Joe Lyons:

Then, like a thunderclap, came the order: "Get them men out of the brothels and bars", "Drag the officers from the land of no return" -- the officers club, "It's time to earn your keep". Then started the retrieving of the lost souls.

Don Martin:

Being a Pack Howitzer unit and going long distances we either went by air, truck or mule. This time it was by truck. This truck unit being called the 40 & 8, driven by black soldiers. We loaded everything we could with the small number of vehicles we were allowed. We did have some trucks which made up our supply unit. They were to come later with more ammunition, food, etc. We traveled all night, then about mid-morn the next day we began encountering troops coming from the opposite direction. This wasn't good as far as I was concerned. These troops were from the 42nd, 106th Divisions and their supporting troops. Then we found another group intermingled with these troops and they were Germans that were dressed as American soldiers, they caused us a lot of trouble. The further we went the more traffic, roads becoming blocked, etc. I talked to some of these soldiers and they gave me some account of what had happened.... I was the liaison officer between the 327th GIR and the 463rd. I kept my battalion informed of intelligence concerning the enemy, weather, terrain, planned fires to support the mission given the 327th, place other liaison officer, forward observers and fire missions of my own.

Vic Tofany:

I was in the lead truck of D Battery and was following B Battery in the convoy. Lt. Kranyak was leading the column. He missed the turn-off and we had to turn around. When I asked him what went wrong, he said he was following D Battery. We turned around by winding the trucks out into a field and then winding them back onto the road. When we had them all turned around, the last truck had his front wheels in the ditch next to the road. The black driver said he couldn't get out because his front wheel drive wouldn't work. I think he was stalling. Lt. Eastman jumped into the drive's seat and promptly backed it out onto the road. We were told when we left we could leave our lights on until we got to Werbomont. However, when we stopped about 10 miles short of Bastogne, I was cooking coffee on the hood of the jeep (I decided to do my own leading of the column) and a tank came by headed to the rear and told us to "put out that goddam light!" I talked to him and he said things were changing very rapidly. About 5 more miles and we caught up to the rest of the 101st. At dawn we were bumper to bumper outside of Bastogne. Thank God for the fog.

Ken Hesler:

I was one of several riding in the back of a covered 2 1/2-ton truck filled mostly with 5-gallon cans of gasoline and pulling a trailer. It was cold and damp, and I slept as best I could using both the seat and the tops of the gasoline cans for support. We were lost briefly at least once during the night. After dawn, we took advantage of the stops to heat instant coffee over stoves made of a C-ration can, dirt and gasoline. I recall, with no great pride looking back on history, how we shouted to small groups of tired soldiers from the 28th Division trudging along the other way to remind them that "Hey, you're going the wrong way. The Germans are this way."
We saw little, if any, of the confusion. Coming in from the west, we did not go into Bastogne, stopping first south of Flamizoulle. We dug in along the road, and a few hours later moved on to Hemroulle.


Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Mazagran, France
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Vouziers, France
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Sedan, France
Dec. 19, 1944 Truck Bouillon, Belgium
Dec. 19, 1944 Truck Marche, Belgium
Dec. 19, 1944 Truck 1 KM SW Flamisoul, Belgium
Arrived 9AM

Dec. 19, 1944 Truck Bastogne, Belgium
463rd arrived in Bastogne at 1100 hrs. Battalion reached Bastogne without any maps since had been originally ordered to Werbomont. When arrived, Col Cooper went to Col. Sherbourne's headquarters and asked where he should place his men. Sherbourne's staff said they didn't know. He looked at their map and decided to move to Hemroulle, 1.5 miles northwest of Bastogne.

Dec. 19, 1944 Truck Hemroulle

463rd arrived at 1500 hours and set up its Command Post and Fire Direction Center set up in a house with the Aid Station in a chapel across the street. Mission was to provide artillery support to the 327th Glider Infantry west and south of Bastogne.



Battery Positions:

C: 500 yards slightly to the northeast of Hemroulle
A: 350 yards southwest of Hemroulle on right side of road leading to Bastogne
D: 750 yards southwest of Hemroulle on left of road
B: a few yards beyond Battery D on the right of the road


Hemroulle with chapel (aid station) and CP (buildings left)



The weather continued to be cold, cloudy and foggy with poor visibility. After crossing the Meuse, the truck convoy, with frequent stops and delays, entered Belgium. Near the Bois de Herbaimont, where the northward route intersects the Namur-Bastogne road, the 463rd found Col. Sherburne, the acting 101st artillery commander, directing traffic and sending the convoy southeast towards Bastogne. Dawn was gray, dreary, cold and wet. During the many frequent stops, troops would jump off the trucks, pour gasoline into puddles along the roadway and try to warm themselves or heat canteen cups of water for coffee over flaming C-ration cans partially filled with gasoline-soaked gravel. Along the way, the convoy passed groups of infantry, mostly from the 28th Division, walking single-filed along the roadway away from Bastogne. Occasionally, someone from the battalion would shout to them, "Hey, you fellas are going the wrong way."

At 9AM the trucks turned north off the highway to an assembly area about 1KM southwest of Flamisoul where they dug foxholes along the roadway and waited. Finally they were directed to proceed to Bastogne, where they arrived at 11AM. The battalion reached Bastogne without any maps since they had been originally ordered to Werbomont. When they arrived, Col Cooper went to the collection point which also proved to be division artillery headquarters and asked where he should place his men. He was told that they had no equipment, no wire, no phones, and no information. He looked at their map and decided to move to Hemroulle, 1.5 miles northwest of Bastogne, the sector assigned to the 327th, since the battery's mission was to provide artillery support to that unit west and south of Bastogne. The 463rd communication section tied a telephone line around a tree, and laid lines to Hemroulle and later to all the artillery battalions. After arriving in the village at 3PM, the Command Post and Fire Direction Center were located in a house in Hemroulle, with the Aid Station in a chapel across the street.



APPROXIMATE DISTANCES FROM BATTERY POSITIONS SOUTH OF HEMROULLE:

Rolle(y) - 2,000 yards Marvie - 6,000 yards
Champs - 3,000 yards Remoifosse - 7,000 yards
Longchamps - 4,000 yards Assenois - 7,000 yards
Recogne - 5,000 yards Senonchamps - 4,000 yards
Noville - 7,500 yards Mande St. Etienne - 3,500 yards
Bizory - 6,000 yards Flamisoul - 4,500 yards
Mageret - 7,000 yards Flamierge - 7,000 yards
Neffe - 6,000 yards


Dec. 20, 1944 Hemroulle

The 463rd Supply Train sent back for more ammunition was cut off. The 463rd was assigned the mission of providing artillery support to the 327th GIR whose sector thinly covered the west and south borders of the defensive perimeter. Initially, this support was limited because of extremely heavy fog and low clouds which prevented the Forward Observers from adjusting indirect fire. However, fire missions were conducted whenever targets could be spotted.


Casualties:

Pvt. Charles R. Davault, Hq Btry, WIA by shell fire

Pvt. William L. Hurley, D Btry, WIA by gunshot

Pvt. James G. Ragsdale, B Btry, WIA by shell fire



Gordon Bernhardt

Slept all night, but the crew on duty did a bit of firing. Our infantry is having it rough, but we're holding. We can't get any ammunition through, we had 18 trucks wiped out. We are digging defensive positions all over area, fox holes everywhere, ready for the last stand, on guns in night.

Tom White

I was a Captain assigned to the 506th PI as Liaison Officer. A few days after we were relieved of combat duty and were recuperating in Reims, France I was ordered to report to Gen. Maxwell Taylor immediately. I had been his aide through Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. Because of this long past association he offered to take me back to the states for approximately two weeks to brief the Pentagon on airborne operations. We left the same day, December 20??, and flew back to Washington via Prestwick, Scotland; Gander, Newfoundland and on to Washington.

Don Martin

The Medical Battalion had occupied a position about due north of the 463rd's position. I had been on reconnaissance in this area as they were going into position. The next morning I was back in that area as we were to put an infantry battalion in that area, the Germans were making their circle around us. But there was no medical Battalion there. Except for the personnel that escaped they had been demolished.... The weather was real foggy, sometimes you couldn't see 30 to 40 yards in front of you. The air force had no visibility so we could get no support from them, which we relied on very heavily. Now this put us in a position of firing artillery only when we just had to. Therefore we could not give the infantry the support they needed and were used to. The word of course had by now reached all the front line soldiers and as a result two things were revealed. The first Esprit de Corps and self preservation.... First we had what we called the "Midnight Charlie" or a German plane that came over every night and bombed us. As a result of this, even though I was not in the front lines I took precautions. The 327th was headquartered in an old army barracks, which were one story, tile roof and had thin tile floor inside. I decided I better not get caught short, because that bomb came straight down from that airplane. I decided I would dig through that floor with a wall locker on top of it with dirt in the locker and deep enough to be comfortable in, this I did. Mind every one knew this was my hole, some made fun of me but I didn't care because I knew how much a hole in the ground could protect you. Well about the third night when Charlie decided to drop a bomb right on top of our building. My hole was filled with those persons that had made fun of me for digging it. When the bomb hit the whole ceiling fell in. Charlie departed I got out of my hole, the part that was in it, checking my condition, my jacket I had on was riddled with shrapnel and plaster from the ceiling. I just knew I had been hit, I wasn't, none had penetrated the lining of my jacket. Oh! I was mad and I can assure you no one got in that hole after that unless they had my permission. I decided I would go across the street a short way from where I was and check to see how many prisoners we had taken and any information I could pick up from them. When I got over there there was only 2 or 3. For some reason our front line troops just wasn't taking prisoners. I understood. From there I decided to check the hospital we had set up. I sure didn't tarry long there. The doctors had no way of putting people to sleep and they were having to operate, amputate, etc. by just holding the man down. It seemed inhumane, but was very necessary. I think this was the saddest experience I had in Bastogne. Later that day, Col. Harper had to go down on the south front to check on some things, while down there the Regimental Exec. was there and had found a country ham at a farmer's house. Me being from Mississippi and a farm boy, we cured our meat, so I could just taste that ham. That old codger was so stingy with that ham he wouldn't even give me a slice of it. How disappointed can you be? We returned to Hdqts when we finished what we had come to do there. That night Charlie visited us again. Now when he came tonight, Col. Harper, Major Jones, and myself were in Col. Harper's room planning fires and discussing the situation. There was a double bunk bed in this room so when we heard the bombs landing we all three dived for under those beds. Well this was a roll around each of the three of us trying awful hard to be on the bottom for more protection. When it was over we crawled out and just stood looking at one another, shaking our heads.

Dec. 21 Hemroulle, Belgium

2 howitzers from Battery C redeployed about 700 yards northwest of Hemroulle astride road to Champs into direct fire positions from which to defend against tanks. Howitzers moved into direct fire positions due to ammunition shortages. The battalion began to redeploy howitzers into previously prepared direct fire positions from which they could defend against tanks. This was done because of the changing tactical situation and also because supplies of high explosive ammunition had dwindled to the point where they were insufficient to support heavy indirect fire missions.
1st Lt. Jack C. West, forward observation post 6 Baker, was awarded Bronze Star for his achievements Dec. 19 to 21.


Donald Martin:

I had to go out on the west front, on my way I had to pass our gun positions. I decided I had better get some new radio batteries as mine were getting weak. Now the radio section was set up out behind Battalion headquarters. While I was in getting the batteries I heard two of these black soldiers that had driven the trucks for us talking. One of them told the other one to do something, he said back to that one "Do it yourself you s-- -- - -----." The other said back, "Boy I ain't no s-- -- - -----." That one says back, "I'm a airborne troop." Now I recognized one of those voices. I went out to check, sure enough I knew one of them. It was a black boy from home, my age, use to go fishing with and worked on our farm. My point is "What a small world even in a place like Bastogne." From here I proceeded to go on to the front line. I got about as close as I figured safe with my jeep and hid it in some trees. Walking on to the top of the hill. My driver had gone with me. Just as we got to the crest of the hill a group of German soldiers were coming up the other side. We wouldn't have time to go back down without being seen. This area being heavily wooded with thick spruce trees and snow about a foot deep, we decided to crawl in next to the tree and get under the snow. There had been other footprints around so they might not notice ours. This we did Germans walked all around that tree and never did discover us. We were getting air from a hole next to the tree. You would be quite surprised how warm you can stay as long as no air hits you. We stayed there until dark, then got out and went back down the hill, expecting our jeep to be gone but they hadn't found it either. We lost no time getting back to Headquarters.

Gordon Bernhardt

Our guard had to dig in a new guard, but moved 100 yards away. Dug pit also on top of hill to fire direct, in case of last stand. We are surrounded, no firing, no ammunition, in case of last stand. Had a tent to sleep in, really slept all night.

Tony Spagnol

"We were bivouacked on a knoll at the edge of pine tree forest in front of a road leading to the west of our position with the 327 Infantry. At very early dawn, on December 21, 1944, a German recon outfit with about 8 vehicles, including half-tracks and jeeps came racing down the road to our front. The infantry held their fire until the recon outfit was directly to our front and then opened fire with machine guns, bazookas, grenades, rifles and everything we had. I took a few shots with my M-16. Every German in the recon outfit was killed in this action, the Germans didn't have a chance. I believe they were either on a recon mission or lost!"


Dec. 22 Hemroulle

1 day supply of rations (220 K-rations & 400 10-1-rations) remained. Shortage of ammunition was critical and restrictions were placed on fire missions. Gasoline supply down to one-half day. Remaining 2 guns from Battery C and 2 guns from Battery A were shifted into anti-tank positions around Hemroulle. After the enemy demand for surrender, the order went out for all barracks bags to be piled, ready to be burned. The cannoneers were oiling their rifles and carbines in case they were over-run by the enemy.



Casualties:

Cpl. Eugene M. Archer, C Btry, WIA

Lt. William Anderson, B Btry, MIA

T/4 Frank Pfeil, B Btry, MIA

Pvt. Herman Nelson (??), B Btry, MIA

Pvt. Oroland Maser, B Btry, MIA



Gordon Bernhardt

Snowing all night. Slept all night long. Things are getting serious around here, stayed in fox holes around area, expecting a big attack but nothing happening except the usual attacks.

Stuart Seaton

I do recall vividly the day I took our battalion's plan for perimeter ground defense in to Division Artillery Headquarters. When I got there, the first thing I was greeted with was a comment by Col. Sherburne. He told me that Gen. McAuliffe had just received a surrender notice from the German commander. I believe he said it had been delivered by a German major. Col. Sherburne gave me a copy of it (which unfortunately I have lost). After reading it, it said that if the division didn't surrender by four o'clock they would level the town. I think it was then about two o'clock. After getting the plan checked, I wasted little time getting out of the city (Bastogne) and back to the battalion.

Bruce Middough:

That afternoon I was detached from C Battery to Headquarters Battery along with another C Battery soldier. We reported to the 1st Sgt. who sent us to a farmhouse on top of the ridge between Hemroulle and Bastogne. Hidden behind the farmhouse was a truck containing all the battalion gasoline supply. I dug a foxhole on the ridge and pulled the first 6 hour shift while the other man slept. At about midnight the Germans started to shell Hemroulle. The shells were just clearing the ridge and passed right over the top of my head and dropped into the village. After the shelling stopped I decided my 1.5' deep foxhole needed another foot or so of depth. When that was completed I now laid my blankets out, climbed in the hole and started to get some sleep. I was just dozing off when I heard the weird sound of a motor. It was a slow moving aircraft with a put, put, put sound. As there had been rumors of German paratroopers and not having ever heard the sound of a V-1 buzz bomb, I thought this was a troop transport dropping German paratroopers among us. I sat up in the hole, cocked my Tommy gun and waited. This was my most terrifying moment during the siege as there were no other soldiers near me. I sat there trying to see something but never did. So after about 20 or 30 minutes I laid down again on my back in the foxhole, pulled my blankets over me and went to sleep. A little while later I was again awakened by an odd tingling in my face. Again I sat up and discovered it was snowing.

Frank Pfeil

On the morning of Dec. 22, I was told to set up a radio back back and since we were not going to out too long, just take a couple of K rations to hold me over for the day for we were to go out to register our guns. There were 4 of us in the forward observation party. Lt. Anderson, Pvt. Nelson, and our jeep driver who I can only remember as being called Gopher (identified by Lark A. Erskine as Oroland Maser from Kentucky). He got that nickname while at Anzio because he always dug one of the deepest foxholes. We first went to Bn. or Div. HQ for instructions. I don't know which one it was but I believe it may have been Div. HQ for when Lt. Anderson came from the building with a map rolled up in his hand, he said the Germans just delivered an ultimatum for our troops surrender.... We continued through a town that may have been Bastogne or Hemroulle. We went through there quickly for it was being heavily shelled. The next event was when we were stopped by American troops at a cross road and challenged. We learned then they were on the alert for Germans posing as American GIs. We then continued on over open country and at the next point we were stopped by American soldiers at a farm house and were told there was a German machine gun emplacement ahead. Anderson asked them why they didn't use the tank destroyer next to the house to take care of the situation. He was told the crew did not want to expose themselves to possible anti-tank fire. Anderson decided to circle around the road block and try to use our Battery to bring fire on the German gun position. We took off in the jeep again and a short time later we received burp gun fire from a tree line and at the same time our jeep bogged down in deep snow. We then ran to a wooded area nearby. Anderson was first in line, I was second, Nelson third and Gopher last. I saw Anderson stop at a fire trail or break in the forest while using his binoculars to look up and down the clearing. He took several steps into the clearing when we heard "Halt." I had difficulty seeing what was happening because when we hit the ground the radio back pack went forward and pushed my helmet over my face and into the snow. Anderson was still standing and talking to someone. I was praying that it was our troops and not the enemy. I then heard Anderson say to us you might as well come out they've got us. When we did come forward I could see by the number of men in their patrol that he was so right. This story could go on and on, for the POW experience from the time of capture to our being liberated by the 47th Bn. 86 Div. is one I'll not forget.... The last time that I saw Anderson was in a field along side a road. He had a grapefruit size hole in his thigh caused by the strafing of our POW column by P47's while we were being marched by the Germans to the rear. Nelson and Gopher I last saw them at a POW camp XIII A in Koblenz. The three of us were being separated, since the Germans didn't want enlisted men together with the NCOs. Both men were in bad condition because their feet were black from the effects of frost bite. They were hoping to be returned to the US control by the Red Cross. As for me, fortunately, the day before going on patrol I changed into my winter combat suit and snow packs. The other three had not, so their physical conditions were not good.

