History - 49th A.I.B. - Company 'A'
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(Pages 27-28)

SECOND PLATOON ACCOUNT

The crack of a snipers rifle put everyone on the alert. Each man took up a firing position within the half track, with car commanders manning the vehicular machine guns. Fire was poured from the moving vehicles into the surrounding fields to flush out any enemy machine gun, Lieutenant Blansett halted the column and dismounted his first squad to wipe it out. However, at that moment the machine gun ceased firing and its position could not be located. Quickly the first squad remounted and the column moved again. Approaching a wooded area on the right, Lieutenant Blansett again halted the column and ordered a concentration of rifle grenades in the sector. Confident the area was clear, the column moved again when like lighting the enemy struck with 88's, mortars, and small arms fire in withering concentrations. At once the Lieutenant gave orders to dismount and instructed each squad leader where to deploy his men. Quickly the three rifle squads found partial cover in a hedge row, while the machine gun squad dug in one hundred and fifty yards to the rear and gave overhead fire support. Meanwhile, the vehicles were left on the road with drivers and their assistants manning the machine guns, thus giving additional fire support. Their accurate fire, tough in an enemy cross fire themselves, enabled the deployed squads to safely reach positions of cover.

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The platoon was pinned down, and the hedge row to the front, while screening them from the enemy, also screened the enemy from them. Therefore, Lieutenant Blansett decided to make a personal reconnaissance beyond the hedge row. Crawling forward, he moved a hundred yards when two enemy machine guns pinned him to the ground. After several minutes in this position he managed to worm his way back and gave the order to mount up and withdraw: The first squad track was temporarily out of action but T/5 Amato elected to remain with his vehicle along with S/Sgt. (then P.F.C.) Seekins, who was caring for a wounded man and keeping his radio open.

Turning about they moved as fast as possible to a group of buildings on the outskirts of Rheinberg receiving burp gun, machine gun, and rifle fire from heretofore unknown enemy positions on both sides of the road on the way back. In minutes that seemed like hours these buildings were reached and the platoon reorganized. However, after two short hours, at 1800 hours, it was decided that the remnants of the second platoon, twenty men, would follow 'B' Company of the 49th A.I.B. as protection and support to seven tanks in a direct attack on Rheinberg.

Slowly they advanced into the town with T/Sgt. Kubilis in command of the platoon. With tank 75 MM guns pouring direct fire into the houses and their machine guns blazing, they pushed forward. Suddenly several deadly burp guns open up on the infantry column and they were pinned down in ditches along the road side. The situation was dire and since it was growing dark, the tankers could not locate the burp guns position. Like a fiction novel, the 35th Infantry Division unexpectedly relieved them at this point and at 2100 hours they withdrew and returned to the houses joining the rest of the company.


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