The 575th with the 11th Armored by MAJOR CLYDE
GRE First a word about how the 575th
Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion came to be with the 11th Armored Division. After approximately fifteen months
training in the United States at Fort Bliss, Texas and Camp Carson, Colorado
the Battalion pushed off from New York on 30 October 1944 to polish off the
Luftwaffe in some section of the ETO. Some felt that we would join the
Timberwolf (104th) Division whom we had met and maneuvered with at Camp Carson.
From the G-2 from the 7th hole we knew they were already in France. Our advance party, which was to
inform us of what was happening had been sent out about a month ahead of us.
After fifteen days of hard labor as the ships crew we found our advance party
in England. They had spent approximately a month arranging a mud hole for us in
the vicinity of Omaha Beach, however, for some reason they were sent back to
England and arrived there one day ahead of the Battalion. We very quickly settled down for
the winter near Nantwich, Cheshire, England. A few of the officers and men had
the opportunity to visit London and hear and see some of the things the V Bombs
were doing to that city. Our schedule of events was interrupted, however, by
orders from higher headquarters. On 26 November we were attached to the 11th
Armored Division. We moved from Nantwich to Codford to join our new comrades on
1 December 1944. Upon arrival at Camp Codford
Wiltshire, England, we were welcomed by Brig. Gen.. Charles S. Kilburn, the
Division Commander. We were officially made a part of the Thunderbolt, 11th
Armored Division, and given the privilege of wearing the Division shoulder
patch which the G-4 would supply in plentiful quantities. However, it was later
found that shoulder patches had a low priority for shipping space and there were
none to be had. We were happy with our new assignment and felt that we were
part of one of the roughest, toughest fighting teams ever thrown together. PREPARATION PHASE On joining the 11th Armored
Division we were informed that we would head shortly for combat with one of the
Armies on the Continent. Speculation and rumor ran high, but the majority
seemed to favor Patton and his "Kraut Busting" Third Army. We started
the mill turning and for the next fifteen days worked on a twenty-four hour
schedule getting our equipment assembled, test-fired and ready for combat.
Jeeps and half-tracks blossomed out with additional armor, wire cutters and
"Bustles". On 16 December we left England for France where we were to
complete any unfinished work prior to combat. THE CAMPAIGN OF FRANCE On leaving England the Division
had the mission of clearing our the Lorient Pocket where a few Krauts were
holed up with plenty of food, ammunition, etc., and were denying the Allies the
use of vitally needed port facilities. While the Division was in the
process of moving from England to the Continent the German winter offensive
began. By the time the Division had closed in France the Von Rundstedt Armies
had broken through the thinly held lines of the First and Third Armies and was
pushing across Belgium toward France. The last of the 575th arrived in the
assembly area near Bricquebeck, France in the early hours of 20 December. That
day we learned that we would be moved up to stop the German Drive. On the
morning of 21 December we took off for a town in Belgium that was at that time
in First Army territory. That day our destination was changed slightly due to
the fact that the Germans took our former destination. Rheims was our new
assembly area. We arrived at Sissons, France on the afternoon of 23 December
after having navigated through or around Paris. We had just started our
preparation for a hot supper when our Liaison Officer arrived with an order to
move the battalion less one battery to Camp Sissons immediately. Battery B was attached to CCB on
the spot and moved to Sissons Barracks to join the CC. The remainder of the
battalion took off on one of the wildest rides in the history of AA. The march
was made in complete blackout and at a rate that would astound the logistic
experts. We made it though, less a couple of vehicles. We arrived at Camp
Sissons which was at that time inhabited by the 82nd Airborne Division who
were resting up after a jump in Holland. The souvenir or loot collection
started here. About 2300 hours we were notified to have one battery stripped
down of equipment and ready for departure for combat at 0700 the next morning.
Battery C being the only battery with all its equipment in firing condition was
told they would be assigned and to get ready. Up to this time we had not used
our radios since we had no frequencies assigned. We were told they would be
assigned by the AA Group to which we were attached. Not having received any
orders attaching us to a Group we were in the dark completely. However, the DSO
assigned us a couple of channels and as Battery C -pulled out they were handed
an SOI. That day Battery C moved out with CCA to cover the Meuse River Line
from Sedan to Givet. The remaining two batteries, A and
D worked on their equipment getting in shape for action. Battery A had two
tracks out with mechanical failures and Battery D had one we received just
prior to leaving England that had been salvaged by some lucky outfit. Battery A
was attached to Division Artillery and Battery D less one platoon was left
under Battalion Control. One platoon of Battery D was attached to Division
Trains and one platoon to protect Division Headquarters. Santa Claus came to
see some of us with mail at Sissons on Christmas Eve. The night was enjoyed by
all in spite of the demonstration of fire power put on by the Airborne boys.
