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18 JANUARY 45
The 18th Tank Bn moved on the night of 18 Jan 45 from billeting area vicinity of KERLING, FRANCE, to participate in the operations of CCA, 8th Armd Div with the 94th Inf Div.
ASSAULT GUN PLATOON
23 JANUARY 45
2000 - The Assault Gun Platoon (3 Guns, 105mm, SP) was moved to WIES, GERMANY, to assist the elements of the 94th Div in the attack to seize NENNIG and BERG, GERMANY.
24 JANUARY 45
0500 - The Assault Gun Platoon arrved at WIES, took up positions and was committed at 0830. Platoon was shelled near center of WIES, damage to one front bogie and track was sustained, but was repaired by crew. At about 0900 the left gun crew spotted two enemy tanks on the forward slope northeast of the chateau. The gun opened fire and set one tank ablaze and apparently destroyed the other. The platoon maneuvered continously during the day to avoid enemy shelling. During the day cal .30 and .50 machine gun fire was opened against enemy infantry on the high ground north of the chateau. It is estimated that 60 enemy infantry were killed or wounded by this fire. The platoon fired 180 rounds on the chateau during the day, and shifteddire at one stage to assist the advance of the infantry to the north side of BERG toward the chateau.
1700 - The platoon ceased fire and withdrew to the center of WIES where it took up a defensive position for the night. Casualties - one man wounded by shell fire; one vehicle slightly damaged.
25 JANUARY 45
On the 25th platoon was not committed.
26 JANUARY 45
0500 - Platoon moved to join A Company in movement to high ground north and east of NENNIG. It fired approximately 40 rounds and withdrew at 1600 to SIERCK for the night for servicing and maintenance.
27 JANUARY 45
1300 - Platoon was committed to reserve with Company B, later moved up to fire on SINZ at 1730 with Company B. Platoon fired about 1800 rounds cal .30 and withdrew at 1800 to position northeast of NENNIG.
28 JANUARY 45
0010 - Platoon moved to KERLING upon relief from combat arriving at 0200.
MEDIUM TANK COMPANIES A, B, AND C
23 JANUARY 45
Not committed.
24 JANUARY 45
Not committed.
25 JANUARY 45
Companies A and B not committed.
0500 - Company C attached to 7th Armd Inf Bn for operation against BERG. Moved from assembly position at APACH to NENNIG. 1st platoon moved into NENNIG to support attack, found route through town obstructed by destroyed enemy tank. At 0630 while waiting for engineers to clear route, one tank of the platoon backed into a stack of mines that had been removed from the road and stacked in a corner of the Square in the town. Tnk was blasted and caught fire, injuring one officer and five men, and a number of bystanding infantry men.
0815 - Platoon leader received mission to shell two houses along road from NENNIG to BERG. Three tanks moved into position and fired 150 rounds into the buildings and at German infantry discovered in the AT ditch. Cal .30 also fired at infantry in ditch. Estimated 30 to 40 infantry killed or wounded by HE and cal .30 fire in ditch, besides unknown number in building.
0930 - One tank out of ammunition was replaced by new tank. Two tanks moved into position to shell chateau. Two tanks bogged down near buildings in north end of BERG, later retrieved. Third tank moved around chateau on west and knocked out enemy tank.
1200 - Second Platoon, given mission of moving with infantry following each tank to attack chateau north of BERG. Platoon leader moved out, when near chateau the tank hit a mine and was partially disabled, it turned to come back and was hit by bazooka, but returned safely. The platoon leader was injured and the tank too seriously damaged to continue in action. The Battalion S-3 mounted second tank and assumed command of platoon.
1300 - Second Platoon with one tank of 1st Platoon moved out with infantry to attack chateau. Lead tank was knocked out by bazooka and Battalion S-3 killed. Platoon shelled chateau with HE, AP and WP firing about 125 rounds, while infantry moved up to high ground north of chateau. Unknown number of enemy killed in chateau by this fire.
1400 - 3d Platoon, with 2 tanks of 2d Platoon, Company Assault Gun and Arty FO tank moved east of chateau in support of infantry attack on high ground north of chateau.
