Photos, Articles, & Research on the European Theater in World War II
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This is one of a series of G.I. Stories of the Ground, Air and
Service Forces in the European Theater of Operations, issued
by the Stars and Stripes, a publication of the Information
and Education Division, ETOUSA. Major General H.W. Blakeley, commanding
the 4th Infantry Division, lent his cooperation to the preparation of
the pamphlet, and basic material was supplied to the editors by his staff.
THE 4th Infantry Division is built around three
of the oldest and most distinguished infantry
regiments of the United States Army. It is heir
to the history of the 4th Division in World War I.
Based on these traditions, we have been building
a tradition of our own, one of accomplishment of
assigned missions in spite of enemy, weather,
fatigue or shortages of personnel or supplies. This
booklet is an unfinished story. When the story is
finished, may we be able to say, "We never failed."
Major General Commanding
THE STORY OF THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION
He was right about the two platoons. The Fourth
Infantry Division was widely dispersed along a 35-mile
front in Luxembourg -- a depleted company every two
miles or more. But the Germans didn't take Dickweiler.
They were slashed to ribbons trying.
This procedure was duplicated everywhere the German
212th Div. smacked the 12th Inf. Regt. Enemy forces
swarmed around small units, outnumbering them as much
as five to one. But 12th doughs fought on doggedly
holding each isolated town until reinforcements came.
At Echternach and other places when reinforcements
didn't get through, the 12th held anyway. Without
these towns, the Germans couldn't use the roads. Without
these roads, the Nazi drive for Luxembourg City was
doomed to failure.
Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., wrote to Maj. Gen.
Raymond O. Barton, then Division Commander:
No American division in France has excelled the
magnificent record of the 4th Inf. Div., which has been
almost continuously in action since it fought its way ashore
on the 6th day of last June; but in my opinion your most
recent fight, when such a depleted and tired division you
halted the left shoulder of the German thrust into the
American lines and saved the City of Luxembourg, is your
most outstanding accomplishment.
The defense of Luxembourg was a triumph for the fighting
men of the Famous Fourth who stood their ground regardless of
the odds. They took literally Gen. Barton's statement "The
best way to handle these Heinies is to fight 'em!"
Fighting 'em ever since the invasion of Europe, the
Famous Fourth was the first unit to cross Normandy
beaches. Battling without rest all the way to
Cherbourg, the division then wheeled to punch hedgerow
defenses south of Carentan. After spearheading the
Normandy breakthrough, these same Joes helped thwart the
German counter-thrust which tried to split Allied armies.
First American unit to enter Paris, the 4th rolled through
the capital, roaring across France and Belgium in pursuit
of fleeing Nazis.
After blasting a gaping, hole in the Schnee Eifel, the
division cracked through Hurtgen Forest. It stopped
the German attack in central Luxembourg, then helped
drive back the enemy, Again reaching the Siegfried
Line in the Schnee Eifel, the 4th pushed deep into
Germany. In March, 1945, it moved south to a new zone of
action.
Activated in 1838, the 8th Inf., like the 12th, also has
fought in great battles of American history, has earned a
modern distinction. When it marched from Ft. Ehrenbreitstein
in 1923, Maj. Raymond O. Barton's battalion,
8th Inf., lowered the last American flag on German soil.
June 6, 1944, the 8th, led by Maj. Gen. Raymond O. Barton,
Division Commander, became the first Allied unit
to battle Germans on Normandy beaches. For its brilliant
success in that operation, the 8th received the
President Citation.
Organized in 1866, the 22nd Inf. served in the Indian
Campaigns, Cuba, Philippines and Alaska.
DOUBLE DEUCERS CRACK A WALL
June 6, 1944, 0630: Four companies of 8th Inf. doughs
felt landing craft jar to a stop on the Normandy coast,
heard ramps down with a splash, saw German pillboxes
in the dunes. Then, charging through the water
a long, howling line, they stormed beach defenses.
