our positions but the first flares caught us unaware and lit up the area, like Christmas night in Harlem,
but camouflage had been well handled and all personnel behaved like veterans.
As more troops were rushed up to plug the holes left behind the racing T-O boys, the 90th edged
toward Chambois, driving and blocking until only one road remained that the battered German 7th Army
could even hope to escape through. On 17 August, while moving to a position northwest of Nonant Le
Pins, two P-38’s circling overhead came down to strafe the column. The second came in too low,
shearing the tops of four telephone poles and hitting Baker Battery’s 4th gun section truck with its wing
and propeller. Four men were killed and two injured during the strafing. The men killed were T/4 John
Burkhart, Pfc. Henry Maul, Pfc. Fred D. Weyl, Jr., and Pvt. Tony A. Vigil. The plane crashed and
burned about 250 yards from the road. The pilot was killed in the crash and burned beyond recognition,
but his dog tags identified him as an American pilot. The next day Service Battery made a special trip to
pick up engineer supplies, which turned out to be one “maul”. In the course of getting these “supplies”,
the truck was strafed by British Spitfires and the driver was injured.
19 August Colonel John B. Daly, Division Artillery Executive, was killed. 20 August, the
Battalion moved to new positions near Exmes, our last position in what was once the Falaise Gap and
was now known as the “Chambois Shambles”. The 90th occupied the high ground around Chambois,
which was known as the “Balcony of Death”. Infantry guns up front, and the artillery a little farther
back poured hot steel in on the Germans, pausing now and then to permit some to surrender. In seven
days, this division took 12,355 prisoners and killed nearly as many. Destroyed were 308 tanks, 248 SP
guns, 164 artillery pieces, 3270 motor vehicles, 649 horsedrawn vehicles and 13 motorcycles.
The following, is a quote from Lt. Colonel D. L. Durfee who was with the 90th as an observer
for the Army Ground Forces. He was with the division from Le Mans to near Metz. “It was really
incredible”, Durfee said, “This campaign which began with the advance north from Le Mans and
terminated with the juncture of American and British forces north of Chambois, will forever be regarded
as one of the most brilliant episodes in the Battle of France.
“The 90th Infantry Division initiating the campaign in a support role, subsequently became the
motivating factor in the success of the scheme”.
“The Nazi defeat there was plainly a rout. It was every man for himself. The roads were
cluttered with all kinds of equipment, horses, tanks, artillery, foot soldiers and supplies, all mixed
together and all being shot to pieces by the remarkable marksmanship of our artillery. It was the
greatest ambush of the war”.
On 17 August the 90th was transferred to V Corps control and on August 26 transferred again to
XX Corps control. The time, 22 August to 26 August, was spent as a partial rest period. The Battalion
moved back to the vicinity of Nonant le Pins but was in position ready to fire at any time. Physical
inspections, movies and trips to Chambois for a view of the wreckage constituted the activities of the
343rd for the period. The first Red Cross Clubmobile visited the area; coffee, doughnuts, good music,
and visits with American girls were enjoyed.
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