THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE

The Battle of the Bulge was just a gesture, a magnificent and costly gesture, but hopeless from the start. Many pseudo authorities have made much of this drive and some have been critical of the troop disposition of the United States, but our army was spread very thinly across the front at the time and a strong drive could get through almost anywhere. After it got through, though, it was in trouble. With the First and Ninth Armies on his right flank, and the Third Army on his left flank, von Rundstedt had stuck his head into a noose. He was lucky to get back at all, but was aided by the deep snow in the Ardennes mountains and the poor air visibility.

The 329th was relieved from its Ruhr river sector on December twenty-third and moved to the vicinity of Aachen, Germany, in reserve. This was not for long. On Christmas night it moved sixty-five miles and closed in assembly areas near Havelange, Belgium, across von Rundstedt's path to Liege. The 2nd Armored Division had pretty well blunted the point of the German drive; our mission was to keep it blunted. Our 3rd Battalion assisted the 2nd Armored in capturing Humain, and then took over defense of the town. The 2nd Battalion occupied the town of Buissonville. The 1st Battalion started a movement toward Rochefort which was reported occupied by German armor.

The battle for Rochefort is something of a classic. The town is almost surrounded by the L'Homme river. On the morning of the attack a heavy fog lay on the river. There was only one bridge and it was heavily guarded. "B" Company, the advance guard, saw that the river although wide -- was not deep and, finding a shallow place, waded across under cover of the fog. The German armored battalion that was in the town hardly expected that the river would be waded in the subfreezing weather, and did not know "B" Company was crossing until the G.I.'s appeared in the streets; then all hell broke loose. We could hear firing but couldn't get any more men across as the Germans were now thoroughly alert. All day there was intermittent firing but no information came out. "B" Company's walkie-talkie was too weak to hear -- possibly from getting wet in the crossing.

The next morning our 322nd Field Artillery put a thick smoke screen on the town, in the hope that those left could use its cover to get back across the river. Nothing happened. Division Headquarter was then notified that all the men of "B" Company had undoubtedly been captured.

The following morning civilians were seen on the streets of Rochefort and soon "B" Company came marching out across the bridge. When met at the bridge Captain Hill explained what had happened. There had been a German armored battalion in the town. When they woke up to the fact that "B" Company was in the town they attempted to destroy it as far as their limited maneuverability would allow. The streets were too narrow for much maneuvering, and their guns couldn't be elevated enough to fire above the first stories of the buildings. "B" Company's men took refuge in the upper stories and repelled any attempts to climb the stairs, using grenades and rifles. After two days the Germans had given it up as a bad job, and had moved out of the town to the east. When Captain Hill was asked by the RCO why they hadn't come out under the smoke screen, he answered, "Do you remember telling the company commanders, in a conference, that if any of us ever gave up an objective without your permission you would relieve us of command?"

Von Rundstedt's drive ended here, and he started back toward the Rhine. The 329th was relieved by a British brigade and was ordered to assist the 3rd Armored Division in the attempt to cut von Rundstedt's force in two at the Langlir river crossing. The regiment was ready to leave shortly after daylight, but the British didn't see it that way. The Brigadier, although assured that the Germans were all gone, must make a reconnaissance before the 329th could be relieved. This reconnaissance lasted until 4:00 P.M., and was followed by an invitation to have tea in the Brigadier's trailer. The British know how to fight a war but it wasn't appreciated at the time; we lost one important day in the pursuit.

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