Artist Jackson Reed

From Camp Gruber To Munich

My Activities in the E.T.O. with the Mighty Rainbow Division

By Artist Jackson Reed

Edited and Arranged by Dustin Thomas Reed

Chain Of Command

Rainbow Div. 42^nd – 42^nd Inf. Div.

The Mighty 42^nd Inf. Div., better known as

The Rainbow Div

The chain of commands of the 42^nd – and my Regt. 424 Inf.

And Bn., also my Co –

Div. Commander

Major Gen. Hary [sic] J. Collins

Div. Ex

Brig. Gen. Lenden

242^nd Inf. Regt. Commander

 Colonel Caum

Regt. Ex

[no entry here]

2^nd Bn. 242 Inf.

Lt. Colonel Reynolds

2^nd Bn. Ex

Major Valintine

H. Co. Commander

1^st Lt. Duffin

Co. Ex

1^st Lt. Perkins

1^st Platoon Leader

2^nd Lt. McClane

Platoon Sgt.

T/Sgt. McHale

Section Sgt.

S/Sgt. Taylor

Squad Leader

Sgt. Whitford

Table of Contents

Introduction

Noteworthy WWII Events

1. Camp Gruber Oklahoma

2. The Train Ride & Camp Kilmer N.J.

3. The 13 Day Boat Ride on the High Seas

4. Marseilles France

5. Graffenstaden France

6. Our First Battle

7. Rittershoffen and The Battle of Hatten

8. Niederbetchdorf & Haganau Forest

9. Kaltenhausen

10. Rest Area & Wingen France

11. 7^th Army Drive

12. 7^th Army Drive (Cont’d)

13. On the Road to Munich

14. Munich & End of War

15. Austria

Appendix

Introduction

Dear Folks[1],

From indirect sources I finally obtained the correct dates and towns which highlighted my activities from Camp Gruber, through the war in E.T.O.[2], up to my present [Nov 1945], peaceful location in the Austrian Alps – Will you please save this account for my future reference?

1944

Nov 15 - Left Camp Gruber, Okla

Nov 25 - Left Camp Kilmer, N.J. (P.O.E.[3])

Dec 08 - Arrived Marseilles, France

Dec 18            - Left Marseilles (C.P.[4] 2)

Dec -- - Arrived Graffenstaden - Left same Jan 03

1945

Jan 06^*- Attacked Gambsheim - Left same Jan. 9 (Initial battle of Gambsheim Jan 05-06)

Jan 10^*- Arr. Rittershoffen - Left Jan 13

Jan 13 - Arr. Niederbetchdorf - Left Jan 13

Jan 14^*- Arr. Hagenau Forest Jan. 14 - Left Jan 23

Jan 24^*- Arr. Kaltenhausen Jan 24 - Left Jan 29 (Battle of Kaltenhausen Jan 25)

Jan 30 - Arr. (Rest Area) Mulcy - Left Feb 17

Feb 17 - Arr. Wingen – (Medic) – 7^th Army attack Mar 15 (15^th – 18^th)[5]

Mar 18 - Crossed German Border

Mar 23 - Arr. “Lug” - Left Apr 01

Apr 01 - Crossed Rhine River Apr 01

Apr 11^*- Attacked Schweinfurt - Left Apr 14

Apr 19^*- Attacked Nurnberg - Left Apr 20

Apr 25^*- Attacked Donauworth - Left Apr 27

Apr 27 - Crossed Danube River

May 01^*- Attacked Munich (Took airport) - Left May 5

May 05 - Arr. Bromberg - Left May 11

May 13 - Crossed Austrian Border

May 13 - Arr. Bramberg

            I well know that was a vague outline but it well have to serve the purpose as a memory refresher to the many incidents and tales those outlining dates and towns encompass.

