WW2-More Engagements, 2nd Cav Mounts Up On Horses

20 Oct 1944

Troop B was assembled in reserve in Parroy (29a)(OHW) waiting for C Troop to finish clearing out Hambone woods (OHW). At 1800 we received word that their attack had been successful, and B Troop started moving up to carry the second part of the plan into operation.

We left our transportation at the canal bridge, which was blown, and slopped through the mud for the remaining two kilometers to Hambone. As we closed up in the nothwest corner of the woods, which we found later from a captured artillery plan to have a Kraut concentration number, we saw Capt. Lambert and Capt. Ebrey discussing the plan of attack.

The men were pooped out already, especially those carrying mortars and ammunition, and we had equipment strewn through the woods for the last few hundred yards.

Just as we closed up to jump off from the north edge of Hambone woods, a Battalion concentration of German 150mm howitzers pasted the corner we were in. Tree bursts and falling trees slashed into the dirt as the men dove to the ground. It was so crowded that some were in arms length of each other. There were no holes. Trees fell across some of the men and fragments dug the ground beside all of us.

“Get the attack under way.” Capt. Lambert ordered when the shelling let up. Then we attacked in a column of platoons, with Lt. Lindoerfer leading the charge across the 400 yard open stretch to the Bois de Frontiere (OHW) with his platoon yelling like Indians. He was covered by supporting fire from our positions in Hambone woods. He quickly overcame the enemy firing burp guns at the edge of the woods. The second wave followed the instant the leading platoon hit the wood. Then German artillery came alive again and began pounding the open ground between the two woods - but we were across!

Then we started mopping up, 3rd platoon on the right, 2d platoon on the left, pushing 1000 yards north through the woods, digging Krauts out of there holes, stepping over the bodies and fragments of bodies and wreckage left by our frightfully effective artillery barrage. Rapidly we rolled up the line the Germans had held on the west edge of the woods.

As we progressed the 1st platoon, in support and echeloned to the right rear, dropped off machine gun sections which dug in and covered our right against counter-attacks.

Kraut artillery was still coming in but was landing far to the rear where we had entered the woods. Like General Patton said, it paid to keep moving.

It was nasty work as it was getting dark rapidly, but we had reached the far edge of the woods when the Squadron Exec. came by in the dark, checking the combat outposts. We dug into the mud and spent that night on the alert for a counter-attack. The German artillery helped us to stay awake!

Only the Bois de Frederick (OHW) remained in Kraut hands. Buckshot Harris sent a daylight patrol, under the ace scout Sgt. Chesser, into the woods across the 100 yards of open ground while we held our breaths. They made the woods okay. Just after they disappeared among the trees a heavy volume of small arms fire broke out, machine guns, burp guns and rifle. It ended as suddenly as it started and we heard nothing more.

After an appreciable wait, Capt. Harris called for another patrol. Since the men were shaken by the results of Chesser’s patrol, the Captain led this one himself.

This time the assault guns crashed along the edge of the woods, laying a blanket of fire ahead of the patrol which now found the woods clear. We quickly occupied it.

Back To The Front

24 - 31 Oct 1944

Troop C remained at Bathelmont (29a) until the 24th, when it again relieved the 42d at Parroy (29a)(OHW), this time occupying foxholes in the Bois de Frontiere (OHW)(MD). (Group report 24 October, “Sporadic artillery fire received throughout our sector. Patrols to Xures (29a)(OHW) reported the enemy still in town. Arrangements were made for relief by the 2d Squadron. Troop C moved under cover of darkness and relieved Troop B of it’s positions in the Bois de Frontiere”.)

At 1700 that evening, what was believed to be an 88mm gun opened up with direct fire on our position. After that, the gun shelled the position regularly at 0500 and 1700. For the next five days numerous patrols and listening posts were sent out, and the area was subjected to frequent heavy fire. The night of the 25th, T/5 Dominguez was killed and Pvt. Mason was wounded when a direct hit was made on their foxhole. Pvts. Fulara and Aldrich were also wounded that night. Col. Ben and a color blind sergeant spotted the gun the next day and we weren’t bothered so much after that.

