INTERVIEW

Capt. Elmer L. Stone, CO, Troop B, 88th Rcn. Sqdrn., 1st Lt. Leo J. Smith, Executive Officer, Troop B, and Pvt. Hathoway Turner, Troop Historian, 1330 hours, 15 March, Grefrath, Germany, to Lt. Kitts.

Troop B was detached from the 88th Rcn. Squdrn. and attached to CCB on 18 February 1945.

At 0330 hours 21 February Troop B marched from Hoek to Posterholt, Holland, arriving there at 1100 hours 21 February and relieved the 9th Durham Light Infantry Battalion of the British 7th Armored Division. The 2d and 3d platoons of Troop B with one attached platoon of tank-destroyers took over the defensive positions vacated by the British in Berg. The 1st platoon took up defensive positions along a line just south of Posterholt. Relief was completed by 2100 hours 21 February.

On 23, 24 and 26 March, patrol activity by Troop B in the vicinity of Vlodrop gave rise to the assumption by the members of Troop B that when they jumped off for the attack they would advance on that town. On the 28th, however, the troop received orders to pull back and move south to cross the Roer at Hilfarth. The troop crossed the Roer at 1400 hours on 28 February, and by the middle of the afternoon had reached Wildenrath (922817).

The route of march as planned for Troop B was as follows: Wildenrath - Arsbeck - Merbeck - Crossroads at 953888 - Waldniel - Amern St. Georg - Dilkrath - Boisheim - Klinkhammer - Lobberich - Hinsbeck - Haizbeck - Aerbeck - Wankum.

The traffic conjestion on the roads in vicinity of Wildenrath prevented Troop B from moving out until the morning of the 2d of March. At that time they moved out north to Aerbeck, northeast to Merbeck, then swung northwest to the crossroads at 953888 where traffic was halted because another unit was using the road between that point and Waldniel. After a three-hour delay it was decided that an alternate route be taken. The route therefore followed by Troop B was as follows CR (953888) - Nieder Kruchten - Bruggen - Bracht - Kaldenkivchen - Leuth - Herongen - Wankum.

The march from Wildenrath to Wankum was uneventful except that the column was taken under interdictory fire by mortars and light artillery on the road south of Herongen. Troop B arrived in Wankum late evening 2 March.

The next day CCB of which troop B was a part was ordered to move from Wankum to Aldekerk. 2d Lt. William P. Ryan, Platoon Leader, 1st platoon, was designated point commander for this month. The 3d platoon under the command of 1st Lt. Earl E. Collins was designated flank guard. The column entered Aldekerk early in the morning of the 3d. Troop B remained in Aldekert on the 4th.

The mission assigned to Troop B for the 5th of March was to move out as part of Task Force Murray. (This TF got its name from the CO of the 137th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division.) The intermediate objective of TF Murray was the town of Linnefort. If opposition was heavy they would by-pass it and proceed to Rheinberg, their ultimate objective.

TF Murray left Aldekerk at 0430 hours 5 March 1945 and got as far as 166233 by the following routes: Aldekerk - Saslhuysen - Schaephuysen - Rheurdt - Crossroads (122194) - Crossroads (136207) - Stammen - Eyllsche.

At that point the column was halted by a blown bridge. The bridge was repaired by engineers and the column entered Linnefort from the northwest at 169235.

The platoon of Troop B left Linnefort by routes as shown on the attached overlay and took up the positions indicated. On the afternoon of the 5th, the 1st platoon was requested by Major van Houten of CCB to assist in the evacuation of casualties of tank personnel of the 36th Tank Battalion northeast of Linnefort. After looking over the area the 1st platoon reported the evacuation was useless because all the tankers there were dead. Upon the insistance of Major Van Houten, however, the 1st platoon reentered the area and brought back some of the casualties and in so doing suffered heavy casualties including the platoon leader and one EM killed. On the night of 5 March the troop (less 3d platoon) regrouped at Klein Bongardt (203244). All vehicles were dispersed and a perimeter defense with tanks at the outer edge was organized for the night.

On the 6th of March the troop rejoined the 3d platoon at 209246. (Upon checking these coordinates on the map of this area, I find that this was not the location of the 3d platoon at this time. Their location was at 219246. - Historical Reporter, Lt. Kitts).

Troop B advanced no further than 219246, the location of the 3d platoon. At 2400 hours 10 March, Troop B was relieved by elements of the 75th Infantry Division.

The original mission of Troop B was to reconnoiter the area northwest of Rheinberg for routes of approach into Wesel. Elements of the 36th Tank Bn. passed through Troop B at 219246 and entered Rheinberg from the south.

(Lt. Oleck the historical reporter covering CCB, 8th Armored Division during this operation, asked me to investigate the following which came to his attention while working with CCB: he was informed that the 36th Tank Bn. was led to believe that reconnaissance was impossible east of Linfort due to heavy fire met by anyone venturing into that area. Moreover that tanks of the 36th Tank Bn. upon advancing east from Linfort to point 219246 encountered reconnaissance troops there, and that an enemy PW was standing on the bridge at 217246 when they arrived there. Upon investigating this matter with Captain Stone, I learned that the report that reconnaissance troops encountered difficulty in leaving Linfort and advancing east, was not true. Troop B was met by fire when they advanced east from Linfort but not sufficiently heavy fire to render movement east impossible. The PW in question was captured at about 205235 and having no one to turn him over to, the platoon leader of the 3d platoon, Lt. Earl E. Collins, ordered the PW to ride on the hood of his peep. When he arrived at the bridge at 217246 Lt. Collins dismounted to investigate the bridge for charges and the PW jumped off and simply waited there until Lt. Collins was ready to move out. - Lt. Kitts, historical reporter.)

Lt. Collins further stated that upon arriving at point 219246, elements of the 5th Armored Division came up the road from the south but did not pass through his positions there.