A Battery, 80th AAA Battalion (Airborne) - 21 December 1944
The first display reads:
Kampfgruppe Peiper, the 1st SS Panzer Division's main effort in Operation Wacht Am Rhein (the German code name for what became known as the "Battle of the Bulge"), had been bogged down by December 19th outside of the Belgian town of Stoumont. The US 30th Infantry and 3rd Armored Divisions piled on and began to systematically destroy the trapped German unit.
As a result, SS-Oberfuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke, the 1st SS Panzer Division commander, ordered Kampfgruppe Hansen across the Salm River to drive northwards, in an effort to break through to the beleaguered Kampgruppe Peiper.
As Hansen's Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers neared the town of Trois-Ponts, they ran head-on into A Battery of the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion's 57mm antitank guns. A section of two guns under the command of 1st Lieutenant Jake Wertich had set up positions on the main road east of the Salm on 21 December and waited for the coming attack. Corporal Gordon Walberg, manning the second of Lt. Wertich's two guns deployed on the east side of the river, recounts:
"After daylight we left our little farmhouse and followed the road to Trois-Ponts. We entered the village and secured ourselves behind the stone houses and tried to understand where our best position would be adjoining the Salm River. Our only orders were then to move with the E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and to locate the enemy.
We then arrived to the blown bridges on the Salm River with a Sherman M-4 tank knocked out to the left side of the bridge. Morris Karshenbaum, Paul Schlupp and I placed 2" by 12" planks down and Paul crossed over while Morris and I walked it to cut down the weight. Captain Norman Nelson, A Battery commander, ordered the two 57mm antitank guns to be placed on the narrow mountain road up the hill and which turned sharply to the right in direction of Wanne / Aisomont.
I suggested to Richard Scott to place the first 57mm gun on top of the hill at the curve in the road. We set up our gun 30 to 40 yards behind the bend of the road to the rear of Lieutenant Wertich's gun. Whether the first gun would be overrun or knocked out by any German Panzers, they would proceed around the curve and offer me a flank shot so I would fire at the bogey wheels as the tank would come around the bend. We already knew a frontal shot would not harm the German tanks.
A few moments before the attacks, I told Morris Karshenbaum and Paul Schlupp to remove their overshoes and long wool coats and be prepared to move rapidly. I thought the weight of the overshoes and coats would hold us back."
Just forward of Cpl. Walberg's gun, Lieutenant Wertich, along with Cpl. Stokes Taylor, and PFCs Gordon Smital and William Ballantine aimed their 57mm down the Wanne / Aismont road. At roughly 1400 hours, the German attack began, Smital was killed almost immediately and Wertich ordered Ballantine and the other gun crew back across the river to link up with the rest of the 505th Regimental Combat Team. Cpl. Taylor laid down suppressive fire with his Browning Automatic Rifle while Wertich kept up the antitank fire until he too was killed. According to reports, before he was killed, Wirtich was directly responsible for knocking out a Jagdpanzer IV and an Sdkfz 251 halftrack, causing a bottleneck and forcing the rest of the column off-road where they were quickly bogged down, stalling the Kampfgruppe Hansen advance. The heroic efforts of Lt. Wertich, Cpl. Taylor and the rest of the A Battery soldiers decisively shaped the battle, preventing Kampfgruppe Hansen and Peiper from linking up and continuing their westward assault.
The Distinguished Service Cross Citations read:
CITATION: First Lieutenant Jake L. Wertich, 0-1304472, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with the military operations against an armed enemy on 21 December 1944 at Trois-Ponts, Belgium.
When an enemy attack caused the forward troops to withdraw, Lt. Wertich refused to be driven from his gun. When all members of his crew were killed or wounded, he manned the gun himself, covering the withdrawal of the company from the hill. Even when the enemy overran his position, Lt. Wertich remained at his gun, thereby keeping the enemy tanks out of position and assuring success of the maneuver. His gallant actions saved the lives of many members of his battalion and aided materially in repulsing a strong enemy attack that had the city of Liege, Belgium, as its objective.
Lt. Wertich is known to have knocked out two enemy tanks in the action which cost him his life. His personal bravery, invincible courage and self-sacrifice were an inspiration to those around him in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army.
CITATION:Corporal Stokes M. Taylor, 34192689, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with the military operations against an armed enemy near Trois-Ponts, Belgium on 21 December 1944.
