Spring, 1987 - 70th Infantry Division Association

1945
continued
was without hostile action. Also " Jig Company"
was organized. There were 150 replacements
for the Regiment being held in the rear
by order of the Division Commander, not to be
committed except in case of emergency. The
274th's situation having become critical, the
150 men were organized as Jig Company,
equipped and sent under command of S-4 Capt.
Underwood to take over the securing of Pfaffenberg
hill and relieve the force on duty there.
" Snow, Ridges and * Pillboxes": During Jig
Company's organization staging, one of the
recruits was heard to ask as he was handed an
M-1, bandolier of ammunition and several
hand grenades: "Say, aren't we going to get
any more infantry training" The response to
the question went unrecorded.
In the 275th sector * there was intermittent
incoming artillery fire all night and through the
day. Shortly before dawn a jeep driver en route
to 1st Bn CP was killed and his jeep blown up
by an enemy patrol. Co. I detected a 15-man
enemy patrol and killed five, dispersing the
rest. In the only offensive action of the day , the
1st and 2nd battalions made a late-afternoon
attack, pushing 200-300 yards into the NE
comer of the Stiftswald and taking a key terrain
feature previously affording the enemy a position
from which to harass frontal positions and
through which enemy armor had launched attacks.
On Feb. 26 the enemy launched another
counterattack. This was the final blow in the
series to reestablish a position on the high
ground that had been wrested from him in the
Trailblazers' offensive when the 274th and
275th took their final objective. The German
attack started well before dawn, and the
Kreutzberg Ridge, where the 274th 2nd Battalion
defended it, was the objective. The Battalion's
position was strong, but the enemy
assault groups penetrated it by working up
wooded draws to get behind Cos. E and F.
Maj . Buford Boyd, the Battalion Commander,
had anticipated the possibility of such
penetrations. He contacted Col. Conley, furiously
urging that the Battalion be allowed to
withdraw to a series of trenches, part of the
Siegfried outer defenses. Conley quickly concurred.
The withdrawal was made, but not
without some difficulties and casualties. After
a series of German attacks on the new position
was thrown back, the enemy withdrew and dug
in on the lower slopes of Kreutzberg Ridge.
At 2:50 p.m., while the German attacks
MOVE UP! MOVE UP!
... A platoon sergeant of Co. I 276th
hustles his men around a contested cor~
ner in Grossb!iederstroff, Germany,
after the Saar R1ver crossing. Notice the
shell pocks in the wall and the bullet
holes through the street sign above his
head. (US Army photo)
continued, Col. Townsend, the G-3, called his
staff from the 274th CP and noted that he had
instructed the 274th CO to pull his troops back
to ground of his own choosing to stop further
penetration.
He also noted that an enemy unit in the attack
had been identified as the II 25th Infantry. This
was a second regiment of 559th VG Division,
the first, the 1126th, having been committed
two days before. Col. Townsend learned from
his staff officer, Maj. Bremer, that he had
passed Gen. Barnett' s order to the 276th Infantry
to alert its Co. E and Co. H to be prepared to
move by truck to reinforce the 274th if ordered
by the CG. It was clear that the enemy counterattack
was causing deep concern. However, it
appears that it never became necessary to move
in these reinforcements, the 274th having managed
on its own.
The last two days * of February were uneventful.
The enemy had spent his strength,
and the Trailblazer Division had a few days to
contemplate its next objectives-the final
1 662 CaSUaltieS mopping-up of Forbach, the taking of Stiring-
' • • • Wendell, and then the main positions in the
the price iS DOt Cheap SiegfriedLine. Inthelldaysofitsoffensive,it
had penetrated the primary defenses of the
enemy in front of the Siegfried Line and had
12
established a foothold on German soil. More
than 1800 prisoners had been taken. The Division's
casualties totaled 1662, of which 207
had been killed and 231 were missing-the
price had not been cheap.
Incredible as it seems, no official
Army source can produce a list of 70th
men who were awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross! If anyone can
just send in a name or names, their
citations can then be traced. This information
is sought to provide the new 70th
Division with its own traditions and
pride. Send any information to the editor.
Seven Trailblazers have been identified
as DSC winners. Col. Samuel
"Shootin' Sam" Conley, HQ/274, Feb.
15, 1945; Sgt George Lehman, E/274,
Feb. 19; Pfc Gerald Soper, F/274,
killed in action Jan. 6; Lt Edward
Crowson, K/274, Mar. 20; Pvt Sampson
Stephens, A or C/275, Feb. 22;
Capt (later Maj) Donald Pence, B/275,
Feb. 5 , and Lt. Claude Haefner,
/276.
70th Division Assn TRAILBLAZER