551st Parachute Infantry Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (551st PIB) was for many years a little-recognized unit of the United States Army
during World War II
and the Battle of the Bulge
. Originally commissioned to take the French Caribbean island of Martinique
during World War II, they were shipped instead to Europe. With an initial strength of 800 officers and enlisted men, the remaining 250 members of the Battalion were ordered on 7 January 1945 to attack the Belgium village of Rochelinval over open ground and without artillery support. During the successful assault the unit lost more than half its remaining men. The Battalion was inactivated on 27 January 1945 and the remaining 110 survivors were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. Virtually nothing of the unit's history was known until the 1990s when renewed interest prompted its veterans to seek recognition for their costly success at Rochelinval. The battalion was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation
in 2001 recognizing its accomplishment.
in the Panama Canal Zone
. It replaced the 501st Parachute Battalion which had been absorbed in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. The men were formed up in the Frying Pan Area of Fort Benning
, Georgia, on 30 October 1942. Personnel were trained as paratroopers at the Parachute School Replacement Pool in November–December 1942. Leaving Ft. Benning on 11 December, the unit passed through Richmond and ended up at Camp Patrick Henry
, near Newport News, Virginia, arriving there on 13 December. While at Camp Patrick Henry, the men picked up a unique mascot, a short-haired black and tan dachshund
puppy they stole from the yard of the port commander. They named her Furlough, which was the thing the men most desired. Under strict orders of secrecy, they could not wear their hard-won airborne insignia, had to hide their newly-acquired tattoos that revealed their military affiliation, and were prohibited from leaving the base.
Virtually all personnel had completed jump school by this time. The 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment was shipped to the Panama Canal Zone
. The first units of the battalion arrived at Fort Kobbe
on 26 November 1942; the remainder of the battalion sailed for Panama aboard USS Joseph T. Dickman from Camp Patrick Henry
at Newport News the next day.
During training in North Carolina, they were the first American paratroopers to jump out of military glider
s. The experiment was a failure as there was no slipstream
leading the men to fall straight and the glider's flimsy construction led to the static line ripping out of the inside when the men jumped.
begun. On 13 May 1943, the Battalion was put on alert for a possible drop on Martinique
. The island was being utilized as a re-supply base for German U-boat
submarines in the Caribbean Sea
. The Battalion's presence in Panama had been kept secret until around that time, when they were part of a special review in Balboa, Panama
for the president of Columbia. Publicizing their presence at this point was part of an effort to put psychological pressure on the Vichy administration in Martinique. Before the mission could be initiated, the island government joined the Free French in 1943, and the invasion was canceled.
The battalion left Panama in August 1943. Enroute, the ship's crew discovered the dog, and the ship's Master-at-Arms ordered the dog thrown overboard. Col. Joerg earned a great deal of his men's loyalty and fierce respect when he successfully faced down the Master, risking a court-martial, and the crew was able to keep their mascot. They arrived at Camp Mackall
, North Carolina, the same month. The 551 Parachute Infantry Regiment never gained regimental strength and was re-designated as the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.
On 20 August 1943, the Battalion along with their sister unit, the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion was sent to Camp Mackall
, North Carolina for additional training. Lt. Col. Rupert D. Graves replaced Lt. Col. Wood Joerg in October 1943. This including training in night jumping on 16 February 1944. While at Camp Mackall the battalion was under Airborne Command. The unit underwent intense training and were selected to participate in testing the feasibility of using gliders as paratroop transport. The battalion received a personnel commendation from Airborne Commander Major-General Eldridge G. Chapman.
In March 1944, Lt. Col. Joerg rejoined the unit, and on 23 April 1944, the Battalion departed Norfolk
, Virginia for Italy. Transiting through Oran
, North Africa, the Battalion arrived in Naples
on 23 May 1944. They trained at Camp Wright in Trapani
and Marsala
, Sicily during June 1944, before moving to Lido di Roma, near Rome in July. The 551st was attached to a six different American units during World War II.
As a non-divisional unit for the entire war, it was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division during the Allied invasion of Italy
as part of the provisional 1st Airborne Task Force for the invasion of southern France in August 1944. On 15 August 1944, they finally got into the war with their first combat jump during Operation Dragoon
, the Allied invasion of southern France. They liberated Draguignan
, France on 15 August 1944 and on 29 August, they liberated Nice
.
From 15 August 1944 through 17 November 1944, the 551st, along with the 509th Infantry Regiment and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion, protected the right flank of the 7th Army in the French French-Italian Alps
as mountain troops
against the Austrian 5th Hocchgebirgesjager Division. On 22 November 1944 the Battalion was attached to the 101st Airborne Division
. The Battalion then moved to Laon
in northern France on 8 December 1944, and on 19 December 1944 were suddenly summoned to help stem the Ardennes offensive
.