JACK REED

ca. Nov 1945

Noteworthy WWII Events

1941

Dec 07 - Japanese attack Pearl Harbor

1944

June 06 - D-Day: Allied invasion at Normandy, France

1945

Apr 27 - Italian resistance movement captures Mussolini

Apr 28 - Italian resistance movement executes Mussolini

Apr 29 - 42^nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division liberates ~30,000 inmates at Dachau

Apr 30 - 42^nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division occupies Munich; capture center of city

Apr 30 - Hitler commits suicide in Berlin

May 07 - Unconditional surrender of German Forces

May 08 - V-E Day

Aug 06 - Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan

Aug 09 - Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan

1. Camp Gruber Oklahoma

[I] What I know about the 42^nd Rainbow Div. and my experience with the Div.

Camp Gruber Okla

I joined the Div. at Camp Gruber Okla. on Oct. 19^th 1944. I arrived at a little station near Camp on the evening of Oct. 19^th.  There was quite a few of us being transferred to the Div. at that time. So there was maybe 4 or 5 truck loads that came in on this train. We had just had a little furlough at home. I was with some buddies of my [mine] but we got separate[d] or they went on to Muskogee Okla., because they wasn’t due to report to Camp until the next day.

            I was assigned to Co.H.[6] 2^nd Bri.[7] of the 242 Inf Regt.[8] I was in a machine gun platoon, 1^st platoon, 1^st section and the 3^rd squad. I learned to like the boys, the place and the outfit better each day. We trained every day but not too much work. My wife and baby came out to Muskogee and I went into Camp most every night to be with them.[9] There was a G.I., who I was in Basic Camp with and his wife and my wife went to school together, so we would go to town together to see our wives. We got along just fine, until the rumors of us going over seas started to spread. They stopped us from going to town, so that meant we were restricted and was moving out sometime soon. The women folks when back home. We got ready to leave then. We got on the train on night about 11 o’clock on Nov. 15^th. Here we go and no one knows where –

2. The Train Ride & Camp Kilmer N.J.

The Train Ride

            [II] We pulled out of Camp around 12 o’clock of the night of Nov. 15^th. We called the cars we rode in, “Cattle Cars.” We got hot meals all the time. We had about a 3 day ride. So one day the train stopped and we were at Camp Killmer [Kilmer] N.J. we got off the train and walked for maybe 3 miles, it seemed like 6. We are in N.J. now the boys would say –

Camp Kilmer N.J.

            It was very cold in N.J. at this time of the year. We were issued more equipment and just sat around. We had our exams and all finished so they turned passes loose. We got passes for 12 hrs. to go to N.Y. City or any place close by. I went to N.Y. for my first time and I knew it would be my last time. The city was full of service men and plenty of them was drunk. We went around the streets of the City and ran into the Stage Door Canteen.[10] I always heard of it, but that’s all. So we go in, it was a very nice place. Had a nice orchestra there and most every body were [was] dancing. We went back to Camp the next morning at 5 o’clock. The next day was Thanksgiving. We really had a nice dinner and supper, turkey and I don’t know what all [else]. And the next day was when the bad news came down. Its [It’s] over seas we go. It’s Nov. 25^th.

3. The 13 Day Boat Ride On The High Seas

            [III] We boarded the ship and pulled out on Nov. 25^th, 1944. I’ll never forget the morning we pulled out from the harbor of N.J. and when we passed the Statue of Liberty. Boy she looked good and we knew it would be a long time before we saw her again and that some of us wouldn’t be able to come back at all. It was a funny feeling. We were on the water for about 2 days and then every body was sick. When I say sick, I mean sick. The sickest I had ever been was then – I couldn’t eat a bit for a day and a half – This sickness lastest [lasted] for about 3 days and then it was all over with unless a storm came up and the ship got to rock. But we were lucky the old ship rocked but not enough to make us sick again. We got P.X.[11] rations while on ship. We got candy, peanuts, cigs, and cigars. The Red Cross gave us books and little shaving kits. The shaving kits had a deck of cards in every bag and every where you would look, you would see a card game some place. Most of the boys were playing for money and some just passing time away. We had boxing matches on the ship and also a band to make music. The trip was just as comfortable as it could be during war times and didn’t know just when a sub would spot us and down we go. There was about 20 ships in the convoy with us. That’s counting destroyers and all. The ocean was beautiful at Sunset. You could see the others ships in the distance and hear the water beating on the sides of the ships.

