Posted on 03/21/2016 3:00:33 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Timberwolves were night soldiers, some of the toughest in World War II, and Milford Ray Allen was one of those tough sons of guns, spending 196 consecutive days on the front lines.
After D-Day, it looked for a while like the war might be over by Christmas. But on Christmas Eve, Allen, now 91, saw some of the toughest fighting of the war.
It was the Battle of the Bulge, a desperate counter-offensive by the Germans. In one of the coldest winters on record, the ground was "frozen like concrete."
That was tough on U.S. soldiers, but an advantage for German tanks.
"Nothing in hell must stop the Timberwolves" was the proud slogan of commanding Gen. Terry Allen — no relation — and a wolf shoulder patch is one of the Urbana man's framed treasures.
Staff Sgt. Allen grew up on a southern Missouri cotton plantation and was called in for an Army physical in February 1943.
After basic training in Texas, Allen was one of 14,000 sent from the U.S. to Glasgow on the Queen Elizabeth, a luxury liner that steamed without a convoy because it could outrun U-boats, even zig-zagging.
"It wasn't a luxury for us," he says.
Allen says the Queen Elizabeth did get shot at once near the end of the voyage.
A gunner, Allen became attached to the 104th Infantry Division, which landed in France in September 1944 and moved on to Belgium.
They cleared the docks in Antwerp, a major port. The 104th then moved toward Germany, sometimes using their night-fighting skills.
Allen recalls that Quad-50s, half-tracks mounted with .50-caliber machine guns, poured fire over their heads as they attacked. At times, they had 32 Quad-50s for support, he says.
The Germans were also awed by Allied high-speed artillery, he says.
But the enemy had its own tricks. At one point, Allen's men were strafed by American P-47 Thunderbolts. They'd been captured and were now being flown by German aviators.
"They strafed both sides of the watershed," he says.
On one occasion, he was wounded on the front line, but didn't receive a Purple Heart — the front had no physicians to verify the wound, which was partially deflected by his billfold.
October was rainy, chilly, wet and muddy. The 104th liberated Zundert, Holland, and moved on to Aachen, Germany.
They were sometimes on the defensive on the Roer (Ruhr) River before eventually being able to move on to Cologne in March.
As the war in Europe came to a close, Allen met Soviet troops moving to the Elbe River from the opposite direction; they quickly established a no-man's land between them.
His service didn't end when the war in Europe did, on May 8, 1945.
Allen re-upped and joined a military-police unit. One of his duties was rounding up deserters from the war and looking for those who were missing in action.
In 1946, Allen was in another war — a peacekeeping mission preventing Italians and Yugoslavs from killing each other when ethnic Italians were being forced out of their homes.
Out of the service, in 1948, he married Bernita, who has passed away, as has their only son.
Allen eventually moved to Urbana because he had family here.
He found work as a mason, and built his home on Cottage Grove in two months, with help from some brick-laying buddies.
He retired in 1983.
Do you know a veteran who could share a story about military service? Contact staff writer Paul Wood at pwood@news-gazette.com.
The men in WW2 attacked the Germans and the boys of today are looking for a safe space where ‘triggers’ and ‘micro aggressions’ can’t hurt their precious little feelings.
Because words can hurt.
My, how the mighty have fallen. (eye roll)
But the enemy had its own tricks. At one point, Allen’s men were strafed by American P-47 Thunderbolts. They’d been captured and were now being flown by German aviators.
he either miss id German planes as P-47 .....or American P-47 pilots miss id his troops on the ground..
it happens in war all the time
You didn't even read your own excerpt! Please read the last sentence above the line in your own post. They'd been captured.
Regardless, Allen was given the new 104th Inf. Div. and he trained them superbly. Once again, he couldn't stand "chickenshit" regulations. Once again, his men loved him.
Allen believed troops could be taught nightfighting back in those days before night vision devices. He used that tactic to great advantage in fighting the Germans.
The Timberwolves were so damn good Bradley even made up with Allen.
General and Mrs. Allen’s son was killed in Vietnam.
There was not that many P47 captured intact.. let alone in an operational state for the German to use in combat...
I can only think of a few that were used for evaluation of the aircraft
At most the Germans used a few captured B-17 to pace the American bomber streams
I’ve been an amateur World War II Aviation historians since was a kid ... written a few articles and have and credited assisted in book that you can buy the air and space museum in Washington DC
not trying to be a pedantic but I know my stuff pretty well and I’ve and spoken to a lot War II vets on many technical subject. Some time in recalling you have ..fog of war at the time and little bit of fading memory ...
these men were fighting for their lives in combat... not history geeks trying to document things years later
miss id is very common on both sides that’s just the reality of War
The Nazis did capture at least two P-47s but it is very unlikely they ever flew them together in combat missions. (They often repainted the tails in yellow to identify them as captured machines.) More likely this incident was blue-on-blue. Recently read an account of the Rhine crossing which describes a similar event - and in this instance ground forces returned fire and brought down one of their own attacking ‘planes.
My mom’s first husband was one of the Timberwolves. He died by a sniper’s bullet in ‘44.
How much we owe to these brave men.
When the only “safe” space you had was a dug out fox hole with your buddies.
the Queen Elizabeth, a luxury liner that steamed without a convoy because it could outrun U-boats
yes I’m well aware P-47 were captured it’s a few you’ve got one there.... that’s in an evaluation Squadron.... not used in any kind of operational capacity
Miss identification is common.... super common
and this gentleman was any position to communicate with the pilot that were strafing him when you’re getting straight you got maybe one two seconds to id.... you’re ducking bullets.. and if the plane shooting at you it’s the enemy
You're probably right about friendly fire but when adrenalin was up a FW190 could look a lot like a Jug.
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