BATTLE AT VOSSENACK
By John B. Berg Jr.
28th Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division
(LESS KNOWN BUT NOT LESS APPRECIATED)
| Nov. 28 | 107 present. 3 BC - Thompson / Gankiewski, John / Beach, Bart. --- Tate changed to BC, Canelli changed to KIA.
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| 09:30 | 81 mm mortars being shelled by tanks. | |
| 10:45 | Air corps bombing Kleinhau (probable the 366th Fighter Group which lost 25 aircraft and 18 pilots during their six weeks of support). | |
| 10:50 | Enemy tanks at 046314 reported moving from Gerstenhof. | |
| 11:15 | Overlays and Lt. Westoff returned to CP. | |
| Nov. 29 | No change (morning reports and S3 reports seem a little out of sync) | |
| 09:00 | Patrol from Company G returned with one casualty from mine. | |
| 12:45 | Regiment S6 called to be ready to extend left flank. | |
| 13:15 | Fragmentary order received for move. | |
| 13:43 | Company E to take their right platoon to left of battalion by 1500 today, go north for 200 yards, halt and dig in. Next platoon to do same thing after right platoon in position, same for last platoon after 2nd in place. Drive out all enemies. Artillery and mortar fire will be laid down from now until 1500. Right platoon of Company E will be moving in to double up with left platoon at 1500 to move north. | |
| 14:20 | Major Sullivan came foreword from rear CP. | |
| 14:25 | Major Regan and Lt. Westoff left for Company E. | |
| 15:10 | Call from regiment to hold off on move for 24 hours. | |
| 17:00 | Company Commander meeting at 1800 to right foreword CP. | |
| 18:00 | Company’s meeting. G to move forward tonight to Vossenack and be ready to move into position by 0600. Company E to move one platoon to the left, heavy machine guns in Vossenack will be attached to Company G. F company to fill area left by Company G spreading out. | |
| 18:45 | Major Reagan, Capt. Finister, Lt. Chivas left for 1st Battalion CP. | |
| 21:05 | Company G move called off for 24 hours, Company E will move left of Company G. | |
| 23:20 | Major Reagan returned. | |
| Nov. 30 | 159 present. 6 BC – Dinku, Stephan / Davidson, Galen / Brown, Eulen / Delbo, Calvin / Crousebore, James / Crimone, Russell | |
| 07:05 | Company E platoon held up by strong enemy resistance. | |
| 10:00 | Company E still pushing forward. | |
| 10:10 | Company E platoon held up 50 yards from Line of Departure by mortar fire but moving out. | |
| 11:00 | Company E on the attack again. 81 mm to pound platoon position. Artillery to pound draw north of position. | |
| 15:35 | Firing white phosphorus with 4.2 mortar on 2nd platoon enemy near Company E left flank. Company E suffered heavy casualties during the attack. | |
| 17:00 | 1700 Major Regan went to rear. To go foreword tonight with supplies to F company. | |
| 18:00 | E and F companies changed places during afternoon. Company F to attack 2 positions of enemy to left of battalion by daylight. Artillery and mortar prep laid down before attack. | |
| 20:30 | Major Regan arrived at Company F CP. At this point there is a note added to the S3 journal, it states “Throughout this period in Germany the morale of the troops continues to be high. Several pass quotes were given out to the battalion to give the men a chance to return to the rear and rest.” Every man that I talked to from the regiment stated that this was total B.S. | |
| Dec. 01 | 157 present. 2 BC – Bell, Carl / Trover, Charles | |
| 02:30 | Overlays received. | |
| 07:30 | Company F attacked on time with artillery and mortar support. Company F reached wire entanglement and held up. | |
| 09:15 | Reported that enemy dug in and using American .50 and .30 cal weapons. | |
| 09:25 | Continue attack stopped at 1000. | |
| 15:00 | Firing 155s on enemy position Company F told firing will last 1.5 minutes and to jump off when firing stops. | |
| 15:17 | Company F jumps off. | |
| 16:00 | Company F stopped will try again in morning when Company G comes up. | |
| 17:00 | Overlays coordinated with Regiment. | |
