The 325th Combat Engineers

Bitche

"In 1661 Louis XIV built a monstrous Citadel in the middle of the far flung valley of Bitche. In 1870 mighty Prussian hordes of Frederick the Great bumped into the bastion city of Bitche and were routed. In 1914 the Kaiser's arrogant armies overwhelmed Metz and Nancy but struck a tartar when they assaulted Bitche. In 1940 Hitler's blitzkrieg rolled up to the Maginot Forts, struck at the Ensemble de Bitche, and was stopped cold." (399th history)

17 December 1944 "The days are tough but manage to get good sleeping quarters. I wonder if the safe sane life wil ever be mine. I can't picture myself spending an evening home with you knitting--a monotonous picture. Saverne(?) is a pretty little town--stores seem to be well stocked with food and clothing. Made a bargain for apple pie." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)
17 December 1944 "abatis at night. Supported and instructed 2nd Bn. in demolitions." (daily platoon reports)	Aerial bombs and artillery were bouncing 500 pound bombs off Fort Schiesseck like it was rubber. It was clear that they'd have to blow it apart.. (399th history)

"Fort Schiesseck consisted of nine "blocs" that included retractable turrets mounting twin 75 mm howitzers and 135 mm howitzers, casemate mounted 81 mm mortars, and turret-mounted twin machineguns. A casemate mounted 47 mm howitzer antitank gun protected the main entrance. The circular turrets were armored with thick steel shells and hydraulically rose from positions flush with the ground to fire. [It was dug 5 stories deep into the earth] Wherever the blocs projected from the ground, they possessed steel-reinforced concrete walls between 3 and 10 feet thick. Electric narrow-gauge trains connected the garrison' living quarters with the blocs and also carried ammunition from the heavily protected magazine. A huge bellows system provided overpressure throughout the fortress, to keep out poison gas and filtered all air brought in for ventilation of the tunnels. Bombs were completely ineffective. Artillery shells chipped the concrete. During a week long siege, infantrymen of the 3rd Battalion of the 398th Infantry Regiment and their sappers from Captain Upchurch's Company B, 325th Engineers, forced their way into the fortress, fought through the dark galleries at point blank range, and wrested Schiesseck from the Germans with pole-, satchel-, and shaped charges, 5,000 pounds of TNT, small arms, and in at least one instance, bayonets." (Century Division website)

19 December 1944 "How is my 'cherubic' wife this evening? I am going to give you some road work if I hear of you buying more war bonds with my money. Spent my time today hanging clothes on the line. Imagine they might dry in a month or so. Haven't had much snow as yet or cold weather. Keeping the fingers crossed. I have a rig all planned to install on trucks for snow plow. I have a swell playing German Victrola, portable model. By hook or crook, have picked up some nice records. I have two of Nelson Eddy that are my prize. Bauman and I cover a lot of territory together. New jeep is named the "Brow"(?) in big letters." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

19 December 1944 "Cleared log road block. Instructed 2nd Bn. in demolitions." (daily platoon reports--they were the far right edge of the whole Western Front)

December 19th--the Battle of the Bulge began. Patton who had been on their northern flank, roared northward. Patch took over Patton's sector, the 398th withdrew from Schiesseck, and the 399th took over the front of a full Division. The 2nd Battalion moved into position along the Lemberg-Bitche RR to guard the Division's right flank. (399th history)

late December "I had a very nice Xmas--turkey and the fixings, even a fifth of good old poison. Back in my nice apartment with the twin beds, which added to my Yule cheer. We have had some beautiful clear days, not much snow as yet. Waiting for some snow to track these deer over the mountains. Received the pipe, thanks--got plenty of tobacco and matches all the time. Not always my brand, of course. The Mercedes-Benz is going strong. Think I will bring it back for a souvenir." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

26 December 1944 "Prepared crater south of Bitche. Removed charges from trees previously prepared. Made Recon."

27 December 1944 "Prepared one crater. Blocked trails. Made recon."

28 December 1944 "Prepared abatis. Made reconnaissance in new sector"

29 December 1944 "All platoons checked blocks in defensive positions. Made recon in all platoon sectors. Lt. Joseph Banko killed and Sgt. Dooley seriously wounded by booby trap"

30 December 1944 "Prepared and guarded road blocks. Put out flares. Made recon of possible routes. Fixed charges and camouflaged abatis."

