Aachen: The U.S. Army's Battle for Charlemagne's City in World War II (56 page)

71
.
After Action Against Enemy, September 1944
, Headquarters, 26th Infantry Regiment, APO #1, US ARMY, NA, 7.

72
. War Department General Order Number 42, 1945, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), 12 February 1945, MRC, 1.

73
. Schack, 43–49.

74
. Ibid., 23–24.

75
.
General der Infanterie
Friedrich Köchling,
Battles in the Aachen Sector September to November 1944
, Historical Division Headquarters, United States Army Europe, Foreign Military Studies Branch, A-977, USAMHI, 3.

76
. Engel, 17.

77
.
Annex 2 to Periodic Report 130 entitled Life Begins in the Fourth Reich
, G-2 Periodic Report, Headquarters First United States Army, Office of AC of S, G-2, APO230, 18 October 1944, NA.

78
. Robert W. Baumer with Mark J. Reardon,
American Iliad: The History of the 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II
(Bedford, PA: The Aberjona Press, 2004), 269–70. Author was also fortunate to have numerous conversations in 2003 with Lt. Col. Sam Carter (U.S. Army-Retired). Carter, then in his early nineties and possessed of remarkable recall of the war, drafted the Medal of Honor citation for Staff Sergeant Schafer; he confirmed the pertinent facts to author without the benefit of referring to the actual Citation he wrote nearly sixty years earlier in 1944.

79
.
First United States Army, Report of Operations, 1 August 1944 to 22 February 1945
, Office of the Chief Military History, CMH, Washington, DC, 54.

80
. Guderian, 188.

81
.
LXXXI A.K. AAR September 1944
, 3–4. Translated copy provided to author by Mark J. Reardon in 2006.

82
. First Army Report of Operations, 54.

CHAPTER 5

1
.  Capt. Kenneth W. Hechler, 2nd Information and Historical Services, Interview with Pvt. Brent Youenes, 1st Platoon, B Company, 117th Infantry Regiment, (31 October 1944),
Breaching the Siegfried Line, The First Patrol to Cross the Wurm River, 22 September 1944
, NA, 2.

2
.  Youenes Interview, 3.

3
.  Ibid., 4.

4
.  Ibid., 4–5.

5
.  Hechler, Interview with Lt. William J. O'Neil,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 1st Battalion 117th Infantry Regiment 30th Infantry Division
, 17 October 1944, World War II Operations Reports, Combat Interviews, NA, 2.

6
.  Charles B. McDonald,
United States Army in World War II: The Siegfried Line Campaign, The Battle for Aachen
, 253.

7
.  
Breaching the Siegfried Line, XIX Corps, United States Army, 2 October 1944
, Office of the Chief Military History General Reference Branch, 1946, CMH, 4–12.

8
.  Drew Middleton,
Bombs, Shells Shake Earth as Yanks Pierce Westwall
, by wireless to the
New York Times
, 2 October 1944.

9
.  Capt. Lester D. Royalty,
The Operations of the 117th Infantry Regiment (30th Infantry Division) in the Breaching of the Siegfried Line in the Vicinity of Alsdorf, Germany, 2–8 October 1944
, Advanced Infantry Officers Course, 1949, Academic Department, TISFBG, 5–8.

10
. Capt. William H. Cox,
Operations of the 30th Division in the Battle for Aachen Germany, 2–17 October 1944
, Advanced Infantry Officers Course, TISFBG, 9.

11
. McDonald, 257.

12
. Excerpts from 1st Battalion Grenadier Regiment 330, BATTALION ORDER OF THE DAY, Order of Battle Notes for Period ending 6200 8 October 1944, Headquarters 30th Infantry Division G-2 Periodic Report, Siegfried Line Reports, OH, 4 (accessed February 2014).

13
.
Generalleutnant
a.D. Wolfgang Lange,
183rd Volksgrenadier Division (September 1944–January 1945)
, Historical Division, Headquarters United States Army, Europe, USAMHI, 5.

14
. This culvert was developed jointly by Capt. Edward Miller, Assistant S-3 of the 743rd Tank Battalion; Capt. James F. Rice, Company Commander of Company A, 105th Engineer Combat Battalion; and Capt. Frederick L. Hensler, Company C Commander. Source: Interview with Lt. Col. William D. Duncan, 5 October 1944, World War II Operations Reports, Combat Interviews, NA, 1.

15
. McBride, 11.

16
. Headquarters 119th Infantry APO 50, US Army,
Action Against Enemy/After Action Reports
, NA, 4 November 1944, 2.

