appendix awards and decorations - The George C. Marshall ...

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 191
established defenses for the crossing site. Company B, 325th Combat
Engineer Battalion, under Capt. John J. Upchurch, began the construction
of a footbridge and completed it by 1500 hours. The remaining
units of the battalion then crossed over into Offenau and prepared to
spend the night. The Neckar River had been crossed without too much
difficulty, but before the 2d Battalion could begin the drive towards
Heilbronn in earnest two more rivers, the Jagst and the Kocher, had
to be crossed. Under cover of the pre-dawn darkness the following day
the three rifle companies moved into Duttenberg, procured engineer
assault boats and carried them to the banks of the river, which flowed
swiftly through the center of a small valley half a mile away. At 0500
the first wave started across the river, but before reaching mid-stream
they were greeted by a deadly volley of fire from hostile machine
guns, mortars and riflemen entrenched on the far shore. The battalion
was forced to withdraw slightly, but a short time later, under cover of
an extremely heavy mortar and artillery barrage, Companies E and G
moved ahead a second time, forced their way across the swift stream
and continued on until they reached the railroad embankment which
bordered the wooded area and high ground directly ahead. Skillfully
deploying his men, Capt. George H. Adams, Commanding Officer of
Company F, led them down the river, hugging the bank for protection
from the hostile fire until they reached the outskirts of the city of Jagstfeld.
They seized a row of houses on the edge of town and prepared
to spend the night there. At noon Company E and Company G continued
their attack. Two platoons of Company E under Capt. Thomas
H. Garahan began moving down the railroad tracks toward the small
village of Heuchlingen. The terrain was perfectly flat and offered little
protection from the German gunners, who were dug in on the right
flank. As the leading scout moved out the 81mm mortar platoon began
laying smoke shells along the tracks in an attempt to screen the
company's movements. At the same time the 375th Field Artillery
Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Raymond Renola, laid a heavy barrage
on the hostile positions. The 3d Platoon was placed under the
command of Lt. John W. Pittman and ordered to approach the village
from the rear. The main body of the company reached their objective
by mid-afternoon and after two hours of bitter house-to-house fighting,
during which thirty enemy were killed and twenty captured, Heuchlingen
was cleared. However, Lieutenant Pittman's platoon had traveled
less than three hundred yards when they were completely surrounded
and subjected to withering crossfire from machine guns and rifles. The
platoon fought off the foe for almost six hours and finally under cover