Donald Martin

Col. Harper was called to come down to the Battalion on the South, same place where the Lt. Col. had the ham. I went with him. When we arrived there a German Major & Capt. had come to our front line with a white flag (PEACE). They wanted to talk to the commander of the American troops. We blindfolded them and took them to Division Hdqts. Here they were ushered into Gen. McAuliffe's office. I did not get to go in with them. They weren't in there long till Col. Harper returned with them. We loaded them back in the jeeps and returned where we had picked them up at. At this time we faced them toward the German lines and removed their blindfolds. Col. Harper handed the Capt. a note written by Gen. McAuliffe. The German Capt. was the interpreter, he read the note then asked what is this word "NUTS". Col. Harper told him it meant "Go to Hell." Now Col. Harper had hold of the Major and I had hold of the Capt. Col. Harper motioned for me to kick the Capt. when we turned them loose. He kicked the Major, so I had no choice but to kick the Capt. (Not that I didn't want to). The Germans having returned with their ultimatum being negative and the above, we figured we would be in for an artillery barrage, we were surprised again it didn't happen.

Dec. 23 Hemroulle, Belgium

Aerial re-supplies began at 11:55AM. 463rd had expended all but 9 rounds of high-explosive ammunition and ration supply was exhausted. Repulsed German attack from the south. The other 2 howitzers from Battery A, the 4 in Battery B and the 4 in Battery D remained in indirect fire positions.



Casualties

Pfc. Frisbie M. Adler, Hq Btry, WIA



1 officer, 3 enlisted men from Battery B, and 1 from Hq Battery who had been missing since December 22 were declared MIA.

1st Lt. Donald W. Merriman, forward observation post 5 Charlie, was awarded Bronze Star for his achievements Dec. 20-23.

1st Lt. Charles W. Whittington and 2nd Lt. John W. Frye, forward observation post 4 Baker, were awarded Bronze Star for their achievements Dec. 23.



John Cooper:

463rd had expended all but 9 rounds of high-explosive ammunition and ration supply was exhausted. Each day as the battalion commanders met with the division artillery, some of the battalion commanders would ask, "Cooper have you knocked any tanks out?" His answer was always, "No, not yet." Aerial re-supplies had been planned for the previous evening but had been postponed due to the weather. The large open fields northwest of Bastogne, the sector belonging to the 2nd Battalion of the 327th and the 463rd PFA, were selected as the drop zone. Pathfinders jumped at 9:45 AM, giving advance notice that the supplies were on the way. The battalion was down to only 7 pounds of artillery ammunition. Battalion vehicles and personnel were assigned to the pickup. The first flight of 16 planes from the southeast began at 11:55AM. After dropping their bundles, attached to red, yellow, and blue parachutes, they veered to the northwest. Additional flights came over at 2:00 and 2:10PM. Before the day was over, 241 planes dropped 144 tons of supplies in 1,446 bundles. There was very little enemy fire on any part of the pickup field, but several planes were hit by flak. One of the disabled planes crash landed in a creek bed about 50 yards from a D battery bun position. As it came in low over the Bastogne-Hemroulle road from the south, the C-47s tail wheel struck the back of a truck, spinning it around. Capt. Tofany of D Battery wrote, "the occupants of the plane came out with their hands in the air yelling 'Kamerad', but were relieved to find they had landed among friends. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured." By the end of the day, the battalion had 528 K-rations on hand, along with 250 gallons of gasoline. Ammunition supply at day's end was HE, 286; WP, 177; and AT, 201. Repulsed German attack from the south.

Gordon Bernhardt:

A great day, the Lord has been with us. Had an aerial re-supply. Had lots of chutes dropped, that's ammunition and thru a counter attack, firing all night long, up all night.

Tom White:

I was thrilled with the idea of being home for Christmas for the first time in many years. However, as midnight on December 23rd I received word from Washington to report back immediately for return to Europe. I flew to Washington the morning of the 24th and then we waited all day for suitable weather. We departed, finally, at 10PM on Christmas eve despite the fairly heavy snow storm. Our route this time was Newfoundland, the Azores and then to Paris. We then had to motorcade back to Bastogne.

Donald Martin:

Of course we were expecting them (aerial resupply) so all of us were out watching for them. HERE THEY COME, THOSE PCHTS WITH OUR RESUPPLY ARE FALLIN FROM THE PLANES. WHAT A SIGH OF RELIEF. I felt tears running down my cheeks, but couldn't help it. Then I looked at some of the other guys and found out I had company. This made me feel better. The irony of it all was that we had some guns that didn't have any ammo left and others with one or two rounds. The Germans didn't know this. The next day if I remember correctly we received word that the 4th Armored Division was getting closer and their guns could be heard firing.

Bruce Middough:

On the day of the first serial resupply I was in a farmhouse on top of the ridge southwest of Hemroulle. I watched the drop that was made and could see the troops gathering in the supplies. After the retrieval was made and the troops had departed I could see a blue parachute with a bundle attached that had been overlooked. Knowing the blue chutes contained food, I decided to retrieve it. I brought it back to the farmhouse. The bundle contained K rations which we divided among the troops and also gave some to the Belgium family whose house we were in. I gave the parachute to Madame Simon and asked if she could make some blue scarves for us troopers. She made about 15 scarves and a dress for me to send home to my wife Wanda. The dress was kept as a memento throughout the years. In 1984 when the 101st Assoc. members returned to Holland and Belgium I went back to the farmhouse with Andre Meurisse to revisit the family. Madame Simon is now deceased and her daughter Palmyre Georges is now residing in the family farmhouse. She was a little girl of 12 at the time and remembered the soldiers occupying her home. We had a very nice visit with the family and when I left Bastogne I gave the dress to Andre Meurisse to donate to the museum.
During the resupply mission, one C-47 had been hit by anti-aircraft fire and the whole tail assembly was engulfed in flames. The plane was flying on a course from west to east about a half mile south of Hemroulle. I watched the plane as it approached and saw one, then another, and the third crew member bail out. Their chutes all opened without any trouble and they all landed within the perimeter very near A Battery's gun position. The plane continued on for a few seconds but was beginning to lose altitude rapidly. Then the fourth crew member bailed out. He didn't wait for the count of four but pulled it immediately upon departing the plane. His chute was just beginning to deploy when the tail assembly of the aircraft broke off and the plane went straight in exploding upon impact. The crew members chute opened OK and he came to ground on the hillside just southeast of Hemroulle. I watched him through binoculars and observed that he just lay in the snow without moving. Shortly thereafter two troopers went down the hillside to where he lay. They stood near him for a few minutes. Then one of the troopers cut his parachute off, bundled it up and both returned to their positions. I continued to watch the crew member who was still laying in the snow, but thought he must be dead. Thinking that it was odd that the troopers didn't carry him back toward their positions, several of us in the farmhouse were a little upset at the C-47 crew member being left in the snow and as we were talking about it the crewman got up out of the snow and started walking toward the direction the troopers had come from.

Dec. 24
Hemroulle

Division Chaplain came & celebrated Christmas eve service in a stable next to CP.



Casualties:

Pfc. Douglas M. Bailey, B Btry, WIA

Pvt. Cecil E. Farmer, B Btry, WIA

Pfc. Donald P. Zafke, B Btry, WIA

1 officer and 3 enlisted men from Battery C listed as MIA.


2nd Lt. John C. Gill (posthumously) and Pvt. Alfred Pierce awarded Bronze Star for achievement on Dec. 24.

Division Chaplain came to Hemroulle for a Christmas Eve service. It was held in a stable. The men sang Silent Night.



Gordon Bernhard:

I remember going to a barn on Christmas Eve with other men. A chaplain was there and we had a church service with the familiar 'Silent Night', of course. I was thinking of everyone at home. I had tears in my eyes, thinking of it all. Had plenty of action all along, chutes dropped again. Germans bombed our area, no one hurt, I slept through it.

Stuart Seaton:

The Division Chaplain came out to our town for a Christmas eve service. We had the service in a stable. Somehow that service had a distinct significance. A rather humble setting somewhat reminiscent of an event some 2000 years previous. I have often thought back on that night and that service.

Douglas Bailey:

I had just moved back to the 4th gun section after spending all night standing in a foxhole on a snow covered slope out in front of B Battery's Gun position. When we went out to dig our defense line, Capt. Cole passed out the last of the rifle ammunition and grenades. We knew were surrounded by the German Panzer, Parachute and Infantry divisions. We also knew about the surrender note and demand, so we knew we had to hold the position. During a fire mission later that morning, a shell exploded right in front of the gun position, and for some reason there were only three of us on the gun at that time: Don Zafke, Cecil Farmer, and myself, and all three of us were wounded. Tom (Doc) Pace, our Medic, came running across the snow and gave us some help, and patched us up as best he could, and then a jeep came over to us, and they threw us in the jeep and took us to the church in Hemroulle that they were using as a aid station. The wounded were put along the wall. The Americans on one side and the wounded Germans on the other. This was only about 150 yards from where we were wounded. They used the equipment bundles and parachutes that came from the re-supply drop on the 23rd to cover us. The re-supply drop came just in the nick of time, as our squad had about 5 rounds of HE (High Explosive) and about 6 rounds of AP (Armored Piercing), and about 3 rounds of WP (White Phosphorous). The concussion from the exploding shell made my legs numb, and I felt no pain. After lying on the floor for about a half hour, I started to get feeling again in my legs and I started to hurt. They had bandaged up my left leg where the shrapnel went in. My right foot started to really hurt. I worked my hand down to my boot, and I could feel that it was all clammy. I called one of the medics over and they found that I had been hit in the right foot also.

Cecil Farmer:

When a shell from a German gun exploded in front of my gun pit, I was hit in both legs. Tom Pace dressed and fixed my right leg, but it wasn't until later that they found my right leg had also been broken. I laid in the 463rd aid station and in Bastogne for 9 days without X-rays or penicillin. When I was finally evacuated from Bastogne, gangrene was starting to set in. A young doctor fresh from the states decided he was going to operate and saved my leg.

Fred Shelton:

When the Forward Observer Party was hit with enemy shell the officer was killed and the other two men in the Observation Party were badly wounded. A. J. Pierce with tow of his buddies were up in the front lines. Pierce then called Col. Cooper by phone and asked if he wanted them to come in. Col. Cooper told Pierce not to come in but to stay put. Then Cooper asked Pierce who has the most Court Marshalls. Then there was a silence and discussion among them. Pierce then replied back to Col. Cooper, "I have sir." So Cooper then told Pierce that he was in charge. Pierce and his Forward Observation Party later on received a bronze star for this action at Bastogne.

Ray C. Allen (Col. 401st GIR):

We had seen the Germans building up west of our lines for two days, and the men knew that Division was expecting the Germans to attack on Christmas Day. They knew Division believed our area was the most likely area to be attacked by tanks and Division didn't think our thinly spread line could hold if we were attacked by tanks. The men felt this could be their last night together and their last Christmas Eve. Some of them felt they probably wouldn't live to see the dawn. So they climbed out of their carefully prepared foxholes, shook hands with one another and wished each other a Merry Christmas. Then they settled back into their foxholes and waited. They were getting angry and were ready to bloody the noses of the Germans who had been tormenting them for five days.... At 10:00PM, the men on the front line could hear panzers arriving near Flamisoul, a small village about two miles west of our line.

Dec. 25 Hemroulle, Belgium



Direction of the Christmas attack



Germans attack at about 3:00AM from the northwest, the vicinity of Mande-St. Etienne. 18 German Mark IV tanks and supporting infantry broke through 327th line, 11 tanks and infantry advancing on Hemroulle. They pulled off the road and stopped 100 yards from Hemroulle (thinking it was Bastogne?) and remained there for over an hour. At dawn, the 463rd fired (1 howitzer from Battery D and 4 from Battery B were redeployed into anti-tank/direct fire positions) and the battle lasted about a half hour, many of the 463rd fighting as infantry. 8 German tanks were knocked out by howitzers and a 9th captured. 2 tanks escaped the 463rd but were knocked out by an American armored force. The 7 other German tanks were also taken out before the end of the day. After the fighting, all howitzers except the 4 guns of Battery C were returned to indirect fire positions. Col. Cooper had ordered all battalion papers destroyed with the enemy so close (one other reason was to cover up all illegal acquisitions by the battalion of trucks and other equipment and material)



463rd firing at Bastogne



Col. Ray Allen (401st):

My communications with Division at Bastogne had been knocked out. Bastogne was being bombed and shelled by German artillery fire, and other locations around Bastogne were under simulated attacks. These attacks prevented Division from putting all of its artillery fire on one location or sending reinforcements to help a location. These probing attacks also convinced Division a major attack was coming, but they didn't know where or when.... Then 18 whitewashed German Mark IV tanks and a regiment of German infantry reported 700 meters away, moving very slowly down a hill east of Mande St. Etienne toward the field where 2nd Platoon of Company A had its outpost. The tanks were the 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division. They were accompanied by infantry from two battalions of the 77th Panzergrenadier Regiment. When the report was called in to Lieutenant Bowles at his CP, he ran to the outpost and saw the long column of tanks. The route the tanks were on would take them through the 2nd Platoon position on the left side of the ridge, then beside his CP and asked for artillery fire on the tanks.... I was asleep upstairs in my CP when Bowles called. Major Hershel Angus and Captain Twyman Brouillette were on the night watch at my CP. Major Angus sent Captain Brouillette to wake me and ask if I wanted to start firing on the tanks. I said: "No. That will start the whole front firing." I didn't really know what I was saying. I was just barely awake. Captain Brouillette went back downstairs and told Major Angus what I had said. Major Angus commented: "That doesn't sound like Colonel Allen. He usually shoots at everything that comes in front of him. Go back up there, stand him on his feet, then ask him again." As Captain Brouillette started back up the stairs, I was coming down. He repeated the request for artillery fire and I told him, "No, tell the men to hold their fire."... The nighttime attack was definitely to my advantage. The German infantry was walking five of six abreast in a column. They were grouped and not spread out like they would have been if they were preparing to attack. I knew by their formation they didn't know where our front-line postions were located. But, if we had begun firing, they would have seen our front-line positions. In fact, if they had just waited until daylight to attack, they would have seen our positions and we would have been quickly wiped out.... Just the mention of armor could cause your blood to freeze, but my men responded automatically and as a unit. The 2nd Platoon was looking right down the barrel of the German tanks. They knew that to fight the tanks head-on would just get them killed, so they simply got out of the way. They just climbed out of their foxholes and moved to the positions of the 3rd Platoon on the higher ground on their right flank and let the tanks go through their now vacant line positions. They knew the tank destroyers and Colonel Cooper's artillery were behind them, waiting for the tanks.... The column of 60-ton German tanks began moving into Company A's positions with their flame throwers blazing. Each tank had 15 or 16 infantrymen, wearing white sheets, riding on it, and some infantrymen were walking beside the tanks. They were firing rifles and flame throwers as they came into the 2nd Platoon's positions. The Germans were probing, trying to find my front-line positions. As soon as the last tank rolled through 2nd Platoon's position, about 30 minutes later, the men of the 2nd Platoon simply climbed out of the 3rd Platoon positions and went back to their own positions, closing up the front line. No one told them to do it, they just did it and not one man failed to return to his position. Now they were behind the tanks and in front of the approaching infantry.... The German infantry were still marching in formation in the field below the ridge. They were wearing white sheets, screaming and firing their rifles in the air. In the early pre-dawn light and the heavy fog, they looked like ghosts floating across the snow-covered field. They didn't know they were just minutes away from their doom. They were heading to our well-hidden, machine gun final protective line on the ridge, and my men were becoming angry as they watched the hundreds of screaming German infantrymen coming toward them, but they stayed low, waiting for the Germans to get into range. Their plan was working. The German tanks were separated from the infantry and the infantry still didn't know where we were dug in. It was almost dawn and my men, three tank destroyers, our bazooka teams and Colonel Cooper's 463rd Artillery were all in position. Waiting. Patiently, quietly waiting.... Then, suddenly, the front line roared as my men began firing every gun they had and our machine-gun final protective line went into full effect. The surprised German infantry was trapped into the flat, open field and were being cut to pieces by the cross fire from our machine guns.... The four tank destroyers had avoided a direct frontal fight with the tanks because of the thick armor plating on the front of the German tanks. When the first shot rang out, the tanks were still in a column moving toward my CP. Instantly, the four tank destroyers raced into position behind the tanks and opened fire. Five of the tanks exploded as their thin, unprotected backsides took direct hits.... C Company was dug in and they were not going to budge one bit. Someone said they shot at anything and everything that could be German. Colonel Cooper's 463rd Artillery was so close to the tanks that they had to level their muzzles and shoot straight across the ground to hit them. They fired point blank and said it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Now the tank column was being bombarded by fire from every direction. The column was surely staggered. Then, to escape the furious fire that was pounding them, it split up. Some of the tanks started racing toward Champs, two miles north, and six of them sped toward my CP near Hemroulle, two miles west of Bastogne... at about 7:15AM.

