by Griff Hosker
As I stood next to the wall to look through my glasses I felt the building begin to vibrate. A brick tumbled from the wall. The tank might end up destroying us just by passing by! Without turning I said, “When the tank is below us we light the wicks and then throw them onto the tank. If you get it through an open hatch, you win a cigar! There are infantry behind the tank so as soon as you have thrown your bomb then head back down to the ground. We leave by the back and head for the river. With luck they won’t catch us!”
“That isn’t very reassuring, sir.”
Gordy said, “Well Corporal Cooper, in our line of work that is as good as it gets! Ready sir.”
“Right, sergeant, you do the honours with the lighter. I will use the Mauser. Wait for my command.” We had eight bombs and two oil lamps. I almost laughed. The King Tiger was one of the most sophisticated weapons I had ever seen and we were going to attack it with one of the most primitive.
The vibrations were becoming alarmingly violent the closer the tank came and more bricks fell from the building. I hoped the Germans would not look up. I glanced over and saw that the tank was just forty yards away.
“Gordy, ready!”
“Sir!”
I glanced over again. The tank was now just twenty yards away. “Light ‘em and throw them!”
I had a grenade ready. I did not want to throw it for the commander was leaning out of his tank. If one of my men got lucky then the tank could be destroyed. I could not resist looking at the bombs as they hit. They were spectacular. Flames shot up. I saw the S.S. commander look up and then an oil lamp hit him full in the face. He fell into the tank but his overalls, probably already oil soaked, were on fire. I dropped the hand grenade and then began to fire the Mauser. The flames leapt so high that they singed my eyebrows. Then there was an almighty explosion. I was knocked from my feet. Even worse was the gable end which teetered towards me and then, mercifully, fell into the street landing on the tank and some of the Panzer Grenadiers. I felt the whole house lurch. When I glanced around I saw that my men had obeyed me and were scurrying down the rabbit hole. I found it hard to keep my feet as the building was falling down even as I ran. Suddenly a huge hole opened up before me and I could not stop myself. I fell through. I expected a shuddering bone breaking landing but I fell onto abed. I was winded but otherwise alright. Above me was sky. When I reached the door a surprised Corporal Cooper shook his head in disbelief.
As we ran down the stairs I took another hand grenade. As Corporal Cooper ran through the back of the house I threw the grenade towards the front door and followed him. I was half way down the garden when the grenade went off. The screams told me that I had caught Germans on their way in. When I reached the back wall I vaulted it and followed my men as we ran down the track towards the river.
There was no pursuit. We ran until we reached the bridge and a surprised Sergeant Major O’Rourke looked at us in disbelief. “We heard an explosion. What the hell happened Major?”
Corporal Cooper laughed, “We just destroyed a Tiger tank with gas and wine bottles! The Major here is like Superman. He can fly!”
“Before we get carried away, Corporal, we had better prepare for action. Those Germans will be down here soon enough. Ready to repel boarders Sergeant Major?”
“Of course sir! It’s time we did our bit too!”
I sat down and drank some water. I felt a little dizzy. Perhaps Hewitt had been right. He saw my reaction and came over. “Let me take another look at your head, Major.”
“I am just a little tired, Hewitt.”
“Major, let him look at you, please, sir. Humour us.”
Hewitt took off my cap and took the medical kit out. He washed my head again and then dabbed something on it which stung. “I am going to have to stitch this, sir. It will just be a couple but there is a flap of skin hanging loose and you keep undoing my work.”
“Just do it then.” I could hardly keep my eyes open. “If I have a lie down can you still do it?”
“Of course, sir. Lie on your left side.”
Sergeant Major O’Rourke looked around and then took out a hip flask. “Here sir, have a nip of this. It will help.”
“What is it Sergeant Major?”
“Something we make back home in West Virginia. We call it White Lightning.”
I took a swallow. It felt smooth for a second and then the heat kicked in. It tasted like raw alcohol. “That has some kick.”
He took the flask from me. “That’s enough now sir.”
Hewitt said, “Here Sergeant Major.” He took the flask and poured a little on his needle and the wound. It stung!
