The day before Christmas "D" was set up around a bridge at Petit Han when they were attacked by a pair of strafing ME-109's. Two of the "tracks" and a 40mm engaged one and brought it down, the other seeing this changed his mind about attacking the bridge and took off for home. During the remain-ing few days of the month of December the Batteries were subjected to an occasional shelling and one air attack. Bv this late date shelling got to be merely annoying necessities.
"Christmas Dinner"
The new Year started out fine with Baker getting in the years first target practice. They chased an ME-109 away suffering no damage to area or equipment. The same day one of our old friends, a Buzz Bomb, crashed near one of Ables gun positions. After the VII Corps attack on the 3rd of January the Division moved back to what was called a reserve area. A couple days later we were installed in billets of a sort and took it easy for a couple of days. The next assignment for the Division was to effect relief for the 82nt Airborne Division and continue on the attack. A few days after the attack had been going on a single Jerry plane strafed Ables positions and the same night another Jerry plane dropped a canister of Anti-personnel bombs in Bakers area killing Tec S George H. Duwenday.
"C" Battery got the next dose of shelling wounding one man and slightly mutilating a pair of trucks. The attack kept going well so all Batteries had frequent moves. The Bulge was steadily being whittled down to nothing. One of those days a civilian exploded a mine near "D" Battery headquarters wounding Pvt. Guadalupe Frausto.
It was in the middle of winter now and just cold as it could be. So what happens, we are ordered on a long move. It took us two days to make that well remembered run to St Marie aux Mines through bitter cold and icy roads in poor condition. The entire trip was made with only the loss of two vehicles, one sliding off the road and the other stopping because of motor trouble.
Baker took itself another honor during our tour of duty in the Colmar Pocket by knocking down the first ME-262 Jet Propelled plane on the western front. It was taken care of by two 40's and a half track left with Bakers Service Battery at Riedwihr. On that day we took care of four enemy raids using Jet propelled aircraft. Besides the one definitely brought down one more Cat II claim was made when Able hit a 262 and it was last seen losing altitude and smoking, towards the enemy lines. All throughout the Colmar operations the Battalion gave an outstanding account of itself earning a number of commendations from higher headquarters. In addition to rendering AA protection for the Division Artillery the Battalion also set up AA defenses for all bridges and so forth that the Division used. Both "C" and "D" received heavy shelling while in the closing phase of the Cohmar operations, however suffering no casualties or damage to material. At the close of the Alsacian campaign the Battalion moved North again, this time to Holland, along the Maas River. It was in these positions that 1st Lt. George E. Higgins lost his life. He was walking around making a tour of his platoon guns when the Krauts started throwing them in. One shell burst near him killing him almost instantly.
Enemy air activity was light during the month of February so we engaged ourselves making fancy foxholes and doing a lot of writing. In the latter part of the month a number of Bronze Stars were awarded, four to the four line Battery Commanders and four to men who had distinguished themselves in action.
The Division was assigned to the Ninth Army and received orders to go to work on the territory north of Venlo. That little job was taken care of with speed and dispatch. Baker drew down the job of AA defense of the Roer River bridge at Roermond and while moving in the AAAIS vehicle ex-ploded an AT mine. The truck was riddled but miraculously enough didn't so much as scratch the occupants.
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