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example, worked his way forward 20 yards through the undergrowth, scaled the rocky hill and threw
several hand grenades over it. The machine gun firing and the hand grenade throwing from behind the
hill thereupon ceased. Pfc. Wagner returned to his platoon and grabbed a prisoner whom someone in the
meantime had captured, held the prisoner across his chest to cover him from enemy fire ordered the
prisoner in what little German he knew to call out to his comrades behind the hill and tell them to
surrender. He walked around the hill and eight Germans, three of whom were wounded, surrendered to
him. Nine other dead Germans were also found there. Company I by use of this rocky hill now had an
observation [point] from which they could see for the first time for some distance in every direction.
At the same time Company L had also run into heavy machine gun fire and hand grenades, and
was viciously engaged at close range with a determined enemy. Lt. George M. Bird was wounded at
this time when he also went forward alone and killed two Germans and routed several others who were
holding up the advance of the Company. Before he was evacuated, he reorganized the company and
ordered it to continue the advance.
Approximately the same time Company I was seizing the small rocky hill, Lt. Col. Bealke and
his command group, which was about 100 yards behind the left platoon of L Company were viciously
attacked by a squad of Germans who came from the west through the thicket behind the assault platoon
of Company L. This group of Germans, after throwing hand grenades and firing machine guns, was
beaten off by small arms fire from the command group and a small platoon from Company I, which had
come down through the thicket. No sooner had this attack been taken care of, than a platoon of
Germans hit the command group from the left flank and rear. The Germans attacking from the west
threw some fifteen to twenty concussion grenades while the Germans coming from the rear opened up
with fire from several machine guns.
The command group was immediately involved in a close range fire fight which might have been
disastrous had not the platoon of Company L, which had just passed by, returned and rushed the enemy
capturing six German parachutists and killing several. The Germans in the rear were all killed or
captured while the ones to the west either hastily withdrew of were killed.
Lt. Col. Bealke then again ordered the Battalion to halt, regain contact, and placed the companies
for an all around defense by moving Company K forward from the rear. The Germans were at this time
shelling the Battalion heavily from an adjacent hill with mortar fire, and occasionally artillery fire.
While this re-organization was going on, the Battalion Executive Officer and Adjutant guided down a
platoon of four tanks followed by all the Battalion litter bearers and ammunition vehicles who followed
the road crashed through the thicket by the tanks. At this time about fifteen wounded were evacuated by
litter as well as many walking wounded. Wire communication which had gone out during the
counterattack was reestablished.
The Battalion then prepared to resume the attack at 1850. Plan of attack was to pass Company K
with the tank platoon attached through Company L, and to break out into the open field south of the
forest in the Battalion zone. The troops were still receiving heavy mortar and artillery fire from a hill
which was within the 359 Inf’s zone of action. Company L was placed so as to return the fire coming
from that hill and to protect the right flank of the Battalion, in the thicket. Company I was similarly
disposed to protect the Battalion left flank while K Company went forward. The units on the right and
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