7. a. (1) 536,898, 439 and 435 MA Ba~%uon**
(a) ~su;uwprmisl;lonalinfantryT/O at ~rme.
(b) Awmmbl~ eqx&emt not a+odrd for:infantry
rolr at b&taliQa FOAF Whelan &NW only a;tf"fiaieWp8~-
mncml will be loft to prorid.semr%ty M& ma3.ntrkimqui~
mmt.
(0) cOntinu0intensin trainingin uant,rytlatiw,
atrearingdlfmS8 of rilmr lin8, ssrautA.ng,p0mllin& Md
u&S of InfantryWwpQm. ’
(2) (a) wo wtillrry fix%will bs pl&md Qtlsty of
PIdA emept on Brlgrdaordw,
5. The 898 AAA Bn went intothe line on tha night2ti7 July
1944,to r&.ievathe 168 Xnfmtry cm the right flankof th8 se&w,
Qn the followingnight, 27.28July 1944, the 536 MA Ebaant ints
the line to reliew the 133 Infantryin the left half of tha rig&t
matOF. The 107 &%AGroup than resumedrroponsibiUtyfQF the w%tira
right se&or, The veteran91 Camlry Reacmnahswr Sqaacimn (-1
troop)was wed to patrolax&h of tha ArnQkzirurMIJ to the fbnks
aad wa8 availabS0 w group moev*. (During thenf%ht28-29 July1944
tha 91 &w&lry Baeormaiaram Squ~ was dd.wted t0 the aoad t0
aounterP porssfblaemmy mphibioua attemptbut rib0rrtwnod to its
fOMuaryOvlitiSnSth8 f@QZ%a Of 29 Jay 194.4).The sb 6hWi& Bipt-
t&.iQn,nith itg, 4.2 BOF~WS, was at thr saw timaaurda,avail&U
m 107 cruxGrmtpaapfJortfor a pried of 4 days. 'MS seacad n&g&t
the AA tr?QQpSrr@eiVcrdtheirfiratBISU<~*IfrQm 0mW &&l&W
aadmrtw fin and took two prironaraofwar fmmm uS~po~F&
8. The 2 Armred Croup a%swnrdo-d Of the Twk Forw rWerv8,
mnslstine,of the 751 Tenk Bn, Co f3of the 805 TIurk%wtrOy@r w,
Battiwirah & B of the 631th &&ABrr ruSathr Bx%tUh 39 LAA likgtit
nhi& had been ottauhaclto the Task Porueon 29 July 1944. Thr,39
LA re&tent oomistgd of a::h;roxicately850 officrersauzdenliatrbmm
8.
9. 2. On 31 JU.y 1944,the 34 Infantry13ltioion &rtiLXtwyand .
thr 403 AAh Gun Bn werewithdmwn from the Taek Foressasutw~how-
erer,th8 Tank Oretmyer aompmfua of the 894 Tank &rtroyer Bn
Irem attached31 July 1944 and the gun8of this unit, plus those of
the 751 Tank Bziaud & B of the 805 Tar& Dea,troyer& were rsitedto
proride mrbetitutewtillery fire. Ths 3.7 AA guns of elafnentsof
the British62 and 66 AA EM&ados alar0 continusei avaikablar.
3. The dqxwture of trio 34 Infantry,E)ivisionArtillexyreltwsed
for infantrytrw the 4% MA &a (-2 0attwiea) whichbad km
prwidlng the bAl.lsry with hii protection.EsttsryA 8nd 1 plrptoon
of BatteryB of 434 AAA E3nwm now relievedof the coarW$l.patrol
bythaBacomu&wmee Oo, 894 TDBn and the entireb&kU.onbegan
infantrytri&iq, plllineil;?anyin the upI8Of mhwf8, ~&in. gUn8
with ixtfultry pDunlal, BAU and rlflrr. Two r-w w-w aat up 8nd
.WasmiPo pmctirs conducted.On 3 Aqgastl%& Batter@e A&B
wareattachedto 91 AAA Group, Battery B bshng Qoramitttito the line
to stramgthrnthe clroug Tight fljnkand BattergA befngheld in W
a-.
