December 1944 World War II Combat Interviews of the 7th Armored Division: The Battle of the Bulge -- Defense of St. Vith, Belgium

December 1944 World War II Combat Interviews
of the 7^th Armored Division:
The St. Vith Salient and Defense of Krombach, Manhay, and Grandmenil, Belgium Bookmark this page as http://www.7thArmdDiv.org/7adcid44.htm
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The following records and interviews were created in December 1944 - February 1945, covering the Battle of the Bulge (the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign) actions of the 7th Armored Division in

the defense of St. Vith, Belgium (17-21 December)
the defense of Krombach, Belgium (22-23 December)
the defense of Manhay, Malempré, and Grandmenil, Belgium (23-30 December)
the defense of Baraque du Fraiture (known as “Parker’s Crossroads”) (18-19 December)

The actions in the St. Vith Salient include Vielsalm, Poteau, Rodt, Recht, and other towns within the “fortified goose egg” defense. Some of the records also relate to Stavelot and to towns to the west of the Salm River.

See below for details on the interviews and price information. To order copies of the interviews, please send a check (sorry but I am not set up for credit cards), payable to Wesley Johnston, to the address below. Please include your e-mail address with your order.

Wesley Johnston
1865 Herndon Avenue, Suite K-187
Clovis, CA 93611-6163

For orders outside the U. S. postal system, please add $10 to cover the extra postage.
For large orders over 50 pages outside the U. S., add $15.

All copies are 8 1/2" x 11" pages, staple-bound, with no cover.