On 21 December the Battalion was reassigned to the 30th Infantry Division reinforcing their positions in and around Francorchamps, Ster and Stavelot
, Belgium. The Battalion arrived in Werbomont
, Belgium and entered the Battle of the Bulge
on 21 December 1944 with a strength of more than 643 officers and enlisted men. They were the initial spearhead in the XVIII Airborne Corps's counter-offensive on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. Their first days in the Battle of the Bulge were, according to paratrooper Don Garrigues, miserable: "no sleep, frozen feet, trench foot, knee deep snow, cold food and hallucinations." He had a vivid memory of that Christmas Eve:
On 26 December, they reported near Basse Bordeax to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. They received a visit from Major General
James M. Gavin
, commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division, who visited their bivouac at Rahier on 27 December. He told the Battalion that it had been chosen to make the initial "raid in force" against the Germans. He told them they would be the unit who was going to turn the battle around. He stressed that they might take very heavy casualties but that a great deal depended on the outcome. Their task was to would pass through the U.S. Army's forward lines, cross about 4 miles (6.4 km) into German-held territory, and to attack and reduce the German-held village of Noirefontaine
. They were then to return to base with prisoners for interrogation.
The evening of the next day they carried out the raid against the Oberst Friederich Kittel’s 62nd Volksgrenadier Division
in the tiny hamlet of Noirefontaine
, taking 18 casualties in the process. They faced Kittel's stubborn troops again. From 3–8 January 1945, they assaulted the small hamlets of Mont de Fosse, St. Jacques, and Dairomont. According to the unit's Presidential Unit Citation, "On 4 January, the battalion conducted a rare fixed bayonet attack of machine gun nests that killed 64 Germans." Fighting through the thick woods cost the 551st heavy casualties. On the morning of 7 January, down to only 250 men, they were next charged with taking the village of Rochelinval, Belgium, along the Salm River.
The defending 183rd Volksgrenadier Regiment was backed up by a regiment of 88mm guns and a battalion of 105mm
howitzers. Col Joerg had requested preparatory artillery which was not forthcoming. He requested that the attack be delayed, and his request was denied. He thought the attack, down slope by his un-camouflaged men in the daylight across a half-mile expanse of foot-deep snow at a concealed, alert enemy, to be suicidal. Their only cover would be their 81mm
mortars. Paratrooper Don Garrigues wrote:
While victorious in capturing Rochelinval and eliminating the last German bridgehead for over 10 miles (16.1 km) on the Salm River, the unit was virtually decimated, having suffered more than 85% casualties. Relieved on 9 January 1945, of the 643 men who entered the battle on 3 January, only 14 Officers and 96 men remained. "Nowhere were casualties higher than in Wood Joerg's 551st Battalion." Like the 509th Infantry Regiment, the unit's strength had been decimated by battle, and paratrooper replacements were not in the pipeline.
informed the remaining men that the battalion was being inactivated and all remaining soldiers would be absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. The unit records were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne and virtually lost for many years, their sacrifice unknown to many.
KIA
: 66, WIA
: (TBD); NBC: (TBD)
DSC
: (2); Silver Star
: (1); Bronze Star: (1)
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of the Bulge to the unit during an official ceremony at the Pentagon on 23 February 2001.
, Belgium, to memorialize Pfc Milo Huempfner, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
for action there on 23 December 1944.
A plaque was dedicated in Noirefontaine
, Belgium to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion and the civilians of the area.
A plaque dedicated in La Chapelle, Belgium in the town hall to the 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment.
A memorial stone was placed at Fort Benning, Georgia, honoring the Battalion. It is notable because it includes a statue of their dog mascot, Furlough.
In Rochelinval, Belgium a plaque was dedicated on 20 August 1989 to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion from the Belgian people. A Stele to Lt. Col. Wood G. Joerg who was killed on 7 January 1945, and to the 551st Parachute Battalion Combat Team. On 18 February 2001, a plaque was added to the stele with the Presidential Unit Citation. In February 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Bill Tucker, "Tucker's House," and to his I Company, 505th Parachute Regiment..
