(September 15, 1944) Troop B, 102nd Squadron, was relieved of attachment to the 38th Squadron. Troops A, B, and C reconnoitered road nets north and east of Manderfeld and Krewinkel before being passed through by the 8th Infantry Regiment (4-ID). Late in the day, all infantry elements withdrew and the Squadron established a cavalry screen along the line Lanzerath, Krewinkel, and Roth. Troop A was ordered to screen the 8th Infantry Regiment’s advance along the main road Manderfeld to Scheid which lay on the far side of the Siegfried Line. A platoon of tanks was attached to the first platoon which advanced along the main route, while the second and the third platoons moved to the north flank. The second and the third platoons met no opposition initially, but the first received heavy artil1ery and small arms fire from the vicinity of the crossroads southwest of Losheim. Artillery support proved ineffective, as the enemy countered with smoke shells and the artillery could not be registered. Meanwhile, the second and third platoons had met resistance and came under heavy artillery fire. The first platoon stayed in observation until the infantry column arrived. The infantry deployed and probed the line, and the third platoon withdrew under cover of a steep slope to escape the heavy enemy artillery. The infantry was ordered to withdraw and go into line to the south while Troop A was directed to screen and hold certain strategic points along the road net mines were set out and the defense was strengthened by tank destroyers and the Troop established a counter reconnaissance screen from Krewinkel to Roth.
Troop B was ordered to establish a counter reconnaissance screen from Lanzerath southeast to Hüllscheid. The first platoon was on the left with an outpost 400 yards north of Lanzerath and maintained the MLR (Main Line of Resistance) 200 yards north of Lanzerath. The area surrounding Lanzerath on the east was extensively booby-trapped. Minefields were put down on the main road as well as the field west of the main road. A roadblock of fallen trees was laid on the main road southwest of Hüllscheid. This platoon was reinforced with a platoon of light tanks. The first platoon maintained patrol contact with the 24th Cavalry Squadron to our north. The second platoon was in contact with Fox Company to our right. Troop C proceeded to Roth and set up observation posts. The Troop remained on this mission all day and was relieved at 1900 by elements of the 4th Infantry Division’s Reconnaissance Troop who requested that the first platoon remains in their observation and outpost positions until the next day. No enemy contact was made during the period.
(September 16, 1944) The Squadron was attached directly to the 4th Infantry Division and the 4th Reconnaissance Troop (4-ID) was attached to the Squadron. The Squadron thus reinforced, was assigned the mission of protecting the left flank of the Division from the left flank of the 12th Infantry Regiment to the Corps boundary. Troop B, C, and the 4th Reconnaissance Troop were employed to screen the line, with Troop A in Squadron reserve. Fox Company reinforced Troop B with one platoon of thanks and Troop C with two platoons. A platoon of Charlie Co, 801st Tank Destroyer Battalion was attached to the Squadron and positioned in support of the reconnaissance troops on the line. Troop E, supported the attack initially from the battery position in the vicinity of Lanzerath but was forced to displace because of counter-battery fire at 1430B. The Squadron command post was moved to (996937) in the vicinity of Manderfeld, where it was to remain until September 30. The high ground in the immediate vicinity afforded excellent observation of a portion of the Siegfried Line itself, from the vicinity of Losheim to Roth, embracing a major portion of the Squadron sector. Physical contact was made and maintained with the 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on the north and with the 12th Infantry Regiment on the south.
September 17-30, 1944) The Squadron continued the mission of protecting the left flank of the Corps by maintaining a counter reconnaissance screen on the left of the 4th Infantry Division, between the 12th Infantry Regiment and the Corps left flank. Contact was maintained with the 12th Infantry Regiment on the south and the 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on the north. Troops B, C, and the 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (4-ID) continued to perform this mission on a 12.000-yard front. Troop A was assigned the separate mission at 0900 (Sept 18) of protecting the south flank of the 4th Infantry Division by filling the gap between the 8th Infantry Regiment (4-ID) and the 5th Armored Division. The Troop command post located at Winterscheid with platoons generally along the line Bleialf – Großlangenfeld – Winterspelt. The front assigned to the Troop, nearly five miles in length, was outposted and communication was established with the Headquarters of the 4th Infantry Division. This front was in direct contact with the Siegfried Line, with excellent observation on both sides. Liaison was established and maintained on the right flank with Troop A, 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron which was protecting the left flank of the 28th Infantry Division. Patrol activity was constant on both sides. The Troop took nineteen prisoners during the period. On September 30, it was relieved by Fox Company of the 22nd Regimental Combat Team, and assembled on Squadron Order, in the vicinity of Nieder-Emmels.
