to be under observation, they made a juicy target for our FO, after he had succeeded in convincing Fire
Direction that he was sober and not seeing things. Having fired a concentration near this point a short
time before, the first rounds were practically on the target, making minor changes, the command was
“Fire for effect”. Report from the FO: “It’s a beautiful sight, arms and legs flying everywhere”. Even
though completely disorganized, the few that escaped the carnage, came up the hill, screaming, “Heil
Hitler”. The doughboys got the rest.
So fanatical and insistent were these Nazis in counter attacking, it was necessary for the boys
from Union to roll the dead from in front of their MG Positions so that they would have an unobstructed
field of fire. At one time a short truce was called to allow the Krauts to carry away their dead and
injured.
Communications presented a problem. Many attempts were made to run wire across before
success came. Cables would break from the strain and enemy artillery would tear them apart. Tirelessly
the wire crews toiled, hour after hour, and night after night. In the meantime our radios were busy every
minute of the day. Fire missions, messages for supply officers, messages for medical supplies, pleas for
radio batteries, messages to Union 3, day and night this routine went on. Fire control channel and the
alternate channel were in constant use. Here the FDC radio operators deserve a note of praise for the
way they handled these messages. Two, four, six at a time, yet all were handled without a flaw. Finally
on the fourth night, Headquarters Battery wire crew succeeded in getting a wire across and the strain on
the radio was eased. This did not mean that the wire section was through, enemy shelling saw to it that
they had little rest. Night and day they worked.
During all of this the HCO in FDC lost his voice. He reported to the Medics and after frantic
efforts of whispering and waving of arms, and pointing at his throat, he received treatment: “A box of
ever ready, all purpose aspirin! Eat two every hour and don’t talk”. 15 days later his voice came
cracking back. In the meantime he used a little horn: one toot for “No”, two for “Yes”. A cow, not
knowing the password, walked in the back door of the shed that Headquarters Battery kitchen was in and
came out of the front door in 108 mess kits! Captain “Dave” Graf, Sgt. John F. “Knobby” Piel and T/5
Frank Pratt left for the U.S. on well earned furloughs. All three had been up front in liaison and FO
since Normandy. An ARC Clubmobile came to the area but did not stay long enough for the coffee to
be saucered and blown. Never-the-less they won the admiration of all for staying as long as they did,
because there was quite a bit of “incoming mail”.
10 December, Lt. Aram Zazian, Baker battery FO was killed by enemy mortar fire.
“Mason’s Maulers” were still driving on, blowing pillboxes, killing Krauts and showing the
Germans that when Adolph told them they were superior, he and not heard of the Tough ‘Ombres, and
evidently we hadn’t heard that they were supposed to be superior, for we continued to chase and kill
them. The enemy threw a number of tanks into the fight and many didn’t return, with Urban getting its
share.
About the 15th, enemy shelling lessened some, this was near the time that Von Rundstedt’s
Ardennes drive started. Some of the enemy artillery had moved up to help in this counter offensive.
Down on the river banks, the Saar was forever enveloped in the white fog of an opaque smoke
generated by a record number of nearly 9000 smoke pots, set in operation by the 161st Smoke Generator
Co. The negro troops, working 18 hours a day, consumed 146,410 gallons of fog oil, to screen an area
of five kilometers along a vital section of the river.
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