In 2010 another plaque was added in memory of Sgt. Robert Hill, who was killed on the 7 January 1945 in Rochelinval. For his heroïc actions on that day he was awarded the DSC.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. Originally commissioned to take the French Caribbean island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
during World War II, they were shipped instead to Europe. With an initial strength of 800 officers and enlisted men, the remaining 250 members of the Battalion were ordered on 7 January 1945 to attack the Belgium village of Rochelinval over open ground and without artillery support. During the successful assault the unit lost more than half its remaining men. The Battalion was inactivated on 27 January 1945 and the remaining 110 survivors were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. Virtually nothing of the unit's history was known until the 1990s when renewed interest prompted its veterans to seek recognition for their costly success at Rochelinval. The battalion was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
in 2001 recognizing its accomplishment.
Combat operations
- Italian CampaignItalian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
- Operation DragoonOperation DragoonOperation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, with ArrowheadArrowhead deviceThe Arrowhead device is a decoration of the United States Army which is issued as an attachment to certain service medals. The Arrowhead device is awarded to any service member who participates in an amphibious assault, a combat parachute drop, a helicopter assault landing, or a combat glider... - Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
Activation and training
The 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion was activated on 26 November 1942 at Fort KobbeFort Kobbe
Fort Kobbe was an Army fort created in 1932 that was adjacent to Howard Air Force Base in Panama. It was a relatively small post, and housed a battalion of paratroopers , a firing battery of artillery M-102 105mm; six gun battery with survey and search light section, a battalion of engineers , and a...
in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. It replaced the 501st Parachute Battalion which had been absorbed in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. The men were formed up in the Frying Pan Area of Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, on 30 October 1942. Personnel were trained as paratroopers at the Parachute School Replacement Pool in November–December 1942. Leaving Ft. Benning on 11 December, the unit passed through Richmond and ended up at Camp Patrick Henry
Camp Patrick Henry
Camp Patrick Henry is a decommissioned United States Army base which was located in Warwick County, Virginia. After World War II, the site was redeveloped as a commercial airport, and became part of City of Newport News in 1958 when the former City of Warwick and Newport News were politically...
, near Newport News, Virginia, arriving there on 13 December. While at Camp Patrick Henry, the men picked up a unique mascot, a short-haired black and tan dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
puppy they stole from the yard of the port commander. They named her Furlough, which was the thing the men most desired. Under strict orders of secrecy, they could not wear their hard-won airborne insignia, had to hide their newly-acquired tattoos that revealed their military affiliation, and were prohibited from leaving the base.
Virtually all personnel had completed jump school by this time. The 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment was shipped to the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. The first units of the battalion arrived at Fort Kobbe
Fort Kobbe
Fort Kobbe was an Army fort created in 1932 that was adjacent to Howard Air Force Base in Panama. It was a relatively small post, and housed a battalion of paratroopers , a firing battery of artillery M-102 105mm; six gun battery with survey and search light section, a battalion of engineers , and a...
on 26 November 1942; the remainder of the battalion sailed for Panama aboard USS Joseph T. Dickman from Camp Patrick Henry
Camp Patrick Henry
Camp Patrick Henry is a decommissioned United States Army base which was located in Warwick County, Virginia. After World War II, the site was redeveloped as a commercial airport, and became part of City of Newport News in 1958 when the former City of Warwick and Newport News were politically...
at Newport News the next day.
During training in North Carolina, they were the first American paratroopers to jump out of military glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
s. The experiment was a failure as there was no slipstream
Slipstream
A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid is moving at velocities comparable to the moving object . The term slipstream also applies to the similar region adjacent to an object with a fluid moving around it...
leading the men to fall straight and the glider's flimsy construction led to the static line ripping out of the inside when the men jumped.
Prepared to take Martinique
Upon arrival in Panama, they trained for approximately eight months in jungle warfare to prepare for a planned invasion of the Vichy French island of MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
begun. On 13 May 1943, the Battalion was put on alert for a possible drop on Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. The island was being utilized as a re-supply base for German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
submarines in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. The Battalion's presence in Panama had been kept secret until around that time, when they were part of a special review in Balboa, Panama
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
for the president of Columbia. Publicizing their presence at this point was part of an effort to put psychological pressure on the Vichy administration in Martinique. Before the mission could be initiated, the island government joined the Free French in 1943, and the invasion was canceled.
The battalion left Panama in August 1943. Enroute, the ship's crew discovered the dog, and the ship's Master-at-Arms ordered the dog thrown overboard. Col. Joerg earned a great deal of his men's loyalty and fierce respect when he successfully faced down the Master, risking a court-martial, and the crew was able to keep their mascot. They arrived at Camp Mackall
Camp Mackall
Camp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training facility located in eastern Richmond County and northern Scotland County, North Carolina, south of the town of Southern Pines. The facility is in close proximity to and is a sub-installation of Fort Bragg Camp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training...
, North Carolina, the same month. The 551 Parachute Infantry Regiment never gained regimental strength and was re-designated as the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.