1600 - 3d Platoon fired on enemy infantry in woods northeast of chateau, and in pillboxes, and at enemy armored vehicles. Unknown number of enemy killed and wounded, one enemy half-track knocked out.
2045 - Platoon relieved and withdrew to vicinity BESCH.
SUMMARY -
One tank burned.
Two tanks knocked out by enemy fire, both retrieved.
One officer killed.
One officer wounded.
Thirteen men wounded.
Two enemy tanks knocked out.
One enemy half-track knocked out.
Estimated 200 enemy infantry killed or wounded.
Co A - Med Tanks
26 JANUARY 45
0530 - Company left SIERCK to move to assault position to attack at 0710. Did not cross line of departure until 0830 due to delay because of heavy snow and slippery roads. 1st Platoon moved via WIES, 2d and 3d Platoons via BERG. The company passed through the bridgehead troops and by 1000 had knocked out light enemy dug in positions along northwest slope of ridge. First objective was taken by 1130. One man injured by artillery fire and one officer and two men injured by bazooka fire which penetrated their tank. The road, road and woods were reconnoitered for crossing to the north but none were found west of the tank ditch in the vicinity of SINZ. In the afternoon about 1300 an enemy counterattack was repulsed. One enemy tamk was knocked out and about 150 infantry men killed or wounded. The company was relieved by B Company at 1700 and withdrew to vicinity of SIERCK for the night.
Company B moved to position at BESCH at 0730. At 1700 the company moved through NENNIG and BERG and relieved Company A on 1st objective and remained there for the night.
Company C remained in reserve during day but was not committed.
Co B - Med Tanks
27 JANUARY 45
Company B was given the mission of supporting the infantry attack at 0900, 27 Jan 45. An Engr and Rcn officer were attached to the company to reconnoiter to the eastward for suitable crossing place over the tank obstacles where bridges might be placed for the crossing of tanks. At 0700 the company was deployed along an 800 yard front with the 1st Platoon on the left, 2d Platoon on the right and 3 Platoon in support. The infantry attack moved out at 0900. Contact on the tight and left was made and assistance to the infantry advance was given by direct fire on enemy elements on the ridge and across the ravine ahead. As soon as the attack had progressed across the east-west road the 3d Platoon was given the mission of reconnoitering the ravine for possible crossing points. The platoon leader and engineer officer reported that there were no feasible points of crossing the ravine as the sides were too steep and the woods too heavy.
At 1030 the 2d Platoon on the right attacked two enemy tanks which were destroyed. At about this time a counter-attack of 7 tanks was reported moving west along the east-west road from the vicinity of SINZ. The 1st and 2d Platoons were moved into defensive positions along this road facing to the east, and the second platoon moved east along the road to meet the counter-attack. The road was canalized bu thick woods on either side at the point opposite UNTERSIE BUSCH (045-045). At one point on the right (south side) thin shrubbery, passable by tanks, was found, but mine fields were suspected. At 1100 near this point two enemy tanks were contacted in the woods north of the road and were destroyed by heavy artillery and mortar fire during the operation.
Due to failure to find usable crossing points the company was ordered to proceed in the direction of SINZ and occupy the high ground northeast of the town. The leading platoon continued down the road and at a point about 300 yards beyond the woods reached a ridge overlooking the terrain southeast of SINZ. The road crossing the anti-tank ditch was found open. At this point the fourth tank in column was hit and destroyed by an anti-tank gun covering the crossing. Three men in the tank were killed and one other wounded. The AT gun was engaged and immediately knocked out.
A great number of enemy infantry appeared in the woods on the left, UNTERSIE BUSH, they were taken under fire and over a hundred of them were killed or wounded. There were a number of bazookas in the woods and automatic weapons which were destroyed or driven out. One pillbox was located and destroyed by fire. Further progress along the road toward SINZ was blocked by damaged tanks, and the company attempted to move around the block through the fields to the right (south) of the road, one enemy tank was encountered and was knocked out. In this movement two tanks were knocked out by AT mines. However the platoon continued through the fields and by 1300 obtained the ridge (051-042) overlooking SINZ. They proceeded to shell the town and to fire on other targets of opportunity in the vicinity. One enemy half-truck was destroyed, a mortar position was shelled and the mortar ceased firing. Artillery and direct fire from weapons on high ground east of SINZ continued during the occupation of the ridge overlooking the town. Two of the company tanks were destroyed by this fire, no casualties resulting. Two men were wounded evacuating their tanks under fire. The company remained on the ridge shelling the town for about an hour, all the time under intense artillery and mortar fire. Ammunition and fuel being practically exhausted the company was ordered to withdraw when relieved by Company A which was moving up. The Arty FO attached to the company continued to direct artillery fire from his position. The company continued to fire until relieved by Company A and then withdrew to the assembly point at about 1600 for ammunition and fuel.