4. 2he 13J.Batteryof the 39 W was1attachedto the 91 AU
Group on 1 August1944 surdwas mmmftted to reU.ev~r)Batteryaf
the 435 AAA Bn an 4 Au&at 1944. The 240 glhtteryof the 39 L&A wbe
attached to the 107 -rubGroup as gmmp reoereialeo on 1 iaugur%1944.
The 110 E&tteryof the 39 LAA continuedinfantrytry aa pirtof
the Tmk &me rdsem. On 8 Augwt 1944,BatterryC, ,151AAA ;Sj+%Eln
'~ru&h&ad to the 91 A.& Grow and gl~enths ariaaionof jawWin&
oaaehl ar~oFohli@t an4 ra%r deferme.
5. On 11 August19U, Weadqwters 91 AU Crow, &wing been
orderedfro3 the the&x-e, was rslfeved by I-kckparters 2 iumwed
Group whichialinq@ished wnuund of the TaskForm reaerveto Has&
quartera751 Tmk Bn. On I.3August1944, the 898 ritiISn,haa
aLsobeen orderedfrom the theatn, was relievedby the 434 A&A Bn
(-2 EwAmLes). The 91 GavalryRemnnai~~;mrrrSqurrdronwhichrpl in
22. 16. The Task IrorceWne on the Loi% was bqwcive~17 lomnkwr
1944 wha the BritirrhH Troopof tha 240 IkLttm~rtmagpofntrd
WTii (3299)and plawd outgorptaOn the high groundforwardand to
23. 2. ‘phs newly attaahsd units were P&her attaehadto 2
ArmoredGroup,togrthrrwith the follow&$ un%tarfiiehXV Corps
ottaehrdon 19 srnd21 of #ove.mber19442
Ron Co (-1 Flatoon),894 Tu& DorrtroyerBin
3.FmKmn, 0 co, l3 ?!a& Bn
Co A (-1 YUtoo~ 894 Tmk n)estroylrrBn,
The 2 Armred Groupw;dsto make thr priaoipaleffortdirsotsdby
Corps.
3. &trolling was now intensffiedand frquent WN&W* ivld
fire Fightsmsulted. One 2&5an&Wrjiaan and Partisanpatrolof
the 435 MA J3n@lashedwith 8 strongpartyof the Hun at $UXCZOLA.
(5ll6) on 21 Bovambar1944. 'ihaaour patrolwithdrewnirmenemy
dwd and a hwgr nut&u-of wounad had bmn obsexved. Our patrol
suffrrad two Ulled and me wounded, Hun shelUng inezvmwd.
pjlefneor work on the rjIL;L~LSZZ~Q(5Ei.&5113)road was pushed do
: that supportingBIllltOrcouldbe broughtup.
4. Ietreoaarymgrouping md prspacationin the 2 Axmorsd
Group ssotorwas completedon 23 #ovMmr 1944,
Bn ww on the left,baaedat VI3ICUl'ICG
1 Flatoon0fmediW tmk8 ,
Z Platcmtof licfhttmks
lI?lrtom of Timk Destl"Oyms
&en Co (-1 i'li~toon),8% Tank f3estroym-Bn.
Its A.ssionW&Y to take ,!IE&CfOU(5116),CcmNa (Tll7)am8 Y,
(b) 2 %I, 370 Infantryww in
MWTANA (55161,and suyjmrtedby
1 Flatoonof mediutntanks
1 Platoonof U&t tanks
f)etaohnentof &xllbdJ.
ths mnter, with OFat G&G10
(Q W&S on the right, with
a base at BO
1 Platoonof lmdiunntanka
1 %&xsl of tank dastlwyers
E;nginrer.min+-alearingdetaehmmt
Its missionww to take the-high g.~oundin the tirinityof Y.
CASTBLW (56193.
