THE BATTLE OF NORTHERN FRANCE

Under the command of Lt. Connor, the company moved with the division to a new concentration area in the vicinity of Avranches on the 2nd of August. Traffic was heavy. The going was slow. Then, at 0100, enemy planes zoomed out of the sky. The slow‑moving convoy had been sighted, and was their target.

As flares sprouted in the heavens, turning the night to daylight, men leaped from the halted convoy, burying themselves in the surrounding rain ditches, diving into holes in the fields, seeking every minute bit of cover and concealment. The white flares were succeeded by green ones marking the target.

We were the target.

The Heinie planes made a wide circle, started in on their bomb run. Strangely enough they came cross‑wise to the convoy, cutting through it, instead of running along the length of it. This was a tactical error which saved the convoy tremendous damage.

While the bombs dropped, men crawled into their helmets, doubling up like so many snails creeping into shells. The fields resembled a brilliantly lighted arena. Overhead the planes were enjoying target practice. Seconds, minutes ticked away – and seemed like so many years. The planes swept off into the distance, momentarily in the range of ack‑ack fire, and were back again on another bomb run.

It lasted about fifteen minutes. Ordnance trucks miraculously remained untouched. Directly behind them were the QM trucks which received the brunt of the attack. Several of, their trucks were damaged, and personnel suffered shrapnel wounds. The flares died out, the roaring motors dimmed in the distance, and men climbed out of their helmets and back into trucks. The convoy proceeded as though nothing had happened. It was all in the day’s work.

The days which followed were filled with movement loading, unloading, setting up shop, digging foxholes, camouflaging, packing up again, moving … moving … moving. St. Osvin …La Mauccilicre … Landivy … St Germain le Fouilloux … Laval … LeMans, There was

a two day break at Le Mans . , . and then the company moved five limes in five days. It arrived at Chailloue on the 15th of August where it remained in close support of the division during the closing of the famous ‘‘Falaise Gap”.

Here the 90th Division made history. We quote from the Division Historian who described, in terse, concise sentences the overwhelming might of the Division: “The great Falaise pocket, sewed up on the south and east by the capture of Le Mans and the subsequent swing north, was closed only by fire. No firm line of troops sealed the mouth of the trap in northwest France. Until the Shooting was over, there remained an escape gap through the valley where the little village of Chambois is located. So much fire was poured into the bottleneck that a large part of the proud German Seventh Army was annihilated in its struggle to withdraw.

“The 90th Division took 12,335 prisoners and killed an estimated 8000 from August 16 to 22. In addition, 30 German tanks, 248 self‑propelled guns, 164 artillery pieces 3270 motor vehicles, 649 horse‑drawn vehicles and 13 motorcycles were destroyed.”

“During Aug 20, the 90th sat on a “Balcony of Death” extending from Bon Menil through Chambois, pouring death into the Germans running the murderous gauntlet The frantic enemy was initiated by the guns of the 358th at Ste‑Eugenie‑Bon Menil, pummeled by the 359th at Chambois, mauled by the 3rd Bn of the 358th northeast of the town.”

“If the infantry is Queen of Battle, then artillery is King. And Chambois, which afforded perfect observation was a dish fit for any king. Our artillery chewed up and swallowed the three‑mile valley. Frequently, during the afternoon of Aug 20, fire ceased to permit wholesale surrender of Germans.”

And men of Ordnance were spectators at this tremendous feat, their duties taking them frequently to hill‑tops in the vicinity. Here they could pick out distant points of concentrated enemy installations in the valley below. Minutes later they would see our artillery zero in and destroy them, calmly, methodically, point after point like an expert rifleman knocking off targets in a shooting gallery.

The company remained in the vicinity of Chailloue for eleven days during which a refitting inspection of all artillery pieces in the infantry regiments, plus a percentage of small arms and automotive was made and all necessary maintenance, repairs and evacuation were accomplished prior to the Division’s move to a new sector.

On the 26th of August, the company moved with the Division to the vicinity of Recloses, a distance of 157 miles. No unusual occurrences took place during the trip. The following day the company crossed the Seine River and moved to the vicinity of Nargis. The greater part of the 28th, 29th and 30th of August was spent on the road moving with the Division from Nargis to Le Venzie to Fontenelle en Brie and finally to Chenay.

