WWii addict
Private 2
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- Jan 20, 2011
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The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was an all Japanese American unit. They fought primarily in Europe during World War II, beginning in 1944. The families of many of its soldiers were subject to internment. The 442nd was a self-sufficient fighting force, and fought with uncommon distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany. The unit became the most highly decorated regiment in the history of the United States armed forces, including 21 Medal of Honor recipients. The motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was “Go for Broke.”
52 Distinguished Service Crosses (including 19 Distinguished Service Crosses which were upgraded to Medals of Honor in June 2000)
1 Distinguished Service Medal
560 Silver Stars (plus 28 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award)
22 Legion of Merit Medals
15 Soldier’s Medals
4,000 Bronze Stars (plus 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award; one Bronze Star was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in June 2000. One Bronze Star was upgraded to a Silver Star in September 2009.)
9,486 Purple Hearts
On October 5, 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and Nisei serving in the Military Intelligence Service.
Lost Battalion
Less than two days in reserve, the 442nd was pulled from their rest and ordered to attempt the rescue of the “Lost Battalion” which was located two miles east of Biffontaine. On October 23 Colonel Lundquist’s 141st Regiment, soon to become known as the “Alamo” Regiment, began its attack on the German line that ran from Rambervillers to Biffontaine. It was a Tuesday morning on October 24 when the left flank of the 141st, commanded by Technical Sergeant Charles Henry Coolidge, began to run into heavy action fending off numerous German attacks throughout the days of October 25 and 26. However, the worst was yet to come, as the right flank was encountering so much German resistance that the command post became overrun and 275 men of Lieutenant Colonel William Bird’s 1st Battalion Companies A, B, C, and a platoon from Company D were cut off two kilometers behind enemy lines. The “Lost Battalion” was cut off by German troops and were then forced to dig in until help arrived. Little did those men know that it would be nearly a week until they would finally see friendly faces.
It was 4 a.m. on Friday October 27 when General Dahlquist ordered the 442nd to move out and rescue the cut off battalion. The 442nd had the support of the 522nd and 133rd Field Artillery units but would make little headway against German General Richter’s infantry and artillery frontline. For the next few days the 442nd ended up engaging in the heaviest fighting it had seen in the war as they would go up against a tough and determined enemy; not just the Germans but also the elements. Dense fog and very dark night fall prevented many men of the 442nd from seeing twenty feet in front of them. Many men had to hang onto the man in front of him just to know where he was going. Rainfall, snow, the cold, mud, fatigue, trench-foot, and even exploding trees all plagued the men of the 442nd as they all moved deeper and deeper into the Vosges and closer to the German frontlines. The 141st were dealing with German forces as well as they had been forced to maintain their position for it didn’t matter what direction they went there was always German resistance.
“When we realized we were cut off, we dug a circle at the top of the ridge. I had two heavy, water-cooled machine guns with us at this time, and about nine or ten men to handle them. I put one gun on the right front with about half of my men, and the other gun to the left. We cut down small trees to cover our holes and then piled as much dirt on top as we could. We were real low on supplies, so we pooled all of our food.” SSgt. Jack Wilson of Newburgh, Indiana.
Airdrops were sent in to the 141st but many, if not nearly all, of the drops, if not called off by dense fog, landed in German hands giving them ammo and food. What many Germans didn’t know, including German Airman Schwieters, was that there was even a cut-off American unit. “We didn’t know that we had surrounded the Americans until they were being supplied by air. One of the supply containers, dropped by parachute, landed near us. The packages were divided up amongst us.”. It wouldn’t be until October 29 when the men of the 442nd would finally be told why they were being forced to attack the German frontlines so intensely. The fighting was not just intense for the 442nd but the Germans as well as Gebirgsjager Battalion 201 from Garmisch tried to locate Gebirgsjager Battalion 202 from Salzburg as it was cut off as well Both sides of the fighting experienced a rescuing of a cut off battalion. As the men of the 442nd went deeper and deeper they became more hesitant until the point where they would not leave from behind a tree or from out of a foxhole. However, this would all change in an instant. When the men of Companies I and K of 3rd Battalion had their backs against the wall, one by one began to assault the hill and as each one saw another rise to attack, then another would also rise up to the point where every Nisei began to charge the Germans screaming and many of them screaming “Banzai!” Although gunfire, artillery shells, and fragments from trees were everywhere and a Nisei being taken down one after another, the men of the 442nd still charged up the hill regardless.
Colonel Rolin’s grenadiers put up a desperate fight, but nothing could stop the Nisei rushing up the steep slopes, shouting, firing from their hips, and lobbing hand grenades into dugouts. Finally the German defenses broke, and the surviving grenadiers fled in disarray. But that afternoon the American aid stations were crowded with casualties. The 2nd platoon of Company I had only two men left, and the 1st platoon was down to twenty men.” In the afternoon of October 30, 3rd Battalion finally broke through and reached the 141st rescuing 211 T-Patchers at the cost of 800 men in 5 days. However, the fighting would continue for the 442nd as they would move past the 141st continuing their advance to drive the Germans further away. The drive would continue until they reached Saint-Die on November 17 when they would finally be pulled back. The 100th was at 1,432 men a year earlier but was now down to 239 infantrymen and 21 officers. 2nd Battalion was down to 316 riflemen and 17 officers while not a single company in 3rd Battalion had over 100 riflemen; the entire 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team was down to less than 800 soldiers. On October 13, 1944 when attached to the 36th Infantry, the unit was at 2,943 rifleman and officers but in three weeks time 140 were killed, 1800 wounded Nisei scattered in different hospitals throughout Europe, and 43 were missing.