7th Armored Division Headquarters (plus 4 other interviews) (78 pages, 1 map (plus map in introduction); transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $50) NOTE: While some of the interviews in this book cover both St. Vith and Manhay, the interviews related exclusively to Manhay and/or Grandmenil are in a separate book, immediately following this one.
- 7th Armored Division - Ardennes Breakthrough: List of Interviews (2 pages)
- Division Headquarters
  - Brig. Gen. Robert W. Hasbrouck, Commanding General (9 pages)
  - Col. John L. Ryan, Chief of Staff (3 pages)
  - Col. John L. Ryan, Chief of Staff (second interview, 3 pages)
  - Statistics from G-1 Section (1 page)
  - Lt. Col. Everett W. Murray, G-2 (2 pages)
  - Maj. Charles New, Assistant G-2 (2 pages)
  - Lt. I. Kornbloom, G-2 Section (1 page)
  - Maj. Werner J. Moeller, Assistant G-3 (2 pages)
  - Capt. Walter A. Maxwell, G-3 Section Air Liaison Officer (1 page)
- Additional interviews
  - Division Trains: Capt. Sam Plyler, former Cl III, now Cl. II officer, Division Trains (4 pages)
  - Division Artillery, HQ & HQ Battery: Pfc. Edwin Charney; Pvt. Edmund J. Winiewicz (2 pages)
  - 14th Cavalry Group: Capt. Henry H. Williamson, Assistant S-2 Officer (3 pages)
  - 147th Armored Signal Corps: Sgt. James W. Duncan (2 pages, 1 map)
Manhay and Grandmenil, Belgium: 7th Armored Division and Other Units (38 pages, 2 maps (plus map in introduction); transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $25) NOTE: This book is interviews exclusively about Manhay and/or Grandmenil. There are intereviews in the other books that include Manhay and/or Grandmenil which are not included in this book.
- Division Headquarters
  - Capt. John E. Kennedy, Assistant G-3 (2 pages)
  - Major Charles New, Assistant G-2 (1 page)
- Other 7th Armored Division (Organic or long-term attached)
  - Lt. Gerald Reeves, Company "A", 40th Tank Battalion (1 page, 1 map)
  - Sgt. Paul Abbott, 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion (1 page)
- Other
  - Manhay Timeline (compiled by T/3 Linnell Jones, 4th Information & Historical Section) (6 pages)
  - Capt. Franklin P. Lindsey, Jr., CO of Troop "B", 32nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 14th Cavalry Group (3 pages, 1 map)
Division Artillery, Forward Observers of 434th and 489th Armored Field Artillery Battalions, Supporting Company "B" of 31st Tank Battalion and 48th Armored Infantry Battalion, respectively (29 pages, 2 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $20)
- Division Artillery, HQ & HQ Battery, Pfc. Edwin Charney; Pvt. Edmund J. Winiewicz (2 pages)
- 434th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Forward Observers at St. Vith (supporting Company "B" of 31st Tank Battalion)-Lt. Joseph M. Klein; Cpl Robert F. Campbell (WIA); T/5 W. R. Huss; Pvt (now Pfc) Walter Banninger; Pvt William Hair; Lt. Robert M. Davis; Sgt. Jack Ealer; T/4 Albert D'Andrea; T/4 John Gaber; Cpl Ross Hunnell; The above FO's were with B/31 (5 pages)
- 489th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Forward Observers at Poteau, Belgium (supporting Companies "A", "B", and C of 48th Armored Infantry Battalion)-1st Lt. Robert H. Deadrich, B/48; 1st Lt. Herbert F. Meyer, A/48; [2d Lt. Donald R. Bauer, C/48 KIA] (7 pages)
7th Armored Division Combat Commands (55 pages, 5 maps (plus map in introduction); transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $35)
- CCA - Colonel Dwight A. Rosebaum, Commanding Officer
- CCB
  - Brig. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, Commanding General (6 pages)
  - S-2 and S-3 Officers (9 pages)
    - Capt. George L. Treece, S-2 Officer
    - Capt. Owen E. Woodruff, S-3 Officer
    - Capt. Henry G. Ellett, Assistant S-3 Officer
  - CCR - Major Fred Sweat, S-3 Officer (7 pages, 3 maps)
17th Tank Battalion (37 pages, 15 maps; untranscribed $45)
- Bn HQ-Lt. Col. John P. Wemple, CO; Major thomas W. Dailey, Executive Officer (11 pages, 7 maps)
- A-Lt. Wilson; Lt. Nizinski; Assembled company men (8 pages, 3 maps)
- B-Lt. Richard A. Hardin (4 pages, 1 map)
- C-1st Lt. Charles D. Cagle, CO; Material also from; 2d Lt. Irving Goodman, 3d Plat (7 pages)
- D-Lt. Vernon Files, CO (7 pages, 4 maps)
23rd Armored Infantry Battalion (101 pages, 15 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $50)
31st Tank Battalion (61 pages, 10 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $40) - See also 7th Armored Division Artillery, for interviews of Forward Observers supporting 31st Tank Battalion and 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion for Engineers attached to B/31 and C/31.
