31- Captain Ernest M. Chamberlain, 951st Artillery During Battle of the Bulge
The 951st Field Artillery Battalion landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on June 12, 1944 and blasted their way through France. They had recently survived the grueling Battle of the Hurtgen Forest where some Infantry Divisions suffered 75% casualties. At the German border, its massive artillery barrages destroyed the pillboxes and bunkers of the heavily fortified Siegfried Line. It shelled the German town of Aachen into submission as the 1st and 30th Infantry Divisions moved through the town, house to house.
Captain Ernest M. Chamberlain is the author of “Battalion History 951st F. A. Bn.”. In this post, print in blue are quotations from his writing from one chapter of that history, “Chapter V Ardennes”.
Aachen, Germany
Aachen was secured on October 21, 1944. It was the first German city to fall to the Allied forces. The Aachen sector was heavily fortified and felt secure. Everyone thought that victory was close and that the worst of the war with Germany was over. They were wrong.
“Aachen as a Christmas present for Hitler”
During the past few days things had been happening. Big things! A reinvigorated Luftwaffe had covered a concentrated and desperate effort by the Germans to drive “Aachen as a Christmas present for Hitler”.
Captain Ernest Chamberlain, M Sgt W. Yoakum & M Sgt J. Tewell
The “reinvigorated Lufwaffe” refers to Operation Bodenplatte, where the Germans gathered every remaining plane they had to support the breakthrough. The Allies had seen almost no German planes for months, suddenly the sky was full of them. This was the first sign to the men of the 951st that something big was happening.
It was a story prisoners had told a few days before and we laughed. How could they think of such a thing, besides what would he want Aachen for any how? It was different now, the line, our line, down south had been pierced.
Complacency shifted to sheer shock as the German Ardennes Counteroffensive shattered the illusion that Aachen was secure.
The quiet sector to which units had had it rough on the line went for a time to rest and refit— That sector exploded right open.
The Ardennes was a ghostly quiet forest area with an 80 mile front defended by about 80,000 US Soldiers. Preventing frost bite and fighting boredom was their biggest concern. However, on the morning of December 16, 1944, the Germans unleashed a 90-minute artillery barrage across their entire front and suddenly the Ardennes was overrun by 250,000 German troops and about 1,400 tanks. Their goal was to split the Allied armies and capture Antwerp, the port that supplied the Allies. This would trap Montgomery’s Anglo-Canadian 21st Army and the US First Army, (including the 951 Artillery), without supplies, between German Forces and the sea.
Malmedy Massacre
Malmendy, Belgium, on the northern edge of the German offensive, was about 24 miles south of the 951st Artillery’s position at Aachen, Germany.
On December 17, 1944, the 1st SS Panzer Division intercepted a convoy of the U S 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion at the Baugnez crossroads two miles southeast of Malmedy. After a brief firefight, the Americans surrendered and were gathered in a field. Germany’s main armored column continued their westward advance, while a small guard detail remained. The guards opened fire on the prisoners, killing 84 unarmed Americans. About 43 escaped by playing dead or running into the nearby woods. Many survivors fled northwest to the American held line in Malmedy. The news spread quickly giving a chilling realization of the enemy they were up against.
Black dots movement of the 951st, Black solid 951st counter offensive, Yellow Extent of “Bulge”, Blue: Locations: 1- Maffe, 2- Noiseux, 3- Verdenne, 4- Erezee, 5- Grandmenil-Manhay
Sixty- three miles to Maffe
On December 21 the 951st received new orders and became part of VII Corps. They moved to the outskirts of Aachen. The town of 165,000 had been evacuated of its residents when the Allied army approached in September. Personnel billeted overnight in houses. The houses were in good shape considering the damage most of the city had suffered.
The 951st convoy moved out the next day, (December 22). Imagine towing twelve massive 155mm howitzers each weighing 6 tons through rivers of mud. The weather had turned cold again with freezing rain, snow and patches of thick fog. Visibility was almost zero as the thick forest trees blocked out any remaining light.
951st in Belgium 1944
The survey truck of Baker Company ran into the rear end of the Antiaircraft unit’s halftrack due to the heavy fog. Cpl. Jimenz was injured and sent to the nearby hospital.
