Description

The Third Division Front Line

Vol. 1 — No. 31 · Third Infantry Division · Munich, Germany · May 19, 1945

4 pages scanned

Names

• Adams, S-Sgt. Lucian — Port Arthur, Texas; 30th Infantry; Congressional Medal of Honor winner; kayoed three German machine guns singlehandedly in Vosges Mountains while breaking through to relieve besieged buddies; almost missed award ceremony twice
• Allen, Lt. George — member of Capt. Clem’s detachment behind enemy lines for Kesselring liaison
• Allen, Sgt. George — acted as interpreter in Capt. Clem’s detachment behind enemy lines
• Barker, Lt. Witt — Dayton, Ohio; 30th Infantry; showed Jack Bell through ancient Hapsburg castle in Austria
• Bell, Jack — Chicago Daily News correspondent; author of ’15th, 30th Search Alps For SS; Find Anny’
• Bell, Sgt. F. F. — Managing Editor listed in masthead
• Biessmann, Sgt. Marcus — Galena, Ill.; 41 months service; has enough points but not going home yet
• Boyd, 1st Sgt. Clarence — Star City, Ark.; 7th Infantry ‘Dog’ Company; led patrol into air raid shelter to bring out SS snipers in Nurnberg
• Broide, Cpl. Macy I. — 30th Infantry staff reporter; author of ‘Cages Swamped With Prisoners As Wehrmacht Collapses in Alps’
• Brooks, Lt. Phillip — Pelham, N.Y.; 30th Infantry; brought young German officer for interrogation with Lt. Rosebury
• Byke, 2nd Lt. Emil T. — Chicago; 30th Infantry Company L; battlefield-commissioned; cut fuze on wired bridge over Inn River tributary; saved bridge for two Army Corps to cross
• Chiarelli, 2nd Lt. Peter F. — Seattle, Wash.; recent battlefield commission in tank outfit attached to Third Division; commanded recon platoon and four light tanks; skeptical about running down Autobahn
• Claunch, Sgt. James — author of ‘First Home Shipment Started For Veterans’; T-4 General staff reporter listed in masthead
• Clem, Capt. Rohman — led Third Division detachment behind enemy lines to establish liaison with Kesselring; met Kesselring on his private train ‘Brunswick’
• Daddazio, Pfc. Marc J. — Philadelphia, Pa.; 15th Infantry; nicknamed ‘Sinatra’ by buddies; message center runner; sang with local bands and appeared with Sammy Kaye’s orchestra on ‘Sunday Serenade’
• Devers, General Jacob L. — 6th Army Group commander; issued Order of the Day; informed Foertsch how Kesselring’s surrender should be made
• Dittfurth, Pfc. Raymond — Runge, Texas; 7th Infantry; discovered house of expectant German WAC mothers
• Dorsey, Tommy — musician; Frankie Lester performs with his band (referenced in Daddazio article)
• Dotson, Sgt. Harry — Parkersburg, W.Va.; 30th Infantry PW guard; managed overflowing prisoner cage
• Eisenhower, General — communication established with him after Clem met Kesselring
• Engelbritson, T/5 Herman — Div. HQ; student rider at 3rd Division riding academy
• Esquibel, Cpl. Alarindo — 706 14th St., Rocky Ford, Colo.; former rancher; aiding Lt. Wilson at riding academy and rodeo
• Flynn, Cpl. Hugh — 7th Infantry band; serves as MC for Balers band; co-wrote regimental song with Cpl. Portese
• Flynn, Major Ralph M. — Spartanburg, S.C.; 7th Infantry 3rd Battalion CO; joined Task Force Horton on the road and relieved Capt. Horton
• Foertsch, Lt. Gen. — German First Army commander; sought interview with Gen. O’Daniel May 3; provided escort to 6th Army Group; went to Zell am See; later outspoken that further resistance was futile
• French, W. W. — Collingswood, N.J.; CIC detachment; identified Albert Goering from his passport
• Gentry, Pfc. Maxie I. — Hadgenville, Ky.; 7th Infantry; discovered house of expectant German WAC mothers
• Goering, Albert — Hermann Goering’s brother; born Berlin March 9, 1895; identified by W.W. French at CIC; had been living in Salzburg area since 1944 after quitting job with Skoda works; wanted to tell all
• Goering, Hermann — Nazi Air Marshal; brother Albert identified by CIC; already a prisoner of Americans when Albert arrived
• Guskowski, Pvt. Gerald — Berwyn, Ill.; 30th Infantry Item Company; came to breakfast and found five Luftwaffe at the table but they had saved him a seat
• Harrison, T-4 Merrill — General staff reporter listed in masthead
• Hatfield, Pfc. Lee — New London, Conn.; 30th Infantry PW guard; told story of self-surrendering German convoy with hitch-hiking Krauts
• Helfer, Pfc. Abe — Bronx, N.Y.; 7th Infantry ‘Dog’ Company; volunteered to pursue SS snipers in Nurnberg air raid shelter
• Heller, Cpl. Bill — Chicago, Ill.; Third Signal photographer; joined division on Anzio; has 68 points; commentary on redeployment system