Think they found that most of their weapons worked Okay and there were not many
more holes in the buildings the next morning. Have never been positive that
some of the shots were not accidentally fired by the 575th. Christmas day dawned clear and
cold. After a wonderful feast of turkey with all the trimmings the Battalion
minus departed for Poix Terron. From this time the Battalion minus was the
Battalion Headquarters and one platoon that was assigned the mission of
protecting the Division Headquarters. While here we learned that we were
attached to the 113th AAA Group which was operating as the Corps Group for the
VIII Corps. While here the first shot to be fired by any element of the
Thunderbolt Division in combat was fired by the 3rd Section, 1st Platoon,
Battery C, 575th AAA AW Bn (SP) at 0150 hours on 26 December 1944. This section
shot down one FW- 190 aircraft while protecting a bridge at Sedan, France. We all became acquainted with
''Bed Check Charlie" while in this vicinity. No one ever found out what
"Charlie" was hunting for. However, he did strafe a few positions and
roads in the vicinity. On the 26th we were alerted for a
movement to start at 0200. Necessary preparations were made and we departed for
a new territory at 291300. Battery A moved with the Division Artillery, Battery
B with CCB, Battery C with CCA, Second Platoon, Battery D with Division Trains
and the Battalion minus with Division Headquarters. This move was to take us
into Belgium and thus ended the Campaign of France. The 17th Airborne Division
took over the river line when we departed. BATTLE OF THE BULGE The march from Poix Terron to
Neufchateau progressed very well during daylight hours. As darkness came on we
found ourselves in the Ardennes forests. An occasional flash on the horizon,
that reminded one of the flash of an arc welder at Codford, served as a warning
that something was happening up ahead. The Battalion closed into bivouac near
Neufchateau in the early hours of 30 December 1944. By this time the drive had
been stopped in the west and the 4th Armored Division had driven through to
join the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne" and open a road from the
south. The Krauts, however, had no intention of leaving this road open. On the
morning of 30 December 1944 the 11th Armored Division, 575th attached, set out
to convince the Krauts that the road would stay open. By this time the Luftwaffe had
ceased to be a major threat and the only planes were single flights of nuisance
raids and reconnaissance at night. At about 300200 the Battalion CP was
attacked by parachutists which were annihilated, both of them, in short order.
At daylight the Division went into action and the 5?5th received its baptism of
fire with the other elements of the Division. The next few days taught us many
things that are not in the book and we, even though fresh from the great
battles of the Texas plains, had not learned. When a hypothetical enemy becomes
real and uses live ammunition people get hurt and some even get killed. We
found ourselves in positions that, according to the things we had been taught,
were not normal for AAA. Our mission was purely and simply ground support for
an armored attack. A job we were to learn much more about as time went on. For
five days the Division pushed into the southern flank of the Bulge. For a time
it was felt that the tip of the Bulge would be pinched off. A concentrated
drive was being made by the Third Army on the south to push up past Bastogne to
Houffalize. The First Army on the north was to drive in and join the Third Army
at Houffalize. Von Rundstedt, himself a master at such tactics, foresaw this
and began to withdraw his forces from the Bulge. After five days of bitter
fighting the Division was relieved by the 17th Airborne and rolled out of the
line for reorganization. Losses had been heavy and the 575th had felt the sting of the enemy though perhaps not as heavy as some of the other units.
The extremely bitter cold and snow had taken its toll along with the damage
done by the Krauts. Battery B suffered the heaviest, losing two officers, Lt.
Mink with frozen feet and Lt. Murtagh with shrapnel in the fanny, fourteen men,
and two half tracks. The Battalion including the
Battalion Headquarters had learned the value of fox holes or just any old hole.