It was a long slow tiresome trip. It inched its way out of Germany, passed over roads which but a few months before, the unit had been cheerfully pressing east. Now it was a tedious journey. Buzz bombs could be clearly spotted overhead. It was cold. Midnight came and went and the column was still pressing along the road.
Huge traffic jams occurred as units were traveling in both directions as they scrambled to reach their new positions. Road markings were not clear and instructions were often confusing. Some of the unit was told to take one road others of the unit were given different instructions.
Finally that morning (23 December) all elements of the units were located and brought into camp which was about a mile and a half south of Maffe, Belgium. Everyone was ready to stop then and get a good sleep. Men were cold and stiff. All were covered with a thick layer of frost.
Operation Stosser
The enemy parachutists in our rear area were a great inconvenience. Local security again was stressed as it had never been stressed before. All important roads had road blocks. Passwords and replies as printed on the orders were not always the ones that the guards asked. More often when stopped you were confronted with such a question as, “Who is Blondie’s hubby?” or “How many bits in a dollar?”
German plane wreckage
Aside from the confusion it caused, the German’s Operation Stosser was a complete disaster. It was a failed attempt to parachute in 1300 German soldiers 7 miles north of Malmedy. (Just 17 miles south of the 951st position at Aachen.) Hitler ordered the group to be made up from pieces of several different units to avoid alerting the Allies of the imminent counter offensive. The objective was to seize the crossroads to block American reinforcements from reaching Malmedy and hold until relieved by the 12th SS Panzer Division.
The drop was made on December 17 in bad weather without first conducting reconnaissance or taking aerial photographs. The new unit had never trained together. The pilots were inexperienced, many had never flown in combat. Some of the paratroopers had never jumped from a plane. Many planes went off course. Only a fraction of the force landed near the intended drop zone. Two hundred and fifty were dropped over Bonn about 50 miles east of the target.
Because of the extensive dispersal of the drop, Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) were reported all over the Ardennes, and the Allies believed a major division-sized jump had taken place, causing the Americans much confusion and convincing them to allocate men to secure the rear instead of facing the main German thrust at the front. An entire U.S. 18th infantry regiment of 3000 men along with an armored combat command of 300 tanks and 2,000 men searched several days for the German force.1
It was the night before Christmas
On Christmas Eve the battalion was committed about a half mile south of Noiseux. It was on a long gently dropping forward slope. Headquarters was sitting high on the hill side and the firing batteries were farther down the slope. The rear echelon remained in the position that the entire battalion had been the previous day.
On December 24, 1944 the 951st moved into Noiseux and were setting up their three firing batteries, Able, Baker and Charlie companies. Each battery manned four 155mm howitzers. The rear echelon remained in Maffe, about 7 miles north.
The enemy had plans of its own and the breach in the line kept growing and the troops were of necessity thrown into the line as they arrived.
The “Bulge” was rapidly expanding and the German army was racing to get its grip on all major crossroad towns.
St. Vith was attacked on December 16 and fell to the Germans December 21. American Forces held off the Germans for five days, greatly delaying their progress. However, seven or eight thousand American Soldiers were captured and were now German prisoners.
General Anthony McAuliffe
At Bastogne, about 25 miles south-east of the 951st Artillery’s position at Noiseux, the 101st Airbourne division was completely surrounded. On December 22nd the Germans ordered an “honorable surrender” within 2 hours, or the town of Bastogne and all Americans would be annihilated by German artillery. To this ultimatum, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe gave his famous response, “NUTS!”. On Christmas Eve the Americans in Bastogne were enduring intense aerial bombing by the Luftwaffe.
On December 24th Germany’s 2nd Panzer Division bypassed Bastogne and pushed the bulge 50 miles west. They reached the villages of Celles and Foy-Notre-Dame and were nearing the Meuse River to capture bridges that would allow them to push toward their ultimate objective of Antwerp.
That night, just 15 miles west of the 951st position, the villages of Grandmanil and Manhay fell to German forces. Elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division “Das Reich” overwhelmed American defenders from the 7th Armored Division, forcing them to withdraw.
The 951st position at Noiseux was 6 miles north of Marche, one of the critical crossroads. On Christmas Eve, the German 116th Panzer Division launched a major assault. Their tanks were held off at Hotton which they bypassed and headed west to where they captured the town of Verdenne.