Casualties:

Cpl. Rester W. Bryan, Hq Btry, KIA

Pvt. Ollie S. Butts, Hq Btry, KIA

Pfc. John P. Hall, Medical, KIA

Pvt. Richard A. Carroll, A Btry, WIA

T/4 Marlyn W. Havig, Hq Btry, WIA



Col. Cooper awarded Silver Star for gallantry in action Dec. 17-25.

Cpl. Rester W. Bryan (posthumously) awarded the Bronze Star for Dec. 25.



Germans attack in pre-dawn from the northwest. 18 German Mark IV tanks and supporting infantry broke through 327th line, 11 tanks and infantry advancing on Hemroulle. In the early morning hours, Capt. Ardelle Cole radioed Maj. Victor Garrett, S3, that 4 tanks were lined on the ridge northwest of Hemroulle. "Do they have muzzle breakers?," Garrett asked. Cole replied "Yes." Garrett awoke Col. Cooper with the news. It was determined that 11 German tanks had actually pulled off the road and had come to a rest about 100 yards to Cole's left and right, apparently mistaking Hemroulle for Bastogne. Cole could not speak loudly and asked that headquarters not ring him since the Germans had gotten out of their tanks and were making coffee. Garrett notified all of the batteries and guns that had been placed in tank position of the situation and told to make no noise and show no lights of any kind, but boresight any of the guns that they had that could see the tanks and prepare to attack the tanks with machine guns, bazookas, and anything else that could inflict permanent damage when Garrett gave the command. The enemy tanks had lined up along the road in a field behind the trees and were positioned so that the 463rd guns could boresight into the side of the tanks. The battalion waited about one hour until daylight so that they could distinguish the muzzle breaker on the guns to make sure that they were not American. At dawn, Garrett ordered the guns to direct fire with the command, "the shit hit the fan". As the firing began, Cooper called the S3 division and told them of the attack. He didn't tell them the tanks had been sitting idle for an hour before the 463rd struck. The division S3 said, "Cooper are you telling me the facts, that you are under attack?" "If you don't believe it," Cooper replied, " look down this way and you will see five spirals of smoke, which represents 5 tanks burning, no, there are 6 spirals of smoke now which includes 6 tanks burning."


Destroyed German tank at Hemroulle


The German tanks had pulled off the road and stopped 100 yards from Hemroulle thinking it was Bastogne and remained there for over an hour. At dawn, the 463rd fired (1 howitzer from Battery D and 4 from Battery B were redeployed into anti-tank/direct fire positions) and the battle lasted about a half hour, many of the 463rd fighting as infantry. Cooper did not know how long his battalion could hold out, but they were determined to give them hell as long as they could. 8 German tanks were knocked out by howitzers and a 9th captured. 2 tanks escaped the 463rd but were knocked out by an American armored force. The 7 other German tanks were also taken out before the end of the day. After the fighting, all howitzers except the 4 guns of Battery C were returned to indirect fire positions. Col. Cooper had ordered all battalion papers destroyed with the enemy so close (one other reason was an opportunity to get rid of papers showing questionable acquisitions by the battalion of trucks and other equipment and material). During the fighting, Cooper was standing in front of his command post when he noticed on his left some men carrying a white flag coming out of the woods in the vicinity of D Battery. It turned out to be Lt. Col. Ray C. Allen, commander of 1st Battalion, 401 GIR, and some of his men who had abandoned their headquarters near Champs to the Germans. After the fight, Cooper learned that Gen. McAuliffe and his staff were coming down to visit the scene of the battle. This news was followed by a call from Bugger Childress that he had captured an enemy tank. When the shelling started, the tank crew tried to get into the tank, but the first man was killed when an American shell hit the turret. The others fled, leaving the tank to Childress. Cooper drove out to the tank with his driver, Walter Sckerl. They placed a white undershirt on the tube and Bugger drove the tank to Cooper's headquarters. Childress' comment to Cooper when he arrived at the tank was, "Look what I brung you for Christmas, Colonel!"

Soon after the fight, three American fighter aircraft attacked one of the 463rd machine gun positions. Cooper issued orders to shoot them down because there were only three of them and hundreds of the 463rd. When the gunners started shooting, the fighters broke off without anyone being killed or injured. Later that afternoon, Pvt. Joe Callahan, a gunner on B Battery, went up to a tank his crew hit that morning and found two bodies inside and one laying outside.


"Stopped Cold" - James Dietz


Gen. McAuliffe, Col. Sherburne, the artillery battalion commanders of the other battalions, and several bystanders were taken by Cooper out to the sight of the shootings. Gen. McAuliffe looked at each tank and determined which gun had taken the tank out. Around two tanks you could see the ricochet marks across the snow and see the gun from which the shot was fired. "I'll give you credit for these two tanks," McAuliffe stated. Cooper asked him whether these tanks were knocked out and destroyed or merely disabled. "They're damn sure destroyed and knocked out." Cooper turned around and told everyone that the General had announced that the 463rd had knocked out two tanks, as a comeback to his detractors from the past. The German tanks had been fired on from so many directions and with such a mixture of fire that it was not possible to see or say how each tank met its doom. One gun from Battery B stopped two tanks at a range of 600 yards and then some men ran out from battery positions and captured the crews.

Cooper later determined that two tanks were burnt up and the ricochet marks were seen by the General. What the General didn't know was that these tanks were all standing still and were boresighted from the guns and the 8 tanks that were on the ground had been hit but had been able to drive 20 or 30 yards and not be in line with a gun. All the crews from the tanks had been outside when the shooting started and that all of the many hits received by the tanks were made by members of the 463rd as they attacked the German soldiers.

Col. Sherburne returned to his headquarters and wrote a commendation for this battalion. When the after action report was written, Stuart Seaton, the executive officer, and Cooper decided that the 463rd had had their day and therefore reported that the battalion knocked out only two tanks and captured one as was officially determined by Gen. McAuliffe. Cooper did not wish to become embroiled in a potential controversy with the General in reporting that the battalion had actually taken out 8 tanks and captured 1. The remaining 2 tanks had been seen entering woods to evade the 463rd fire. Private Fred Shelton, with 4 other men from D Battery, entered the woods in pursuit of the two tanks, but later found them abandoned.

German prisoners were kept in a stable next to the Battalion Command Post.


12:00 - Germans shelled Hemroulle with thirty 105 caliber rounds.

17:05 - Germans shelled Hemroulle with fifteen 77 caliber rounds.

17:30 - Germans shelled Hemroulle with thirty five 105 caliber rounds.



John Cooper:

Much has been said and some have written about their Christmas of 1944. I have copies of many of these episodes; but none of them were written from my view of Christmas morning, 1944.

In the early morning hours of Christmas Day, I was awakened by my S3, Major Victor E. Garrett, with the information that he was on the line with Booger Childers and that Booger had informed him that German tanks had pulled off the road at his dugout position as outpost guard. The tanks were lined up behind the trees in front of our positions and were dismounting from the tanks and appeared to be preparing breakfast, that he was remaining in his position and could hear the Germans talking. He counted 11 tanks and a number of German soldiers including all of the tank crews. Major Garrett and I discussed the entire situation that the night had been fairly quiet and nothing had happened up to this time. It was too dark to see the muzzle breaks on the guns from our positions. We informed the Booger to set tight, make no efforts to move, which would alert the German tank groups.
Prior to this day we had used up most of the ammunition in the battalion and had placed several guns in anti-tank position and they had the major part of the ammunition available. We knew that General Patton was on his way and we were certainly not going to make a mistake and fire on his tanks. We informed Booger that we would not begin shooting until we could see the muzzle breakers on the German guns.

The S# then notified all of the batteries of the situation and cautioned them as to creating a noisy preparation and not to make any efforts until we started the shooting with the units in place. We then notified the guns in anti-tank positions of the situation and told them to be very careful and not give away their positions but to boresight their guns and prepare the data for firing at daybreak or as soon as the tanks began to move. As it turned out the tanks were about 500-600 yards directly in front of 3 of the 463rd guns in anti-tank position with the trees behind the tanks. Our idea was to shoot the first tank in the line and fire 1 shot into each of the other tanks that were within their view. Then shoot at the tanks as they were moving at will. We waited until first light and could make out the muzzle breakers of the guns and gave the command to shoot. All hell broke loose and the soldiers from the batteries A, B and C with bazookas and machine guns and rifles entered into the foray. At the moment the fighting started, I called S3 of the division and informed him that we had been attacked and would hold out as long as possible. I did not tell them that they had been setting idle for an hour while we prepared the proper reception. The division S3 said "Cooper are you telling me the facts, that you are under attack?" To which I replied, "If you don't believe it, look down this way and you will see 5 spirals of smoke, which represents 5 tanks burning, no, there are 6 spirals of smoke, which makes 6 tanks burning." We did not know how long we could hold out, but would give them hell as long as we could. This battle lasted, probably, 15 minutes, 20 at the most. By this time, I was out in the front of my CP wondering what was going on around me. Soon afterwards, I noticed a group of men coming from my Battery D position area; this turned out to be Col. Allen of the 327th Infantry, who had abandoned their headquarters. Sometime thereafter I was notified that General McAuliffe and his party were coming down to view the scene of the battle. About the same time, the Booger called that he had captured one of the tanks in good running order. When the firing started, the tank crew tried to get into the tank, but the tank was hit on the turret and killed the first man trying to enter. He was laying head down and feet outside the turret. The rest had abandoned the immediate area and Booger had a tank. My driver, Walter Sckerl and I drove out to the tank, placed a white undershirt on the tube, and Booger followed me to my headquarters and parked the tank as shown on page 555 of the book "Rendezvous with Destiny" by Leonard Rapport and Arthur Norwood, Jr.

General McAuliffe, Col. Sherburne, and the artillery battalion commanders of the other battalions and a host of sight-seers arrived and I took them out to the field and they looked over the mess that had been left. General McAuliffe would view each tank and say "Which gun knocked this out?" On two of the tanks you could see the ricochet marks across the snow and see the gun from which the shot was fired. He said "I give you credit for these two tanks." I asked him whether these tanks were knocked out or disabled. He replied, "They're damn sure destroyed and knocked out." I then turned to the audience surrounding me and the General and announced that the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion had knocked out and destroyed two tanks that General McAuliffe had just said; which was my answer to the kidding I had been taking at the hands of the other battalion commanders, who had asked me each day if the 463rd had knocked out a tank yet. The General further states that the barrage fire of Cooper's 463rd FA Bn. had dealt in detail with that group of tanks trying to ride through Hemroulle. The German tanks were fired on from so many directions and with such mixture of fire that it was not possible to see how each tank met its doom.

What actually happened, as detailed above, and what the General didn't know was that they were all standing still and were boresighted from the guns and that 8 tanks were on the ground had been hit but had been able to move 20 to 30 yards and not be in line with the gun. That all the men at the beginning of the firing were outside the tanks when the shooting started. That all of the many hits received by the tanks were made by the 463rd enlisted men as they attacked the German soldiers.

The 463rd had 11 tanks in their sights, 8 were knocked out, 1 captured and 2 succeeded in getting away.
Col. Sherburne returned to his headquarters and prepared a written commendation for this battalion for this section. When the after action report was made, Stuart Seaton, the executive officer, and I decided that we had had our day and made a report that we knocked out 2 tanks and captured 1, as the General had indicated. We did not wish to become involved, and having to prove to the satisfaction of the General how we had been able to actually take out all of the tanks. Our after-action report was made exactly as the General suggested.

That, my dear friends, is the truth and the whole truth as to the Christmas Day action in front of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion. We knocked out 8 tanks, captured 1, and 2 got away.

Years later, I met Fred Shelton, who was a private in Battery D and now lives in Duncan, OK, near me. I asked him what he did on Christmas morning? He reported that he had been told to take his men, 5 in all, into an open field and dig in; that 2 tanks were in the trees near them. He told me that they had 2 rounds of smoke, 1 round of HE as their total amount of ammunition. We believe that 2 tanks that had been seen going into those woods were the 2 tanks that got away from us. Upon further investigation that day the 2 tanks were found abandoned.

John Cooper:

The days prior to Christmas began to pass about like all the others we had been in for the past year. Each day presented its targets and we fired our missions. From these positions we fired 6,400 mills (around the total circle).
As it began to snow and ammo decreased to critical conditions, we organized our battalion for the possibility of 'stand and fight,' for there were no other places to go. We posted, dug in out-post guards with telephone communications to Battalion HQ as well as to the battery they represented. Our guns were mutually supporting. Banking on the fact that a tank will attack a gun head on, we had another gun that would have a side shot at the tank.
We had 20 rounds per gun of hollow charge and anti-tank ammo that were never used or counted in ammo reports except to be used for direct fire.
The preparation for the tank attacks we received on Christmas Day had been planned and set up for several days. Snow had covered the gun positions. All we had to do was move our gun sections and start shooting. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 275)

John Cooper:

I was awakened by my S-3, Victor Earl Garrett from the Operations Room across the hall in the house we were using as our CP.
He told me that 11 tanks had moved in on Sgt. "Booger" Childress' 'B' Battery. Some four tanks had stopped so close to him that he might be discovered if the soldiers moved around very much. He could hear the other tankers and they had gotten out of the tanks and were waiting around. He had to whisper. Snow was about a foot deep all over the place.
The Germans got out of their tanks and made coffee and sat around waiting for daylight. They did not know that while this was going on, they were being observed through the tube of a 75mm pack howitzer, which would soon be loaded with hollow-charge ammo, probably the only such ammo in the (European) theater and they had parked in front of the only guns that had the ammo.
I told the S-3 to alert all the batteries and for them to stay in their sacks, except for the CO's and executive officer and gun crews. Movement in batteries are to be kept to a minimum. No lights. No one was to fire a round until we gave the order: "Let the shit hit the fan?"
As it was still dark and as the word got out, our gunners had occupied their gun pits and other outposts were able to see the tanks, we had a good view of what we had to do.
You will remember how I was greeted for several days by 'How many tanks did you knock out today?'
I was now determined to be able to give Elkins and Carmichael a damn good answer. I was also sure that Patton's tanks were in the vicinity and I was damn sure we were going to shoot German tanks. I told the S-3 that we would not shoot until he could see the muzzle brakes on the guns or the Swastika painted on the tanks. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 276)




Officers Carmichael and Cooper

John Cooper:

I picked up my telephone to Division and reported the attack on the 463rd. "We would like some help but would stay in contact and not give ground. Our HQ was being attacked."
"Cooper, are you making this up?" someone asked at Division.
"Hell no - look out your window and you will see five smoke columns each of a burning tank. No - make that six, there goes another one!"
"We will get Task Force Cherry down as soon as possible, out!"
In the first 15 minutes we had disabled 8 tanks, hit ten tanks, the one close to Childress on the turret, killed two inside and one getting out. Childress called and said he had dragged the man off the track and got the two dead men out. I told him to sit tight, but put a white undershirt on the tube and wait for me.
By this time, about 45 minutes had passed. Walter Scherl, my driver, and I drove out and led the tank, driven by Booger down a draw into our HQ area and parked it outside my CP. I called Headquarters to tell them I had a present for them. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 280)

Vic Garrett:

Col. Cooper and I decided that since we'd managed to make all of our own gun batteries 6-gun batteries (not authorized by T.O. & T. E.) we'd fight it out with direct fire and indirect fire in case of a break-through on our position. Before the big push, Col. Cooper had told me that I would be in charge of all decisions when to open direct fire and when to order all clerks and cooks to man their rifles and grenades and put final orders into action. Before the big push Col. Cooper, Maj. Seaton and I had made plans and orders that in case there was a direct German attack we would dig in four guns per battery for direct fire on the German tanks... Ever since Sicily we carried extra armor piercing and phosphorous ammo (as per Col. Cooper's orders). Some say the armor piercing did the job and some say the phosphorous caught them on fire.... The reason I was sure the tanks were Mark IV's was muzzle breakers, as I had been within 100 yards of the one we got in Sicily when it got me first.