            Finally we spotted mts. away off in the distance. I think it took us 2 days before we ever set foot on ground after we saw the mts. We finally landed, didn’t know where, some place though and not the U.S.A.

4. Marseilles France

C.P. #2 [Command Post #2]

Dec. 8, 1944

[IV] When we landed, we was told we were at Marseilles France, that’s Southern France. The harbor in Marseilles was pretty much well torn up. It was bombed badly. We walked down the gang plang [plank] and set foot on good old mother Earth for the first time in 13 days. It sure felt good though it wasn’t the good old U.S.A.

            We walked about 2 miles to where the trucks were waiting for us. We loaded on the trucks and started out to a staging area. We thought maybe we would go just out side of town, but we rode for a[n] hour I guess. Marseilles is just like all coastal towns, slumey [slummy] looking and out side of town it gets mountious [mountainous] or that on the route we went out on. We finally got to where we had started and that was C.P. #2. About 20 miles out of Marseilles. C.P. #[2] was on a big open hill. Just the place for the wind to hit you good. We lived in put tents and this was Dec. 8^th. Getting pretty cold too. We got passes into Marseilles, they had a Red Cross club and 2 movies. There was plenty to do as far as Marseilles was concerned. It rained quite abit there, so its no use dressing up before going into town, because you will be muddy before you get there riding the trucks into town.

            We stayed at C.P. #2 until Dec. 18^th, 10 days it was. I saw my brother[12] and was with him 2 or 3 days before we left. When we left Marseilles we had our first ride on the 40 and 8’s. That’s the train G.I.’s ride in the E.T.O. It was real cold too and we knew just about what was coming, so here goes the train.

5. Graffenstaden France

            [V] We left Marseilles and went to Graffenstaden France, which is near Strouburg [Strasburg] and near the border of Germany and France. We go there Dec. 21^st I believe it was. We were close enough to the front lines then to hear the big artillery guns. They really sounded terrible to us. We pulled night patrol there, looking for German patrols if they tried to slip through.

            We didn’t have our whole Div. overseas with us then. Just the 3 Rgts. of Inf., the 242, 232, and the 222 Inf. But that didn’t make no difference, that’s the time the Jerries[13] were breaking through and they needed us to help stop them. But before we left Graffenstaden we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s.

            We had a pretty good time as much as you could expect of any outfit being with in 2 miles from the front lines. It was pretty dull to me, my first time being away from my wife and babies or I should say the first Christmas.[14] We had real good food for Christmas is all I can say that I enjoyed. New Year’s was just about the same. Every body was home sick and dreading what was before us. We knew we were going on the lines but didn’t know when.

            Well heres [here’s] the break through and we go out and dug in, around Strasburg [Strasbourg]. Our C.O. said we might be defending our positions by day break. But they didn’t need us away back there, they want us up on the line so we won’t have to pull that far back. So Jan. 5^th we take off. Late in the afternoon. We load on trucks and go just as far as we could by trucks. And then we walk. We walked and mostly stood around all night and next morning bang here we go.

6. Our First Battle

The Battle of Gambsheim

            [VI] The morning of Jan. 6^th in northern France at a little village named Gambsheim, near Strasbourg, is where we saw our first action. And let me tell you it was terrible. You have probably saw war pictures in the movies but I have never saw one like this.

            We were about 1 mile from the little Village when our first shells came it [in]. It was a little after midnight when they came in. Three of the rifle men were killed before they knew what was going on. We keep walking a little ways at a time, taking it easy to see what we were [we’re] running into. The attack was planned for day break and that’s what we were waiting for.

