Courtesy of Ken Roll
Circumstances Surrounding the establishment and awarding of the
"Eye-bolt-Lifting Ring Plug Award"
| On 29 November, 1944 the
battalion moved
to Schwerdorf, France and occupied firing positions. While in this
position
in support of the 90th Infantry Division, we fired several
H&I
(harassing and interdiction) missions on the highways that bordered
both
banks of the Saar river, including one on a road junction in the town
of
Ouerlfangen, Germany. On the morning of 5 December 1944 we
displaced
forward to Guerflangen and occupied firing positions. During a lull in
firing Major Brice, S3, Captain Edgren, assistant S3, and myself,
walked
a short distance to the road junction, that was one of the H&I
missions
we had fired on from our previous position, to check on the accuracy
and
effect of our firing. We did not see much damage at the road junction
except
for some leafless trees, broken windows, displaced and broken roof
tiles
and some scaring of the exterior of the buildings by shell fragments.
This was about what we expected, since the mission had been fired
using time fuses. We then walked up the road that ran west from
the
river highway for a couple of hundred yards and the damage was about
the
same, but we were convinced that our unobserved fire was pretty
accurate.
As we were returning to the FDC, I noticed a hole high up in the gable
end of a rock house about 75 yards short of the road junction.
The
hole was generally round in shape and at first glance it appeared to be
an attic window, but it had some
jagged edges and Major Brice suggested
that we investigate to try to find out if one of the time fuses
had
malfunctioned. As we entered a small garden at the front entrance
to the building we noticed some debris near the entrance and a short
distance
away lay an eight inch howitzer projectile. It was laying at the
end of a furrow, somewhat muddy, with its nose endup. Capt.
Edgren
got out his canteen and started to rinse the mud from the nose of the
round
to expose the fuse and I decided it would be a good time for me to
check
the trajectory of the round through the house, which had three stories
and an attic. When I reached the attic, I could see the route the
round had taken to the garden. It had entered through a thick (16 to
l8inches)
rock wall and descended though the wooden attic floor, two concrete
floors,
an interior wall and the outside wall near the entrance. Having
heard
no explosion, I decided to return to the garden and report my
findings.
When I returned, Major Brice asked me to look at the fuse that had
malfunctioned.
It was very apparent that what was in the fuse well was the remains of
an eyebolt, lifting ring, plug. The lifting ring had broken off
but
the plug was still in the round. We returned to the FDC and
Major Brice directed me to report the location of an unexploded round
to
Corps Artillery and told Capt, Edgren to find out which battery had
fired
the mission. He also said that before we discussed the incident
with
anyone, he would inform the Battalion CO, who would decide what action,
if any, would be taken. Capt. Edgren reported that "A" battery
had
fired the mission and that he would discuss the matter with Lt.Hartman,
the "A" btry exec. As far as I know, no action was ever
taken,
except for some counseling, and I don't think the incident was
generally
known except to those I have mentioned. On 23 January, 1945,
while
in Luxembourg attached to XII Corps, Headquarters Battery moved from
Medernach
to Diekirch and occupied a large home. The FDC and command post
occupied
the basement and the upper floors were used for troop billets since the
weather was extremely cold. A member of the FDC, while searching
for fuel for the stove had found a few pieces of wood, one of which was
a piece of polished walnut that appeared to have been the base for some
kind of plaque. I thought it was too nice to be used for
fuel
and took possession of it. I showed it to Capt. Edgren and we discussed
using it for some kind of humorous award and the incident of the round
fired without a fuse during the H&I mission at Guerflangen came to
mind. Capt. Edgren said if I would get him a lifting ring plug,
he
would have it mounted on the walnut plaque along with an engraved
inscription
by a professional shop in Luxembourg City, and it would be
presented
to Lt Hartman, " A" btry Exec at an appropriate time and place.
The
award was a thing of beauty, the lifting ring plug had been chrome
plated
and the engraved title was on a brass plate. It must have cost at
least a couple of cartons of cigarettes and perhaps a bottle or two of
scotch whiskey. While we were in Luxembourg attached to XII Corps
Artillery, he had one made up and it was presented after our return to
XX Corps.
Article by LaDrue B. Dorton Sgt/Maj 736 FA Bn |
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