Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-11
ID. {. Men Take Part
In Forcing Nazis Out
OF Bulge in Belgium

Stories of the fierce fighting to
debate the Belgian bulge have been
reported by men from the District
area fighting there.
1t was last January Is, when the
Sure River formed the dividing line
between the Americans and the en-
envy, that Capt. Thomas E. Watson,
3704 Huntington street NV, saved
the day for his group of men in the
91st Chemical Battalion.
He was visiting the forward OBJ
servation post on hill southwest
of the enemy-held Diekirch, Luxem-
bourg, when he spotted enemy con-
certina wire along the river. Know
ing what this would mean If the in
fantry tried to cross the river, he
directed several high explosive NOR
tar shells and blasted a 90-foot path
through the ENHANCEMENT.
Capt. Watson fought with the 9th
Infantry in North Africa, and with
The 84th Chemical Battalion in Italy.
His wife lives at the Huntington
street address.
DhNC Out SVU Nci ndHS.
The two platoons Of First 1t. Ed
win A. Kalley's Company B of the
41st Armored Infantry Regiment
knew the woods they were attacking
in Belgium were tough-but they
didn't know how tough until they
had driven out 200 Germans and
had captured 81 vehicles.
The men had spent some time at
an outpost OF the Belgium town Of
Conjoux, when 1t. HALEY, $3.50 Con-
necticut avenue NV, got orders to
attack the southwest and clear the
wood. The infantrymen started out,
accompanied by platoon Of me
dunn tanks. Two tanks were knocked
out by antitank guns and an Amer
lean machine gun, in the hands G.
the Germans, turned against the
Americans.
Easy targets for the hidden Ger
mans, the American boys found 1t
hard to see, with the sun shining
directly into their eyes. The next
day, throughout the next night, and
on into another day, the men fought.
Finally, the barrage of fire proved
too much for the Germans, and be-
sides the prisoners 1t. Kallay's men
caught, 200 were smoked out on the
other side of the woods.
And no wonder it was so tough,
It. Kallay explained later-besides
the German guns, he found three
American halftracks, eight quarter
ton trucks, and Is 50-caliber Amer
lean machine guns harbored in the
German nest.
Simons' Outfit Lauded.
Maybe the infantry can take care
of itself, but there was one day
recently that an infantry unit dur
ing the Alsatian counteroffensive
coded top honors to Company B
of the veteran 813th Tank Destroyer
Battalion. of which Pfc. Charles
Simons of Washington is a member.
Here's why:
An overwhelmingly superior enemy
force stormed the infantry units
sector, obviously set on bridging the
Moder The infantry line was seri-
ously threatened, and Jerry tanks
supporting the counteroffensive
lunged repeatedly. 1t was then that
two tank destroyers moved up in
support.
| They poured high explosive fire In
the German tanks and gun positions
In a ,hit-and-run technique that
had the ferries buffaloed for more
than an hour. they tipped in and out
of the line, stopping enemy thrusts
cold
The enemy's superior forces began
to tell, and minutes later both tank
destroyers were knocked out of &C
ton by direct hits. Their crews hit
the dirt, grabbed carbines and gren-
AIDES and pitched in with the infan-
try. Close-in fighting ragged through
out the afternoon and night, but
early next morning, the enemy beat
retreat. The badly bent line was
restored, and, at some points,
| extended.