Download - 70th Infantry Division Association

This was the first and last attempt of the enemy to regain by storm the prize taken by the Bloody Axe. The
swastika had been hoisted over the tower nearly five years before.
But throughout the night of 19-20 February the enemy placed intense mortar and artillery fire on the
castle and on all positions of the 276th overlooking Forbach.
During the day of 20 February the fierce resistance continued. Attempts of the assaulting battalions to
break through into the city were stopped by heavy small arms, automatic weapons, mortar and artillery
fire. Our Infantry-Tank teams could not maneuver sufficiently to break up this opposition.
Late in the afternoon the Third Battalion was maneuvering into the First Battalion area to assist in
breaking up the small arms and automatic weapons fire holding up the advance.
The Second Battalion, less G Company and elements of H, had' been released by Division, and F
Company now was being employed around our right flank, while the remainder of the First Battalion
contained the enemy to the front.
Casualties for the period ending 1800 20 February were three killed and 63 wounded. There were also 16
sick evacuated. Prisoners captured totaled 33.
On 21 February the enemy, continuing a strong and determined defense of Forbach, brought in as
reinforcements the First and Second Battalions of the 860th Regiment and the 14 th Company of the
860th, a total of approximately 300 troops. Again on this day the backbone of the defense was heavy
mortar and artillery fire, supplemented with small arms and automatic weapons. The enemy had not yet
made use of air or armor.
The First Battalion with F Company attached and the Third Battalion with E Company attached pushed
into the city during the day and slowly but methodically cleared the southeast part of town. Because the
enemy was defending with snipers and small groups of riflemen and automatic weapons units at strong
points, it was a building-to-building task. For control and artillery and mortar fire direction purposes the
city was divided into lettered and numbered zones.
The steady advance from block to block was continuing at dark and the day's progress had brought the
biggest bag of prisoners yet--100. Our losses for the period were 11 killed and 53 wounded. Eight sick
also were evacuated.
To facilitate the attack, the forward DP of E and C rations had been moved by S-4 from Bening to Folkling
and emergency ammunition and gas DP was operating at Gaubivingen.
Weather conditions throughout the attack had been generally good. Although there were early morning
fogs at the outset, the days were for the most part fair and the temperature above freezing. The roads
were still muddy from previous days of melting snow and rain, but their condition improving slightly with
the sunshine.
The night of 21 February was devoted to defending the gains made in the city. With the dawn of 22
February the struggle was resumed for possession of Forbach, the enemy resisting more stubbornly than
ever. The slow and painful house-to-house advance was continued with the Third Battalion on the left and
the First Battalion on the right. Resistance within the city was still composed of scattered strong points,
mostly in basements which served as pillboxes. Troops manning these strong points seldom gave up until
they were almost completely surrounded. Heavy fire from artillery and mortars continued to fall in the
sections of the city occupied by our troops. The artillery included 88's, 105's and some of even larger
caliber. The defenders also used some assault guns and the small arms, automatic weapons and bazooka
fire was almost continuous.
The Bloody Axe continued to hack its way through this opposition throughout the day and by nightfall had
reached the railroad tracks cutting through the city in a northeasterly-southwesterly direction.