Commanded by Col. James A. Van Fleet, the 8th,
with 3rd Bn., 22nd Inf., took five forts, cleared a two-mile
stretch at the southeast corner of the Cherbourg peninsula
within two hours. While the remainder of the division
poured ashore, the 8th, 70th Tank Bn. and 4th Engineers
crashed into enemy rear positions across the flooded
ground behind the beach.
Col. H.A. Tribolet's 22nd Inf. swung north along the
fortified coast, blasting away at forts and pillboxes of the
"impregnable" Atlantic Wall. Division Artillery followed
as 12th Inf., led by Col. Russell P. "Red' Reeder,
pushed northwest to fill the widening gap between the
8th and 22nd.
Gen. Barton and his three brigadier generals, Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr., H.W. Blakeley and H.A. Barber, went
ashore before 1100. Gen. Roosevelt, landing with the
initial wave, won the division's first Medal of Honor.
Frantic Nazis saw the assault gain momentum. Hitler
had ordered von Rundstedt and Rommel to annihilate
Allied beachhead forces by nightfall. Despite heavy
shelling, the division poured ashore to defy the Fuehrer's
order. Not in the least "annihilated," most of the division
was on French soil and had established a front four
to seven miles inland as dusk fell.
Next day, the 8th broke through to the vital road center,
Ste. Mere Eglise to relieve a portion of the
82nd Airborne, isolated for 36 hours by numerically superior
forces. While the 12th ripped straight ahead toward
Montebourg, the 22nd threw its full weight against
coastal fortifications that stretched for miles.
On the third day, the 12th forged ahead boldly With
both flanks exposed. Germans, fighting desperately to
gain time, called on their reserve power, including two
bicycle storm battalions. When the 12th hit the enemy
main line of resistance near Emondeville an all-day battle,
packed with repeated attacks and counter-attacks, raged.
Twice, the regiment's CP was attacked, but the Nazis
eventually were routed.
Having concluded the relief of the
82nd Airborne at
Ste. Mere Eglise, the 8th made a long advance to come
abreast of the 12th, extending the division's line from
Emondeville west to the Merderet River. The 22nd still
was locked in a deadly grapple with German fortifications.
Battling all the next day, the 8th smashed the Nazi MLR
near Ecausseville. Acts of gallantry and heroism were
many in the vicious fighting. Co. I charged across
yards of fire-swept ground; half of Co. E was cut down
by ambush fire. In a final attack, 1st Bn. and Co. A,
70th Tank Bn., lifted the German line off its pivot.
While the 8th slugged through the Ecausseville line,
the 12th, again ignoring its open flanks, smacked the
same force it had defeated the previous day, driving the
remnants to Montebourg. Meanwhile, the 22nd had
buttoned up Azeville, toughest fort in the beachhead area,
and shoved ahead to Chateau de Fontenay, home of
Voltaire but now a Nazi strongpoint.
While Corps coiled to deliver the next punch, the
Famous Fourth still had unfinished business. A string of
forts along the coast from Crisbecq to Quineville still
resisted. The rugged job of reducing them was accomplished
by the Double Deucers and the 359th Inf., 9th Div.,
which pounded away for five days. When Quineville, last
of the strongpoints, fell June 14, one of the most difficult
assignments of the war was complete. The Cherbourg
beachhead was firmly established in American hands.
Before daylight June 19, the 4th struck enemy forces
near Montebourg. Following a barrage so close they
nearly burned their faces, Joes of Co. F, 8th Inf., ripped
through enemy lines to cut off the German escape route
while the remainder of the regiment and the 12th herded
Krauts to the "shooting gallery" Co. F had set up.
Following this success, the division chased Germans 10
miles to the ring of defenses circling Cherbourg.
Meanwhile, the 22nd lunged forward from Le Theil in
a long advance to take a hill between Cherbourg and its
airport. The airfield, east of the city, was surrounded by
the strongest fortifications on the peninsula. The 22nd
proceeded to split the enemy force in half, then held out
three days when it became surrounded. During this
time, the 8th and 12th, in brilliant maneuvers and violent
battles polished off enemy positions southeast of the city.