Corporal Taylor's anti-tank squad was in position on a hill covering the road leading into Trois-Ponts, Belgium. At approximately 1400 hours on 21 December 1944, the enemy launched a savage attack against the hill. Corporal Taylor's gun was put out of action by enemy fire during this enemy advance. Seizing a Browning Automatic Rifle and ammunition, Corporal Taylor ordered his men to fall back, while he took up a position on the road and covered their withdrawal by fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, and with full knowledge of the overwhelming odds against him, Corporal Taylor raked the hillside with intense and accurate fire which prevented the enemy from gaining the edge of the woods to fire on his anti-tank squad as they effected their withdrawal. After his ammunition was exhausted, Corporal Taylor was seen to be hit by enemy rifle fire.
His unfailing courage and leadership were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and won the admiration and respect of all who witnessed his actions.
The final display reads:
The Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions
Unlike the other types of AAA battalions, which were assigned at the Field Army level, the WWII airborne AAA battalions were assigned directly to their parent division. This allowed better tactical flexibility during airborne operations in both the anti-aircraft and anti-tank roles. Airborne AAA units arrived on the battlefield by CG-4A glider and provided a significant portion of the division's heavy weapons firepower. Battalions were normally divided with A, B, and C batteries handling the anti-tank role and D and E batteries fulfilling the air defense role.
For anti-aircraft defense, airborne AAA battalions initially employed M1AA and M3AA mounts for their .50 caliber machine guns. By mid-1944, however, the new M55 quad .50 caliber towed turret began to enter service. This towed version of the same turret mounted on the M16 halftrack increased each battalion's anti-aircraft firepower fourfold and was easily transported by glider.
Airborne AAA battalions initially employed the British 6-pounder and later, US M1 57mm Anti-tank guns. Both guns were similar in construction and fired the same round, but the British variant had a narrower wheelbase which fit inside the CG-4A glider. It wasn't until after Operation Market Garden in September 1944 that the airborne AAA battalions in the European Theater of Operations began refitting with the American-produced weapon, although the 6-pounder was never fully replaced by the end of World War II.
There were five airborne AAA battalions that served in World War II. Three saw combat in the European Theater with a fourth held in reserve and one serving with distinction in the Pacific.
Divisional Airborne AAA Battalion Campaign Credits
80th AAA (82nd Airborne Division): Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Normandy, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
81st AAA (101st Airborne Division): Normandy, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
152nd AAA (11th Airborne Division): New Guinea, Leyte, and the Luzon.
153rd AAA (13th Airborne Division): No campaign credits awarded.
155th AAA (17th Airborne Division): Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
Taken December 11th, 2013.
A Battery, 80th AAA Battalion (Airborne) - 21 December 1944
The first display reads:
Kampfgruppe Peiper, the 1st SS Panzer Division's main effort in Operation Wacht Am Rhein (the German code name for what became known as the "Battle of the Bulge"), had been bogged down by December 19th outside of the Belgian town of Stoumont. The US 30th Infantry and 3rd Armored Divisions piled on and began to systematically destroy the trapped German unit.
As a result, SS-Oberfuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke, the 1st SS Panzer Division commander, ordered Kampfgruppe Hansen across the Salm River to drive northwards, in an effort to break through to the beleaguered Kampgruppe Peiper.
As Hansen's Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers neared the town of Trois-Ponts, they ran head-on into A Battery of the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion's 57mm antitank guns. A section of two guns under the command of 1st Lieutenant Jake Wertich had set up positions on the main road east of the Salm on 21 December and waited for the coming attack. Corporal Gordon Walberg, manning the second of Lt. Wertich's two guns deployed on the east side of the river, recounts:
"After daylight we left our little farmhouse and followed the road to Trois-Ponts. We entered the village and secured ourselves behind the stone houses and tried to understand where our best position would be adjoining the Salm River. Our only orders were then to move with the E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and to locate the enemy.
We then arrived to the blown bridges on the Salm River with a Sherman M-4 tank knocked out to the left side of the bridge. Morris Karshenbaum, Paul Schlupp and I placed 2" by 12" planks down and Paul crossed over while Morris and I walked it to cut down the weight. Captain Norman Nelson, A Battery commander, ordered the two 57mm antitank guns to be placed on the narrow mountain road up the hill and which turned sharply to the right in direction of Wanne / Aisomont.
I suggested to Richard Scott to place the first 57mm gun on top of the hill at the curve in the road. We set up our gun 30 to 40 yards behind the bend of the road to the rear of Lieutenant Wertich's gun. Whether the first gun would be overrun or knocked out by any German Panzers, they would proceed around the curve and offer me a flank shot so I would fire at the bogey wheels as the tank would come around the bend. We already knew a frontal shot would not harm the German tanks.
A few moments before the attacks, I told Morris Karshenbaum and Paul Schlupp to remove their overshoes and long wool coats and be prepared to move rapidly. I thought the weight of the overshoes and coats would hold us back."
