Tuesday. April 10 - Gerlingen

Here we were billeted in comfortable farm houses and the weather was warm and spring-like. Some of the men had a chance to bathe, wash some clothes and clean up equipment. In this area the woods, fields and barnyards were full of Russians and Poles. The French and Belgians, much fewer in number, seemed to have ways of being taken care of and in many instances were getting home. Often one saw them in groups, traveling in all types of vehicles, even wagons pulled by tractors, headed west towards home.

The 1st Platoon was still with CCB. The 2nd Platoon had relieved a Platoon of 'A' Troop as outpost near Neheim, and two sections of the 3rd were on liaison missions with CCB and CCR maintaining contact between both Combat Commands in their attack west towards Unna. During this period Sgt. Oliviero's section was up front with the forward elements near Wiekede. A suspected counter attack by some 3000 Germans plus tanks was repelled by the 49th Infantry. Sgt. Tipton's section was at Stockum with the 36th Tank Bn.

Wednesday. April 11 - Gerlingen

We remained here another day. The Recon Platoons came in and rejoined Headquarters and we were told we would go back with CCB. We were on the alert for moving out in the evening but the orders were changed and we had another night's good sleep in this quiet little rural community.

Thursday, April 12 - Gerlingen to Wolfenbuttel

During the early morning we were told we would move at noon, and after lunch at 1000, we were ready. Everyone sensed it would be a long march, generally eastward, and that our work in the western pocket might be finished. We left at noon and traveled the rest of the day and all night in a general northeast direction. We crossed the Weser River, made famous by the Pied Piper, during the evening, on a pontoon treadway bridge. Two nearby bridges, up the river, had been blown. We were leading CCB and our mission was marking the route. Again we were following the 2nd Armored's drive.

Friday. April 13 - Wolfenbuttel, Halberstadt, Silstedt

We arrived in Wolfenbuttel after a long, tough, all night march at about 0730. We were assigned billets in several houses on a narrow street in the center of town. While here we received the news over the radio of President Roosevelt's death the day before. Aside from varied political and social beliefs, all felt it unfortunate at this critical period. Headquarters remained here for the rest of the day while the Recon Platoons were out on various missions. We had a stroke of luck getting gasoline, after traveling about 120 miles so rapidly in advance of all supplies. Sgt. Van Edsinga ran across a gasoline truck driver whom he knew and who was about to return all the way back to where we had started, for more gas. The driver said that scattered among his empty cans there were a few full ones. Sgt. Van Bleich, Bramble, Wickham and Turner unloaded the truck and found 148 full cans, which saved the day for us. They then reloaded the truck with empties and the driver's and our problems were both solved.

During the late afternoon orders came to move out. The Division was again moving east. We left Wolfenbuttel and proceeded to Halberstadt which we reached in the early evening. We drew up along one of the main thoroughfares just short of the large area in the city which had been completely destroyed by bombing and artillery a few days before. The Troop spent most of the night here, moving on again in the early morning through Derenberg, and on to Silstedt. We arrived at 0500. In this area we were to relieve the 113th Cav. and in the early morning the 3rd Platoon took over some of their outposts. Many German troops were hidden in the woods in this sector.

Saturday, April 14 - Derenberg

We were in Silstedt from 0500 until 0730 and then moved again, retracing our route to Derenberg. At this time the Troop had been up and without sleep for two days and two nights. We moved into comfortable quarters in good houses. The town was full of English soldiers and liberated French and Poles. There were not so many Russians this far east. It was perplexing as to whether the civilians were relieved we had arrived in this section, bringing the war nearer to a close, or just acting a clever part. They all seemed so cooperative and at times even friendly when we moved into their houses and 'took over'. Yet not many hundred yards away their friends and relatives were lurking in the woods, ready to blast hell out of us if the chance was given.

The 1st Platoon outposted the town of Benzingerode, relieving the Cav. Troop that was there. At the end of the day the Platoon was relieved by Infantry and returned to the Troop at Derenberg.

The 3rd Platoon was divided into sections and again sent out for outposting zones, usually roads or crossroads, and maintaining lookouts to our south. They moved from one village to another, setting up outposts at night. In these actions the two Platoons were relieving an Infantry Bn. and the Troop was relieving a Cavalry Squadron reinforced by an Infantry Bn.

Sunday, April 15 - Harsleben

We left Derenberg at 0700 and moved through Halberstadt, on to a town named Harsleben. Here we were quartered in several fairly good houses on a quiet street. The Recon Platoons were busy on missions screening and clearing up nearby spots of resistance. Time was given for maintenance of vehicles and cleaning up clothing and equipment.

The 1st and 2nd Platoons were occupied with screening missions covering the area northwest of Halberstadt, within a radius of 8 to 10 miles. Weapons, ammunition and cameras of all types were collected, brought in, and either acquired or destroyed.