Expected the counterattack at any moment. Christmas Day was blessed with no casualties in the entire regiment and holiday turkey with all the trimmings. Some turkeys were frozen by the time they reached the forward OP's after dark, the only safe time.The 117th Recon was put on the right flank. The days were clear and an icy moon hung over the city every night. The regiment was stretched as tight as a fiddlestring as the rest of the army was pulled north. German Messerschmitts filled the sky. An outpost was found empty on December 28. German patrols were skirmishing, feeling for the Corps boundary between the 399th and the 117th Recon."The Jerries had more American parkas than we did." (399th history)

Sgt. Garfield blew himself up trying to demonstrate how to defuse a particular kind of mine. There were three wires. One you could pull and two you defused with a safety pin. But it was really cold. Some tried to warn him, but he insisted on the demonstration, blew himself up. They all run so hard the other way when it went off. (J. P. Wallis, 2003 Florida reunion)

The orders apparently were to preserve the bridges and roads because the advancing 7th Army would need them to move forward. So on 26 December, the charges were removed. But on 27 December, the 2nd platoon of Company C "blocked trails." My father decided to hell with the orders and looked for some way to block the massed German forces in that mountainous terrain. He realized that he could blow a series of stone road bridges that crossed high over railroad tracks in his sector so that the stone from the bridges dropped in a heap on the railroad tracks below, thereby insuring that both the roads and the railroads were unusable around Lemberg and the spot where the 399th was dug in. He always said that Bagley kept wanting to put him up for the Bronze Star for this or that, but he figured, if it was in the line of duty, it was just what he was supposed to be doing. But this one he figured he earned because he disobeyed orders.

The picture is of some other bridge, but I bet there were a number of bridges they blew they thought were "beautiful."

Operation Nordwind

"Watched the New Year in but wasn't expecting midnight exactly."

"December 31st it snowed. At 2200 hours of December 31st, twenty thousand German SS troops milled around in huge mobs in snow-covered Bitche eating chocolate bars. The chocolate contained dope. The Western Front was quiet. ...At midnight a total artillery barrage roared and rocked the American lines to rin in the New Year and ring out all communications. A mob of shadows stormed out of the moonlight...shrieking like Indians acting like they'd had a shot of something. They had.

"The German New Year's attack against the 7th Army hit first the Maginot city of Bitche and wave after wave of storm troopers smashed at the Corps boundary. The remnants of the 117th Recon cavalry boys got on their armored horses and could be heard rumbling off through the Bois de Bitche, leaving the 399th with two miles of open flank." (399th history)

The 399th (with Company C of the 325th Engineers) was the right flank of the 7th Army, which was the right flank of the Western Front.

"For hours the 399th fought off overwhelming 25-1 odds and then the enemy began drifting thousands of troops into the Bois de Bitche to surround the 399th rather than fight it. English speaking Germans came through in jeeps wearing American uniforms...The 117th Panzer Recon [came] rolling down from Bitche into Reyersvillier looking for a hole in the American lines. Behind the Recon was the massed armor of the 117th Panzer Division. The enemy was hitting for a Bulge. He never found one in the 399th Infantry....Every 7th Army division except the 100th had been pushed back during the New Year's counterattack. The 399th sat out at the tip of the Bulge, which nearly touched Bitche" (399th history)

Record of communications in and out of Bn HQ:

"1 January 1945, 0530 "Lt Morse calls to report the Germans are Counter Attacking"

Operations Summary January 1945:

"In the period from 1 Jan 45 to 31 Jan 45 inclusive, th 325th Engr Bn supported the 100th Division in performing its defensive mission in the area of Bitch-Rohrbach, France. Accomplishing this mission the Bn prepared and executed obstacles to impede the enemys attacks. Abatis, road craters, and critical bridges were prepared for demolition. Both hasty and deliberate minefields were laid. Concertinas, double apron, and single strand barbed wire fences were placed in front of the main line of resistance and reserve positions. Infantry emplacements were prepared.

"Numerous difficulties were encountered in carrying out these tasks. Because of the severe cold weather that prevailed during the period, explosives froze, prima-cord cracked and fuse lighteres failed to function. ..In the laying of minefields it was very difficult to bury the mines in the frozen grount. At first because of the necessity for speed the mines were laid on top of the ground and buried later. In most cases the unburied mines were covered by snow which fell during the period before burial could be accomplished. Great care had to be exercised in handling mines. It was found that water collected and froze in fuses of the mine wells. This created a dangerous pressure which could cause detonation upon activation of the mine. Many types of emplacements, including foxholes, mortar, machine gun, anti tank, anti aircraft and artilelery postions were prepared. It was found necessary to break the top crust of frozen ground by blasting. These emplacements were preapred after reconnaissance with Infantry and Artillery representatives. This work was slowed by the constant changing of Infantry sectors and the repeating of necessary reconnaissance. [Other activities--Roads plowed and sanded, started picket factory, solved problems with screws and pickets for barriers not going into the frozen ground, invented a snowplow."