After taking Tourlaviile, Cherbourg suburb, the 12th
advanced to the coast June 25. Entering Cherbourg,
next day, doughs mopped up the eastern section of the
city while the 9th and 79th Divs. drove in from the west
and south. Exactly one week after starting the drive
from Montebourg, the Famous Fourth occupied the entire
city except forts along the waterfront and in the harbor.
Then the 22nd drove in on defenses surrounding the
airport where 1000 Nazis fanatically fought two days
before succumbing. After a long pounding by artillery,
the last harbor fort surrendered, June 29. Except for the
northwest corner, the Cherbourg peninsula, pivot of the
invasion, was swept clean of the enemy. Preparations
for the Battle of France could go into high gear. Armored
divisions and heavy artillery began arriving. Air
bases were moved from England to the continent. An
army capable of splitting the Wehrmacht wide open was
landing in France.
Fourth Division men had fought 23 days without rest,
driving ahead relentlessly until victory was won. Maj.
Gen. J. Lawron Collins, VII Corps Commander, in
commending the division following the campaign, said:
It is a tribute to the devotion of the men of the division
that severe losses in no way deterred their aggressive action.
The division has been faithful to its honored dead. The
4th Infantry Division can rightly be proud of the great
part that it played from the initial landing on Utah Beach
to the very end of the Cherbourg campaign. I wish to
express my tremendous admiration.
BREAKTHROUGH BUBBLE BURSTS
With only three days rest for infantrymen and none
for Div Arty, the Famous Fourth -- new commanders
replacing those killed or wounded -- launched its new
campaign. The 8th now was commanded by Col. J.S.
Rodwell, former Division Chief of Staff; the 12th by Col.
J.S. Luckett; the 22nd by Col. R.T. Foster. Opposing
forces were the 12th SS Panzer Div. and 6th Parachute
Regt., both top-notch outfits.
For 10 days, the 4th experienced hedgerow fighting at
its worst. A hundred yard gain on a 300-yard front
often meant a full day's work for a battalion. Enemy
lurked behind every hedgerow. German gunners were
dug in every few yards. Forward movement brought
certain fire. Yet 4th Joes went into this new, grim battle
with the same unbeatable determination they had in
storming the Atlantic Wall and capturing Cherbourg.
In a narrow bottleneck, 12th Inf. opened the attack.
Second Bn. made nine separate assaults in two days, some
producing space no larger than a backyard garden.
When the 12th eventually ripped out the whole line,
the 8th and 22nd swung into action.
On the next MLR, the 8th struggled three days before
finally surrounding and annihilating an opposing regiment.
On the other flank, the 22nd, now under Col.
C.T. Lanham, slugged ahead against large numbers of
Panther tanks proving men can beat tanks -- if they are
the right men. The 22nd knocked out 20 Panthers in
four days.
Germans fell back to a new defensive line along a
sunken road between two swamps. When the 4th took
the position after battling four days, the division was
relieved and moved to the St. Lo front for its next mission.
The plan had three essential parts: first, VII Corps
would punch a hole in German lines west of St. Lo.
Through this, reserves would slice westward to the coast,
getting behind and destroying enemy lines and open
the way for Third Army to roll. Finally, Corps would
drive straight south through Villedieu and St. Pois to
block out Germans while Third Army swept into open
country. The Famous Fourth was to play a vital part in
the first and third phases of the plan.
Next day, as the 8th smashed ahead, the 22nd went
into action with Combat Command Rose of the 2nd
Armd. Div. -- a team which was to give an outstanding
performance of infantry-tank coordination during the
week. By noon, the Combat Command had knifed
through initial defenses and several hours later was
rolling southward on open roads, through St. Gilles and
Canisy, reaching Mesnil Herman at dawn. Arrival of
an American force at that tiny hamlet, July 27, spelled
disaster for the Wehrmacht.
The 8th reached its objective, between Mesnil Herman
and Marigny, the same morning. The division had
achieved its breakthrough; the second phase began
immediately. When the 12th whipped down to cover the
westward turn of 3rd Armd. and 1st Inf. Divs., which
drove for Coutances and the coast, Gen. Patton's Army
was set to roll south.