This unit is very infamous yet so prestigious it'd be interesting to see this unit be a part of many collectors
52 Distinguished Service Crosses (including 19 Distinguished Service Crosses which were upgraded to Medals of Honor in June 2000)
1 Distinguished Service Medal
560 Silver Stars (plus 28 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award)
22 Legion of Merit Medals
15 Soldier’s Medals
4,000 Bronze Stars (plus 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award; one Bronze Star was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in June 2000. One Bronze Star was upgraded to a Silver Star in September 2009.)
9,486 Purple Hearts
On October 5, 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and Nisei serving in the Military Intelligence Service.
Lost Battalion
Less than two days in reserve, the 442nd was pulled from their rest and ordered to attempt the rescue of the “Lost Battalion” which was located two miles east of Biffontaine. On October 23 Colonel Lundquist’s 141st Regiment, soon to become known as the “Alamo” Regiment, began its attack on the German line that ran from Rambervillers to Biffontaine. It was a Tuesday morning on October 24 when the left flank of the 141st, commanded by Technical Sergeant Charles Henry Coolidge, began to run into heavy action fending off numerous German attacks throughout the days of October 25 and 26. However, the worst was yet to come, as the right flank was encountering so much German resistance that the command post became overrun and 275 men of Lieutenant Colonel William Bird’s 1st Battalion Companies A, B, C, and a platoon from Company D were cut off two kilometers behind enemy lines. The “Lost Battalion” was cut off by German troops and were then forced to dig in until help arrived. Little did those men know that it would be nearly a week until they would finally see friendly faces.
It was 4 a.m. on Friday October 27 when General Dahlquist ordered the 442nd to move out and rescue the cut off battalion. The 442nd had the support of the 522nd and 133rd Field Artillery units but would make little headway against German General Richter’s infantry and artillery frontline. For the next few days the 442nd ended up engaging in the heaviest fighting it had seen in the war as they would go up against a tough and determined enemy; not just the Germans but also the elements. Dense fog and very dark night fall prevented many men of the 442nd from seeing twenty feet in front of them. Many men had to hang onto the man in front of him just to know where he was going. Rainfall, snow, the cold, mud, fatigue, trench-foot, and even exploding trees all plagued the men of the 442nd as they all moved deeper and deeper into the Vosges and closer to the German frontlines. The 141st were dealing with German forces as well as they had been forced to maintain their position for it didn’t matter what direction they went there was always German resistance.
“When we realized we were cut off, we dug a circle at the top of the ridge. I had two heavy, water-cooled machine guns with us at this time, and about nine or ten men to handle them. I put one gun on the right front with about half of my men, and the other gun to the left. We cut down small trees to cover our holes and then piled as much dirt on top as we could. We were real low on supplies, so we pooled all of our food.” SSgt. Jack Wilson of Newburgh, Indiana.
Airdrops were sent in to the 141st but many, if not nearly all, of the drops, if not called off by dense fog, landed in German hands giving them ammo and food. What many Germans didn’t know, including German Airman Schwieters, was that there was even a cut-off American unit. “We didn’t know that we had surrounded the Americans until they were being supplied by air. One of the supply containers, dropped by parachute, landed near us. The packages were divided up amongst us.”. It wouldn’t be until October 29 when the men of the 442nd would finally be told why they were being forced to attack the German frontlines so intensely. The fighting was not just intense for the 442nd but the Germans as well as Gebirgsjager Battalion 201 from Garmisch tried to locate Gebirgsjager Battalion 202 from Salzburg as it was cut off as well Both sides of the fighting experienced a rescuing of a cut off battalion. As the men of the 442nd went deeper and deeper they became more hesitant until the point where they would not leave from behind a tree or from out of a foxhole. However, this would all change in an instant. When the men of Companies I and K of 3rd Battalion had their backs against the wall, one by one began to assault the hill and as each one saw another rise to attack, then another would also rise up to the point where every Nisei began to charge the Germans screaming and many of them screaming “Banzai!” Although gunfire, artillery shells, and fragments from trees were everywhere and a Nisei being taken down one after another, the men of the 442nd still charged up the hill regardless.
Colonel Rolin’s grenadiers put up a desperate fight, but nothing could stop the Nisei rushing up the steep slopes, shouting, firing from their hips, and lobbing hand grenades into dugouts. Finally the German defenses broke, and the surviving grenadiers fled in disarray. But that afternoon the American aid stations were crowded with casualties. The 2nd platoon of Company I had only two men left, and the 1st platoon was down to twenty men.” In the afternoon of October 30, 3rd Battalion finally broke through and reached the 141st rescuing 211 T-Patchers at the cost of 800 men in 5 days. However, the fighting would continue for the 442nd as they would move past the 141st continuing their advance to drive the Germans further away. The drive would continue until they reached Saint-Die on November 17 when they would finally be pulled back. The 100th was at 1,432 men a year earlier but was now down to 239 infantrymen and 21 officers. 2nd Battalion was down to 316 riflemen and 17 officers while not a single company in 3rd Battalion had over 100 riflemen; the entire 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team was down to less than 800 soldiers. On October 13, 1944 when attached to the 36th Infantry, the unit was at 2,943 rifleman and officers but in three weeks time 140 were killed, 1800 wounded Nisei scattered in different hospitals throughout Europe, and 43 were missing.
This unit is very infamous yet so prestigious it'd be interesting to see this unit be a part of many collectors