17
. McBride, 15.

18
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Account of Lieutenant Colonel Courtney Brown
, CO of 3rd Battalion 119th Infantry, NA, 1.

19
. Interview with Lt. Col. Robert E. Frankland, CO 1st Battalion; Maj. Henry R. Kaczowka, Battalion Executive Officer; Capt. David K. Easlik, S-3; Lt. Stanley W. Cooper, Company Commander, D (Heavy Weapons) Company; Lt. William J. O'Neil, platoon leader of the Pioneer Platoon,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 30th Infantry Division 117th Infantry Regiment
, 18 October 1944, NA, 2.

20
. O'Neil Interview, 3.

21
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 30th Infantry Division 117th Infantry Regiment
, Officer Interviews, 6.

22
. Ibid., 1, 4–5.

23
. Hechler, Terrain Walks with Capt. John E. Kent, Lt. John M. Maloney and Others, 21 October 1944,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company A 117th Infantry Regiment 30th Infantry Division
, NA, 1.

24
. Ibid., 3

25
. Ibid., 4.

26
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line
, XIX Corps United States Army, 2 October 1944, Chief Military History General Reference Branch, Washington, DC, 23.

27
. Ibid.

28
. Hechler,
Interview with Captain Robert Sinclair, C Company, 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, 21 October 1944
, NA, 1.

29
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 30th Infantry Division, 117th Infantry Regiment, Company B, 1st Battalion
, Interviews and terrain walks 17, 29, 29–31 October 1944, NA, 6.

30
. XIX Corps, 63–64.

31
. Headquarters Forty-First Armored Regiment,
Monthly Operational Report 1–31 October 1944
, Entry for 1 October 1944, Report dated 1 November 1944, 1.

32
. O'Neil Interview, 3.

33
. Ferriss,
Breaching the Siegfried Line
, Account of Capt. Ross Y. Simmons, Company A 119th Infantry, 30 October 1944, NA, 1.

34
. Letter by Mrs. Wade J. Verweire Jr. of Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2 May 1945, AG 704 Dead (20 January 1950),
Review of Circumstances Surrounding the Disappearance of Personnel Presumed Dead
, IDPF Reports on Anthony T. Drabecki, OH, 5 (accessed May 2014).

35
. Middleton,
New York Times
, 2 October 1944.

36
. Hechler, Interviews with Lt. Col. D. V. Bennett, Maj. D. W. Way, Capt. D. J. Hasseltine,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 62nd Armored Field Artillery
, 10 October 1944, NA, 2.

37
. Hechler, Interview with Maj. Raymond Millican, S-3,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 118th Field Artillery Battalion 30th Infantry Division
, 5 October 1944, NA, 1.

38
. Hechler, Interview with Lt. Col. Bradford Butler Jr.,
155mm (SP) M-12s and Breaching the Siegfried Line, 258th Field Artillery Battalion
, 10 October 1944, NA, 1.

39
. 803rd TDB, 1.

40
. XIX Corps, 15.

41
. Ibid., 12.

42
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Report Number 25, 4 October 1944
, comments by Lt. Col. H. E. Hassenfeldt, G-3 30th Infantry Division, NA, 1.

43
. Hechler,
Notes on Activities at the 117th Infantry Regiment CP
, 2–3 October 1944, NA, 1.

44
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company C 117th Infantry Regiment
, Interviews with Lt. Thomas E. Stanley, 3rd Platoon leader and Lt. Clarence Johnson, 1st Platoon, NA, 1.

45
. Cox, 13–14.

46
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Comments of Lieutenant John Lehnerd, Commanding Officer of Company D 117th Infantry Regiment
, 6 November 1944, NA, 1.

47
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 92nd Chemical Battalion
, Interviews with Maj. Carl Wissinger, Battalion Executive Officer; Capt. A. A. Athanas, Company A Commander; Lt. Raymond C. Filipino, Forward Observer with the 119th Infantry Regiment; Capt. Robert Cole, Forward Observer with the 117th Infantry Regiment, 21 October 1944, NA, 1.

48
. Ferriss,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company C 119th Infantry Regiment
, Account of Lt. Ferdinand Bons, Commanding Officer, 6 November 1944, NA, 1–2.

49
. Simmons Company A Account, 2.

50
. McBride, 17–18.

51
. Ferriss,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company B 119th Infantry Regiment
, Account of Lieutenant Warne R. Parker, 22 October 1944, NA, 1–2.

52
. Parker Interview, 2.

