dark of night with a river on a rampage. The boats would have to be loaded and floated back to the
small towns that the water had reached, pushed through the shallow water until the current became too
strong, then try to row and navigate the rest of the way.
Through the untiring efforts of these men on the supply job, the battalion received supplies that
night. Due to the tortuous condition of the river and its swift current, which had overturned several
boats, it was decided not to attempt the evacuation of wounded that night. They were better off where
they were. It was hoped that a bridge would be completed in the Morning. The remainder of the Mortar
Platoon from Company D completed the crossing during the night.
58
The situation on the following morning, 10 November, was as follows: the assault was to
continue on the fort. Company B had moved around and had taken over the left half of what had been
Company A’s sector, the day before. (Map E) In the town of Basse Ham, the Platoon of Company C
that had moved out on the extreme southwest end of Basse Ham had been cut off during the night by a
German force that had come back into that portion of town. They had occupied the buildings just to the
southwest of the small stream that ran through Basse Ham. This Platoon from Company C was in a bad
situation for a little while.
59
Captain Charles Watson, then Lieutenant, the forward observer for Canon Company, established
an observation post in the church steeple, overlooking the houses the Germans had occupied. His
mission was to support the relief of the Company C platoon. With one gun of Canon Company, he
began registering. His O. P. was online gun-target and at any moment one of his own shells could have
clipped his O. P. from under him. With systematic precision, each house, one after the other, was
thoroughly obliterated. Upon further investigation dead Germans were found all over. With this, the
platoon of Company C was relieved.
60
For the remainder of the day Company C protected Basse Ham.
From positions as now disposed, Companies A and B resumed the assault on the main fort.
Company A consolidated and took the right half of what had been their entire zone the day before.
When both companies were in position the attack jumped off. By noon of the 10th all of the armored
observation posts, on top of the fort, in the zone covered by Companies A and B, had been knocked out.
This was accomplished by the extreme use of “C2". The Germans would withdraw from strong point to
strong point as they were knocked out, never failing to render harsh resistance. The hail of mortar fire
continued to fall on the attackers, taking its toll. The idea was struck on by Lt. Neil, of A Company, to
locate the ventilator shafts of the various underground bunker systems. This being done, 10 gallons of
gasoline was dumped down into one of them and a thermite grenade followed. A terrific roar and
concussion followed, with screams and moans coming from within. This had definitely done some
good. The concussion was so great that a body was blown from the inner parts of the fort, out through
the open ventilator shaft. This procedure was taken up by the rest of the troops on the fort, along with
continued use of great quantities of “C2". There was such a great amount needed on the massive
structures of the fort that the supply was soon near the diminishing point. An urgent call was put in for a
refreshed supply of explosive to continue the operation before the day was over. This was necessary
because, as each strong point would be neutralized, the enemy would move deeper into the fort, into
other portions not yet blasted. They would then infiltrate back after the pressure was relieved. The
resupply of the needed explosives, could not be made rapidly enough by river route, so five liaison
planes were dispatched with 500 pounds of explosives. These planes flew down over the battalion
positions and dropped their loads. They hit, squarely, in the battalion positions. This was the answer to
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