United States Army in World War II
Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt
by Charles B. MacDonald and Sidney T. Mathews
Office of the Chief of Military History
Department of the Army
Washington, D.C.
1952
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
The Authors
Part 1. River Crossing at Arnaville
Chapter 1: The Gasoline Drought and the Dornot Crossing
The Advance Begins—Commitment of the 5th Division—The Terrain and the Forts—Crossing at Dornot—The Assault Begins—The German Reaction—Advance to Fort St. Blaise—Support of the Dornot Bridgehead—Holding the Dornot Site, 9-10 September—1st and 3rd Battalions, 11th Infantry—Withdrawal at Dornot, 10-11 September
Chapter 2: The Crossing at Arnaville (10–11 September)
Battalion Preparations—The Assault Crossing—The 2nd Battalion Crossing—Counterattack From Arry—The 3rd Battalion Attacks Arry—The 11th Infantry Enters the Arnaville Fight—Counterattacks Against the 10th Infantry, 11 September—Supporting the Bridgehead
Chapter 3: Smoke and Bridging Operations (9–14 September)
Smoke Operations Begin—Bridging the Moselle—Initial Planning and Operations—Armor Crosses at the Ford—Bridging Efforts Continued—German Counterattacks, 12 September—Plans To Expand the Bridgehead—Reinforcements for the Bridgehead—Supporting the Bridgehead—Bridge-building Continues
Chapter 4: Build-Up and Expansion (13–15 September)
Impasse on 14 September—Attack in the Fog, 15 September—Objective—Hill 396—The Bridgehead Is Secure
Part 2. Break-Through at Monte Altuzzo
Chapter 1: Developing The Gothic Line (10–13 September)
The Terrain and the Enemy—The 363rd Infantry Attacks—Attack Preparations, 338th Infantry—Confidence in the 338th—Preparations of Company A, 338th—Enemy Fire—Advance to Hills 624 and 782—Fire Fight in the Bowl—Supporting Fires—Company A at Hill 782—Confused Reports From the 363rd—The Enemy Situation
Chapter 2: Peabody Peak (14 September)
Communication Failure—Company A Attacks the Outpost Line—Company B Moves Out—Another Prominent Ridge—Fire Fight at the Barbed Wire—Ledford’s Patrol—2nd and 3rd Platoons Move Up—First Counterattack—1st Platoon Moves Forward—Machine Guns and Mortars Move Forward—Second Counterattack—Third Counterattack—Company B’s True Location—Supporting Fires—Plight of the Forward Platoons—Sergeant Lang Goes Down the Hill—Fourth Counterattack—Help From Artillery and Mortars—The Day’s Action—The Enemy Situation
Chapter 3: Shellfire and a False Message (15 September)
Preparations for Attack—Gresham and Corey Move Forward—Fire at Knobs 1 and 2—Flanking Attempt—Misplaced Shellfire—Long-Range Fire and Counterattack—Supporting Platoons on Hill 782—Withdrawal—The Day’s Action—The Enemy Situation
Chapter 4: Advance to the Crest (16 September)
General Gerow’s Plans for the 338th—The 2nd Battalion Attack—1st Battalion Prepares To Attack—Last-Minute Instructions—Capture of the Outpost Line—Fire Fight at Knob 1—American Shellfire—1st Squad at Knob 2—Advance to the Crest—Defensive Arrangements—2nd Platoon Follows to Hill 926—1st Platoon’s Advance—Advance up the Western Ridge—Bypassed Pockets—The Enemy Situation
Chapter 5: Counterattacks (17 September)
Assault on the Right Bunker—Assault on the Left Bunker—Return to the Bunker—Search for Spoil—Action on the Western Peak—Action at Hill 926—Enemy Pockets and the 3rd Battalion—Company K Attacks Knob 3—The 3rd Battalion Mops Up—Break-Through on the Flanks
Part 3. Objective: Schmidt
Chapter 1: Attack on Vossenack (2 November)
The 112th Makes the Main Effort—The 2nd Battalion Attacks—Company G on the Left—Company F on the Right—Company E Mops Up—Artillery in the Vossenack Attack—The 1st Battalion Attacks at H Plus 3 Hours—109th and 110th Infantry Regiments Attack—Air Support—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 2 November and Night of 2-3 November
Chapter 2: The Main Effort Continues (3 November)
The Spearhead Advance of Company K—Company L Also Advances—Company I Follows in Reserve—Company M Moves to Schmidt—3rd Battalion Medics—The Greene Hornets—The 1st Battalion Follows the 3rd—1st Battalion Medics—Artillery Support—Vossenack—The Engineers and the Kall Trail—The Night in Schmidt—109th and 110th Infantry Summaries—Air Support—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 3 November and Night of 3-4 November
Chapter 3: Action at Schmidt (4 November)
Tanks Try To Cross the Kall—Action at Schmidt—Struggle With the Main Supply Route—The Battle for Kommerscheidt—The Kall Struggle Continues—The Engineers—Command and the Kall Trail—893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion Joins the Action—Air Support—109th and 110th Infantry Summaries—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 4 November and Night of 4-5 November
Chapter 4: More Action at Kommerscheidt (5 November)
Tank Destroyers Try for Kommerscheidt—Another Enemy Attack—Events Along the Kall Trail—The Tanks—Action Again in Kommerscheidt—Company B, 112th, Moves Up—The Tank Destroyers—Command in Kommerscheidt—The Engineers—The Greene Hornets—Tank Supply—Infantry Supply—Tank Destroyer Supply—The Medics—Formation of Task Force R—The Engineers—The Situation in Vossenack—Armor in Vossenack—Artillery Support—109th and 110th Infantry Summaries—Air Support—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 5 November and Night of 5-6 November