            Its [It’s] days break now so here we go. We were hitting the krauts and hitting them hard. It was terrible. We pushed them back, I guess 2 miles, and we were at the railroad when our tanks had to go back to refuel. So this leaves us with our any tank support. We were attached to the 79^th Div.[15] and using their artillery support. The Germans had tanks and plenty of them and they used them let me tell you. We didn’t have nothing to fight the tanks with and they were getting so close and we were loosing [losing] so many men it was terrible. It was the worst sight that I had ever saw. My buddy, the No. 1 gunmen on a 30 cal. machine gun was shot and so [I] had to help my other buddy with the gun. It was so cold, none of our guns would hardly shoot. Our men were falling like flies. Every body went wild and took off retreating. My buddy and I started to beat it with our gun and the major said to keep it gun there to cover the retreat, so we did. Out gun was firing a little better then. We could see the tanks coming right at us and we had to stay there. We stayed there a while longer and I looked around and every body was gone except the wounded and some guys who lost their nerve and was scared to leave. They were all in a big trench near by. I [VII] told my buddy it was about time we were getting out, while getting out was good. We took off, had to crawl about 50 yds and then we were so tired it didn’t matter whether we got out or not. I was about 20 yds. ahead of the other guy with my half of the gun and looked backed and he was standing up firing at the Krauts with his 45 pistol and a Capt. was with him, Capt. Stock. I watch them until they turned and came on out. Dead and wounded G.I.’s were laying all around on the ground, snow about 8 inches deep. I met my platoon leader coming back to see about his men and I told him they story. Out Co. Commander was taken prisoner and all our officers were killed or missing except 4 second Lt’s.

            We pulled back about a mile and dug in for the rest of the day and night. Every body was so tired and froze they couldn’t fight any more. We finally found what was left of our Co., very few men. Not enough men to attack again, so we dug in and just held our line. We stayed there 3 days and 2 days with out food. We were told we were going back for a 3 day rest and reorganize. We pulled out at night and every body was feeling a little better about leaving.

7. Rittershoffen And The Battle Of Hatten

            [VIII] We arrived in Rittershoffen Jan. 10, coming from Gambsheim, about 12 o’clock in the night or it could have been later. Our Co. was so beat up, no one felt like anything. The whole Co. was in the downstairs part of a house. Every body was hurt and couldn’t forget about seeing our buddies shot down like birds. The first Sgt. told us to be quite [quiet] and keep the lights down because we were only about 3000 yds. from the enemy. Just stop and think about it, that’s not so far, good artillery range. So we beded [bedded] down and took a nap.

            They woke us early in the morning for chow. Some were too sleepy to get up [and] eat so they just laid on and slept. We ate breakfast and one of the guys goes outside to wash his mess gear and bang. He got his mess gear shot right out of his hand. It was a civilian who was doing the shooting. We got him O.K. So that evening the fire works started again. Hatten was just about 2 miles from Rittershoffen, about the same size village. The Jerries were closing in on Hatten and we had to go up and help out. By this time the Jerries were throwing in quite a bit of artillery. My Co. goes with a rifle Co., or my platoon I should say, on the left of the village. We didn’t do much good. The main force goes into Hatten and takes most of the village. We pulled back to Rittershoffen and got some more ammo and late that evening here we go back again. Hatten was pretty well shot up. It had been taken and gave back to the Jerries about 2 times already. My platoon was attached to Co. G, [IX] a rifle Co. We had about a 25 yd. interval between the two groups. Half the platoon on one side of the street and the other half on the other side of the street. We got into Hatten O.K. because our troops were already in Hatten and had half of the village. We got into the center of the village and go by a church in the forks of the street. G. Co. had already passed the intersection and we were just about a 25 yds. from the intersection and bang, here comes the shells. We thought it was artillery coming in at the start until a machine gun started firing down the street. Boy were we sticking close to the buildings. We couldn’t fire back because we couldn’t see where the fire was coming from and besides our troops we[re] out there some place. So we just set tight and sent out a patrol to find out what was there. They came back and reported that 4 tanks and about a Co. of Jerries were setting down the street a little ways. We were only about 5 houses from them. We couldn’t go back or forward. The Jerries were just slipping right by us with out us knowing it for that purpose to surround us. We go nite a house and blocked out the windows and made us a fire to warm by. The Lt. was out trying to find out just what to do. We didn’t know where the rest of our troops were and we couldn’t find out a thing. So we stayed in this house until morning and we finally got back to the Bn. C.P.[16] Our orders were just to set [sit] tight and hold what we had by all means. The whole outfit was so beaten, we couldn’t fight, and every thing was screwed up too. We stayed up there until the that evening and we were relieved by the 79^th  Div. But all this time the 1^st Bn. of my Regt. (242) really [X] caught the fire works. They were outside of Hatten in pill boxes and foxholes. The Jerries surrounded the pillboxes and came up with flame throwers on tanks and just burned them out. They had about 250 men in the Bn. after this.[17] It was time for us to be relieved. We thought we had the little village of Hatten, so we left the 79^th with it. We pulled back to Rittershoffen and stayed there that night. I have never heard so much artillery come in at one time as I did that night. We were all in the celles [cells]. It was a good thing the Jerries had lots of faulty ammo. I counted 9 duds right after the others. A[n] armored outfit (14^th Arm) was moving in that night and we felt lots better. The next day every body went wild. The 79^th Div. had to retreat from Hatten. The Jerries put every thing they had in that battle. We were all unorganized and couldn’t do a thing. So my outfit pulled back to another little town in case the Jerries wanted to come further. We started down one road to take a right hand corner to head for the next own and the Jerries had slipped thought [through] and set up a machine gun nest. So we were cut off there. We hid [in] the grape orchard and through the field [field]. That 3 days of more Hell in Hatten and Rittershoffen. This Jan. 13^th and we dug in just outside of Niederbetchdorf.

