6.   IN THE HARZ MOUNTAINS

Apple trees, covered with pink and white blossoms, lined the roads as we moved out at 1200, 12 April, on one of our now-customary long marches across the Reich. Sleeping in our vehicles on the road that night we continued on to Wolfenbuttel where we arrived at 0815, 13 April. We were just getting nicely settled, having found beds for everyone when we received orders that afternoon to move at 1600 for Hedersleben, at the edge of the Harz Mountains, the mountainous summer resort region of Germany.

Our stay at Hedersleben, with "D" Company at Ditfurt and Service Company at Halberstadt, lasted from 13 April to 19 April at 1000 when we were ordered to proceed to Strobeck. That night, we received a mission to try a "day run" on Blankenburg, in the heart of the Harz Mountains. At 1000 the next morning, 20 April, we went in on a bluff. " A" Company of the 36th went into firing position and actually fired five rounds per gun. "C" Company was in position to assist and in the afternoon there was an air strike on the city. At 1530 the combat commander sent "B" Company of the 49th to TF Van Houten and ordered the battalion to move into Blankenburg, take it and clear out the southern half of the town. TF Roseborough was to take the northern half.

With two tank companies abreast, TF Van Houten attacked at 1720 and as soon as the outskirts of the city were cleared, the infantry moved in. Meanwhile "C" Company of the 36th attacked and dominated the high ground to the north of the town. The southern half of the city, our sector, was cl\!aned out by 1530 hours and the battaUon moved in and found billets. Though we took over 700 prisoners and two large wagon trains of 300 horses in the operation, TF Van Houten set an unusual record by suffering no casualties in the capture of the city.

As the sun settled down behind the mountains, the city remained lighted up by the glow of the burning buildings lining the streets and the air echoed with the. report of ammunition blowing up in the flames and the crash of brick and stone walls to the ground. Prisoners unguarded and bewildered, continued to pour out of the city and wandered around looking for some GI to tell them were to find the PW cage. Service Company got a feather in their cap when they captured the German General of Artillery Lucht in the hills just northeast of Blankenburg. Our mission the next day, 21 April, was to move and contact elements of the First United States Army and to accomplish this the task force had to take the town of Gattenstedt. Task Force Moore, led by Major Frank Moore, battalion executive officer and composed of "Recon" platoon of the 36th, "C" Company of the 36th and "C" Company of the 49th, moved out at 0700 and took the objective at 1730, running into light resistance. Contact was established with the second battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment of the First Infantry Division of the United States First Army in Weinrode at 0830 and we moved into Hasselfelde. As far as we were concerned, the war in Europe ended for us that day, 21 April 1945, and we took up the duties of military government, the handling of prisoners of war and the collection of Displaced Persons.

Deciding to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the region, the battalion set up a rest camp in the area which had been a favorite resort for German screen stars and actors and rich Nazi bigwigs from Berlin. A schedule was set up so men could spend three days in the camp and devote their time to eating, sleeping, horseback riding, "looking at but not touching" the frauleins and, in general, taking life easy.