Aachen: The U.S. Army's Battle for Charlemagne's City in World War II (59 page)

25
. Ibid., 225–26.

26
. T/Sgt. Frederick P. Cooper, Interviews with Lt. Col. S. M. Hogan and Maj. William S. Walker, Battle of Aachen, 3rd Battalion 33rd Armored Regiment 3rd Armored Division, 1 December 1944, NA, 2.

27
. T/Sgt. Frederick P. Cooper, Interview with Lt. Norman C. Streit, Company F 2nd Battalion 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, NA, 1.

28
. Lawrence Manley,
F Company's Actions in the Battle of Aachen
, MRC, 3.

29
.
15 TWX, OB West to OKW/WFSt, 1740, 20 October 1944, OB West KTB
, Befehle und Meldungen, McDonald, 315.

30
. Headquarters 3rd Battalion 18th INF, 24 October 1944, 2.

31
. Ibid., 1.

32
. Ibid.

33
. Denkert, MS # A-979, 10.

34
. Hogan Interview, 2.

35
. 26th INF, Report of Regimental Activities for the Month of October 1944, 10.

36
. 1st ID Select Intelligence Reports, 80.

37
. Ibid., 81.

38
.
Evacuation of Citizens from Aachen
, Interview with Maj. J. J. Kohout, Military Government Officer 26th Infantry Regiment, NA, 4.

39
. Ibid., 1–3.

40
.
Right of the Line, A History of the American Field Artillery
, World War II, US Army Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

41
. McDonald, 316.

42
. First US Army G-2 Periodic Report No. 154,
Experiences of Two American Prisoners of War Held in Aachen Germany
, 11 November 1944, NA, 5.

43
. Ibid., 5.

44
. Ibid., 5–6.

45
. Commanding Officer Battle Group Aachen, Select Intelligence Reports, 1st Infantry Division, Annex No.4 to G-2 Periodic Report No. 125, 22 October 1944, NA, 1.

46
. Whitehead, 274.

47
. Surrender of the City of Aachen, Select Intelligence Reports, 1st Infantry Division, Annex No. 4 to G-2 Report No. 125, 22 October 1944, NA, 1–2.

48
. Annex to G-2 Periodic Report No. 134, Auld Lang Syne, NA.

49
. Report of Regimental Activities for the Month of October 1944, 26th INF, 11.

50
. Annex No. 4 to G-2 Report No. 125, 22 October 1944, 1.

51
. Ibid., 3.

52
. Ibid.

Arn, Edward C. and Jerome Mushkat.
Arn's War: Memoirs of a World War II Infantryman, 1940–1946.
Akron, OH: University of Akron Press, 2006.

Balkoski, Joseph.
From Brittany to the Reich: The 29th Division in Germany, September–November 1944.
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2012.

Baumer, Robert W. with Mark J. Reardon.
American Iliad. The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II.
Bedford, PA: Aberjona Press, 2004.

Baumgartner, Lt. John W., 1st Sgt. Al DePoto, Sgt. William Fraccio, and Cpl. Sammy Fuller.
The 16th Infantry, 1861–1946.
DuQuoin, IL: Cricket Press Millennium Edition, 1999.

Blaker, Gordon A.
Iron Knights: The United States 66th Armored Regiment.
Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 1999.

Combat History of the 119th Infantry Regiment.
Bangor, ME: Bangor Community: Digital Commons, 1946.

Guderian, Heinz Gunther.
From Normandy to the Ruhr with the 116th Panzer Division in World War II.
Bedford, PA: Aberjona Press, 2001.

Hewitt, Robert L.
Workhorse on the Western Front: The Story of the 30th Infantry Division.
Washington, D.C.: Infantry Journal Press, 1946.

Kingseed, Cole C.
From Omaha Beach to Dawson's Ridge: The Combat Journal of Captain Joe Dawson.
Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2005.

Knickerbocker, H. R., et. al.
Danger Forward: The Story of the First Division in World War II.
Atlanta: Albert Love Enterprises, 1947.

Lewis, Jon E.
The Mammoth Book of How it Happened: World War II, The Fall of Aachen by George Mucha.
London: Constable & Robinson, 2006.

Lyman, William J. Curlew History,
The Story of the First Battalion 117th Infantry 30th Division in Europe During World War II.
Chapel Hill: The Orange Printshop, 1948.

Marshall, Malcom, et. al.
Proud Americans: Men of the 32nd Field Artillery Battalion in Action, World War II, as part of the 18th Regimental Combat Team, 1st U.S. Infantry Division.
New London, NH: self-published, 1994.

McDonald, Charles B.
The Siegfried Line Campaign: United States Army in World War II.
Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1993.