Gordon Morse was apparently (and claimed to be in telling stories later) the "inventor" of the snowplow. He was one of the few in the Engineers from a snow belt in the mountains. Most were from the South or Northern cities. So he took one look at the flat blade plow that was standard issue and knew it was going to get them nowhere. He "invented" the kind of plow he knew from the railroads (his father was a railroad man) and the roads of the Catskills and Adirondacks--V shaped with flanges that threw the snow away from the shoulders of the roads. And they needed it that winter, one of the snowiest of the 20th century.

	Zeke Zederbaum "Beautiful Snow"

Heller--C Company was dug into the woods outside Bitche in range of the artiller. Pitched our tents and dug foxholes. He shared shelter halves with Jimmy Richardson.

A Foxhole that Engineers Built (Eschenberg Woods?).

He remembered that they had wires into the foxhole and electric lights--Heller

And a foxhole not quite as grand--Heller

Sgt. de Bruiter on the right. Eschenberg Woods--Heller

11 January 1945 "Thanks very much for the package. Snow has been intermittent and at present we have only four inches. Have been sanding a few roads to maintain traffic. I am back in the mountains with an underground shelter. As usual have all the comforts to good living. Radio is coming in clear tonite. BBC is spouting off, announcer sounds very snuffy.

Bagley is still hale and hearty, sitting beside me know. He has a cute little mustache. He feels pretty proud, had a little French girl give him a massage and shampoo. Willie has his usual stomach trouble and has been evacuated.

Watched the New Year in but wasn't expecting midnight exactly. Unit has more than held its own due in many ways to Company C. Blew bridges, roads, railroads. My sector made out good, although had some fun. We were ready and waiting; preparation in depth. Don't worry about the outcome. O'Neal and crew still balling works up. Feel sorry for poor civilians. O.D.T. decree." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"Entire platoon kept busy crating and reloading mines to take back to Bn Hqs. At noon time two trucks went out to sand roads. Eight men of the 2nd squad were guards on the road blocks" (daily platoon reports)

The entire month of January was round the clock fighting--small arms, tanks, artillery. Bagley (with Ding his driver and the radio operator) was doing recon on January 12 looking over locations for emplacements with the infantry officers.

22 January 1945 "Still in my nice comfortable hole. Four of us are in here. Platoon Sgt. just came back with shiny new bars--field commission. (picture of "hole" below)

"My vehicle is still going strong. Can't make up my mind whether the jeep or the touring car will be my vehicle for the day. Tickles me at times this war. Received my liquor ration this time with a bottle of gin--ration was Four Roses. Tough war, what? Think I will do a little rabbit hunting tomorrow. Can't seem to have much luck with the deer. Having French fried potatoes and Vienna sausage for evening snack. Smells good." (picture of car below, Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

This Field Commission was probably Thomas L. Aton. "Cleared road with snow plow from bivouac area to Rohrbach and also from Enchenberg to Sierstal. On e squad sanded roads in Enchenberg and Sierstal area. One truck reported to Bn Hqs for wire hauling detail. Rest of platoon worked on concertinas." (daily platoon reports)	"Weeks were spent underground in the hills...Water-filled foxholes behind the Dragon's teeth, little pillboxes in open pastures, the Garrison farms with their dead cow." (399th history)

"We learned this in the army. We built some pretty good fox holes, keep warm and keep the snow and ice off us. One winter there, when the Germans had us shut down, we'd spent six or eight days in the same hole. We pulled up big old logs and covered ourselves up and had a four or five man fox hole. And play cards and write letters. The only problem was when it started to melt, it would start driping. We were playing cards one night. I don't think your dad was there, but Bell was there. We were playing poker, sergeant, Bell, and Bauman was the driver for Captain Morse. He was in there with us. He'd play cards with us. And the Germans started shelling. Lots of guys had already gone in their foxholes and gone to bed. And we were up in a supply tent, just a tent. As the shells came in closer one guy said, "I believe I've had enough. I'm going to bed." One by one they'd leave and head for their foxhole. One by one they'd leave. One shell came in closer an knocked some of the tops out of some of the trees. Bell and I looked and leapt up and both ran into each other getting out of there. The trees were knocked with those 88s. We were running together for the hole and didn't say pardon me or you. We run for the foxhole." (T.C. Moore, 2001)

