INTERVIEW

1st Lt. Frederick Haverilla, 1st Lt. Joseph F. Barker, Platoon Leaders, and 1Sgt. Arthur C Morgan of Troop E, 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, Buschen, Germany, 1430 hours 13 March 1945, to Lt. Kitts.

On 23 February 1945 the command post of Troop E was in Laak and its guns were in firing positions at Rozendahl Farm. During the day Troop E fired 1008 rounds of ammunition into the Heide Woods for harassing and interdictory fire.

On 25 February Troop E was attached to the 398th Field Artillery Bn. and its positions were surveyed in by officers of that battalion. At 1110 hours 27 February an eight-round registration was fired by the troop and adjustment was made by an artillery officer in a liaison plane.

At 1215 hours the same date, the troop was attached to the 405th Field Artillery Bn. in the same area. At 1600 hours on 27 Feb. all previous plans were cancelled and the troop was alerted for the crossing of the Roer River the next day.

Troop E crossed the Roer at Hilfarth on the morning of the 28th, advanced north at 1115 hours its CP opened in Golkrath. The troop remained in that location until 1230 hours 3 March. It then moved north with the rest of the 88th Reconnaissance Squdrn. (less Troop A, B & C). They followed a route Wegberg – Kempen – Hornenhof – Stenden. The CP opened at Stenden at 1715 hours 3 March and the troop registered on Schaephuysen with one round immediately after going into firing position.

At 1945 hours an 86-round concentration was fired on Schaephuysen and seven minutes later the troop received nine rounds of counterbattery fire. At 1315 hours 4 March, 280 rounds were fired on the village of Freidrich – Heinrich. The troop ceased fire at 1650 hours and returned to Stenden at 1950 hours and spent the night. There was no activity by Troop E on 5 March.

At 0545 hours 6 March, three observation parties left the troop CP in Stenden. They consisted of one officer and three EM in a light tank to Troop A, one officer and six EM in a halftrack for C Troop, and one officer and three EM in a light tank for D Troop. Troop E had been assigned a mission of giving fire support to A, C and D Troops and of firing such missions as they might request.

(The 88th Rcn. Squdrn (less Troop B) during the period 6 – 7 March was attached to the 35th Infantry Division and had the mission of clearing the pocket Rheinberg – Budberg – Orsoy northeast to the Rhine. Troop B had been attached to CCB, 8th Armored Division for this period.)

On the morning of the 6th, Troop E moved to the vicinity of Linnefort and set up its CP at 196226. Troop E set up a PWE for squadron headquarters.

At 1100 hours two platoons were displayed forward to a point about 1500 yards south of Budberg in the woods at Wolfskuhlen (237252). At 1330 hours the remaining platoon was ordered up to the Rhine to supply direct fire support for A Troop. This move was never completed because the lead halftrack struck a box mine at 243265. Two men in the halftrack suffered slight concussion and an immediate change was made in the plans for Troop E. The platoon withdrew to the woods south of the point where the halftrack hit the mine at 244264, took up firing positions and fired four salvos at the request of Troop A on barges being used by the enemy to cross the Rhine at 270310. At 1800 hours this platoon rejoined the other two south of Budberg.

On the 7th of March Troop E fired a total of 1281 rounds on fire missions requested by A, C and D Troops. During the day two anti-tank guns were definitely destroyed and another probably destroyed. Troop E inflicted an estimated 30 casualties on the enemy. That evening unobserved fire was conducted on the same points that had been registered on during the day. The guns in E Troop ceased fire at 0225 hours.

At 0950 hours on 8 March the 88th Rcn. Squdrn. was relieved by the 75th Infantry Division. Aside from the slight concussion received by two members of Troop E, the troop had suffered no casualties during the entire above period.