During the night of the 27th, a patrol was sent out to mine a road some six hundred yards in front of our position. Enemy bicyclists were believed to be using the road after dark. No contact was made, but a listening post was maintained there nevertheless. The following day the Troop was relieved by the 26th Recon Troop, and we went back to Squadron reserve in Parroy itself. For the remainder of the month the Troop guarded bridges and sent out an occasional patrol. A few shells landed in Parroy but no more casualties were suffered.

Boche Kaput

Late Oct - Early Nov 1944

Troop C was getting hell. Here we had kicked the Krauts out of Hambone woods (OHW)(MD) and were breaking in the green 26th Division Recon Troop just west of Xures (29a)(OHW)(MD), showing them how to smell out the enemy, and the Krauts had spoiled our show for the last five days by knocking hell out of the section covering our little minefield.

A Jerry AT gun, estimated as an 88, was particularly nasty and seemed to hang out in the orchard before the woods called La Haut de la Croix (OHW). “It’s in dem trees”, said one CP trooper, and we pounded away with our assault guns on the target area, but with no apparent affect.

Col. Ben decided to have a look, and brought along a T/Sgt. from the air-ground liaison detachment with his mighty jeep-filling radio. Col. Withers insisted on joining the tourist party.

Our forward trenches to the right of the road on the hill were reached by Col. Benkosky and the sergeant without incident. Col. Withers arrived hurriedly and slightly short of breath as he had been boosted up the hill by three shell bursts that walked up the slope behind him. The last one almost paid off as it hit the sod above the trench just as he slid in — safe!

The Colonels both had as little success in seeing anything as the troopers had had for the last four days. Their efforts to prove that Colonels see better than privates did manage to stir up the enemy a little more than usual.

Doubtless in an effort to discourage the tactical peering of the Colonels, the T/Sgt. stuck his head up and took a look around. Poor chap, he was color blind. The artificial color of the camouflage with which the Krauts neatly hid their gun didn’t register on his “poor” eyes, and he picked up the position immediately.

A radio call to Mustang support group, description of the target and it’s location, were presently followed by the appearance of our fighters. They circled and dove in, 50’s yammering. As they pulled up, two grand slams were heard. The orchard disappeared in a cloud of smoke and flying earth. The 500 pounders had scored and the C Troopers, now that the enemy gunners had been Christinized, slept peacefully that night with only enemy mortars to bother them.

“By God, Benkosky“, said Col. Withers, “I’m going to write you up for that!”

When the Silver Star came Col. Benkosky said, “For watching a damn good 4F sergeant do a fine piece of work.”

The first seven days of November were spent in patrol activities and preparing for the November 8th drive.

Group reported on 8 November. “2d Cavalry Squadron attacked through elements of the 328th Infantry at 0530 and by 1800 had reached 2 kilometers northeast of Xanrey (29a) and 1 kilometer north of Bezenge la Petite (29a). 42d Squadron pushed Troop A north of Moncourt (29a)(OHW).”

It didn’t mention the clusters of American bodies, some scarcely 10 yards in front of their trenches, all headed toward the German positions where many of the Krauts still were — dead in their foxholes. Or the crashing artillery tree bursts, as A Troop pushed beyond the platoon that remained of the Battalion that fought, with more guts than experience, through a few hundred yards of the Moncourt woods. It didn’t mention the part played by the supporting Engineers and Tankers; not colorful, but true.

Moncourt

Early November, 1944

Sgt. Anthony Frank, F Troop, 42nd Squdron

Moncourt (29a)(OHW) may not mean anything to most people but just the name of some French town. But to the 1st Platoon of F Troop and members of A Troop it means the place where we spent some of the most gruesome days of our army career.