24. 5. At 0600~on 24 Now-&w 1944, the threebattalion5@qwd
off for theirobjeetiras.The weatherWN cslmdyand misty whiah
prrrsntedmti&pated rrirsupportand U&tad artilleryobarmtim,
By evening,the Left flankhad been puabd forword ecxsidtwdly,
pmgrrsshsrdb8~ Mde in the odm and stiffrWi&maie ~3 bw
mat on tha right8
64 took
ipndOOHOEla(5
JWXXOLA (5ll6)by sely arftmmon
Stiffrclristmea had branset and o;as-
u&t&as hod bean inourred*fmaHuniaaohinsgum, mrtars and anrpll
a-@. The Partisanahad foughtsp1eudicU.y.Fourteenpriaonore
wemt&en. lt'rogrosson the lil,~~~~~~~ slops had arlsobeen m&e.
The battail9online ran roughlyfrom499159to 509167to 317178to
527171to 534166,
(b) 2 &A, 370 Xnferntrg.mmehed a lensfrom 542178to
550170to 570185and began to dig in. YOM wd caoaal&-8 firs
ww bcrgSnnin&to be rectcrfved,poffiaul~lyin th@ vzoinsty cd
573183.
(~1)3 BKL 6 Wantry DtLvloi~n (BJGF) retpehad heavysaacrhine
gun mdnasrtar fire. The e-d&r& fita qqmrting &morw8~
disobkedby mzLn.e.By noon8 the Bras&l&m hpd bmm foreedto drop
breakto theirl$ne of departurefor rrorglrunimt&on,
(d) Over 2uoO roundgof frlendayartill~w~ firrd
durbg this first &-hour periodof the atkck
6. At midnightthe Bohr,lmkahed a ecwhr-attack ragainst
mmwll (5117). So attaakwu in ampmy strmgth and tha Hun
sareimadaishe ohargad. L&m rqmrtarimU&ed that theamBoahe,
mrrabemaof the 13n,lO43 Bfantryof the232 Infantry Dirfsricm
wore inbikd to tkmiranthuaimm by the wall-knownolrptrinStraubr
whosembitlona for promotionrtiPrulakd hZaa %a urge m Na aa
fmm behind with a pirstoland a hand gratwh ‘lb attwk wa@bnhn
up ba rronmntratadfire from mnal3arm and tiprr)rar.Fourtmn Super-
5en were taken prisonere, YIX wara k.Ulmdand ten womdad.
- 23 -
25.
26. Au4 AU8 eocna now, on we artarnonM 26~~1944,eos-
cantrated $500roundsof eorkur.illthe tuwn of CXXBA (5117) in tie
&3j5AAABrl rreator.Partiarnralar,reportedarcmelnuq8aminq ia3
ROWACoRNEti (4917)on 27 W~am&ar ivnd P friaxaQ artilla~ 'SoT
was placed on the town ehieh tara,lnuUd the aetiritg. XV CoPpr
on thie date prwided Tcuk;Fomm 65 with an pddM.onal plateen of
em&m tmkr und Y platoon of light tanb C Bbtterjrof the 434
AA.ABn was alrrodire&ad to proceeda@ remrm Eo the 433 uidi Bn
SOU* OR 29 HOV~W 1%.
11. on the night of 28 UoraaGm- 1944, the amawyl~umhed 0
battalion-rtrengthcountcrr-attrol5.nth* 435 .Mi 3n l**tWo At
the tW the troop of the 435 AU Ik war* r0~ a*pCr;rH aa
fc&lorr:-
'pheemmy lightlyahelledCQROlvwimd Y. BELlWXQ3.Eduring the we
Than at l&&k.* TOT of ZOO rounds w41;8plmad on CCROU. !Bi*
Bollqrad f~fornard strongpoint and wiped out sorar 30 of cur ~anr
The army than &W&ad in two-company strength over the ‘flALI%FKI
ridge into tiw town of CC%ZOgA.At the wit&u*t&m two *olapmi*,r
launched w uttmk on the II, B%VEZDE%BgoiSition8 of B BBLtteZ’y.
