Download - 70th Infantry Division Association

ashore. Captain Michaels got in front of everybody and lined up four platoons on the beach. He said
something like "Sergeant, we are all here and we are all accounted for."
They moved us through Marseilles on. the back of semi-trucks, like cattle. It was dark and they took us to
Delta Base Section Command Post No. 2, which if I remember right was called "Lucky Strike". It was
nothing but mud and snow-covered hills with no toilets, only pit latrines and trench latrines, and no
buildings. We pitched pup tents on top of the hill and spent December 16 to December 23 getting ready
for the Front Line.
We took our equipment and detail stripped it. I was in a 60-mm motor section and we were issued
backboards with the intent of strapping the mortar and the base plate on the backboards and carrying that
plus your personal equipment. While we were there, we would adjust, fix, correct, throw away, find new,
change, reorient anything possible to make it easier. We made our bed rolls and were issued gas masks.
Orientation instruction was conducted by company at CP No. 2 to familiarize the men with the strategic
situation on the Western Front. Troops were granted occasional passes for a few hours at a time (always
daylight) in the city of Marseilles. V-Mail stationery was issued and a few consignments of mail from the
States arrived and were distributed. The Retreat Ceremony was conducted nightly in the bivouac.
Company officers stressed military courtesy and discipline in their instructions to the men during this
period.
Weather during the stay in the Marseilles vicinity was rainy and cold and the bivouac area was muddy.
Movement of the 276th Infantry to the combat area began early in the morning of 23 December 1944. The
foot elements were transported in two troop. trains, composed of French freight cars, which left before
noon of 23 December 1944. The first was commanded by Major Theodore R. Mataxis and the second by
Major Robert J. Natzel.
Each of these trains was unloaded at Brumath, France, and the troops marched to Bischwiller, France,
where they were billeted in abandoned factories and public buildings.
Meanwhile, the motor elements of the Regiment began their northward movement from CP No. 2 at 0630
on 24 December 1944. The motor column bivouaced that night in St. Rambert, France, having covered
176 miles. The night of 25 December the bivouac was in Dijon, France, after 167 miles, and on 26
December 1944 the motor elements drove 145 miles, bivouacking in Baccarat, France.
The motor column cleared into its billeting areas in Bischwiller at 1630 on 27 December 1944. after a 113
mile drive the last day.
From 27 December 1944 to noon of 29 December, the 276th Infantry remained in Bischwiller in
TF HERREN reserve. During this period the Regimental strength was 152 officer-s, 5 warrant
officers, and 2805 enlisted men. A total of 219 EM had been transferred as replacements to the
80th Infantry Division. The supply situation was: Rations, 3 days rations; ammunition, basic load;
all unserviceable signal equipment was ordered to repair section the Commanding General; gas
and oil, 1 day supply.
We departed Delta Base Section Command Post No. 2 at 5:00 by rail enroute to a new station.
We marched down the road in the mud and snow to the railway and boarded 48 World War I box
cars. At that time we had no problem with our equipment because it was a short walk, less than a
mile. We got on the 48 box cars and proceeded to move north. The equipment did not seem
cumbersome and we were fully loaded. We had excess ammunition, excess water, excess
everything. We carried brand new equipment, brand new overcoats, brand new shoe packs,
brand new rifles. We were a brand new outfit.
From December 23 to December 25, we moved by rail and we arrived at Bischwiller, France, at
2300 with 190 enlisted men and 6 officers. On Christmas Eve, we were proceeding on the 48 box
cars, each car built to take 40 enlisted men and eight horses. We had a platoon in each box car,