Volume 3, number 2 heidenheim, germany

In little more than a month the 12th Armored Division, good right fist of the American Seventh Army, punched most of Bavaria off the German map and drove from the Rhine clear across the alpine border of Austria.

Major General Roderick R. Allen's armor had won glory in Alsace and Lorraine as far South as the Colmar Pocket and North into the Siegfried Line. It had been spearhead for Patton's Third Army dash encircling the Saar, then reverted to Patch's Seventh for the final push across the Rhine.

From then on in there were 12th Armored units in action every minute until the final German collapse along the Austrian frontier 37 days later.

It was at the Danube bridge at Dillingen that the 12th struck one of the great blows of the war by seizing the span, cutting wires to nine 500-pound bombs and much dynamite, then pouring troops across to rob the enemy in the "redoubt" area of vitally needed time. Dillingen bridgehead was considered second in importance only to Remagen.

Where demolitions had been completed, our engineers built new spans. They threw a 228-foot treadway across the Lech in record time on 30 April, then boarded over a nearby railway viaduct to keep a double stream of traffic on the move.

Here and there the Germans had prepared defense lines, but opposition was mostly in concentrated doses from units dug into very favorable positions. During the drive the enemy threw at the 12th everything in the book from panzerfaust and sniper fire to planes and heavy artillery. During the defense of the Danube bridgehead ack-ack half-tracks claimed six planes shot down on the single day of 23 April. During one week in April 47 enemy tanks were kayoed.

Hundreds of towns capitulated without a shot, greeting the Hellcats with white flags flying. Scores of others in which the Germans chose to fight were blasted to rubble. When ground action looked too costly, the artillery with its observation-plane eyes, and deadly Thunderbolts operating from German airfields the 12th had captured, were called in to clear the way.

Everybody Helped

All-important if less spectacular, supply trains kept the food and the ammo and the gas pouring up to the front. Signalmen stretched lines of communication clear across the Nazi fatherland. Ordnance kept the wheels turning. MPs shuttled incredible numbers of prisoners to the rear -- on 5 May alone they evacuated 21,742 captured enemy soldiers. Administration men kept the division a cohesive unit in contrast with the disorganization and confusion through which the Hellcats kept surging.

Loud cheers greet the appearance of "fresh vegetable soup" on he menu of Headquarters Company, 134th Ordnance Battalion. What the 'customers" don't know is that Staff Sergeant Leo F. Wenisch of Springfield, Minn., their mess sergeant, brews the delicacy from the much despised of meat-and-vegetable hash plus plenty of water.

Putting a stream of machine gun fire down the mouth of a German bazooka at 260 yards has earned Cpl. Walter Warrenski of Huntingdon, N. Y., a reputation as a tank gunner. Warrenski, gunner in a medium tank of the 43rd Tank Battalion, went into action when the driver, Sgt. Ollie Parazoo, spotted a couple of Krauts aiming a rocket launcher at their tank. Thirty calibre fire from his co-axially mounted machine gun went right down the mouth of the enemy bazooka exploding the shell and killing the gunner. The other German surrendered.

23rd Tank Bn - Purvis B. Griswold.

Div Arty - Clarence A. Curry.

Div Arty - Raymond J. Sacharski.

Hq (FE-Mil Govt) - Max Beers.

To Staff Sergeant:

493 AFA Bn - Marion F. Davenport.

134th Ord Maint Bn - Harold A. Ewing.

23rd Tank Bn - John P. Hopf, Patsy Biscaro, William H. Cordrey, Leo D. Nelson, Alvin R. Kruse, Robert D. Tays.

134th Ord Maint Bn - Albert C. Cross, David H. Dow, Donald F. Reichardt, True R. Scott, William G. Carmody, Morris J. Fortin, Harold G. Hains, John J. Hoyt, Arthur B. Johnson, Jack E. Leicher, Gerald L. McLean, Frank B. Neitzke, Jr., Albert Schmidt, Mike J. Steffan, Jr., Edwin E. Stevens, Roy J. Stevens, Ronald E. Wilcox.

Hq. (RE-AG) - Charles A. Lee.

