Troop A 42d Squadron
10-18 August 1944
On August 10, Troop A was assigned the mission of reconnoitering and probing into the outskirts of Nantes.
The 3rd Platoon was about one mile from the suburbs when Scout Sgt. Lish, who was leading the platoon, received small arms fire from a roadblock about 500 yards in front of him. The jeep gunner returned fire as Lish pulled his vehicle back, so the lead armored car could engage the enemy with 37mm and machine gun fire. Our platoon leader, Lt. Shaw, ran dismounted riflemen out to cover the flanks. After a heavy engagement which lasted about a half hour, we were ordered to withdraw, leaving one armored car and a few riflemen to keep contact with the enemy.
On the right flank of the 3rd Platoon was the 1st Platoon, commanded by Lt. Botta. They had also made contact with the Germans and in addition had run into a mine field. Their orders were to hold the right flank and to observe any movement by the enemy.
Our CO, Capt. Embleton, the Squadron CO, Lt. Col. Hill, and our platoon leader Lt. Shaw, plus E and F Company’s Lt’s. Wessling and Ransom, went into a huddle to determine the best way to eliminate the roadblock. Finally it was decided that the 3rd Platoon with Headquarters Platoon, two assault guns and a platoon of light tanks were to make a frontal attack and clean out the roadblock.
On both sides of the road were the riflemen and leading the attack were the assault guns. As the attacking force moved out the assault guns blasted the roadblock open. We held up 300 yards in front of our objective and Lt. Shaw called for 10 volunteers to go on patrol to investigate the effectiveness of our fire. We again set out on each side of the road, walking in ditches to keep covered. As we reached the roadblock we started to receive sniper fire. When we advanced beyond the roadblock toward the city the firing became so intense that we were forced to withdraw. When we arrived back at the obstacle we checked it thoroughly and found several mines buried nearby.
While we were snooping around we suddenly received our first baptism of artillery fire. The first shell went over our heads, and because we knew very little about the artillery most of us didn’t hit the ditch immediately. Before we were prepared the next shell came screaming into our midst. Fragments hit Lt. Shaw in both legs, but the rest of us knew nothing of this until later. We were lying in the ditch while the Germans poured shells in thick and fast. We were all pretty well shocked and scared and our main thought was to get out of there in a hurry. When the shelling died down a little we ran back toward our own forces. There our tanks picked up and we withdrew a short distance back up the road.
Then we discovered that Lt. Shaw was missing and Sgt. Archambault, T/5 Sudhoff and Pvt. Pannelli jumped into a jeep and beat it back down the road. They rescued Lt. Shaw from a ditch near the roadblock in spite of enemy attempts to stop them. They all received the Bronze Star for this act.
An hour later the 4th Armored came up and relieved us. We told them what we had discovered about the defenses of the city and their assault was eventually successful.
At 1700 the Second Cavalry was ordered to screen from Nantes, exclusive to Angers (I)(II)(16), and Col. Reed designated the 42d Squadron to send one Troop (Troop C) to screen the Loire from Carquefouy (I) to Ancenis (I)(16), exclusive, and the 2d to screen with one Troop (Troop B) as far as Angers. The remainder of the Group concentrated at Mesanger (I)(16).
On the 14th the screen was extended west to include Nantes and Redon.
The Troops moved smoothly into position with A Troop occupying Blain (I)(17) and pushing Lt. Wolf’s platoon into Bouvron (17) with patrols reaching out to Redon, and Lt. Botta’s platoon into Fay de Bretagne (I)(17). Lt. Hancock’s platoon was committed south of Fay where a German staff car was splashed with a 37mm. It was at this time that Troop A lost a great soldier, Sgt. Lish.
Farther south B Troop sent Lt. Kelly’s platoon and a platoon of tanks into Nantes to relieve CCA. Major Likes with one IPW team set up an advance Group CP in Nantes. Lt. Lindoerfer’s platoon pushed west to St. Etienne-Le Temple (17) where enemy resistance stiffened. Enemy artillery fire temporarily forced our patrols from le Temple on the 17th but we soon re-occupied the town. Enemy patrols encountered in the vicinity of St. Etienne were driven off by our Troops. The enemy showed more aggression in the vicinity of Bouvran, St. Omer (17), and le Temple. 42d Squadron shelled the enemy headquarters at Chateau Kerlan (17).
Troop C soon relieved Troop A in the Blain sector and started to push down to the canal below St. Omer. Heavy, accurate fire by Lt. Theodore’s assault gun platoon knocked the Krauts out of the windmill covering the canal crossing, but they blew up the bridge to delay our advance.
We went into position to keep an eye on them. T/4 Branaman was on a MG outpost a few hundred yards from the canal when two air corps officers drove up in a jeep. The sergeant warned them that Krauts had the road under fire and they couldn’t pass. The Captain driving said, “Aw no”, and they took off. We expected them to get blown out of the jeep any second but they got down to the bridge, looked around, and then started back. Just as they reached us an 88 blasted away, nearly parting the drivers hair. Both of the officers dove for the ditch and came up with pistols in their hands looking for the 88. We almost had to laugh.