Vic Garrett:

On Christmas Eve night the Germans broke through our front lines. I had many intelligence reports all night about the situation.
About daylight, Captain Ardelle E. Cole advised me by radio that there were four tanks line up on a ridge above us. I asked, "Do they have muzzle brakes?" His reply was, "Yes." (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 276)
Our command post and fire direction center was in Hemroulle, near Bastogne. We were in a house and the aid station was in a chapel across the road. On Christmas Day we kept our prisoners in the stable to the left of the CP.
Ever since Sicily, we carried extra armor-piercing and phosphorous ammo (as per Col. Cooper's orders). Some say the armor-piercing did the job and some say the phosphorous caught them on fire. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 283)

Stuart Seaton:

I remember Vic Garrett calling out the howitzers one-by-one into perimeter defense positions. I believe we had only two or three guns in D Battery still in indirect fire positions -- the rest of the guns in perimeter defense positions.

Vic Tofany:

This was to be a memorable day for the 463rd PFA. It started with an all-out German attack designed to wipe out the "doughnut." Everyone was prepared for the worst. The barracks bags with our belongings were piled ready to be burned and the cannoneers were oiling their rifles and carbines in case we were over-run by the enemy. Gen. McAuliffe had told them "nuts" and they were going to finish us.
D Battery was the only battery in the division firing. Because of our position, we were the only battery capable of firing anywhere on the perimeter of the "doughnut." Therefore, all the remaining ammunition in the division was assigned to us. The other batteries of the 463rd were deployed in anti-tank positions...
During the aerial re-supply that day, one of the C-47s became disabled and came across the Hemroulle road very close to the ground. As it crossed the road, a truck was passing under it and the tail wheel of the plane caught the back of the truck and spun it around 180 degrees, the driver finding himself going in the opposite direction. The truck driver jumped out and ran toward Bastogne, not knowing what happened. The C-47 landed in a creek bed 50 yards from D Battery. The occupants of the plane came out with their hands in the air yelling "Kamerad." They were relieved to find they landed among friends. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured.
After we took care of them and sent them to the rear, the rest of the Air Force appeared. 3 P-47's circled us and, after a round of tracer was fired by some trigger-happy antiaircraft gunner up on the hill, they came at us in a dive formation. I grabbed the phone and told my ack-ack gunners to fire on them which drove them off. I assume they realized we were Americans after they got close. We'll never know.

Joseph F. Callahan:

When word was received about the German tanks, I don't think we used the eye scope but just fired. And we saw the first tank, but we shot and hit the second one. We went to the tank that afternoon and there were two bodies inside it and one body lying outside. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 277)

Donald Martin:

Major Garrett called me on the telephone, stating that German tanks had broken through the infantry and was attacking them. I had spoken of the shortage of ammo, well we did have some armor piercing ammo. Except for the firing batteries, not many knew we had this ammo. We had brought it from Southern France and it had never been reported on any ammo reports. I knew we had it because Col. Cooper and I had talked about it. So now with a tank attack direct on the gun position, this ammo was being used for what it was intended. Some fine examples of bravery was demonstrated by the members of the firing battery that day or the 463rd would have been wiped out.

Joseph Rogan:

I was on the edge of an evergreen patch just east of Hemroulle, northwest of B Battery. Rester Bryan and I were in a foxhole, a machine gun crew of the 401st GIR (327th GIR) were to our right within arm reach, William Everhart was in a hole behind us. We had a phone and a radio in our hole wrapped in blankets. For weapons we had an M1, Tommy gun and other assorted small arms. Throughout the cold nights we had very little sleep. We would exchange cigarette buts for lighting cigarettes with the machine gun crew throughout the night. At 0430 on the morning of Dec. 25th, I was the only one awake when I spotted a number of white German tanks and infantry dressed in white approaching our position. I woke the others up and we began to fire. The tanks, with infantry riding them, passed by us and we began to hold back the German infantry. My phone was knocked out so I called back to headquarters on the radio and called for an artillery strike on our position. The fire was tremendous. We continued to pin down their infantry with small arms fire. Bryan and I were both firing when suddenly Bryan stopped. I reached over and found that he was dead. We continued firing at the infantry for several hours before they abandoned the advance and fell back. An American tank crew came up to us a little later and urged us to fall back, but we stayed.

William Everhart:

I was in a slit trench not far behind Joseph Rogan and Rester Bryan's position. I woke up to the sound of tanks and tank fire to see the approaching German tanks and infantry. I had a carbine and a 45 and began firing one until it was out of ammunition and then picked up the other to fire. The German infantry were only a few yards from us and the small arms fire was tremendous. Tracers were as thick as I had ever seen them. A BAR in a hole not too far from me jumped out to run to the rear. I didn't know if he was bailing out or trying to get more ammunition. He fell not too far from my hole. I didn't realize until later that he was dead.

Jay Karp:

You must remember that my unit was composed of a group of cocky, arrogant, and confident paratroopers. When the break through at Bastogne came, we were ordered to take positions around Bastogne. After digging in we were ordered again to move to new positions and then ordered to make a perimeter defense. Now I realized that something was amiss, especially when I heard a rumor that we were surrounded -- but no worry -- cocky, arrogant, confident me, we had our supply of ammunition and food and for the most part they were plentiful. In fact there were wrapped crackers in my K rations that I disliked, so instead of eating them, I threw them in a hole with other refuse. Well as the days went by and getting no resupply, due to being surrounded, and no air drop because of bad weather, our supplies began to dwindle. I still had my confidence, arrogance, and cockiness, but I now added on hunger. My eyes kept going to that refuse hole where I threw those crackers I disliked. I finally weakened and dug them up. A short time after a delicious meal of soggy crackers, we were resupplied by air drop and the hunger was erased. To this day, I find very few crackers that I dislike enough to throw away.
Upon learning that enemy tanks and infantry were approaching our position, the 1st gun section of B Battery positioned their gun for direct fire. Several men of the section formed a skirmish line to repel the oncoming infantry. The 1st section came under heavy enemy small arms and machine gun fire but was able to repel the attack. Seeing that the sections direct fire was making hits on the tanks I moved to a forward position to make a closer contact with the attacking infantry. Men from other sections were also starting to move forward. After a period of time the shooting stopped and we began to return to our original positions. A controversy exists as to the number of tanks destroyed by the battalion, but I know that on that morning the 1st section got 2 of them.

Joe Lyons:

Christmas morning dawned, and with it a German break thru. In the fog and snow, shadows of men and tanks. It seemed a dervish dance. Hundreds of thieving Krauts, the Bosche, after my cognac! Every man in his life has to make at least one command decision. And so it was with the specter of, at best barley soup in Bavaria, at worst "Big Cassino". I made mine in the foggy AM. I shared my hoard. Each precious bottle given away like worthless words of advice. Plied with 20 bottles of cognac, we were fearless warriors. Thus Bastogne was saved by 20 bottles of the golden grape. By afternoon, all pockets were wiped out and it was business as usual. The skies cleared and the 47's arrived and made the equipment drop of ammo, food, and medical supplies. In all my five years in the army, it was the only time I saw the bullies run for the ammo chutes instead of the chow... To this day I regret my impetuosity, my moment of fear, and my decision to share my hoard. I'm no Nathan Hale, but surely my sacrifice was greater than his. He only gave up his life for his country, whereas I gave up my cognac.

Nicholas Bellezza

I was a Cpl. of a 50 cal. machine gun with Pfc. Aloysius Fredericks and a third soldier, a recruit. We covered the right flank of the B Battery. Snow had kept filling our gun pit of which we stood 24 hours, everyday. On Christmas Day, at daybreak, I noticed through a haze, approximately 350 yards, the outline of tanks, which were located directly in front of my position. I immediately called the switchboard for a verification if they were our tanks. The response was negative.
Noticing movement around the tanks, I opened fire. German fire was returned (white tracers) at my position. The recruit had said "Don't fire, they may see us." He was so scared, that he left the gun position, leaving Fredericks and me to keep firing. The barrel got so hot we had to stop and change it. Fredericks, in his haste, grabbed it instead of using asbestos gloves. Burns were minor. By the time we were to re-fire, the tanks moved. I remember that one of the battery's guns was moved to give direct fire at the tanks. Any action at this time was out of my view from my position. Later I noted one tank with a white flag was in motion, coming out to our vicinity. I think it was "Booger" Childress was supposed to have driven it.

Douglas Bailey

During the battle, all we could do was lie there and wonder what was going on. Shell fire broke the windows above us and the glass fell down on us, and one or two shells came through the roof exploding in the church and re-wounding some already wounded Germans. At one time during the battle, we could hear a tank running outside the church. When someone opened the door, I raised up, took a look and saw a German tank. I thought we had bought the farm. It turned out that it was one of the ones we had knocked out, and Booger Childers got it running and drove it into our lines. Heard later that they used it for a road block.

Ernie Poter

I was in D Battery as a radio operator and forward observer. I had returned from a F.O. position near Foy Dec. 23 to our position on the road between Bastogne and Hemroulle right near a C47 that had crashed in a brook. Early Christmas morning, we were to have our first hot chow in a while, but before we could get to enjoy it, all hell broke loose. Kraut infantry that had come through our lines on the tanks were in our area. Everyone grabbed whatever weapons we could and started blasting. I can't remember just how long the fight lasted, but the Germans that weren't killed, pulled back. I remember hearing that one of the bazooka crews knocked out a small tank near Hemroulle, and that Booger Childers captured one and drove it to our Headquarters... I know that every man in D Battery was an infantryman that day.

Walter Peplowski

The gun-pit and fox holes for the last ditch defense were dug before the snow storm. We expected to be overrun and mentally accepted it. The number of rounds of ammo put into the pit divided by two equals the number of tanks involved. There were two rounds not used, since the leading tank in desperation hit the woods and became hung up on large trees. The number 3rd Pack Howitzer with Wolfenberger, Silvas and Peplowski as a full gun crew was used. If it wasn't for powerful George Silvas, I don't know if we could have made it up hill through the soft snow to the gun pit. It is my contention if more men were used pulling, pushing the gun up hill would have been disastrous. The Germans would have spotted? a tank instead of moving all tanks and firing (thanks Cole) the giant scratch marks were everywhere on the fresh snow. Now the howitzer is in the pit, all ammo is taken out of the case. The bare shells lined up in perfect order, HE, WF, HE, WF, HE, WF, etc. The barrel is traversed, extreme left tanks. We wait, knowing to fire now would invite disaster, powder, snow, smoke a real give away. The enemy infantry action to the right indicate that a tank swing to the left is inevitable to make a fire team.
The snow is melting as we kneel this Christmas morning. My knees are wet. We talk about range and decided that a lead of 2.25 to 2.5 tank lengths would be just right, also to drop rounds, aim lower so there would be no over's. The leading tank swerves, others follow just like in the book. We joke a little, tension broken. We know soon firing will start and will move like hell. Wolfenberger is gunner, a cool, calm, efficient and accurate one.
The action comes first, last tank first, every shell a hit. One, two, three tanks on fire, one in the woods.

Gus Hazzard

In the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 25, Tec 4 Booger Childress, Joe Pimlott & myself were assigned as supporting infantry. We were laying in an open snow covered field waiting for dawn as directly to our front tanks were moving about. When dawn broke, all hell cut loose. After the small arm clean up & the smoke cleared we advanced forward to a running tank. There was one German still alive setting with his back to a tree. The prisoner along with others & the tank was driven back to our lines by Childress, Pimlott & myself.

Merle McMorrow

I was somewhere between Hemroulle and Champs in a foxhole near a C-47 that had belly landed on the snow. The plane had been hit during a resupply operation a day or two earlier. I was not in a gun section, but we got a message by phone that the Germans had broken through the defense of the 327th infantry. I ran across the road to where one of the howitzers was partially dug in on a small knoll. It must have been somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30 AM and the rumbling of the approaching tanks could be heard in the semi-darkness. I recall there was more excitement than fear with the group. We usually never had an opportunity to see the enemy we were firing at. Three or four tanks were in our immediate front at about 300 yard distance. There were scattered patches of woods located within the field. German infantry were following beside and behind the tanks. It involved direct fire and the gun had to be moved down the slope slightly to get the tuve depressed sufficiently to get the tanks in the gun sight. A 30 caliber machine gun fired at the infantry and we fired with our carbines. When the first tank was hit, the tankers crawled out and started running for one of the wooded patches. The man on the 30 caliber usually stopped them before they got into the cover of the wooded area. The other tanks continued to be fired on and it soon became obvious they were no longer advancing toward our position. I remember a number of fellows ran out to the tanks; it was probably some of the gun crew members since they knew that one of the tanks that had not been fired upon also sat with the rest. Whether they were guessing that it had just been abandoned, or found that out after they got out there, I don't. I do know they drove it back with a great deal of pride.
Prisoners were rounded up and brought into our area for holding until consolidated with others. Many were young 15-year old kids. They wondered why were putting up so much resistance and didn't we know we were surrounded. Later that morning we had pancakes that had been made from some flour found in the town of Bastogne.

Gordon Bernhardt

Christmas - The Jerries broke through the lines with 30 tanks. Up at day break took our fox hole positions, we got 4 tanks the whole division got 30 and 200 prisoners really hot here, infantry firing at us.
One tank hit a group of trees about 300 yards away. A short while later while I was in my perimeter fox hole, a tall GI from Tennessee came along and asked me to go along and check out the tank. I told him I would cover him, and a few minutes later the tank went by my fox hole with someone with a stick with a white handkerchief on it. He told me later that he drove it to Headquarters and gave it to the General, and said Merry Christmas, here is you present.

John Mockabee

There was a road that ran in a northwest direction from Bastogne. I think on this road about a mile or two and to the north side of the road sit D Battery. The Pack Howitzers were facing to the north to northwest. To the right of the howitzers on a small hill sat a 50 cal. machine gun dug in and covering the right flank. To the left and to the rear of the howitzers set another 50 cal. machine gun dug in, also on a hill covering our left flank. There was trees between the howitzers and the road. There also was a C-47 that had crashed a few days before setting to the right of the howitzers. During the battle, word came that tanks were coming up from the rear. A howitzer was then moved to the left and west of the 50 cal. machine gun and put into position to fire south. Also, the 50 cal. that was covering the left flank of the company was moved up and to the left side of the howitzer to fire south. As I remember there were three tanks and I think they were pulling sleds with troops. As I remember a Lt. was directing the fire of the howitzer upon the tanks. After a few rounds the first tank was knocked out. At that time the 50 cal. started firing and then the howitzers directed their fire on the second and third. Their were other tanks but they stopped and turned and went back in the direction they came from. I was a member of that 50 cal. machine gun crew. Cpl. Freily from Canton, IL was my leader. We also had on our crew a man named Davenport from Pontiac, MI and a man named Lesperence.

Hargus Haywood

What time we were not taking cover from incoming artillery, but the snow and cold weather to put up with my feet almost froze stiff. I still have pains and burning in the bottom of my feet suffered by the frost-bite I received. The Belgians gave us a beef and the kitchen crew killed it and made us fresh steak from it. I never thought I would live through the Battle, but God was with us. I know we had to ration ammunition and could only fire when we saw a tank or attacking Germans.

Jim Schwartz

The one thing I remember about Bastogne was when I was zeroed in at my 50 cal. machine gun position. Three shells came screaming in, one landing at the edge of my fox hole. I called Joe Stolmeier up and asked if I could leave the hill. He said stop your fucking complaining and stay there. Of course he was right as always.

Claude Smith

The snow in the area where we were assigned to was about 3 feet deep. That made our mission almost impossible. Our Battery Commander was Capt. Ardel E. Cole would call me on the field phone every morning around 4:30 and say "Sgt. Smith, I think the Germans will attack this morning and you had better get up and check the men to make sure they are on the alert." I would then roll out of a warm sleeping bag and tread my way through the snow from gun position to gun position to make sure they were alert. I got tired of those calls, so on Christmas Day, when the call came, I said to hell with it, I am going to sleep in today. The next thing I knew everybody seemed to be shooting, but me. Capt. Cole called again and said "Sgt. Smith, if you are going to get up it had better be now." I came out of my fox-hole on the run and all I could see was a bunch of tracer bullets flying from all directions. When you stop to think that there are three bullets between each tracer, there was a lot of lead flying around. I made a mad dash for the command post and found Capt. Cole and Lt. Lyons already there. From the information I was able to obtain, the Germans had us in a circle and had launched their major attack. One of our machine-gun crew noticed a bush that appeared to have grown larger overnight. Just to limber up their guns, they fired at the bush and it began to move and out came three German tanks. I was able to locate and identify them through my field glasses and requested Capt. Cole order our guns to open fire. He said no, they may be our tanks. I knew from the muzzle break they were German tanks, because our tanks don't have muzzle breaks. A few seconds later, the tanks fired on the three of us. Then Capt. Cole elected to order our troops to open fire. We destroyed three tanks and dispatched a ground crew out and captured the tanks crew. After the shooting was over, I noticed my hands had frozen to my field glasses. After I had one of the troops pry my hands loose, I retrieved my gloves from the fox-hole and started back to the rear to check on our mess crew. At this time, three of our own fighter aircraft attacked one of our machine-gun positions. Our Battalion Commander Cooper, issued orders to shoot them down, because there were only three of them and hundreds of us. When we started shooting, they broke off without anyone being killed or injured. I just happen to be standing in the road watching the fight, when they spotted me and came after me with their guns blazing. Have you ever seen the cartoon of the road runner, when he is trying to get going? Well that is what happened to me. My feet were going 90 miles per hour, but my body was not moving. After I was able to get some traction, I was off like a bullet. I don't know how fast I was going, but I out ran those fighter planes and they fly a couple of hundred miles an hour. I could hear the bullets smacking the road behind me and then I shifter to high gear. After I arrived at our mess truck, I found it had come under attack also. (Dirty pool) All our pots and pans had holes in them and the mess Sgt. Thomas J. Spivey, was mad as a wet hen. There is one thing you don't do in the service and that is mess around with the troops chow. Sgt. Spivey gave a good account of himself, because he killed one, wounded one and captured several more.

