The
Battle for Tinchebray – TINCHEBRAY OFFENSIVE
(August 8-16, 1944)
(August 8-16, 1944)
"August
15 saw the infantry slam into Tinchebray and advance to the outskirts
of the far side to guard against possible counter-attack. Next day,
the division drew out of action and for the first time in the battle
of the hedgerows, the 2nd no longer had the enemy to its front. It
had come 40 kilometers in 20 days. The breathing spell came none too
soon. Almost immediately after the fall of Tinchebray, the 2nd
embarked on a 300-mile journey and the Battle of Brest."
Notes
from Sgt. Glynn Raby, Jr.
2nd
Battalion of U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment of U.S. 2nd Infantry
Division
(After
Vire) We went on further and took the town, Tinchebray, about August
12th. We got "pinched out" by other units and took a few
days rest. Meantime the armored units had started into Brittany –
their opposition retreated into seaport towns. We left Normandy about
August 17, went in our vehicles plus other trucks to near Brest.
Staff
Sgt. Hanford Maurice Rice Diary
1st
Battalion of U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment of U.S. 2nd Infantry
Division
August
8, 1944 (Tuesday): "Still holding at Vire. Digging in deeper. I
am still the platoon sergeant. Sergeant Morse goes to the 2nd
platoon."
August
9, 1944 (Wednesday): "(We are) north of Vire. Hiked 10 miles to
(new) positions."
August
10, 1944 (Thursday): "(We are) north of Vire. Holding the line
in case of counter attack."
August
11, 1944 (Friday): "(Our) forward outpost contacted the British.
(We) found lots of German weapons on a hill. (We) relieved the 2nd
Battalion. Norce hit."
August
12, 1944 (Saturday): "(Our) 1st Battalion attacked. (We)
captured 500 prisoners. A (German) command car (was destroyed). (It
is my) wife’s birthday."
August
13, 1944 (Sunday): "Holding the line."
August
14, 1944 (Monday): "Holding the line. Got paid. Sent home
$80.00. (I had) steak for dinner."
August
15, 1944 (Tuesday): "Holding the line at Vire. Took showers.
(Today is the day of the) invasion of southern France. Hit (the)
spearhead."
August
16, 1944 (Wednesday): "Taking it easy- eating and sleeping.
Sweating out the division getting relieved or motorized (which will
mean more combat for me)."
August
17, 1944 (Thursday): "USO show. Dinah Shore sang. Taking it
easy." (You will notice below my uncle's "B" Battery will be mentioned in regards to the USO show.)
August
18, 1944 (Friday): "Getting ready to move to Brest. We ride all
night. 27 men in (the) truck."
August
19, 1944 (Saturday): “We unloaded off of trucks at eleven o’clock
(11:00 am). Pitched tent. Bought eggs. (We are) 12 miles from Brest.”
August
20, 1944 (Sunday): “We moved to the airfield. (We) relieved the 8th
Division in pill boxes. Raining cats and dogs.”
 |
| 15th FAB Yearbook |
Somewhere in France
Aug 15, 1944
Dear Mother,
Here it is Aug 15 and I know you thought about it, yesterday added another year to my life and I hope by another year this mess will be over as I've sure had my belly full of this life. It makes me so darn mad when I hear about strikes and people crying back in the States, they should be over here for awhile maybe they'd change their mind.
I intended to write you yesterday but just didn't find time. Things were going ok and it was kind of quiet but I had a few other things to do. First- I take a bath every time I can as you never know when you'll get your next one. We found an old mill with a water wheel about twenty five to thirty feet high. The wheel was stopped but the water was running from the overshot trench above so we took two boards placed them across the spiders of the wheel and as there were a few boards missing from the wheel overhead it served as a good shower but gee was it cold, the water felt like ice falling from ten or more feet above. Ask Dad if he knows what is an overshot wheel. Tell him he's not an Old New Englander if he can't remember.