• Hicks, Capt. Bill — assistant Special Service officer; found Hungarian cavalry stable; rounded up wagon-load of oats for the horses
• Hoffman, Eddie — St. Louis; 57 months in the Army; jeep jockey; took Jack Bell to find evidence of war near Austrian lakes
• Hollis, Cpl. H. T. — 7th Infantry staff reporter listed in masthead
• Horton, Capt. Robert V. — Hillside, N.J.; 7th Infantry 3rd Battalion; commanded Task Force Horton from Augsburg to Munich; seized bridge at Furstenfeldbruk
• Hovan, Pfc. Elmer — Cleveland, Ohio; 7th Infantry ‘Dog’ Company; volunteered to pursue SS snipers in Nurnberg air raid shelter
• Huntley, M/Sgt. Robert — San Francisco, Cal.; used every means to notify men of redeployment orders
• James, Harry — musician; Jimmie Saunders performs with his band (referenced in Daddazio article)
• Johnston, Dick — New York Times correspondent; pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with other correspondents
• Kaye, Sammy — bandleader; Daddazio appeared on his ‘Sunday Serenade’ radio program
• Kesselring, Field Marshal — surrendered all German forces on May 8 to Capt. Clem on private train ‘Brunswick’ at Saalfelden; had been living at Zell am See
• King, Lt. Col. Dick — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Large, Cpl. William — Division Artillery staff reporter listed in masthead
• Lawton, Sgt. Sill — McCormick, S.C.; ran ‘Lawton’s Flop House’ displaced persons center near Salzburg; averaging 100 civilians per day
• Lee, James H. — Mechanical Staff listed in masthead
• Lester, Frankie — performs with Tommy Dorsey orchestra; cousin of Pfc. Daddazio
• Lewis, Ted — bandleader; Daddazio had single stand with his band
• Limprecht, Capt. Hollis J. — Public Relations Officer listed in masthead
• Lockridge, Pat — Colliers correspondent; pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters
• Maiben Reynolds, Capt. — Auburn, Ala.; told correspondents about ‘Anzio Annie’ 170mm German gun with 35-foot barrel
• McFalls, Capt. Carroll B. — Pasadena, Cal.; 30th Infantry battalion; captured a German lieutenant colonel and major who were area draft board members
• Mercer, Lt. Joseph A. — member of Capt. Clem’s detachment; described failed first attempt to penetrate SS lines and eventual meeting with Kesselring
• Migger, Sgt. Frank — Cicero, Ill.; self-appointed guard on convoy with Annabell Schmalz
• Morgan, Cpl. Harry — aiding Lt. Wilson at riding academy and rodeo
• Muhuron, 2nd Lt. Gerald G. — Los Angeles, Cal.; 30th Infantry company commander; bluffed German colonel into surrendering garrison of 1,200 soldiers; found major general who had charge of engineer installations for Normandy defense
• NeSmith, AI — Cochran, Ga.; CIC detachment; identified Albert Goering from his passport
• Newell, Capt. Richard — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Northrop, Capt. Leroy — 3rd Signal Company; receiving homeward-bound glad tidings in photo caption
• O’Daniel, Maj. Gen. John W. ‘Iron Mike’ — Third Division Commander; returned with city limits sign from Munich as gift; met Foertsch; arranged meeting with Devers; pictured at quarters with correspondents
• Okeshott, Lee — Reuters correspondent; pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters
• Osborne, S/Sgt. Hoyte — Twin Bridges, Mont.; former rancher; chief trouble shooter at riding academy; organizing rodeo for May 20
• Pacunas, Warrant Officer Alban — Chicago; 4 years in the army; beefing because officers don’t get home on the point system
• Parisi, Pfc. Daniel T. — New York City; surprised to find 8-10 German soldiers following him waiting to be taken prisoner
• Patch, Lt. Gen. Alexander — Nurnberg; ready to present five CMH awards but Adams was away on pass in Nancy
• Peck, Capt. George S. — Durand, Wis.; 30th Infantry; bluffed entire German garrison of 350 into surrendering using only three men plus platoon arriving later; thinking of selling War Bonds to Germans
• Peterson, Pfc. Melville — 15th Infantry staff reporter listed in masthead
• Petty, 1st Sgt. Leo — Lake City, Fla.; 30th Infantry; reported lone Kraut who helped free stuck tanks then volunteered for KP
• Poole, Pfc. Clyde — Benton Harbor, Mich.; 7th Infantry ‘Dog’ Company; volunteered to pursue SS snipers in Nurnberg air raid shelter
• Porter, Lt. Col. Mackenzie E. — Berkeley, Calif.; 30th Infantry First Battalion; troops entered Munich at 0945 on the 30th
• Portese, Cpl. Dominic — 7th Infantry; does arrangements for Balers band; co-wrote regimental song with Cpl. Flynn