McManus, John C.
Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, Killing for the Ruins, World War II through Iraq.
New York: Penguin Group USA, 2010.

Mitcham, Samuel W.
The Siegfried Line: The German Defense of the Westwall, September–December 1944.
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2009.

Votaw, John F. and Steven Weingartner.
Blue Spaders: The 26th Infantry Regiment 1917–1967.
Wheaton, IL: Cantigny First Division Foundation, 1996.

Whitehead, Don.
Beachhead Don: Reporting the War from the European Theater: 1941–1945.
New York: Fordham University Press, 2004.

Whitlock, Flint.
The Fighting First: The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day.
Boulder: Westview Press, 2004.

Woolner, Frank.
Spearhead in the West: The Third Armored Division, 1941–1945.
Frankfurt am Main-Schwanheim: F. J. Henrich, 1980. Reprint of 1945 edition.

T
his book took nearly ten years to research and write. During this time there were those who took interest in its development, revisions, and final iterations. Others provided support and encouragement. Here they are, in no particular order of importance.

The late Roger Hilsman, President John F. Kennedy's assistant secretary of state for Far Eastern Affairs in the early 1960s and author of many books, graciously provided valuable assistance in getting my efforts at writing about military history topics to publishers back in the 1990s. While he was too ill to review drafts of this book, to this day I remain exceedingly grateful to Roger for his earlier help in jump-starting my writing career.

It was also my good fortune to have befriended Lt. Col. Mark J. Reardon (Ret.) as the years progressed. Mark, then a senior historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C., coached me to write in a way that put emphasis on unit historical records and personal accounts written during World War II, thus preserving it like it was and allowing the actions of individual officers and soldiers to speak for themselves. He also contributed to this book by providing primary source material, mostly narratives and histories from the German side.

As it was for the first book that I wrote with Mark's help,
American Iliad: The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II
, Andrew Woods's and Eric Gillespie's support at the Cantigny First Infantry Division Museum and McCormick Research Center in Wheaton, Illinois, during the development of this book deserves special mention. I am also sincerely grateful to Mr. Warren Watson for his vast help in allowing me to become more knowledgeable about 30th Infantry Division participants during the battle for Aachen; his website www.oldhickory30th.com contains numerous oral histories, primary source material, maps, and pictures that
helped birth chapters of this book. And I also want to thank two very special people at the National Archives Still Picture Reference Center in College Park, Maryland: Holly Reed and Theresa M. Roy assisted me with genuine kindness and immeasurable patience in retrieving and copying pictures that I hope are helpful for visualizing the Aachen fight.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this book may have never found its way to you were it not for my lifelong friend and cousin Cyrus Clark III and his wife, Judy, of Somers, New York. They provided both encouragement and nudging to knuckle down and write when I needed it most. Judy's late father, Jack Mates, was extremely kind over the years to me. A World War II B-17 pilot, he was instrumental in forming the Distinguished Flying Cross Society after retiring from a successful business career. Words he wrote to me in 2013 when he sent a copy of
On Heroic Wings: Stories of the Distinguished Flying Cross
provided a touching inspiration for me to keep writing about his selfless generation.

Charles Perini and his wife, Nancy, in Mystic, Connecticut, dear friends for many years, were always there when it counted. Charles pushed me as only a true friend can and encouraged me to focus on visualizing and writing this book. How can I ever really thank you, Carlo?

The same for Arnie and Deb Wheaton of Rochester, New York, two people I've been fortunate to know since the 1970s. Arnie took the time to read some excerpts before this book was published, and his genuine eagerness and encouragement deserve special mention. Thank you, Weedo, for your unflagging support.

Others also made a difference with their help during the time this book was being written. Barry Konet of Madison, Connecticut, deserves special mention, as does Paul Braschi of Norwalk, Connecticut. A college fraternity brother, a friend during all the years since, and an immensely successful business and family man, John C. White of Scottsdale, Arizona, was particularly instrumental in making this book possible.

At Stackpole Books, Dave Reisch cast a professional eye in guiding the book from manuscript form to publication. Brittany Stoner was very efficient in overseeing the book's actual production. Wendy Reynolds's work in doing the pagination and final layout of the book is most appreciated. I want to especially thank Ryan Masteller for his work as copy-editor; his task was not easy, but he conducted it with patience and a mind for clarity.

In the midst of the fight to establish a firm bridgehead across the Wurm River north of Aachen on 3 October 1944, Col. Walter M. Johnson of the 117th Infantry was overheard breaking up the tension by needling a writer. “Get that regimental historian up here to the CP,” he shouted loud enough for everyone to let loose with a laugh. “He is supposed to be writing combat history and how can he write it when he is sitting back in the rear?”

