A. - 1st Battalion: 17 September to 24 September 1944.

The 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry, commanded by Lt. Colonel Shields Warren, Jr., landed on DZ "T" (765585) and assembled rapidly. The battalion had moved to and occupied its assigned initial objective in the vicinity of DE PLOEG (725594) by 1830 hour, five hours after landing. This operation involved a march through enemy territory to the objective three miles from the assembly area.

At 2030 hour, 17 September, Companies A and B moved into the town of NIJMEGEN, to seize the road bridge across the WAAL RIVER, while Company C remained in position holding the high ground at DE PLOEG. Upon entering the town Companies A and B met strong resistance from the enemy garrison supported by armored vehicles. The attack was made with no prior reconnaissance, based on information from Dutch civilians that NIJMEGEN was practically defenseless. After two hours of street fighting in the dark, the action had become localized to platoons, squads, and even smaller groups.

The night of D Day, 17 September, found the 1st Bn deployed as follows: Bn CP in the vicinity of 731591. Company A, followed by Company B, attacking to seize the NIJMEGEN highway bridge, had reached and was fighting in the parkway at 716625. A platoon of Company C plus the Bn S-2 section, by a different route and at an earlier hour had advanced to and fought in the same parkway. This unit returned to Company C and the Bn CP respectively at 0800 hour, 18 September. Company C, less one platoon, was in battalion reserve in the vicinity of the Bn CP.

After bitter street fighting during the night 17-18 September, Company B had pushed through the Company A position to vicinity 708621 by daylight. Shortly after dawn Company A was in the process of reorganizing to push the attack to the final objective when a strong German attack developed on the south regimental flank in the WYLER area. The Germans were already beginning to overrun the glider landing zone located there. At 0800 hour 1st Bn was ordered to send Company C  to the vicinity of GROOTE VEIERENBERG (747584) to hold the high ground at that point and to secure a line of departure for a contemplated counterattack to clear the landing zone. Company A and the 81mm mortar platoon returned to the DE PLOEG area, reorganized, and moved out to the southeast prepared to either attack to clear the landing zone or to move east and attack the NIJMEGEN bridge in conjunction with Company G which was making good progress towards the bridge from the southeast. Company B remained in possession of the park at 716625.

By this time Captain Adams and a platoon of Company A, still in NIJMEGEN, had reached and destroyed what is believed to be the control room for the demolition of the bridge. Captain Adams and this platoon were cut off, surrounded, and remained in NIJMEGEN, eventually rejoining their battalion on 22 September. During the time they were cut off, this force was fighting constantly, engaging a superior German force.

On the glider landing zone Company D was engaged in bitter fighting  with a much larger German force. By 1100 hour, 18 September, the enemy had surrounded Company D and was threatening to overrun the regimental supply dump. The regimental S-4 had organized the supply personnel into a fighting unit and was evacuating his supplies under enemy fire. The seriousness of the situation necessitated prompt and forceful action.

The 1st Bn was ordered to attack without delay to drive the enemy from the landing zone with the KAMP-LAGEWALD road the battalion objective. Company B move from NIJMEGEN to DE PLOEG to rejoin the remainder of the battalion. From there Colonel Warren moved his unit to the line of departure at GROOTE VEIERENBERG, now secured by Company C.

At 1230 hour the battalion attacked, Companies B & C abreast, Company C on the right. The CP group followed in the center at 300 yards, with Company A following Company B at 400 yards, in battalion reserve. Emerging from the woods 600 yards northwest of VOXHIL, the companies encountered heavy small arms fire but quickly pushed beyond the first high ground. A Bn CP was established in the vicinity of 762578. Continuing the attack at a run, Companies B and C cleared enemy opposition in the vicinity of VOXHIL-VOSSENDAAL, 7757. Company A, less one squad which cleared the high ground on the left flank (vic. of 764583), pushed rapidly up WALDGRAAF ROAD to the vicinity of VOSSENDAAL-WYLER (781583). The 1st Bn seized its objective at 1400 hour, as the gliders were coming in to land.

In this action the battalion killed approximately 50 Germans and captured 149. The battalion also neutralized 16 20mm guns which had been firing on the landing zone. Up to this point losses were light, due to the speed of the attack. (Four WIA in the CP group, two KIA and five WIA in the rifle companies).