• Powell, Pfc. Ira — Philadelphia, Pa.; orderly for Capt. Peck; helped round up German soldiers willing to surrender
• Powell, Teddy — bandleader; Daddazio guested for his orchestra for a week
• Prancunas, Pfc. W. Paul — Harding St., Worcester, Mass.; 30th Infantry; told story of German who asked where the PW enclosure was then went back for 100 comrades
• Preuss, Lt. Charles — in Task Force Osgard; directed shooting at 88s that opened up on light tanks until at least one gun was knocked out
• Prohme, Capt. Rupert — flew Piper Cub to Nancy to bring Adams to CMH ceremony; forced down near Rhine; hitch-hiked back to the 30th
• Quigley, Pfc. Charles — Newark, N.J.; 30th Infantry PW guard; one meal a day and four hours sleep for three days during PW surge
• Rodda, Don — 441st Ack-Ackers; organized track-and-field show with accumulated equipment
• Ropel, Pfc. Hubert — referenced from previous issue
• Rosebury, Lt. Richard — Pleasantville, N.Y.; 30th Infantry; brought young German officer for interrogation with Lt. Brooks
• Rosson, Lt. Col. William — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Saunders, Jimmie — performs with Charlie Spivak and Harry James orchestras; friend of Daddazio
• Saunders, Lt. Raymond — Ogden, Utah; medical officer; treated German soldier wounded in buttocks with memorable commentary
• Schear, T-4 Dwight B. — Sports staff reporter; author of sports column
• Schmalz, Annabell — Woodside, N.Y.; displaced person; left native Germany in 1939 to see grandfather in Frankfurt; couldn’t go home; wandered through Naziland alone; fled Vienna with Germans into Austrian hills
• Schnettler, T-Sgt. Alton — Air Observation Section; reconditioned captured German ‘Stork’ observation plane to better-than-original condition
• Schultz, Capt. ‘Dutch’ — Waterloo, Iowa; Air Observation Section; used Cub as outhouse; disarmed ‘dead’ Kraut who grabbed for his gun; sat in field half hour until tank arrived
• Simpson, Arthur — Mechanical Staff listed in masthead
• Sinatra, Frank — swoon-crooner; Daddazio’s brother is an old school buddy of his
• Smith, Major Richard — 7th Infantry; went out and got instruments for Balers band
• Snow, Edgar — author of ‘Red Star Over China’; Saturday Evening Post war correspondent; wrote ‘3rd’s Role In Final Surrender Told by Snow of Post’
• Spivak, Charlie — bandleader; Jimmie Saunders appears with his orchestra
• Spreyer, Maj. F. C. — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Stoutenburg, Pfc. Lucian — Kingston, N.Y.; 7th Infantry ‘Dog’ Company; volunteered to pursue SS snipers in Nurnberg air raid shelter
• Stover, Pfc. Lenzie H. — Pittsburg, Pa.; 15th Infantry; first to see armed German guards protecting area; ‘I’ve seen everything now – send me home!’
• Sturley, 1st Lt. Eric A. — New Haven, Conn.; 7th Infantry; explained busted-down German cavalry major to reporter
• Szelina, Johnny — Division Athletic Sergeant; organizing all sports programs for division in Salzburg; has gang of Kraut PWs working under him daily at stadium
• Voutsaras, 1st Sgt. Theodore — Detroit; refused reclassification to limited duty; returned to line and became backbone of discipline during final drive in Germany
• Wardlaw, Major Hugh — McComb, Miss.; said wind was Task Force Osgard’s biggest handicap
• Weese, Pfc. Albert — Wood River, Ill.; Capt. Peck’s driver; rounded up Germans willing to surrender
• Wickersham, Maj. Dan — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Williamson, Pfc. John W. — Martinsville, Texas; 7th Infantry; discovered house of expectant German WAC mothers
• Willingham, Lt. Harold — member of Capt. Clem’s detachment behind enemy lines for Kesselring liaison
• Wilson, 1st Lt. Webster (Webb) — San Luis Obispo, Cal.; 10th Field Artillery; roly-poly ex-bronc buster; runs riding academy with 45 Hungarian cavalry horses; organizing rodeo for May 20; former rodeo circuit rider from Los Angeles to Madison Square Garden
• Winter, Pfc. Arthur A. — Brooklyn, N.Y.; speaks fluent German; handles displaced persons center at ‘Lawton’s Flop House’ near Salzburg
• Wolfe, Cpl. Lawrence M. — Aumsville, Ore.; went to latrine without rifle; Germans insisted on surrendering to him
• Woodward, CWO Marcus — pictured at Gen. O’Daniel’s quarters with correspondents
• Zelling, Col. — led Capt. Clem’s party along road to Zell am See after first attempt to penetrate SS lines failed
• Zinn, Robert — liberated PW; received package addressed to Rudolph Zinn of Third Division while in England
• Zinn, Rudolph — Third Division member; package addressed to him received by Robert Zinn in England

