**********July 30, 1944 "The Foxhole is Home" (Post #62)*********

THE VIRE OFFENSIVE

15th Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia

COMBAT HISTORY OF THE

SECOND INFANTRY DIVISION 

https://www.olpl.org/documents/2ndInfantryDivision1946.pdf

15th Field Artillery Battalion Yearbook

Junkers Ju 88

The Junkers Ju 88 was a German World War II Luftwaffe twin-engine multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called Schnellbomber (fast bomber) that would be too fast for fighters of its era to intercept. It suffered from a number of technical problems during its development and early operational periods but became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it served as a bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter and at the end of the war, as a flying bomb.

Junkers Ju 88 in trouble

    

                   

The Battle For VIRE OFFENSIVE

(July 26 – August 7, 1944) 

STAFF SERGEANT HANFORD MAURICE RICE DIARY 

July 26,1944 (Wednesday):”We attacked on a large scale. (My company) Charlie company is in reserve. (Ernesto) Elizondo was killed that night. (Edwin
O.) Urbat, (Grady W.) Patterson, (Joseph T. Haughney) “Hoff”, (Sgt. August) Pilsner were killed. Artillery was hitting all around.

July 28, 1944 (Friday): “Hiked all night. Ate chow. Attacked at 1000 hours (10 am.). We passed the 23rd Regiment. (We) captured enemy weapons.”

July 29, 1944 (Saturday): “(We) Stayed there all day. Jerry shot down one of our planes.”

July 30,1944 (Sunday): “(We) Attacked all day. I have had very little rest. We lost 40 men (including) Captain Algers, Cobb, and Crumbly. (Our) first platoon was all shot up. The 2nd battalion relieved us. We only have 85 men and 2 officers left.”

July 31,1944 (Monday): “(We) Attacked all day and kept going at night (time). Crossed the railroad (tracks).”

August 1, 1944 (Tuesday): “(We) Attacked all day. Houses were burning. The local people lived in caves and gave us flowers and also milk.”

August 2, 1944 (Wednesday): "Crossed the (Vire) River. (We) held our (combat) line. A Jerry pill-roller (medic) gave himself up with two wounded."

August 3, 1944 (Thursday): "We attacked (again). Five men dropped out with combat fatigue. Stethem left so I took the 3rd platoon. (Enemy) artillery is falling like raindrops. (Those hit were) Captain Harvey, (Ed T.) Nisk, Kelly, (Robt. L.) Perkins, (Elgin L. G. Bauer) Bower, Storey. (There are only) 16 men left in the 3rd
platoon."

August 4, 1944 (Friday): "The 38th Regiment relieved us. We went back (to the division’s reserve area) for rest. The kitchen came up."

August 5, 1944 (Saturday): "Got replacements. Got bedding rolls. Had mail call. (We) thought we were relieved for good."

August 6, 1944 (Sunday): "(Went to the) USO show. (They had) Red Cross girls there and coffee and doughnuts. I had a quart of quantro [Cointreau is a brand of triple distilled orange-flavored liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is drunk before or after a meal]. Got organized."

August 7, 1944 (Monday): "Rolled our rolls. Moved toward Vire. (We) passed our old positions with the ammunition dump."

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LETTER JULY 30, 1944 TO HIS SISTER FLAVILLA

Somewhere in France
July 30, 1944

Dear Sister,
     Hope this letter finds you, Ralph and all the children in the best of health as I realize it's been some time since last I wrote, but now you may see the reason why. I am well, but you may be sure I'm ready to sail home anytime. Know you've had a question in your mind for a long time as to where I was. Well, here I am, somewhere in France, after taking part in the Grand Invasion. I would write telling you all about it, but paper is low and I see no way of getting any. I wrote Mother a long letter and know you can get more news from her.
     War is hell and there are many things I do not care to remember or talk about. It ruins and kills nearly everything in the path. Besides plenty of dead Jerries, I've seen dead cows, horses, pigs and chickens in the road, fields and everywhere. After a short time, or in just a few days, they all stink, which makes me think back. One day while eating chow I could smell something, then it came to me how when moving into place I had seen in one corner of the field two dead cows, twice their normal size, and a dead pig. Well, it's all part of war, which will give me every good reason to appreciate life more when I return home. Do not worry, as the worst is over and I'm still alive. I've been in the front since the very first.
     I received your letters, birthday cards and the picture of the children. That was some picture of David. Gee, don't they grow. I won't know them when I get back and I doubt if they remember me at first. You tell David he's quite the man. 
     I guess, Sis, all children like to play around a farm and as I looked at their pictures it made me a little homesick to think I couldn't be there to enjoy them.
     Wrote you, only received one letter since I left the U.S.A., but I know I've written more. Did you ever get the one telling what nice letters Magna wrote, but hadn't received one in a long time? I wrote to her twice, but she hasn't answered even up to now. She sent me a nice box of candy for Christmas.
     I'm writing now from a foxhole which is a little hard to write in. It's raining hard outside so this is the place I live and sleep when things are quiet on the Western Front. Guess I'll close and hurry off a few lines to Waneta before chow. Tell the children Uncle Charlie wants them to be good boys and girls and I'll be seeing them someday. Love to Ralph and all.
                                               Brother Charles
Enclosed is a piece of Invasion money
I had when reaching France. It's five Francs
or equal to ten cents.

3 inches by 2 and 9/16 inches