33rd Armored Engineer Battalion, Company “B”, Attached to Companies “B” and “C” of 31st Tank Battalion (33 pages, 3 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $20)
- B & B/2-Capt. Morris H. Hochberg, Commanding Officer (5 pages, 2 maps)
- B/1-Sgt. William A Miele; Sgt. Joseph A Howaniec; Sgt. Joseph Kozina; (CO, Lt. Darrell W. Grabb, WIA) (5 pages, 1 maps)
- B/3-2d Lt. Ira F. Peak, Jr., 3d Plat (4 pages
38th Armored Infantry Battalion (64 pages, 6 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $40)
40th Tank Bn (20 pages, 9 maps; untranscribed $25)
- A-Lt. Harold I. Fiedler, CO; Capt. Allen (5 pages, 3 maps)
- A-Lt. Herbert J. Borchers (2 pages)
- A-Lt. Gerald Reeves, Commanding Officer (1 page, 1 map)
- B-Capt. Emerson Wolfe, Commanding Officer (1 page)
- B-Capt. Emerson Wolfe, Commanding Officer (second interview 1 page, 1 map)
- Bn HQ-Lt. Col. John C. Brown, Commanding Officer (2 pages)
- C/1-Lt. Gerald E. Reeves (6 pages, 3 maps)
- D-1st Sgt. Melvin Kruck & others (2 pages, 1 map)
48th Armored Infantry Battalion (75 pages, 12 maps; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $50) - See also 7th Armored Division Artillery, for interviews of Forward Observers supporting 48th Armored Infantry Battalion.
87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (65 pages, 11 maps [plus added wide-area map and added aerial photo of Parker's Crossroads]; transcribed, annotated and fully indexed, with introduction; staple-bound 8 1/2" x 11" pages with no cover $40)
- Bn HQ-Lt. Col. Vincent Boylan (3 pages, 5 maps)
- A-Lt. Lee A. Mestas (5 pages, 2 maps) [see also 31st Tank Battalion interviews]
- A/2-1st Lt. Vincent L. Heintzelman, Commanding Officer (1 page)
- B-Sgt. Joseph B. KcKeon; 1st Sgt. Leonard H. Ladd (4 pages, 1 map) [see also 38th Armored Infantry Battalion interviews]
- B-1st Sgt. Ladd (2 pages)
- C-Capt. Donald L. Johnson, Commanding Officer (4 pages, 1 map) [see also 31st Tank Battalion interviews]
- D-Lt. Arthur A. Olson (4 pages, 1 map) [see also 203rd Anti-Aricraft Artillery Battalion interviews]
- F-Capt. Harlan C. Stine (4 pages, 1 map) [see also 17th Tank Battalion interviews]
147th Signal Company
Click here or scroll up to the 7th Armored Division Headquarters interviews, which included the 147th Signal Company interview.
203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (13 pages, 6 maps; untranscribed $20)
- B-Capt. Robert Reid, Commanding Officer (5 pages, 3 maps)
- B-Sgt. Joseph Gosztyla (2 pages)
- D-Sgt. Rhinold Mruzinsky; T/5 Bernard Connolly (5 pages, 3 maps) [see also D/87 Recon interview]
- D-Capt. H. A. Eaton, Commanding Officer (1 page)
434th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
Click here or scroll up for all 7th Armored Division Artillery interviews.
440th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
There were no interviews conducted of 440th AFAB men. Click here or scroll up for all 7th Armored Division Artillery interviews.
489th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
Click here or scroll up for all 7th Armored Division Artillery interviews.
814th Tank Destroyer Battalion (30 pages, 4 maps; untranscribed $30)
- Bn HQ-Major Charles New, Assistant G-2; Col. Jones, 814 (1 page)
- Bn HQ - TF Jones-Lt. Col. Robert B. Jones, Commanding Officer (814 TD Bn) (3 pages)
- Bn HQ?-Sgt. Paul Abbott (1 page)
- C-Capt. Donald E. Reid, Commanding Officer (4 pages, 1 map)
- C & C/1-Capt. Donald E. Reid, Commanding Officer (Co. C); Pfc Buford L. Mallot (1st Plat); Sgt. Dale H Dykes (1st Plat) (8 pages, 1 map)
- C/2-Lt. Jack Dillender (6 pages, 1 map)
- C/3-Lt. Hugo T. Bertruch, Jr. (7 pages, 1 map)

Links to Other Related Records That I Have Transcribed, Annotated, Indexed, and Published

Battle of the Bulge (the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign)

Boyer, Donald P. Boyer at St. Vith: Major Donald P. Boyer's "Personal Report: Narrative Account of Action of 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, Battle of St. Vith, 17-22 December 1944" and "Notes - The Battle of St. Vith, 17-22 December 1944" (Click here for information about this book.)
US Army Armor School Research and Evaluation Division. The Defense of St. Vith, Belgium 17-23 December 1944: An historical example of armor in the defense. Fort Knox: Armored School. (Click here for information about this book.)
Selected World War II Combat Interviews.

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