On Dec. 27th 2 P-51’s, who pressed an attack after being challenged by flares, were engaged by
section B-5. One was seen to crash to the west about 8 miles. Only 4 rounds were used to obtain a hit.
Towards the last of the month we had more snow, and continued cold, the ground being frozen. The
situation up north looked much better, and as the year ended our morale was excellent.
We saw the New Year in at our positions in Biringen, Germany, and Flatten, France. On the first
day of the year, heavy air activity was reported on the entire Western Front. We saw several high flights
of ME 410’s and engaged some without obtaining any hits. Around the 1st Platoon area – action was
heavy as ME 109’s pressed repeated attacks, Section 4 hit one plane on the tail and claimed a Category I
as they observed the plane to crash far to the Northeast. Sections 2 and 3 claimed several Cat. II’s. On
the following day the 1st platoon went into action against a FW 190 flying a high reconnaissance
mission. Later in the day, the 2d platoon opened up on two P-51’s and one P-47 who were committing
hostile acts in our area. No claims were made. We were experiencing many attacks by friendly type
planes, and it was known in some cases that the pilots were German. On 4 January (1945) Colonel
Recer, our battalion commander, came to the C. P. to award the bronze star to three officers and eight
enlisted men for meritorious service against the enemy in the period 14 June-14 December (1944). The
weather during this period had been cold but generally clear. There was a blanket of snow on the
ground, but it wasn’t enough to impede us.
On January 7, we moved in a long convoy in a Combat Team of elements of the 90th division –
to a position southeast of Bastogne, important road center held by the American forces during the
Ardennes break through. The move started at 0615 and the firing units were displaced throughout the
columns to afford AA protection to all the Combat Team elements. The weather was very cold, roads
very icy, and driving was difficult. The Communication truck was wrecked when the trailer slid off the
road, throwing the truck out of control. Sections 5, 9, and 3 had motor troubles of some sort or other but
the whole battery was accounted for before the night was over. We made the move covering all
organizational markings, and the division was secretly committed against the enemy to launch a
powerful attack. We first set up a defense around the 344th FA in the vicinity of Leifrange,
Luxembourg, where we relieved elements of the 26th Division. We were now in the III Corps – had
been in the XX Corps since September, 1944. The next day we sent a composite platoon consisting of
the four halftracks to defend a vital bridge in our area, which the division was utilizing to bring up
supplies. On January 11, we moved northwest to Bevigne. We utilized a forward C. P. and a rear C. P.
necessitated by the loss of our communication truck, and the crowded conditions of our new location.
The next day we moved to Tarchamps the scene of a fierce battle the day previous. When we entered,
buildings and wrecked transport were still burning. Wrecked equipment and dead littered the area. Here
our supply and headquarters sections joined us, as well as the halftracks who were relieved of the bridge
assignment. On January 16, we moved again, this time to the vicinity of Bras, Belgium, a road junction
on the important east-west highway from Bastogne to Wiltz. On January 18 we received our first gun
replacement. B-5 broke an axle, necessitating the exchange. All the men were issued sleeping bags,
which were put to good use immediately as we experienced weather amounting to a blizzard. The
resulting snow was knee deep in most places and hampered to some extent our mobility.
On the 2lst of January, Lt. Woodard received his promotion to 1st Lieutenant. At this time the
enemy started withdrawing from the area, leaving rear guards to delay our advance. We started moving
fast once again to keep in contact with them. We moved twice during the 21st – first to Niederwampach,
then to Oberwampach. On the 22nd we made a fairly long jump over crowded roads to Stockem; again
in Luxembourg. A V-I bomb was observed over our area. On the 24th we displaced again, this time to
Boxhorn – we were now driving east. During the night we experienced the heaviest shelling received in
weeks. However, we had no casualties. On the 26th of January we moved again to Binsfeld, the scene of
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