Tony Spagnol:

"Lt. Merriman, certain others in our section and I were at the OP on Christmas morning when the German tank attack broke through the infantry lines in front of our gun positions. After the battle in which our B and A batteries knocked out three German tanks and captured one intact and killed a few Germans and captured a number of them we got to the gun position. I took pictures of the tanks knocked out and the one that was captured. I was lucky to have plenty of film so I also took pictures of the planes that resupplied our units with food, ammo, etc and the C-47 (Ain't Misbehavin) that crashed near our outpost. After Genera Patton's forces broke through to relieve our Bastogne garrison we were resupplied with provisions and ammo and we were able to wash, change socks, etc. for the first time in about 9 days."



C47 airplane Ain't Misbehavin


Ken Hesler:

I was not involved directly in the big shootout by the 463rd on the morning of December 25. I was back at the base area near one of the gun positions alongside the Bastogne-Hemroulle road from December 23-25, about 200 yards from where the action took place. On the evening of December 24, I walked guard up and down a portion of that frozen road at around 9pm when Bastogne was bombed; and I was back again at around 4am the next morning when it was bombed again.
We had hidden a pyramidal tent among the trees with a stove inside; and I was sleeping there at about 6am on Christmas morning. I heard the rumbling and cannon fire off in the distance, and came out only when stirred by the local commotion.
What little I saw of the battle was a view obtained along with others who ran to the top of the adjacent slope. The highlight of that morning was hot pancakes with sugar.

Ken Hesler:

In the 463rd CP, all classified documents as well as the M-209 cryptographic machine were destroyed. By about 0830 hours, enemy infantrymen had approached to within 200 yards of the CP and were taking it under rifle and machine gun fire. (The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, pg. 281)The Germans shelled Hemroulle and vicinity three times during the day -- 30 rounds at 12 noon, 15 rounds at 5:05PM, and another 35 rounds at 5:30PM.

UNOFFICIAL REPORT BY MAJ. SEATON

The enemy succeeded in breaking the lines and getting 7 tanks accompanied by infantry behind them. The infantry, however, closed the gap caused by this and successfully repelled additional advancing enemy infantry. These tanks and infantry, however, continued their advance to attack this battalion's position and the town of Hemroulle. When this serious threat presented itself one howitzer from D Battery and 4 from B Battery were ordered into previously prepared anti-tank positions and the complete battalion defensive plan was ordered into execution. In conjunction with the supported infantry this battalion fought as infantry, knocking out 2 tanks and capturing 1 intact. In addition this battalion killed several of the enemy, captured 24 and by these actions repelled the attack on Hemroulle.



OFFICIAL REPORT BY COL. COOPER

During the early morning a strong enemy attack developed along line CHAMPS-FLAMISOUL. The Battalion forward observer Sergeant Joseph F. Rogan, Jr., adjusting indirect fire in support of 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, notified the battalion S-3, by radio, that he and his supported company had been over-run by tanks and that the tanks were moving in the direction of the firing batteries positions.


Battalion tank defense plan was ordered into immediate execution. Battalion out-post reported enemy tanks approaching at approximately 0630 hour in area (530-605 - E of Hemroulle). These tanks were taken under fire and after exchanging shots enemy over-ran the northern tank defenses. The strong stand made at this point halted the tanks; however enemy infantry continued their attempt to take the town of Hemroulle. During the fire fight in the battalion's northern sector, at approximately 0730 hours, the western tank defenses engaged four medium enemy tanks area (529-595 - SE of Hemroulle), destroying two and damaging one to such an extent that it withdrew to a hull down position, where it was captured by Battalion Tank Stalking party consisting of Tec 4 Carson H. Childress, Private August F. Hazzard, Private William L. Justice, Private John T. Faria, Private Stanley M. Levendosky, Private Gordon L. Ballenger, Private Joseph W. Pimlott, under command of 1st Lt. Ross W. Scott.

This same party also captured two officers and twelve enlisted men on the same patrol. Sergeant Thomas J. Spivey with Private First Class Charles R. Johnson, Private Gunther F. Winter and Private Gloden E. Oglesby engaged a German machine gun with small arms fire killing one and capturing eight enlisted men who were turned over to the 502nd Parachute Infantry. The following named men, were actively engaged in firing upon and destroying two tanks and causing the capture of another:



BATTERY A

2nd Section

Sgt. Raymond F. Gooch

Cpl. Fred O. Walter

Pvt. Ben C. Cope

Pfc. Alfred Szczerbiak

Pvt. Joseph G. Miller

3rd Section

Sgt. John J. Barrett

Cpl Clarence J. Blomberg

Pfc. Roger W. Fuhrman

Pfc. James R. Bryant

Pvt. Harris A. Bradshaw

BATTERY B

1st Section

Sgt. Dee B. Nichols

Cpl. August P. Chrusciel

Pfc. Julius D. Karp

Pvt. Roland Arsenault

Pvt. Enrique L. Castro

Pvt. Carl K. Noline

3rd Section

Sgt. Clifford Wolfinbarger

Pfc. Stanley G. Dalrymple

Pfc. Walter J. Peplowski

Pvt. Donald J. Gallipeau

Pfc. Salvatore A. Arcara

Pvt. Paul E. Buckle

Pvt. George E. Silvas

Pvt. Harold L. German

Pfc. Lewis Warobick

4th Section

Sgt. William D. Wood

Pvt. Phil R. Kellow

Pvt. Eugene S. Olivant

Pvt. Robert F. Sackett

Pvt. James Bowersox

BATTERY D

3rd Section

Sgt. Russell O. Derflinger

Cpl. Vilah W. Kyte

Pfc. Lawrence A. Allocco

Pfc. Lonzo D. Barnes

Pfc. John W. Pruden



At approximately 0830 hour as enemy infantry approached to within 200 yards and took the CP under machine gun and rifle fire all classified documents and the M209 converter were destroyed.

At approximately 0900 hour the two tanks on the northern approach were destroyed by anti-tank personnel and enemy infantry were forced to withdraw, leaving several dead and wounded.

At 0930 hour the fire fight was over and Colonel T. L. Sherburne, 101st Division Artillery Commander was notified and came to the area and after investigating the action assured himself of the following facts:

The enemy attacked with tanks and infantry about 0730 from the CHAMPS-FLAMISOUL area, driving for Bastogne.
Our infantry was able to hold most of the enemy foot troops but at least seven medium tanks broke through.
Warned, you had posted outposts in the line of advance of those tanks and, as they appeared and were identified by your lookouts as enemy, your gun sections opened up at 1000 yards range, despite retaliatory fire.
During this action your battalion can be officially credited as having:

Destroyed with AP and WP two medium enemy tanks, proven by line of hits and ricochet marks in the snow direct from your positions.
Captured in running condition one medium tank, crew having given up when a round from one of your pieces struck the vehicle and injured the commander.
Killed with HE and MG fire two enemy tank crew members who left the tanks.
Captured fourteen assorted enemy infantry and tank crew members.



Dec. 26 Hemroulle, Belgium

Siege was broken by 4th Armored Division.



Casualties:

2nd Lt. John C. Gill, C Btry, KIA (while calling fire on attacking tank column)

Pvt. Howard L. Hickenlooper, C Btry, KIA (shot in neck by 50 cal. machine gun on the 25th.
Body laid in church in Hemroulle, draped by a blanket.)

Pvt. Dale A. Pearo, A Btry, KIA

Cpl. William H. Everhart, Hq Btry, WIA

Lt. Doug Saunders, C Btry, MIA during second attack on Marvie



Sgt. Joseph F. Rogan awarded Silver Star for gallantry in action Dec. 25-26.



Joseph Rogan:

The Germans attacked again at about 0430 but not in the same strength as the day before. I called for an artillery strike and the attack was stopped.

William Everhart:

Joe Rogan and I decided to take turns sleeping since we had very little sleep during the past few days. At about 1300 I laid down in my slit trench when a mortar shell hit a tree above me, burst and rained shrapnel down on me. I was hit in the right hip. Joe helped me down to a jeep and I was taken to our battalion hospital in Hemroulle.

Gordon Bernhardt:

Supplies getting low, we were bombed last night. I was sleeping and didn't even awake. Things are looking better around here, armored column breaking through the circle. Our Air Force was bombing and strafing Jerries all day.

Tom White:

We joined up with Gen. Patton's troops and were the first ones to make contact with the surrounded airborne troops on the evening of December 26th. During the night of the 26th, I was trying to sleep in a damp, cold cellar at Bastogne while the Germans bombed the hell out of us. I had rejoined my old outfit and we fought and slept in the snow, trying to stay warm when possible in snow filled trenches. Within a week we conclusively defeated the Germans in that area. In summary, my most vivid memory is the warmth and cheer of a scotch and soda at the Statler Hilton in Washington on the 24th and the marked contrast of the cold, damp cellar and the German bombs on the night of the 26th. How I wished I was back in Washington.

Claude Smith:

We received word that Gen. George Patton's tanks had broken through the German lines and not to shoot any tanks we came across. I went to each gun position and informed them the Sherman tanks had broken through and not to shoot. One of our troopers was Spanish and did not understand English very good and he thought I said German tanks and he was going to shoot the first tank that came along. Shortly thereafter, we were relieved from combat and I know one Capt., one Lt. and one Sgt. that was happy about that.

Douglas Bailey:

I don't know how long we laid in the church in Hemroulle before they moved us to the aid station in Bastogne. There wasn't anything they could do for us their because the surgical teams that were following the division were cut off and captured. Also the room that had the whole blood plasma was hit by a shell that wiped it all out. A building next door to the one we were in was hit by bomb's and caught fire, killing most of the wounded and a Belgium nurse that was helping out. The wounded coming in with critical wounds, like stomach wounds, were just put over by the wall. There was nothing that could be done for them. There was still quite a bit of shellfire hitting the town, but after surviving the Sicily jump, Casino front, Anzio, and the jump into Southern France, and the French Alps, I thought I was Invincible, Indestructible, and Immortal... At one time after a bout of shelling, I noticed the Chaplain going down the long line of wounded lying on the straw covered floor giving everyone the last rites. When he came to me, he asked if I wanted them administered to me? I told him I wasn't Catholic. Anyway, he gave me the last rites and moved onto the next man. At that time things were looking pretty grim. The only thing I remember having to eat all this time was some English Taffy that was put in some of the re-supply bundles that were packed in England. I also heard about this time that James Ragsdale, who had been in my gun squad, had been wounded and then killed when the ambulances taking the wounded to the rear were ambushed and shot up.
When the 4th Armored Division broke open a road to us, the ambulances were loaded, and we were off over ice and snow covered roads through the Ardennes to an evacuation hospital in Thionville, France. Here they operated on me and took the shrapnel out of legs. I was here a few days and then we were taken out to an airfield where they were to fly us to Paris. This was a new tent holding area run by a Chemical Warfare Battalion. They were over there with all their nasty gasses in case the Germans used Gas on us. Since the Germans were not using Poison Gas, they had this outfit running this tent city taking care of helping , and transporting the wounded coming out of the Bulge fight. We laid in those freezing tents on stretchers about 4 days. Didn't know which would come first. Would we freeze to death or starve to death first? This area was near an airfield and since the weather was too bad to fly us out, they finally loaded us in ambulances again and took up to a railway where we were loaded on a hospital train.
We finally arrived in Paris where we were unloaded and carried to waiting ambulances by German prisoners of war. I had a tag around my neck that had CZ on it. This meant that I was to go to a hospital in the Paris area. CZ stood for communications zone. The hospitals were full, so they changed the tag to UK which stood form United Kingdom, so now I was to be flown to England. They loaded us up on a C-47 that was rigged up with stretchers. I was put in a top stretcher up where the roof curved over. I felt like I was in a coffin with the lid half closed. They flew us to Southern England and I ended up in the 106th General Hospital near Bournemouth.
They operated on me again in England, and then it was just a matter of letting time and good care do the healing. We had pretty nurses, good chow, clean sheets, music in the ward, and even a movie once in a while. Another time I was taken by wheel chair to a USO show at the hospital. While I was putting up with all this, the Battalion was still in Belgium enjoying the winter sports! Ha!!!
Finally I was released from the hospital and sent to a replacement center near Birmingham. Then to Southampton, over to Le Havre, and then to another replacement center up near the Belgium border. At this time there was no guarantee that I, or anyone else would be sent back to their original outfit. They would just ship you to the Airborne unit that need replacements the most. Needless to say this did not go over to well and the guys were just taking off from the center as soon as they found out where their original outfit was.
I was about to do this, except I had heard the Battalion had left Belgium and was somewhere in Luxemburg. A few days later I heard that they had moved back to France, and about that time they changed the policy at the center, and so you knew you would be sent back to your own outfit. I rejoined the Battalion at Mourmelon La Grande about a week before we loaded up and moved into Germany up on the Rhine River by Dusseldorf.


Dec. 27 Hemroulle

Casualties:

Pfc. Raymond J. Connolly, A Btry, KIA



Vic Tofany:

General Taylor inspected my gun position and reprimanded me about the position of my guns (not according to the book). Later that day we reconnoitered a new gun position and moved. My justification to the General was that my battery, because of the box formation, could fire 6400 mils ie. on any point on the perimeter of the 101st territory. As far as I know, no other battery in the division had such capability. Apparently, this did not impress the General who had arrived the previous evening from Washington where he had celebrated Christmas with his family.

Gordon Bernhardt:

Our armored column finally broke through last night. We are really getting the ammunition. Air Force dropped more chutes and gliders. Four of our transports shot down. Jerries have a concentration of ach, ach at point of withdrawing troops and our planes are flying right through it, one smashed up over our position, another a little way off, rest gunned down. We really had a lot of excitement. Bombed and shelled our area.

Donald Martin

Before I had spoken of how foggy it was and how deep the snow was. Well to add to this the Germans wore white uniforms and used skis. The white uniforms made it even harder for us to see them. ...I had to go out on the 2nd Bn, 327th, we were getting another attack from that direction and I only had one forward observer with them so he needed some help. By the time I arrived there the Infantry Bn CO had been killed. I went on past the Bn Hdqts to a long sloping hill that was very bare of vegetation and set up OP where I could observe from and see the enemy good. Well there were several tanks down in the valley before me. I am sure these were a part of the tank unit that had attacked the 463rd the day before. I called Major Garrett and told him what I was seeing. So he gave me one gun to adjust on them. This gun was from B Battery. Now the Germans had discovered me and my radio operator there so every time we moved they would fire at us.

Suddenly I glanced around some people were coming up the hill behind us. I yelled for them to stay down. They paid no heed, just kept walking. Well this really infuriated me so I started yelling some real Sunday School words at them. Cpl Scrivner punching me said sir you better stop talking like that, it is Gen. Patton. I had been so intent on firing on the tanks I had not tried to identify them when I had glanced back. But got the word to them to keep down. Just as they arrived, I had finished my adjustment on the tanks and was asking for fire for effect. Bn. gave me all they had. I remember one round went right through the entrance to the tank and exploded the ammo within. Gen Patton, with his way of speaking said, "Now by God that is some good firing." We knocked out 2 of them and the rest moved out, so we had no more trouble with that group of tanks. By this time the attack on the Bn had subsided and I returned to Bastogne. Another thing I might point out at this time you could hardly get through the streets in Bastogne there was so much rubble from the buildings where the Germans had bombed and fire artillery into the town. Now having been besieged in Bastogne and the friendly troops coming to our aid as they were we felt sure we would be pulled out of the front lines and given a break. But "NO" we were ordered on the attack to the north of Bastogne. Again it was, as Airborne troops were and did "Grin and bear it." So we moved out to the north. Had no trouble till we got to what was called the Noville-Percy road, while we were in Bastogne the Germans had occupied this area.

Just before we got to the Noville-Percy road, the Germans began firing screaming meemies on us. Now this is a rocket type weapon the Germans had, and when fired it made an awful racked you never knew where it was going to hit till they were exploding around. Well I jumped in a hole and set my radio beside it. The radio being on a pack board, which we carried on our backs. The first volley they fired was off to the right of me about 3 or 400 yards. The 2nd volley was right on top of us. Now when this hits the ground and explodes it breaks into large pieces where other artillery will break into real small pieces. Well one of those large pieces went right through the receiver of my radio. Sure was glad I was lying down in that hole. Well this barrage finally stopped and I sent Sgt. Rogan back to the jeep a few 100 yards behind us to get another receiver and we proceeded to cross the Noville-Percy road. This was a very heavily wooded area for about 200 yards on either side of the road. Here the Germans had been dug in to keep away from our artillery and the bombs from the air force. They had built some holes by cross logging them with dirt between the layer of logs and on top. Had very small entrances. Now being across the road and near the far edge of the woods where there was open ground at least 2000 yards, we were to attack across this area. This is not good, you are so exposed. Just as we began our jump-off to cross this area the Germans began firing 88mm tank fire direct on into us. Now back in Italy I had been chased by an 88 one day for about 2000 yards and it had put the fear of God in me. Therefore I respected this weapon with reverence. At this point I was carrying the pack board with the radio on it as I was relieving Sgt Rogan for awhile, if you carry it long it becomes pretty heavy.

