The Battle of the Bulge

[Franek]

In ther middle of November 1944 my outfit the 99th division,a green outfit just out of the states. We were shipped to what they called the Ghost front,because it was a quiet area.
The day that we entered the Ardennes it was snowing and added the look of a winter wonderland. The snow clung to the branches of the pine trees. It was beautiful.
Being in a HDQS company we were billeted in homes
The line companies built dug outs,out of pine logs.they were heated with 50 gallon drums burning wood.Life was good.We dug potatoes from the abandoned farms,and made french fries.On occasion we shot a cow. Telling them that we thought it was a deer. We ate good. Even the Co. commader wanted some BBQ deer meat. LOL

My job was a line man.We supplied communicationstio the front lines back to HDQS. There was a little villiage called Lazareth.it was where our I&R platoon was.The most forward location on the line.Their job was to capture prisoners You could look across no mans land land see Germans hanging clothes outside of their block houses.
This was great. My partner and I decided to do some sniping.
The I&R guys came running out and chased us because we gave their position away Well ,so much for sniping.
On another occasion we came apon a rifle grenade..We never used one before,so we went into the woods,aimed it at a tree. And KABOOOM the tree and the forest was blown to hell.When we got back ,we saw no one they thought the Germans were coming.. We kept quiet about that.
Sorry My old eyes are giving out. If will continue if you want later

[Owen]

If will continue if you want later

Too right we do!
I had my first visit to the Ardennes back in February.
You can see my photos here.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/ww2-bat...ry-2008-a.html
Look forward to reading more of your stories.

EDIT: Ah, I see the 99th Div were the Battle Babies.
Lone Sentry: Battle Babies: The Story of the 99th Infantry Division -- WWII G.I. Stories Booklet

[Franek]

Before I go any further, allow me to relate another funny incident that happened. since things were still very quiet, my buddy and I decided to take a walk along the railroad tracks. As we walked, in the distance we saw two other figures approaching us. As we got closer we realized they were German and we were American. They turned around ran to the German line and we ran back to our American lines. There was to be no heroics this day.

About thte first of sdecember 1944, we were taken out of reserve and put on the front line. We occupied the dugout from the previous occupants. Things were still very quiet. We had snowball fights as our warfare. At this time we deemed war to be "a piece of cake."

Then on Dec. 16, 1944 at 5 qm.....all hell broke loose. We were subject to a horrible artillery barrage. I made myself as small as possible and crawled into a corner. Logs and metal flew in all directions. When it was over there was complete chaos. There was no communication at all. We were sent out to restore communications from the line companies back to head quarters. It was still dark, snow waas on the ground and snow clouds were gathering above us. The Germans took powerful search lights aimed them at the clouds reflecting light to the ground. At this time I was in the cross road called Loshiem. I was in a tree restoring communication at the crossroad. I heard a lot of shootind coming from the Losheim gap. Our 57 mm gun were not enought to stop the tanks. the shells just bounced off. As I watched I saw a group nof Americans run into a building at Losheim. Next a Gernam tank loaded with infantry appeared. they stuck a gun inside the window and blew the house away. seeing this, I jumped out of a tree and ran for the woods. I was seen by the Germans and they were chasing me as I ran. I was the only American GI who outran a German tank. As I ran they kept shooting and then they stopped because they had better things to do than chase one man. As I stopped to catch my breath, I looked down at eh snow and saw blood. I was shot in the leg and did not even know it. I made my way to an American aid station where I was treated and sent to Malmedy for further treatment.
to be continued.....

[Franek]

OPPPS! I posted this in the wrong place. It belongs in The Battle of the Bulge

Edited by Owen: Post moved to correct thread.

