Evening star., 1944-12-26
Sergeant, Isolated
In Barn, Holds Off
Germans "a Hours
BY IVES GALLAGHER.


IN THE STAVELOT SECTOR
Belgium, Dec. 25-DelayeO Eight
days OF desperate fighting in thi.
sector have been etched with the in.
dlvidual exploits of scores of heroic
American doughboys.
There was Sergt. William Weld.
ener, Logansport, Ind, who with five
other men saw two command posts
oVerrun on each side of him but
held fast to his position in a barn
outside a chateau.
He was cut off and the Germans
were 30 feet away-but he refused
to give up. He grabbed a bazooka
and for "a hours held on, though
four of his men were killed or
wounded,
A private with his hand smashed
by an enemy bullet sneaked back to
his company command post through
the German lines for more am
munition.
Private Returns.
Il told him We had to evacuate-
bat he said to hell with that Weld
ener needed him and ammunition
and he went back carrying it." de-
clared the company commander.
Wounded men with Sergt. Weld
ener who were unable to fight kept
contact with the command post bv
telephone until they died. The
Young private with the smashed
hand picked up a revolver in the
other hand and with Sergt. Weld
ener charged the chateau.
The private was shot in the chest
shoulders and face and only then
could his comrades get him into an
ambulance.
1t was this sort of courage which
Grove the crack German troops
dazed and beaten-back into a small
town IN the valley. The Germans
established a defense in the town
and placed 130 CT prisoners in the
cellar of church.
An American tank battalion
hauIed giant 155-millimeter self
propelled cannon up on a ledge
overlooking the village 300 yards
away. They blew houses down on
the Germans heads with direct fire. /
Assault Described.
Sergt. William Kellar, Chicago.
one of those taken prisoner sub
sequently freed in the final assault
late yesterday, said:
1t was terrible-that fire from
our guns, particularly that 1855. The
Germans just stood there and shook
and Just before the final assault
our guards asked us to make
white flag"
The Germans were short of food
and all the Americans had to eat
for three days were raw potatoes.
Inc German captors were young,
tough troops and very talkative, ac-
cording to Sergt. Bruce Tate. Co.
lumbus, S. c., another American
captive who was released.
The lieutenant who marched lis
back said their schedule called for
them to reach Paris by January IT,"
Sergt. Tate said. He said, Maybe
your Mr.. Roosevelt will make peace
terms then"
Sergt Tate said other prisoners
told American officers the Germans
indicated the present offensive had
been designed to inf1ict crushing
casualties on the Allies so GERMANY
might get soft peace.
Nazis Curious.
Many Germans had never seen
American soldiers before" Sergt.
Tate continued They asked us
why we were fighting Germany and
examined our clothes and weapons
with great interest. They had been
fighting on the Russian front"
Before the final assault on the
German position handful of Ger
mans who were left alive despite our
artillery fire tried to swim the river
and escape in American uniforms.
Only few got through.
In an area of less than 2 miles
were found the wrecks of 80 tanks,
Is haf-tracks, 8 armored cars, A
fax wagons, 6 self propelled 15O-mm
howitzers, 6 antitank guns, 6 mortars
and variety of other equipment.
1t was apparent that Marshal Won
Rundstedt has lost the heart of one
of his armored divisions here,