There was some nice sleeping in some of those foxholes. All built up with logs and dirt. You could crawl in there and settle in nice. (J. P. Wallis, 2003 Florida reunion)

Carl Blanton got hold of some extra blankets, so he was warm even though it was the coldest winter. He'd worked out a system of interlacing eight blankets in a down sleeping bag. It was real nice. (Carl Blanton)

"If I'd known you'd had all those blankets, I'd have taken some." . (J. P. Wallis, 2003 Florida reunion)

When I was a kid, we had a down mummy bag that had been Army issue. It was really warm, but when I said something about it, Dad said warm wasn't everything. When the Army issued the mummy bags, they were in combat. They quickly slit them up or worked out other arrangements because the last thing you wanted was to be all wrapped up in a sleeping bag with no zipper and no way out when the action started.

10 February 1945 "Warm weather still continues. Sun shone for awhile instead of rain all day. Bagley and I are shacking up together as usual. The old man has a crummy looking mustache. I have told him what he looks like. American news coming in. You poor thing, more snow. Reception is very good lately. German music maintains it's No 1 spot. Wish you could see my winter outfit. Quite the deal. Reversible one side white, the other O.D. with gray fur liner that looks like your coat. This letter is kaput. All is well." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"Majority of platoon still out on road blocks. At noon time all available men in the platoon went to St. Louis to cut planks to put in road from Lambach to K Co. CP. One truck went to Bn. for 6000 mile check up." (platoon daily reports)

February 9 was the 100th Division's 100th consecutive day in combat.

Zeke Zederbaum "Swell Camouflage"


Sometime during all this, platoon 2 of Company C seems to have come across some cameras.

Roads

Operations Report February 1945

"During the fall of last year the roads in this sector were subjected to very heavy tracked and wheeled traffice. Due to the fact that the roads were not built to wethstand heavy traffice and the great amount of rain that feel, the roads were generally in a bad state by the time the ground froze enough to hold up the loads. The roads weren't built for two-way traffice so the ditches were cut up in passing and the water didn't properly drain off. ...As the roads began to thaw and water from the rain and melting snow backed up, the surface of the roads seemed to be the level of frost; that is, vehicles cut down through the mud until they hit the still frozen subgrade. As soon as the frost was completely gone the roads no longer had a bottom and it was necessary to bulldoze out the old road nad construct a new road.

12 February 1945 "Rain and more rain which makes mud which makes work. Running gravel pit, making plank road, and going into general construction....Looking forward to the Pacific now when this thing is kaput. Just as well make a world tour. Remind me to tell you some time how beautiful the Strait of Gibralter is just about sunset with the mountains appearing blue and hazy or about the chalky formations on the southern coast of France on a sunny day with the sea a beautiful blue." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"Platoon still out on road blocks. Remainder of platoon went to St. Louis and cut planks for road." (daily platoon reports)

"A cold driving rain swept the snow from the hills on February 12th. Love Joes (Love = alphabetical code for Company L) crept out to the fallen tower on Signalberg, planted hundreds of dynamite charges, ran back, listened to a terrific explosion rock the night....Baker Company staged two raids the night of February 12th. Thomas Briggs and Richard Jones tooka patrol down through the gap in the black Dragon's teeth to neutralize Sussels Farm for the umpteenth time. The third platoon when after Needle's Eye pillboxes with a flame thrower...wading through intense enemy fire." (399th history)

19 February 1945 "We have had a thaw and the snow has all gone. My snow plow is idle now. The weather feels like Spring and all the manure piles are stinking. You are getting reckless in your old age with the red hat. That and the red dress will cause a few whistles. Three day trip to Paris set me up in the world. Won't mind Army of Occupation a bit if I get it in Paris. It is time for a little slaffen." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)
"Worked on upper road to Lambach. Hauled stone and rubble from Rohrbach station" (daily platoon reports)	"Morale was spotting the battered company jeep churning up through the mud with PX rations, rumors, and maybe a package. Morale was a cheerful letter form home describing the corner drug store. Morale was whether your two foxhole cronies were good Joes or 8-balls. Morale was hearing that there was going to be a drawing for two men per battalion to visit Paris or Brussels." (399th history)

26 February 1945 "All the snow you are having makes me feel for the home folks. We have had some clear sunny days now for quite a while, ground is beginning to dry up. Found some pussy willow today, a lot of new birds around too. Took one of my reconnaisance trips the other day it was so nice, supposedly looking for road materials, nearest excuse I could find. It is really nice country, scenery is beautiful. Bagley and I took a nice long hike this morning to look over some of our projects. I had a dream last nite, stopped by to say hello on my way to the Pacific. Pleasant, what? " (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"Worked on Enchenberg to Lambach road. Used two trucks from 1st platoon to haul gravel." (daily platoon reports)

"The last days of February the sun came out and a strong wind chased big white clouds across the Winter Line. On towering Signalberg, doughboys stripped to the waist, took baths in the natural springs which dotted the hillside, lay basking in the sunshine out front of their foxholes." (399th history)

Operations Summary: From period 1 March to 16 March, the engineer operations were primarily road maintenance.