The Battle of Verdenne
The U.S. 84th Infantry made a counter attack in Verdenne involving brutal house to house combat. They were the main line of defense between the Germans and the Marche-en-Famenne crossroads. Verdenne was well within the 9 mile range of the 951st’s howitzers. The concentrated German armor in open areas was perfectly suited for their observed fire, but first they had to position forward observers.
Lt. Odor left as forward observer with T/4 Dunn and Cpl. MacLeod as driver. The Infantry Battalion command post was in a large two story house which sat very challengingly on the top of a low ridge. To approach it even from the rear, it was necessary to travel down a long narrow road which was open to enemy observation. The forward observation party had just traveled down this road and just started going up the hill toward the house when shells began exploding all around. They crawled up the hill to the building where they made themselves known to the infantry.
The Heinies had infiltrated some tanks and infantry thru the lines and were concentrating in the woods on the next ridge. A tank could be seen at times and was causing some damage. An observation post was established up in the hayloft above the house. The mission was soon cleared, regardless of the fact that it was behind our front line lines. A battery was adjusted on the area and at the end of the mission the infantry requested the concentration be repeated. The results of the firing were excellent.
The forward observer party then moved on to the 84th Infantry Company command post in town. This was in the town of Verdenne, which was about two miles east of Marche. This was a hotly contested town, and counter attacks were common by both sides.
Thrills were coming thick and fast. During the day two flying bombs (also called “buzz bombs”) “cut out” and were watched very carefully as they coasted in. One landed a few miles to the north and the other to the south of the unit.
In one way the “Bulge” was a cannoneer’s picknick. Round after round was fed into the “How”. Twelve hundred and sixty two rounds were fired from 6 in the morning to 6 the next morning.
“Friendly Fire”
Service Battery which took care of food preparation and ammunition supplies was located in the rear echelon at Maffe. Lt. Spendlove and Sgt. Renfro were quartered in a barn a few hundred yards from the rest of the battery. Their vehicles were in the wrong place and mistaken for the enemy. Three P-38s made a large sweeping circle and the first one came in strafing. Their only cover available were the banks of an ice cold creek. Now was no time to be to particular about the temperature of the water, so in they went. The second plane dropped a bomb on the barn they called home. All of their equipment and clothing was destroyed.
A formation of B17s that were returning from a mission passed overhead. All of a sudden there was the shrill shriek of bombs falling thru the air. Seven of the five hundred pounders hit very close and two clusters of incendiary bombs also came in and lay about the area smoldering and burning. One of these incendiaries hit about thirty five yards from Baker Battery wire section.
“We heard the distinctive whisper of falling bombs. The motor section had one shallow foxhole and six of us tried to get in it. Later, we found two craters about 30′ across and at least as deep”.2
The B17s were returning from a mission. Landing a heavy bomber with live, potentially damaged ordnance was extremely dangerous. Pilots were instructed to jettison these bombs over uninhabited areas. However, in the chaotic Ardennes landscape where the front lines were fluid and poorly defined, crews sometimes mistakenly believed they were over unoccupied territory.
While they were positioned at Noiseux Dec 24-31, the 951st “lost three cannoneers. The first was leading a howitzer into position when his feet slipped on the ice, and the prime mover crushed his foot. A second gunner was caught by the breech block of one of the guns and broke both bones in his right forearm. In the third accident, a shell had been rammed, and the gun was being elevated when the 95-pound projectile began to slide out the breech because of the ice on it. The cannoneer tried to catch it, and the projectile turned over and went fuse first through his foot”.3
On December 31, Lt. White was killed and Lt. Stopfel was seriously injured in an accidental plane crash.
Turkey for Christmas?
The Stars and Stripes printed that all soldiers would have turkey for Christmas 1944. Captain Moore requested that S/Sgt. Cecil Dunham and T/Sgt Tryge Strand travel through the Ardennes about 32 miles north to Leige, Belgium to get supplies. Upon making a request for the rumored turkey dinners for the 951st Battalion, the lieutenant at the supply depot told them there were no supplies for battalions, only for divisions.
“Well, my men are hungry too” Sargent Strand replied. He immediately requested to to see the commanding officer and was taken to a colonel.
