The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-08

The Germans, he said, always had
to pay him plenty.
The Americans, weary but proud
of their decisive victory over the
battle-tested enemy, just sat in
the streets and rested. Each one
had been a hero, but none seemed
to know It,
Since midnight Tuesday these
American boys, pitted against ex-
perienced Axis killers, had welded
hand grenades, tommyguns and cold
steel like tried veterans. They
had been engaged in bitter-hand-
to-hand, house-to- house fighting of
the war in italy. No quarter had
been asked and none given.
Final German collapse came late
last night when two groups of saw
agely- determined Americans who
had entered the town from differ
ent ends met in the middle.
IS Prisoners
They had been forced to take
each stubbornly- defended house
separately. Only IS German pris-
onerS were taken. Isolated groups
OF machine gunners and snipers had
held out to the death. In one
enemy post 200 Germans were wiped
out with no survivors. Subjected
to mortar fire, they had tried to
climb from their dugout, making
easy targets.
This morning, the Americans
just sat in the streets and watched
the mushroom-pale, frightened
Italians emerging cautiously from
their basement hideouts. Rue
fully, they watched the natives
surveying the shambles Of rubble.
ashes and bodies to which their
peaceful little village had been
blasted.
Sgt. Leonard Hoategaard, Peter
son, MINI. told me almost casually
how he and his handful Of men cap
tured the last group Of German de-
tenders.
I'VE just went in after them with
our bazooka," he said. "Some came
out with their hands high. Others,
including the commanding officer
tried to escape, but we caught
them"
I'VE couldn't make the officer
hold up his hands. He was sneer-
ing cur. But he spoke enough Eng
lish to say he thought Germany
would win the war anyway. He must
have been crazy"
Sgt. Kermit Viger, Madison. MINI,
told me about 1t as we sat on the
floor OF a blasted italian cottage
while shells from the new German
lines beyond the town fell about us.
Leo BY Child
4 was doing some scouting on my
own,' he said, when a little Italian
kid jumped out Of q hole In the
ground and led me by the hand TO
a window from where she showed me
a German sniper 100 yards away"
II took aim and fired. The sniper
toppled over but started to get up
again. The little kid was so excited
she started clapping her hands and
kissing and hugging me, jabbering
at me in italian.
II finally brought him down with
six more shots"
Pvt. Richard Eegert. Detroit, had
a close shave when he walked into
a room where eight Germans were
hiding. One Of the Germans pointed
a gun at Elegert and another reach
ed for his weapon.
II shot the one reaching for his
gun and killed him." Elegert told
me. The other fellow lost his nerve
and didn't shoot, although his gun
was pointing at my heart"
Meantime somebody behind me
made as II to throw In some hand
grenades just to frighten the Ger
mans. It did. They came out with
their hands high"
Sgt. John Mock, Toledo, O., who
was awarded the silver star for her
oism in the North African campaign,
led a squad which captured 10 Ger
mans after a bitter hand grenade
duel carried on from adjoining
houses.