"Infantry Attack", 1/397, 4/18/1945

"Infantry Attack"
Altfürstenhütte, Germany
April 18, 1945
1st Battalion, 397th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division
T/3 Kastelz & Lt. Byars, Team No.1 & No.25, 163rd SPC
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From the “Regiment of the Century: The Story of the 397th Infantry Regiment”:
The First Battalion was still pushing southward clearing Vorderbiichelberg, Neufiirstenhutte, Oberfischbach and Gross-Hochberg on the 18th, never easing up in the slightest degree. The final objective, Spiegelberg, was reached by Company A at nightfall and the men dug in for the night. The night before, patrols into Jettenbach, Stocksberg and Prevorst all made enemy contact, with more than usual activity around Jettenbach. The Second Battalion attacked this city and it soon was in our hands after a tough tussle. Enemy fire however continued for several hours from the hills south and west. Following it's plan of attack, the Battalion swung east to clear Klingen, Stocksberg and Prevorst, meeting only small arms resistance. The groups of by-passed enemy were cleaned up by other units. The First Battalion was meeting some negligible resistance. We captured a document revealing that orders were given each local Burgermeister and district leader to use civilians to construct roadblocks and obstacles. We too began issuing orders. These same civilians were to take down the
obstacles.
From "B Company 397 in Combat 12 November 1944 to 8 May 1945" by Wilfred B. Howsmon, Jr. (B/397):
18 April 1945
Moved out on foot and took several towns. In the last one, where we stayed, the people seemed very surprised to see us and I can hear the women squealing yet as we entered. I don't know the name of the place, but there was a creek that ran right through it. The 2nd platoon was billeted on one side, and company CP was on the other. Maybe that description will help somebody remember the name.
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Official Shot List:
Medium Shots: Infantrymen of 397th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division, on foot and riding tanks and motor gun carriages along country road and through small villages.
Close-Up: M-26 Pershing tank of the 7th Armored Division accompanies infantrymen in their advance.*
Long Shot: soldiers leave tanks and take cover beside road.
Low Angle Close-Up: M-4 tank firing machine guns into farmhouse.
Sequence: Soldiers in crouched positions follow advancing tank. The soldiers surround farmhouse and take German soldiers and civilians prisoners.
Medium Shots: Frightened women and children.
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Founded in 2009, the mission of the 'Men of the Century' is to research and accurately portray the men of the 100th Infantry Division during World War II with a particular emphasis on 'B' Company., 1st Battalion, 399th Infantry Regiment.
You can check out our website here:
www.menofthecen...
As well as follow us on Facebook:
/ 100thinfantrydivision
As well as on Instagram:
/ 100th_infantry_division
____________________________________________________________________
111-ADC-4217
LIB 4217
With Clips From:
111-ADC-4647
LIB 6865
&
111-ADC-4648
LIB 6866
Actually M18 Tank Destroyers of the 824th Tank Destroyer Battalion

[@dve3286]

Absolutely stunning! I‘m from a village next to Altfürstenhütte. It is unbelievable how the landscape changed! Thank you so much for saving this part of history. Greets from Ammertsweiler

[@philcest]

Excellentes ces vidéos, merci !

[@goldmund22]

Absolutely incredible that we have this footage. I know it is a long shot, but is there anyway to know which companies are in this film? My Grandfather was a Staff Sergeant of a Squad in 1st Platoon, Company A. I'm grateful to have this footage.

[@TheMenoftheCentury]

Sean, These are likely mostly men of 'C' Company. This is based on the captions of the photographs that T/5 Ernest Brown, 163rd Signal Photographic Company, took that day. These photographs can be found on our website: menofthecentury.com/845-2/100th-infantry-division-signal-corps-photographs/signal-corps-photographs-from-the-100th-infantry-divisions-time-in-combat/

[@goldmund22]

@@TheMenoftheCentury Thank you for the reply! I was very surprised to find footage of the 397th on KZbin, and in very good quality. Is there any plans to add more videos or content when available? I've been reading up at your website and others, trying to find as much information as I can.

[@TheMenoftheCentury]

@@goldmund22, Currently no plans to add more MoPix of the division. The 23 films currently on the KZbin page were the result of tireless research and several thousand dollars. It was part of an effort, on our part, to digitize all the MoPix footage of the division at the National Archives in HD(1080p, etc.). If anymore MoPix footage emerges, we'll certainly throw it up. However, at the current time, that seems exceptionally unlikely. We might, in the future, digitize in HD certain training films specifically relevant to infantry divisions or the 100th Infantry Division's time in training (i.e. the required films prior to the division deploying overseas) but that is currently a far off plan. As to updates to the website, near-term there are some more photographs we've digitized that we do need tho add to the website. Longer term, we'd like to add on a continual basis all the documents about the division we've digitized that the National Archives and other localities. Both of those have been slow and delayed to the requirements of our full-time jobs.

[@goldmund22]

​@@TheMenoftheCentury I appreciate the detailed response - I can imagine the amount of money and time that would have been required to digitize those films that are uploaded, and it really is quite incredible and appreciated! If that is all there was footage wise at the National Archives then yes it does seem unlikely any more would come up. I will be sure to look at the photographs on your website. I have about 200 war time letters of my grandfather's that I am in the process of digitizing myself, one letter at a time, to have them for posterity and also to help recreate his the timeline and understand his experience the best that I can now that he's passed. Having the wealth of information online about the Century Division has been really great. Thanks for what you have done so far!

[@quirkme123]

Sure looks like a Pershing Tank ?

[@Hideaway904]

My grandfather was a Tec 5 with 397th Inf. Regt. he was in the vicinity of Heilbronn, Germany 12 days before this engagement. Pretty cool.

[@goldmund22]

Do you know what Company he was in? My grandfather was a SSGT in the 397th in A Company. Led a rifleman squad.

[@MountainRaven1960]

Everyone living in the moment, no mobile phones, and no drones dropping bombs!

[@derikuk2967]

I wonder how these men's behavior would have changed had they known that their war would be over in another twenty days. Nobody wants to be the last one to die in a war.

[@alanstrong55]

The American and British forces fought hard enough. The Red Army fought a much fiercer war than ever imagined. Russian casualties ran to 27 million. 20 million Russians had already died at the hands of Stalin as the onset of WW2 took place.

[@ralphhargesheimer1230]

Was die sich wohl gedacht haben, trotz aller Zerstörung ein schönes Land, schöner als heute.

[@timp.6127]

I feel so bad for those women and children, they were dragged into the war horror because Hitler and Nazi's craziness.

[@SATXbassplayer]

Those women and children were happy to support the Nazis when things were going well for them.