NOW ONE, EITHER THE 8TH OR 9TH WONDER OF THE WORLD HAPPENED. The Bn CO dived for one of those good holes the Germans had made with the small entrances and I followed in right behind him. When the firing stopped we were getting out of the hole I found. I couldn't go out forward, opposite to the way I had went in so I turned around and attempted to exit backward as I had entered. I still couldn't get out. I got someone to try and pull me out but they couldn't. I had to take that pack board off me back before I could get out. Now to his day and I think of it often "how did I ever get in that hole with that pack board on my back." Only one explanation that I know of "Fear." Well at this time we were relieved by other troops and never had to cross that open field. With this I went back to the 463rd and we pulled out of Bastogne, to await our next assignment.

Dec. 28 Hemroulle

Casualties:

1st Lt. Scott W. Ross, Hq Btry, WIA



Gordon Bernhardt

Coldest night yet, getting plenty of ammunition and 10 and 1 chow. They are bombing 3 Division here, going to make a big push. Heavy mist today, no action anywhere, can't see anything.

Dec. 29 Hemroulle, Belgium

One gun knocked out by enemy aircraft.



Casualties:

Pvt. Fisbie M. Addler (Adler), Hq Btry, KIA



Gordon Bernhardt:

Bombing here last night, right below us, really shakes the area. Heated water, took a bath, really feels good, washed some dirty clothes.

Dec. 30 Hemroulle

Casualties:

Pvt. John H. Batzer WIA



Gordon Bernhardt

Got some mail in, got quite a few letters. Still bombing and strafing the Jerries around here. We are slacking off and getting caught up on long lost sleep. Feeling pretty good. We got some good chow.

Dec. 31 Hemroulle

Monthly Report - Fired over 360 degrees sector 7,676 rounds on: Personnel - 68; OPs - 5; Gun positions & Machine guns - 9; Mortars - 23; Tanks - 45; Half-tracks - 8.



Casualties:

Pvt. Louis Gonsalves WIA



Gordon Bernhardt

Snowed all night, today everything is camouflaged again. Really cold, on guard, firing quite a bit. They really threw a barrage at 12 o'clock, but I didn't get up, too cold for me.

Officers Enlisted
Hq & Hq Btry 19 160
A 5 87
B 3 83
C 3 91
D 5 92
Met Det 2 14
TOTAL 37 527


Jan. 1, 1945

Casualties:

T/5 Cyril J. Whisman KIA Btry C


Jan. 4, 1945

Casualties:

2nd Lt. John W. Frye WIA - LWA Btry C

Pvt. Merle A. Smith WIA -LWA Btry C


Jan. 5, 1945

Casualties:

Pvt. August F. Hazzard WIA -LWA Btry B

Jan. 13, 1945

Casualties:

Cpl. Paul E. Rhodes, MIA Btry D



Ken Hesler:

Strangely enough, during the Battle of Bastogne, I had a three-day pass (actually 48 hours) to Paris from January 13 to January 15, 1945. We rode to and from Paris in the back of an open truck huddled inside our sleeping bags. My roommate on that occasion was William Kummerer. We returned the day the battalion moved from Hemroulle to near Foy. Before this trip, I took my only Bastogne bath, standing nude in the freezing weather under only a canvas roof, first with one leg in an 18-inch bucket of water that tapered to about five inches at the bottom and then with the other. I still have that pass.


Jan. 14, 1945

Casualties:

T/4 Thomas J. Bradley, Btry C WIA - LWA Btry C

2nd Lt. George K. Hope WIA - LWA Btry D

Pvt. Harvey J. Lozier WIA - LWA Btry D


Jan. 15, 1945 11/2 KM SW Foy, Belgium

Arrived at 1200 hour.



Casualties:

Cpl. Robert H. Alfred WIA - LWA Btry D


Jan. 16, 1945 Recogne, Belgium

Casualties:

Lt. Schoenck (pilot) and Lt. Terry (observer) were killed when their L-4 was shot down while watching enemy tank and infantry movements. They were hit by a 105mm shell fired by friendly forces when the plane flew into the path of the shell.

1st Lt. George W. Schoenck KIA HQ Btry

2nd Lt. Jack S. Terry KIA HQ Btry


Jan. 17, 1945 Laneuville & Wideumont, Belgium

463rd relieved at 1700 hours. Began entrucking in the 112 10-ton and 98 2.5-ton trucks furnished by VIII Corps and the Third Army.



GENERAL NOTES ABOUT BASTOGNE

John Cooper (tape):

Battalion reached Bastogne without any maps. When arrived, he went to Col. Sherbourne's headquarters and asked where he should place his men. Sherbourne's staff said they didn't know. He looked at their map and decided to move to Hemroulle.

Stuart Seaton (tape):

Once they arrived in Bastogne, Cooper sent Sgt. Sachiziones?? back to get additional ammunition. Sachizioness bulled his way back through the perimeter to get it back. Much of the ammunition was split between various battalions.

Cooper/Hazzard (tapes):

Booger Childress, Gus Hazzard, and Lt. Frye went on patrol when the German tanks advanced. Hazzard had a bazooka. They came upon a tank that was still running but had a hole in the turret and was stopped by a tree. They took the driver out of the tank. Childress drove captured tank into Hemroulle telling Cooper, "Look what I brung you for Christmas, Colonel? (Booger had been a jack of all trades. When the Colonel's watch had stopped, Booger took it and told him he could fix it. Even though he had fingers as big as most men's wrists, Booger shortened the spring and brought it back to Cooper running. Booger came home to Cow Pens, SC and bought a garage. One evening he and several other men went out drinking. Their car stalled on railroad tracks. With a train approaching, men abandoned car, but Booger went behind and tried to push it off the track. Car was pushed off, but train hit and killed Booger.) They captured many other prisoners. On January 5, Hazzard was a Forward Observer with Bill Martin for the 401st and 327th calling fire. He was shot in the left knee and groin. He was in the hospital in England for 3 months. They were going to put him in an infantry unit but he went AWOL and rejoined the outfit in Bad Reichenhall.
Following battle, 463rd was ordered to report to the 17th Airborne Division, the unit it was supposed to join before the unit was temporarily attached to the 101st to go to Bastogne. Taylor intervened, however, and said that it would damage the morale of the battalion and division to have the 463rd leave. The 464th was attached to the 17th while the 463rd remained with the 101st. When the unit was permanently attached to the 101st, however, it was forced to give up its vehicles. It had been permitted to have its own vehicles, mostly stolen, throughout the war since it had been a bastard battalion, not permanently attached to any division.

John Cooper:

One day at Bastogne we were getting a few rounds dropping on us and the telephone line to headquarters' division was out. Lt. Melvin Dewar grabbed a ket and helmet and started out to check and repair the line. A remark was made as to his bravery in going out into the firing to fix the line. Some smart guy said, "He is not all that brave. He can't see or hear and doesn't know they are shelling us.

Claude Smith (tape):

Smith remembers during the ride to Bastogne, there were more soldiers heading the other way. Smith carried a carbine. Remembers being waist deep in snow. Captain Cole would call Smith every morning to tell him to inspect gun positions. On Christmas morning, Cole called to tell him to check the guns, but this time Smith ignored him. He got a call to get out because of oncoming enemy troops and tanks. He ran from his foxhole in the midst of all kinds of fire. Out of 4 tanks approaching his position, 3 were knocked out by B Battery and one captured. Corporal Keller on gun 3 was best gunner and most effective. "He could knock the eye out of a gnat." 3 phosphorous shells shot because were running out of armored piercing shells.

Jay Karp (tape):

In position for only a half hour before moved to Hemroulle. They were ordered to dig in but prepare for perimeter defense in case of breakthrough. On December 24, Christmas eve, they were dug into position. Lt. Lyons came around with cognac bottle. Hazy the next morning. The first thing to break the silence was Nick Mullessa's machine gun down below their position on the left hand side. They looked to see where his tracers were going and saw enemy tanks heading out of the woods and infantry spread out behind them. Karp's 1st gun section of B Battery positioned their gun for direct fire. Several men of the section formed a skirmish line to repel the oncoming infantry. The enemy was so close that the crews has their barrels practically level with the ground. The 1st section came under heavy enemy small arms and machine gun fire was able to repel the attack. The gun section fired everything they had, even phosphorous shells. Jay saw one tank coming right up a draw and got him after 4 rounds. No one came out of the tank. Another came, trying to pass the first. A shell hit it in the treads. Two men came out of the turret. They popped one with small arms fire. The other tried to get away but a howitzer round fired at the tank took him out. Another tank was coming. Another battery or section of B fired at it. After the second tank had been hit, Jay jumped out of his position and, with his M1, started going down toward the tanks. By the time he reached the bottom of the hill the 3rd tank had been taken out. The German infantry did not make it that far. They had been taken prisoner or retreated. The snow had been heavy and deep, slowing his progress down the hill.

John Mockabee (tape)

At Mourmelon, the 463rd camped by an airport. It seemed busy the night of December 17th. About 2:30AM, the 1st Sgt. came in and told John Mockabee and the other men to pack their B bags and combat bags and put their A bags into a corner and get out as quickly as possible. They then walked between tables where men filled their canteens with coffee, a man threw an M1 on John's shoulder, another a bandoleer of ammunition, another 4 to 6 K ration kits and donuts. When they pulled into Bastogne that morning, they were told to dig in. Corporal Fraley, John, Lesperance, and Davenport were together. Fraley and Davenport began to dig a hole for the big gun. Fraley told John and Lesperance to dig a slit trench and then return to help them dig their gun in. John and Lesperance dug a slit just deep enough to to lie below the surface of the ground and then returned to finish digging in the big gun while Fraley and Davenport dug their slit trench. Just then an 88 came across them and hit a barn or shed near Hemroulle. Another one came in and went in right smack in the middle of the hole John was digging. A young Mexican member of the unit took a picture of it. One morning they were watching 4P-47s straffing northeast of them, up and down and then struck a fuel depot. It blew up, releasing much black smoke. One came close to the ground right across their position and then went up into the air. The three others made a pass and one of them fired on John's position. One of the plane's bullets hit within an arms reach of his hole and his shell casings emptied into the hole. John aimed his 50 at the plane but was ordered not to fire. Later John witnessed the Ain't Misbehavin crash.

Armond Cerone (tape):

On the way to Bastogne, Armond Cerone saw many men running in the opposite direction. He remembers American planes coming in straffing. There was a lot of firing all around them in every direction. Rumors about the Germans were running rampant. On the gun crew, the corporal was the sight-man and the cannoneers took turns moving the guns and ammunition. Armond remembers a dip in the road and a church at Hemroulle where he attended church services. Christmas morning they were put on alert. A friend, Hickenlooper(?) from Texas was wiped out by enemy fire on a road. Armond could see the German tank crews, young men. A shell landed near him, but did not explode.

Vic Tofany:

On 12/27, General Taylor inspected Vic Tofany's gun position and reprimanded him about the position of his guns (not according to the book). Later that day Tofany's battery reconnoitered a new gun position and moved. Tofany's justification to the General was that his battery, because of the box formation, could fire 6400 mils ie. on any point on the perimeter of the 101st territory. As far as he knew, no other battery in the division had such a capability. Apparently, this did not impress the General who had arrived the previous evening from Washington where he had celebrated Christmas with his family.

John Cooper (interview):

During the days following their arrival at Camp Mourmelon, the officers of the 463rd shared meals with the officers of the other battalions and the 101st Airborne Division artillery. The officers of these battalions assumed that the 463rd was a bunch of greenhorns, a new battalion just arrived from the states and not vets as they were. During one of the meal discussions, the conversation turned to whether or not a 75mm Pack Howitzer could nock out a German tank. "We certainly can knock out Mark IV tanks with a 75 Pack Howitzer," Col. Cooper said. An officer from another battalion responded, "Do not ever say, in your after action reports, that you knocked out a tank, because General McAuliffe says you might disable, but you'll never knock out a tank." Questioning their battle experience, Cooper stated, in a manner of goodwill and jest, "We have spent more time waiting for our parachutes to open than you guys have spent in combat since the invasion of Europe."

Tony Spagnol

"At night I and others slept under pine trees and melted snow to have water to drink. It was cold as hell! I didn't change my socks or take off my shoes, except for an hour at a time to give my cold feet some relief, for about 6 days. Lt. Merriman and I went into Bastogne in a jeep borrowed from the infantry CP to look for food and fresh water. We found a large type building in the heart of town loaded with wounded GIs lying side by side covered with GI blankets waiting for medical care! We both were so moved that we got the hell out of there in a hurry! We drove to our Battalion HQ and received some rations and a five gallon can of water. We shared our rations and water with the infantry guys at the OP as they did with us when they were resupplied."

Ken Hesler:

My sergeant in the communications section was Charles Keller, who, to my way of looking at things, was not afraid of anything. Before Bastogne, I recall that on one occasion, he stuck a foot out of his foxhole during an artillery bombardment, saying he was looking for a quick trip home. Ernie Porter, also in the Battery D communications section headed by Sgt. Keller had this to say about Keller in a 1986 letter to me: "He was probably the coolest man I ever saw under fire or in tight situations." And I completely concur.
At Bastogne, when he went on forward-observation duty, I usually went with him. I can recall two instances, both at the same FO post sometime after December 25. The post was atop a small ridge near what I believe to be Rolle(y) Chateau, where we slept when not on duty.
To get to the observation post, a small rectangular hole with a seat cut into the earth at either end, one had to make a mad dash to the crest of the slope and jump into hole because German snipers pinged away daily at the radio antenna protruding above the hole and reflecting in the sunlight above the ridge.
While on duty at night in this spot with Sgt. Keller, he would creep off into the darkness to gather rations or whatever he could salvage from several American tanks located out toward the German lines. I can recall sitting there alone in the darkness after he had left, listening to the sound of wagon wheels, animals, and occasionally voices floating in from the Germans on the crisp, cold air. My major problem was trying to figure out how I could identify him when he returned. He probably never knew that the most dangerous thing he did was returning to that hole.
At the same location, I was back in a second-floor room in the chateau when one of those special beef, potatoes, and gravy meals arrived in the food containers from the CP. It was frozen and the time was short before others, including Sgt. Keller, would come in for their meal. I had it thawed and steaming on the Coleman stove near the window, when two artillery rounds exploded in the courtyard, spraying broken glass across the floor and into the food. The chow was some of the best we had received for some time; and I could picture myself the target of considerable wrath if the others found their "gourmet" meal ruined. What piece of cloth I used, I cannot remember; but I carefully removed each chunk of meat and potatoes from the pot and carefully wiped it off and stacked it on the container lid. When I was down to the gravy, I poured it into the cloth and wrung it through into another container so as to filter out any glass. Wiping the original container clean, I returned the meat, potatoes, and gravy and placed it again on the burner. The meal was eaten by all with relish and with no knowledge of what had transpired.
After the 463rd began holding reunions in 1979, I set out to find Charles Keller. I knew he lived lived in Pennsylvania, so I wrote letters off and on to newspapers throughout that state. Finally, I received a letter from a county officer saying that within the past month he had filed a death certificate for a Charles Keller who seemed to fit my description. He helped me locate Mrs. Keller. I had found the right man too late. Charles Keller was not my "buddy," and he sometimes made me more than nervous; but if I had to do it all again, I would be delighted to have him around.

Hargus Haywood

We pulled into Bastogne right into the trap. We immediately starting receiving artillery fire from every direction but it so foggy we could not see where the fire was coming. We would fire a few rounds of from our cannons and mortar without knowing if it had any effect. We had several GI wounded and killed but could not evacuate the wounded because all to the field hospital was cut off. I lost some good friends and several of my friends were wounded after we could get them to a field hospital I did not know if they made it or not. When the sun came out on Christmas day and with the help of the 4th Armored Division all hell broke loose. Our cannons and mortar and our machine guns firing at the storm troopers walking aside the tanks we soon killed or captured them and this was the turning point of the battle when God gave us a clear day. I never did receive a scratch but at times I thought I would be killed with all the enemy artillery fire coming in.

Ken Hesler:

Bastogne for me is not a clear picture or a set of orderly events, but rather a jumbled mixture of remembered sights, sounds, situations, and feelings all mixed up together. The memory of Bastogne is many fragments. It is:

A three-quarter ton truck with lowered tailgate across which are stacked pairs of stiff and frozen legs protruding from under a canvas covering

Running alone with labored breath through the foot-deep snow and frigid air trying to find a broken telephone wire

Trying to talk coherently and calmly over a telephone or radio knowing that the fellow at the other end realizes that the tremor in your voice isn't from the cold

Brilliant magnesium flares in the sky flickering shadows across the snow-covered countryside as Bastogne is bombed on Christmas eve

Walking across a foggy winter landscape on a two-man bazooka patrol watching for enemy tanks and carefully deciding which way not to go

FO duty along the edge of one or another fir forest looking out across an open area toward a distant woods from whence comes a muzzle flash, a sudden whoosh, and a sharp blast in the tree tops, with snow and pine needles pelting down to the forest floor

A medical supply glider landing in the open near the FO with incoming mortar fire in the area and being told, along with others, to get it unloaded and never before or lifting such heavy objects alone or carrying them to cover with such dispatch

Sleeping on FO in a two-man foxhole with a buddy who wakes you two or three times a night to ask about the small-arms fire in the distance, "Doesn't that sound closer to you?"