Origin of their nickname
One of Col. Joerg's favorite expressions was “Get off your ass!”. Given the Army's penchant for acronyms, soon the men were referring to themselves as “GOYA birds,” or simply GOYAs.Return to the United States
Camp Mackall
Camp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training facility located in eastern Richmond County and northern Scotland County, North Carolina, south of the town of Southern Pines. The facility is in close proximity to and is a sub-installation of Fort Bragg Camp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training...
, North Carolina for additional training. Lt. Col. Rupert D. Graves replaced Lt. Col. Wood Joerg in October 1943. This including training in night jumping on 16 February 1944. While at Camp Mackall the battalion was under Airborne Command. The unit underwent intense training and were selected to participate in testing the feasibility of using gliders as paratroop transport. The battalion received a personnel commendation from Airborne Commander Major-General Eldridge G. Chapman.
In March 1944, Lt. Col. Joerg rejoined the unit, and on 23 April 1944, the Battalion departed Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Virginia for Italy. Transiting through Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, North Africa, the Battalion arrived in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 23 May 1944. They trained at Camp Wright in Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
and Marsala
Marsala
Marsala is a seaport city located in the Province of Trapani on the island of Sicily in Italy. The low coast on which it is situated is the westernmost point of the island...
, Sicily during June 1944, before moving to Lido di Roma, near Rome in July. The 551st was attached to a six different American units during World War II.
Combat in southern France
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
as part of the provisional 1st Airborne Task Force for the invasion of southern France in August 1944. On 15 August 1944, they finally got into the war with their first combat jump during Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the Allied invasion of southern France. They liberated Draguignan
Draguignan
Draguignan is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of Artillery" and "Porte du Verdon".The city is only from St...
, France on 15 August 1944 and on 29 August, they liberated Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
From 15 August 1944 through 17 November 1944, the 551st, along with the 509th Infantry Regiment and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion, protected the right flank of the 7th Army in the French French-Italian Alps
Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the French département Alpes-Maritimes and the Italian province of Cuneo. The Col de Tende separates them from the Ligurian Alps; the Maddalena Pass separates them from the Cottian Alps...
as mountain troops
Mountain warfare
Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
against the Austrian 5th Hocchgebirgesjager Division. On 22 November 1944 the Battalion was attached to the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. The Battalion then moved to Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
in northern France on 8 December 1944, and on 19 December 1944 were suddenly summoned to help stem the Ardennes offensive
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
The Battle of the Bulge
Stavelot
Stavelot is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006, Stavelot had a total population of 6,671. The total area is 85.07 km² which gives a population density of 78 inhabitants per km².-History:...
, Belgium. The Battalion arrived in Werbomont
Ferrières, Belgium
Ferrières is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Ferrières had a total population of 4,449. The total area is 56.90 km² with a population density of 78 inhabitants per km²....
, Belgium and entered the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
on 21 December 1944 with a strength of more than 643 officers and enlisted men. They were the initial spearhead in the XVIII Airborne Corps's counter-offensive on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. Their first days in the Battle of the Bulge were, according to paratrooper Don Garrigues, miserable: "no sleep, frozen feet, trench foot, knee deep snow, cold food and hallucinations." He had a vivid memory of that Christmas Eve:
On 26 December, they reported near Basse Bordeax to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. They received a visit from Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
James M. Gavin
James M. Gavin
James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
, commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division, who visited their bivouac at Rahier on 27 December. He told the Battalion that it had been chosen to make the initial "raid in force" against the Germans. He told them they would be the unit who was going to turn the battle around. He stressed that they might take very heavy casualties but that a great deal depended on the outcome. Their task was to would pass through the U.S. Army's forward lines, cross about 4 miles (6.4 km) into German-held territory, and to attack and reduce the German-held village of Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Geography:The commune lies south of Pont-de-Roide between the Doubs River and the Lomont on a major highway.-Population:-External links:*...
. They were then to return to base with prisoners for interrogation.
The evening of the next day they carried out the raid against the Oberst Friederich Kittel’s 62nd Volksgrenadier Division
62nd Volksgrenadier Division (Germany)
The 62nd Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the Heer during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945....
in the tiny hamlet of Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Geography:The commune lies south of Pont-de-Roide between the Doubs River and the Lomont on a major highway.-Population:-External links:*...
, taking 18 casualties in the process. They faced Kittel's stubborn troops again. From 3–8 January 1945, they assaulted the small hamlets of Mont de Fosse, St. Jacques, and Dairomont. According to the unit's Presidential Unit Citation, "On 4 January, the battalion conducted a rare fixed bayonet attack of machine gun nests that killed 64 Germans." Fighting through the thick woods cost the 551st heavy casualties. On the morning of 7 January, down to only 250 men, they were next charged with taking the village of Rochelinval, Belgium, along the Salm River.
