Posted on 11/25/2021 7:52:50 AM PST by Kartographer
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 1944: more dreary freezing rain saturated the Hurtgen forest. Rhineland rivers overflowed their banks, and U.S. Army vehicles skidded on muddy roads. War-weary 26th Regiment infantrymen — many of whom had been in near-constant combat since the Normandy landing in June — spent this soggy day crouched in their foxholes, as always, on alert.
Also on this day, several combat patrols captured exhausted German soldiers willing to be taken prisoner and shipped out to the comfort and protection of one of 511 POW camps in America. The prisoners were brought to the company command post, where they were temporarily put to work as stretcher bearers hauling numerous American dead and wounded to evacuation vehicles.
Before those on patrol returned to their foxholes, they were instructed to spread the word that every GI on the line would receive a hot turkey dinner. Most of the GI’s didn’t even realize it was Thanksgiving.
Hoping to boost sagging morale, Mess Officer Howard Wilcox oversaw the roasting of hundreds of turkeys with all the trimmings. Frightened cooks and bakers unaccustomed to perilous front-line duty delivered them to every foxhole.
(Excerpt) Read more at thepilot.com ...
The obvious problem was getting bogged down in a dense forest that limited not only air support, but artillery and armored support as well. Another issue with the attack was that there was not a coordinated effort north and south of the forest to isolate the Germans inside and cut off reinforcements.
I wonder what ever happened to that FReeper who called himself Deep In The Hurtgen Forest?
http://home.scarlet.be/~sh446368/amazing-story-alfred-knaack.html
LOL. I remember there was something shady there, but I don’t remember the details.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Laz.
What’s a DITHF
I recall hearing a lecture by General Trevor Dupuy, a military historian, in which he likened our victory over the Germans in WWII to the Mexicans’ victory over the Texans at the Alamo. In both cases, the winning side won not because of superior strategies or tactics but because of sheer power that eventually overpowered their opponents.
Even if the Germans had managed to use every torpedo produced to sink an American ship (with only one shot), the Germans still wouldn't have had enough torpedoes to sink our ships.
Apparently long gone, and a phony, based on the earlier discussion. And if he had been legit, wouldn't he almost have to be deceased?
Looks like DITHF’s posting history was nuked along with his acc’t? It’s not loading for me.
He was kind of a precursor to all these Qanonsense tards.
LOL - I remember those days. Good to see you Laz.
He said "are you British?" and I told him, "no, I'm an American". Then He said "I don't like Americans - you took me prisoner in North Africa during the war. You made me harvest corn in Tennessee."
I smiled and told him "that sure beat the crap out of serving on the Russian Front, didn't it?"
He broke into a smile and bought my breakfast.
At least some and perhaps many of those troops who refuse the vaxxine and get cashiered for it will live longer lives without the heart attacks and strokes that seem to be in the not far future for a portion of those who succumbed or went eagerly to the medical Russian Roulette game.
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