9 February 1943

RECON Action - First Encounter with a German Armored Vehicle.

LT Snyderwine assigned a night RECON mission where German presence was suspected. I (SGT Lewis) took two of my own squad members, Privates Greeley and Dubois plus three new replacements just in from the replacement depot. We encountered something extraordinary.

The squad moved as silently as possible, two to a team, crossing open areas in a leapfrog manner until we reached an area of brush, with several trees sufficient in size to provide some cover. While I and the rest of the squad stayed within the cover providing over-watch, Dubois and Greeley scouted to out 12 and 3 o’clock and almost simultaneously each detected a different enemy element.

Greeley saw a large hulking stationary vehicle about 50 yards away to his right. Dubois and found a German tent made of several German shelter halves about 15 yards to the left and rear of the vehicle. We seemed to be completely undetected, and there was time for both of them to return to me, describe what they had seen, so we could devise a plan.

Leaving Dubois in the cover I went with Greeley and got close enough to the German vehicle to realize it was a tank. It seemed completely silent. I told Greeley my plan was that he was to wait 10 minutes to allow me to get back to Dubois, where we would get into position to be able to roll grenades into the tent (which I figured to be the shelter for the tank crew). Greeley asked me what he should do after he had waited ten minutes, and I told him he was supposed to silently climb up onto the tank and then open the top turret hatch, and drop hand grenades down inside the tank. Greeley was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then asked, “Should I take the pins out the grenades before I drop them in?” - I held back a laugh, and quietly answered, “Yes”.

I told Greeley that once we heard the first of his grenades go off, Dubois would be rolling grenades into the tent, and then taking cover before they went off. I would be covering Dubois with my Thompson SMG, and be prepared to deal with anybody who came out of the tent. The other three guys in the squad would be providing over-watch, and covering Greeley, as well as Dubois and I. I could tell Greeley was not thrilled with the idea of clamoring up onto the tank in the dark and trying to open the turret hatch. I gave him some words of encouragement by telling him the crew was probably all in the tent anyway, and the grenades in the tank were just a precaution. Greeley seemed satisfied with this plan, and agreed.

The plan worked out just about as well as possible. Greeley later told me he waited the ten minutes, and then climbed up onto the tank. It really was large, he said. Much bigger than any of our American tanks he had seen. He said that once he was on top of the turret, he could lay down flat on it, spread his arms as far outstretched as he could, and still not have his fingertips extend beyond either side of the top of the turret. He said that impressed him. He was worried at first he might not be able to get the hatch open, but it came open for him readily, and he dropped several grenades in (after pulling the pins and releasing the spoons), and then got off the tank and into cover as quickly as he could.

Dubois and I had gotten into position, and heard several muffled reports, “wump, boom, pa-wump!” as the grenades went off. As soon as Dubois heard the first one, he rolled his own grenades into the tent, and then rapidly backed off about seven yards and hit the dirt next to me, where I was lying prone. “BA-BOOM, - BLAM !, the grenades went off, blowing the shelter to pieces, and revealing three dazed Germans. I stood up, and opened up with my Thompson at it’s best range, about 20-25 feet away. It was dark, but I was pretty sure I was being effective. The Germans didn’t have a chance.

Then a blast of German belt-fed machine gun fire ripped through the trees above us from about 75 yards away to our 9 o’clock. I definitely didn’t want to stay around, so after another burst from my Thompson on the Germans in front of me, I told Dubois to follow me, and rejoined the rest of the squad in the trees to my 6 o’clock.

Greeley was already there, and said the tank wasn’t doing anything as far as he could tell. The German machine gun fire was continuing, but I don’t think they had figured our position yet.

I took the squad on an axis that took us right between where the shelter halves had been in where the tank was. I figured the Germans would be loath to shoot where they thought their own troops were. Once I had gone about 100 yards, I changed direction and made a large left-handed circle around behind where the machine fire was coming from, giving it a wide berth, and was able to bring the squad back to our headquarters unscathed.

Once we were back, the S2 guys were interested to hear Greeley’s description of the tank. They showed him some photographs of captured Germans tanks, and he picked out the attached one. I have never seen one like it before. One thing is certain, it sure is BIG !

I would like to put Greeley and Dubois in for commendations. They performed very well, following my orders exactly, and behaving just like a Blue-Spader should behave in action.

-SGT Lewis