The story
On the morning of January 24th, elements of the 357th Regiment, having just occupied the town of Binsfeld, bore the brunt of a vicious counterattack supported by overwhelming armor. Without anti-tank guns, without armor, the doughboys slugged it out, matching their light machine-guns with the direct fire laid down by the tanks.
The 343rd Field Artillery Battalion laid down a shield of fire, 900 rounds in slightly more than two hours, and the attack died in the red-stained snows of Belgium. Succeeding days found the 90th wading eastward through the snow, warming itself where it could as freezing winds numbed hands and feet. Security forbade the building of fires with which to warm the brick-hard cylinders of K-ration cheese, yet survival demanded fire and warmth. The Division buttoned its coat against the weather and pushed eastward over the "Sky Line Drive" grimly defended by the Germans.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.