INTERVIEW
HOWARD C. HUXTELL
1st. Lt., Cav.
1st Platoon Leader. 18th Tk Bn
Co. A - Tabasco
Part 4
Our stay in Schelberg lasted for eight days. During this time the tanks left the area for one day to lay a barrage of indirect fire. No counter battery was received. We were relieved by C Company.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb 27th the company commander, Capt. Brendengen informed the platoon leaders and tank commanders that we were to pull out at 1600. As chow was being served at approximately 1500 orders came down that we were moving out immediately. Although the men were hungry after doing a days work, chow was disregarded. Within fifteen minutes the men had their tanks completely stowed and ready for the road march.
The convoy was given A-1 priority, the first platoon left the convoy as advance guard for CCA. The remaining platoons followed "A" and "B" company of the 7th AIB. One platoon of "A" company of the 7th AIB, accompanied our 1st platoon, plus a platoon of reconnaissance and one platoon of engineers.
After riding for approximately twenty miles we came to a halt. Platoon leaders assembled their tank commanders and passed on information that had been given to them by the commanding officer, regarding our immediate objective. The tank commanders alerted their crews who in turn rechecked their cannons, weapons and other essential items.
At this halt S/Sgt. Gray of the 3d platoon and Sgt. McDermott of the 1st platoon, reported to their platoon leaders that they were short a few men. Actions were started, but they were not fulfilled. The convoy on its way once again, was passing thru a bombed and shattered town when suddenly before us appeared a pontoon bridge spanning the Roer River. As the convoy proceeded on the east side of the Roer a few Jerry planes attempted to strafe the column. Immediately the AAA boys moved into action. The sky was alighted by the beautiful pattern of tracers and ack ack. The Jerrys did not complete their mission but pilled off and never returned. The convoy successfully crossed the river and after riding for a few miles once again came to a halt, due to a road block which had stopped the advanced guard.
This halt allowed the necessary transfers. The 3d Platoon received two men from Hdqs section, and one man from the 2d platoon went to the 1st platoon.
While the engineers were removing the road block the 1st platoon moved to both flanks to protect the engineers from enemy small arms fire. After a hard and bitter struggle the road block was cleared and again the convoy moved on to the first objective which was the town of Merbeck, Germany. As the tanks advanced toward the town the first and second platoon assaulted the left flank side of town and the third platoon flanked the right side.
It was very misty and the visibility was very poor when the tanks commenced to fire on the town. Within fifteen minutes the town was blazing. The 1st platoon proceeded to advance toward the east side of town, the 2nd took the left flank of town with little opposition. German bazooka men came out to surrender, Sgt. Labasik motioned them to the rear where the infantry was waiting. They were to follow the tanks for support.
Lt. Cox 3d platoon leader remained on the road about 200 yards from the town, to act as the rear guard and to give the 1st platoon a base of fire. While this action was taking place Pfc Perry A Morris bow gunner in Lt. Hextell's tank, leaned back inside the turret to notify the gunner Cpl Fred W. Juhl of a target. In the meantime Cpl Julh had spotted a target to his left and traversed the turret in that direction. Pfc Morris did not have time to pull forward and was killed instantly by the turret basket. Resistance quickly vanished and the attached infantry followed closely behind to mop up. All three platoons then took up defensive positions on both flanks on the eastern part of town to guard against counter attacks. While they held these positions they finally refueled, ate their first meal in twenty four hours consisting of "C" rations and re-stowed ammunition. During this time the enemy laid down a very heavy concentrated artillery barrage. The men standing around their tanks were started and jumped into their tanks for cover from direct hits or air bursts.
About 1300 Capt. Brendengen assembled the company and gave them instructions as to their next objective which was the town called Tetelrath, approximately 1000 yards away. The company was about to pull out when an engineer officer asked Sgt. Jones commanding TK to take him up the road and destroy a road block. Sgt. Jones complied, and as he moved up the road a little ways hit a mine blowing his track and became a road block himself. Infantrymen reported German bazooka men in a pillbox on the left side of town and needed the help of a tank. S/Sgt. Hansen followed the doughs in a peep down the road as far as possible. S/Sgt. Hansen sighted the pill box and gave Cpl. Bradley, gunner, the firing order. The pill box was demolished.
