DarkAutumn
06-27-2005, 08:22 AM
"Mythos revisited: American Historians and German Fighting Power in WWII"
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/armies/chapter2.aspx
An American General, S.L.A. Marshall, wrote a book back in '48 that had, as part of it's purpose, an examination of the 502nd P.I.R.
From the Website:
"I followed this same battalion through the airborne invasion of Holland in September 1944, and through the winter fighting in the Ardennes, and I doubt that there has ever been a finer fighting unit in the army of the United States.
It never tasted defeat nor was it ever given an easy assignment. At least three of its engagements are historically noteworthy examples of heroically successful achievement against great odds.
It was tested over marshland and through hedgerow country.
In Holland, west of Zon and near the Wilhelmina canal, its hardest engagement was fought through a checkered pine forest on flat ground; the enemy had enfiladed every forest trail with machineguns and from the other flank and from the front his artillery kept the woods under a point-blank fire.
Perhaps the battalion's finest hour was had on the rolling hills northwest of Bastogne during the early stage of the defense of that town in December 1944."
--------------------------------------------------------------
THE BATTLE OF CARENTAN (8-15 JUNE)
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/utah/utah5.htm
From the Website:
"At 0615, as the artillery fire was lifted, Colonel Cole blew his whistle and led the charge. Of the 250 men who should have followed him only 20 got up to go; another 50 followed Major Stopka.
In the confusion and excitement, with the men widely distributed and hugging the ground, the order had not been passed around. Some of the men never received it; others had only a vague idea by hearing a word or two.
In addition, parts of Company G, in the meadow east of the road to Carentan, became involved with enemy troops, armed with machine pistols. The commanding officer of the company was hit by an artillery short during the action. Most of the men of Company G did not hear the whistle at all, but when they saw the attack they ran after the others, trying to catch up.
Despite the initial disorder, the men charged across a ditch into the fire-swept field east of the farmhouse. The men, closely bunched, followed Colonel Cole and Major Stopka, and Colonel Cole stopped several times to get them to fan out.
Two men of Company H reached the farmhouse first and found it abandoned, but to the west on higher ground the enemy still occupied rifle pits and machine-gun emplacements along a hedgerow running at right angles to the road. Under the momentum of the charge the men also secured this objective and eliminated the Germans with grenades and bayonets. The enemy's main defense was thus broken, but he still held ground to the south from which he continued to fire on the American positions.
Colonel Cole wished to take advantage of the enemy's disorganization and keep the attack moving, but the 3d Battalion was in no condition to push on. All of the men in the battalion managed to cross the causeway and assemble near the farmhouse, but units were badly mixed and had suffered heavy casualties. Word was therefore sent to the rear to ask the 1st Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry, to come up and pass through the 3d and continue the attack south to the high ground at la Billonerie (Hill 30)."
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/armies/chapter2.aspx
An American General, S.L.A. Marshall, wrote a book back in '48 that had, as part of it's purpose, an examination of the 502nd P.I.R.
From the Website:
"I followed this same battalion through the airborne invasion of Holland in September 1944, and through the winter fighting in the Ardennes, and I doubt that there has ever been a finer fighting unit in the army of the United States.
It never tasted defeat nor was it ever given an easy assignment. At least three of its engagements are historically noteworthy examples of heroically successful achievement against great odds.
It was tested over marshland and through hedgerow country.
In Holland, west of Zon and near the Wilhelmina canal, its hardest engagement was fought through a checkered pine forest on flat ground; the enemy had enfiladed every forest trail with machineguns and from the other flank and from the front his artillery kept the woods under a point-blank fire.
Perhaps the battalion's finest hour was had on the rolling hills northwest of Bastogne during the early stage of the defense of that town in December 1944."
--------------------------------------------------------------
THE BATTLE OF CARENTAN (8-15 JUNE)
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/utah/utah5.htm
From the Website:
"At 0615, as the artillery fire was lifted, Colonel Cole blew his whistle and led the charge. Of the 250 men who should have followed him only 20 got up to go; another 50 followed Major Stopka.
In the confusion and excitement, with the men widely distributed and hugging the ground, the order had not been passed around. Some of the men never received it; others had only a vague idea by hearing a word or two.
In addition, parts of Company G, in the meadow east of the road to Carentan, became involved with enemy troops, armed with machine pistols. The commanding officer of the company was hit by an artillery short during the action. Most of the men of Company G did not hear the whistle at all, but when they saw the attack they ran after the others, trying to catch up.
Despite the initial disorder, the men charged across a ditch into the fire-swept field east of the farmhouse. The men, closely bunched, followed Colonel Cole and Major Stopka, and Colonel Cole stopped several times to get them to fan out.
Two men of Company H reached the farmhouse first and found it abandoned, but to the west on higher ground the enemy still occupied rifle pits and machine-gun emplacements along a hedgerow running at right angles to the road. Under the momentum of the charge the men also secured this objective and eliminated the Germans with grenades and bayonets. The enemy's main defense was thus broken, but he still held ground to the south from which he continued to fire on the American positions.
Colonel Cole wished to take advantage of the enemy's disorganization and keep the attack moving, but the 3d Battalion was in no condition to push on. All of the men in the battalion managed to cross the causeway and assemble near the farmhouse, but units were badly mixed and had suffered heavy casualties. Word was therefore sent to the rear to ask the 1st Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry, to come up and pass through the 3d and continue the attack south to the high ground at la Billonerie (Hill 30)."