23 September 1944

Early in the morning, the enemy attacked from the south. They hit the center of the line, where only one platoon of A Company was holding with between 30 to 50 men, and overran the position. The enemy continued to come down the middle of the position, and Chatfield had to draw back the rest of A Company in order to stop the drive. Thereupon C turned slightly more to the south, taking its position across the firebreak at 997325. B Company was on the left (northeast) of the position, with one platoon to the far left.

The attack of the enemy was stopped but not before it had seized the pillboxes which had been taken the previous day. In the meantime, B had sent a platoon to the east (vicinity of 003328), but small arms fire of the enemy some three hundred yards farther east had pinned it down.

At 1200, the three companies attacked to the south. (One platoon of B Company held on the east). They moved down the three parallel fire-breaks to approximately the same positions as had been held before. A Company, attacking on the west of the battalion zone of action, came up against a Mk V tank, which had a good field of fire down the trail which A was using. The artillery tried to fire upon it, but the tank pulled up so close to A Company elements that this was impossible.

This action was apparently the beginning of an attack launched by the enemy at 1600. The tank with supporting infantrymen came up the fire-break towards A's position (vicinity of 993324) The attack again cracked the position, as the enemy retook for the second time the pillboxes at 993324, and 993326, and 995325. With the line again split open, Chatfield has what remained of a Company on the west, and C and B on the east of the enemy thrust pull back so they could tie in one with another and not leave any exposed flanks.

In the meantime, C Company received from the east, beginning with 1600, an exceptionally heavy pounding from SP guns and mortars. In addition, an enemy thrust developed northeast of the three companies, which hit the battalion command group (vicinity of 000333). The main effort, however, was from the south, where the the Mk V got two TDs. The 1st bn had no weapons to combat the enemy tank. The bazooka men were not there, nor were there tanks.
Fortunately, the Mk V did not stay up with the infantry, and after they retook the pillboxes, it withdrew to the south.

For the night A Company pulled into a circle at 992323, while B and C companies pulled into a circle at 998327.

It was, now eminently clear to regiment that the 1st bn had too large an enemy force against it to be able successfully to hold this position. Therefore, the 3rd bn, 60th Infantry, was ordered at 2130 to go in on the left of the 1st bn. In addition, a platoon of tanks was sent up to help the 1st bn, since it now had only one TD left.

24 September 1944

At daylight, A Company was led back to a position just north of B and C companies in order to reorganize for another attack. It was going to push to the southwest, across the fire breaks and regain its former position (993323). However, at 0930, just as A Company was preparing to attack, it was hit again by the enemy. However, in preparation for the attack, the company had secured a 57mm AT gun to use on the pillboxes. During the course of the fire fight between the enemy established in the pillboxes, and A Company to the north on the ridge, a SP gun of the enemy came up to a forward position. The enemy was well equipped to defend his position, having a 50 cal MG in the pillbox, and numerous riflemen and lighter machine guns in the vicinity. The 105 SP gun, which appeared about 1200, pulled in close to the forward pillbox when the battalion mortars began to work over the area. The 57mm gun crew spotted the chassis of the enemy SP gun, although, it could not see the gun itself. The platoon leader and gunner had been wounded by shells from the SP gun, and the assistant gunner fired on the enemy with AT and HE ammunition, securing five direct hits and knocking out the gun. It was now about 1630, when the SP gun was finally eliminated, and the fire fight with the enemy continued without subsiding. The enemy seemed to be everywhere, and in the darkness of the thick trees the confusion and firing seemed everywhere. The tanks stated that they could not go up to attack the SP gun.

At 1635, the enemy again counterattacked from the south. A Company, however was able to progress in the face of this attack to the first two pillboxes, since the enemy this time thrust up the fire-breaks farther to the east. C Company, which was in the direct path of the attack moved in against the enemy forces.

By nightfall, therefore, the three companies had slightly bettered their position. A was on the west (993325), C on the east (996325), while B was behind C to the north.

In this attack, there were 25 prisoners taken from the pillboxes and even more important was a regimental field order of the enemy. 750 men (in addition to the static troops) were given the mission of restoring the enemy position on the ridge.

(Note: Fortunately the enemy did not employ all the strength at once, but instead in successive days tried with approximately 200 men from the east, 200 from the south, and then 350 from the south. In view of the small numbers of the 1st bn at this time, such a situation was fortunate, for in spite of the replacements, the battalion was far below strength.)

25 September 1944

Shortly after midnight, about 0100, the enemy began to point the position of A Company around the pillboxes with artillery and mortar fire. A flare went up, and immediately after that about 80 infantry attacked the pillboxes and surrounded the one holding the company command group. In addition to four officers, 45 enlisted men were captured. Not only did the enemy succeed in retaking the pillboxes, but A Company was left without leadership.

Lt. Shaughnessy, Capt. Kenon, and 2nd Lt Gotsky were among those captured, and Lt. Kent of C Company was sent over to take charge. The company was badly scattered, and finally, by making the remaining squad leaders platoon sergeants, a semblance of organization was achieved. The strength of the company was down to 30 riflemen.

At 0700, the enemy again attacked, this time striking from the southwest into the center of the battalion position. In response, the 1st bn began at 0910 to work forward towards the pillboxes lost the night before, and by 1130 they had been recaptured.

The success of the battalion in recapturing the pillboxes was apparently the cause of another enemy attack launched about noon. Enemy SP guns were on the north-south fire-break, and the infantry moved against the pillboxes from the same direction as before. The mortars fired the entire battalion ration, while artillery also helped repulse the attack. A cub plane spotted SP guns aid enemy tanks for the artillery. Each time the enemy tried during the afternoon to reach the vicinity of 993325, the mortar and artillery fire would stop them. The engineers blew the pillbox.

About 1600, Chatfield tried to renew the attack to the south. He planned to send B Company through the position held by A Company which by this time was so badly shot up that its morale was low. B Company's commander stated that he could not move, and the battalion commander then relieved him of his command. The attack of B Company began about 1630, and met with reasonable success. By dark, a line was reestablished, with B Company in the center (vicinity of 993323), the elements of A on the west, and C on the east. (C Company by now had only 2 officers, A Company the one officer taken from C, and B Company little better off). The tanks pulled up to a position in the rear of A Company, and the Mk V tank was still intermittently firing down the fire-break from the vicinity of 993320.  (note: In spite of the replacements coming up every day or so, the companies were down, to an approximate strength of 50 men each.)

In the meantime, beginning at 1700, elements of the 39th began to pull into the area (1st bn). Likewise the 3rd bn, 60th Inf, arrived in the vicinity, pulling in behind the 1st of the 60th.

26 September 1944

During the day relief began to be effected. However, the enemy shelled the area intensely and attempted to attack the pillboxes, which had been retaken. A Company pulled back on the evening of the 26th, while B and C companies withdrew on the 27th. Thus all three companies were assembled on the on the wooded ridge (993329) in a reserve position.

27 September to 2 October 1944

During these five days the battalion sat on the western slope of the ridge. It patrolled the ridge to the east (to vicinity of 000330) during the day, and outposted the position at night. It kept getting prisoners who were likewise patrolling in that vicinity. The enemy shelled the ridge constantly, but not the reverse slope. Hence, practically no casualties were caused. Apparently, by means of the patrolling, the enemy was deceived as to the exact location of the battalion.

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