March 21 & end on March 30, 1945
March 21-30, 1945
15th FAB Yearbook
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| HOWITZER 105 |
15th FAB Yearbook
With
the crossing of the Rhine River the battalion was to enter the last
phase of the war against a weakened but still determined
enemy. Moving through the
searchlight-illuminated Rhine valley on March 21st, the battalion
crossed a pontoon bridge near Remagen and was emplaced above
Rhinebrohl as a reinforcing battalion to support a morning attack to
expand the bridgehead to the south. Supporting this attack by
dusk displacements, the battalion set up near Leutesdorf
on the 22nd of March and Rodenbach
on the bank of the Wied river the following night. Remaining in this
position on March 24th, the 15th Field Artillery prepared for
a sustained forward attack which carried it to Weis
on the 25th. During the evening a forward observer party of
“B” Battery was ambushed with other doughboys by a group of
by-passed enemy troops and suffered losses.
One involved in the ambush was 2nd Lt. Clay J. Ritter, the Forward Observer of Company B of the 15th FAB, and the jeep he was riding in at the time. "I had a jeep with a driver and radio operator, but we moved slowly with the foot soldiers. As we approached a curve on a hill, a German machine gun opened fire. The sniper seemed to be everywhere at once. I could feel the bullets whizzing past my body. I dove in a ditch with my sidearm in hand. After the enemy was taken out, I stood to see my uniform covered in blood and human tissue. My driver's head took a direct hit and its contents exploded on me. My radio operator and about 9 riflemen who had hitched a ride on the jeep also died."
The two men were Pvt. Elmer Curley and Pvt. B.D. Wiginton. His daughter, Linda Ritter Carroll, shared her father was haunted by their death the rest of his life.
[Clay Ritter's Memoirs in green]
Moving just west of Hohr-Grenzhausen on March 26th, attacks were supported with good success. One self-propelled enemy gun near the 15th FAB area fired 50 rounds of harassing fire and defied all attempts of ground and air OP personnel to locate it. Capt. Richards of the attached AAA Battery captured two PW's in our area during the evening. Displacing to an assembly area near Hilderscheid and on to Ndr. Elbert on the 26th of March the 15th Field Artillery saw the last organized line of resistance crumble and prepared to transport infantry following combat commands of armor for deeper thrusts into the Reich. A three-day advance carried the 15th Field Artillery through Hadomar, Oberndorf, Wetzlar, home of the Leica camera, Giessen, Ndr. Ofleiden to Obr. Waroldern, over 130 kilometers in airline distance. Positions were north of the Eder See in a narrow corridor of contact connecting the 1st and 9th U. S. Armies and forming the original Ruhr pocket. No contact had been established but was imminent, and the battalion's howitzers were emplaced for all round defense of the town, billeting the 15th Field Artillery and 3rd Battalion 9th Infantry.
One involved in the ambush was 2nd Lt. Clay J. Ritter, the Forward Observer of Company B of the 15th FAB, and the jeep he was riding in at the time. "I had a jeep with a driver and radio operator, but we moved slowly with the foot soldiers. As we approached a curve on a hill, a German machine gun opened fire. The sniper seemed to be everywhere at once. I could feel the bullets whizzing past my body. I dove in a ditch with my sidearm in hand. After the enemy was taken out, I stood to see my uniform covered in blood and human tissue. My driver's head took a direct hit and its contents exploded on me. My radio operator and about 9 riflemen who had hitched a ride on the jeep also died."
The two men were Pvt. Elmer Curley and Pvt. B.D. Wiginton. His daughter, Linda Ritter Carroll, shared her father was haunted by their death the rest of his life.
[Clay Ritter's Memoirs in green]
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| The center section of the Battery B 15th FAB group picture taken June 1943 at Camp McCoy. Both men and my uncle in red circle identified. |
Moving just west of Hohr-Grenzhausen on March 26th, attacks were supported with good success. One self-propelled enemy gun near the 15th FAB area fired 50 rounds of harassing fire and defied all attempts of ground and air OP personnel to locate it. Capt. Richards of the attached AAA Battery captured two PW's in our area during the evening. Displacing to an assembly area near Hilderscheid and on to Ndr. Elbert on the 26th of March the 15th Field Artillery saw the last organized line of resistance crumble and prepared to transport infantry following combat commands of armor for deeper thrusts into the Reich. A three-day advance carried the 15th Field Artillery through Hadomar, Oberndorf, Wetzlar, home of the Leica camera, Giessen, Ndr. Ofleiden to Obr. Waroldern, over 130 kilometers in airline distance. Positions were north of the Eder See in a narrow corridor of contact connecting the 1st and 9th U. S. Armies and forming the original Ruhr pocket. No contact had been established but was imminent, and the battalion's howitzers were emplaced for all round defense of the town, billeting the 15th Field Artillery and 3rd Battalion 9th Infantry.