I lay on my left side and was soon asleep. I don’t know if it was the dizziness or alcohol which did it. When I awoke it was late afternoon and my head stung a little. Gordy was sat nearby talking with Sergeant Major O’Rourke. “Sleeping Beauty awakes. Alright now sir?”
“Yes Sergeant. How long was I out?”
“Forty minutes sir. Hewitt wanted you to sleep longer.”
“No time for that. What is the state of play.”
He pointed up the road to the square. “Jerry headed back along the Trois Ponts road. He didn’t bother coming here. We sent a messenger to Colonel Devine and there are men coming the way that we did.” Even as he spoke a column of men arrived.
Lieutenant Weltzer saluted, “Colonel’s compliments, Major Harsker, Where do you want us?”
I struggled to my feet.
“Steady Major.”
“Are you okay sir?”
“Fine, Lieutenant. I just stood too quickly. Have you a sergeant and ten men who can hold this position?”
“Yes sir.”
“Then have them relieve the Sergeant Major’s men. We have sat on our backsides long enough. It is time to get back into this war. You have five minutes, gentlemen.” I saw Hewitt looking at me. “If that is alright with you, doctor?”
“It should be but I will be happier when the Colonel and the rest arrive. I would like a proper doctor to have a look at it too.”
“Gordy, take Corporal Cooper and Morrison. Go and have a look see at the German positions. I intend to flank the men who are holding up the Colonel. Just make sure that the men on the Trois Ponts road can’t attack us.”
“Righto sir.” He leaned forward, “John’s right, sir. Don’t overdo it. Your head is a right mess. Your young lady will not be pleased!”
“Thank you Mother!”
As he headed up the road I check the German machine pistol. I would soon need some more ammunition. With luck I would get some from the Germans we were about to attack. I checked that I had grenades. I had my last two Mills bombs and two German grenades. The Americans were almost out of them too which meant we would have to get them from Jerry until the relief came.
Lieutenant Weltzer saluted, “Ready sir.”
“What news of the relief, Lieutenant?”
“The 82nd Airborne are heading down from Huy but the roads are all jammed up with traffic.”
“I guessed as much. I think it has hurt the Germans as much as us. Their tanks are open country tanks. There are too many trees around here. Still they have done well to advance as far as they have. The weather has helped them. There will be a window and when the air force gets up we will have a better picture of the offensive and we should be able to stop them.”
“The Sergeant Major says you stopped a Tiger with petrol bombs.”
I nodded, “It is the first time I have used them and we were lucky that we were able to get above them. Like I said they are not meant for streets and narrow roads.”
Sergeant Major O’Rourke appeared. “Ready sir. We have thirty men. They mainly have rifles.”
I pointed up the street. “We are heading up there. Sergeant Barker will have scouted out the enemy. We hit them hard and fast, Make them think we are a brigade. We only have one shot at this. As soon as it is night they will counter attack. Let’s go!” I suddenly remembered the German officer. “Oh by the way Lieut
enant in the end house there is a German officer. He is bound. Better have your men bring him here eh? I think he has been tied up long enough.”
“Yes sir.” The Lieutenant gave his orders and then followed me.
I held my MP 34 across my chest. I could still taste the alcohol on my lips. I should have had a coffee before I left but I knew that we had to strike quickly. It had been a long day. December meant that the nights were longer than the days but this one felt like it had lasted forever. We passed the bodies of Miller and Dexter. They were a stark reminder that we played for keeps here.
Corporal Cooper waved us to our feet. “Sir, Sarge says to wait here. He is finding us a way through the rubble.”
A moment later he returned. “Sir, there is a way through the rubble. Jerry is five hundred yards that way. I reckon there are only a hundred or so left but they have heavy weapons and they are dug in.” He pointed to the Abbey. “They have men in there too sir.”
“How about the square? Any Germans?”
“Not living sir.”
“Then you and Sergeant Major O’Rourke take his men and use that side of the square to enfilade the men in the Abbey. You should be able to find weapons and ammo among the dead. Take Hewitt with you. I will stay with the Lieutenant here.”