We are still on the move, as you realize from news reports that the spearheads are being pushed back. I don't see how they take it and then fight back. I have seen three thousand bombers with five hundred fighter planes for protection go overhead. When we shell them, we say "mail call Berlin, chow Hitler". The ground is full of holes from artillery and you can pick up shrapnel most any place.
A few days ago we moved from one of the most rotten smelling places I've been in during my life, dead cows, sheep and Germans and when night fell and the air became heavy you'd lay in your foxhole and it almost made you sick. Tell me life won't be different when I get home. This makes a fellow realize what home is, also how much a mother has to do to keep things going. I never realized so much before.
We are having the best of weather and quite warm in the afternoon which is some different then we had in the pass. It's a fact we could stand a little rain.
I saw Zip about a week pass and he seemed well, said he was thinking and wondering about me too. He didn't hit France for a month after I did. Guess it was too hot for kitchen crew and there were other things of more importance in order to get a toe hold so the Huns [Germans] wouldn't counter attack and drive us into the channel. How I happened to see him, it was like this. We stayed behind for two days and gave our gun [105mm howitzer] a good clean up with a new coat of paint and his outfit moved in right behind us so I took a walk back. It seemed good to see him. We talked for two hours or more.
If you can get me a film #120 and send it air mail I'll see what I can do about sending you a few pictures. I'm not sure but one fellow has a camera, he's in H. A. battery and can have them developed through the army then they'll censor them.
Sure glad you received my letter so you know where I am. I try to write you all I can or all I care about writing so you'll know how things are and won't have to guess so much. The poem was good and I enjoyed it. You can see by now it doesn't pay to worry until the time comes.
Sorry Ed had to go into the service and I'll write him a note if I can find time. Hope he gets a chance to go ahead as that will give him something to work for and take up his mind. It's not encouraging to stay at one place all the time, but then.
Did I give you the latest dope on war bonds? If not write me and I'll tell you later. They come out with something new every month or so. I won't be saving so much in war bonds now but will try to send some home to put in the bank.
Now that we are in combat everything is free what we get, and there's no place to spend a cent. It's a fact I'd pay a dollar for a small dish of ice cream -yes even more.
Yes, Mom, guess I'm better off that I didn't get married before coming over here. Not that I'm thinking about marrying Marian but she had such a quiet nice way about her. I know you'd like her and some how she'd be square to one if it went that far. All the time I knew her she never seemed to care about running around. Many times I went unexpected even one night at ten o'clock and she was home. She always dressed so neat. I had the remark made to me one day she looked like a star or a million dollars. But here is the truth when this mess is over I'm going to be free for awhile and have no one boss me. {maybe you} ha ha. [Marian was a girl he met when he was out at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin for boot camp (Picture of her at end of this post.) It appears she meant more to him then anyone ever knew. Pauline in Maine that he had been going out with before going into the army was another issue as you will soon read.] Guess Pauline thinks I'll get home one day and be married the next. I don't care the way she writes lately. I've sent her just one letter. [This is who he's thinking about when he writes "have no one boss me.]
Well I hear them calling for chow so will get my rifle and mess tools and start down the hedgerow. Will write when I can. Tell Dad the news sure looks good but don't underestimate the - Germans. Keep your chin up. This leaves me well, hope everything is the same at home.
Love to All
Charles
I mention Glynn Raby, Jr., and Hanford Maurice Rice often in these posts about my uncle Charles Knight; I, therefore, thought I would show a chart where each one served in the "Indianheads".
Comments:
*An Old New Englander is someone who grew up in the northeastern United States either in the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut.
*The Texan guys didn't understand about waterwheels since they were used more in the 1600'-1800's in the northeast part of the United States where there were many rushing rivers to help move the waterwheels at mills.
*Too hot for the kitchen crew meant his friend who were part of the cooks for the US Army was unable to land in Normandy as quickly as they had wanted because of the attacks coming from the Germans and there were some other things that had to be done first to make sure the American already in Normandy would not be driven back to the English Channel.
*square to one meant she would be faithful in a marriage
Marian Schedler in Wisconsin mentioned in letter
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