Download - 70th Infantry Division Association

The 1st Battalion attacked and captured Hill 403, but was stopped by heavy artillery fire on reaching the
crest of Hill 358. Later this hill was taken at heavy cost to the battalion. The 2d Battalion was pinned down
by heavy enemy small arms and automatic fire and unable to advance but later was instructed to move
forward in small groups and infiltrate past Hill 403. The 3d Battalion was committed to the 1st Battalion
sector, with the 1st Battalion reverting to regimental reserve.
The 3d Battalion attack was halted at 1845, but the 2d Battalion continued to advance and at 0030 12
January 1945 captured Hill 415. At this point it dug in and there was active patrolling by both battalions
during the night.
On January 11 at Offwiller, France, Marvin Herrick, PFC, went to the hospital. We engaged in a battle
north of Offwiller, France, with no casualties. On January 12, 1945, at Offwiller, we had a Staff Sergeant
missing in action and we dropped him from the rolls. We again engaged in battle north of Offwiller,
France, all day and had no casualties. That was fantastic.
The fourth day of the attack began at 0900 12 January 1945 with the 2d Battalion on the left, 3d Battalion
on the right. Although the 2d Battalion was pinned down by heavy enemy small arms fire, the 3d
Battalion. pushed forward and sent Company L (reserve) to close the gap between battalions and aid the
2d Battalion. During this day only slight progress was made by the regiment as a whole, due to heavy
enemy artillery and small arms fire.
Late in the day, 12 January 1945. a warning order was received that this regiment was to relieve units of
the 157th Infantry and 36th Engineers on 13 January 1945.
The S-1 report of 12 January showed five killed and 75 wounded with 82 casualties. being evacuated.
Replacements needed were listed as nine officers and 288 enlisted men. The supply situation was
normal.
The regiment moved its CP to Woerth, France, 13 January 1945 with the 1st Battalion relieving the 3d
Battalion, 157th Infantry; 2d Battalion relieving the 1st Battalion, 315 th Infantry (attached to 157th Infantry)
and the 3d Battalion relieving the 1st Battalion, 36th Engineers.
In the new position the 276th Infantry's left flank was at Jaegerthal and its right at Lembach. Its mission
was to deny the area to the enemy.
January 13 at Mattstall, France, we had quite a few casualties. We had some guys transferred to the 21st
General Hospital. We departed approximately 5 miles north of Offwiller, France, at 1400 and arrived at
Mattstall, France, at 1600. We covered approximately 30 miles getting there. My particular Sergeant, a
Staff Sergeant by the name of Robert G. Ginthner, was slightly wounded on January 13. The day he got
wounded we were in a wooded area on top of the reverse side of a hill. We had three 60 mm guns set up
to fire in unison for the protection cf the front line troops, a main line of resistance.
I remember the artillery shells were falling quite heavily in a very wooded area. I'll never forget how those
shells kicked up a herd of deer, scared to death, and they ran wild through our company. Those deer
jumped over men; they zigged and they zagged, and they were fast. The deer were jumping and running
and the men were yelling "look out, here come the deer" as they tried to get away from them. But, we all
knew better than to stand up because the Germans were shooting. The deer finally ran towards the Germans
as the Germans were shooting 88s in a barrage. It was really something. Not one American was
hurt by those deer; they never stepped on a man. We could hardly believe it.
It was in this barrage that my Staff Sgt. and Section Sgt. were slightly wounded. He received a shell
shock hit, which meant that the shell went off and gave him a concussion. I was on a patrol to the rear of
the lines bringing up mortar shells. I had taken a squad. In a squad of one 60 mm gun you have a gunner,
assistant gunner and three ammunition bearers. The ammunition bearers are there for the sole purpose
of carrying ammunition from the ammunition dump to the guns while you are firing. They are constantly