The Battalion had participated in a drive that had pushed the best troops
Germany had on any front back for six miles and had liberated more than a dozen
Belgian towns including Chenogne, Lavaselle, Flohamont, Rechrival, and Mande
St. Etienne. During the reorganization of the
Division, Battery B was relieved from attachment to CCB and Battery D took their place. The lost vehicles were replaced and men rested as best they could
in barns, houses or tents. For heroic action in the engagement the Bronze Star
Medal was awarded to Tec 5 Little, Medical Detachment and Tec 5 Fine of Battery B. On January 13th 1945 the
Thunderbolt again took off to renew the attack and to relieve the famed 101st
Airborne in and around Bastogne. This was still a slugfest with the Germans
giving ground only after they were knocked over like ten pins. At this time the
Germans were still within two miles of Bastogne. To support this drive all
available artillery was emplaced around Bastogne. The Krauts were pounded from
all sides and by P-47s from above. The show was beautiful to watch but hell to
live in. On 15 January, the Eleventh Armored Division of the Third Army
contacted the Second Armored Division of the First Army at Houffalize. The
Bulge had been wiped off the map and the Krauts were running like hell for the
Siegfried Line. In the above action the Battalion
lost its first man to be killed about two miles north of Bastogne by shrapnel.
Though subjected to every kind o£ barrage the enemy had to offer, we still had
the Golden Horseshoe in hand and our losses were exceptionally light. More than
a dozen Belgian towns including Bertogne, Recogne, Mabompre, Foy, Cobru and
Noville had been cleared. The above towns were also almost completely destroyed. THE PUSH TO THE SIEGFRIED LINE After the Junction with the First
Army at Houffalize the Division was engaged in a holding action on a line from
Bourcy to Hardigny. The relief of the 101st Airborne was completed on 17
January 1945 and the "Battered Bastards of Bastogne"' marched back
£or rest and rehabilitation. On 17 January 1945 Batteries C and D were relieved
from CCA and CCB respectively and attached to CCR as ground support for holding
the line Hardigny-Bourcy, Battery D on the south and Battery C on the north.
The weather was extremely cold and snow hampered movements somewhat. While in these positions the
Germans harassed our troops continually with artillery and mortar fire. On 21
January Batteries C and D reverted to attachments to CCA and CCB respectively.
CCA passed through CCR in vicinity of Rachamps and Hardigny and attacked toward
Boer~and Buret. CCB on the south was to move east through Bourcy. The Krauts,
however, had flown the coop and the attack turned into an easy push to the east.
The area was left well seeded with mines of all types. Battery C moving up in
the darkness in the early hours of 21 January found later that they had set up
positions in the middle of a mine field. The frozen ground and snow plus the
Golden Horseshoe was in their favor and none of them exploded. The S-3 was not
so lucky. Returning from Battery C at Buret on a road over which CCA had moved
up, his half-track struck a mine and had its face lifted. No damage was done to
personnel, however it has never been clear how many pairs of long-johns were
discarded after the smoke cleared away. Incidentally, General Patton had passed
over the same mine a few minutes earlier. The Battalion then settled down
for a few days rest. Battery D had suffered the heaviest losses in the recent
campaign. They came out shy 21 men, the majority with frostbitten feet. One
half track had been knocked out by a mortar burst and two by mechanical failure.
All were evacuated and repaired by Battalion and were ready to roll in short
order. The country side was strewn with wrecked German equipment of all kinds
and many Kraut dead were frozen in grotesque positions where they had fallen.
Evidence of a hard fight was everywhere. The enemy had moved into the fortified
Siegfried line and the 11th Armored Division with attached units had played a
major part in breaking up Germany’s might in the West. Our men had proven that
they had what it takes. For heroic action in this push the Bronze Star Medal
was awarded to Lt. Willey, Tec 4 Walsh, Cpl.. Grothe and Tec 5 Faber all of
Battery D. HITTING THE SIEGFRIED LINE On 4 February Battery D moved to
the vicinity of Burg Reuland, Belgium with CCR. CCR was composed of an armored
infantry task force made up o£ the three battalions of the division. The division
completed the relief of the 90th Infantry Division in the sector on 5 February
1945. Battery A was attached to CCB who had the mission of protecting the south
flank of VIII Corps. Battery C remained with CCA which was placed in Corps
Reserve. Battery B continued the mission of protecting Division Headquarters
with one platoon and, it has been said, spare parts with its other platoon.
