Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII - Robert Marks.org

4.12. BATTLE OF THE BULDGE Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII4.12.2 Killing GermansWhen we reached the area the shells were hitting I gave the order to ”Machschnell!”. Freeman and the Germans promptly ran off and left me. I couldn’tkeep up. Fortunately some dud shells hit just as we ran through, and therewas no shrapnel.We ran across an open field into Gürzenich. 28 Germans ran in front ofus and many were cut down by tank fire. Some of the tanks caught up withrunning Germans and mashed them flat as pancakes. It was very sickening.The Germans took refuge in some trenches they had dug in Gürzenich.They wouldn’t surrender and they didn’t really have a chance. Some ofour men were hit before we located the trenches. tanks were brought upand turned their cannon and machine guns on the trenches and killed all theGermans. The trench was filled with Germans. Some of them were poorlyarmed and were actually using old-time cross bows.We moved on into Gürzenich until we held about half the town andstopped since night was coming.A G.I. named Western went back to the trench. He cut off some of theGermans’ fingers with an entrenching tool and took their wedding rings.In the street were two dead women killed by shells. They were apparentlyprostitutes who had been with the German troops.Gürzenich was heavily damaged by bombs, but the basements of thehouses had all been made into bomb shelters. We stayed in those basementsfor the next day or two. The basement my section occupied had Germanmoney all over the floors and was apparently an Army payroll. We swept itinto one room so we would have a place to sleep. No one kept any of themoney since to us it was worthless.One night the German artillery laid a heavy barrage on us. Germanparatroopers were dropped on us but did little damage. We could hearGermans infiltrating between and around the houses we were in. At dawn thenext morning the Germans attacked us. There was no rear since everybody28 Just northeast of Duren.68