It was just getting dark as we were relieving the Battalion of the 26th Division, what was left of them, that had taken the town of Moncourt. That was that Infantry outfit’s first taste of combat, and believe me, they learned the hard way.

It was raining as we entered the town and the smell of burned wood and men hung heavy in the air. Doughboys who had been wounded in the days battle were in some of the cellars, in many cases with no other medical aid then that given by some of their buddies who were not so seriously wounded. There were also American and German wounded laying out in the fields in the rain. Every once in a while you could here a dying man cry out.

Our tank platoon with A Troop took up positions on the four roads leading into town. All four were in view of the enemy. A fifth led to the rear to our lines, and that was a slim one. On the farthest road there were two tanks, and on the other three, one tank apiece. All tanks had their full crews plus some of A Troop’s men. Our CP was well on the road to our lines, deep in a cellar.

Little did we realize, as we organized for the night, that we would have eight continuous days of heavy artillery and mortar fire. Many times so heavy that the men could not eat. At night we would put our tanks way out on the edge of town. Early in the morning we would bring them back in again. During the day we could watch the enemy in their dug in position from Ley (29a) to Haut de la Croix (OHW), and they probably could watch us, for any time anybody would start to walk around the town, artillery would fall heavily. We were supported by our assault guns and a platoon of TD’s. Patrols would go out every night, both ours and the enemy’s.

One little incident happened about the third night we were there. It was very dark as it was eleven o’clock on a starless night. Our Platoon Sgt., Meola, and my gunner, Fox, were on guard, sitting in the tank on the edge of town. The rest of us were in a cellar and about asleep, when we heard a burst of machine gun fire. A patrol of three Germans had approached within 20 yards of the tank without knowing the tank was there. So hearing the Germans talking, the tank opened fire. One dropped his machine pistol and all three ran away. The following night that particular position was heavily hit by artillery and mortar fire, but no damage was done, that is, to our tanks.

Our engineers used to come in at night to mine the roads leading into town for us. One night they came in with fourteen men and 150 mines on a truck. The truck stopped by the CP before going on to lay the mines, in order to pick up the latest dope on the situation. Outside the CP were two of our men on guard, one from A Troop and one from the Tank Platoon. The rest of us were in the cellars when we heard a terrific explosion that rocked the whole town. Nobody felt curious enough to go snooping around in the dark to see what it might have been. One fellow said it was an unexploded bomb which had been dropped some time before and had just gotten around to going off. Another figured that only a buzz bomb could shake up a town that badly. Regardless of our efforts to convince each other that it was all over, we spent a very restless night.

The next morning we saw what had happened. The 150 mines on the truck had gone off, killing fourteen engineers and our two men on guard. The truck could not be found, just a little piece of metal here and there. The same was true of the men’s bodies, except our two guards who were still in one piece. To this day we don’t know what happened, but probably a mortar shell hit the truck and set off the mines.

After eight days of this hell the men were getting fed up and starting to go to pieces. We sergeants asked our platoon leader if we could get some relief and he, realizing that we were all in bad shape, asked that we be replaced by another tank platoon, which was done.

That was an unforgettable eight days. I saw men cry and blow their tops, but I never saw a man in our position slack up on his job. He knew it was kill or be killed. He never for a moment thought of how little he was receiving for the great price he was paying. That only a soldier can realize.

Group reported on 12 November that, “Troop C, 42d Squadron reinforced with tanks made a reconnaissance in force into Ley and located German gun positions supporting about one Company of Infantry in prepared positions with mined approaches.”

Reconnaissance In Force

12 November 1944

James R. Stuckey, C Troop, 42d Squadron

Troop C was in Squadron reserve at Coincourt (29a)(OHW) on November 12th, when Capt. “Buck” Harris announced we were going on a dismounted attack against Ley (29a). We were to be supported by a platoon of tanks under Lt. Kraatz of F Troop. It seems that Troop A patrols had determined that Ley was the Kraut strongpoint north of his main positions in Haut de La Croix (OHW), but Squadron wanted to know how strong.