Thank you, colonel. Without the narratives written at the time by that Army historian and the many others who chronicled the Aachen fight, it would not have been possible to write this book seventy years later. Nor could American fighting prowess at its best have been read today by those of you who turn the pages of this book.

My most heartfelt thanks to you as well.

Robert W. Baumer
Ormond Beach, Florida

Page numbers in italics indicate maps
.

Aachen

air strikes against,
275
–
276
,
278
–
279
,
285
,
289
–
290

attack plan for,
275
–
278

civilian population of,
240
,
270
–
271
,
276
,
288
,
297
,
355
,
363
–
365

closing gap around,
315
–
343

defense preparations for,
4

evacuation of,
14
–
17
,
19
–
20

German defense forces in,
272
,
349
–
350

importance of capture of,
238
–
239

map of area of,
45

map of attack of,
284

map of encirclement of,
239

panic in,
14
,
17

surrender of,
345
–
371

surrender offer by U.S. forces,
267
–
271

Aachen-Brand road,
50

Aachen gap, closing of,
315
–
343

Aachen-Juelich road,
230

Aachen-Laurensberg road,
359

Aachen-Leige road,
37

Aachen-Settrich road,
209
,
218

Aachen-Weiden road,
238

Aachen-Würselen road,
238
,
283
,
336
,
342

Adams, Maj. Francis W.,
31
–
34
,
91
,
92
,
108

Adolphschacht,
223
–
224

Alsdorf,
199
,
225
–
227
,
232
–
233
,
320

map of area,
317

Am Geisberg,
56
,
57
,
65

Amborst, Capt. Alfred J.,
22
,
48
,
67
,
76
–
77
,
94
–
95

Ammons, Maj. Ben T.,
123
,
127
,
129
,
154
–
155
,
184
–
185
,
189
–
190

Anderson, Capt. Thomas W.,
32
,
49
,
64
,
80
,
92
,
97

Andrus, Gen. Clifton,
292

Appel,
Hauptmann
Hans,
331
–
332

Arn, Lt. Edward C.,
179
,
203
,
214
–
215
,
342

Baran, Lt. Michael,
135
,
157
,
232

Bardenberg,
316
,
318
–
325
,
328
–
329

Battalion Rink,
285
,
297
–
298
,
305
,
312
,
323
,
325
,
328
,
352
–
353
,
359

Bayard, Lt. Henry F.,
214
–
215

Bayer,
Oberst
Johannes,
323
,
325

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation),
287
,
289

Beggendorf,
122
,
135
,
164
,
206
,
209
–
210
,
217
,
220
–
222

Bertelsen, Sgt. Neal M.,
319

Biddle, Col. William S.,
10

Bieber, Sgt. Melvin H.,
327

Big Red One.
See
Divisions (U.S.), 1st Infantry

Billings, Sgt. James A.,
115
–
117
,
148

Birk,
285
,
315
,
316
,
318
,
320

Blanchard, Lt. Col. Elwyn W.,
89
,
108

Boehme, Lt. William,
267
–
269
,
368

Bons, Lt. Ferdinand,
125
,
135
–
137
,
158
–
159
,
173
–
175
,
189
–
190
,
211
–
212

Borton, Lt. Donald A.,
128
–
129
,
136
,
142
–
143
,
147
,
150

Botsford, Lt. Gardner,
363
–
364

Bott, Capt. Seth S.,
281
–
282
,
287
,
290
,
297
–
299
,
304
–
305
,
356

Boudinot, Col. Truman E.,
8
,
44
,
54
,
74
,
105

Brown, Capt. Bobbie E.,
244
–
245
,
249
–
256
,
261

Brown, Lt. Col. Courtney P.,
11
–
12
,
125
–
126
,
166
,
176
–
177
,
180
,
235
,
321
–
322
,
337

Brown, Lt. Heril L.,
10

Burroughs, Lt. Richard S.,
1
,
2

Burt, Capt. James M.,
333
,
335

Cambron, Lt. Joseph W.,
252
–
254

Chaplin, Capt. William F.,
282
,
288
,
290
,
292
,
296
,
297
,
312

civilians

in Aachen,
240
,
270
–
271
,
276
,
288
,
297
,
355
,
363
–
365

sacrifices of,
111

Clisson, Maj. Henry N.,
282
,
289
,
348

Coffman, Capt. Hershel T.,
247
–
248
,
273
,
310

Colton, Lt. Col. Hugh W.,
330

Conley, Lt. George E.,
22
–
23

Corlett, Maj. Gen. Charles H.,
18
,
43
,
112
,
118
,
180
,
329
–
330
,
336

Corley, Lt. Col. John T.,
246
,
259
,
274
–
275
,
279
,
282
,
287
,
290
–
292
,
299
,
304
,
348