Bright morning sunlight reflecting off the snow as P-47s thunder over the edge of the woods just above the trees, or so it seems, with red blobs of rocket fire spewing out toward the distant forest

Trying to pump pressure into a Coleman stove with fingers stiff from the cold

Listening with hope as the rumble of artillery fire to the south tells of Patton's advance toward Bastogne

Hearing the drone of those C-47s around noon on December 23, 1944, as they come over the graveyard at Bastogne and out toward Hemroulle, cheering and jumping about as if the home team had just won the pennant. After 50 years, that tingling sensation is still there when that scene is replayed from newsreel tapes

That wool knit glove on my left hand now marked by the frozen effects of having been rubbed too many times across my running nose

Fred Shelton:

The first night at Bastogne the 463rd fired all-night on every bodies sector that needed fire to stop the German advance. We were the only artillery unit that had enough ammo and field communications, and a fire direction center, to fire barrage and collated fire in the 101st defense sector. Where did we get all the ammunition that we had? This was ammo, we had carried all over Southern France hid in caves and various places. I guess much of it had to come from Italy when our trucks came in by boat after our invasion. One thing can be said about the 463rd Bn., you may run short sometimes on food but you did not run short on ammo or something to shoot. This is a compliment to our Bn. officers for the supply of ammo at all times, for trucks and transportation to move you into battle.
Now back to Bastogne on Christmas Day when the Bn. knocked out the German tanks by direct fire, this was still our Shining Hour, when we gained our position and place with the 101st. After all the years since Bastogne and all the war stories that I have heard at Reunions, and talking with other vets of combat experiences, there is no doubt in my mind that the 463rd Prcht FA Bn. was one of the best in the E20 in WWII.
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne - Brief history of 463rd (pp. 10-11), Colonel Cooper's initial meeting with McAuliffe (pp. 20-22), Trip to Bastogne (pp. 31-32, 39-40), Christmas Day attack (pp. 267-271, 275-283), Relief (pp. 314, 328, 331), Aerial observers (pp. 341-342), 4th Armored arrives (pp. 354).

Jan. 20, 1945 Truck Sibret, Belgium
Arrived at 2PM

Jan. 20, 1945 Truck Drulingen, Lorraine

Arrived at 11PM



Moves:

Truck Neufchateau, Belgium

Truck Tintigny, Belgium

Truck Belle Fontaine, Belgium*

Truck Virton, Belgium

Truck Longuyon, France

Truck Spincourt, France

Truck Etain, France

Truck Fresnes (en Woëvre), France

Truck Vigneulles, France

Truck Gironville, France

Truck Jovy, France*

Truck Gondreville, France*

Truck Nancy, France

Truck Laneuvelotte, France*

Truck Lesley, France*

Truck Bourdonnay, France

Truck Héming, France


Jan. 21, 1945 Truck Lixheim, France
Arrived 2200 hours.

Jan. 24, 1945 Truck Sarrebourg, France
Move:

Truck Saverne, France

Jan. 24, 1945 Truck Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche, France

"Both the 463rd and 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalions dragged their guns into position only to close stations and drag them back again later in the day." (Rendezvous with Destiny)

Jan. 26, 1945 Truck Keffendorf, France
Arrived 1800 hour. Fired in direct support of 327th.

Jan. 31, 1945 Keffendorf, France

Monthly Report - Fired 14,072 rounds on: Personnel - 100; Strongpoint - 3; Tanks - 44; Mortars - 12; GPs -7; OPs - 2; Halftracks - 6; MG's - 8; SPs - 2.

Received orders to join the 17th Airborne Division, but General Maxwell Taylor interceded, stating "the 463rd is firmly united with this Division and any change will result in serious loss of morale and efficiency both to the Division and to the Battalion."

Officers Enlisted
Hq & Hq Btry 18 159
A 4 88
B 3 82
C 4 88
D 3 87
Met Det 2 13
TOTAL 33 517


Feb. 1, 1945

Assisted in support of attack by 79th Division.

Feb. 7, 1945

Casualties:

Sgt. Clifford Wolfenbarger WIA

Tec 4 Russell Hughes WIA

Pvt. Edward E. Helm WIA

Feb. 12, 1945 Truck Wintershouse, France
Arrived 2000 hours. Helped repell enemy attack.


Feb. 18, 1945
Helped repell enemy attack.


Feb. 20, 1945

John Cooper - Message to men from John T. Cooper, Jr., Lt. Col., Field Artillery, Commanding Officer:



It is with the greatest satisfaction and personal pride that I congratulate the men and officers of this battalion on your splendid achievements of the past year.

One year ago today, during one of the most fierce counter-attacks by the enemy, you started the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on its road to glorious service and achievement. During your infancy you were given the task of direct support artillery, for the "Big Push", that broke the enemy encirclement of our forces at ANZIO. This job, you handled admirably and by your constant endeavor and aggressive action through MT. ARISTINO, CORI, COLLE TAFO, ARTENA, COLLE FERRO, VALMONTONE, TOR SAPIENZA, and ROME you distinguished yourself and made the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion a honored member of the Fifth Army.

You, again distinguished yourself, after your well earned rest at LAKE ALBANO, by absorbing into your ranks and training two new batteries in one and one-half (11/2) months and preparing for your leading of the invasion troops of the Seventh Army into Southern France.

Under adverse conditions but with aggressiveness for which you have become noted you carried the fight to the enemy in the ALPS, and again when you pushed onto the FRENCH-ITALIAN border near MENTON and rejoined our friends in NICE.

You enjoyed the BRISTOL, the NEGRESCO, CANNES and NICE and upon arrival in BASTOGNE you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves and again distinguished yourselves by destroying by direct fire three (3) Mk IV Tanks and capturing one in a serviceable condition. You, by your quick aggressive action, not only distinguished yourself in the fight but showed such efficiency and spirit that your place among the best troops of the 101st Airborne Division was assured.

Today, after one year of the toughest fighting in history, let's pause, and look to the future. This year you will, I am sure, even surpass the highest expectations of your commanders. Your will continue your aggressiveness in training or in combat. You will strive to increase your ability in your respective jobs. Your grand spirit that has made the 463RD will carry you through the rough spots ahead, as you realize that the better you make the 463rd the sooner you will dispose of the enemy and the greater will become the name of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion.

Men of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, I am proud of you, I am proud for you, and I am proud to be the Battalion Commander of such a unit.





The original letter.
Courtesy Ms. Whittaker



Monthly Report
Fired 7,029 rounds on: Personnel - 136; GPs - 9; Mortars - 45; MG's - 42; Vehicles - 16; Armor - 16; Ammunition dumps - 1; OPs - 1.


Officers Enlisted
Hq & Hq Btry 17 160
A 4 85
B 4 84
C 4 91
D 4 88
Met Det 2 13
TOTAL 35 521


Feb. 28, 1945 Wintershouse, France

Moves:

Truck Toul, France

Truck Ligny (-en-Barrois), France

Truck Châlons, France

March 1, 1945 Truck Mourmelon, France
101st Division presented the Distinguished Unit Citation on March 15.

April 2, 1945 Truck Souais, France

Moves:

Truck Masagren (Mazagran), France

Truck Vouziers, France

Truck Sedan, France

Truck Bouillon, Belgium

Truck Marche, Belgium

Truck Liege, Belgium

Truck Aachen, Germany

Truck Linniel (Linnich), Germany*

Truck Erkelenz, Germany

April 3, 1945 Buschhausen, Germany (Rose Pocket)
Battle from April 3 to April 17

April 3, 1945 Truck Neuss, Germany
Arrived 1600 hours

April 15, 1945 Neuss, Germany

Casualties:

Pfc. Frank A. Giglio WIA

April 17, 1945 Neuss, Germany
Monthly Report

Fired 4,943 rounds on: Personnel - 107; Armor - 2; Registration - 50; Machine Gun - 26; Counterbattery - 2; Self Propelled - 3; Vehicles - 10; Misc. - 26.


Officers Enlisted
Hq & Hq Btry 18 96
A 4 116
B 4 114
C 5 117
D 4 66
Met Det 1 13
TOTAL 36 522

Moves:

Truck Cologne, Germany

Truck Bonn, Germany

Truck (Bad) Godesberg, Germany

Truck Limberg (Limburg), Germany

Truck Wiesbaden, Germany

Truck Darmstadt, Germany

Truck Dieberg, Germany

Truck Walldürn, Germany

Truck Dörzbach, Germany

Truck Hall, Germany

Truck Gmund, Germany

Truck Goppingen, Germany

Truck Geislingen, Germany

Truck Ulm, Germany

April 28, 1945 Truck Memmingen, Germany
May 1, 1945 Schillingstadt, Germany
May 1, 1945 Schwabsoien, Germany
Arrived 2300 hours.

May 2, 1945 Starnberg, Germany
Arrived at 1900 hours.

May 4, 1945 Thalham, Germany
Arrived at 2000 hours.

Truck Landsberg, Germany
Liberated Dachau Prison Camp.


Moves:

Truck Weilheim, Germany

Truck Bad Tölz, Germany

Truck Miesbach, Germany

May 11, 1945 Truck Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Set up city police force of 2 officers & 21 enlisted men.



Battalion CP in Bad Reichenhall.

HQ Battery Bad Reichenhall.

Batteries A, C, & D in Bayerisch-Gmain.

Battery B in Bad Reichenhall in Duchess Kaiser Motel

June 6, 1945
Lt. Col. John Cooper and 50 enlisted men transferred to 16th Reinforcement Depot.
All men had over 105 points. Maj. Stuart Seaton assumed command.

June 13, 1945
6 enlisted men with over 105 points transferred to Reception Station in States.

June 25, 1945
279 enlisted men and 7 officers transferred to 501st Parachute Infantry for redeployment to US.

June 27, 1945
134 enlisted men with less than 85 points who did not volunteer for Pacific were transferred to 82nd Airborne

June 30, 1945 Bad Reichenhall, Germany
199 enlisted men received from 17th Airborne Division as reinforcements. 94 enlisted men, who had fought in both theaters, with less than 85 points remained with battalion to go to Pacific.


GENERAL NOTES AFTER BASTOGNE

On night of April 8 and 9, during Battle of Ruhr, C Battery Observation Post was atop an eight story concrete warehouse 100 yards from Rhine River and directly behind the main bridge. Lieutenant and Bruce Middough were sitting there looking out the window and other than a flare or two being shot into the air, it was quiet. The 327th GIR had pushed a combat patrol across the river. A German airplane appeared, firing green tracers toward the ground. Red tracers were being fired into the sky at the plane. The plane crashed across the river.

About the same time, Middough saw 2 Americans creeping across a field toward the dike of the Rhine carrying a long tube. They climbed up the dike and laying down, pointed the tube across the Rhine with a sheet of flame jutting from the tube and causing an explosion across the river. Later Middought discovered it was Col. Cooper and Maj. Vic Garret testing the new 77mm recoilless rifle.

In late April, the 463rd was heading down the autobahn. Thousands of German soldiers were surrendering and heading by truck load west as POWs. C Battery was in a small village in Bavaria when the communication section started experimenting with burp guns, potato mashers as well as driving Mercedes and Volkswagen cars. The noise from the guns and grenades made the valley sound like a war zone. Orders were released to stop firing German guns. At same time communication members discussed the superiority of the German MG-42 over the machine gun. To prove it, they put together a 100 foot long machine gun belt and took a gun up to the 2nd story window of a farm building. Middough was the loader and Pvt. A. J. Pierce the gunner. Pierce fired many rounds into a hillside without the gun seizing. The house was engulfed in smoke before they quit firing. Sgt. Howard stormed into the house demanding to know who was firing. No one would cop out, so Howard said, "o.k. you guys get your shovels and get out in that field and two men to a hole start digging a 10x10x10". After about 30 minutes, one of the guys (Miller) said he was in pretty good with Cooper, Seaton and Garret and that he would confess. He confessed and Howard came back over and told them to fill in the holes. Howard said what made the offense so serious was that the bullets had cut the electric cord from the generator to the officer's quarters.

Just prior to a fire mission, Jay Karp noticed a covered hole about thirty yards from their gun section. As he and some other men approached, he noticed a canvas cover over a hole with a light shinning from under it. They didn't know what they would find as they sneaked up to the position. They heard, "2 diamonds, 1 club." They lifted the canvas to find Joe Lyons, D. Nichols, and 2 others playing bridge. A fire mission was called in and everyone scrambled out of the hole. (Karp tape)

Haggenau was colder than a witches' tit. (Cerone tape)

The Germans were falling back fast, resistance crumbling. B Battery took over the Grand Hotel in Buschhausen. Joe Lyons took over the track team after the war ended. Gray Wolf?? was the miler, Lou Warbuck, Jay Karp and Bruce Middough ran the 220 and 440. Bruce Middough was also the broad jumper. (Karp tape)

"After the breakout at Bastogne the 101st was trucked down to Haggenau, France to hold the line against German attacks which were never a real threat. Again I took pictures of our guys doing everything from bathing at a 5 gallon can of water (Montague with the sun shinning on his butt) to throwing grenades down rabbit holes.

"After Haggenau campaign the battalion was trucked back to Mourmelon, France as part of the 101st Airborne Division to receive the President's Unit Citation; the first Army Division in history to receive this honor for its stand at Bastogne." (Tony Spagnol)

July 1, 1945 Bad Reichenhall
Lt. Col. Kenneth L. Booth and 4 other officers, formerly of the 466th PFAB of 17th Airborne joined battalion. Booth assumed command.

July 3, 1945
5 officers and 232 enlisted men from 17th Airborne transferred to 463rd. 5 officers from 463rd transferred to 17th Airborne.

July 8, 1945 Saalfelden, Austria
Relieved in Bad Reichenhall by 431st AAA Battalion.
Relieved the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of security responsibilities in Saalfelden.

July 21, 1945
Advance detail of 6 officers & 11 enlisted men left Saalfelden for France.

July 23, 1945

Advance detail arrived at Joigny, France, taking over installations of 460th PFAB which had been part of 13th Airborne.


460th PFAB in Southern France


July 25, 1945
28 enlisted men sent to 16th Replacement Depot for redeployment.

July 28, 1945
Battalion relieved of all security missions by elements of 42nd Division.

July 30, 1945
Battalion divided in 2 for move from Austria to France. Major Seaton commanded 8 officers & 212 enlisted men who moved by rail. Capt. Laidlaw commanded 15 officers & 180 enlisted men who traveled by motor..

Aug. 1, 1945 Joigny, France
Battalion trained throughout early August for transfer to Pacific.

Aug. 19, 1945
103 enlisted men with less than 85 points & 7 officers with more than 85 points were transferred to 463rd from the 17th Airborne. 3 enlisted men with over 85 points were transferred to 17th Airborne for redeployment & discharge. Detachment of 1 officer & 55 enlisted men traveled to Brussels, Belgium for liberty celebration.

Sept. 1, 1945
CWO Martin Johnson killed in jeep accident near Sens, France. Buried with military honors near Châlons, France.

Sept. 2, 1945
9 officers transferred from battalion to 19th Reinforcement Depot for redeployment.

Oct. 9, 1945
3 officers & 21 enlisted men transferred to 2nd Replacement Depot for redeployment & discharge.

Oct. 10, 1945
10 officers & 73 enlisted men transferred to 75th Infantry Division for discharge in US.

Oct. 20, 1945
1 officer, 1 warrant officer, 49 enlisted men left for 2nd Replacement Depot for redeployment & discharge.

Nov. 30, 1945 Boat USA

463rd inactivated in November 30, 1945.


GENERAL NOTES ABOUT RETURN HOME

That portion of 463rd which did not have enough points to return to the United States remained in Germany, some joined the 82nd Airborne and were stationed in the SS barracks outside of Berlin. Battalion earned: 8 battle stars, 2 bronze assault arrows and the Presidential Citation, and 2 stars on jump wings. (DB) Only artillery battalion to have a plaque in 2 theaters.



Jay Karp

The army did not accurately record the correct unit to be discharged with. If you were walking in line with other guys and they asked you what unit this was, whatever the first guy said was applied to everyone else in the line. If the first guy said the 506th, everybody behind him was considered the 506th.
Tony Spagnol - "The 463rd was now permanently attached to the 101st Airborne which was shipped to the Neuss, Germany area to guard against a German attack in this front. There was very little activity in the area. Montague and I got dates with two German gals who lived in Neuss when the battalion bivouacked near the town. I have pictures of the gals; I wonder what they look like today, 50 years later?
"After the Neuss campaign the Germans began surrendering in very large numbers. The 463rd was shipped as part of the 101st down southern Germany and ended the war at Bad Reichenhall, Germany where the battalion was bivouacked for several weeks.
"I was among the first to get a 30 day furlough which I at first refused because we were having a great time visiting near towns etc. Our First Sergeant Joe Stolmeier thought I was crazy for refusing the furlough and ordered me to take the furlough and go home after almost two years of continuous combat.
"During my service in the army I requested to be transferred to OCS officers training for the infantry. I was always told that either my next outfit will make that decision (before I joined the 82nd Airborne) or that I was needed in the outfit because of my skills in radio communications! In retrospect I was disappointed but very lucky because I survived the war and experienced a very successful career as a civilian."