“After some discussion, the colonel asked if ten-in-one meals would be acceptable. Although a poor substitute for turkey, we gladly took them, so the boys were able to have peaches, pears, coffee, juice, hard biscuits, sweet jelly, dried eggs and bacon for Christmas”4
951st Artillery Effectiveness at Verdenne, (An AI analysis)
Enemy Tank near Verdennes, Belgium
Battalion History 951st F. A. Bn. by Captain Ernest M. Chamberlain recorded the number of every type of Fire Mission for every day of the war. The battle of Verdenne lasted from Dec 24 to Dec 31. The fire missions recorded for the 951st were Dec 24-26: Harassing fire 13, Tanks 36, Enemy personnel 45, Dec 27-31: Harassing fire 11, Tanks 1, Enemy personnel 44.
(Dec 24-26) The most significant insight is the sheer density of Tank missions (36) in the first three days. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the 116th Panzer Division was making its final, desperate push to break through the American line to reach the Meuse River. Averaging 12 tank-specific missions per day, the 951st was essentially functioning as a long-range “tank killer” during this window. The “excellent results” noted earlier likely contributed to the destruction of the 116th’s armored core right here.
(Dec 27–31) The drop from 36 tank missions to just 1 tank mission in the second half of the battle is a clear historical indicator. By Dec 27, the German armored threat in this sector had been effectively neutralized. The tanks were either destroyed, abandoned due to the severe fuel shortages, or had re-treated.
Enemy Personnel missions (44) remained almost identical to the first period (45). This shows that while the tanks were gone, the German infantry (Volksgrenadiers) were still dug in and fighting stubbornly in the woods around Verdenne, requiring constant artillery pressure to dislodge them.
Artillery as the Deciding Factor: The 951st didn’t just “support” the battle; they likely provided the specific firepower that stopped the 116th Panzer’s breakout. Once those 36 tank missions were completed by Dec 26, the German “offensive” capability in Verdenne was dead.
The Road to Erezee
The next position was at Erezee, Belgium. The front was now more than being held. It was starting to be compressed. A British artillery unit came in and took over our positions.
On January 1, 1945 the British 153rd Field regiment took their position at Noiseux, while the 951st traveled 17 miles to Erezee. At this new location their 155mm howitzers 9-mile range extended to Manhay and Grandmenil where they were desperately needed for their 95 pounder destructive power.
The road was slick and covered with ice. The M-5 prime mover had the most trouble as it skidded as if on ice skates from one side to the other. When the road sloped one way, the “Cat” slipped down the hill in that direction. Often they skidded off the road into the ditches. One of these “Cats” slid into some mines and detonated them. The explosion took that massive piece of metal and threw it over on its side. And there it lay and burned. It was one of those tragic things which occur in war and men were killed and injured. Those killed were Pfc. Ray T. Brandon, Pfc. Don E. Steele.
Nine disasterous, cold, and tiring hours had been spent to travel a mere seventeen miles.
Counter offensive begins
On January 3rd, a large scale attack went into affect. The weather was against it. It snowed, so no air corps could be called for help. Visibility was limited to about two hundred yards, so targets for artillery could not be seen or adjusted for. The front moved forward but very little.
General Courtney Hodges
The First Army, (about 383,000 troops), which included VII Corps and 951st Artillery was led by Lieutenant General Courtney Hodges. It began its “large scale attack” southward on January 3, 1945. They pushed through heavy snow and German defenses near Stavelot and Malmédy. From Erezee, the 951st Field Artillery Battalion moved southeast as part of the First Army’s drive to meet up with General George S. Patton and the US Third Army and pinch off the bulge.
General George Patton
General Patton’s Third Army of 350,000 troops were moving northward from Bastogne. Patton had famously pivoted his entire army 90 degrees to reach Bastogne in just a few days. Patton’s intelligence officer, Colonel Oscar Koch, warned of the potential German buildup as early as December 9. When the crisis hit, Patton was ready. He disengaged three divisions from a live battle and raced them north toward Bastogne. The 101st Airborne held the town against overwhelming odds for six days before they were liberated by Patton’s forces on December 26.