To Sergeant:

23rd Tank Bn - Bennie M. Sanders, Stephen Pehanich, Nelson C. Bargeman, Frank M. Conway, Edmund R. Casey.

134th Ord Maint Bn - William T. Myers.

493rd AFA Bn - Thomas J. Moorhead.

23rd Tank Bn - Harris E. Miller, James H. McManus, Gerald J. Connors.

134th Ord Maint Bn - Kenneth D. Sibrel, Martin Hale, Stephen Ziobro, Benjamin Cohen, Milton W. Fabula, Orville T. Jacobson, James L. Killian, Jr., Frederick A. LeFavour, John F. O'Neil, Robert F. Paggen, George L. Rice, Asa E. Secord, Jack W. Sturman, Joseph Syrnick, Gordon F. Toepke, Daniel L. Truesdell.

To Corporal:

23rd Tank Bn - Allen L. Linster, John R. Lund, Robert C. Miller.

23rd Tank Bn - Martin P. Ricker, Elmer R. Daub, James R. Beckley, Donald D. Dietz, Harold A. Ketterer, Charles H. Hatch, Jr., Joseph Mester.

493rd AFA Bn - Dale W. Hall, Paul H. Shepard, Jr.

134th Ord Maint Bn - William C. Bonner, Louis G. Mathern, Jr., Donald E. Queller, Donald L. Truesdell, Willard Baker, Louis J. Glatz, III, Lawrence Lindhardt, William A. Rockett, Glenn Widmer, Norman Aronson, Czelaw J. Barna, Colon S. Johnson, Buster Lanear, Edward D. Livingston, John L. Mills, Donald B. Olson, Dominic J. Potenza, Donald E. Pierce, Garet V. W. Shepherd, Gordon C. Witter.

134th Ord Maint Bn - James J. Gerard, John C. Komarek.

Recently promoted to the rank of major were: Richard C. Harvey, and James D. Stephens, both of Military Government; Walter W. McDonough, of CCA; Carl C. Morgan, Jr., Div Arty, Ralph P. Shaw, Jr., 43rd Tank Bn.

Promoted to captain were: George T. Daughters, Military Government; Edward J. Albertie, CCA; John A. Brown, 495th AFA Bn; Thomas F. Johnston, 43rd Tank Bn; Sherman E. Kaplitz and James L. Todd, 66th AIB; Ernest H. Garneau, John C. Lee, and John L. Mowatt, 23rd Tank Bn; Laughlin, 714th Tank Bn.

Promoted to first lieutenant were: Owsley C. Costlow, David W. McBride and Robert A. Von Doenhoff, 23rd Tank Bn; Paul E. Clabaugh, 134th Ord Maint Bn; George C. Eblen, aide to CG; Allen B. Canfield and Lee F. Ghormley, 66th AIB; William R. Ference and John L. Jacobs, 56th AIB; Christopher T. Garvey, Jr. and William W. Turley, 714th Tank Bn; Joseph Shandrey, 152nd Sig Co; Donald K. Probert, Tns Hq.

The first time a tank in the assault gun platoon of Hq Co of the 17th used the 105 howitzer on their new medium, they tossed the shell, firing indirect, right into the mouth of a cave where the Krauts had an 88.

American troops, soldiers of the Wehrmacht, and a handful of French personages slated for death by the SS, fought side by side in an alpine castle on the last day of the war in Bavaria.

Among the 14 French notables rescued by tankers of the 12th Armored Division were former Premier Edouard Daladier, aging General Maxim Weygand who commanded the French armies when the Germans broke through into France, tennis star Jean Borotra and his wife, and a sister of the present chief executive of France, General Charles de Gaulle.

Also in the strangely mixed pro-and-anti-Nazi group were former premier Paul Reynaud; General Maurice Gamelin, former commanding general of all the French armies; Mrs. Weygand; Colonel DeLaRoque, former French fascist leader; M. Caillaux, former member of the government; Leon Jouhaux, French labor union leader; and Michel Clemencau, son of the World War I statesman.

Top heroes of the scenario-scrap were Lieutenant John C. Leo, Jr., commanding officer of Company B of the 23rd Tank Battalion, and his gunner, Corporal Edward J. Szymcyk.