I saw a frown on Sergeant Barker’s face. His eyes flickered to the young Lieutenant. “With respect sir, you need either me or the Sergeant Major with you.”
I lowered my voice, “We all have to learn, Gordy. I need my best men on that side. You can see that. It will be hard to winkle them out of the Abbey.”
“Sir.”
“Watch out for the Germans on the Trois Ponts road. The light is fading but they may still try to take pot shots at you.”
I watched anxiously as the two men led the ridiculously small number of Americans across the square. “Right Lieutenant, have your men follow me. When I wave my arm clockwise they are to spread into a line and open fire.”
“Sir.”
I could hear sporadic gunfire. The Colonel and his men had been chipping away at the German defences all day. Ammunition would be in short supply for both sides. Ominously I could no longer hear the Sherman. I headed along the edge of the wrecked building. The rubble from the fallen gable end had covered the Tiger which was a blackened wreck. The heat had burned away any snow. When night fell it would freeze and the Tiger would become a frozen tomb of fried flesh. There were limbs peeping out of the rubble. Once we had crossed the obstacle I saw, ahead, the white camouflage capes interspersed with black S.S. uniforms. They were four hundred yards from us. It was too far for us to make an effective attack. I headed across the back yard of the wrecked house we had used and clambered over the fence at the back. Here there was still snow. I turned left and went up the track. It brought us to within two hundred yards of the Germans. Crouching I moved closer.
They were now close enough. I raised my hand and men appeared on either side of me. “Hit them and hit them hard!” I ran forward. I knew we would be seen but the closer we could be before we opened fire the more casualties we could cause. I was a hundred and twenty yards away when they saw us emerging from the gloom. As soon as I saw a face turn I fired a burst. The effect was devastating. Lieutenant Weltzer and his men did all that I had asked of them. They fired and ran. They were fearless despite the fact that the Germans ahead of us outnumbered us. I kept moving and firing. A stationary target was a dead man. I heard firing from my right Sergeant Barker was in action.
When I was forty yards from the Germans I took out a grenade and hurled it. “Grenade! Hit the deck.”
Even as we all dived one of the Lieutenant’s men was hit as the Germans recovered from our initial onslaught. The grenade swept through the ones who were standing to face us. I stood and emptied the MP 34 before reloading. We had hit them on their right flank. With Gordy and the Americans hitting their left flank the ones in the centre were, effectively surrounded.
I heard a German officer shout, “Fall back! Fall back!”
“Pour it into them, boys!” Lieutenant Weltzer had the joy of battle in him. As we ran forward, firing, some of his men paid the price. We were not fighting novices. These were S.S. Panzer Grenadiers. They were German elite.
I knelt and sprayed the whole magazine at the Germans who were a hundred yards from me. When that was empty I drew my Luger and emptied that magazine too. With fire on both sides we were creating a maelstrom of metal through which they had to run. It is hard to fire when you are running; even so bullets zipped over our heads and I heard another cavalryman fall. I heard the sound of American halftracks as the Colonel led the rest of his men to batter their way through the barricades the Germans had erected.
I put another magazine in the MP 34. “Lieutenant see to your wounded.”
He grinned, “Yes sir! That was some charge.” Just then a German who been playing dead half rose and shot the Lieutenant in the back. I was twenty feet away and the MP 34 made the German’s body jerk like a demented puppet. I ran to the Lieutenant. His glazed eyes told me he was dead.
His sergeant ran up. He kicked the dead German in the head, “Bastard!”
“Sergeant, make sure that there are no more Germans playing dead.” I then shouted in German, “If you wish to surrender then put up your hands.”
There was silence. I walked over to the German I had shot and picked up his MP 34. I gave it to the sergeant. “Anyone you think is playing dead, shoot them.”
Just then a figure ten feet away rose and ran. The sergeant cut him down, “Sneaky eh sir?”
“And then some.”
I walked over the defences. I picked up a couple of spare magazines for my gun but the Germans appeared to have been almost out of ammunition. It explained why they ran and did not fight. I saw that we had slain about fifty of them. More than that had escaped to join the defences on the Trois Ponts road.