8. Niederbetchdorf & Haguenau Forest

Niederbetchdorf

            [XI] Niederbetchdorf was a little larger town that [than] any we had fought in yet. We didn’t do any fighting there. We were just set up there in case it got too hot for the 79^th boys in Rittershoffen. There wasn’t enough of us to do any fighting, so in case we would just form the 79^th and make one outfit of two. The Jerries throwed quite abit of artillery at us but didn’t do a whole lot of damage. We only stayed there 1 day and night because the 79^th had every thing pretty well in hand, so we move[d] to another sector. We left Niederbetchdorf Jan 14^th in the afternoon. We went to Haganau [Haguenau] forest. Arrived there the next evening.

Haganau [Haguenau] Forest

            Haganau [Haguenau] Forest was a real pretty forest and the Jerries had built some pill boxes there planning to hold their line there, but didn’t succed [succeed]. There were only 17 of us in my platoon so we all stayed in the same pill box. We pulled guard and that’s about all we done, didn’t fire a shot. We got 1 hrs. sleep and pulled 1 hrs. guard. On the other end of the forest where the rest of the outfit was, they saw a little action there, but we were lucky for once and had it O.K. except for sleep and eats. We stayed there until Jan. 23^rd and we start out walking at 8:00 o’clock at night, snow and nice was all over the ground –

9. Kaltenhausen

            [XII] We left the forest in the night of Jan. 23 and walked all night. We arrived in Kaltenhausen early in the morning Jan. 24^th. We hit it lucky again, my platoon did, which was the smallest platoon in the Co. We were set up in a house just on the edge of the village. We were about 400 yds. from the Jerries. My platoon didn’t fire a shot there, but the rest of the outfit caught Hell again and they gave the Jerries more than they took. The Jerries put their air force on us there and tore up the village pretty badly.

            We happen to have 2 good cooks with us in the platoon. So since we are just setting there acting as artillery F.O.B.[18], why not have a little chicken to eat and some milk. We would have 5 chickens one day and the next day 5 rabbits and the next 3 goose. And then start over again. We really did eat good while we were there. We had made all the civils leave the town so we took what we want[ed] to eat.

            We stayed there until Jan 29^th and good near came down. We were going back for a rest. We didn’t know whether to believe it or not, but it came pretty straight. We were relieved by the 79^th boys again. We load up and go back to another small village and stayed that night and the next morning we started off for a little rest.

10. Rest Area & Wingen France

Rest Area

[XIII] We left Kaltenhausen Jan. 29 to go back for a rest. We got to a little village called Mulcey France. Near Duge [sp?] France. Snow was still on the ground but had started to melt.

