Monty to Flamierge
From the village of Monty to Flamierge, climbs a narrow road northeast of the bloody rubble of Bastogne. Over this 2,250 yards of narrow high-crowned road, the 513th Parachute Infantry, commanded by Colonel James W. Coutts, fought its way in a spearhead assault to sever the neck of the Nazi defense of the Bulge into Belgium.
From the tiny Belgian town of Monty, climbing upward to Flamierge is 2,250 yards of exposed roads and fields. This is “Dead Man’s Ridge”—the road over which the 513th rushed to assault von Rundstedt’s hand-picked defenders of the bastion in the throat of the Bulge.
Colonel Coutts ordered his young “Expert” Infantry (Parachute) Regiment to move forward into the vicinity of Flohamount, a tiny town set in a cradle of hills in the rugged mountainous country of the Duchy of Luxembourg. This was the order his men had long awaited—had so long and earnestly trained for—the order to move forward into combat the morning of 2 January 1945.
The 2nd Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel A. C. Miller, was ordered to replace elements of the 11th Armored Division occupying the town of Monty. The 1st Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A. R. Taylor, was ordered into the woods of Bois de Fragette south of Monty, while the 3rd Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel E. F. Kent, was to be held in reserve at Jodansville. The regimental and headquarters and headquarters company command post were set up in the ruins of Flohamount.
The dense woods of the Bois de Fragette was the scene of the 513th’s indoctrination into actual combat. Subjected to the smashing, screaming barrage of mortar and artillery fire for the first time, the 1st Battalion dug their emplacements with all the coolness of veterans. To the north could be heard an additional thunder as their sister battalion, the 2nd, drove forward toward Monty.
In their occupation of the town on 3 January, the 2nd Battalion opposed units of mechanized panzergrenadiers, elements of a tank battalion, and infantrymen.
During the engagement thirty prisoners were taken and sent to the rear. All thirty were from the 29th Panzergrenadier Regiment. Nine large enemy tanks appeared before the battalion, apparently attempting to penetrate our lines. Colonel Miller ordered the battalion bazooka teams to be employed as aggressive weapons. The teams left their parent units to make individual attacks against the tanks with telling effectiveness—knocking four out of action within a very short time.
The regiment suffered a serious loss when Major David Rosen, S-3 head, plus a large number of men of companies B and C were trapped and killed or captured by a strong German force in the area comprising the 1st Battalion front, i.e., the Bois de Fragette.
In, and before the woods of Bois de Fragette, the 1st Battalion was receiving the brunt of the determined opposition presented by heavy mechanized forces. The situation here became all but untenable when a tank breakthrough, supported by intense mortar and artillery fire, disrupted and severed all communication to the rear. Corps artillery was unable to alleviate the situation due to the disruption of communication. Superior fighting qualities of the regiment drove back a mechanized superior and numerically stronger force which retreated to the north and west toward Flamizoulle and Flamierge.
Lieutenant Scott Stubbs, the regimental courier, arrived at the regimental command post in the ruins of Flohamount with the division order to attack. The regiment was directed to attack to the north from the vicinity of Monty, toward Flamizoulle and the Ourthe River, at 0815 on 4 January. Colonel Coutts ordered the 3rd Battalion to replace the 1st in the Bois de Fragette, and moved the replaced battalion to the woods of the Bois de Valet.
At 0815, 4 January, the regiment proceeded into the attack. The movement was initiated with the 1st Battalion and the 2nd abreast; the 3rd Battalion remained in reserve at the Bois de Fragette—the regimental and headquarters and headquarters companies in the Bois de Valet.
Again it was necessary to employ bazooka teams in aggressive actions against tanks and self-propelled 88s. One platoon of the second battalion broke through enemy positions, the remnants of which fought their way to Flamizoulle where they were presumably taken captives, as they did not again rejoin the battalion. The first battalion moving out of the Bois de Fragette met and overran resistance from small arms fire, sending twenty-five prisoners to the rear. Intense barrages were placed on them as they advanced across open fields toward more covered positions on the south bank of the Bastogne road. Moving forward despite heavy casualties inflicted by both heavy shelling and greatly increased machine gun and small arms fire, the battalion was attacked by direct fire from self-propelled guns along the Bastogne road to the northwest.
With the left flank so exposed to this new attacking element it was decided crossing the road was unfeasible, and the battalion was ordered to the Bois de Fragette into a defensive position.
Still blinded by wind-blown snow fall on the morning of 5 January, the regiment moved up 250 yards in the face of heavy artillery and mortar concentration. Eighteen litter cases were hurried from the field in this short advance. Men with minor shrapnel wounds refused to leave their units.