Summary - Losses:
Two tanks knocked out by arty fire
Two tanks knocked out by AT mines
Two tanks burned by AT fire
(four tanks retrieved)
One officer injured
Three men killed
Four men wounded
Effects on Enemy:
5 tanks destroyed
1 half-truck destroyed
150-200 infantry killed or wounded
1 88mm AT gun destroyed
2 pillboxes destroyed
1 mortar position neutralized
30 prisoners taken.
Co C - Med Tanks
27 JANUARY 45
At 1000, 27 Jan Co A moved out behind Co B to position on the ridge north of BERG, and took position south of east-west road to cover the rear and flank of Company B. About 1300 the company was ordered to move east along the road and join Company B. It moved out on the right flank of Company B and encountered two enemy Mark IV tanks and one AT gun about 1430 at 048-045, both tanks and gun were knocked out. (Note: These were probably the tanks and gun previously knocked out by the 2d Plat, Company B). Two of the company tanks were knocked out by AT mines while crossing the field up to the road, and two tanks were bogged down. They were later retrieved. The company relieved Company B about 1500 and fired a heavy concentration on the first buildings in SINZ, on the town proper and on the high ground east and north of the town. The company was ordered to enter the town with the infantry attacking on the right flank. The lead tank moved down to the town about 1600 and was knocked out at the first intersection (054--43) by bazooka fire. The tank commander and leader were thrown from the tank and wounded. The driver backed the tank up, turned it around and retired driving it into a bog. Two other members of the crew were wounded. At 1615 the Platoon Commander's tank was taken under fire by an AT gun which was knocked out promptly. This gun was at (057-042). The company continued to fire in support of the infantry attack until nearly out of ammunition. Approaching darkness and dust and smoke in the town from artillery fire made visibility very poor. The company was relieved by Company D - light tanks - about 1700 and withdrew to it's assembly point at 1730 for ammunition and fuel.
Summary: Losses:
2 tanks knocked out by AT fire
1 tank burned by bazooka
5 EM wounded
Effects on enemy:
2 Mark IV tanks knocked out(?)
2 AT guns knocked out (one?)
Undetermined number of infantry killed or wounded.
Co C - Med Tanks
Not committed - in reserve
Co D - Med Tanks
27 JANUARY 45
Company D moved to BESCH at 1100, 27 Jan, then moved through BERG to assembly position in rear of Company A at 030-049 at about 1400. At about 1600 company was ordered to move through Company A and attack SINZ. The 1st and 2d Platoons entered the town. At 1730 leading tank 1st Platoon engaged in close combat with a German tank in a street of the town. Two shells ricocheted off the company tank and the German tank was hit and set fire. The company tank was then hit in the rear by a bazooka and was set fire and burned. All crew members dismounted but two were wounded by small arms fire doing so. Before being hit this tank fired about 15 rounds HE, 4 rounds APC and several thousand rounds cal .30 machine gun, at enemy tank and into buildings. At 1700 accompanying infantry took 25 German prisoners forced from building by tank fire.
The 2d Platoon moved to right and fired into buildings to assist infantry in attack. The street through the town was blocked by two burning tanks. Darkness, smoke and dust made further observation impossible and the tanks withdrew at 1830 to assembly position. During the operation the tanks were under continuous artillery, rocket and mortar fire generally from north of the town. Sniper fire from buildings and woods was also encountered.
Summary: Losses:
1 Lt tank burned
2 men wounded by small arms fire.
Effect on Enemy:
1 tank destroyed
25 PWs taken - turned over to 94th Inf troops.
1 bazooka knocked out
3 LMG knocked out
Unknown number enemy infantry killed or wounded in woods and buildings.
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