            The boys, all of them, were just about torn to pieces, their nerves were shot. We got passes to Nancy [?] France which wasn’t so very far from there. We sold the Frenchmen cigarettes and things and made a little money while there. We were replaced or the outfit got replacements in and lots of them. Fellows who came from U.S.A. and guys who had been in England and France for some time and were transferred to the Inf. We had a little training there too. By the time we left for the front again every body was feeling lots better. Because we has just had about 25 days of Hell before then and our 18 days sure did help us. We stayed in Mulcey until Feb. 17 and we pulled out for the front lines again.

Wingen France

            We arrived in Wingen the afternoon of the same day, Jan [meant Feb] 17. We had just got out of the jeeps and trucks and went to our platoon house and some one said one of our jeep drivers were wounded by a mine. He was turning his jeep around just by the edge of the woods and he hit a mine. Tore the jeep up and wounded him pretty bad. We, he is still in the hospital or was the last I heard and its Nov. 2[19] now.

            Wingen is in Northern France in the mts. We stayed in this house for about 3 days and had to move in the woods. My Regt. Was held back in reserve then. The other 3 Regts. were on the line. We had to dig us some holes in the ground to live in. My squad had a real nice one. Big enough for 8 men. Had a nice stove in it and a table for writing. We could cook potatoes, chicken or some thing every night. We stayed there until March 12, and went on the line for about 2 or 3 days and then was pulled back to prepare for the 7^th army attack which took place March 15^th. [20]

11. 7^th Army Drive

            [XIV] The 7^th Army drive started the morning of March 15^th. The 3^rd Bn. of my Regt. led the attack to start off. Boy it was rugged. We were deep in the mts. and had to fight our way through[h]. The first thing the 3^rd Bn. hit was a mine field. We were bringing up the rear and moping [mopping] up what the 3^rd Bn. bypassed. The Engrs. had cleared a trail through the mine field for us to go on. The 3^rd Bn. had to take it as it came. You could see G.I.’s laying around dead and could see 1 leg or 1 foot laying most any where you looked or with a dead or wounded Jerrie. The 3^rd Bn. carried the attack for a day and a night and then my Bn. (2^nd) took the lead. We carried the attack for 3 days and nights. And let me tell you it wasn’t funny fighting through those mts. and when going I was carrying half of a machine gun which weighed about 50 lbs. We walked and fought for 8 days like that. We didn’t see our jeep for 5 days and the only food we had was may[be] enough K rations for about 4 meals. We made it last for 2 days and then we did without for 3 days. We were the farthest ahead of the Div. and the Div. was ahead in the 7^th Army. So we dug in and waited a day and a half for our jeeps to come up to bring us food. Boy were we glad to see those jeeps coming. We crossed the German border Mar. 18^th. Boy was it tough. It took us about 2 days and a half to cross the sigfried line [Siegfried Line][21] which is made up of pill boxes with 4 feet of concrete for walls and top on them. The 8^th Air Force helped us get through by strafing[22] and bombing the Jerries out of the pill box[es]. After we got through those pill boxes, the going was O.K. we didn’t stop until we go to Lug Germany, our first German town. During the drive, so far, we had taken more prisoners that any Regt. in the Div. and my Div. had took more than any Div. in the 7^th Army. When we hit Lug, us [we] stopped for a few days rest, after 8 days of real hard work and hunger. This is March 23^rd.

12. 7^th Army Drive (Cont’d)

Lug, Germany

            [XV] Lug Germany was our first little town we hit in Germany. All of the small towns in the E.T.[23] are about the same size. Lug was about as large as the little town we had fought in through France. This was our first time dealing with civilians, we ran them out of town and was living just out side of town. So they were living out there and there was no one to stop us from killing their chickens and having a good feast while we were there. We ate chicken and potatoes like we did in France.[24]

            While we were at Lug, that was the only rest we got during the whole push until the war ended. We stayed in Lug until April 1^st. And we shoved off again. We left Lug April 1^st and crossed the Rhine River the same day. All of this area had already been fought through and our troops were ahead. We crossed the Rhine and had very little action, were able to travel by jeep and trucks most of the time. Our next objective is Schweinfurt. We assembled in a small town, I’d say 10 miles from Schweinfurt on April 10^th. The next morning we shoved off.