Battery A with headquarters at Weiswampach, Luxembourg was assigned a sector
overlooking the Our River and set up a defensive line there. Battery C with
headquarters in Wiesten, Belgium remained there since the condition of the
roads prevented any extensive movement of armor. The snow melted and the land
thawed out making movement by heavy vehicles almost impossible. The Battalion minus was set up in
Wilwerdange, Luxembourg with Division Headquarters. From Burg Reuland Battery D
moved into Germany with CCR. They were facing the Siegfried Line with
headquarters in the vicinity of Heckusheid. Here for six days they held and became
familiar with the whine of 88s and the scream of the Nevelwerfer. They also
experienced the noiseless mortar that did so much damage when it hit. On 11 February Battery D reverted from CCR to attachment to Division Artillery and
moved out of the "Hot Spot" of Reckbusheid. In this action they had
suffered 8 casualties, 6 wounded and 2 killed and one half-track damaged by an
88mm~ burst under the bumper. On 18 February CCR broke through the Siegfried
Line, and by 22 February had reached the Division objective. The 90th Infantry
driving down from the north and 6th Armored Division driving east on the south
met and the 11th Armored was pinched out. The Division was placed in Corps
reserve and began preparation for a new drive. As the month of February closed
the batteries were disposed as follows: Battery A, after having been subjected
to sporadic artillery fire had been relieved of their mission and were resting
in Leithu, Belgium. Battery B, after having alarmed the Division by firing on
an enemy aircraft at night remained in place with headquarters at Wilwerdange,
Luxembourg. Battery C had moved with CCA to Manderfeld, Belgium in Corps
Reserve to exploit a breakthrough there if and when it came. Battery D, with
Division Artillery had their headquarters at Hascheid, Germany. The Siegfried
Line had been breached and the Division was ready for a new assignment. THE BREAK THROUGH On 2 March the Division began
moving to the vicinity of Prum, Germany and prepared to exploit a crossing
there where the 4th Infantry Division was fighting for a bridgehead on the Prum
River. On 3 March the crossing was made by CCB and a smashing drive was made
against heavy resistance toward the Kyll River. The enemy was bowled over,
however, he chose to stand. Things really began to happen fast, The race for
the Rhine was in the making. The Krauts were doing everything possible to stop
the drive. Road blocks were thrown up, bridges blown and areas heavily mined.
The Thunderbolt busted through and on 6 March were at the Kyll, the last
natural defensive barrier before the Rhine. Battery A had played the biggest
part for the Battalion in this drive. The second platoon moving with the 41st
Tank Battalion had cut loose their fire power to silence enemy small arms and
mortar fire from woods that were annoying our troops. THE RACE TO THE RHINE On 7 March CCA crossed the Kyll
and was followed by the other elements of the Division. The drive took off for
the Rhine over the route Kelberg-Mayen. Somewhere along the line the column
split with CCB branching off to the north. On 9 March the Division reached the
Rhine. CCB commanded by Col. Wesley W. Yale took Brohl and CCA commanded by
Brig. Gen. Willard A. Holbrook, Jr. took Andernach just north of Koblenz. The
11th Armored had again met the First Army and trapped a substantial number
of Krauts west of the Rhine. On this drive we realized what a
powerful striking force an armored division can be when it really uncoils and
strikes out in the open. It was on this drive that we saw the first lines Or
Krauts marching back without guard and others just watching the power house
roll by. We also saw our first DPs (displaced persons) wending their weary way
west. They all waved and saluted and some of us wondered who the hell the mixed
uniforms belonged to. In three days the Division took more PWs than the
Division strength, and captured or destroyed more equipment than it would take
to equip a division. THE LOOT PERIOD After reaching the Rhine the
Division set about mopping up the area. The 575th was spread from one side of
the Division to the other and took part in the mopping up operations. German
vehicles, cameras, pistols, fancy scarves, telephones and other trophies of war
began to appear in the Battalion. We also learned to appreciate the finer wines
of the region. Sniper fire from across the river held no terror where the
looting was best. The Battalion minus was located in
Niedermendig with Division Headquarters while the batteries settled down in the
towns surrounding this city. Battery A had headquarters at Wassenach in a hotel
well stocked with very palatable wines. Battery B had headquarters in
Niedermendig. The headquarters of Battery C was at Krutt and Battery D at
Obermendig. While in this vicinity,. we had a chance to fire at a few German
planes that strayed over our area looking for some way to get at the First Army’s
