1ST INFANTRY DIVISION
FOR THE PERIOD 1 SEPTEMBER - 30 SEPTEMBER 1944
HEADQUARTERS 26TH INFANTRY
APO .NO. 1, U.S. ARMY
30 September 1944
22 September 1944
Division called, stating the 1st Bn would rejoin the Regiment. General Huebner said, "The 1st Battalion did a fine job over there and I am proud of them".
Patrols located enemy positions at 857420; 859421; 853409. Harassing fire was laid on these during the evening and night.
23 September 1944
A third Bn patrol reported new enemy location at 852410 and artillery was laid on this.
Mass was celebrated in the C.P. area by the Catholic Archbishop Spellman.
The 1st Bn closed in the Regimental area at 1130 hours.
Patrols sent out in the evening directed fire on enemy locations at 859419. Harassing fire laid on these locations throughout the night.
24 September 1944
A combat patrol was given the mission of destroying a pillbox which was housing snipers. "K" Co. sent out a patrol which was pinned down barely 100 yards from its own outpost lines. The patrol was forced to return.
A platoon of "G" Co. reinforced was given the order to attack N.E., clear the woods of the enemy at 857417, destroy pillbox and shelter at 856416, and all other enemy installations in the area. Time of attack 0515 hours 25 September. Supporting fires from artillery Cannon Co. and mortars.
Harassing fire all night.
25 September 1944
All the assignments given the reinforced, platoon were completed, and the platoon reported in at 0700 hours.
An assignment was then given to a reinforced, platoon of "I" Co. to attack north clear woods at 854410, destroy three enemy strong points at 854412, 853412, 852411. Time of attack 1830 hours.
Attack was launched as scheduled and the mission was reported accomplished without casualties at 2100 hours.
26 September 1944
Enemy artillery was extremely active during the night.
Six nebelwerfers shells landed in the third battalion area about 0045 hours. A 3rd Bn patrol sent out to investigate the results of the reinforced platoons attack reported that the enemy had been cleared from all strong points.
General Huebner presented Silver Stars to one officer and eighteen enlisted men at 1500 hours at the Regimental C.P.
Some heavy artillery pounded the 3rd Bn area for about an hour, 1900 thru 2000 hours.
27 September 1944
All quiet during the morning.
Jewish Services were held at Dixie "D" at 1430 hours.
All Bn. patrols reported negative results.
Throughout the afternoon and evening the 2nd and 3rd Bn. were under heavy enemy artillery fire - 25 rounds landing in the White Bn. area in one hour.
28 September 1944
In addition to harassing fire Delta fired a mission on enemy columns reported using the road running east to west in front of "I" Co.
A reinforced platoon from "G" Co. was to attack and clear the crossroads at 861422. Attack to start at 0545 hours 29 September.
29 September 1944
The reinforced platoon from "G" Co. attached as scheduled at 0545 hours and returned within an hour, having destroyed the buildings on the objective. A company "I" patrol reached the vicinity of the burnt out tank where it engaged two enemy machine guns. The patrol tried firing a bazookas on them, but the ammunition proved faulty. The patrol returned giving the location of the two machine gun nests to S-2. "K" Co. had sent out a reconnaissance patrol and as of 1000 hours had not as yet reported in.
In a discussion between General Huebner and Colonel Seitz it was decided to keep the 1st Bn in a reserve position instead of switching with the 2nd Bn. in view of the 16th Infantry reports that there was considerable enemy movement to that unit's front. With the new men who had just been added to the 1st Bn to bring it up to effective strength, it|was thought wiser to leave the second battalion where it was in case any enemy counterattack was launched.
The reconnaissance patrol "K" Co. had sent out reported in at 1200 hours. The squad went out through the road block on the left flank right up the main road to the N.W., then crossed over to a road going due north to 836412. Enemy infantry was observed proceeding north from there. A lone soldier coming up from the S.W. was captured by the patrol around 1900 hours. It was fired upon by two machine guns at 837410. The patrol then killed their prisoner and entered a German house. Finding several civilians there, they ordered them down into the cellar. Meanwhile enemy personnel from the machine gun entered to search the house, but a girl in the house told them that there was no one there. Though the Germans left at 0200 hours it stayed in the cellar until about 0730 hours when the patrol returned along the same route it had taken in. This information was passed on to G-3.
At 1835 "I" Co. was assigned a mission of sending a patrol to 837412, across road. Another patrol was to be sent out about 0530 hours. A "K" Co. patrol sent out in the evening reported a machine gun at 843407 and a probable tank or anti-tank position at 838403. At 2125 hours the returning "I" Co. patrol reported enemy personnel eating a meal, and Cannon Co. laid in two rounds on the position inflicting some casualties.
30 September 1944
Civil Affairs report indicated civilians were quiet and circulation at a stand still.
All was quiet during the morning.
Orders went out to the 2nd and 3rd Bn to send out patrols, with the mission of capturing a prisoner. At 1423 hours "K" Co. patrol returned, reporting an enemy motor pool at 844399. An American jeep with German camouflage was in it. Enemy machine gun fire was encountered at 838402. The patrol bypassed this and were hit by a mortar barrage in the woods at 844406. As they retraced their route they ran into another mortar barrage.
Co. "I" patrol reported a road block and seven teller mines at 853411, and anti-tank gun and personnel at 853419, and enemy emplacements at 853413. The patrol suffered two wounded and two possibly killed that had to be left behind. One wounded man was brought back. German medics were observed by the patrol going towards the American wounded. Harassing fire was placed on all reported enemy positions throughout the night.
SUMMARY
It had been a historic month. Belgium had been entered and the outer defenses of the Siegfried Line had been cracked. Numerous enemy personnel had been killed, wounded or captured in the drive on Germany.
