|
|
|
The
40th - Their Own Story
Pt 4 of 6
There
was a cable job at Liege repeater. Then back to the first
Army. A spiral four job was started, fifty miles from Dinant
to Neufchateau. It was almost done when the Germans broke
through the thinly held center of our lines.
That was when the 40th was put to the test, for they were
the only construction outfit north of the Bulge , the only
one of very few Signal units of any kind up there where the
whole position in Europe was threatened and communications
needed more urgently than before.
The 1st Army again called for the 40th. Major William H. Cobb
was now in command and glad that he had a competent battalion
of workmen and soldiers under him.
The enemy had the weather as an ally. There was fog and snow
and icy roads to battle. -
All of this when lines had to re-routed , tons of line supplies
to be hauled in, lines put in to the Seventh and Eighteenth
Corps, back to Huy. There were shorter jobs, to the VHF stations,
to other First Army installations.
All of which was done well and quickly by a Signal battalion
that proved itself under fire, proved its worth so well that
a letter of commendation was received from the Signal officer
First United States Army.
When the back of the Bulge was broken, the Bn went back to
the Twelfth Army group but peace did not come for the Battalion.
The Germans had destroyed more than half of the Aubange-Jemelle
line. One enemy had been pushed back but the ice and snow
remained. And there were mines left behind, another truck
was lost for that reason, V-1 still came over. Two men were
injured by one which struck a building which A Co. had fortunately
just vacated. The
job from Spa to St. Vith was another trying time.
The snow and ice was leaving now, but in its place was mud,
broken up roads, and shell torn country. And the Germans had
sown mines liberally in roads and fields. The 40th not only
pushed its job through but worked day and night helping with
their mired vehicles and feeding stranded G.I.s.
Back
Next
|
|