We moved up to an assembly area in the Moncourt woods (OHW) behind A Troop positions. Naturally we were carrying all the junk, including machine guns and the radio that never works at the right time, that GI’s have to carry on an attack. There Capt. Harris mounted one platoon on the tanks, with orders for Lt. Kraatz to roll down the road into Ley when we opened fire. The engineers were removing our own mines outside of Moncourt (29a)(OHW) so the tanks could barrel on through town once they exposed themselves.

Capt. Harris led the dismounted party down the draw west of Moncourt, so we had a slight rise of ground between us and the enemy, and were not bothered until we arrived about 600 yards due west of Ley, where we deployed for the attack. We must have been seen then, for some mortar stuff started dropping in about us. The tanks took that as a signal and began to roll.

Now we moved forward to the attack, leaving our MG’s on the rise as a base of fire. That’s when I think T/5 Dave Fearer was hit, because some heavy stuff started coming in and small arms and MG fire laced into us from the town. We reached the road the tanks were on, about 300 yards from Ley where it turned east to enter town, and found it heavily mined. The tankers saw that too, and pulled up on our right, pumping their cannon and machine guns into town like holy hell.

It was getting pretty hot, and we could see the bridge blown out over the stream about 100 yards from town. We were ordered forward and gained the creek in a rush. Some Kraut machine gun in the church steeple was particularly obnoxious. Lynch and McDonald were both hit. Then Lt. Kraatz‘ boys really laid into that steeple. That stopped his water!

Now we ran into barbed wire and trenches. The grenades came in handy then, but with the mines we had seen along the creek bottom, and with the mud that was about four feet deep, we couldn’t use the tanks in a rush. A couple of guys got into town, but they had us. The wounded were helped back. The tanks smothered the Krauts small arms positions until we got back to the ridge, but they couldn’t stop those 150’s from coming in!

The tanks then roared back up the road through Moncourt, but C Troop had to slop through the mud for about two miles with that Jerry artillery walking right along beside us. Out in the open and the mud too deep to run in! That was a nightmare! Ask any man in C Troop.

November Offensive

8 - 21 Nov 1944

Troop C, 2d Squadron

November 8th, the bedrolls and ditty bags were reloaded on the vehicles, and C Troop moved out in the cold, drenching rain to screen and protect the YD’s (26th Division) right flank in the Division’s latest push.

The mission was to occupy Xanrey (29a), and proceed northeast to the Flottage Canal where all the bridges within our assigned sector were to be held. Attached to the Troop at that time were a platoon of F Company’s tanks, a platoon of E Troop’s assault guns, a platoon of TD’s and a squad of engineers.

Before we enterd Xanrey, the engineers and our own 3rd platoon dismounted to check it. Reconnaissance proved the town cleared of all enemy.

The CP moved into a muddy field on the outskirts of Juvrecourt (29a). The three reconnaissance platoons and the tanks moved on to their respective areas on the canal, but quickly moved back to higher ground when enemy artillery began to make their sectors entirely too warm for November.

After failing to observe any enemy activity along the canal’s edge for three days, during which the tanks, TD’s and engineers were recalled, a four man daylight patrol was sent to the edge of the canal to spot enemy positions on the other side. Under T/5 Douglas Hamm, the patrol succeeded in pin-pointing enemy positions and returned without casualties. Two more daylight patrols were dispatched to cross the canal, but both returned, unable to find a suitable crossing site. That night an enemy patrol was sighted reconnoitering the opposite bank with flashlights.

(Group report November 14, “Patrolling continued. No change in front lines.”)

The succeeding night, the 14th, a combat patrol under Lt. Little was sent out to cross the canal, and finally succeeded, only to return about 0200 the next morning, wet and chilled to the bone from an enforced swim in the canal. The same morning another patrol, under Lt. Tooley, made a second crossing of the canal and reached it’s objective, Hill 264, unmolested by the enemy. When morning came the entire Troop crossed the Flottage Canal on a bridge our engineers built during the night, relieved the patrol, and set up on the high ground between Lezey (29a) and Marsal (29a).