Just forward of Cpl. Walberg's gun, Lieutenant Wertich, along with Cpl. Stokes Taylor, and PFCs Gordon Smital and William Ballantine aimed their 57mm down the Wanne / Aismont road. At roughly 1400 hours, the German attack began, Smital was killed almost immediately and Wertich ordered Ballantine and the other gun crew back across the river to link up with the rest of the 505th Regimental Combat Team. Cpl. Taylor laid down suppressive fire with his Browning Automatic Rifle while Wertich kept up the antitank fire until he too was killed. According to reports, before he was killed, Wirtich was directly responsible for knocking out a Jagdpanzer IV and an Sdkfz 251 halftrack, causing a bottleneck and forcing the rest of the column off-road where they were quickly bogged down, stalling the Kampfgruppe Hansen advance. The heroic efforts of Lt. Wertich, Cpl. Taylor and the rest of the A Battery soldiers decisively shaped the battle, preventing Kampfgruppe Hansen and Peiper from linking up and continuing their westward assault.
The Distinguished Service Cross Citations read:
CITATION: First Lieutenant Jake L. Wertich, 0-1304472, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with the military operations against an armed enemy on 21 December 1944 at Trois-Ponts, Belgium.
When an enemy attack caused the forward troops to withdraw, Lt. Wertich refused to be driven from his gun. When all members of his crew were killed or wounded, he manned the gun himself, covering the withdrawal of the company from the hill. Even when the enemy overran his position, Lt. Wertich remained at his gun, thereby keeping the enemy tanks out of position and assuring success of the maneuver. His gallant actions saved the lives of many members of his battalion and aided materially in repulsing a strong enemy attack that had the city of Liege, Belgium, as its objective.
Lt. Wertich is known to have knocked out two enemy tanks in the action which cost him his life. His personal bravery, invincible courage and self-sacrifice were an inspiration to those around him in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army.
CITATION:Corporal Stokes M. Taylor, 34192689, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with the military operations against an armed enemy near Trois-Ponts, Belgium on 21 December 1944.
Corporal Taylor's anti-tank squad was in position on a hill covering the road leading into Trois-Ponts, Belgium. At approximately 1400 hours on 21 December 1944, the enemy launched a savage attack against the hill. Corporal Taylor's gun was put out of action by enemy fire during this enemy advance. Seizing a Browning Automatic Rifle and ammunition, Corporal Taylor ordered his men to fall back, while he took up a position on the road and covered their withdrawal by fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, and with full knowledge of the overwhelming odds against him, Corporal Taylor raked the hillside with intense and accurate fire which prevented the enemy from gaining the edge of the woods to fire on his anti-tank squad as they effected their withdrawal. After his ammunition was exhausted, Corporal Taylor was seen to be hit by enemy rifle fire.
His unfailing courage and leadership were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and won the admiration and respect of all who witnessed his actions.
The final display reads:
The Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions
Unlike the other types of AAA battalions, which were assigned at the Field Army level, the WWII airborne AAA battalions were assigned directly to their parent division. This allowed better tactical flexibility during airborne operations in both the anti-aircraft and anti-tank roles. Airborne AAA units arrived on the battlefield by CG-4A glider and provided a significant portion of the division's heavy weapons firepower. Battalions were normally divided with A, B, and C batteries handling the anti-tank role and D and E batteries fulfilling the air defense role.
For anti-aircraft defense, airborne AAA battalions initially employed M1AA and M3AA mounts for their .50 caliber machine guns. By mid-1944, however, the new M55 quad .50 caliber towed turret began to enter service. This towed version of the same turret mounted on the M16 halftrack increased each battalion's anti-aircraft firepower fourfold and was easily transported by glider.
Airborne AAA battalions initially employed the British 6-pounder and later, US M1 57mm Anti-tank guns. Both guns were similar in construction and fired the same round, but the British variant had a narrower wheelbase which fit inside the CG-4A glider. It wasn't until after Operation Market Garden in September 1944 that the airborne AAA battalions in the European Theater of Operations began refitting with the American-produced weapon, although the 6-pounder was never fully replaced by the end of World War II.
There were five airborne AAA battalions that served in World War II. Three saw combat in the European Theater with a fourth held in reserve and one serving with distinction in the Pacific.
Divisional Airborne AAA Battalion Campaign Credits
80th AAA (82nd Airborne Division): Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Normandy, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
81st AAA (101st Airborne Division): Normandy, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
152nd AAA (11th Airborne Division): New Guinea, Leyte, and the Luzon.
153rd AAA (13th Airborne Division): No campaign credits awarded.
155th AAA (17th Airborne Division): Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
Taken December 11th, 2013.