Chenay, about two miles northwest of Rheims, offered an excellent view of the great cathedral from the high ground inside the company bivouac area. The area which had apparently been used as a headquarters by Luftwaffe personnel took in three palatial homes. The C.P. was set up in one of the houses and about half the company billeted themselves throughout the various rooms. Directly across the road from the C.P. was another French residence with facilities for bath and shower. The Mayor of Chenay opened the house, and the entire company

enjoyed the luxury of a hot shower or bath – its second since landing in France.

Here the people were exceedingly friendly and many invitations to dinner and church were extended the company. All men that could be spared were allowed to accept the invitations. This, an unusually heavy mail call and church services by Chaplain Clemens helped immensely to boost morale. Payday and an opportunity to send Xmas gifts to friends and relatives through the Army Exchange Service added to the general gaiety of this happy section.

Movement was slowed to practically a standstill because of lack of gasoline. But on the 5th of September the vital fluid was flown in to a nearby airport. Once again the 90th Division was on the move, advancing a full one hundred miles, passing through Verdun and the Argonne Forest, to the vicinity of Etain.

On the night of the 8th, the company was ready to roll again. At the last moment, word was received to hold up the movement until morning. That night the Division received a heavy counterattack in the vicinity of the area to which the company was to have moved. Ordnance men heaved a sigh of relief and were grateful for an “on the ball” Military intelligence, The attack was repulsed and on the 10th, the company rolled on to Lixieres.

Two days later, with the company now in Fontoy, Colonel Grubbs was relieved from duty as Division Ordnance Officer and Major James F. Sinclair assumed the position.

September 14th – and campaign number two was ended. The Battle of Northern France was won.

What, precisely, was the role of the 790th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company in this march to victory? Statistics make difficult reading, but they are necessary to properly evaluate the worth of a unit. In the six mouth period, from 10 March 1944 to 10 September 1944, the figures speak thusly:

One month prior to the 90th Division’s debarkation in the United Kingdom, an advance group of three officer and three enlisted men drew the greater percentage of all Ordnance material for the Division. Upon the Company’s arrival in the United Kingdom, they continued with utmost efficiency and speed until the Division was fully equipped and prepared for invasion landings on the hostile shores of France. During the period 10 April to 1 June 1944, the Company’s maintenance work consisted of the highest priority jobs as follows:

a. Installed all types of A.A. gun mounts on vehicles.

b. Installed armor plate in combat vehicles.

c. Constructed and installed litter racks for all Medical 1/4 ton and 3/4 ton vehicles.

d. Accomplished modifications on Artillery weapons.

Due to the expeditious and efficient manner in which the company supplied the Division with all Ordnance Material, the 90th Infantry Division landed on the shore of France completely equipped to engage the enemy in combat. The period 8 June to 10 September 1944 was devoted to combat operations with the 90th Infantry Division during which time the following jobs were accomplished:

a. Automotive 1142

b. Artillery 178

c. Small Arms 402

d. Instrument 708

e. Direct Exchanges

Mortars 112

Artillery 14

Small Arms 856

Instrument 87

Artillery contact parties were constantly avai1able for on‑the-spot repairs in gun positions. Armament and Automotive repair teams worked in Battalion positions whenever the situation permitted. The Recovery Section maintained road clearance and recovered much Ordnance material. The following is an example of Battlefield Recovery, in which the divisional units assisted, for the period 10 July to 10 August 1944:

Binoculars 30

Bayonet, Ml 355

Carbine, cal. 30, Ml 170

Rifle, cal. .30, Ml 750

Launcher, rocket, AT, 2.36 95

Rifle, auto Brng, M1918A2 45

Gun, mach., cal. .30, M1917A1 35

Gun, mach., cal. .30, Ml919A4 28

Mortar, 60 mm 13

Mortar, 81 mm 17

Gun, mach., cal. .50, M2 3

During this same period the 790th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company improvised ways and methods to modify enemy equipment such as mortars and tires and tubes which in turn helped to relieve the critical shortage of these items and also augmented the fire power of the division.