General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

of enemy strongholds frequently precluded the effective employment of aerial and
motorized suppnrt, the burden of neutralizing fanatically defended encmy fortifications
fell heavily upon the shoulders of the infantrymen, as exemplified in
the capture of Gnmshau, a town in which concrete and steel reinforced basements
rendered each house veritably impregnable to repeated artillery and aerial
attacks. Thc town was ultimately captured by an assnult in which the infantry
closed with the enemy in hand-to-hand night fighting. The 2Pd Infantry Regiment
with attachments, cleared its portion of the Hurtgen Forest and reached its
objective on 4 Deeember 1944, onenine - - a gateway - to the Cologne Plain and the
Ihlimate rapid eonelusion of the European conflict. The individual courage, valor,
and tenacity displayed by the oersonnel of the 22d Infantry Regimmt, with
attachments; in the face of superior odds, unusually hazardous conditions, and
unfavorable weather were in keeping wlth highest traditions of the armed forces.
2. The 142d Znfantry Regiment and 1st Platoon, Company B, 111th Engineer
Combat Battalion, attached, displayed heroism, gallantry, and outstanding
,'nchierement in combat from 19 la 22 March 19-15 iu the vicinity oi Ober Otterbach,
Germany. Aftcr breaching the hluder River defenses, thc l4Pd Infantry Regiment
oursued the enemy through - the Wissembaurr: - Gau . and. an 19 March 1945, advaneed
toward one of the most strongly fortified seetors irf the Siegfried Line.
While the 1st Ilattnlion was attacking Ober Ottcrbach under intense enemy artilieSx
rocket, machine~gun, and rille fire from German strong points on the snrraundircg
hills, the 2d Battali6n attacked west of Ober Ottcrbach and secured a
foothold in the Siegfried defenses on Ebnulrg Hill. The enem7 launehcd a violent
counterattack to recapture the lost ~ositiuns, and thromghaut the following day.
the 2d Battaiion fought gallantly and de1erm:nedly to hold its ground. When
the 1st Battalion nttarked a sector of tiic Siegfried Line norlheast af Ober Otterbach
and encountered intense machinew~n cross-fire from row won row of
mutually supporting pillboxes, the unit withdrew into Ober Orterbnch and, at
dusk on 20 &larch. moved west. naraliel to the Siecfried - defenses, to join the 3d
Battalion on the Grassberg height Fully exploiting the foothold in the cuemy
defenses which the 3d Battalion had eslablisiied after hours of intense fighting.
the two battalions attacked together with the mission of penetrating the Siegfried
Line and seizing Dorrenbach to the north. Although the despernte enemy was
determined to defend his posilions at all costs, elements of the 1st Battalion
Smashed hostile o~~osition - - and, desnite heavy losses, broke through this system of
defenses to seize Dorrenbach. Meanwhile, the 2d Battalion was systematically
clearing its sector of the German defense line. With the help of the engineers.
the men of this battalion used beehive ehnigrs to blast the stubhornb resistrng
enemy from his forticatians, and, despite intense hostile fire from the cleverly
arranged strnng points, they reduced 54 pillboxes and captured approximately 260
Germans. As a result of the indomitable courage, determination, and esprit de
corps displayed hv every member of the ibPd Infantrv . R~coiment, . this organmalion -
overwhelmed all resistance in one of the most stubboruly defended sectors of the
Siegfried Line. killed 100 Germans. wounded 350 and took 679 Prisoners. This
tenacity, aggressiveness, and extraordinary heroism of all personnel of the l&d
Infantrv Hegiment and lat Platoon, Company B, 111th Engineer Combat Battalion,
nttaehed, reRect the highest credit an the military forces of the United States.
X..MEDAL OF FREEDOM.-By direction of the President, under the prod-
8iOnS of Executive Order 9586, 6 July 1945 (see. 11, WD, Bul. 12, 19451, the
Medal of Freedom for meritorious serrice which has aided the United States
AGO 3491B