| 01:00 | Company G discovered and ordered to return to Vossenack. | |
| 01:30 | Company G pulling back. Has to fight small arms and machine-gun fire most of the way. | |
| 05:30 | Major Regan, Capt. Fenster and Lt. Westoff return to CP. | |
| 08:45 | Regiment and Division commanders will be here at 0900. | |
| 09:30 to 11:00 Visit and meetings. | ||
| Dec. 02 | 162 present. 6 BC – Rose, Morris / Kirson, David / Mitsoda, John / Martelli, Salvatore / Scotto, Louis / Delbo, Calvin | |
| 18:00 | Message assigning a platoon of tanks to our battalion. | |
| 18:15 | Tank officer reports to forward CP. | |
| 19:00 | G and F companies told to attack at 0730. Attack will start with small arms and machine guns. Two tanks to move through clearing at edge of woods and fire 75s and machine guns. 81 artillery to be laid in draw in rear of enemy. | |
| 03:00 | G move to position in Vossenack. | |
| 04:00 | G attacks. | |
| 04:46 | G receives fire from woods but continues to advance. | |
| 05:50 | Major Regan call for his jeep. | |
| 07:30 | Attack not on time, companies ready but tanks not in position. | |
| 08:00 | Tanks still not in position. | |
| 08:05 | Major Regan and Easy Company to contact tanks. | |
| 08:10 | Major Regan decides to launch attack without tanks. | |
| 08:20 | Tanks fire into Easy Company, tanks did not get to proper destination. | |
| 08:25 | Requested more tanks. | |
| 08:47 | Regiment cleared draw 048320 for artillery fire.
Additional tanks are on the way to assist. |
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| 09:07 | Can’t contact tanks. | |
| 09:13 | Major Regan called forward CP will launch attack in 4 minutes. | |
| 09:27 | Attack postponed, tanks arrived in Company E area. | |
| 09:46 | Company G turns in 5 prisoners informs S3 of position. | |
| 10:12 | Major Regan requests whereabouts of tanks, tank officer did not know.
Inform regiment that tanks were lost again. |
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| 10:39 | Will launch attack with F in 4 minutes. F and G move out on time. | |
| 10:44 to 13:37 F, and G receive small arms, machine gun fire, and shelling. | ||
| 13:45 | 9 Enemy ME 109s strafe area. | |
| 16:00 | F and G companies to button up for the night. | |
| Dec. 03 | 161 present. 1 BC – Treatsen, Louis 8 promos Saymore/ Barich / O’dell / Gibbs / Dellamalva / Mikeo / Harper | |
| 03:00 | Company G moved to Vossenack for attack. | |
| 04:00 | Company G attacks, receives heavy machine gun and mortar fire. | |
| 06:30 | Capt. Singletary reports his entire company is in the woods. | |
| 08:00 | Major Regan tries to contact tanks. | |
| 08:10 | Company G pinned down and must use artillery.
Tanks started attacking but did not get into proper position and fired on Company E. Tank fire called off. |
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| 10:20 | Major Regan decides to attack without tanks. | |
| 12:50 | F and G companies make contact. | |
| Dec. 04 | 160 present. 1 BC - Viekmarn, Duane | |
| 08:30 | Tank companies reported to make run of front prior to attack. | |
| 11:00 | Major Regan called Major Wyand and gave an evaluation of our present situation, this was 1600 yards of front to defend with 366 men on line to defend with an order to attack. Enemy strength (G2 estimates) 140 well dug in. Tank officer returned and planned to attack at 1430. | |
| 13:50 | Tanker reports unable to move because of CCR on road. | |
| 14:10 | Attack postponed until artillery and armor can be coordinated. | |
| 14:20 | Division Commander informed of situation. | |
| 14:55 | Major Regan and Lt. Westoff left for F Company. | |
| 15:15 | Tanks move out. | |
| 15:30 | Laid smoke on Kommerscheidt and tanks are firing. | |
| 15:45 | Tanks told to move in closer on target. | |
| 16:47 | F Company to withdraw slowly. | |
| 20:15 | Notified companies that artillery will fire to left of F Company all night long. | |
| 23:30 | Major Regan arrives at CP. | |
| 05:00 | Company G told to attack at 0500 from opening from woods with artillery and Company F fire. | |