Remagen Bridgehead which was a few miles to the north. Some of our sections
also took part in shooting down a comet that later turned out to be a B-17 that
had been set fire while en route home from a bombing mission. The British crew
cleared the whole matter up for us when they appeared. RHINE TO RHINE VIA MOSELLE On 16 March the Division and
attached units was switched from the VIII Corps to XII Corps and ordered to
attack to the south along axis Lutzerath-Kirchberg-Worms. After days of
planning by G-3 this was one move he had not planned. However, the Division commanded
by Major General Holmes E. Dager (then Brig. General) who had taken over from
General Kilburn, took the order in stride and took off in short order. In five
days the Division drove for over 70 miles against scattered resistance and
pulled up on the banks of the Rhine for the second time at the city of Worms. This drive brought us from the
north flank of the Third Army down to the south across the Moselle at Alf,
through the vineyards and linked up with the Seventh Army on the south flank of
the Third Army. Many will remember the historic crossing at Alf as the place
where every man was handed a bottle of excellent wine before going on the
bridge. This drive though comparatively an easy one netted the Division another
big bag of PW's. We came out very light with Battery D again sustaining the
heaviest losses, with two men wounded and one half-track damaged, Battery A
lost one jeep with no personnel casualties. At the same time we were driving
toward Worms from the West, the famed 4th Armored was driving for the city
from the north. There is some doubt in minds of some of us as to just who
should have been the one to accept the surrender of the battered city. Due to
the prior establishment of the restraining lines the 4th took the city and
pulled out immediately leaving us for a time with the ruins of Worms. The
Thunderbolt had captured hundreds of horses, artillery pieces, PWs, assorted
motorized equipment and an airfield with a number of operational aircraft. The
Third Army was on the banks of the Rhine from Koblenz to Worms. THE LUFTWAFFE REVIVES 'On 21 March at 0730 hours the
Luftwaffe appeared for the first time in any numbers since our arrival in the
ETO. Ten fighters appeared over the area just south and west of Worms and
Batteries A and D, being in the area went into action. As one member of a gun
crew put it, the firing was not like Hueco at all. Nobody was there to tell
them the plane was coming on course from east to west and besides they wouldn't
fly in a straight line at a certain altitude. When the smoke cleared the 11th
Armored Division was still intact and Battery A claimed two E/A destroyed. The
aircraft had done no damage to the defended area. Later the same day Battery A
fired on one ME 262 which streaked leisurely over the area. During the next few
days single aircraft wandered over the area at odd hours. They very carefully
kept just out of range of our guns and even though we expended a few rounds of
ammo, neither side did any appreciable damage. JUST BEFORE THE CROSSING
On 25 March the Division again
changed Corps. This time from XII to XX Corps. The corps mission was to hold
the river line on the south flank of the Third Army And assist in preparation
for a crossing. The second platoon of Battery A was at this time in one of the
most ticklish spots ever to be assigned to an AAA unit. They were emplaced
along the river bank near Worms with the mission of destroying any mines that
might be floated down the river in an effort to disrupt bridging operations.
The east bank of the Rhine still belonged to the Krauts and any movement on our
side brought prompt response from snipers over there. We still had a hook on
the Golden Horseshoe and only two men were hit. The Division with Headquarters at
Alzey was covering the south flank of the Army Zone. Preparations for a
crossing were made and a bridgehead established at Oppenheim. A second crossing
was to be made at Mainz and Battery A was to get a similar job to the one they
had at Worms. The Battalion Commander, Colonel Baker, had the aerial shot off
his halftrack which was reconnoitering this location. Things happened fast and
we were never called to fulfill this assignment. The Luftwaffe made a
determined effort to break up the crossing at Oppenheim and on the night of 26
or 27 March one of the best shows of the war took place. The Luftwaffe came in
and dropped numerous flares over the bridgehead area. For almost an hour the
sky was full of tracer ammo, flares, and 9mm bursts. An occasional flash in the
sky wrote finis to another Kraut plane. It is not known known many were in the
attacking force but whatever the number in the beginning it was exactly one
dozen less when they went home. The crossings continued uninterrupted. ACROSS THE RHINE
On 28 March the 11th Armored
Division again changed Corps, from XX to the XII and was ordered to cross the
Rhine at Oppenheim and attack to the north and east into the heart of Germany.