The third phase centered around the bottleneck between
Villedieu and Avranches through which Third
Army had to pass. To guard this vital ground, VII Corps
was ordered to seize a north-south line through Villedieu,
St. Pois and Mortain. Double Deucers, along with CC
Rose, carried out the mission July 28.
Running into strong German forces trying desperately
to build a new defense line from Tessy-sur-Vire through
Percy and Villedieu to Avranches, CC Rose maneuvered
and fought furious battles for five days before finally
buttoning up Tessy and the area near Percy.
The remainder of the 4th was on the opposite side of
Percy, keeping one jump ahead of the enemy, On Aug.
1, the 12th captured Villedieu, which von Kluge repeatedly
called the key to the entire operation.
For this campaign, Gen. Collins again commended 4th
Div., praising its "ability to take every objective assigned
to it." Wrote the general:
I cannot let the division pass from my command without
expressing my appreciation of the great contribution made
by the 4th Infantry Division to the success of the VII
Corps... The division has lived up to the high standard
it set for itself in the initial campaign.
CLINCHING THE VICTORY AT PARIS
For the next week, the 12th underwent some of the
roughest combat in its history. The regiment slugged
forward through artillery, mortars and screaming meemies.
It was bombed by the Luftwaffe, attacked by
tanks. Battalions were reduced to two or three hundred
men. Joes became so tired that sheer fortitude alone
kept them in the fight.
But the regiment kept pushing back the enemy. When
the 12th was relieved, Aug. 12, the German counter-attack
was written off as a dismal failure. The rout was
on. Germans back-pedalled and didn't stop until they hit
the Fatherland.
After Mortain, the 4th had its first and only real rest.
No Germans were seen for 10 days; enemy artillery even
moved out of range. Alerted for an urgent mission, the
division was transferred to V Corps Aug. 23.
In a driving rain, the 4th rolled along the road to Paris
all that night and the next day. Although the FFI had
been battling Germans for several days inside the city,
the capital still was surrounded. Bringing support to
the patriots, the 4th and the 2nd French Armd. Div.
raced to clinch the victory.
The 4th bivouacked 12 miles south of the city as Germans
retreated hastily across the Seine River. The 22nd
set out in pursuit. That evening, 2nd French Armd. met
strong opposition between Versailles and Paris. At
midnight, the 12th was ordered to move into the city.
EARLY Aug. 25, while the 8th and 22nd crossed the Seine,
the 12th advanced north on Boulevard d'Orleans, ready
to take on all comers. For once, doughs found the job
nearly accomplished before they arrived. On trucks,
the 12th rode in triumphal procession through streets
jammed from wall to wall with thousands of joyous Parisians.
Third Bn. reached Notre Dame Cathedral at high
noon, first Allied military unit to see the famous square
for more than four years. Other battalion elements
arrived as fast as they could push their way through the
surging throng.
Paris was free -- the biggest news the world had heard
since D-Day. Gen. Barton and Gen. Blakeley represented
the division when the German commander surrendered
at the Gare de Montparnasse.
Moving to the north suburbs of Paris, the division
cleared the city. Germans now were frantically trying
to get out of France. Next, the Famous Fourth advanced
northeast as First Army's drive to the Belgian
border picked up speed.
The Famous Fourth roared along the banks of the
same river, sweeping German rear guards from hundreds
of square miles each day. Passing the Foret de Compiegne
where the armistice was signed in 1918, the division
bridged the Aisne River in one afternoon, then raced
through territory which Germans had held against all
attacks in World War I.
Double Deucers, riding hellbent for election, passed
Soissons and Laon, swept through Crecy, Guise and Le
Cateau. In two days they reached Landrecies, close to
the border. On a broad front squarely across enemy
escape routes, the 8th and 12th occupied the area near
St. Quentin.