Across the Border

Their saga began the afternoon of May 4 shortly after their platoon took Kufstein, just across the Austrian border, after knifing through a well-defended roadblock. Into the town came a German major, under a flag of truce, who said that he was in position to surrender a large force of enemy troops and 14 notables once connected with the pre-Petain governments of France.

All, he said, were at a castle in Litter, eight kilometers away. Lee and Szymcyk immediately left with the major but when they arrived, the German colonel in command refused to surrender.

Back in Kufstein, Lee picked up his reinforcements -- two tanks from his own outfit and five more from the 36th Infantry Division's 142nd Battalion. With Lee and Szymcyk went Lieutenant Harry Basse, Santa Ana, Cal., maintenance officer and the tanks' crews. At the town of Worgl the force paused. Lee, leaving the others behind, took his own medium tank with five volunteers, said goodbye to his rear-guard, and rumbled on to the castle, the faithful major trailing in his car.

Then began the classic defense of the ancient "schloss", which had not known battle since the days of crossbow and boiling oil. The defenders numbered 41 -- there were 20 soldiers of the Wehrmacht (German regular army), 14 French men and women, and seven Americans.

At 4 o'clock on the morning of May 5, a small force of SS men launched an attack up the slope toward the castle. American rifles and German light machine guns teamed up to beat them back.

"Jean Borotra was the spark of the defense," Leo recalls. "He volunteered to jump over the castle wall and make his way to Worgl to summon help. It meant a run across forty yards of open field before he could reach cover. I refused."

But half an hour later things started looking tougher, so Lee permitted Borotra, whose name ranks among the immortals of tennis history, to make what was a brave but futile dash. Soon after he left tanks of the 36th were sighted far away.

Guessing that they hadn't received Borotra's message and regarded the castle as simply another German stronghold to be blasted out of the way, Lee and Weygand quickly teamed up on an American 30-calibre machine gun and opened fire sending long bursts crackling into the woods well ahead of the approaching tanks.

"It worked," Lee said. "Later I found that the tankers had their heavy guns trained on the castle ready to fire when they recognized the sound of the American 'thirty' and decided it was a signal rather than a threat."

So the possibility of being killed by their own rescuers was averted for Lee and his men, who included, in addition to those already named, Technical Sergeant William E. Elliott, Corporal Edward J. Seiner, and Pfc. Herbert G. McHaley, Linton RFD 1, Ind.

Sgt. Glenn E. Shermann of Cameron, Mo., served as radioman and gunner on Elliot's tank. Pvt Joseph Wall, Selma, N.C., was left to guard the bridge alone all night, armed only with a carbine, and took a number of prisoners.

The SS, however, had no compunctions about blasting away at the castle. Their 88 shells crashed through thick walls into several rooms, wounding a German.

At 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 5th, the cautiously-advancing tanks of the relief force, led by Elliott and Sherman, after 16 hours pounded through the opposition and arrived at the castle like mechanized cowboys in a new-style Western movie. Lee's saga was ended. His tank, "Besotten Jenny," as she was fondly dubbed by the Negro troops, was kaput. All the infantry peeps were filled with notables. So Lee and his heroes climbed onto a truck loaded with German prisoners and rode ingloriously back to their outfit. They arrived just in time to hear the radio broadcast that all German troops in the south had agreed to stop shooting that day at noon. Theirs had been the last fighting on the whole southern front.

But there's a postscript: a few days later Lee's promotion to Captain was announced and his men have all been cited for decorations

Engineers Beat Officers In Softball Twin Bill

Headquarters Co, 119th Engr Bn, successfully opened its softball season recently by defeating the Officers in a double-header, 11—0 and 5-4.

First game batteries for Head-quarters Company were Gillan and Goodman pitching, Saeloff catching, while the Officers had Rike and Ryan on the mound with Gardner behind the plate. Second game batteries found Gillan and Firden hurling for Headquarters Co with Brown doing the receiving. The Officers countered with Cutler and Martin pitching and Craig catching.

Holding the spotlight for Headquarters Co were Morris Goldman, George Earhart, John Hanson, and Ray Manger. Capt. McCall and Major Bensel starred for the Officers.

