Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

BATTLE FOR THE PASS
had already come forward and began
to set up firing positions along the edge
of the embankment just below the crest
while Captain Inman signaled his battalion
headquarters for a new radio battery,
ammunition, and reinforcements.
The men were still digging in when
a pproximately a score of Germans
launched a small counterattack against
Se rgeant Murphy's positions on the
company's left Hank on the northweste
rn end of the ridge. In a ppa r e nt
response to Captain Inman's call for
reinfixcements, a 17-man detachment
from Company A, consisting of riHemen
and a light machine gun section
unde r 1st Lt. Ross A. Notaro, arrived
just in time to help repulse the enemy
thrust. An hour late r ano the r small
group of Germans mounted a second
counterattack, but by that time Lieutenant
Notaro and his men were we ll dug
in on Murphy's left and halted the
move bef()J'e it could gain momentum.
Early that evening the Ge rmans
mounted their third and heaviest counterattack.
Following a mortar and artillery
barrage , the enemy scrambled over
the ridge and heade d again toward
Company B's left flank. Inman called
for previously registered defensive fires
from the Sl-mm. mortars, the regimental
cannon company, and supporting
artillery. As the counterattacking Germans
neared his foxholes, Inman adjusted
the fires so closely that occasional
rounds fell within the compa ny's perimeter.
Although the Americans suffered
no casualties, the tire took a heavy toll
of the Germans, some of whom were so
near that when hit the ir mome ntum
carried them into the Ame rican positions.
Anticipating hand-to-hand fighting,
Inman ordered his men to fix
331
CARRYING S UPPLIES TO MOUNTAIN POSITIONS
bayonets, but the artillery barrage insured
that no Ii ve enemy got inside the
perimeter.
Individual soldiers using their own
weapons aggressively and courageously
also played a major role in checking the
counte rattack. On the company's fa r
left fl ank Lieute nant Notaro's detachment
was particularly hard pressed, but
suddenly, Sgt. Joseph D. Higdon, Jr.,
section leade r of the light machine
guns, leaped to his feet and, cradling a
light machine gun in his arms, ran
toward the ene my, firing as he we nt.
That bold and unexpected action se nt
the Ge rmans fleeing back dO\\I1 the
reverse slope. Seve rely wounded, Sergeant
Higdon tried to retum to his own
position but collapsed thirty ya rds short
of it. When his companions reached
him, he was dead.