Two days later, V Corps rushed eastward to the Meuse
River, crossing it before reeling Germans could take
advantage of excellent natural defenses. In the same
sector where the Nazis had routed the French in 1940,
V Corps now surprised the Germans by spanning the
Meuse and driving on the Fatherland.
For the next week, the 4th notched back the throttle as
it pounded through Belgium, fighting German rear
guards and liberating hundreds of towns. St. Hubert,
La Roche, Houffalize, Bastogne, St. Vith fell before the
division's surging drive. Everywhere, home-made Allied
flags appeared on houses.
At 2120, Sept. 11, 4th Div. patrols crossed the German
border to be followed next day by the entire 22nd Inf.
First proclamation of Allied Military Government was
posted at Elcherat, Germany. "Sacred" Germany, safe
from invasion since Napoleon's day, now was about to
get the works.
D-DAY: READY AND RARING TO GO
HITLER boasted that his vaunted West Wall was
impregnable. The 4th set out to prove him a liar. Where
the division assaulted the barrier, east of St. Vith, strong
defenses were built on a steep, thickly wooded ridge -- the
Schnee Eifel.
When the 12th and 22nd climbed this Sept. 14, the
enemy still was disorganized from his headlong retreat.
Both regiments overran pillboxes, broke through to the
top of the ridge, fanning out behind the Siegfried Line.
Germans made a desperate stand. They rushed in
reinforcements as the 12th and 22nd split in a twin-pronged
drive. When Germans filtered into the 4th's position
from behind, the 8th was recalled from an advance farther
north to fill the center gap.
The division front, now extended 15 miles, prevented
further penetration without support, so the 4th was
ordered to halt, dig in. After 15 weeks of continual
advance, the Double Deucers settled down to hold a
stabilized line. After guarding the Schnee Eifel and
later the Monschau front, the 4th moved to Hurtgen
Forest Nov. 5.
Of the campaign just finished, Lt. Gen. (then Maj.
Gen.) L.T. Gerow, V Corps Commander wrote:
The aggressive courage, unselfish devotion, tenacity of
purpose and outstanding leadership of all ranks is evidenced
by the fact that the 4th Infantry Division has never
failed to capture its assigned objectives and has never lost
ground to the enemy... It is without reservation that I say
you have a hard fighting, smooth functioning division.
The old 4th, created Dec. 3, 1917, at Camp Greene,
N.C., set a remarkable record. It organized, trained,
crossed the Atlantic and fought in four offensives before
the armistice was signed. It saw heavy action in the
Aisne-Mare offensive, on the Vesle, at St. Mihiel and in
the Meuse-Argonne before occupying Germany for seven
months.
June, 1940, when it seemed that no power on earth
could stand against the Wehrmacht, the new 4th was
activated. It was organized at Ft. Benning, Ga., with the
8th, 22nd and 29th Inf. Regts.; the 20th, 29th, 42nd and
44th FA Bns; the 4th Engr. Bn., and 4th Special Troops.
Later, 12th Inf. replaced 29th Inf. After training at Ft.
Benning, maneuvering in Louisiana and Carolina, the 4th
served as the War Department's guinea pig in experiments
with motorized divisions.
Gen. R.O. Barton, first Chief of Staff, returned as Division
Commander in June, 1942. Under Gen. Barton's
leadership, the 4th shaped up rapidly as a hard-hitting
unit.
In Autumn, 1943, the 4th became a straight infantry
division, taking its amphibious training at Camp Gordon
Johnston, Fla. After two years of restless waiting, the
division sailed for England, Jan. 18, 1944. At "Sunny
Devon," Joes rehearsed Normandy landings time and time
again on the beach at Slapton Sands. D-Day found the
4th ready and raring to go.
HURTGEN -- "DEATH FACTORY"
Artillery, doubly dangerous in the woods because of
tree bursts, was zeroed in on every conceivable objective.
Weather was pure misery -- constant rain, snow,
near freezing temperatures. Living for days in
water-filled holes, usually without blankets, troops had no
escape from cold and wet.