53
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 117th Infantry Regiment (2nd Battalion)
, Interviews with Maj. Ben T. Ammons, Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion, 10 and 15 October 1944; Capt. Harold T. Hoppe, Commanding Officer Company E, 15 October 1944; Capt. Richard J. Wood, S-3 2nd Battalion, 15 October 1944, NA, 2–3.

54
. Hoppe Interview, 3.

55
. Ibid., 5.

56
.
117th Infantry Regiment (2nd Battalion)
, 5–6.

57
.
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company C 117th Infantry Regiment
, Interviews with Lt. Thomas E. Stanley, 3rd Platoon Leader, and Lt. Clarence Johnson, 1st Platoon Leader, 29 October 1944, NA, 1.

58
. Ibid., 2–3.

59
. Ibid., 3.

60
. Millican Interview, 1.

61
. Company B 117 INF, O'Neil Interview, 12.

62
. Ibid., 14–15.

63
. Ibid., 7.

64
. Royalty, 14.

65
. 117 INF CP, 1.

CHAPTER 6

1
.  
Breaching the Siegfried Line, 743rd Tank Battalion
, Interview with Lt. Col. William D. Duncan on the activities of Company A in conjunction with the 117th Infantry Regiment, 2–4 October 1944, 5 October 1944, NA, 1–2.

2
.  117 INF CP, 1–6.

3
.  Company B 117 INF, 5.

4
.  Ibid., 17.

5
.  Ibid., 18–19.

6
.  Account of Pfc. Richard L. Ballou in letter to parents in Providence, Rhode Island, 4 November 1944 OH, 4 (accessed March 2014).

7
.  Company B 117 INF Interviews.

8
.  Ibid., 21.

9
.  Ibid., 22.

10
. Ibid., 23.

11
. Ibid., 24.

12
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company A 117th Infantry Regiment 30th Infantry Division
, Account of Activities based on Interviews with Company Personnel, NA, 4.

13
. Company A 117 INF, 4.

14
. Ibid., 7.

15
. Lyman, 50–51.

16
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line
, Interviews with Maj. Ben T. Ammons, Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion 117th Infantry Regiment; Capt. Harold F. Hoppe, Commanding Officer Company E; and Capt. Richard J. Wood, S-3 of 2nd Battalion, 15 October 1944, 6.

17
. 2nd Battalion 117 INF Interviews, 6–7.

18
. Ibid., 7.

19
. Ibid., 8.

20
. Notes on activities at the 117th Infantry Regimental Command Post taken by Captain Ferriss and Captain Hechler, 2–3 October 1944, 6.

21
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company Interviews, Company I 3rd Battalion 117th Infantry Regiment
, 24 October 1944, NA, 1.

22
. 743rd Tank Battalion, 2.

23
. 803rd TDB, 2.

24
. Hechler,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Comments of Lieutenant John Lehnerd, CO of Company D, 119th Infantry
, 6 November 1944, NA, 1.

25
. Company C 119 INF, 2.

26
. McBride, 19–20.

27
. Ferriss,
Breaching the Siegfried Line
, Transcript of Notes Taken at the Command Post of the 119th Infantry on 2 October 1944, 2.

28
. 119 INF CP 2 October, 4.

29
. Knox Journal, 14.

30
. 119 INF CP 2 October, 5.

31
. Ferriss,
Breaching the Siegfried Line, Company F 119th Infantry
, Joint Interviews with Participants, 23 October 1944 at Company CP in Kohlscheid, NA, 2.

32
. Middleton,
New York Times
, 2 October 1944.

33
. XIX Corps, 15.

34
. 119th Infantry History Book, The Rimburg Castle Attack, 59, OH, 4 (accessed May 2014).

35
. Drew Middleton, “Exploiting of New Breach Watched Now as the Test,”
New York Times
, 3 October 1944.

36
. 119 INF CP, 2 October, 4.

37
. Ibid., 5.

38
. Company A 117 INF, 9.

39
. Lyman, 52.

40
.
30th Infantry Division, Findings of IPW Team #42
(117th Infantry Regiment), 1–2 October 1944, NA, 1.

41
.
IPW Team #42
, 1.

42
. Lyman, 52.

43
. 117 INF 2nd Battalion Interviews, 9.

44
. McBride, 21.

45
. Köchling MS, 4–5.

46
. Lange MS, 7.

47
. McDonald, 258–59.

48
. Col. James H. Cash,
The Operations of the 1st Infantry Division and the 30th Infantry Division in the Aachen Offensive 2–21 October 1944
, 1948–1949, TISFBG, 12.