08-22-1944   A Tiger at the OP

“We moved to a position along a secondary road South of Follainville at 1000 hrs. A civilian building was alongside the road, but buildings were still off limits, so we had to stay out. Tom Foote was leery of them because of booby traps. We were the last ones in the European theater to give up field living.

This area was in a heavy thicket of small trees and very difficult to find one’s self around. The staff rotated each hour during the night for officer on duty in the Fire Direction Center, so in order to find one’s relief it was necessary to run a line from one tent to the other, draw a map of the connected points and grope in the dark. Sometimes it seemed to be better to stay on duty all through the night instead. It wasn’t long before the S-3, Bob Wagner, and the S-2, John Macchi, gave up and decided to split the night duties between the two of them. They said it was easier that way.

The Colonel is with the Commanding Officer of the Infantry. I head over to our outpost. A tank destroyer had just been knocked out by a German Tiger tank. The German tank, along with some foot soldiers were advancing on our OP, a patrol with armor support feeling us out. Our forward observer was adjusting fire. Our fire came down and killed or wounded several of them. The tank withdrew. Later after we had taken the area, I counted six enemy soldiers killed by our fire. It sure was a close call for those of us at the outpost. It happened so fast, it didn’t even scare me. Although I did a lot of thinking about it later.”