History Report: 347TH Inf Reg (87th inf division)

[belgablair]

HISTORY REPORT - SECOND BATTALION, 347TH INFANTRY
1-28 February 1945

1150s hours 31 January 1945 through 4 February 1945 :

We were in Neidingen, Belgium when we were alerted at 1130 by General McKee , Assistant Division Commander, to move to Andler by motor and foot and take s Laudesfeld, Germany and protect the right flank of the division.

We immediatly sent two motorized reconnaissance patrols to reconnoiter routes for the trucks we were to recieve, and to locate a detrucking point. We found that our best route was from Neidingen to St. Vitch to Heuem where we would have to detruck. The road from there on was filled with large craters and under heavy shell fire.

At 1530 the battalion left Neidingen enroute to Heuem and there they detrucked and started walking to Schonberg.

Our original plan was to continue on from Schonberg to Andler and to into Leudesfeld from the Northwest, but after inquiring in several command posts in Schonberg we ffound that Andler was still in enemy hands. We decided we would take a route South of Schonberg and Northeast to Laudesfeld. Our formation was a column of companies, F, G, and E.

Capt Dahlke and his men did an excellent job finding the trails that we coverd with eighteen to twenty inches of snow leading tot the town, and at 0245 we were on a hill overlooking the town, and we had encountered no enemy resistance.

There was one house that set about 150 yards from the rest of the town, so we eased a small group from Company F into that house.

We interrogated the civilians in the house and they told us that the Germans had left late the day beofre. It was 0255 when the first elements of the battalion entered the town.

We decided we would send Company F to search each house and hold the other companies in position on the hill.

We did this and found the town clear exept for two Jerries waiting to surrender and four civilian suspects.

By 0500 we had things well-in-hand and our security was starting to dig in their positions.

At approximately 0600 our First Battalion arrived. They had been following us by about three hours, so we made arrangements to billet the First Battalion in the town.

We were no more than settled when at 0940 we recieved orders to move on and take Auw, two and one-half kilometers to Northeast.


Historical report Report – Second Battalion, 347th Infantry cont’d :

It was 1030 by the time we had our security replaced and were on our way again. Our fromation this time was G, E, and F. Company G sent a patrol out, a small patrol from there Third Platoon to reconnoiter routes and get what information they could.

By this time the battalion moved out they had sent a runner back with the message they had reached the high ground overlooking the town and could observe activity in the town.

We moved the battalion in a defilade position behind a high ridge South and West of the town near a log dugout village wich at one time occupied by the 106th Infantry.

We sent two platoons of Company G through the draws into the South part of town, held the rest of the battalion on the ridge, and from command posts on the ridge we fired artillery at various targets in the town.

The men on the ridge were subjected to heavy artillery fire wich we later found ou was our own. Without our knowledge someone had arranged for some supporting fire, and it was coming right in on our position. A call on our artillery Liason Officer’s radio had it stopped.

The two platoons of Company G had little trouble cleaning out the Southern part of town, but when they hit the center of town they ran into numerous snipers and automatic weapons.

One sniper was in a church steeple, and with armed bazooka put him out of action. With the aid of the remaining platoon of the company and a Heave Machine Gun platoon Company G was able to clean out the town. Our total of Jerry prisoners climbed to twenty-one.

The other companies moved in, and by midnight we had the town well-secured, but Jerry was throwing everything he had at us in the line of mortar and artillery from Roth and Kobscheid.

The men were plenty tired and hungry by this time having been on the fo for almost forty-eight hours and onely 1/3 of a “K” ration.

Our S-4 was on the job, and after finding all roads impassable formed carrying parties from Headquarters Company and carried ration thirteen miles to us.

The men got about four or five hours sleep that night, and at 0835 the next morning we recieved orders to move on and take Wreckerath and Krewinkel.

Prior to leaving S-4 and his carrying parties arrived again with enough for atleast 2/3 “K” ration for each man and ammunition enough to replenish one unit of fire.


Historical report Report – Second Battalion - 347th Infantry cont’d :

At 1230 we moved out again headed for Whreckerath with Company E followed by company F. Company G was left in Auw to secure the town.

The men no sooner got over the hill Northeast of Auw when they ran into machine gun fire from the woods and heavy mortar and artillery fire.

Skurkowich, Gilbert, Pfc. 12 227 406, Wire Section, Hq Co 2nd Bn, 347th Inf.,
Null, Eugene J., Pvt. 37 748 006, Company F, attached to Wire Section, Hq Co 2nd Bn, 347th Infantry.
McLaughlin, Charles J. Tec 5. 32 891 999, Company F, attached to Wire Section, Hq Co 2nd Bn, 347th Infantry.
Cancio, Joe D., Tec 5. 34 604 532, Company Aid Man, Company F, 347th Infantry

All of the above men have been recommanded for the Silver Star. As there was heavy mortar fire along a ridge Northeast of Auw, it was necessary for our troops to pass through this heavy fire in order to get to their objective. There were numerous casualties in the field and there were not sufficient number of aid men to evacuate the wounded from the area being shelled, and these men who were working at an O. P. In a house along the ridge voluntarily subjected themselves to the heavy shelling in order to evacuate the wounded men from the field to the shelter of the house.

We decided to swing way around and cut off Jerry be entering the town from the East.