In the meantime the 2d platoon by passed Tk #5 which was being removed by the maintenance crew and drove on the next objective. As Tk #14 passed Tk #5 on the right hit a land mine causing a fire, and later exploding the ammunition. The crew luckily escaped any injuries and started working their way to the rear despite heavy artillery, mortar and sniper fire. Tec 4 Lastic, driver of the tank, ran across a wounded doughboy in a fox hole and applied first aid. He soon notified Sgt. Beauregard, commander of Tk #12, the location of the wounded doughboy. When Sgt. Beauregard found the doughboy, he dismounted from his tank and helped the infantryman onto his tank and evacuated him to the first aid station.
The 2d platoon led the attack on Tetelrath supported by the remaining tanks of the 3d platoon and attached artillery and infantry. As the tanks entered the town the supporting infantry were not there for some unknown reason. They approached the town in column all guns blazing. About twenty five yards after Lt. Wilson commanding Tk #6 passed the crossed road it was hit several times by a bazooka which all glanced off. At this time Lt. Wilson ordered Sgt. Labasik commanding Tk #7 to take the left fork of the crossroad and to fire into all possible targets. Sgt Pearson commanding Tk #8 headed for the center of Tetelrath, but was stopped by a direct bazooka hit on the right side of the turrent, causing three casualties, one of them being fatal. The crew abandoned the tank and took cover in a nearby ditch. Sgt. Floyd T. Pearson and Pfc. Richard E Franz were hospitalized after they gradually crawled to the rear and safety with two other members of the crew. Cpl. John A. Bange, gunner whose arm was shattered at the shoulder and hanging down by the flesh could not move due to loss of blood. His condition was reported to the Medics but they were pinned down by enemy fire and could not reach him. When they finally did reach him, Cpl. Bange was found dead due to the loss of blood. The loss of Cpl. Bange and Pfc Morris was felt by everyone in the company.
Tank #8 now became a road block. Lt. Wilson found that his gun could not traverse so he moved behind number 8 Tank and ordered S/Sgt. Power and Sgt. Culver commanding Tanks #9 and 10 respectively, to advance thru the town. As Tk #9 approached the exact spot where Lt Wilson was hit a bazooka pierced thru his engine into the gas tank causing the tank to go up in flames. By the Grace of God the entire crew escaped serious injuries and abandoned the blazing tank. Schrapnel wounds were received by Cpl. Gragert, gunner and S/Sgt. Power was injured with bruises of the knees while dodging the artillery burst landing near his tank. Tank #10 and the 3d platoon passed on and completed their mission of taking the town after some thick opposition. All remaining tanks advanced to the high ground on the far side of town and formed a defensive position to protect the town from counter-attacks as night was fastly approaching.
The remaining 1st platoon tanks nos. 1, 2 and 4 after completing pill box mopping up operations were returning to rejoin the company. They came across Major Dean who informed them they were to hold the left side of Tetelrath. While the tanks were returning to comply with Maj. Dean's orders, Sgt. Pace commanding Tk #2 met up with some difficulty. His turret floor fell out leaving three tanks in the platoon namely 1, 3 and 4. Tank #3 rejoined the platoon after being stuck in a ditch for ten hours.
We again re-fueled and replenished our supply of ammunition after we were relieved by the TDs and infantry. We were by now very tired and hungry and much to our surprise were fed a hot meal by our combat cooks just a few hundred yards behind the front lines.
That night enemy tanks were heard approaching. The next morning at about 0700 the TDs came in contact with the enemy tanks and destroyed one of them before the others escaped.
That morning we were notified that from this day on we were part of Task Force #2. We soon moved out behind Task Force #1 and continued on for about five miles. The same morning we were relieved by CCB and followed by convoy a route similar to theirs. During one of our long halts we were strafed by three jerry planes who were unable to fulfill their mission. Every available 50 cal. MG blazed hungrily at the attacking enemy. None of the planes were knocked down, however none of them did return. Later in the day a British plane at tree top level approached the column and again all guns talked the language of death. To his good fortune, the friendly plane was not hit and soon recognized.
Later in the afternoon we pulled out and after riding for a few hours we came to an unidentified town where we billeted for the night. The following afternoon orders came down that we were to move out at 2300 that night for the town of Wankum approximately two miles away.
The Adm. and Mess Personnel later reported that during their stay with CCA trains they captured two German prisoners and turned them over to div. Mps.
Wankum is a small town consisting of approximately one thousand in population. We were to stay here for an indefinate period as a Defensive Holding Force with the assistance of Company "B" of the 7th AIB, to whom we were attached.
The main features as usual were to reorganized and maintenance of the vehicles.
s/HOWARD C. HEXTELL
1st. Lt., Cav.
1st Platoon Leader
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