92nd BEATS ACK ACK

The 92nd Cav Rcn baseball team, last year's league winners, won its opening game against the 572nd AAA outfit. The cavalry defeated the ack ack boys by the score of 7 to 5. The game was highlighted by the hitting of 1st Sgt. Jensen and 1st Sgt. Mason for the cavalry and the AAA respectively. Cpl Brekke pitched the entire game for Recon.

The 92nd is willing to book games with any outfit in the division. Call Niner Two and ask for Sgt. Rothenberg.



FISH FOR CANNONEERS

Lieut. William Rosgen, B Btry 493rd, a former professional angler, is feeding section after section of 493rd men with trout fished from streams in the 12th's area. He improvised his fishing rod from a bamboo pole, wire, and a champagne cork. Twenty-one inch trout is the order of the day.

13th FA Cuts Policing Duties of 12th In Half

Addition of the 13th FA Brigade and its attached units to division control has cut the policing area nearly in half, according to G-3.

12th elements will remain in combat command organization, moving to new locations only when Seventh Army directs, pending receipt of orders concerning the future of the 12th.



CENSORSHIP ENDS

Unit censorship of letters and cablegrams came to an end in the division this week under a Seventh Army directive declaring it no longer necessary. Base censorship will continue.

Unit officers will continue to censor packages.



Athletic School Conducted for CCA

A highly successful, four-day athletic school, conducted for units of CCA under the direction of Major Lester M. Reiss, former special service officer and two technicians, Cpl. Walter Lanfranconi and Sgt. Eddie Yount, has just been brought to a conclusion with the awarding of athletic certificates to 50 officers and enlisted men.

Each of the four days of the school was divided into a lecture period in the morning and a period of practical work in teaching and playing games in the afternoon.

To stimulate interest, four squads were formed and on the last day a track meet was held.

Especially chosen for their ability to instruct in athletics, the following men attended the school: 1st Lt. J. Dhenizoch, 2nd Lt. Walter M. Biewerton, Lt. Robert A. Aranson, Sgt. Frank DeMarco, Sgt. Tony Lamarra, S/Sgt. George Maley, Sgt. Jack A. Thomson, T/Sgt. John V. Simpson, T/5 Robert Nelson, Pvt. Donald Loth, Lt. Hammond, 2nd Lt. Joseph Pavia, 2nd Lt. Derwin C. Tressler, 2nd Lt. Robert S. Blair.

T/Sgt. Sam Liberto, Sgt. Michael Vikertosky, S/Sgt. John L. Sabala, S/Sgt. Daniel Firden, T/5 Raymond Salkloff, S/Sgt. Stephen Haydusck, S/Sgt. Randolph D. Darden, Sgt. Franklin Robinson.

1st Lt. A. Lanfield, 2nd Lt. Lawrence J. Ferolie, 2nd Lt. Charles J. Roach, 2nd Lt. Warren Tracy, 2nd Lt. James E. Sonnie, Sgt. Jerome S. Katz, Cpl. Charles Roehrig, Pvt. Lawrence Cole, Sgt. Julius Emmi, T/4 Francis S. Dinoto.

2nd Lt. Plymount A. Rehel, 2nd Lt. R. H. Hager, 2nd Lt. John A. Larson, S/Sgt. Henry S. Royea, Cpl. Carl V. Dietrich, T/5 Sydney Goodman, T/5 Eddie Steinride, Sgt. James V. Adams, Pvt. Leo McVey, S/Sgt. Ted Sokolski and Pfc. Dice.

Recon Mechanics Nab Krauts With Wrenches, Blow-Torch

Curiosity may have killed a lot of cats, but it didn't have any harmful effects on a maintenance crew of the 92nd Recon. The crew, Cpl. Arden Watts, of Bloomsburg, Pa., Sgt. W. H. Kinnon, of Pleasantville, Ill., Staff Sgt. Elmer Messenger, of Bayard, W. Va., Cpl. Denzel Ridenaur, of Alton. Ill., and Sgt. William Billieu of Texarkana, Texas, were speeding along a recently captured stretch of road in an effort to catch up with their column when one of them noticed two strange vehicles following closely.