The Colonel’s halftrack pulled up next to me. He looked down at Lieutenant Weltzer, “Damn! That boy had potential. What a waste.”
“And he had guts, sir. He did well.” I pointed to the bodies of his men who were being laid in a line by the rest of the platoon. “They all did.”
“Sergeant Major O’Rourke?”
“He and Sergeant Barker are on the other flank. What happened to the Sherman, sir?”
“Panzerfaust. That is the last of our armour. More men have joined us and the road to Malmedy is in our hands but reinforcements and supplies are held up by the weather. There are German paratroopers behind the lines and they are causing all hell.”
I nodded, “It is the sort of thing we do. A few determined men who can live off the land can block an entire army.” I jerked my thumb behind me. “There are King Tigers that way. We stopped one. Jerry is dug in at the crossroads. We hold the bridge. If we have explosives then we can blow it and stop them sending reinforcements this way.”
“We will have to leave it open, Tom. St. Vith has finally fallen. The 7th and 9th Armoured are going to be coming up that road along with the remnants of the 422nd and 433rd Regiments. We need every soldier and tank we can get.”
I nodded, “Then we had better beef up the bridge defences sir. I left just a handful of Lieutenant Weltzer’s men there.” I pointed behind me. “A few hundred yards up there is the main square. It is far enough from the Trois Ponts crossroads to be safe from fire and we can make it defensible. It controls the road to the bridge.”
I saw Sergeant Barker, Corporal Hewitt, Sergeant Major O’Rourke and Corporal Cooper heading for us. Morrison must have bought it. The Colonel said, “I want to thank you, Tom. I am not certain where we would have been without your knowledge.”
“It was your men who did all this Colonel. They are fast learners. Don’t forget we have been fighting Nazis for five years.”
Once we had rearmed we headed for the square. We had no time to bury the dead. We covered them with their blankets and left them where they lay. We cleared the barricades so that the reinforcements we expect
ed could reach us. The men were all exhausted. I had no idea what kept them going. They had fought all day with little food. The Colonel, however, was a bundle of energy. He organised his cooks to get a rudimentary kitchen going and he had Captain Dekker use the soldiers who had been in reserve as sentries. We reinforced the bridge with slightly fresher troops and made ourselves as comfortable as one can when you are sleeping less than a mile from German S.S.
I sat with the Colonel and his handful of officers. We had been joined by elements of the 422nd and 433rd as well as a rag tag of refugees who had managed to escape captivity. We sat around a brazier as, once again, snow fell. Sergeant Barker and Corporal Hewitt were with Sergeant Major O’Rourke and the NCO’s.
Captain Dekker asked the question which was on everyone’s lips. “And tomorrow sir, what then? Hold, retreat or attack?”
The Colonel smiled, “Son, we are cavalry. We attack when we can. However, unless we get tanks or artillery then we sit here and stop them reinforcing their front. The All American Airborne division is on their way. They are tough soldiers.”
I nodded, “Sadly sir, they lack armour. Unless we get a lot more armour we are in trouble. It took three Shermans to defeat one Panther.”
“Technically, Major Harsker the Panther and the King Tiger were down to you and the men I loaned you.”
“We were lucky. We can destroy individual tanks but not a larger number.”
Captain Macmillan had recently arrived from St. Vith. “The Major is right sir. They used just six of those big German tanks to finally take St. Vith. If the roads hadn’t been so crowded then they would be up our ass right now!”
“What is their weakness Major Harsker?”
“Fuel and a shot at their rear.” I pointed to the burned out King Tiger. “Go and check that one out sir. She may be burned but if Jerry started dropping bombs I would high tail it in there! It would take a helluva big bomb to hurt it. You can damage their tracks but you have to get close to them and they have Panzer Grenadiers. Hitler has sent in his very best troops. These aren’t garrison troops. This is the best that the Germans have left. They have S.S. and Paratroopers; they don’t come any more elite than those units. He is gambling and gambling big.”