Somewhere in Germany
First U.S. Army
Sec. Inf. Div.
Mar. 21-30, 1945
Dear Mother,
With the weather fair and signs of coming spring it sure makes one feel better then in the pass. Quite a change since last I wrote.
For over a week now the weather has been good, of course it's still cool being so early in the spring but as I walked through the woods the other day I noticed some of the trees were budding and heard the songs of new birds.
I've sent you a box and the napkin rings were some I had at the same time I sent you the egg stands, etc. The money in the white bag save but that in the black pocket book you may give away for souvenirs if you like.
I see you received the twenty-five dollars I sent, now I'm writing for the answers to another letter. Seem you should have it by now.
Gee, I just can't keep up on birthdays and other dates as half the time I don't know the date myself. I've just give up thinking about them until this is over.
I received a very nice letter from Dora Sullivan. Dora and another woman from the Main office at S.D. Warren are ones in charge of the Warren Mill News which is sent out to all the boys in service from S.D. Warren. They receive letters from all parts of the world; then they take parts from each letter and make up a small mill paper. I really enjoy it very much. Her letter was in answer to a very long letter I sent. She read the letter saying it touched her very much. I guess nearly everyone in the main office read it. One girl even had her read it over twice. After reading the letter she wrote about sending it over to the office of the president of S.D. Warren, John Hyde. You know where his home is - that nice house on the right pass the mill. I really feel this as an honor. After going to his office it went to L T Gorries and then to the finishing room.
You wrote about the fox and that is the way they walk one foot in front of the other leaving one straight line of tracks.
##I could tell Dee plenty in less than five minutes if I saw her. I don't blame Helen (his sister in Florida) one darn bit. (It appears Dee is upset that Helen didn't wave to a possible German POW. 10,000 German POWs were held in 27 camps in Florida. Sometimes they worked in companies or on farms.) One thing Helen realizes is that she has a brother over here and maybe the very Kraut she waves to will be the one that was sniping and pinned me down for so long right after hitting shore (Omaha Beach) climbing in the ditch that was filled with black muck that stunk like hell, but instead of trying to avoid it I just tried to crawl deeper into it. He also might have been the cause of missing buddies and many other things one can't forget. What in the world is the trouble with some of the American people? By gosh, Dee may wave if she likes but when thinking of these things I can't give the rats a smile. I've read of some just like Dee that even say they act more like gentlemen than their American boys. Some want even to get married. I'd like to be guard over some of them. Just about the time one of them went on a sit down strike I'd give him something to change his mind; he wouldn't stay on his ass very long. Let me tell you one thing, it would take more than an open door to cool me off now. Remember what you wrote? ha ha, As you wrote it's just as well not to say too much.
Here it is quite a few days later and I haven't finished this letter to you. Guess I'll just continue even if it is March 30th as I have received a few letters since then.
First off, the weather is still with us and spring is fast on its way. The nights are still cold but the sun feels good during the day. We do have rain now and then but that is spring.
Gee, I have the package with the salve as it came the twenty-fourth and postmarked sometime in March but I couldn't make out the day. I won't say now rather it will heal or cure but it's sure a big help even if I've only used it twice. You may not believe it but I was using a chap-stick ha ha.
Haven't as many clothes now after turning most of them in - overcoat, clothing and all but two blankets to go with our sleeping bag.
I guess Patton does cover the frontlines in the papers back home but as you said, "He's not the only one fighting over here." Seems he goes for that frontline stuff. Oh well, it's not always the rooster that crows the loudest which does the most good.
Sure hope you make out well with the turkey.
So you see about a few things but I wonder if you could see beyond?
Received Eugene's (brother) pictures and they were o.k. No doubt he picked the best ones to have made. Also received the big one you cut out but it's all gone by now. He sure looked happy.
The stamps you got from Roosevelt Match of Dimes is a good thing. A few dimes are not much but they add up to a lot. You see, he had about the same sickness which left him lame. You'll always notice he has an aid with him while standing.
Flavilla (sister) sent me a picture of James Larravee Jr's. wedding and I could hardly believe it. I don't know the girl.