The crew snatched every available weapon including wrenches, jack-handles, and a blow-torch -- Messenger had the only gun -- and investigated. They found the trucks crammed to the tailboards with fleeing Nazis, who surrendered meekly enough, probably unnerved by the odd assortment of adapted "weapons" with which the maintenance men were menacing them.



Steady Bunk Fatigue Is Out For Hellcats

It's "routine military duty" for those GIs not interested in either the sports or educational programs, it was announced this week.

The I. and E. interest poll, now being tabulated, shows a wide range of choice in both phases, with an unexpected sprinkling of questionnaires totally negative.



Church Services

Catholic and Protestant Services will be held at the following times and places:

Protestant Services

Sunday 27 May -- Heidenheim, 1100; Geigen, 1330; Taxis, 0900; Lauingen, 1330; Dillingen, 1100; Wertingen, 0900; Ellwangen, 0900; Fachsenfeld, 1100; Aalen, 1100; Schnaitheim, 0900; Burgau, 1400; Krumbach, 1600; Augsburg, 1000; Zusmarshausen, 1400.

Catholic Services

Heidenheim, Sunday, 0830, Mass; Wednesday and Friday Mass, 1900; Wednesday and Friday, Confessions, 1800; The Church of St Mary.

Aalen, Mass, 1030, Sunday; Lauingen, Mass, 0915, Sunday; Wertingen, Mass, 1115; Ellwangen, Mass, 1600.

Final Group Goes Home On Rotation

The rotation program in the 12th ended with a flourish this week, as amazed Hellcats took off for the States after learning they were transferred outright to their various reception centers.

A total of 114 enlisted men and five officers have been sent home since February 12 under the different forms of rotation.

With the order to transfer the final quota, the AG department also was instructed to drop from the rolls men in all previous groups, none of whom has had time to return to the division.

While one tanker was returned under a special provision following the loss of two brothers in battle, most men were reinforcements with about 30 months' combat experience and are eligible for point discharges.



CG ENTERTAINS

Field grade officers of the division and several visiting generals were guests of Maj. Gen. Roderick R. Allen, the division commander, at a supper party last Sunday night.

Among visiting generals were Maj. Gen. Milburn, XXI Corps commander, and two members of his staff, and the commanding generals of the 100th and 63rd Divisions and 13th FA Brigade.



Headquarters Company To Present Follies

A slapstick, musical show, following the "Hellzapoppin" pattern entitled the "Defense Platoon Follies" will be presented at the Concert Hall in Heidenheim at 2030 Tuesday, May 29, by members of the Division Headquarters Company. Everyone throughout the Division is invited to attend.

Music for the evening, according to Pfc Victor N. Thompson, director of the show and sax player in the band, will be furnished by a four man combination. Besides Thompson there will be Pvt. Bob Mackey, guitar, Pfc Lee Snow, drums, and T/5 L. Lepsch, piano.

Other members of the cast include Pfc. Harry Ford, Pfc. Ronald Jones, Bill Leal, Pfc. Duane Dixon. Pfc. Dever Good, T/5 Matty Matulis, T/5 Herbert R. Stein and Sgt. Charles Danton.

Puppet Strippers On Tap For CC-B Show

A strip-teaser and a fan-dancer are to be unveiled in the variety show expected to go into production about June 4 for all units of CCB.

Under the direction of Cpl. Louis J. Chambs, construction of stage and sets are being done by Pvt. Robert Ness and Pfc. Donald Quick. Sewing of costumes and draperies is the job of T/5 Orville Nestatte. All are members of CCB HQ Co.

Oh yes -- it will be a marionette show, and the dancers, as well as the jugglers, trapeze artists, skaters, and so on, will be of papier mache and wood, about 20 inches high.

66th HAS SHOW

A seven-act vaudeville show was presented recently by the 66th AIB at Ellwangen to an overflow GI crowd. Headlining the show was the singing of Ernest Harvey and the dancing of Claude Atkins, both from the 66th's Provisional Company.

The United Nations 17-day Food and Agriculture conference at Hot Springs, Va., was attended by delegates from 44 countries, representing an estimated 1,600,000,000 people, or three-fourths of the world's population.