From the command post we could see activity in the Southwestern part of the town and men moving out in horse-drawn vehicles to the Northeast.

Spot interrogation of a PW picked up told: Two companies occupied the town. During the entire maneuver men were under constant shell fire but moved right through it, and we recieved very few casualties.

At 1330 we recieved a change in orders to hold Weckerath and reconnoiter a route to Manderfeld.

The companies were in position ready to move into the town when Captain Mahanes of Company G told us that his company had been relieved by a company of the 347th Infantry and they had a battalion headed for Weckerath from the West.

We warned our companies and contacted 346th Infantry and found that they had withdrawn their battalion to Auw because of an unfordable stream into Weckerath. If it had not been for this we might have ran into a fire fight with friendly troops, but all were warned in time. At 2135 E and F Companies were in position to move into the town, and by midnight had the situation well-in-hand taking twenty-five prisoners.

Meanwhile we had recieved orders to move the battalion to Manderfeld at once, and Company F left a security group to hold the town while F company and


Historical report Report – Second Battalion, 347th Infantry cont’d :

Company E moved from Weckerath to Manderfeld.

Company G moved with elements of Company H from Auw to Manderfeld.

One group of Company F got on the wrong road, and before they knew it they had moved into Krewinkel and taken threemore prisoners from that town.

The battalion finaly closed in Manderfeld at aproximately 0600 having been on the go for seventy-five hours with only four or five hours sleep and one and one third “K” rations.

When we arrived in Manderfeld hot food was waiting for us, and we started te reorganize the battalion and post security around the town.

In the entire period we had thirty-two wounded and seven killed.

The remainder of the day the 4th battalion spent resting and policing themselved and establishing outposts to secure the town of Manderfeld.

[belgablair]

jammer dat er geen intresse is, er is namelijk meer..

[rutger]

Waar heb je dit weg? Heel interressant

[belgablair]

Waar heb je dit weg? Heel interressant

Heb enkele van deze verslagen in mijn bezit die niet in het archief geraakt zijn

[belgablair]

5 February 1945:
Reconnaissance was made in the morning by the Battalion Commander, Artillery Laison Officer and SO3 of the battalion to better our security positions around Manderfeld and plan defensive fires. Recommendations for road blocks, craters and bridge to be prepared for demolition also made.

The men not on outpost rested and policed themselves and the surrounding area.

6 February 1945:
We continued to outpost the town of Manderfeld and normal reserve battalion activities prevailed. The battalion Commander, Staff and Company Commanders left 0945 to make a reconnaissance of the positions held by the First Battalion this regiment and make plans to relieve that battalion after dark.

One of the reconnaissance jeeps hit a box mine and two of our Company Commanders were wounded, so the relief was postponed for twenty-four hours.

7 February 1945:
We were instructed to make a reconnaissance of the area near Krewinkel occupied by the First Battalion, 346th Infantry, and at 1000, Battalion Commander, Staff and Company Commanders went to Krewinkel to look over the ground. They returned at 1230.

The move was to be on order, and at approximately 1700 the order and bounds came down. The move was started immediately.

[Bigshot]

Is interessant, hoe kom je hier aan dan? Via welke weg?

[belgablair]

Is interessant, hoe kom je hier aan dan? Via welke weg?

ebay natuurlijk

[lexiebabe]

Volgens mij heeft de 347th ook een eigen website. Iets met Trailblazers of zo, ik had een paar maanden terug een aanvulling en correcties mbt tot enkele Duitse eenheden voor ze. Best leuk. Opvallend detail: Op 1 mei namen zij de staf en de commandant van de (Duitse) 347. I.D. gevangen (Trierenberg e.a.).

[belgablair]

Volgens mij heeft de 347th ook een eigen website. Iets met Trailblazers of zo, ik had een paar maanden terug een aanvulling en correcties mbt tot enkele Duitse eenheden voor ze. Best leuk. Opvallend detail: Op 1 mei namen zij de staf en de commandant van de (Duitse) 347. I.D. gevangen (Trierenberg e.a.).

trailblazers blijkt het 70ste inf div te zijn

[lexiebabe]

Duidelijk! Bedankt (maar Amerikanen/Engelsen/Canadezen zijn en blijven een soort blinde vlek voor me).

[herbstnebel]

Belgablair,

Ik ben al een geruime tijd op zoek naar de After Action Reports van onder andere de 345th, 346th en de 347th van de maanden december '44 en januari '45. Naar mijn weten staan die nergens online en kan je deze wel raadplegen in de national library in DC. Een trip naar de andere kant van de oceaan zit er spijtig genoer niet in, dus hoop ik dat iemand me er kan aan helpen.

Alvast bedankt!

Herbstnebel

[lexiebabe]

Inmiddels blijk ik geluk te hebben, bij wijze van spreken, ik ben op zoek naar de 12th Armoured Division. Deze hebben een eigen museum en een website en zelfs een forum. Alleen werkte deze laatste nauwelijks.

@Herbstnebel: posten op axishistory forum? Misschien dat iemand al één en ander heeft? En op zoek naar het KTB van de Götz von Berlichingen? Daar staan volgens mij ook wel een paar minimale kleine rapporten in. Hier gaat het vooral om verhoren van Amerikaanse gevangenen en posities.

[herbstnebel]

Zal ik eens proberen, bedankt voor de reactie!