Before the main offensive gut underway, the 12th rushed
south to aid a division under heavy enemy pressure. The
regiment fought bitterly for eight days, attacking and
counter-attacking without flank support. Although it
suffered heavy casualties, the 12th returned to join the
division's assault Nov. 16.
On the south flank of the offensive, the 4th attacked
through the forest toward Duren. Again, its front was
extended. To the left of the 12th, now commanded by
Col. R.H. Chance, was the 22nd and the 8th, the latter
now led by Col. R.G. McKee. For three days the regiment
struggled to crack the first enemy lines.
Every yard was difficult, dangerous. Firebreaks and
clearings were mined. In the thick woods, German
positions couldn't be detected more than five yards away.
Yet, Nazi outposts could observe the 4th's approach.
Every move brought instant artillery and mortar fire.
The line of wire and mines seemed impossible to crack.
Machine guns and artillery blunted every attack. Reaching
a firebreak which crossed the front, the 70th Tank
Bn. finally broke the wire, rolled beyond. Infantry
followed in tracks made by tanks after armor had detonated
anti-personnel mines.
In pushing the front forward 1000 yards, the division
suffered heavy casualties the first five days. The next
enemy line was as tough as the first. The identical procedure
had to be repeated.
Another five days produced another destroyed line,
another mile gained. Germans brought up
fresh regiments, counter-attacking daily. Often, companies were
caught before they had
a chance to get set. It took another battle to throw
back stubborn Germans. After every advance, men
spent hours digging holes and cutting logs to cover
them. Artillery often whined, burst in the trees before
shelters could be finished.
After a day and night of vicious fighting, the 22nd
reached Grosshau Nov. 27, wiping out German defenders
before going on to the last strip of the forest beyond the
town. Still in the woods, the 8th and 12th crashed the
third MLR, which was as rough as the others. The Nazis
had overlooked no bet. Every approach was covered
with every device of defensive warfare. Neither skill
nor genius could find an easy way. It took sheer guts
to win.
After three days, both regiments shattered the last line
and broke through near the east edge of the forest. Then
came welcome news. Relief! The 22nd moved to
Luxembourg Dec. 3, followed by the 12th four days later
and the 8th on Dec. 13.
Gen. Collins again paid tribute to the Famous Fourth:
The drive required a continuous display of top-notch
leadership and the highest order of individual courage under
the most adverse conditions. The fact that the 4th Division
overcame these many difficulties and drove the enemy
from the dominating hills overlooking the Roer River is
a tribute to the skill, determination and aggressiveness
of all ranks.
FAMOUS FOURTH LOOKS AHEAD
That morning, Gen. Barton issued an order: "There
will be no retrograde movement in this sector."
The 4th would stand and fight it out!
When a German battalion swooped down on Berdorf,
lone defenders comprised a company headquarters, one
rifle squad, two anti-tank squads and a four-man mortar
squad. The make-shift defense took refuge in the Parc
Hotel, a rifle in every other window, and withstood repeated
attacks. Pulverizing German artillery blasted off
the roof and part of the hotel's third floor. Doughs
moved to other windows, kept firing.
Two platoons were at Dickweiler, three at Osweiler.
Units in both towns were surrounded by full strength
battalions. Every time Germans attacked, Joes waited
until they closed in, then sprayed the Nazis with a withering
fire that stopped succeeding assaults with heavy losses.
Other German units, by-passing the two towns, ran
into the 12th's reserves. Companies, with a few tanks as
support, boldly moved forward to take on a complete
battalion. The Americans disregard for the odds confused
and worried the Germans. This thin-spread outfit was
supposed to be easy pickings. Instead, it was giving the
Nazis a terrific headache.
Transferred from their own thinly defended sectors,
battalions of the 8th and 22nd came up the next morning
to plunge into action. A fresh German regiment attempted
a flanking move through a valley at the sector's edge,
but the 4th Engr. Bn. and the 4th Recon Troop repulsed
the attack.
Moving through the undefended woods at the center
of the division's lines, the German 316th Regt. shoved
all the way to the rear areas, surrounding a battalion CP.
