General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

companies on either flank of Company F had been pinned down, their advance
halted. Pillboxes on the ~ector to the right made it imwssible for anyone to enter
or leave the area. In addition, there were no TNT charges available. White
phosphorous grenades fired into the doorways of the first pillbox forced its surrender
and occupants of the second were talked into capilulating. The key
Point of the enemy defenses was a large observation and command post pillbox,
an emplacement possessing a steel turret with six porlholes and a periacope,
which continued to operate its two machine guns on our troops. After unsuccesSfully
attempting to talk the enemy into surrendering, occupants were hued
an ultimatum to surrender within 30 minutes or be blown out by dynamite. In
the interim, Company F infantrymen directed henvy flre a1 this position, destroying
the periscow and knocking out a machine gun by aiming at the Bash hider
and muzzle. Simultaneously, Company F struck and tamped the sides of the emplacement,
simulatillg the planting of dynamite charges. Prior to expiration of
the designated period, the illb box personnel surrendered. In this manner, by
threats and heavy small-arms fire, the other six pillboxes were aggressively taken
and held without assistance thronghout the day. Enemy pillboxes in neighboring
Sectors directed incessant artillery, mortar, machine-gun, and direct tank fire
on thc bare hill held by Cornpa~y F, but the intrepid infantrymen firmly held
the pillboxes. Company personnel in Ramschcid repulsed three counterattacks
by an enemy force of undetermined sine, each time inflicting severe losses on the
enemy, and hcld newly won positions until late in the afternoon when friendly
tanks reinforced Com#nny 3' after engineers blew a gap in the tank obstacIes.
Utilizing only infantry wcapons, the company, with extreme courage, successfully
assaulted concrete and steel emplacement, breached the Siegfried Line, and enabled
othm units to get behind the wwerful fortitications and Lo attack from
the rear rathcr than by costly frontnl assaults. The indomitable snirit, extraordinal?
heroism, and unswerving dcvotion to duty of Comgany F, 181b infontr?,
Regiment, wtlrsonnel resulted in the capture of 77 Germans, seizure of 9 lnnnned
pillboxes, and occupation of Ramscheiii, Germany. (General Orders 351, &MIquarleru
United States Army Forccs. European Theater, 27 December 1945, as
approred by the Commnnding General, Cnited States Army Forccs, European
Tlloater (Main) .)
2. The 40th Bombardment Group (VH) is cited for outstanding performance
of duty in armed confiict with the enemy. During the periild 5 to 14 May 1945,
this group conducted threc maximum effort strikes against vitally important
targets on the Japanese mainland. Har.ing only recently arrived at their new
base in the Marianas and handicapped by a shortage of personnel and lack of
adequate facilities, the ground crews, nevertidess, worked tirelessly and effectively
in order to provide a maximmm number of operational aircraft for each
mission. On 5 May 1945, the couragcous crews of the 40th Bombardment Group
(VE) braving the iutcuve antiairwaft lire whidl protected the irnportlnt naval
cenler of Kuve, Japan, dropped their loads of high eexplasive on the Hiro rlaval
aircraft factory. Over 70 percent of this high priority target, producing both
aircraft engines and franles for the Japanese war machine. was destroyed.
Strik'ing again with unerring accuracy on 10 &Say 1945, this outstanding group
contributed greatly to the destruction of 90 percent 01 the Oshin~a oil storage
facilities, one of Japan's largest instailntiorrs of the kind. Continuing to demonstrate
a remarkable ability to recover Prom battle damage and frorn the fatiguing
effect of the long and i~waardous ovenvntrr flights, the crews of the 400th Bombbard?nent
Group (T'U) on 14 May 1945 participated in a major daylight attack
AGO 3350B