Two squads on the left flank in the vicinity of 763583 reported that an indefinite number of Germans were moving from the vicinity of ALTHORST (767587).

The Bn CO had Company A organize a defensive position in the vicinity of the high ground 200 yards northeast of the WALDGRAAF ROAD near 763583. Company B occupied the high ground in the vicinity of VOXHIL, 767583-765567. All companies established an outpost system 200 to 600 yards in front of this MLR before dark. Bn CP was established in vicinity of 757575. Company C made contact on the right flank with the 505th Parachute Infantry in vicinity of KAMP (763563).

During the night and early the next morning the line was extended to vicinity of TEUFELS BERG (764597) - ALTHORST (767587) - high ground (763583) - high ground (765576), with a platoon roadblock at WYLER and a point at 778580. Company E took over the VOXHIL area on the right flank.

Principal features of this series of quickly changing events were:

(1) The excellent control of all echelons of the battalion from the time of the drop through the period of this narrative.

(a) The rapid movement to and occupation of the first objective.

(b) The daylight withdrawal from the town in the face of German resistance.

(c) The rapid move to a directionally opposite objective.

(d) The attack from the correct area after a 2000 yard deployed march, much of it through heavy woods.

(e) The dashing attack, almost on a run, for 1000 to1200 yards in the face of 20mm, 40mm, and small arms fire.

(f) The prompt reorganization and movement without casualty to a chosen defense line, followed by prompt outposting and digging in.

(2) The excellent timing in employment of the battalion reserve for exploitation of a reeling enemy on the landing zone.

(3) The rapid decisions and orders of the Bn CO, who after an all night street fight, throughout the next day, vigorously led the battalion on a rapid approach march
followed by a fast attack and reorganization.

(4) The movie-thriller sight of landing gliders on the LZ as the deployed paratroops chased the last of the Germans from their 16 20mm guns.

At 1530 hours on the 19th CO Company A (Lt Foley, commanding in the  absence of Captain Adams, who was still fighting in NIJMEGEN) was alerted for an attack on HILL 75.9. Company A at this time consisted of 2 officers and 42 men from the original company plus an attached platoon of Company G numbering 34 men and 1 officer. At 1600 hours the Bn CO ordered Company A to seize and hold HILL 75.9 and established a roadblock at its base, where the BAD WYLER causeway met the main highway (765598).

The attached platoon of Company G had been beaten off the hill three times during the morning by an estimated company of German paratroopers. With the enemy on the eastern, western and northern slopes of HILL 75.9 Lt. Foley led his company through the woods, approaching the crest from the south and arrived at the LD undetected. 200 yards south of the crest. Company A deployed and charged the crest at a run. The Germans on the summit were literally yelled out of their holes, but recovered on the slopes and fought bitterly from positions on the hillside. They counterattacked repeatedly, supported by eight LMG's, but the men of Company A, fighting from hole to hole, gradually drove them down the very steep hill.

At 1800 hours on the 19th Company A's five light machine guns were emplaced on the crest, from where they fired on the Germans as they fled north across the open ground and southeast down the highway to WYLER. A Company lost ten men killed (all shot in the head) and seven wounded. Enemy dead littered the hillsides. At the foot of the hill the enemy left three motorcycles, two staff cars, a truck in running order and another truck which was damaged, two intact 20mm cannons with 300 rounds of ammunition, thirty odd rifles, and most of their miscellaneous individual equipment.

At twilight the company reorganized and took up positions in the foxholes vacated by the enemy. Owing to the long battalion front (approximately 2000 yards) Company A was almost isolated from the remainder of the battalion, and it was extremely easy for the enemy to infiltrate in force through the wooded hills around the company. During the night, however, a carrying party of twelve men under Lt. Kelly (Bn S-4) reached the hill with ammunition. In the morning Company C on Lt. Col. Warren's order, flushed the area around DEVIL'S HILL, seizing 12 prisoners who had fled from the hilltop toward HOLLAND instead of into GERMANY during the previous days' attack. The prisoners evacuated our wounded. Two British M-10's, approaching from the 3rd Bn area, picked up 10 wounded Germans in the area who had been unable to retreat with their company.