Corwell, Capt. Lucien L.,
281
–
282
,
287
,
290
,
297
,
299
,
304
,
348
,
353
,
365

Cox Lt. Col. William,
125
–
126
,
161
,
163
,
200
–
201
,
203
,
213
–
217
,
321
,
336
,
341
–
342

Crucifix Hill,
237
–
238
,
242
,
245
–
246
,
251
–
256
,
260

map of,
243

Culp, Capt. Wayne,
180
–
181
,
186
-
187

Cushing, Lt. James,
200

Cushman, Lt. Robert F.,
115
–
118
,
142
–
143
,
147

Cuther, Capt. Robert R.,
38

Dail, Sgt. George,
150

Daniel, Lt. Col. Derrill M.,
246
,
275
–
277
,
283
,
290
–
291
,
295
–
296
,
305
–
306
,
312
,
346
,
355

Dawson, Capt. Joseph T.,
59
,
60
–
62
,
71
–
72
,
83
–
84
,
298
–
301
,
302
,
308
,
310
–
311

Day, Lt. Eugene A.,
306

Denkert,
Generalleutnant
Walter,
293
,
294
,
303
,
350

Diepenlinchen,
55
–
57
,
75
,
78
,
80
–
82
,
91
–
94

Disney, Col. Paul A.,
132
–
133
,
191

Divisions (German)

3rd Panzer,
293
–
294
,
298

9th Panzer,
3
–
4
,
7
,
27
,
35
–
36
,
51
–
52
,
61
,
68
–
69

12th Infantry,
14
,
39
,
43
–
44
,
62
,
68
–
70
,
109
–
111
,
195
–
196
,
260
,
272
,
274
,
279
–
280
,
293
–
294
,
303
–
304

116th Panzer,
17
,
37
,
52
,
62
,
69
,
112
,
121
,
272
–
273
,
285
,
322
–
323
,
325
,
329
–
335
,
350

183rd
Volksgrenadier
,
42
–
43
,
119
,
121
–
122
,
165
–
166

246th
Volksgrenadier
,
112
–
113
,
240

353rd Infantry,
6
,
10
,
35
,
69

Divisions (U.S.)

1st Infantry,
v
,
17
–
18
,
238
,
281

2nd Armored,
v
,
18
,
41
,
119
,
157
,
172
,
181
,
210
,
218
–
219

3rd Armored,
v
,
7
,
18
,
60
,
89
,
103
–
104
,
312
,
358

29th Infantry,
43
,
132
,
169
,
209

30th Infantry,
v
,
12
–
13
,
18
,
41
,
117
–
119
,
126
,
132
,
167
,
169
–
170
,
210
,
229
,
321
–
322

Doan, Lt. Col. Leander L. (“Chubby”),
7
,
26
-
27
,
29
–
31
,
34
,
56
-
57
,
88

Donnerberg fortress.
See
Hill
287

Drake, Pvt. Glen W.,
115
–
117

Driscoll, Lt. Col. Edmund F.,
17
,
37
,
57
,
84
–
87
,
102
–
103

Duffy, Lt. Emmett R.,
248
,
262
,
301

Eells, Lt. Robert M.,
9
,
24

Eilendorf,
58
,
59
,
111
,
242
,
302
,
306

Eisenhower, Gen. Dwight D.,
v

Engel,
Oberst
Gerhard,
14
,
43
–
44
,
62
–
63
,
68
,
77
,
273
–
274
,
280
,
303
–
304

Evans, Lt. Col. Robert F.,
272

Farwick Park (Aachen),
274
,
276
,
297
–
298
,
312
,
352
–
353

Ferry, Capt. Allen B.,
32
,
49
,
58
,
77
–
79

Finnell, Maj. John W.,
193
,
207
,
220
–
221

Folk, Capt. George D.,
50
,
263
,
266
,
350

Fortune, Sgt. Robert Q.,
339
–
341

Frankland, Lt. Col. Robert E.,
123
–
125
,
127
,
129
,
136
,
156
-
157
,
184
,
219
–
220
,
231

Fuller, Capt. Gilbert H.,
278
,
285

Gans, Col. Edgar A.,
66

Gara, Lt. Col. Bill,
258

Geilenkirchen,
169

German army.
See
Divisions (German)

Getter, Capt. Richard M.,
44
,
95
,
96
,
98
,
104

Gibb, Col. Frederick,
39
,
51
,
52
,
58
,
301
–
302

Green, Maj. Robert E.,
249

Greer, Maj. Howard W.,
204
,
217
,
223
–
225
,
323
–
325
,
334

Griffith, Maj. Harold S.,
316
,
318