Subsequent moves that day put the Troop CP in an empty building in Juvelize (29a), and the recon platoons on the road to Dieuze (29a) in combat positions. A patrol was sent out to ascertain the disposition of the enemy in Dieuze. It returned with it’s mission unaccomplished, unable to cross a blown bridge leading into the town.

(Group report 18 November, “Reconnaissance by 2d Squadron showed enemy defending town of Dieuze. Enemy shelled our Troops at every approach to the town.” 19 November, “Repeated attempts by 2d Squadron were repulsed by enemy artillery.”)

On November 19th, the Troop was relieved of it’s mission and returned to Squadron reserve at Bathelmont Chateau (29a). Shortly after pulling into the bivouac area, a totally unexpected and surprisingly accurate enemy artillery barrage opened up.

“I won’t ever forget that”, said T/4 Nielsen, one of the CP radio operators. “The first one, luckily a dud, landed just beyond our last vehicle. The rest hit right in around us, and they weren’t duds. Two men, T/5 Lane and Pfc. Hancock, got caught out in the middle of the big field that was supposed to be our bivouac area and were hit almost immediately by shrapnel.”

“By that time everyone who had been in the open had found some sort of cover. The CP halftrack was parked in some nearby woods, and we thought it was pretty well under cover. I guess it wasn’t though, because T/4 Rowland, who was on the radio at the time, was wounded in the eye by a piece of shrapnel. We had no sooner got him started on the way to the medics than another shell hit directly in front of the halftrack. I was just getting inside to take Rowland’s place on the radio when I heard Lt. Tooley call, “Nielsen, you’d better go get the medics, that last one got the Captain.” I ran through the woods to the medics at the Chateau and told them what had happened. 1st Sgt. Capewell was there. He jumped into a bantam along with a couple of medics and a litter and drove back to the halftrack to pick them up.”

Captain Warner was already dead, and both Lt. Tooley and Pvt. Jack Hillhouse badly wounded. When the barrage let up we moved our bivouac to another area, and Lt. Chrisman took over as Troop Commander.

The following day the Troop moved on to Dieuze. That night, for the first time, C Troop was able to watch long convoys of armor, men and supplies move up to the front. Here-to-fore the men had worked alone, far from any large units.

November 20th, 2d Squadron bypassed Dieuze to the north and proceeded to Guenestroff (29a), Vergaville (29a), Bidestroff (29b) and Bassing (29b). Troop F, less the 1st Platoon, assisted the infantry with the attack on Dieuze. Little resistance was met since the enemy line fell back during the preceeding night.

For two days the 42d attacked to the east with Troop B clearing the great woods called Haut de la Croix (OHW), which was formerly strongly held, against very light resistance. Troop A passed through to take the woods southwest of Bourdonnay (29a) by nightfall on 20 November, and then took Bourdonnay and Marimont Chateau (29a) after dark. During this attack all supplies and ammo had to be hand carried for several kilometers through the mud as the roads were heavily mined with Reigals and Tellers. They were placed in batches, 100 yards deep, covering the roads and the bypasses to blown bridges. However, our engineers were busy all this time and by midnight of the 20th had swept the road Bures (29a), Lagarde (29a), Bourdonnay and put in treadway bridges over the canal. A Troop vehicles were able to move up that night, and the Troop jumped off mounted on the morning of the 21st.

By this time C, 42d had reached Gueblange (29a) by dismounted action, and it was clear that the Krauts were withdrawing. B,
42d passed through C on the 21st, moving rapidly to the east.