The crossing was made without incident. We were at this time following the
crossings of the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. The 4th Armored had already
cleared Hanau and moved own, however, the 11th met some resistance in this
area. We drove through Darmstadt and Hanau and headed toward Fulda. On 31 March the GAF again came
over in an effort to destroy a bridge over the Main at Gross Auheim. Two
sections of Battery B with trains claimed one ME 262 destroyed. Battery C also
got in some shooting at Stukas there. The section doing the firing was on the
bridge at the time and the superstructure prevented accurate firing and no
damage was inflicted. The end of March found us engaged
in a drive toward the heart of Germany. The Division objective was the towns of
Arnstadt and Kranichfeld. These towns were reported to be part of the German
Government and Communications Center. It was rumored that everything including
Hitler had moved from Berlin and set up shop in this area. The drive was made
by three armored divisions. The 16th Armored in the north, the 4th in the
center, and the 11th in the south. The drive was to capture the government and
end the war. On April 1st we took off. Resistance was bypassed whenever
possible. We traveled mostly over country roads or cow trails. We learned the
value of road markers and keeping in column on the right road. Lt. Joiner
especially is familiar with this part of the story. He took a wrong turn and
walked back minus one Jeep and most of his personal belongings. How he or his
driver got out he has never figured out. This was to be the only vehicle we had
captured by the enemy while in running condition. Later the same day part of
Division Headquarters with Headquarters 575th pulled off the road into a field
while the Krauts fired a few ranging shots into the area with a mortar. It was
soon found that this was unhealthy and the column moved on leaving the Kraut to
play with his mortar wherever he was. On 2 April the Krauts became
mildly interested in what was happening and the Luftwaffe began to appear over
the heads of our columns. They seemed to be more or less content to fly around
beyond 37mm or 50 cal. range and watch
our progress. During the day Batteries a and D engaged five flights of FW190s.
Total aircraft in the flights was 50 which at the time was more aircraft than
we thought the Germans had. Claims for damaging 7 aircraft were made, most of
which could not be supported due to the fact that movement was so rapid and the
situation such that any search for wreckage was highly impractical. From 2
April to 16 April some element of the Battalion had a chance to fire almost
every day. Luftwaffe pilots seemed to respect our fire power and on very few
occasions made any actual attacks. On 3 April with CCB at Oberhof and
CCA at Suhl resistance stiffened. It was learned that Hitler and his cohorts
were not in the areas into which we were heading, so the Thunderbolt prepared
to strike out for another possible hiding place. On this drive all infantry
support was left behind and the war continued behind us while some of us
wondered where the nearest friendly unit was. Supply trains traveled, when they
traveled, with tanks, armored car, and AAA protection. Mail and the Stars and
Stripes were just a little slow coming through. The Division drew its elements
into a tight triangular formation, CCA at Suhl, CCB at Oberhof, and Division
Headquarters at Steinbach-Hallenberg. The loot piled up. We were in the
heart of Thuringia where everyone had guns and cameras. Wine stocks were fair.
The Luftwaffe had made its presence known and AA gunners from all units kept a
weather eye on the sky. At dusk on 3 April trigger happy gunners opened up on
three P-47s who came over to pay their respects. The sky was filled with
tracers from single fifties flying in every direction. Thanks to poor
marksmanship, the guidance from above, and the fact that the 575th did not
fire, the planes flew blithely on and no damage was done. 'On 5 April the Division
Headquarters moving behind CCR moved into Zella-Mehlis, the home of the
Walthers and P-38 pistols. The loot really piled up. In addition to the larger
Walther plants almost every house in the city manufactured some kind of a gun or
part of a gun. Battery C at Suhl wasn’t doing badly, but they had to set up an
assembly only since their pistols were largely in the disassembled stage. On 7 April the 90th Infantry
caught up and took over the sector and the Thunderbolt Division had to find a
new home. THE PUSH INTO BAVARIA The Division uncoiled on the 7th
of April and struck out to the south and east. We were joined by the 71st
Infantry Division who were to mop up behind the Armored thrust. The presence of
Infantry and the Air Corps was always welcome, even though the Infantry did get
mixed up on the roads at times. From here on the artillery with the aid of the
Air Corps very carefully arranged for the Division Headquarters to have a warm
reception in the towns they selected for GP’s. The homefires burned brightly by
the time Division Headquarters arrived. By 13 April the Division had rolled
more than 50 miles, and taken the city of Kulmbach. The objective for the
Division was at this time the city of Hof at the western tip of Czechoslovakia.