The defending 183rd Volksgrenadier Regiment was backed up by a regiment of 88mm guns and a battalion of 105mm
Skoda 105 mm Model 1939
The Skoda 105 mm Model 1939 was a mountain gun, manufactured by Skoda Works as a companion piece for the 75 mm M.39. This was a revised version of the 100 mm M.16 and 100 mm M.16/19. Like them it was broken down into three loads, each towed by a pair of horses, for transport.-References:*...
howitzers. Col Joerg had requested preparatory artillery which was not forthcoming. He requested that the attack be delayed, and his request was denied. He thought the attack, down slope by his un-camouflaged men in the daylight across a half-mile expanse of foot-deep snow at a concealed, alert enemy, to be suicidal. Their only cover would be their 81mm
M1 Mortar
The M1 is a United States 81 millimeter caliber mortar. It was used during World War II well into the 1950s when it was replaced by the lighter and longer ranged M29 Mortar...
mortars. Paratrooper Don Garrigues wrote:
While victorious in capturing Rochelinval and eliminating the last German bridgehead for over 10 miles (16.1 km) on the Salm River, the unit was virtually decimated, having suffered more than 85% casualties. Relieved on 9 January 1945, of the 643 men who entered the battle on 3 January, only 14 Officers and 96 men remained. "Nowhere were casualties higher than in Wood Joerg's 551st Battalion." Like the 509th Infantry Regiment, the unit's strength had been decimated by battle, and paratrooper replacements were not in the pipeline.
Battalion disbanded
On 27 January 1945, in Juslenville, Belgium, General James M. GavinJames M. Gavin
James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
informed the remaining men that the battalion was being inactivated and all remaining soldiers would be absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. The unit records were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne and virtually lost for many years, their sacrifice unknown to many.
Casualties
Because the unit was disbanded and it's remaining men absorbed into various units, U.S. Army records on the number of casualties are conflicting.KIA
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
: 66, WIA
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
: (TBD); NBC: (TBD)
Citations
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
: (2); Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
: (1); Bronze Star: (1)
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of the Bulge to the unit during an official ceremony at the Pentagon on 23 February 2001.
Cultural legacy
A monument was built at LeignonLeignon
Leignon is a village in the municipality of Ciney, in the Belgian province of Namur. It was a municipality itself until the fusion of the municipalities in 1977....
, Belgium, to memorialize Pfc Milo Huempfner, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
for action there on 23 December 1944.
A plaque was dedicated in Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine
Noirefontaine is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Geography:The commune lies south of Pont-de-Roide between the Doubs River and the Lomont on a major highway.-Population:-External links:*...
, Belgium to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion and the civilians of the area.
A plaque dedicated in La Chapelle, Belgium in the town hall to the 551st Parachute Infantry Regiment.
A memorial stone was placed at Fort Benning, Georgia, honoring the Battalion. It is notable because it includes a statue of their dog mascot, Furlough.
In Rochelinval, Belgium a plaque was dedicated on 20 August 1989 to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion from the Belgian people. A Stele to Lt. Col. Wood G. Joerg who was killed on 7 January 1945, and to the 551st Parachute Battalion Combat Team. On 18 February 2001, a plaque was added to the stele with the Presidential Unit Citation. In February 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Bill Tucker, "Tucker's House," and to his I Company, 505th Parachute Regiment..
In 2010 another plaque was added in memory of Sgt. Robert Hill, who was killed on the 7 January 1945 in Rochelinval. For his heroïc actions on that day he was awarded the DSC.
Further reading
- De Trez, Michel; First Airborne Task Force, Brussels, Belgium; D-Day Publishing, 1998.
- Dillard, Doug, COL (USA Ret); USA Airborne, 50th Anniversary: The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, Paducah, Kentucky, Turner Publishing Company, 1990.
- Hughes, Lee The 551st Infantry Battalion 2007
- Morgan, Dan, Left Corner of My Heart, Wauconda, Washington; Adler Enterprises, 1984.
- Orflea, Gregg; Messengers of the Lost Battalion, Free Press, New York, New York, 1997.
- Tucker, Bill; Rendezvous at Rochelinval, Harwichport, Massachusetts; International Airborn Books, 1999.
- The History ChannelThe History ChannelHistory, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
, Suicide Missions: Winter Warriors, 2000
External links
- 551st PIB website
- 551st Parachute Infantry Collection at the United States Army Center of Military History
- Website of Joe Cicchinelli, veteran of the 551st PIB