Fire support for the Battle of Grandmenil
Cpl. Richard F. Wiegand
On December 24, the 2nd SS Panzer Division in a surprise attack captured the towns of Manhay and Grandmenil. The next day they continued to expand their breakthrough westward toward Erezee, but were halted at a pass known as Trou du Loup (Wolf’s Gap). Corporal Richard F. Wiegand of the 75th Infantry used a bazooka to disable the lead tank. This blocked the road causing them to retreat back to Grandménil. Corporal Wiegand gave his life in this heroic act. The towns of Grandmenil and Manhay were re-captured by the 3rd Armored and 75th Infantry Divisions by December 27, 1944.
The task of the 951st at Erezee was to provide heavy, long-range fire support to break the German defensive crust south-east of the Grandménil and Manhay. The 155mm howitzers provided the heavy punch needed to reach targets that the standard 105mm divisional artillery could not reach. This was especially vital at this time because poor visibility and extreme cold that had grounded Allied air support. However, to be effective, the forward observation party had to be positioned.
Lt. Colonel Isenberg
On the fourth the attack was continued. Lt. Keate was forward observer with Cpl. Swanson, Cpl. Shields, radio operator, and Cpl. Swafford, driver. They went with Lt. Colonel Isenberg and Captain Chamberlain to an observation post southwest of Erezee, it was receiving considerable artillery and mortar fire. Lt. Keate and Cpl. Swanson worked up thru the trees to an opening near the top of the hill. When they took out the field glasses to observe a Captain from the infantry yelled, “Put them away!”
The infantry Captain told them there was a German machine gun two hundred yards away. The machine gunner didn’t shoot only because he knew they would receive a hundred to one in exchange.
Apparently they saw the field glasses because mortars began to come in to the right. When they got closer, Lt Keate and Cpl. Swanson withdrew about fifty yards into the woods and waited for the action to quiet down.
Rather than drive a vehicle up the hill to establish the observation post, they ran a line up the hill to telephone back to the radio, as this would be less conspicuous.
When the three corporals started to prepare the wire, the lieutenant walked about five yards to ask a couple of men more details of the immediate situation. Just then mortars and 88s started to fall like a hail storm. One shell landed not more than fifteen yards from Lt. Keate. The two men which were standing on each side of him fell to the ground wounded. With that, the forward observer party tended to the wounded and drove the jeep with the injured under fire to the aid station.
While in this position the Germans fired Sceaming Meemies and artillery into the village of Erezee.
Although the progress had been slow the wedge was gradually being reduced. Once again it was necessary to move further to the east.
To Le Batty, about a mile southwest of Grandmenil
155 How. “Able Annie” 951st “A” Battery’s Howitzer at La Batty near Grandmenil
The infantry and tanks needed support and needed it in the worst way. The unit did not let them down. They arrived when needed and fired like mad. Twelve hundred fifty-eight rounds on the eighth and fourteen hundred and forty-six on the ninth.
By late December and early January, Grandmenil and Manhay had changed hands multiple times as the front line shifted back and forth. The 83rd Infantry Division was heavily engaged alongside the 3rd Armored Division in intense battles during the second week of January. They were moving through villages facing high casualty rates, sometimes losing 50% of a unit in just hours of fierce engagement. They were in a state of extreme physical and combat strain due to relentless fighting and the most severe winter weather in 60 years.
“After a very busy day, (firing over 900 rounds) we received orders to make an 8 mile forced march that night along icy secondary roads. A blizzard set in. It took 10 hours to cover those 8 miles”.5
The column finally reached Le Batty about a mile southwest of Grandmenil. Several trips were made back to the previous location to bring in all equipment and ammunition. Finally the first howitzers were in position.
The snow falling was so dense, the gunner and the executive could not see each other. Yet it was necessary that those guns be laid accurately so fire could be on the location it was asked for. Finally the blizzard subsided and this work could be completed. Sometime in the early morning the rest of the howitzers arrived and at noon the tractors had completed the laborious trip. It had been a terrific strain but still the cannoneers and others could not rest. Wire had to be laid and ammunition had to be fired.