Monday, April 16 - Harsleben

This day found us still in Harsleben doing more or less the same as the day before. We lost T/5 Bartas and Pfc. Neitz because of illness but regained T/4 Torcasio and Pfc. Guglielmi who finally caught up with us after having gone on pass during March when we were at Grefrath.

The problem of getting various supplies was still acute. We were able to get gasoline but little or no oil and grease. Often there were no B rations but fortunately C and K rations were available. Clothing and other quartermaster equipment was impossible to get. So many men had moved so far and so fast since crossing the Rhine.

Sgt. Ackerman's section of the 1st Platoon, accompanied by some Engineers, was sent to investigate an underground factory reported in the vicinity of Saugenstein. They found an immense installation set up underground for aircraft production and other machine shop work. In this same locality our men found a concentration camp which they reported as the worst example of Nazi cruelty yet discovered.

The 2nd Platoon was screening the area northeast of Wegeleben. The 3rd Platoon sent a dismounted patrol into the German held woods southeast of Derenberg to see if tanks could operate, and where resistance might be expected. The mission was accomplished without casualties.

Tuesday, April 17 - Harsleben

The Troop spent another day in this town doing the same type of work. The 1st Platoon returned to further check the underground factory and surrounding area. Enemy demolition men were reported preparing to infiltrate and blow the tunnel entrances. No Germans were found in the area.

The 3rd Platoon was checking all factories north of Halberstadt. While on this mission they were detached from the Troop and ordered to the town of Konigsaue, about 20 miles away. Here they were attached to Task Force Van Houten along with the 2nd Platoon. These elements of our Troop with a platoon of tanks took the towns of Winningen, Konigsaue and Nachterstadt, which had formerly been outposted by one Company of Infantry and one Company of tanks.

Wednesday, April 18 - Harsleben

Sgt. Healy's section of the 1st Platoon was in a position southeast of Saugenstein observing enemy movements in the woods, southwest towards Blankenburg. Apparently the woods were full of Germans, as many were seen along the edge.

The 2nd Platoon was attached to the 36th Tank Bn. outposting Konigsaue.

The 3rd Platoon made contact with a Bn. of the 9th Infantry Div. and the 4th Cav. Group of the 1st Army in Aschersleben. This meeting of the 1st and 9th Armies formed the Harz Mountain Pocket. The Germans, being driven deeper into the mountains, made a strong possibility of the enemy's breaking through the pocket at the north through Benzingerode. This prompted the Combat Command CO to move Task Force Van Houten from a line position to a reserve position behind Task Force Roseborough, in the Benzingerode-Derenberg area. The Troop was given a light tank Company and a TO Platoon, and thus, forming Task Force Stone, took over the left half of the Combat Command sector. It was a tight spot in that if the Germans came northeast instead of north, we were spread too thin to hold them, and could have affected only a good delaying action. Our CP was established in the town of Hedersleben, to which we moved on April 19th. During our stay here at least 100 prisoners were picked up trying to infiltrate through our lines.

On the 18th the Troop helped in further reducing the newly formed Harz Mountain pocket. By evening the 3rd Platoon's CP was moved to Frose. The 1st section was in Konigsaue with three tanks, and Sgt. Tipton's with Sgt. Schmiedeler and the 2nd Platoon were in Nachterstedt. We were supported by the 257th FA Bn.

Thursday, April 19 - Hedersleben

As mentioned during the previous day's account, we as part of Task Force Stone, were to move to Hedersleben. We left Harsleben in the morning, moved south about 6 or 8 miles and reached the town before noon. This removed us from an area surrounded by friendly units and stuck us out more or less on our own.

In Hedersleben there were many liberated Jews who had been in a nearby concentration camp only a few days before. As the Americans came near the camp the Jews were given papers showing their terms expired April 11th, and they were told to go.

Our mission here was to screen the Task Force area and prevent enemy movement to the northeast.

In addition to Russians, Poles, and Jews, this town also harbored refugee Germans who had been bombed out of western Germany. There were many from Essen. These Germans not being strong Nazis, were cordial and cooperative.

Friday, April 20 - Hedersleben

On this day we acquired a rather remarkable vehicle. The 2nd Platoon while out on a reconnaissance mission, discovered a battered German bus containing numerous items of German officers and enlisted men's equipment. The driver was located nearby and taken prisoner. The regimental colors of the 393rd American Infantry were also found in the bus. By the time the bus arrived at our CP it was full of prisoners collected along the route. This seemed a practical way to transport prisoners so the bus was retained for this purpose.

A bakery in good order was found here so part of our kitchen staff took over in the afternoon and turned out a goodly number of loaves. Lopez and 'Weasel' were largely responsible for this successful operation, the latter celebrating the occasion with considerable enthusiasm, as the Troop had liberated various types of liquid refreshments in this town. The bread helped a great deal as we had had no B rations for several days and were living on K's, supplemented by various kinds of confiscated German canned fruits and vegetables.