GENERAL NOTES ABOUT HISTORY OF 463RD/456TH

John Cooper & Fred Shelton
One of the reasons that the 463rd fired more ammunition and fire missions then other Parachute Field Artillery Battalions and Glider Artillery units, was that our officer's found out from hard combat experiences, that in all ammunition dumps in the E20, there was more 75MM ammunition to be found, then any other types of artillery ammo. So this is one of the main reasons that the 463rd stayed with the 75MM Pack Howitzer thru WWII.

At a reunion of the 463rd troopers, Jay Karp said to Ted Wingstrom, who was also from Battery B, "I don't remember ever seeing you do anything for the war effort." Ted W., with witty sense of humor, said, "I was the ordinance man in my gun section who beat out the pits and dents in the shell cases with my little ball pin hammer, so you Bastards could shoot."

Col Cooper relates how the Battalion was needing gun parts for 75MM howitzers. Cooper had back orders for parts to Army Ordinance, the day he received the return back orders for parts, Cooper received a letter from his wife that his brother-in-law, Master Sergeant Ed Vaughn who was in ordinance was located near Rheims, France. Cooper immediately went to Rheims, to see brother-in-law Ed Vaughn, with the back order papers in his pocket. Sgt. Vaughn then called his sergeants and personnel together, told them they needed to find these gun parts, they were badly needed. The next day Sgt. Vaughn came to Mourmelon, with the gun parts for the howitzers. Then two days later the 463rd Battalion moved to the Bulge and Bastogne with the guns repaired and ready to shoot.



Ammo Rounds Fired by 463rd in World War II:

120,000 - fired on Anzio Beachhead, and on into the capture of Rome.
3,158 - invasion of Southern France and following the coastline up to the French and Italian border (Maritime Alps).
15,357 - Barcelonnette (French Alps) 9/1 to 9/30/44 the 463rd was in a defensive position guarding a pass in the Alps.
12,970 - Barcelonnette 10/1 to 10/30/44 halfway thru the months of Oct. The Germans launched a late evening attack aimed at securing two strategic peaks and pass. The 463rd helped to repulse this counter attack, and fired 5,600 rounds in one night.
4,632 - Southern France in support of FSSF from 11/1 to 11/18. The 463rd was relieved by the 602 Field Artillery Battalion.
7,676 - Bastogne. Dec. 1944 Air re-supply of ammo into Bastogne there was no account or record of this ammo.
14,072 - Haguenau France (The Bitch Area) Moder and Rhine River - Alsace Lorraine. 1/4 to 1/31.
7,029 - Haguenau Sector - Keffendorf, France front lines generally along the Moder River. 2/1 to 2/25/45.
4,943 - Shillingstedt, Germany - 4/3 to 4/17/45. The 463rd expended a total of 4,943 rounds of ammo. According to reports from the records, this was the last rounds that was fired by the 463rd closing out the war.
TOTAL ROUNDS FIRED - 189,837. If add 30,000 rounds for Sicily and Casino fronts, no records found, total rounds fired is 219,837.

Tom Sherburne:

Next to our D-Day jump into Normandy I remember best the Bastogne deal, and particularly John Cooper, that rather remarkable C.O.
Wish I could be at the reunion to remind him of many times as:

When his unit had a party at a French care, took it over. When the "girls" arrived, 6 war weary nurses and an old battle-axe head nurse, John stepped forward like a fine host and grabbed her, then everybody up to the second floor, let's show our 463rd spirit, and over the railing, down about 15 feet to the bumpy brick floor. And from that start the party really rollicked up!

When Marlene Dietrich came to look over Max Taylor and incidentally do her show with the ball players, and at the cocktail-reception for her, before Bob Sink could beat me I signed her to 'cut the ribbon opening up our new Officers' Club, then called John and told him that he was opening up a club, - "take over a cafe for the evening," and he did. That was a night to remember.

Or when, on Christmas day at Bastogne he called up, he had a Christmas present for me. But I had to come pick it up. A German tank, no less, that his doughty battalion had shot out (but still ran) when we rushed them out to fire direct fire at the tank breakthrough of Steve Chappius' CP. (No foot Boche got through them.)

Or when we were breaking up and Cooper at his last meal with us, announced that he was going home, make a parachute jump on Wewoka (Okla.), get his wife pregnant, and run for Congress.

When I reformed the 101st at Fort Campbell in 1956 I was Dep. G-1, D/A and was hand-picking all my commanders and G-staff (what a deal, -- Charlie Chase, Harry Kinnard, Bud Rainey, Reuben Tucker, etc. etc.), I made a search for Cooper for Div. Arty CO -- but he was out, in the VA Hospital development.



Additional KIA 1st Lt. John B. Higdon





CONDENSED CHRONOLOGY OF THE 463rd PARACHUTE FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION



By Marty Graham.
Based in large part on a collection of archival documents and other materials,
acquired and provided by Ken Hesler, Battery D, 463rd PFA.


DATE OF ARRIVAL MODE OF TRAVEL

DESTINATION
INFORMATION
Sep 24, 1942 Fort Bragg,
North Carolina 456th PFA activated April 28, 1943
Staten Island

Left USA as part of 505th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team on the Matson liner S.S. Monterey. Trip took 12 days.
May 10, 1943 Boat Casablanca, Morocco
May 12, 1943 Rail Road Fez, Morocco
May 12, 1943 Rail Road Oujda, Morocco

Most of 456th PFA made their first night jump.
June 24, 1943 Air Kairouan, Tunisia

Climbed into planes about 2200 hrs July 9 for jump into Sicily.
July 9, 1943 Air Gela, Sicily

Parachuted miles from target due to faulty navigation, high winds, and impaired visibility.
July 10, 1943 March Manna Di Ragusa, Sicily
July 10, 1943 Truck Ragusa, Sicily
July 10, 1943 Truck Vittoria, Sicily

Participated in the Battle of Biazza Ridge on July 10/11. Witnessed the tragic "friendly fire" jump of the 504th.
July 1943 Truck Comiso, Sicily
July 1943 Truck Santa Margherita,
Sicily
July 1943 Truck/March Agrigento, Sicily
July 1943 Truck/March Castelvetrano, Sicily
July 24, 1943 March/Truck Trapani, Sicily
August 3rd

Colonel Harrison B. Harden relieved by Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor for failure to maintain discipline in battalion during the July 24 Battle of Trapani. Major Hugh Neal assumes command.
August 1943 Truck Castelvetrano, Sicily
August 19, 1943 Air Kairouan, Tunisia

All batteries enjoyed a show by Bob Hope (or was show the first time the 456th was at Kairouan before Sicily? / Devils in Baggy Pants) before Batteries C & D flew back across the Mediterranean to Comiso, Sicily.
Rail Road Sousse, Tunisia Batteries C & D
Rail Road Tunis, Tunisia Batteries C & D
Truck Matfur, Tunisia Batteries C & D
Truck Bizerte, Tunisia Batteries C & D
August 1943 Air Comiso, Sicily Batteries A & B
Rail Road Modica, Sicily Batteries A & B
Rail Road Noto, Sicily Batteries A & B
Rail Road Siracusa, Sicily Batteries A & B
Rail Road Augusta, Sicily Batteries A & B
Boat Algiers, Algeria

Batteries A & B were on the British run French ship The Vila De Oran.
October 1943 Rail Road Bizerte, Tunisia Batteries reunited.
December 1943 Boat Augusta/Syracuse, Sicily Liberty ship Anson Jones.
December 1943 Boat Naples, Italy
December 1943 March Bagnoli, Italy
December 1943 Truck Caserta, Italy
December 1943 Truck Santa Maria, Italy

Joined the First Special Service Force.
December 2l, 1943 Truck Venafro, Italy

Joined in assault on Hill 720 (Western spur of Mt. Sammucro) on Christmas Day.
December 1443 Truck San Pietro, Italy
December 1943 Truck San Vittore, Italy
January 1944 Truck Cassino, Italy
January 1944 Truck Santa Maria, Italy
January 1944 Truck Pozzuoli, Italy Left for Anzio on January 31, 1944.
Feb. 1, 1944 Boat Anzio, Italy

Batteries C and D and the designation 456th PFA were transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division in England. Batteries A and B were redesignated the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on February 20 (21), 1944 at a location near the Mussolini Canal, about one halt mile southeast of Borgo Bainsizza.
Truck Vittoria, Italy
May 23, 1944 Truck Cisterna, Italy
May 26, 1944 Truck Cori, Italy
May 27, 1944 Artena, Italy

Fighting around Artena and Valmontone lasted until June 2. On May 31st, Major Neal was seriously wounded by an 88mm shell and was replaced by Major John T. Cooper who was the battalion executive officer.
June 2, 1944 Truck Valmontone, Italy
Truck Collefero, Italy
June 4, 1944 Truck Rome, Italy

463rd PFA and First Special Service Force spearheaded attack on Rome.
June 6, 1944 Truck Albano. Italy Sent for re-equipping and re-training.
July 15, 1944 Truck Lido Di Roma, Italy

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.
Truck Civitavecchia, Italy
Truck Tarquininia, Italy
August 11, 1944 Truck Grosseto, Italy

Major Cooper commanded half of Headquarters Battery, all of Batteries B and C, and 3rd and 4th Platoons of Battery D. They were part of Serial 5 and boarded 29 C-47s for invasion of Southern France on August 14.
August 11, 1944 Truck Florence, Italy

Major Stuart M. Seaton commanded half of Headquarters Battery, Battery A. and 1st and 2nd Platoons of Battery D. They were part of Serial 4 and boarded 20 C-47s for invasion of Southern France on August 14.
August 15, 1944 Air Saint Tropez, France

Serial 5 jumped at 0430. Due to navigational error and fog, they landed more than 12 miles from DZ. Major Cooper severely fractured ankle during jump and was replaced for two months by Major Seaton.
August 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.
August 17, 1944 Truck Le Muy, France 463rd PFA reunites.
August 1944 Truck Antibes, France
August 1944 Truck Grasse, France
August 1944 Truck Castellane, France
August 1944 Truck Ferris, France
August 30, 1944 Truck Barcelonnette, France

463rd rapidly moved into Maritime Alps with the 550th Airborne Infantry to cut off German escape route into Italy. Also joined by French Colonial Senegalese Infantry. "Champagne Campaign"
Truck Jausiers, France
Truck Barcelonnette, France

Relieved by French Moroccan Goum unit from North Africa.
October 22, 1944 Truck Grasse, France

463rd rejoined the First Special Services Forces.
Truck Antibes, France
Truck Nice, France
Truck Monte Carlo, France
Truck Menton, France
St. Agnes, France
Truck Nice, France

463rd relieved by the 602nd Field Artillery Battalion.
Nov. 18, 1944 Truck Gattiers, France
Truck Antibes, France
Rail Road Toulon, France
Rail Road Marseilles, France
Rail Road Avignon, France
Rail Road Valenca (Valence),
France
Rail Road Lyon, France
Rail Road Macon, France
Rail Road Dijon, France
Rail Road Chaumont, France
Rail Road Saint Dizier, France
Rail Road Châlons, France
Dec. 12, 1944 Rail Road Reims, France
Dec. 12. 1944 Rail Road Mourmelon, France

Temporarily attached to the 101st Airborne Division for administration and rations.
Although the 463rd was slated to join the 17th Airborne Division, Colonel John Cooper requested that the battalion accompany the 101st to the Ardennes line, General Anthony McAuliffe stated he had no such orders, but suggested that Cooper talk to Colonel Joseph Harper of the 327th Glider Infantry. Harper accepted Coopers offer of the 463rd's services which lead to the battalion's first association with the Screaming Eagles. Departed at 2130 hr. December 18.
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Suippes, France
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Mazagran, France
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Vouziers, France
Dec. 18, 1944 Truck Sedan, France
Dec. 18/19, 1944 Truck Bouillon, Belgium
Dec. 18/19, 1944 Truck Marche, Belgium
Dec. 19, 1944 Truck Bastogne, Belgium

463rd arrived in Bastogne at 1100 hr.
463rd arrived at Hemroulle at 1500 hours and set up its Command Post and Fire Direction Center. Mission was to provide artillery support to the 327th Glider Infantry west and south of Bastogne.
December 21 Hemroulle, Belgium

2 howitzers from Battery C redeployed into direct fire positions from which to defend against tanks. Howitzers moved Into direct fire positions due to ammunition shortages.
December 23 Hemroulle, Belgium

Aerial re-supplies began. 463rd had expended all but 9 rounds of high-explosive ammunition and ration supply was nearly exhausted. Repulsed German attack from the south. The 2 remaining howitzers from Battery C and 2 from Battery A were deployed in direct fire positions. The other 2 howitzers from Battery A, the 4 in Battery B and the 4 in Battery D remained in indirect fire positions.
December 25 Hemroulle, Belgium

Germans attack in pre-dawn from the northwest. 18 German Mark IV tanks and supporting Infantry broke through 327th line, 11 tanks and infantry advancing on Hemroulle. They pulled off the road and stopped 100 yards from Hemroulle (thinking it was Bastogne?) and remained there for over an hour. At dawn, the 463rd fired (1 howitzer from Battery D and 4 from Battery B were redeployed into anti-tank/direct fire positions) and the battle lasted about a half hour, many of the 463rd fighting as infantry. 8 German tanks were knocked out by howitzers and a 9th captured. 2 tanks escaped the 463rd but were knocked out by an American armored force. The 7 other German tanks were also taken out before the end of the day. After the fighting, all howitzers except the 4 guns of Battery C were returned to indirect fire positions.
December 26 Hemroulle, Belgium

Siege was broken by 4th Armored Division. December 29
Hemroulle, Belgium

One gun knocked out by enemy aircraft.
January 17, 1945 Sibret, Belgium 463rd relieved.
January 1945 Truck Neufchateau, Belgium
Truck Tintigny, Belgium
Truck Belle Fontaine, Belgium
Truck Virton, Belgium
Truck Longuyon, France
Truck Spincourt, France
Truck Etain, France
Truck Fresnes, France
Truck Vigneulles, France
Truck Gironville, France
Truck Jovy, France
Truck Conneville, France
Truck Gondreville, France
Truck Nancy, France
Truck Laneuvelotte, France
Truck Lesley, France
Truck Bourdonnay, France
Truck Heming, France
January 24, 1945 Truck Sarrebourg, France
Truck Saverne, France
January 27, 1945 Truck Keffendorf, France
January 31, 1945 Truck Haguenau, France

Received orders to join the 17th Airborne Division, but General Maxwell Taylor interceded, stating "the 463rd is firmly united with this Division and any change will result in serious loss of morale and efficiency both to the Division and to the Battalion."
February 27, 1945 Truck/Train Nancy, France Ken Hesler : "Here is a very minor item about Martin’s Chronology concerning the February 27, 1944, trip from Alsace to Mourmelon. The notation of that trip says by truck. It was also 'train,' as that is how I made the trip to Mourmelon with the 502nd and some 377th from Sarrebourg, we trucked to the latter departure point – i.e. 'Train/Truck.' The material is from the original 'Rendezvous with Destiny', in the 'Alsace' section on the page noted. Some of the Battalion would have had to come by truck with guns, kitchen, trucks, etc."
Truck/Train Toul, France
Truck/Train Ligny, France
Truck/Train Châlons, France

'Rendezvous With Destiny', page 695:

The bulk of the 101st returned to Mourmelon by rail, riding in straw-filled 40-and-8 boxcars; this was a type of travel which the Division had not yet tried but it was an immediate hit with the veterans of the trek by truck from Holland and to and from Bastogne. The 506th left from Saverne on the 25th, accompanied by the 321st Field Artillery Battalion, part of the 81st AA Battalion and Company A of the 326th Engineers. On the 27th the 327th and the 502d left from Reding, a station just outside of Sarrebourg and twenty miles west of Saverne. With them went the 463d Artillery Battalion and Headquarters Batteries of Division Artillery and of the 377th Battalion. On the 28th the 501st, 377th, and 907th Artillery Battalions and the 81st AA Battalion left from Reding. Other units of the Division returned in truck convoys via Sarrebourg, Nancy, Toul, and Châlons, the last units clearing Alsace on March 1.
The trip took about eighteen hours and each trainload as it rolled into the village of Mourmelon-le-Petit was greeted by the music of the 502d band.
March 1, 1945 Truck Mourmelon, France

101st Division presented the Distinguished Unit Citation on March 15.
April 2, 1945 Truck Souais, France
Truck Masagren (Mazagran),
France
Truck Vouziers, France
Truck Sedan, France
Truck Bouillon, Belgium
Truck Marche, Belgium
Truck Liege, Belgium
Truck Aachen, Germany
Truck Linniel (Linnich),
Germany
Truck Erkelenz, Germany
April 3, 1945 Buschhausen, Germany
Truck Neuss, Germany
Truck Cologne, Germany
Truck Bonn, Germany
Truck Godesberg, Germany
Truck Limberg (Limburg), Germany
Truck Wiesbaden, Germany