3 March 1945 "Somewhere"--"We still continue with our warm sunny days. I certainly feel sorry for you with the snow and cold. It is just nice and cool nights for good sleeping, skim of ice on the ponds in the morning. Have a new outfit for my second excursion to Paris. Hope to leave around the sixth of the month going to run the captured car up there this time. It is really a hard war, don't you think? You would have laughed a while back, the infantry was hearing voices down in the tunnels of a captured pillbox. Bagley and I undertook the mission with explosives and routed out pigs, chickens, and a goose--a very dangerous mission against a determined enemy. We chased the goose for some time before it gave in. Bauman isn't driving the jeep any more, appointed him as one of my squad leaders. He is doing a good job. Willie would be glad to hear of that. Have some very goo d champagne and cognac tonite. The boys have a new slogan, "Golden Gate in Forty Eight."" (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"One squad left as guards on road blocks. Another squad made up corduroy mats for Battery C of 925th FA [field artillery]. The other squad drained and ditched road from Enchenberg to Guisberg. A truck hauled a load of gravel to 925th FA gun positions. Another truck hauled steel pickets from Rohrbach to Battalion." (daily platoon reports)

"All the replacements--or reinforcements as the Army preferred calling them--went up to the Belgian Bulge all winter but in early March the 399th began filling up. American patrols probed Steinkopf and roamed freely up the deep canyon of the Kirsheidt. The enemy was becoming harder to contact all the time. Up north the 1st and 9th Armies were slugging toward the Rhine and Patton was zigzagging up the Moselle Valley, which confronted the 7th Army with the Maginot and Siegfried Lines." (399th history)

[At the end] we got the guy with the size 14 shoes. He had blankets and stuff around his feet and his shoes had wore out. Like some of the Civil War veterans. And we had two or three guys who were older fellows who made it through. Hair was white-headed. And it looked like an old bunch of guys coming back home to some of the army of occupation who were just getting there. It's a great experience to live through something like that. But there were some very very close calls for all of us. (T.C. Moore, 2001)

J.P. Wallis thought the tall man in the picture to the right was the one with the size 14 feet. A tool sergeant and demolitions man. (J. P. Wallis, Florida reunion, 2003)

I think Dad is in the driver's seat. He thought it was a trip to the showers, which J. P. Wallis recalled they got about once a week. I don't know when this is other than it was with the photos that he stacked together as being during combat, but it seems to be when there are leaves on the trees, so some time later in the spring perhaps.

10 March 1945 "Somewhere"--"Back from a four day furlough, can't get used to noises. All that I heard in Nancy was horns blowing. Had a very nice hotel room, would equal anything in the States. Like to feel those sheets. Universal went out in my car. It is in an Ord. depot between Nancy and Paris. Sounded like a German Minnie woofer going by when it went out. Wish you could see my new combat blouse, looks like Patton's. Certainly feels good to get dressed up in the pinks again and strut around. My German and French conflict on occasions, get to express myself in various tongues." (Gordon Morse to Margaret Morse)

"All the replacements--or reinforcements as the Army preferred calling them--went up to the Belgian Bulge all winter but in early March the 399th began filling up. American patrols probed Steinkopf and roamed freely up the deep canyon of the Kirsheidt. The enemy was becoming harder to contact all the time. Up north the 1st and 9th Armies were slugging toward the Rhine and Patton was zigzagging up the Moselle Valley, which confronted the 7th Army with the Maginot and Siegfried Lines." (399th history)

"We fight for Bitche four months and then we march through it in 10 minutes and out the other side."

Operations Summary: After the fall of Bitche the battalion anticipated the attack on the Siegfried Line. Assault squads and demolition teams were given more training in assault of a fortified line. We didn't assault the line but followed the third division through at Zwiebrucken.

Home	Combat Engineers	Men
France	Combat	Vosges
Bitche	Rhine	Heilbronn

The 325th Combat Engineers

Bitche

Roads

"We fight for Bitche four months and then we march through it in 10 minutes and out the other side."

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