I guess the letter I wrote the Mill News went all over the place as Glena (the woman with the green car that called at the house) wrote me a letter telling all about it. Gee, I don't know what I said but seems I've been pretty popular for the past few weeks at the mill. Still that won't get me home and that's the only thing I care about.
That's okay if you let Jeanette (His brother, Eugene, future wife.) take the books or anyone else or even anything else I've sent home if you consider the person you let them take it first.
Your letter today of March 16 with the seal of Maine on it sure looks good. Guess there are a few others before this one telling me Eugene being sick as you started off as I already knew. Hope he's feeling better now.
Well, Mother, not much more I can think about now or that I care to write about. Hope Dad received my letter. Tell Eugene to keep up the courage and hope he'll soon be well.
Love to All
Charles
##I could tell Dee plenty in less than five minutes if I saw her. I don't blame Helen (his sister in Florida) one darn bit. (It appears Dee is upset that Helen didn't wave to a possible German POW. 10,000 German POWs were held in 27 camps in Florida. Sometimes they worked in companies or on farms.) One thing Helen realizes is that she has a brother over here and maybe the very Kraut she waves to will be the one that was sniping and pinned me down for so long right after hitting shore (Omaha Beach) climbing in the ditch that was filled with black muck that stunk like hell, but instead of trying to avoid it I just tried to crawl deeper into it. He also might have been the cause of missing buddies and many other things one can't forget. What in the world is the trouble with some of the American people? By gosh, Dee may wave if she likes but when thinking of these things I can't give the rats a smile. I've read of some just like Dee that even say they act more like gentlemen than their American boys. Some want even to get married. I'd like to be guard over some of them. Just about the time one of them went on a sit down strike I'd give him something to change his mind; he wouldn't stay on his ass very long. Let me tell you one thing, it would take more than an open door to cool me off now. Remember what you wrote? ha ha, As you wrote it's just as well not to say too much.
Here it is quite a few days later and I haven't finished this letter to you. Guess I'll just continue even if it is March 30th as I have received a few letters since then.
First off, the weather is still with us and spring is fast on its way. The nights are still cold but the sun feels good during the day. We do have rain now and then but that is spring.
Gee, I have the package with the salve as it came the twenty-fourth and postmarked sometime in March but I couldn't make out the day. I won't say now rather it will heal or cure but it's sure a big help even if I've only used it twice. You may not believe it but I was using a chap-stick ha ha.
Haven't as many clothes now after turning most of them in - overcoat, clothing and all but two blankets to go with our sleeping bag.
I guess Patton does cover the frontlines in the papers back home but as you said, "He's not the only one fighting over here." Seems he goes for that frontline stuff. Oh well, it's not always the rooster that crows the loudest which does the most good.
Sure hope you make out well with the turkey.
So you see about a few things but I wonder if you could see beyond?
Received Eugene's (brother) pictures and they were o.k. No doubt he picked the best ones to have made. Also received the big one you cut out but it's all gone by now. He sure looked happy.
The stamps you got from Roosevelt Match of Dimes is a good thing. A few dimes are not much but they add up to a lot. You see, he had about the same sickness which left him lame. You'll always notice he has an aid with him while standing.
Flavilla (sister) sent me a picture of James Larravee Jr's. wedding and I could hardly believe it. I don't know the girl.
I guess the letter I wrote the Mill News went all over the place as Glena (the woman with the green car that called at the house) wrote me a letter telling all about it. Gee, I don't know what I said but seems I've been pretty popular for the past few weeks at the mill. Still that won't get me home and that's the only thing I care about.
That's okay if you let Jeanette (His brother, Eugene, future wife.) take the books or anyone else or even anything else I've sent home if you consider the person you let them take it first.
Your letter today of March 16 with the seal of Maine on it sure looks good. Guess there are a few others before this one telling me Eugene being sick as you started off as I already knew. Hope he's feeling better now.
Well, Mother, not much more I can think about now or that I care to write about. Hope Dad received my letter. Tell Eugene to keep up the courage and hope he'll soon be well.
Love to All
Charles
## Uncle Charlie let's off some pent up emotions in that paragraph. Dee had hit a major nerve.
In the center of the seal, a moose (state animal) rests under a tall pine tree (state tree). A farmer and seaman represent the traditional reliance on agriculture and the sea by the state. The North Star represents the state motto: Dirigo ("I Lead").
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Three items mentioned in the letter
Napkin Rings & Egg Cups of Belgium
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| Maine State Seal |
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Video 3
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