The Horse Troop

20 - 28 Nov 1944

Cpl. Bernard J. Beagarie, H&S Troop, 42d Squadron

“Hit the Leather and Ride.” This historic slogan was made alive and up to date for the 42d Cavalry Squadron by a memorable march on horseback by thirty gallant and intrepid Cavalrymen of the Squadron. Most of those concerned had made their closest acquaintance with horses by attending Saturday night showings of the Hollywood “horse operas”. The assembly point for the cavalcade was in front of the Squadron CP in the bomb and shell torn village of Coincourt (29a)(OHW), France, the date was the 21st of November, 1944.

Naturally, a horse mounted Cavalry platoon is not formed without certain essential preliminaries. At 10 o’clock the night before, a messenger from the CP had awakened Pvt. Beagarie of H&S Troop, with instructions to report to Lt. Mitchell pronto. On reporting, he was informed that 30 horses, with saddles and bridles, were to be obtained and brought to the CP by 8 o’clock the following morning. (Ed’s. note: Unfortunately for Beagarie, he spoke French.) A detachment from the Squadron was to cover the following days march on horseback, while the rest of the men proceeded in vehicles.

The horses were to be found in Coincourt, and in Parroy (29a)(OHW) also if necessary, and the civilians must be contacted at once, in fact right away. So out they went into a rainy night as black as pitch, and felt their wat through a maze of buildings to the house where the local FFI chief lived. (The Maire had evidently decamped.) The chief was still up and gave them a warm greeting. He listened to their story, as explained by Beagarie from instructions given by Lt. Mitchell, and promised to see what he could do. An hour later he announced that he would have twenty horses for them in the morning, but that they would be of the heavy work type and would not have saddles or bridles. Lt. Mitchell and Beagarie saw that a trip to Parroy was necessary, so they obtained a jeep, driven by Mosdy of H&S Troop, and set off about midnight to contact the Maire of Parroy. It was so dark and wet that Lt. Mitchell sat on the hood with a flashlight all the way, to show the driver where the side of the road was. They could never have made it otherwise. By good luck they found the Maire still up at 1230, since he and his wife were taking care of a sick cow. He was not happy to hear of our needs, but at least tore himself away from the cow long enough to check a few farms in the area. Finally, after seemingly endless discussion and arm waving he promised to send 10 horses to the mad Americans the first thing in the morning. Shortly after four in the morning, the horse gathering detail started back, this time with Beagarie and the flashlight on the hood. They reached Coincourt just before five, wet and chilled through, but satisfied with their success.

As soon as it was daylight the farmers started bringing in their horses. Without saddles and only makeshift bridles they did not look very prepossessing. The men assigned to ride them soon found they were very hard to mount and hard to ride. Much to his consternation, Beagarie heard he was to ride also. He had to interpret between Lt. Bayer, the officer in charge of the mounted party, and the two civilians who were going along to take care of the horses en route. He looked around for Lt. Mitchell, but that officer had thoughtfully disappeared. Since he had never ridden a horse in his life, Beagarie was determined to have the gentlest one of the lot, and finally found a horse not much bigger than a pony, whose owner assured him was as meek as a lamb.

The procession started out shortly after eight o’clock, and several fellows lined up to take pictures of the parade as it passed them. It wasn’t long before the horses began to give trouble. Many times they got too chummy and insisted on trotting along three or four abreast, in spite of the fact that this was definitely against security regulations. At other times they wanted to stop and eat grass or just rest. One or two even tried to turn back. The worst aspect was their galloping. If one set off at a gallop, two or three were sure to follow him because he was their pal. This happened to Beagerie once and he had a hard job holding on to his helmet and raincoat, to say nothing of his weapon.

More than one man was ready to call it quits, as they had not dreamed that the glories of horseback riding contained such strenuous activity as this. It always looked so easy in the movies. The most envied men in the world that day were those who still rode in the vehicles.

Naturally all the perverseness on the part of the horses disgusted everyone and especially disturbed Lt. Bayer who, several times en route, lashed some of the brutes across the rear end for stalling and holding up the works. The climax of the trip came when the procession reached two ruined bridges. One was bypassed after much difference of opinion between the men and their mounts, and the other spot was forded by some of the horses, while nothing under heaven could enduce the others to follow. Finally a truck was sent for, to transport these recalcitrants by another route nearby, and the procession resumed it’s winding way.