BEI4Lttal-y fou@tlmtil la& of ammnition foreedrrwithdrsrrrolto
irnCIaLA & 17ook. C Batteryconttiad to awqa the mglotuntil
29Ol3OAwhen danger of an aneq autnw infiltration required
a wi.&dzwaltcb ,4IERCIU. D Battery acmtinued to lrqqe the en-
emy mtF1 2%lA wlwnhemy ov8ultier (70 killed end airring) md
the dartruotion of three of thati upportimyi tunk8 required thati
ldthdrawalo D B&tory withdrewto VlDICfATICOasA C B&t-,
434 AM Bn was moved to the it?ERCICUfrcmtlbe. The ancq am
gdopd threeMark XV Tank8aad ona rel.f-gwopallad gun in the CoROnA
attad and shmed rammkrbla skill Ln iniiltratjlabbfantqmmtith
fWt~tRW8 (bamekeri) within @lo8a SPaga of OtsTtS@Ik8WhaN
d-0 ecmldba infliot& Dus'i.n&thi8 action there we8 ne eha~X#e
in @ia pO8itioM of 2Bnofthe 370 xnfarltly.
l2. It shouldba noted that durfag tb8 atAre BELVSNRE qm%t-
ticm8,the P4Wti8Wb8foqht rid+ by dde with Qpzlptroop8 and exhibit-
adag;url~oumqijaanddsrtarminatienin (UIIJlnb mxt thclirnki88icm.
‘he operatbm an&$ witb P rtmng, m&al n8peat and ad&ratioa
axi8t%n# between theea ~te&imn rChanta8P8 rurd@Wl-Mm hWi.OM kOC@.
27.
28. 3. &lcJtivequiet&I.80preYidled i.i~tha BkCNI DI Ltb%di and
CUTfCX*I&O- ~;?;-1TaIW$sectors. our JMbtro1rinereaoedin the depth
of theirgsnotrationcinto Bochrarea but few eonteret&waraaada.
Ten enanydeserterrwere piekedup on 7 OecueBer19wC md others
were takenfrom tfraeto time. It appaarodthat thrnmnttitroopa
of 4 Bn of the Meer ;iLpinoI%eg%smnthad mw been replacred,bythe
10-p qualitytroopsof the 232 FuarfZfetrBn of the 232 Infantry
Oiviaiun. &my wants were also ayprehendedfmm tiae to time.
4, The 900 A.&A(Al?)BBS(Mob)wa attachedto the TIpskForce
on 6 December1944. It hadhad seveml week8infantrytzxiningin
the II Corps motor ELndWBY g freshand restedunit. It reliavwi
the 435 ABA Bn in the VI~ICI.HTICO- LIZZUO ma duringthe nfght
s-9 r)rcre0bor1944.Tho435AAA Bn then revertedto FifthArmy eon-
troland left fop a PO& area.
~J?J@&i,A
The 900 AU Bn readilyadapteditselfto the infantryrole.
VIDXCIATXCCLE'Z;lNOand fU&iCCIC uontimmd to be held
in strength.New outp&s*iere lstahli8hedto providem&mum
crossfireand an &&orate eyatmnof aofmwni~tfon~, petitU.ng in-
stant arrll for myporting mortarand artilleryfire was esrtabli~hed,
WI&U= use was mde of Pirrtisanrrand oonfidentreconnais@mcemtrol8
~lij:.~edthroughensmy.uAnefiePlsaad W&W 8I?&&n~~~~t8 to loeah Wuri
outpo%tol, CASAC~ZA (5216)wav alao strongyointed.
6. Activepatrollingby 2 'Bn,370 Safentpywas also continued
Aping this wriod. TWO patrolson ll 1)6mmber1944engagedthe
Boohein the vicinityof 543186and 532i75and killadtwo of them,
Thr Hun mintaimd naoderateertillerysshUJ.ngand intenar ‘to aplod-
erato aorta fire,mrticularlyirkthe vicinityof G~&GICANTIC
WW.
7. Germanattempts tc infiltrarteposition0&out WMGLIANC
(4~06)on 11 &member 1944, were dirrowrred by one of the F&fsan
outpoateat Ch!dOA. Intho emming flm fightthmHtyLeaplOyed
grenader andmachine &stole andatO62OA firedtwo fAmea which
were followedby an enmy TOT of 70 roundsOLICUTIGLIANO.The
Gms thenwithdrew.