The 90th Infantry traveling in a straight line on the north took the city and
privilege to fraternize in Czechoslovakia. The 11th Armored with Headquarters
at Mainleus took a few days for much needed maintenance. Batteries A and B had
Headquarters at Mainleus. Battery C was at Stadt Steinach and Battery D in the
vicinity of Rothwind. On 13 April the first of the
Luftwaffe to actually fly down our gun barrels paid us a call. Four ME 109's
swept down the valley striking at Division Trains in that area. The opening
burst by Battery B who was farthest west at the time, caught one in the middle,
and one section of Battery C also opened up. The plane scattered parts for
approximately five miles before breaking itself into little pieces in the
trees. The remaining three aircraft clipped the grass flying so low our crews
could not fire without endangering surrounding units. They picked an opening
and slipped over the hill in a hurry. Tracers were seen to bounce off rooftops
in Mainleus where gunners tried to get down to the planes. The next day the AA gunners in the
vicinity of Division Headquarters really opened up. Tankers, Engineers,
Infantry men, AA crews and the Division Commander with his 30 cal.. jeep mount
all cut loose. Five fighter bombers, FW 190; came over loaded for bear. They
circled over the area flying at about 5000 to 8000 feet. The bombs were plainly
visible on the wings. The mass of fire below them discouraged the pilots, and
after a couple of turns over the area one of them cut loose his bombs. After
what seemed to be an hour they struck. The pilot had been a little slow on the
release and the bombs landed in a field Just back of Headquarters Battery
billets. The only damage was a few shingles knocked off and one man burned and
another cut. The, burn was caused when the man struck a hot exhaust pipe while
diving under a halftrack and the cut by a man who was shaving and jumped when
the bombs hit. During the time the Division was
performing maintenance, artillery was preparing the City of Coburg for the
plucking. The officials were contacted and they asked for time to consider
surrender. The artillery dropped a note now and then to help them make a
decision. As the designated hour approached, P-47s also came over flying
leisurely around the city with bombs hanging ready for release. The "City
Fathers" talked fast and the P-47s had to hunt a new target. ON TO AUSTRIA On 17 April the Division again
shoved off to the southeast taking Bayreuth, the home of the composer, Richard
Wagner. Hitler was a yearly visitor here in his better days attending the
festivals given at the Wagner Opera House. The Air Corps had done an excellent
job in this vicinity. Bayreuth itself was well pounded and an airfield with
more than 100 planes had been destroyed. The Thunderbolt paused here briefly
and the 71st Infantry Division took over the city. The Thunderbolt pushed on to
tale Grafenwohr, one time training center for the German Army. Here the
Division captured one of Germany’s largest chemical warfare dumps, a large
assortment of artillery and other equipment plus large stores of food. The
chemical warfare dump contained over 3,000,000 rounds of gas filled ammunition.
Battalion Headquarters procured a beautiful brand new generator from the
captured stocks here. The Air Corps had accomplished one of the most thorough
jobs of destruction here ever witnessed. Hundreds of barracks, shops and
officers quarters had been completely pulverized. The town was burning when we
arrived and two days later when we left, ammunition was still exploding as
buildings burned themselves out. The Thunderbolt Division continued to move to
the southeast moving parallel to the Czech border towards Austria. KL On 23 April the Division took
Cham, CCB entering from the south and CCA from the north. On this drive we had
our first glimpse of Hitler’s work with Concentration Camps. CCB overtook a
column of prisoners that were being marched east in an effort to move them out
of the line of the American advance. The roads were lined with dead who had
been shot when they fell from exhaustion. Few of us will ever see a more
pitiful sight than that which the lines of liberated people presented. Hundreds
of men, starved, half-dressed and half-crazed each with a KL in big red letters
on his back. It is said that some of us had the pleasure of seeing these people
deal out just punishment to some of the SS guards. This drive had also released
an allied PW camp containing 1722 British and American PWs. With the capture of Cham we also
took an airfield with more than 50 operational aircraft and Field Marshal
Kesselring's private train that was on the way to move him from the path of the
American advance. The airfield was later to provide good hunting for us. For
several days after its capture pilots came in for landings and in finding the
Americans there tried to pull out again. The 128th Gun Battalion, two batteries