“Working in a pre-dawn blizzard, men in Able Battery nearly froze while getting the guns laid. Two gun sergeants’ howitzers (John Renner and John Phillips) were located in an anti-personal mine field. Tape had been laid to mark a path. Lieutenant Russell Kelch was walking through the foot-deep snow to check the laying of the howitzers when he fell in a bomb crater which seemed to swallow him as it was 12′ deep. He was, however, unhurt.”6
The arrival of the 951st at Le Batty was a turning point of this battle because it provided the long-range, heavy support necessary to halt the German push toward Erezée. The howitzers arrived early in the morning and the battery fired 1,258 rounds on the 8th and 1,446 rounds on the 9th. The seven “Tank” fire missions and five “Vehicle” missions on January 9 targeted the mobile assets of the 2nd SS Panzer Division trying to escape in its retreat toward Houffalize.
The First Army and the Third Army met at Houffalize on January 16
In mid January, the First Army was moving south, while the Third Army was working its way north. The two armies were coming together like the jaws of a trap. At this point, German troops were desperately trying to keep roads open in a attempt to escape back into Germany. The front line was a blur where American and German units were intermingled.
Lt. McClure and Lt. Breen went out to register the battalion. The point selected was a little over a mile due north of Houffalize. While in the process of adjusting they noticed infantry and tanks working south on the road. On investigation, they turned out to be friendly troops. They were getting to close to the road junction so the mission was halted. A short distance to the west some other tanks were noticed so they flew a plane to make an identification. They too were friendly. While flying back they passed over a raging tank battle. Small arms and machine guns were fired at them. A bullet passed through the heel of the pilot’s shoe without piercing the skin. The foot was numb for two hours.
The object was Houffalize, which was an important road junction. If it could be cut, it would pocket a sizeable total Germans. The route to the new position was over snow and ice covered roads but DTs were used as prime movers and not too much trouble was experienced in the ten mile move to Callas, which is four miles east of Samree. In the area were many graves of SS soldiers. There also was a Sherman Tank which had been captured at the first breakthrough which bore SS markings.
SS Graves, Callas, near Les Tailles, Belgium, 14 Jan 1945
The bridge at Petite Langlir
On January 16, 1945, the Commander of the 188th Field Artillery Group (which included the 951st) sent his Battery Commanders as reconnaissance parties to scout for the next firing positions. They would meet at a church in Mont le Ban to ensure all Battery Commanders were synchronized before the heavy guns were brought forward.
On the 16th the reconnaissance parties went to look at an area to move into. It was in the vicinity of Mont le Ban. Petite Langlir is a small town on a hill. Several roads met on the top of the hill. The road which winds generally to the south passes over a bridge on a small stream. When the group party arrived at the road intersection there was a traffic jam which held the party up for some time. When the party just about arrived at the bridge the German artillery dropped a barrage which stopped all traffic. The bridge was zeroed in and area really received a plastering. While no one in the immediate party was injured, there were several soldiers of other organizations which were not so fortunate.
The bridge over the Langlir stream was located just south of Mont-le-Ban. At this time, the 83rd Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Division were pushing through Petite Langlir to cut off secondary escape routes and to capture Mont-le-Ban. The 329th Infantry Regiment (83rd Division), lost 3/4 of its men in the three-day battle clearing the woods around the bridge.
US Forces under attack, Belgium, January, 1945
Captain Chamberlain described how it feels to be caught in an artillery barrage while on the road with no foxholes or cover of any kind. (abbreviated):
When you lie on the surface and hear that whistle in the sky you know it is headed straight for you and there you are on top of everything. It bursts with a terrific noise and the ground shakes. It misses but dirt and other items fall on you. Just as you reach to see if there is any blood, the whistle of more trouble can be heard on the way. That is repeated time and again. Then there is a lull and you wonder if it is over. Finally you make up your mind and shout for your driver to hurry. He needs no coaxing. As soon as he hits the seat the vehicle is on the move. So it was with that party, as soon as there was a lull there was a mad scramble to get across the bridge and out of the vicinity.
As an officer in the 951st Field Artillery Battalion (part of the 188 Field Artillery Group), Captain Chamberlain’s mission was critical. Before moving massive howitzers forward, commanders had to personally scout firing positions to ensure they had “line of sight” for their observers and stable ground for the guns. German units used pre-calculated coordinates on bridges and churches to harass Allied movements even after their infantry had begun to pull back.