At the same time that Company A was completing the capture of HILL 75.9, Company B, less one platoon, was attacking WYLER. After driving out the German garrison, estimated at one company, Company B quickly reorganized and established a defensive position and a roadblock at the main junction in the town. The roadblock was reinforced with two 57mm AT guns. At daylight the following morning four prisoners were captured in the houses of the village.

At approximately 0800 hour, on the 20th, a German truck carrying supplies and 10 men approached the roadblock from the southeast. One of the 57mm guns fired and a MG fired on the truck. The truck was disabled and all except three Germans, who escaped along a road ditch into the woods, were killed. At about 0810 a motorcycle approached from the same direction. The rider saw the demolished truck, turned and rode away before he could be killed. At 0845 hour enemy infantry, estimated at one company, was seen moving across the open ground from southwest to northeast at a distance of about 800 yards from the road block. The enemy was partially concealed by the heavy mist and moved out of sight in the hedgerows and ditches towards GERMANY. At 0930 hour the road block received ten rounds from an enemy artillery piece (88mm or 75mm) located in ZYFFLICH, GERMANY (7859). Artillery fire was adjusted on the gun position by 300 radio and no more fire was received from there. At 0950 hour the roadblock received fire from two enemy 20mm guns located in ZYFFLICH, and from enemy MG's at 792587. At the same time it was discovered that troops (estimated two companies of infantry) were advancing from the north and northeast. An artillery barrage was called for immediately and it broke up the enemy attack on both fronts. About an hour an a half later the enemy again advanced in force, firing MG's and small arms. The fire was returned, and a fight began; at the same time sniper fire broke out from several houses in the village. The Germans set fire to a couple of buildings and under cover of the smoke began to infiltrate around the road block. The enemy advance continued across the field developing into a strong attack of battalion strength, well supported by artillery.

During the night 19-20 the enemy activity in Company A's sector increased. At dawn a company of enemy, with artillery and mortar support, attacked the hill, making fanatical assaults up the hillside. In the middle of the firefight German fire ceased and a well-dressed German officer stepped into the open calling on A Company to surrender. Lt. Foley replied, "If you want me, come and get me!", and ordered his men to resume fire. The fight continued for an hour before the attack was repulsed. Company A suffered one casualty, killed by an artillery tree burst.

On September 21st, Lt. Havens and 14 men, who had been holding high ground to the south, rejoined the company. An hour after they had left their former position German machine guns were still firing on it. Lt. Havens placed his men to the "rear" of the company (the south side) just in time to assist in repulsing the final and most bitter attack. On the next day Captain Adams, Lt. Lamm and the remainder of the 1st platoon returned to the company from NIJMEGEN.

From 20-23 September, Company A repulsed four attacks in company plus strength. Attacks were made by parachutists (fighting as regular infantry), plus marines and flak troops. The parachutists were especially fanatical, at one time charging to within 15 feet of the machine guns located 300 feet above the road on the hilltop. Attacks were made from three and four sides at once. Food and ammunition were extremely short. At one time a patrol of selected NCO's sent to battalion for ammunition, returned (with 4 bandoliers, 1 box of LMG, and 200 rounds of TSMG, apiece) to find that the enemy had attacked in their absence, that automatic weapon ammunition had been entirely expended, and that the riflemen were down to an average of five rounds (not clips) apiece. One rifleman asked his squad leader where the company would withdraw when out of ammunition and was told, "We can withdraw straight up or straight down and that's all." The constant attacks and enemy night infiltration allowed the men of Company A very little sleep. At night men in adjoining foxholes tied bandoliers to each other to pull each other awake. A German paratrooper, with a beltful of grenades, was shot one night within a few feet of a foxhole. However, during the remainder of their defense of "Devils Hill", only one more Company A man was killed.

The following episode deserves special mention: Two plane loads from Company A were erroneously dropped approximately two miles east of the drop zone in German territory. Lt. Combs, the senior officer present, fought his way back to his battalion, killing an estimated 20 Germans and bringing back 49 German prisoners. Lt. Combs had 22 men in the group which accomplished this. Lt. Combs carried out this action after having been wounded by flak prior to jumping.