Heavy weapons, namely 81-mm mortars of the regiment, were employed harassing mechanized activity in and around Flamierge. Throughout the night our mortars, supplemented by corps artillery, were utilized in constant barrage on the town of Flamierge, keeping the Germans inactive with the exception of a few reconnaissance patrols.
A few prisoners sent through the regimental lines that day were for the most part very young. The average age appeared to be about eighteen years, with the exception of grim-faced SS veterans.
The regiment remained on the defensive throughout the day, 6 January. Enemy activity consisted mainly of artillery and mortar barrages. Some shelling in the regimental area appeared to be from 210-mm Nebelwerfers, six-barreled rocket guns. The light snowfall which fell throughout the night, stopped early in the morning. The day continued cloudy with visibility poor and a low ceiling preventing air support.
Ten tanks were seen during the afternoon moving from Flamizoulle. An additional number (five Royal Tigers) were observed traveling northwest of the road junction along the Bastogne road toward Flamierge.
Eleven medium tanks from the 11th Armored Division which were attached to our regiment as support, moved forward to counteract the mechanized activity presented by the enemy. In their attempt to contact and place fire on opposing mechanized elements, three of these tanks were destroyed crossing a mine field, one destroyed by direct fire from an 88 and the rest were ordered to withdraw behind our lines.
Three enemy medium tanks were destroyed by men of the 1st Battalion who repulsed a tank sortie of eight of more tanks. Two of these tanks destroyed were Mark IVs, the other a Mark V.
At 0900, 7 January, the regiment was ordered into attack and occupation of Flamierge. One half hour before the assault against the SS panzer buttress in the tiny village, Lieutenant Colonel Kent, 3rd Battalion commander, was wounded by shrapnel and evacuated. The battalion command was assumed by Major Morris Anderson, who personally led the battalion into the scheduled attack at 0900 that cold, gray Sunday morning. Early in the day, the 1st and 3rd Battalions pushed forward toward high ground flanking the town. The 3rd Battalion moved forward on the right flank, meeting severe fire directed from Flamierge. The 3rd Battalion met increased resistance as they topped the high ground overlooking the town.
During the night of 7 January, an additional snowfall added several inches to the heavy blanket of snow then on the ground. The bitter cold added to the great suffering of our men who were without overcoats or bedding. Patrols returned with reports of activity presumed to be the enemy’s preparation for counterattack. This presumption was substantiated through questioning of several prisoners. One prisoner revealed plans of a tank attack impending the next day which would consist of twenty-five tanks plus panzergrenadiers and other reinforcements, then being rushed in to take the village.
A message from Colonel Coutts reached Major Anderson that evening, recognizing the untenable position of the battalion, and asking whether he could hold the town. The major promptly answered this in the affirmative.
At 0850, 8 January, the Germans began their counterattack. Approximately twenty tanks supported by infantry initiated the assault, which was pointed from two directions. One attack came from the northwest over the Bastogne highway against the 2nd Battalion, splitting the 1st and 2nd from the 3rd. The second attack, preceded by several tanks, flanked the right rear of the 1st and 2nd Battalions from the direction of Flamizoulle. These attacks overpowered the second battalion, making the position untenable and causing it to withdraw from its position. The withdrawal was made towards the vicinity of the regimental command post in woods of the Bois de Fragette. The 3rd Battalion remained in Flamierge with orders to hold.
The 3rd Battalion continued to defend and occupy Flamierge against overwhelming odds during the morning and early afternoon of 8 January. Contact with the regiment had been severed during the night, due to encirclement by mechanized elements and destruction of radio equipment by shell fire. Re-supply was impossible and with the near depletion of all types of ammunition, determined defense was continued through employment of captured enemy arms and ammunition. Suffering throughout their depleted ranks was intensified through lack of food and clothing.
Late in the afternoon of 8 January, a division message was received by Colonel Coutts which ordered the 3rd Battalion’s withdrawal. Three patrols were sent out to contact the 3rd Battalion as it was impossible to make contact with mechanical communications. One patrol left from the 507th and two from the 513th. One patrol of the 513th reached the outskirts of Flamierge and found the area occupied by the Germans. Assuming that Flamierge had been lost and the battalion absorbed, they returned with a report to that effect. Shortly after the return of this patrol, Lieutenant McGuire arrived at the regimental command post from Flamierge immediately reporting to Colonel Coutts that the battalion still held and a radio had been repaired. Contact was made through the repaired radio and the message ordering the withdrawal transmitted and received. This message was transmitted in code and later the 3rd Battalion radio reported ignorance of its content, due to lack of code facilities. Staff Sergeant Gidley then arranged a casual conversation from the command post to the observation post operator into which the 3rd Battalion was listening. In the conversation he neatly conveyed the order to withdraw from Flamierge to Monty after 2400 hours, in small groups, leaving aid men and one officer to surrender the wounded. The 3rd Battalion operator rogered, and remnants began arriving in the regimental area late that evening and continued to return in small groups until just before daybreak.