of which had joined us at Mainleus for high level protection, also got in some
shooting, here. On 24th and 25th April we claimed five planes destroyed and six
damaged. The drive moved on and someone else moved in and took over. On 26
April, the Division moved to Freyung. The Luftwaffe was most annoying on this
move. Ground troops also became troublesome. The 56th Engineers Headquarters,
the rear element of the Division column, was continually in trouble. One
section of Battery B was sent back to clear up the pocket of resistance. Small
arms fire from woods along the roads can make one feel most uncomfortable. As
the afternoon dragged by the Luftwaffe continued to be active overhead. the
majority of flights were made over the forward elements at altitudes just out
of reach of our guns. We continued to blaze away with everything available, but
they stayed high. Some of us had the pleasure of watching from a ringside seat
one of the prettiest sights of the war. A "dog fight'' in clear skies. While four Krauts played around
annoying the columns below, eight P-51s came in from nowhere and in two minutes
four Krauts had dived into the earth each with a P-51 on his tail till he hit. It seemed very simple. You could
see a flash, hear a burst of MG fire and forthwith a Kraut headed down smoke
streaming from his tail. Towards evening the radio began to crackle. People who
had been most unhappy at having to haul what they considered excessive loads of
ammo, were getting low on 27mm and 50 cal. ammunition. The ammo on hand was
distributed the following morning and trucks dispatched to the rear for more.
For the bigger part of the next three days we wondered about the trucks. They
were overdue and no one seemed to be exactly sure how the war was going behind
us. They returned on the third day with ammo after having toured half the dumps
in Germany for 37mm ammo. Meanwhile the Luftwaffe had been less active and we
hadn’t needed the. ammo too badly. On 26 April a patrol from the 11th
Armored Division became the first Allied troops to enter Austria from the west.
At this point and from then on the 11th Armored Division was to have troops
farther east than any element of the Allied Armies. From 26 April the Division
held the area around Freyung with troops on the Czech border on the north and
Austrian border in the south. The consensus of opinion was that we were waiting
for the Russians. The poop was out the signals were all arranged. On two
occasions we had received all the maps we would need to meet the Russians.
Still on 30 April we took off again for Linz, Austria where we were sure the
Russians already had patrols. On 4 May the cites of Linz and Urfahr surrendered
to CCA and still no Russians CCB advanced to Gallneukirchen north east of Linz
and sent patrols to the east. Everyone who could dashed down for a look at the
beautiful blue Danube. The Germans call it the Danau and it wasn't blue.
Germans were surrendering by the thousands in Italy and northern Germany. It
was rumored the war was over. Hitler was dead Doenitz had taken over and we
waited for the Russians. On 5 or 6 May we knew that the
surrender details had been worked out. On 8 May Troop A of the 41st Cavalry
Squadron was captured by the Russians. At 0900 1 May 1945 the war in Europe was
over. We visited the Concentration Camp at Mauthausen, met the Russians
collected pistols and wondered what would happen to us next. We were issued one
11th Armored Division shoulder patch per man. At the cessation of hostilities
the batteries were disposed as follows: Battery A with CCB and Battery B with
Division Artillery were located in and around Gallneukirchen. Battery B
Headquarters and second platoon were at Kirchlag, first platoon at Rohrbach and
Battery C and Headquarters Battery at Hellmonsodt. Less than six months had
elapsed since we debarked from the U.S.A.T. Marine Wolf at Liverpool, England
and four months and ten days of this had been spent in combat. The 575th AAA
Auto Weapons Bn (SP) was proud to have been a part of the 11th Armored
Division, and sewed the shoulder patch on the best shirt we had. We had credit for 15-3/4 planes
destroyed, 3 probably destroyed, and 8 damaged. We had expended 4,886 rounds of
37mm and 185,782 rounds of 50 cal.. ammunition at aerial targets and 2,036
rounds of 37mm and 69,300 rounds of 50 cal.. ammunition at ground targets. The Division in its push from the
Bulge to Linz had taken 76,229 prisoners. After cessation of hostilities an
additional 11,834 prisoners were discharged and 34,125 turned over to the
Russian Army. Prior to the effective time of the surrender the Division refused
to accept the surrender of over 200,000 troops then in the zone between the
11th Armored Division and the Red Army. Thus ended the war in Europe and
the 575th began worrying about points and battle stars and battle stars and
points. Back to "Our History"
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