Hurtgen Forest and Roer Valley
10-17 Dev. 1944 - (Rhineland Campaign)
By Captain Raymond C. Greis
THE INITIAL ATTACK (DECEMBER 12)
At 1000 hours on 12 December the battalion jumped off as planned. On reaching phase line I, both "F" and "G" Companies came under machine gun, rifle, and mortar fire from enemy positions along phase line II. The men of both attacking companies hit for cover and attempted to take up the fire fight. It was impossible to place effective fire on the enemy lines due to the limited fields of fire caused by the dense scrub growth that covered the area. The intensity of the enemy fire obviated any further advance until such time as the enemy positions were either destroyed or neutralized. 15
"F" Company's Commander contacted the Battalion Commander, informed him of the situation, and asked for an artillery preparation on phase line II. The Battalion Commander arranged for a 10 minute artillery and mortar preparation of phase line II and III to start at 1120 hours, and to cease with two rounds of white phosphorus per gun at 1130 hours; all supporting fires would then lift to phase line IV and fire a 5 minute preparation there. 16
"F" Company's Commander was instructed to have his men wait under cover for the preparation to begin, and then to have his men creep forward through the brush as far as possible and assault the enemy positions when the smoke rounds landed. Each platoon leader in "F" Company was contacted and given the following instructions: "We get an artillery preparation at 1120 hours. When it starts, creep your men forward to within assault distance. When the smoke rounds land, charge, and keep going to phase line III. Hold there for further orders." 17
During this same period, "G" Company had been equally unsuccessful in advancing against the enemy's prepared defences. The Battalion Commander contacted the "G" Company Commander and told him of "F" Company's plan. "G" Company was ordered to attack in conjunction with "F" Company at 1130 hours. 18
Between 1100 and 1120 hours the mortars and artillery were registered on the target, and promptly at 1120 hours the preparation began. Enemy fire soon slackened to sporadic machine gun bursts, enabling "F" Company to slip forward to within 75 to 100 yards of the enemy. When the phosphorus rounds burst over the enemy lines, "F" Company's leaders leaped to their feet, ordered the charge, and the whole company front surged forward. The men moved right into and through five machine gun nests and a platoon of enemy riflemen. Most of the enemy met death; nine prisoners, all wounded, were taken. 19
Leaving the 1st platoon to mop up, "F" Company reorganized quickly, pushed on through to phase line III, and then rapidly to phase line IV. Hof Hardt was captured easily when a platoon of enemy infantry, completely surprised, surrendered without a fight. 20
In the meantime, Company "G" had no success in its attack at 1130 hours. The enemy positions to its front could not be neutralized.
After "F" Company's successful charge, "G" Company's Commander ordered his support platoon to swing to the left through "F" Company's zone and attack the enemy from the flank. This platoon, moving in from the north across the enemy flank, destroyed 3 machine gun nests in log bunkers and killed or captured all the enemy defenders. After this action, Company "G" quickly reorganized and moved on up to the battalion objective, going into position to the right of "F" Company. 21
After Hof Hardt had been taken, Company "E" was moved up behind "F" Company to protect the battalion left flank. One platoon of this company was used to carry ammunition and supplies to the two forward companies.
Patrols from "F" and "G" Companies were dispatched to both flanks to contact the adjacent units. At about 1600 hours contact with the 9th Division was established on the Hof Hardt road, and at 1700 hours the 1st Battalion was contacted on the right. When these contacts were made, defensive fires were co-ordinated, and the battalion "buttoned up for the night". 22
A platoon of the division engineers, plus the battalion A and P platoon, worked all afternoon clearing mines and draining mud off the Duren road; by evening a supply route had been cleared to Hof Hardt. Up this route came a hot meal for the men, more ammunition for the next day's attack, and communication wires from the Battalion CP to the Company CP's. 23
Casualties during this action were heavy. The losses in American killed and wounded totalled about one hundred men and officers. The Germans lost about two hundred men; over one hundred of these were killed. 24
The night of 12-13 December was fairly uneventful. One enemy patrol tried to enter Hof Hardt and was driven off. The 2d Battalion patrols contacted the enemy along the edge of the woods to the right front. Twice during the night heavy barrages by enemy mortars were dropped along the front, causing a few casualties. This was the extent of the night's activities. 25