Schweinfurt, Germany

            We shoved off for Schweinfurt early that morning for the attack. We were all dreading it. This is our first big City we have fought for since we been in combat. Just before we got to Schweinfurt, a few shells came in, but no one got hurt. We go in Schweinfurt by the railroad. We were also coming mostly from the rear of the City to supprise [surprise] the Jerries. The Jerries had a bunch of their men just across the railroad as an outpost. On the other side was Schweinfurt. The outpost spotted us and opened up on us with machine guns and so did we. We opened up with two machine guns. We threw mortar shells at them and sent out a Co. of rifle men which took care of them very early[?]. The Jerries had a[n] anti-aircraft gun between us and the city so they opened up on us with [XVI] that. We were down behind the railroad bed while the riflemen were weaving[?] in on them. The anti-air craft shells hit telephone wires above our heads but that’s as close as any came near us. In front I layed down on the ground and slept for about 15 minutes with all these shells bursting around over head. After we got their anti-air-craft gun and a few machine guns they had set up to hold Schweinfurt with, all was O.K. This was in the afternoon and that night we were sleeping in a German O.C.S.[25] School. It was a nice large place. Not bombed so badly. The jeeps were also running around with their lights on. Schweinfurt wasn’t so bad. We stayed there for 3 days. We taken Schweinfurt April 11^th and left April 14^th.

Nurnberg[26] Germany

            After we left Schweinfurt out [our] next big objective was Nurnberg. We had to back track our selves a little to get on the highway to Nurnberg. I had to fight a little before we hit Nurnberg. I believe it was one little town we had a little action and that’s all until going to Nurnberg. We were going up the road one morning of April 19^th headed for Nurnberg which was about 3 miles from us. We always surrounded a city like this before hitting the city. So that’s what we were doing closing in around the city. We run upon a bridge that was blown out, so it was pretty tough getting across with our equipment. It was dark too. The rifle Co’s. went across first and there were 2 fellows helping them across. Before the whole Bn. got across it got daylight and it was 2 German soldiers ..[?]. We sat around on the other side of the bridge waiting for the time for the attack on the city. We discovered a Jerrie [Jerry] with his head sticking out of a foxhole not over 25 yds. from us. He came out with his hands [XVII] up and with his foxhole buddy. He didn’t want to leave without his buddies he said so we called out to them and about 20 more crawled out of the foxholes in the area. One of them had laid a mine field for our tanks the day before and he wanted to clear it before leaving. He dug up 9 anti-tank mines near the river where the tanks could cross, as the bridge was blown out. He was happy and went away satisfied after one of our tanks came across it O.K.

            When the tanks caught up with us, we started on into Nurnberg. We were going up the road and we could see them running around in the field about 1200 yds. from us. No use shooting, too greater range to do much good so we called up a tank and he let them have a few shells from his big mussel [mussel]. We are still going towards Nurnberg and getting closer to Nurnberg. We see a house about 900 yds. to our left and a bunch of Jerries were trying to get away in a 2 horse wagon. This is where the fun begin[s]. We set our guns up real quick like and opened up on them. They ran back in the house and we stopped firing for a few minutes. They came back out, we open up on them again, back in the house they go. This went on for maybe a half hr. and to our extreme left we saw a column of maybe 8 or 10 marching with about 5 or 10 yds. intervil [interval] between men. Myself and another gunner opened up on them, a few bursts from our guns fixed them. So we pick up our guns and go into Nurnberg. As we were going in the city, we liberated I guess 1000 D.P.’s[27] and were they happy. They tried to come right on with us, but it was too dangerous. We fought on until midnight I guess and then set our guns up for night and pulled guard to see what if we could spot any Jerries slipping around. Next morning we had Nurnberg. The boys found lots of drink and they celebrated. This was April 20^th and Nurnberg was ours. Now our next objective is Munich and small towns between the two places.