Locations

• Anzio, Italy — referenced as where Cpl. Heller joined the division; also ‘Anzio Annie’ 170mm gun captured by 30th Infantry
• Augsburg, Germany — starting point of Task Force Horton and Task Force Osgard drives to Munich
• Austria — Third Division moved into Austrian Alps; Tyrolian Alps; surrender proceedings took place here; German guards protecting area with burp-guns
• Bavarian Alps, Germany — 7th Infantry making music here; Task Force Osgard’s cold wind came from Alps
• Berchtesgaden, Germany — referenced as Hitler’s hideout; Third Division capture; Kesselring’s surrender party headed here
• Bordeaux, France — great port made available again to France by Army Detachment of the Atlantic’s Gironde Estuary campaign
• Colmar Pocket, France — referenced in Devers Order of the Day as successfully eliminated
• Fedala, French Morocco — beaches where Third Division first landed almost 31 months ago
• Frankfurt, Germany — Annabell Schmalz came to visit grandfather there and couldn’t get home
• Furstenfeldbruk, Germany — objective of Task Force Horton; bridge over Rammer River secured intact
• Hallstetter, Lake, Austria — Jack Bell and Lt. Barker looked over Austrian girls and German troops there
• Inn River, Germany/Austria — Company L, 30th Infantry, objective after Munich-Rosenheim dash; bridge saved by Lt. Byke; location of ‘Anzio Annie’ capture
• Italy — Army Detachment of the Alps penetrated Italy as additional threat to enemy
• Munich, Germany — goal of Task Force Osgard and Task Force Horton; 30th Infantry First Battalion first to enter at 0945 on the 30th; airport with 200 planes captured nearby
• Nancy, France — Adams was on pass here when Gen. Patch was ready to present CMH; Capt. Prohme flew there to retrieve Adams
• Normandy, France — German major general found in Munich had been in charge of engineer installations for Normandy defense
• Nurnberg (Nuremberg), Germany — three German SS snipers hidden in air raid shelter; killed engineer and wounded another; 7th Infantry patrol pursued them; also CMH ceremony location where Adams was away
• Rosenheim, Germany — 30th Infantry task force objective after Munich; 4000 enemy soldiers captured in area
• Saalfelden, Austria — little town where formal surrender of more than one million enemy troops took place on Kesselring’s private train ‘Brunswick’
• Salzburg, Austria — Third Division garrisoning the city; displaced persons center at ‘Lawton’s Flop House’ on outskirts; Schloss Klessheim (Hitler’s palace) used for Clem’s planning; stadium being prepared for division sports; Hungarian cavalry captured here
• Siegfried Line, Germany — referenced in Devers Order of the Day; Seventh Army successfully assaulted it
• Vienna (Wien), Austria — Annabell Schmalz was there when Russians invaded; fled with Germans
• Vosges Mountains, France — Adams kayoed three German machine guns here singlehandedly
• Zell am See, Austria — idyllic Austrian lake resort where Kesselring’s party was put up at Central Hotel; guarded by Nazi burp-gunners