[Franek]

Thanks Owen;
As I came to our battalion aid station everything was in Chaos. With the Germans but a half mile away,and more wonded coming in we were evacuated to MALMEDY. It too was in panic. Wounded were coming in from all sectors. We who could be moved were shipped to PARIS.
Now the whole front was sending in their wounded. It was found that I had a clean wound,the bullet went through without hitting bone or artery.They sewed me up and sent me to a french town called etamps to recuperate. I stayed there but a couple of days. The order came from above that all able bodied men were to be shipped to the front.. That included the walking wounded.
I rejoined my outfit at a place called Elsenborne.It was located on a high ridge. We called it Elsenborne Ridge
( The Northern Shoulder) With the help of British units and elements of the second division/ We formed a defensive line that could not be moved We had 50 caliber and light machine guns galore. Artillery was hub to hub. There we waite
The Germans had a staging area below us in the woods. To get to us,they had to climb a hill. But flushed with victory they attacked. On a loud speaker a German speaking soldier shouted ( American GI, today you die)YEAH SURE,little did they know what awaited them. As the attacked up the hill,we were ordered to hold our fire. We did. When they came close we were ordered to fire.
It was pure carnage. They dropped like flies. It didnt last but a couple of minutes.The survivors retreated. A little time later they attacked again.Although I never saw it,a lot of GI"S said they saw a lot of Germans crying. Which led us to believe that they attacked against thier will. Again it lasted but a few minutes. It was over we broke the Germans back.We were ordered to advance forward to gather prisoners. We advanced,but with the story of the Malmedy masccre still fresh in our minds.There were a lot of shots fired,but a few prisoners.
I came upon a wounded German soldier holding something in his hand. At first I thought it was a grenade. I was abourt to blow him away ,when I realized it was a book.He held it out to me and said mien mutter then he died. He was one of hitlers youth. He was no more than 13yrs old.I kept the book. It looked like a diary. Remember this book later in my story,you will see where it saved my life Continued

Excuse my typing mistakes. My 83 yr. old are not too good.

[Franek]

The 106th was a green outfit just on line for about two weeks before December the 16th. They suffered the most casualities than any other division



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[Franek]

Here was the commander of the German Panzers that murdered the American engineers at Malmedy. He was given jail time that was recinded later in time He moved to France but was murdered in his home later in time.



http://

[Franek]

http:// Dedicated to the Americans who died in the battle of the Bulge

[Franek]

On the bottom of the hill,we were instructed to advance into the German staging area. Upon entering the woods, all that we saw was abanded equiptment dead bodies and horse drawn wagons with dead horses. Effectes from our artillery.We followed the tracks in the woods until we came to the road leading back to the Losheim Gap On the road there were abanded tanks, trucks etc. all in perfect shape,except they ran out of fuel. They counted on capturing American fuel supplies across the Meuse River. Failing to do this they retreated,until they ran out of fuel.
From here on back it was a cake walk. The Germans put up a little resisatance on the way back.By early February, we were back where it all started. I looked at our dugout. It was destroyed, from the inside for everything was blown outward. Probably a satchel charge. We advanced no further ,the weather was getting warmer,the snow was gone.Life was good again. We got hot food and new clothes.(SUMMER) Fatigue pants and a field jacket new shoes,socks and underwear Our dead and wounded were replaced and we got losds of new Ammo. Again we became a fighting unit.
Sometime in early march. We were called oin to join tghe Advance on Cologne(KOLN).
Unlike the Ardeness which were woods and hills. We found the plains of Cologne to be flat farm country dotted by small villiages. There was very little resistence.The villiagers hung white sheets out for a sign that they surrendered.When there was any resistence we were ordered to halt in place. Our armor moved forward along with airstrikes and blew the place apart. It was not long before they came out waving white flags.We liberated a lort of displaced people that were sent to work on German farms. We reached to where we could see the church towers in Coilogne. there we stopped. It was March the 7th, when word came down that the 9th armored division was fighting to take the last remaining bridge over the Rhine. Since we were so close we were sent in. In my entire Cologne campaign. I never fired my rifle.It was a cake walk.
NEXT REMAGAN

[Owen]

Franek,
Afriad I don't know too much about the Americans in WW2.
I did find this webpage about losheim, does it bring back any memories?
The Losheim Gap
some pictures of it now here.
Losheimer Graben (Gap of Losheim)