American Tanks Captured by German Breakthrough, East of Grandmenil, Belgium, Jan ’45
On the 18th the batteries moved to the areas previously selected. It was a short move of eight miles. Mont le Ban was their last position in Belgium. There, they fired a total of 1720 rounds between January 18th and the 24th. By January 24, about 20,000 enclosed Germans were prisoners of war, and the rest were crossing the Siegfried line back into Germany.
“By January 25, 1945, the German lines had been pushed back to their initial jumping off point. Hitler’s last gamble in the West had ended in failure. The Germans lost approximately 100,000 men, who could not be replaced, while Allied casualties were placed at about 80,000, killed, wounded, and captured“7
20,000 German prisoners
Rest and Refit, at Emptine, Hamois and Natoye.
Captain Ernest Chamberlain
Finally after a hard fight the Bulge was written off. And the battalion turned the other way and headed for a place of rest and refit after the tiring battle. On the 24th of January, Headquarters Battery, Service Battery, and the Medical Detachment moved into a large Chateau and other houses at Emptine. “A” and “B” Batteries were billeted in private homes in the town of Hamois. “C” Battery was billeted in a theater, school and private home at Natoye. The distance traveled was about forty-six miles on icy roads.
There was a brief training schedule. The main emphasis was placed on preparing the equipment to meet the grueling task of a continued war. The afternoons and evenings were devoted to pleasure as much as possible. Picture shows were shown, a jeep show put on several performances. Showers were rather far off… some traveled 20 miles to obtain one. Convoys of men went to Huy, Namar, and Ciney to see stage and picture shows. The men enjoyed the change of being able to talk with the civilians, as there was no nonfraternization ban. The civilians seemed well pleased to have the American troops in their area especially after the scare they had a few weeks previously. Eggs, Steak, Cognac, and even Milk were had by the members of the battalion that got friendly with those living there.
Start where we left off
It had been a vicious circle. On February 4, the unit went into position just a few thousand yards from the one last occupied before leaving in December to participate in the so called “Battle of the Bulge”. Now the drive for Cologne was going to start where it had left off.
On February 4, the unit began its push toward Bonn. Ten more positions and 90 miles and on March 22 the 951st crossed the Rhine River on a pontoon bridge. On May 17 they passed through Nordhausen where they were a witness to the horrific conditions of this concentration camp. On the 19th of April, the battalion moved to Stiege. On this date the last round was fired in combat, by the battalion. It was number 85,537 since landing on Utah Beach. V. E. day was May 8, 1945 and the war in Europe was officially over.
Battalion History, 951st F. A. Bn.
After V. E. Day, Lt. Colonel Isenberg asked Captain Chamberlain to write a battalion history. He had no experience in writing, but Isenberg knew he always finished what he started. Chamberlain made a request for typists, photographers and map draftsmen. By working night and day they got the manuscript ready. Another unit had agreed to print and publish the book free of charge. However, they received orders to return to the US, so Chamberlain had to find a way to have it assembled and printed in bombed out Germany. He almost missed his ship to get this done between VE Day and October, 1945.8 Several wooden boxes containing 2 feet by 3 feet uncut pages for 600 copies of the “951st F. A. Battalion History” were sent to his home in Utah.
Monument dedicated to the men of the 951st FAB, at Grandmenil, Belgium
Related links from “The Chamberlain Story”:
1. 27- Fay Barney Chamberlain: Dating and Marriage.
2. 28- Ernest M. Chamberlain after Pearl Harbor
4. 30- Dennis D. Chamberlain, Family and Early Memories During WWII
References:
- Wikipedia Operation Stösser.
- Bud Walradt (951st B Battery)
- https://premierrelics.com/us-field-gear/951st-field-artillery-battalion T/5 E. Morgan.
- “Fire Mission” Vol. 2 No 3, Rebecca Kelch- Bennett, editor
- Ernest M. Chamberlain, Sacrifices I Suffered as a Result of World War II, (unpublished)
- https://premierrelics.com/us-field-gear/951st-field-artillery-battalion T/5 E. Morgan.
- https://www.army.mil/article/15949/battle_of_the_bulge_ends_25_january_1945
- Ernest M. Chamberlain Sr., My Constant Companion and Prayer, unpublished.
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