Then Branaman said, “Get that damn jeep off the road; it draws fire.”
To our surprise they jumped in and drove off, saying they would be back with their planes and get that Kraut gun. Maybe they did.
On August 18, enemy artillery fell in Nantes, and enemy attempts to patrol in the vicinity of St. Omer and le Temple were driven off. The Group Commander decid
ed to try to convince the enemy at Chateua Kerlan to surrender and sent two officers of the 42d Squadron to offer terms.
Chateau Kerlan
2d Lt. Lindoerfer, Troop B, 42d Squadron
18-27 August 1944
We had a large number of the enemy trapped in the St. Nazaire (I) area, about 20,000, and at our platoon position around le Temple (17) they seemed pretty aggressive. On August 18, Col. Reed sent Major James H. Pitman and myself as emmissaries to the Chateau Kerlan (17), Headquarters of the Colonel commanding enemy forces opposite le Temple, with formal demand for the surrender of his command. The letter that we carried read as follows:
“With the Allied Army advancing north from Marseilles, with 20 of your best Divisions encircled in front of Paris (II), the situation of the German forces in the St. Nazaire area is hopeless. They must either give up the unequal struggle or I must destroy them.
I will accept your surrender in person and will provide for your troops the protection accorded by the Geneva Convention, and the necessary food and medical care.
Should you wish to confer on these terms, I will furnish you safe conduct into my lines, or will meet you for conference.
I send herewith a letter to the CG St. Nazaire area offering him the same terms.
Should you not accept these terms, I shall be obliged to destroy your forces with air and ground attack.”
Major Pitman and I entered the German lines under a white flag at 1500 August 18. We were escorted, blindfolded, from the German outpost line through mine fields and barbed wire to a house located in the woods in the vicinity of Kerlan where we were met by Hauptmann Peterson, a staff officer to Oberst Melvis, commanding the enemy forces on our immediate front.
Upon the arrival of Oberst Melvis, Major Pitman delivered to him both the letters written in German, and personally explained the demands of Col. Reed and the consequences which would follow were the terms of surrender refused. Oberst Melvis replied that since he could not surrender without the consent of the CG, he would take the letter to St. Nazaire and would make a reply before the deadline set at 1930, August 18. Major Pitman and I were then blindfolded and returned to the German outpost by a staff car. The entire proceedings were carried out in a most formal manner, and the treatment accorded both of us was beyond reproach. The German forces at the headquarters were young and aggressive Paratroop Infantry and Luftwaffe field Division personnel.
The terms were finally rejected and eight allied aircraft flew a mission on the enemy Headquarters.
The 2d Squadron moved out at 0930 August 21, to join XII Corps at Cloyes (II) for a new mission. By 0600 22 August, relief of the 42d Squadron by the 83rd Division was completed, the Group and the Squadron moved to the east by way of Laval (I), le Mans (I)(II) to a bivouac near Fontaine (II), a distance of 202 miles. 2d Squadron moved out to establish a screen on the Corps south flank, below Montargis (III)(18). Troop A engaged the enemy at St. Genevieve (18) and captured the town.
The next day Group Headquarters and 42d Squadron moved east to the vicinity of Foissy, a distance of 160 miles. At 1800 orders were received from XII Corps directing the Group to continue on the mission assigned to the 2d Squadron and extend northeast to cover a line through Gien (III) - Joigny (III)(18) - St. Florentin (III)(20) to Marcilly le Hayer (III)(19). As the advance of XII Corps to the east was extremely rapid, Group received new orders daily, which extended the screen farther and farther to the east. By August 27 Group Headquarters was established at Ruvigny (III) a few kilometers east of Troyes (III). However, this rapid advance was not made without running into some enemy resistance here and there along the line.
The 2d Squadron destroyed a column of 60 horse drawn vehicles moving southeast from Montargis on the 23rd. The next day B Troop tangled with an enemy bivouac area at St. Maurice (18). S/Sgt. William S. Lyles was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in that fight.
“When three members of his unit were wounded, Sgt. Lyles voluntarily and at the risk of his own life crossed an open area under enemy machine gun and rifle fire to give first aid to his comrades. Seeing that the three men were in need of immediate medical attention, Sgt. Lyles brought each man individually across the open area and into the protection of the hedgerows from which they were evacuated. The gallant and courageous action of Sgt. Lyles, who placed the welfare of his comrades in arms above his personal safety, reflects the highest credit upon his character as a soldier and upon the military service.”
It was also in this action that the promising young Lt. Ratcliffe lost his life.
This was a busy day in other places along the front. Troop C destroyed a considerable number of the enemy at les Ormes (18), and Capt. Andrews misunderstood Col. Reed which caused quite a fight.