13. On The Road To Munich

            [XVIII] We left Nurnberg going to Munich April 20^th. We had little action on the way. Donauworth[28] was our toughest place between the 2 big cities. We attacked Donauworth on April 25^th. We lost quite a few men there too. The 20^th Armored Div. was attached to us at this time and they were green[29] – only been overseas a few days. But, they were good, which lightens our fighting. We stayed in Donauworth until April 27^th and started on our way to Munich. We crossed the Danube River the same day. We hit the big double strip highway going to Munich by jeep and trucks. We came with[in] 2 or 3 miles of Augsburg, which is a large town, but didn’t stop until with hit Munich –

Munich

We came into Munich and it looked to me as if it had already been taken.[30] My Bn. didn’t do any fighting at all there. We stopped on the outside of Munich for awhile and they called for 3 men from my squad to go on a jeep with a machine gun to cover a Lt. in another jeep going on a reconensence [reconnaissance]. We went through Munich and met up with 3^rd Div. boys and another outfit. There were 3 Div. [that] hit Munich. We came back and picked up the Bn. and then led them through Munich. We didn’t hit any action at all in Munich. Just as we crossed the railroad bridge in Munich, the road or street was blocked with G.I.’s who were the day before P.W.s.[31] We had liberated 900 G.I.’s, 2000 British soldiers and plenty of other P.W.s. That was the happiest bunch of boys I ever saw in my life.

14. Munich & End Of War

Munich

            [XIX] We picked up one of the boys out of my squad that was wounded and captured in Gambsheim. He was slim as a stick and was tickled to see us. We had to go and leave him, but he wouldn’t stay behind he goes with us.

            We are on the outside of Munich and we hit a few Jerries. We fought there until maybe midnight and taken the airport. It [In] this airport we got quite a few planes and 2000 Jerries. We really got the P.W.s, most my Bn. had taken in 1 group during the whole war. We also loaded up with pistols, ha ha. We attacked Munich May 1^st and stayed at the airport until May 5^th.

End of War

            We left the airport May 5^th and arrived the same day at Bromberg Germany. We stayed there until about 2 days after the war ended with Germany. All the boys were happy but not much excitement. No one was drunk at all. We leave this little town May 11^th and head for Austria.

Our travels after the War in the E.T.O.

            We left Bromberg and went to Traunstine [Traunstein] Germany and stayed 2 days and then head our for Austria –

            We crossed [the] Austria[n] border May 13^th and headed for the Alps. Mts. They were really beautiful. We stopped at a little town called Bramberg. Bramberg was a real small town in the valley of the Alps. We stayed there until June.

15. Austria

Feiberbrunn

            [XX] After leaving Bramberg we got to Feiberbrunn Austria. Just a little bigger town than Bramberg. We were there all of June and maybe 1 week of July nice and warm, but cool at nights. From Feiberbrunn we go to Salzburg Austria. Salzburg was out of the mts.

Salzburg

            Salzburg was a nice town, big enough to have trolly[trolley] busses like back home.[32] The city was bombed a little in the center of town but not too bad. I didn’t like Salzburg and no one else did. We only stay there 3 weeks and back to the mts. we go.

Uttendorf

            Uttendorf was a small town like Bramburg but was O.K. We had the best scenery there of any place. Park of my Co. was on guard at a power plant 1800 meters high, which is about 1900 yds. it was wonderful up there. Only a few of civilians and we had 3 lakes to fish in. Too cold to swim there, but like a fool I did in a lake called “Green Lake.” Above the lake, nothing growled but moss on rocks. It was 300 yds. higher than the power plant. We had plenty of meat, because we had deer meat most of the time. We go back to Uttendorf with the Company and 3 weeks later a bunch of us left, they called high pointers, 6o and above. We go to the 26^th Y.D. Division.[33] It was lots worse than my old outfit. Its O.K. though I’m going home with the DAM outfit. END.

Appendix

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