60th Infantry, 3rd Bn., L Company, (9th Inf. Div.)
19 Sep - 15 Oct 1944
1 - 3 October 1944
The battalion held those positions, without engaging in any significant activity.
4 October 1944
The battalion was given the mission to demonstrate towards the pillbox some 800 yards to the east, as part of the general plan of attack of the regiment. L Company jumped off from its position late in the morning and went down the north of the road. It fire lots of ammunition and cross the next firebreak to arrive in position 75 yards west of the enemy position. It was instructed to assault the pillbox only if the enemy seemed to be weak, but as there was stiff resistance, it did not make the attempt. Late in the afternoon, approximately 1730, Snelling withdrew his forward elements to the west side of the firebreak, and bend the left flank back in an "L" formation. One platoon of I Company was brought along the south side of the road to give flank protection on the right. Another platoon of I Company then moved north of the road to hold the original objective, while K Company moved into a position 500 yards to the southwest.
5 - 9 October 1944
L Company stayed in this position until elements of the 4th Cavalry Group came into relieve it.
10 October 1944
L Company was relieved and pulled around to the vicinity of Richelskaul (019324). L Company took its position southwest of the crossroads, while K was directly south and I remained at Richelskaul.
11 October 1944
In the attack south, behind the 1st bn, K Company led the 3rd Battalion. One platoon of L worked down the firebreak which parallels the road to the west, while the rest of the company (now having two platoons plus a 15 man third platoon) followed K. As L was half way down the road, it got some enemy fire from the east. K Company (1 platoon) tied in with B of the 1st Bn.
The 2nd platoon of L Company, which was working down the firebreak, came under enemy fire at the crossing of trails at 011311.
L Company was then ordered to tie in on K's right flank, with its general position facing southwest, towards the enemy held pillbox (001308). L Company held this general position for the following three days, all the time receiving artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, and suffering heavy casualties.
12 - 13 October 1944
Nothing new.
14 October 1944
L Company attacked the enemy held pillbox at 1600. Apparently the position had been serving as an artillery and mortar OP, for the company and adjacent units had been accurately shelled during the previous days. The position was difficult to attack, for it was ably defended and had emplacements and concertina wire around it. The two tanks with L Company blasted the wire; bangalore torpedoes were also used on it. The enemy had excellent fields of fire, however, and the casualties were heavy. The enemy had one officer and three NCOs in the box, while in the outside emplacements were five light machine guns and about 40 men.
In the attack, the 2nd platoon moved slow to a position just northeast of the pillbox, while the 3rd platoon swung around to the south to encircle the pillbox. The third platoon of 15 men was pushed up to the east of the enemy, so that a thin line of troops surrounded the position. This movements, which was done by stubborn fighting at close range, cleaned out all the enemy around the pillbox. A few were captured but most were killed.
The three enemy inside the box called, apparently for mortar and artillery fire right on their position, for from the east the area received a heavy shelling.
It was now late at night, and even though casualties had cut the strength of L Company to about half of what it had before the attack began, it was decided to held the position around the pillbox. A machine gun was placed 16 yards from the door of e pillbox to cover it in case the enemy tried to escape.
Demolished pillbox #105 at map reference 001308
This is a regelbau type 26, Doppel-MG-Schartenstand.
(Pillbox with two MG embrasures)
Entrance side of pillbox #105.
A look inside pillbox # 105.
15 October 1944
At 0400, the enemy tried to counterattack from the northwest to regain this position. In the dark there was a great deal of firing, while the attack was repulsed. However, the enemy inside the box threw a hand-grenade which knocked out the machine gun at the door, and in the dark the three Germans dashed from the box and probably succeeded in getting away (no officer was found among the dead).
The enemy did not try to take the pillbox back again, and the engineers then came forward to blow it up.
After this action the artillery and mortar fire of the enemy decreased markedly.
(Note: Casualties: Before the attack on the pillbox L Company had about 115-120 fighting men, while afterwards it had 65.)
The rest of the story is as the battalion record.