Troop E continued to support the counter reconnaissance screen and the squadron mission on the left flank of the Division from battery position at (990937) in the vicinity of Manderfeld. On September 19, the Troop moved to (980928) in the vicinity of Eimerscheid. During the period, Troop E fired some 1700 rounds in direct support of the Squadron mission. Fox Company reinforced Troops A, B, and C, with one tank platoon each during the period. Troop Headquarters remained with the Squadron command post. Provisional Assault Gun Battery, 70th Tank Battalion (6 105-MM Howitzers mounted in Sherman tanks) was attached to the Squadron and joined at 1200 on September 20; battery position at (992926) in the vicinity of Manderfeld; fired some 1600 rounds during the period in direct support of the Squadron mission including 40 rounds of propaganda ammunition (Safe Conduct Pass). Battery released from attachment and attached to the 12th Infantry Regiment on September 30. The Tank Destroyer Platoon, from Charlie Co 801st Tank Destroyer Battalion, attached to Squadron on September 17, remained in supporting positions in the vicinity of Manderfeld and Lanzerath during the period. The platoon was released and attached to the 12th Infantry Regiment on September 30. The Squadron command post remained at (995937) in the vicinity of Manderfeld during the period. The Squadron’s rear echelon remained at (975895) in the vicinity of Laudesfeld, Germany, during the period.
On September 27, a 26-man platoon from the Belgian Army was attached to the Squadron and attached to Troop B. On September 28, 166 additional men and officers were attached from the Belgian Army; one platoon was attached to the 4th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (4-ID), one company to Troop C, and 31 additional men were attached to Troop B. This attachment continued until the Squadron was relieved of its mission on September 30, when the detachment was released and reverted to its own command. On September 23, a Troop C patrol placed artillery fire on a German command post at (047945) and later took over their position. At 0900A, September 30, the Squadron was relieved by the 12th Infantry Regiment, and Troop A was relieved by Fox Company, 22nd Infantry Regiment 1100A. All attachments were released in accordance with orders of the 102nd Cavalry Group and the Squadron moved to a bivouac area at (839925) about two miles north of St Vith, Belgium, closing in the new area at 1330A. A Band Concert and Red Cross Service Truck were afforded in the Squadron area, and the Troops relaxed during the balance of the period.
Mechanized cavalry was designed and created to perform the type of missions which were assigned to the Squadron during this month of September, and the Squadron was eager to prove that the cavalry could produce when called upon, to perform missions for which its armament and training qualified it. The Squadron was determined to give the 4th Infantry Division an efficient and fast-moving screen that would enable the infantry to advance as rapidly as they could march while protecting their exposed north flank. By fording and securing bridgeheads over the Meuse River and the Ourthe River, and by actions like at Fumay, Haybes, Hargnies, Willerzie, Smuid, Wellin, Wavreille, Nassogne, Champlon, Beaulieu, Manderfeld, and Born, the platoons and troops of the Squadron, reinforced by infantry and medium tanks in the last-named instance, had pushed back delaying forces which enabled the infantry to march without interruption.
By the actions at Rienne, Haut-Fays, St Hubert, La Roche, Vielsalm, Salmchâteau, and Losheim, the aggressive action of the small unit leaders on the spot had developed the enemy forces so precisely that the infantry was able to march into the attack without hesitation or delay. Finally, at Krewinkel, Troop B determined, by their gallant fight in that town that the Siegfried Line, was very much occupied and that the long march was over. Then in screening the north flank of the 4th Infantry Division before the Siegfried Line, the Squadron found that the training of the men in acting by small units, the large number of machine guns, and the excellent radio equipment, all combined to qualify the Squadron particularly well for performing this type of mission. The Squadron completed September’s activities grateful that it had been granted the opportunity to function in the manner for which it has been trained and equipped.
NOTE: I must make a remark here because I never see anyone talking about it and yet it is not the historians who are lacking. It is nevertheless appropriate to highlight the abuses committed by these so-called liberators of the Belgian Army on the German-speaking population of the eastern cantons of Belgium and more particularly on the women. I won’t say more because not all of them were bad but some were. Out of respect for history and our Belgians in the east of the country, I had to point this out. (Doc Snafu)
Additional Images & Datas
(NicoKubel) Wartime Map Fumay and Vicinity