After about ten miles of travel, the trip ended at a desolate, abandoned village, where Lt. Bayer told the two French civilians that the horses were no longer necessary and that they must take them back to their owners. They were glad to go and everyone was glad to see them go. Many were the sore backs and rear ends after that exhausting march. But the grim humor of the situation kept morale at a high level, especially among those troops not riding the horses. It was something to write home about, and the possible success or failure of the enterprise as regarded by Headquarters, did not affect greatly the view-point on horses of those who really went all out to “Hit the Leather and Ride”.

Everyone was thrilled to be rolling again. The Squadron Executive left Bourdonnay (29a), as soon as the 42d CP pulled in for a temporary halt, and rejoined Troop A, passing the column to contact the Troop CO. Capt. Andrews was finally located in the point bantam just before the Marne Canal bridge at Houillons (29b), which was found to have been blown only a few hours before. Troop A turned north and occupied Rhodes (29a), then proceeded dismounted to the bridge near Fort Boisson (29b) because of the Kraut demolitions and felled trees which blocked the roads.

To the north, B Troop progressed rapidly, and after cutting through some tree blocks, Lt. Lindoerfer’s platoon gained Bisping (29b), dismounted since the bridge was out, and secured the town. Everywhere was evidence of strongly prepared positions that the Germans had evacuated.

C-2 came into town mounted, from the northwest, and were held up by tree blocks to the east. Troop B 2d Squadron had advanced mounted to Cutting (29b), and sent it’s leading elements southeast to Foret Domaniale (29b). Troop C advanced to umName=album12/Map_29b>Angviller (29b) via Rorbach (29b).

The next day Group received warning orders for an attachment to the 80th Division on the Corps north flank. Accordingly 42d Squadron was assembled for movement while 2d Squadron continued the push northeast, elements reaching Berthelming (25) that night.

42d Squadron moved to an assembly area at Landroff on the 23rd, and prepared to move at daylight to Guinglange (30). Troop B, 2d Squadron, pushed on to Mittersheim (29b), with it’s platoons reaching Fenetrange (29b). Their forward advance was stopped by enemy resistance at Niederstinzel (29b), after they had captured 28 prisoners in their drive. Troop C moved into Romelfing (29b) and assisted B, together with elements of the 4th Armored Division, to clear the town.

The 2d Squadron lines remained unchanged on the 24th. Mounted patrols traveled the road from Oberstinzel (29b) to Sarrebourg (29b)(NS). Enemy resistance was determined in Niederstinzel and our Troops failed to take the town. Troops B and C, 42d Sq. pushed reconnaissance dismounted northeast of Guinglange through 95th Division positions, while maintaining the screen on Corps’ north flank.

On the following day they attacked dismounted alongside the 318th Inf Regiment in the break thru of the Maginot Line between Zimming Camp (30) and Bambiderstroff (30).

November 25th, 2d Squadron no change. Enemy artillery increased. Lt. Kelley, who had relieved Lt. Crisman as CO of C Troop 2d Squadron only four days before, was killed at Fenetrange (29b). Heavy artillery fire had been falling on the Troop’s position for two days, causing six casualties, four killed and two wounded, among them Lt. Kelley. He was the second C Troop commander to be killed in action, and the third to become a combat casualty.

On the 27th the balance of the Group was relieved from the mission of screening the south flank and attached to the 80th Division for work on the north flank. The next day 42d Squadron was returned to Group.

Troop A fought it’s way into Carling (30) and held the town against counter-attacks. During the fight big Dave Walsh stepped around a corner and bumped into a Kraut soldier who had a burp gun slung over his shoulder. Dave jammed his carbine into the Kraut’s belly and pulled the trigger. A miss-fire! The German struggled to move his burp gun, but seemed paralyzed. Both men glared at each other for an instant, then took off in different directions at a high canter.