 

Units

• 10th Field Artillery — Lt. Wilson’s unit; ‘B’ Battery part of Task Force Horton; tennis courts near Div. Arty.
• 15th Infantry Regiment — I and R platoon; search for SS in Alps; first troops to enter Redoubt Area southeast of Salzburg
• 30th Infantry Regiment — Company L; Task Force to Munich-Rosenheim; PW cage swamped with 7,500 Germans in three days; sniper hunt participants
• 3rd Infantry Division (‘Marne Division’) — garrisoning Salzburg area; 500 men redeployed in first shipment; 31 months in combat
• 3rd Signal Company — photo credits throughout; members received homeward-bound orders
• 441st AAA (Ack-Ackers) — under Don Rodda; organized own track-and-field show
• 601st Recon — platoon part of Task Force Horton
• 601st Tank Destroyers — platoon part of Task Force Horton
• 6817 Special Service Company — T/3 Claude Filing found liberated from PW camp
• 6th Army Group — Gen. Devers commanding; issued Order of the Day; Foertsch sent to them for formal surrender
• 703rd Ordnance Company — triple-play confusion choosing man to go home; kept division moving throughout final drive
• 756th Tank Battalion — light and medium tanks part of Task Force Horton
• 7th Infantry Regiment — Col. Heintges commander; Balers band formed from line companies; Task Force Horton; ‘Dog’ Company sniper hunt in Nurnberg
• Air Observation Section (3rd Division) — Cubs flew 41,640 miles in one month; T-Sgt. Schnettler reconditioned captured German ‘Stork’ plane
• Army Detachment of the Alps — penetrated Italy as additional threat to enemy
• Army Detachment of the Atlantic — eliminated enemy pockets on both sides of Gironde Estuary; made Bordeaux available to France
• CIC Detachment (Third Division) — identified Albert Goering from his passport
• Division Special Service — passed out softballs and bats; inspected Salzburg gymnasium; planning variety tourney and rodeo at Salzburg Stadium
• French Army ‘B’ — referenced in Devers Order of the Day as part of Southern France landing
• Hungarian Cavalry Unit — 45 horses captured at Salzburg; badly in need of food; now used for Third Division riding academy and rodeo
• Luftwaffe — five found at Item Company breakfast table having saved seat for Pvt. Guskowski
• Norwegian Ski Corps — referenced in sports column noting Western Austria ski champions competed at Sun Valley and Mt. Rainier
• Seventh Army — history of fall of Munich to be written about Seventh Army push; Gen. Patch’s army
• SS (Schutzstaffel) — fanatics guarded unsurrendered redoubt; blew up roads and one mountainside; 15th and 30th Regiments sent to find SS units; still hiding in hills; only ones who wanted to continue fighting
• Task Force Horton — assembled in Augsburg from 601st Recon, 756th light tanks, 756th medium tanks, 601st TDs, Battle Patrol ‘B’ Battery 10th FA, 756th assault guns, motorized 3rd Battalion; seized bridge at Furstenfeldbruk
• Task Force Osgard — Lt. Col. James R. Osgard commanding; battalion infantry, company tanks, platoon TD recon, platoon TDs, platoon engineers, two flak wagons; roughly 1,000 men; night-day dash to Munich