Chapter 5: Action at Vossenack (6 November)
Armor in Vossenack—Engineers in Vossenack—The Situation in Kommerscheidt—Task Force R—Tank Demonstration in Kommerscheidt—The Planned Attack on Schmidt—A New Defense Attempted in Vossenack—Was There a German Attack?—The Armor Builds Up a Line—The Engineers Act as Riflemen—The Command Level—The Night in Vossenack: Armor—The Night in Vossenack: Engineers—Medics and Engineers Along the Kall—Supplies Cross the Kall—Artillery and Air Support—109th and 110th Infantry Summaries—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 6 November and Night of 6-7 November
Chapter 6: Action Again at Kommerscheidt (7 November)
A New Commander for the 112th—Along the Kall Trail—Company A, 1340th Engineers—Colonel Peterson’s Return Trip—Attack To Retake Vossenack—Task Force Davis—The Tank Destroyers Try To Cross the Kall—Armor in Vossenack—Command—Air Support—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 7 November and Night of 7-8 November
Chapter 7: Withdrawal Across The Kall (8 November)
The Day at the Kommerscheidt Woods Line—Along the Kall Trail—Vossenack—Withdrawal—Medical Evacuation—12th and 110th Infantry Summaries—Artillery and Air Support—The Enemy Situation—Summary for 8 November and Night of 8-9 November
Chapter 8: Conclusion (9–20 November)
Evacuation—Summary of Closing Action—The Enemy Situation—Relief of the 28th Division
I. XX Corps, Situation, Noon, 6 September 1944
II. Reaching the Moselle South of Metz, 6-7 September 1944
III. Allied Front in Italy, 12 September 1944
IV. Situation in Mt. Altuzzo Area, 0600, 13 September 1944
V. The Aachen Front, 1 November 1944
VI. 28th Division Objectives, 2 November 1944
VII. Attack on Vossenack—Jump-Off, 2 November 1944
VIII. Attack on Vossenack—Completion, 2 November 1944
IX. German Counterattack on Schmidt, 4 November 1944
X. Defense of Kommerscheidt, 4 November 1944
XI. Fight for Vossenack, 6-7 November 1944
Inline Maps
1. Dornot Bridgehead, 8 September 1944
2. Crossing at Arnaville, 10 September 1944
3. Arnaville Bridgehead, 11 September 1944
4. Smoke Generator Operations, 10–15 September 1944
5. Bridging the Moselle, 11–14 September 1944
6. German Counterattack, 12 September 1944
7. Expanding the Bridgehead, Attack of 15 September 1944
8. Advance Toward Mt. Altuzzo, Company A, 338th Infantry, 13 September 1944
9. Artillery and Air Support Area, 13–17 September 1944
10. 338th Infantry Plan of Attack, 14 September 1944
11. 1st Battalion Attack, 14 September 1944
12. “Peabody Peak,” Company B on Western Ridge, 14 September 1944
13. Advance to Knob 2 and First German Counterattack, Morning, 15 September 1944
14. Knob 2, Situation Before Second German Counterattack, Afternoon, 15 September
15. Plan of Attack, 16–17 September 1944
16. Capture of Mt. Altuzzo, 16–17 September 1944
17. Assault on the Bunkers, Morning, 17 September 1944
18. Situation on Mt. Altuzzo, Morning, 17 September
19. Company K Attack, Afternoon, 17 September 1944
20. 28th Division Front, Evening, 2 November 1944
21. Drive on Schmidt, 3 November 1944
22. The Kall Trail
23. 3rd Battalion, 112th Infantry, Night 3/4 November
24. Tanks on the Kall Trail, 4 November 1944
25. The Switchback
26. Intervention of German Reserves, 4 November 1944
27. Situation at Dawn, 6 November 1944
28. Company C, 1340th Engrs, at the Kall Bridge, Night 6/7 November 1944
29. 28th Division Front, Dawn, 7 November 1944
30. 28th Division Front, Dawn, 8 November 1944
31. 28th Division Front, Dawn, 9 November 1944
32. Along the Kall Trail, 9 November 1944
33. Plan for Closing Action, 10 November 1944
Illustrations
1. Dornot Bridgehead Site on the Moselle—Congestion in Dornot—Approaching the Moselle Under Enemy Fire—River Crossing Near Dornot—Infantryman at Footbridge Over Railroad—Arry—Objectives of the 2nd Battalion—Truck-Mounted Smoke Generator in Operation—Arnaville Crossing Site—Double Treadway Span Across the Moselle Canal—Treadway Bridge at River Site 2—Heavy Ponton Bridge Across Moselle—The Battleground—Infantrymen in Full Field Equipment—Relaxed Foot Soldier—Monte Altuzzo Area—Infantry Approach Over Open Field—Howitzer and Tanks Moving Forward—81-mm. Mortars in Position—Jagged Crest of Western Ridge—Camouflaged Log Bunker—German Trench and Observation Post—Peabody Peak—Command Post at Paretaio Farmhouse—Taking a Break—Camouflaged Tank Destroyers (M-18) Moving Up—Painting of Monte Altuzzo Area—Enemy Casualties—Artillery-Shelled Area—German Matériel—Break-Through—The Schwammenauel Dam—Vossenack—Objective: Pillboxes—Hürtgen Forest—Kall Trail Supply Route—German Prisoners of War—Tank Destroyers M-10—Immobilized Armor—Corduroy Road—Remains of Church at Vossenack—Supporting Fire—Cargo Carrier M-29 (Weasel)—Evacuation of Wounded
All illustrations are from the files of the Department of Defense. The photograph on p. 202 is from the Department of the Army, Collection of Combat Paintings, World War II.