General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

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stubborn resistance brought the Zd Battalton to within striking distance of the
main enemy position. High winds and typhoon rains hampered engineer and
pioneer operations and made supply and evacuation by hand carry extremely
difficult. Well-trained enemy infantry in good physical condition and armed
with a high percentage of automatic weapons, defended the knife-cdged ridga
of the positions, which were completely tunnelled through and honeycombed with
cares. Jungle arid ver~ical rlilfa on either pank canalize3 the attack of the
26 Battalion. For 4 days, i.he 2d Buttalion hurled attacks against this position
unlil it was finally taken on 5 July by a savage assault with hand grenades,
bayonets, and satchel charges. The enemy fought to the death, and friendly
casualties were high. During. the nighls of T A and G7 July, the enemy attemptd
to retake the position with fielrc counterattacks which were beaten back. During
the period 23 June to 7 July 1945, 345 enemy dead were counted on the front of
the 2d Battalion and two prisoners of war werc taken. The defeat was a decisive
one and opened the way to the seizure of Kiangan. Tons of ammunition and
large amounts of vehicles, supplies, and equipment mere captured along the
route of aduarxe. The losses of the battalion werc 18 dead and 42 wounded.
Every officer and nlan disvlased -. the hiahest kind of fortitude, resourcefulness.
and deuolion to dnty. The distinguished performance of duty by the 2d Battalion,
6.?d Ififanli'~, Rroiment, rxemgllfles the true sllirit of the American Arms and
piled States Army Forces, Pacific.)
, J 6 . The 2d Battalioi&, Sllth Infantrff Regiment, is cited for outstandinp per-
Germany, against fanatical defense. and advanced at night over 4&KI0 yards of
enemy-held terrain to eaptn?e Ruhrberg. Germany, on 4 February 1I145. ' Thc
Pd Battalion continued its attack at 0330, 5 February 1045, over very rugged
mountain terrain lo capture Woffelsbach, Gernlany, and the high ground to the
west and north. Sornc 23 pillbows were captured in this operation. On 7
February 1945, the 2d Bnttnlion fought its way over 300 yards of mountainous
forest, with slopes of from 30' to 60" to be overcome and defended by dclermined
enemy in concrete pillboxes, wooden bunkrrs, and cntrenehments. By its daring
and vigorously persistent owrations. this battalion outflanked the Stmaugh-
Steckenboro segment of the Siegfried Line; successfully attacked and cleared
the enrmy from kcy termin south aud southwest of Schmidt, Germany, and
thereby provided for the rapid reduciion of the strongly fortified area protecting
the Schwammenanel Dam, with a minimnm of casualties The courage, fortitude,
nnd devotion to duty shown by the members of the 2d BnttaZia, 311th Infa,btr~
ILegiment, for a protracted period of 9 days in the face of severe weather and a
determined, entrenched eoemy-3 days of this operation being over terrain
impassable to movement of any type uf motor vehicle, necessitating the hand
carrying of all supplies, equipment, and ammunitiou-resulted in a &mile advance
into die enemy territory and the capture of three towns with over 300 prisoners.
(Gencml Orders 324, Headquarters 78th Infantry Division, 30 June 1946, as
approved by the Commanding General, United States Army Forces. European
Theater (Main).)
5'; Thc gd Bottalhon, SSOth Infantru Reginlent, is cited for outstanding per-
formance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy. At 0830 on 7 August
1944, the 2d Batteliorr 380th Infanlrv Regiment, launched an attack toward
St. Joseph, France. By 0530, the leading company began receiving intense
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