8. The Brarilianson 12 December1944mde a furtherattempt
to captureY. iSTELL (5619).&a 2 ArmoredGroup lldiainetmcted
at this time to otagostrongdiveraionutyattacksto rupmrt,thie
effortiundto confusethe Hun. On th@ left of the 900 AA& Bn
se&or a‘rmnorww movedup and ta@ dertroyeraat firstlightbegan
heavilyPrhellingBOCHEeheldROCCS@X&EBB (k91?)and the road lea&-
ing to it fponathe North. At the mme tima a patrolof 1 offi@er
30. 12. During the puriod the Right sscstor ~oiauinedamtiwewith
patrolelaeheoand contiming eridurm of’ emmy aotM.ty. Smrp_
shooU.ng,with tank 4rstropem firingfmm a hill saak n&-h of
'I13WICIliTIQ0,llirsldemloprd at thia tim& %th a 2GpowSr Wop@
cmnstmtly trainedon kcmm pointsof enemyecltivity,the Nun wp
fornedto keep under@overduring~llght houm for a depthof
f%tcrail08 behindhi.8lima.
33. AU armorwas relievedof dire&,attaohmnt to Tmk Farm
45 on 20 Demmber 1944 but the 7SL TankBn (4 Go & 3 Pit, D Co)
with 2 Platoon,d Go, Sg4 Tmk LWtmyrr Bn, atta&od, left in
dir&s mpport of the TWk Form acxdsaintaAnrdall arms in th*
rightsaetor, Two armFed @am of Ren co, 8% Ta& ~rtmy~r Bn
wara also attmhmd to 107 A,U Gr*oupat thip time to au&&sin the
doublerood p&co1 froeaCMFQ TIZPOE (4909)to V~~~~A (SW8).
31. flyerwho hrodfallenfar behindthe Bo8hr Uwr uaa suggled
throughby Partfoanr.
17. On Christmu mornbg P#ia~iY?~wR$led by on iucrrfaansff'fmr,
mmsd in the etlrlyhours d t&e aorniry to posftionr amid !&o&e-
held PIAIW#ATICO(3f308).Afterdireetirgartfflmy fire em&-
rervedsnenlJrpositions,they enteredthe town and engagedth8 Hun.
In the 3CMinute fti~ fightthatfollowed,t&w killedtrrc,af #a
enemy,wou&ed zm undetsrai.nedmmbm @f other@ad cwpturedtire*.
‘They then tithdrewwith two of their@un mm dead a.4 three wsmtsiab
l8. Brigadier GeneralLee S. Cbmw (A8oirtunti.~ividonCar-
mnder of the 85 InfantryDiririoe)arrumed-d of TurkForsA
45 at O4OOAon 27 Dsoe&mr 1944. At the sanm time the 339 RCT
of the 85 Infantry .zivislionwas attashed, fiaving ularsd on tha
..,iiNi'liRCJJ_,J.,Oarea (4201)et 27cxx3k.
19. The Hun sstthistimeu'pia)ottmking dcrm the rs~;~~CHf~ vJ&u!,,x
in the 92 lnfmt~ Ditisionse&or on the right. At the 8-e time
the threatof the rummod Rocrhoholiday effensivain t&r SE§TAXOifE-
CUTZGLUHO aeutorhad not arbotod. NW u&8 the sitwtion on tb*
rightflankin theVIDXCfAT3YXbLIZ%~iNC!area any lrsr deliwt% It
mu jrcmrctfngly&~tur&rmd ncrtto Wt tha 339 RCT bu* kp bold
themin reserve m their fullwei@ rightkm auployed on alth*r
the loft, @enteror ri@? SeOtM, aa the chilngingsituationm$@.rod.
21. fn the EJ&BTIUT LUCCA eectmrdefenrim poritionrlcIsI(I*
veyodon the hi& grmnd sort of the town 6~4 a 8eaonda.x-yposikicm
wkbar~omoitsmd at t&o r%rermrr4w8 in%herioinl~ofCOCCfCLfa
(3300). Dbd.bd g&mm for rrpcrw rmintareiafany of t&m t&w
6uboe&oxw of Task Porrc, 45, in t&e w8at of 6~1 imaineat eutu#’ attMk,
32. 22. Tha 333 RCT al80dlrpatahedan arcrrqpof kn petrelsa dqr
?‘bir not only eonditionodthotroop andutquaintdthearrith~the
torrain,butaddoiltoth*rcr+ttrt*.
