By Sidney A Salomon (1913 - 2004)
2 Silver Stars; Purple Heart w/Oak Leaf Cluster
A (Able) Company
14 Nov. ---- Germeter area
23 Nov. ---- Hurtgen Forest
6 Dec. ---- Bergstein
A (Able) Company of the 2nd Ranger Battalion arrived in Raeren, Belgium on 3 November, along with the other companies of the battalion, and immediately instituted a training program while in this battalion reserve position. On 14 November, orders were received to move to the town of Germeter and to share the defense of that town with B Company.
As Able Company marched into Germeter to take up their defensive positions, the men griped about the steep incline leading to the town. At the southeasterly end of the town, there was a road intersection that led to the next town, Vossenack. That intersection must have been openly visible to the enemy artillery forward observers, as it was a well defined target. Eventually, this crossroad would become known as Purple Heart Corners.
The Company Commander had outposts set up on the fringe of the southeasterly portion of the town by elements of the company, while the rest of the company took refuge in the basement of homes. The unit of the 28th Division, which A Company had relieved, had left so hurriedly, there were still tubs of charcoal burning for heat in the basements of the homes.
During the time Able Company was positioned in Germeter, patrols maintained contact with C Company in Vossenack and in addition, held possession of their sector of Germeter. All of this time, cognizant of observation by the Germans from the high ground at the neighboring towns of Schmidt and Bergstein, the men of A Company were careful of their movements during daylight hours. Intermittent artillery and mortar fire was the norm. In addition, there was occasional small arms fire. One assault attempted by a small German raiding party was repulsed without any casualties to A Company personnel. Several casualties did result from the continuous heavy enemy artillery shelling.
One patrol mission of A Company while in Germeter was to reconnoiter the area in the vicinity of the town of Schmidt. This town had been occupied by troops of the 28th Division, but the Germans had overrun the town, captured most of the American troops and now occupied this focal point of the region. The Able Company patrol reached the outskirts of Schmidt undetected, and observed some artillery emplacements. There seemed to be little activity taking place at the time the patrol was in the enemy vicinity. Since there were only a total of four men in the patrol, a platoon leader and three enlisted men, it was agreed by all members of the patrol that the low level of activity could very well be a trap, and for that reason the patrol leader decided to return to Germeter, and report the information they had learned to the battalion commander.
After several days in this Germeter/Vossenack area, the Ranger battalion commander received new orders, which indicated that the 8th Infantry Division was relieving the 28th Division in this region as of 20 November. The Ranger Battalion now became a reserve unit of the 8th Division. At this time, four Ranger companies (C-D-E-F) were withdrawn to a rear assembly area, but still within range of enemy mortars and artillery. Meantime, Able and Baker Companies were to remain in the Germeter vicinity, but B Company was to move into a position on the extreme right flank of the 121 Infantry Regiment within the nearby Hurtgen Forest.
Eventually, when Baker Company reported being in difficulty in a mine field within the Hurtgen Forest and stated that it had suffered a number of casualties, one of the Able Company platoon leaders was asked to lead a patrol, which included a medical aid man, to the Baker Company location. Mortar and artillery fire was heavy while the Able Company patrol successfully made their way through the rugged forest and eventually reached the B Company position.
It was dark within the forest as the patrol made preparations to evacuate some of the B Company casualties. Apparently, there was a mine field in this area. As the patrol prepared to lift one casualty to a litter, another mine went off, with the platoon leader, a medical aid man, and several other men becoming wounded. After the administration of first aid by the Baker Company medic, the patrol was able to return to the battalion bivouac area, and plans were now made for Able Company to relieve the beleaguered Baker Company.
On 23 November, A Company began their move into the Hurtgen Forest, and the relief of B Company. This was accomplished at approximately 2000 hours. Able Company remained in position within the forest and continued to give flank protection to the nearby 121st Infantry. For the next two days, A Company came under moderate to heavy artillery, mortar and self propelled gun fire from the Germans, but steadfastly held their ground.
Now, the Ranger battalion commander received orders to consolidate the battalion position, and so on 27 November, Able Company was relieved from their position within the Hurtgen Forest and pulled back to its previous positions within the town of Germeter. The following day, Able Company was ordered to return to the battalion bivouac area where the other companies of the battalion were in a reserve position.
On 6 December, Able Company was ordered from battalion reserve, loaded onto trucks with preparation for an offensive operation. The company detrucked in the vicinity of Kleinhau in the midst of a heavily wooded area, and proceeded to route march along the road towards the town of Bergstein. It was a miserable march, a column of troops on either side of the road, plodding through the cold mud that oozed around the shoes of the men. Artillery rounds burst nearby, artillery flashes temporarily lit up the horizon, and not knowing what they were soon to face, created a lot of consternation in the minds of the men.
Able Company was ordered to continue through the town for several hundred more yards. An armored unit had previously occupied the town, but had been withdrawn after suffering many casualties, and now the Able Company men passed burning halftrack and tanks along the road. Incoming artillery made progress slow and difficult, but upon reaching the appointed place, the Company Commander had the men veer to the left off the road, as ordered, and prepare to dig foxholes. That became a rather difficult undertaking as the ground was frozen. Some old trenches were found which the Germans had apparently utilized, and so Able took possession of those, and very timely too, for a half-hearted assault came from the Germans. That attack was beaten off without any casualties to the Able Company men.
A passing comment as to how bitterly cold the weather was brought the comment, "the warmest thing around was the barrel of a BAR." It was now 0530 the morning of 7 December, that the Able Company informed the battalion via radio that the company was in position and in command of their designated ground for which they were responsible.
While Able Company held on to this position during the day of 7 December, they came under heavy artillery and mortar fire. Fortunately, the trenches which they had occupied, the foxholes which they had managed to dig, all held, and other fortifications which they had managed to build held, and no casualties were reported. Later in the day, one platoon of A Company was ordered back to the Battalion CP in Bergstein in order to prepare themselves to lend support to D and F Companies on top of Hill 400.
As the platoon headed back to the Battalion CP in Bergstein, along the way, they corralled 28 German prisoners, and turned them over to the battalion intelligence section. The platoon was ordered to stand by, which they did. Just prior to their preparations for the ascent of Hill 400, additional orders were issued to stay put. The Germans had been driven from Hill 400 by other elements of the Ranger Battalion and it became unnecessary for the platoon to join in the combat action. At 2140 on 8 December, Able Company was relieved from their position in Bergstein by the 13th Infantry of the 8th Division.
An ironic footnote to the Able Company saga is that an A Company patrol was in the town of Schmidt in November, 1944. In February of 1945, the Americans were still trying to capture the town, ultimately succeeding in the latter half of the month.
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Posted here with kind permission of the family of the late Sidney A. Salomon.
Many thanks Peter.