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Another notable example was the extraordinary operation conducted principally by Captain
Thomas M Stewart of the 42nd Reconnaissance Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Group, which led, at long last, to
shipment of what was undoubtedly the greatest single group of blooded horses to reach the US as a
result of World War II. Preliminaries to the expedition may be well told and Captain Stuart's own words:
"Through Top Secret information obtained at Karlbach (just outside of Eslarn) we learned of the
presence of about 200 allied PW's – both American and British – and a stable of Lippizaner and Arabian
horses about 10 miles from us across the Czech border. Colonel Reed, Group CO, called me in to
attempt to bargain with the Germans, to try and effect the release of the PW's and secondarily, the
horses, to the American lines. Through prearrangement, a German Veterinarian Captain came through
our lines, ready to give us the information necessary to make the trip to Hostoun, location of the camp
and stables. The stables comprised the German remount depot for that area. The Lippizaner horses were
originally from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Numbered among the horses was one previously
owned by Von Ribbentrop and another used by King Peter of Yugoslavia. The Germans preferred to
turn the mounts over to the Americans rather than to the Russians. … I can't speak German, but I can
understand it. Arrangements were made for me to accompany the German Captain through the lines,
avoiding all enemy troops, roadblocks, mines – and to attempt the release of the PW's and horses. I was
to try to bargain with German Brass for the withdrawal of German troops from the area, so that our men
could go in and do the business. The German Captain and I rode up to one of our Cavalry outposts in a
peep, and from here we mounted horses brought for this purpose by the German Captain. My mount was
King Peter's private stallion. The horse belonged to the royal Yugoslavian stud. As a matter of fact, I
jumped him for his first time. …" After this romantic story-book beginning, the operation proceeded on
an extremely practical plane. Captain Stuart succeeded in making his way deep into the German lines
and then talked sundry Krauts into agreeing to surrender their installation without harm to the PW's 4
horses, – if the 2nd Cavalry Group could get into them through a variety of German forces which knew
nothing about the undertaking. Captain Stewart then returned to his headquarters and the group, after a
sharp firefight, reached the stables on 29 April 45. Even then the action was not at an end; the Germans
threw a roadblock across the only road leading back to the 97th Division's lines, and Troop A of the
42nd Squadron, which had been left to protect the installation, had a five-hour battle on 30 April in
which they took 100 prisoners and lost one man killed and one wounded. Exactly 1 year later a
photograph of one of these horses was to appear in the Stars and Stripes with the triumphant caption:
"European Thoroughbreds in US – Saffa, a Lippizaner mare, and her 10-day old colt by Maestoso XVII,
Lippizaner stallion, pose for the cameraman at the Aleshire QM Depot, Remount, at Front Royal,
Virginia. …" Few reading this, and the many other articles in US papers and magazines hailing the
arrival of this famous group of horses, realize the vital influence on all future generations of American
horseflesh exercised by the men of XII Corps' "own" 2nd Cavalry Group.
This influence, like that of the and s on the outcome of the War in Europe, was not exercised, as
has been suggested above, without cost. In one of the last serious actions of the war for XII Corps, a
band of crazy young German OCS students, who should've known better so close to VE-Day, on 4 May
ambushed a platoon of the and corps' cavalry group, and showered them with small arms and
panzerfaust fire in an action which caused unnecessary casualties to both sides.
* A similar personal reconnaissance of Bad Steuben on 14 April had resulted in award of the same decoration to Major Paul R Screvane,
of the Headquarters XII Corps Artillery. He thus became the second officer in that headquarters within a month to win a Silver Star.
Captain Horace W Ziglar, of Headquarters Battery XII Corps Artillery received one for heroic action during the fight for Frankfurt, 27-28
March 45.
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