Although the 12th's Cannon Co. was caught with its
guns coupled up, Krauts got the bigger surprise. Cannoneers
loaded guns and fired point blank while the
remainder of the company blazed away with carbines.
A second CP was surrounded when Nazis attacked 2nd
Bn., 22nd Inf. Grabbing artillerymen to serve as infantry,
Co. C, 70th Tank Bn., relieved the handful of Joes staving
off the assault. This was the straw that broke the German
breakthrough attempts, but still the enemy wasn't
finished.
Withdrawing to their original starting positions, Nazis
stormed Berdorf and Echternach. After completely
encircling Echternach, the enemy recaptured the town.
By now, the 4th had no reserves to call upon. Cooks,
quartermasters, MPs -- every possible man in the
division -- was in the line.
Gen. Barton decided to pull out of Berdorf and Lauterborn
and withdraw to a solid MLR. Garrisons that
had held against all odds fell back to the next line.
Germans followed. But they were too late. After
attacking monotonously for three days, three battalions
of the German 212th Div., already badly mauled, were
wiped out. Only one German of 2nd Bn., 316th,
survived the battle at Michelshof. He surrendered.
Under Gen. Blakeley, the battle of Luxembourg was
pushed to complete victory. Along with the 5th Inf. Div.,
which took over a portion of the front, Double Deucers
seized the offensive. Germans failed to hold the little
territory they had recaptured. By Jan. 1, remnants of
the 2i2th Div. reeled backward.
Von Rundstedt's big gamble was definitely washed up
by mid-January; the bulge was whittled down all along
the line. The 4th now was sent in to cut off another
chunk.
At 0300 Jan. 18, the 8th crossed the Sauer River in the
winter's roughest weather. A strong north wind lashed
stinging rain, sleet and snow in doughs' faces. Trucks
and trailers skidded and ditched along steep, ice-covered
roads. The bridging job was the toughest 4th Engrs.
ever had experienced.
Surprised by the first assault, Germans were quick to
retaliate. Advancing northward across the front of the
Siegfried Line, the 8th took heavy flanking fire from hillside
defenders. Doggedly, 8th doughs pushed on to
their objective. Farther north, the 12th overran Fuhren
and took the high ground near Vianden. By Jan. 21,
the division had captured all its objectives.
In commending the 4th, Maj. Gen. M.S. Eddy, XII
Corps Commander, said:
Your combat record since D-Day has been in the highest
traditions of the American Army... Your execution of
this mission (clearing the enemy from positions west of
the Our River) was a demonstration of sound tactical
planning and bold courage by a division who knew its
business. Let me express my deep appreciation of your
magnificent contribution to the successful operation of
the XII Corps in Luxembourg.
Five days later, the Famous Fourth moved again,
joining in the pursuit of Germans, now in headlong
retreat from Belgium. Crossing the border in the same
place it had back in September, the division recaptured
familiar villages. Elcherat, Winterscheid, Bleialf were
among those falling to the 12th.
Scaling the Schnee Eifel in a snow storm, the 8th closed.
in on pillboxes and entrenchments from the rear to recover
in two days all that segment of the Siegfried Line which it
had won in September. The 22nd took the fortified town
of Brandscheid, which previously had withstood all attacks.
Pausing long enough for other divisions to draw
abreast, the 4th, along with the 11th Armd. Div., pushed
on to cross the Kyll River at the beginning of March.
A task force under Brig. Gen. Rodwell made a dramatic
24-hour dash which carried it more than 20 miles,
capturing Adenau and Reifferscheid.
The division took added pride in turning Adenau over
to Maj. Gen. Troy Middleton, VII Corps Commander.
Gen Middleton was an officer in the old 4th which had
occupied the town 27 years earlier.
As Gen. Rodwell's force was fighting forward, orders
arrived to move the division 200 miles south, to Gen.
Patch's Seventh Army.
New problems, new battles await the 4th, but it faces
them with calm, certain confidence that it will do what it
always has done -- accomplish its mission.
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