what the score was. They stuck pretty close to the 7th Armored's CCA. When the time came for the Headquarters to move on they had to try three roads before they were able to get out. The recon party was only about five minutes ahead of the rest of the Battalion, all the boys knowing this began to get rid of their souvenirs. It went hard on you if you were captured and had German equipment in your possession. Arriving at Gouvy the column was stopped and everyone dismounted to eat a ''K" ration for dinner. But dinner had to be somewhat delayed! Two Jerry tanks nosed around the corner a few yards distant and opened up on the column. The ditches along side the road were a Godsend at that time, they really did a thriving business. An Engineer truck coming our way was hit in the rear along with our own lead vehicle and whatever else they could reach. The two trucks hit at the head of the column made a good road block so they were just left there temporarily. A short break came as the tanks backed up so they could get a good shot at the ration dump. "Task Force Stone" formed for battle! And wishing that the T/E called for a few dozen TD's for just such a purpose as this.
When it was learned that there were 80,000 rations in the dump at Gouvy for troops fighting in the St.Vith salient, "Task Force Stone" decided those rations would "be available upon request by the proper person." Fires in the dump were put out and defensive positions dug. Three hundred and fifty PW's were evacuated to the 7th Armored as the task force had neither the time not inclination to take care of them. "Task Force Stone" was augmented piecemeal by stragglers from other units and a few light tanks and mortars from the "7th." Scattered fire fights took place until the enemy launched an infantry attack at 1000 hours on the 20th December. The ensuing fire fight lasted three hours, and still the enemy didn't penetrate our positions. Prisoners captured during the attack identified the attackers as elements of the 1129th and 1130th Regiments of the 560th VG P. Division. "Task Force Stone" was obeying to the letter the order it received, "Imperative that town be held, force is being assembled to help you, some artillery!"
Maybe we didn't need any more support. All the rations had been turned over to units in the salient, a large quantity of Engineer and Ordnance equipment had been evacuated, the enemy had been beaten off in two days of fighting. Maybe became rather doubtful on the evening of December 21st when a wounded German soldier was brought in after a fire fight and identified as part of the recon-naissance party of the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich". During the interrogation this soldier was asked about his units morale and replied convincingly enough, "Wonderful, the men of our unit are just burning to fight!"
Ammunition was running low and enemy pressure increasing when orders from higher headquarters told us to withdraw to the high ground covering the town. Upon arrival at the high ground "Task Fore Stone" started disintegrating, trucks being dispatched to aid other units, and men being as-signed as infantry protection for tanks covering the withdrawal of our forces from the Ardennes salient. Finally the whole Battalion was brought back together as a unit and started to function once more. A new Battalion staff had been formed when the original was reported missing in action so that had to be disbanded. It was at this time the Battalion first contacted the 75th Infantry Division. The 75th was to be our boss for the rest of the war though we didn't know it at the time. When we joined them they hadn't yet been committed to battle. We really felt like old timers then after all the fighting we had been through.
The Battalion was assigned the mission of AA protection for the Field Artillery of the Division and was thusly broken down. Able was with 899th FA Battalion (103mm), Baker had the 898th FA Bat-talion (105mm), Charlie drew the 897th FA Battalion (105mm), and Dog was with the 730th FA Battalion (155mm). Each of these 105mm outfits were attached to a particular combat team of the Infantry and the 155mm outfit was the Division Artillery. The Division first went into action on Christmas Day against the German Ardennes counter offensive. It was with the Division too that the half-tracks were off-times used as Infantry support weapons and as forward AA protection. Many's the night the half-track crews spent sweating it out while burp guns were singing a song in their ears.
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