The 513th remained on defensive in the woods of the Bois de Fragette until late afternoon 9 January, when it was ordered to relieve elements to the east of Monty. The sector was small and the battalions were dispersed in depth generally astride Bastogne highway southwest of Monty. Some shelling was received in this area. The forward elements were subjected to intermittent artillery fire, which caused very few casualties.
The regiment moved forward in attack at 0900 to the northeast as per division order. The 194th Glider Infantry assumed the left flank, the 507th Parachute Infantry in the center, the 193rd Glider Infantry assumed the right flank, while the 513th remained in reserve.
The regiment’s objective was to move westerly in the rear of leading elements, clear Flamierge and woods in the 194th sector and protect the division’s left flank. The regiment occupied Flamierge, placing the 1st and 2nd Battalions in the woods northeast of Flamierge and the 3rd Battalion in the town. No contact was made in this movement.
Excerpt from “Asked to Leave”
Soon after, I learned about Dead Man’s Ridge, alias Pneumonia Hill. Led by their exec, Major Morris Anderson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the 3rd Battalion of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment spent a freezing night in the foxholes at the foot of Pneumonia Hill, so called because of its wind-swept bleakness which produced the sniffles in nearly all the men. Here, under a constant enemy assault gun barrage which kept up through the night and early morning, they waited for the order to storm the hill on which was the town of Flamierge.
At dawn they attacked. Anderson, of whom one of the men said “he was a mean old buzzard in garrison, but boy, what a sweetheart out there,” personally led the dash up the hill. As his men dispersed over a 200 yard front and roared up the icy slope in high, the snow beat against their faces. Some of their weapons were frozen, but with wild yells of “Kill the bastards,” they raced upward.
They took the hill; they took the town, and they took a beating. Once in Flamierge, they stood off armored counterattacks for the remainder of the day and well into the night. Early the next morning, when a division order forced them to withdraw, a sleep-starved major with blood-caked stubble let the mucous flow from his nose, trickle down the corner of his mouth, and repeated the same phrase over and over, “They had guts. They had guts.”
And the headlines scream, “Von Rundstedt pulling out of Bulge.”
As one shivering paratrooper put it, “The son of a bitch didn’t pull out. He was asked to leave.”
—Corporal Bob Krell, Yank Correspondent
[Corporal Bob Krell, the author of this excerpt, who went to the staff of Yank from the 17th Airborne Division shortly after the Battle of the Bulge, was killed in action on 24 March, a few hours after he jumped with his old outfit to cover the airborne operation across the Rhine for Yank.]
Airborne Invasion of the Rhine
The sky train winged its way across northern France and Belgium. People looked upwards in amazement at the large transport planes. This huge number of planes, packed in close formation overhead, seemed symbolic of the strength and power of the Allies.
To most of the men in the C-46 and C-47 planes, this was the beginning of a new adventure, one that is rarely paralleled.
No one had to tell each individual as he stood in there swaying with the motion of the plane that he was scared. Sweating out a practice jump was nothing like this … you didn’t have that lump in your throat that seemed to strangle you. As they had done countless times before, each man wondered why he had gotten into this crazy business, and as the muffled roar of the powerful motors beat a crescendo against their eardrums, a few silently offered a prayer. Some were hoping that the man behind them would shove like hell when the time came.
The time had come! All hell had broken loose outside. Flak was everywhere … thick enough to walk down. Apparently it was no rumor that the desperate Jerry was expecting us. We had been given the warning signal. And now as the lead officer looked backwards briefly, with tiny beads of sweat glinting on his forehead … the men tensed. It seemed futile at the moment … this jump into the red-hot hell that spurted from the ground below.
GO!!!!!
Floating down seemed an eternity. The concussion of the shells exploding in mid-air caused some of the troopers to oscillate. A few started climbing their suspension lines the moment of the opening shock … and landed with their heads in the silk.
To the Germans below, this deluge of parachutists falling towards them must have presented an awesome picture. The drama in the European sky that day will never be forgotten. Looking upwards, some of the earlier arrivals on the ground might have seen the two tangled chutes and watched with horror as the suspended figures tried to break apart. They never succeeded. When the two paratroopers reached the ground, they were both dead. Flak and enemy snipers had made the most of their living targets.
High tension wires and an occasional house proved to be death traps for some of the troopers. In the trees, chutes were hanging … a few of them empty … and some of them sagging under the weight of their lifeless burdens.
One man had landed with his parachute billowing over him as if trying to hide its precious cargo. A few seconds later, an M-1 peeked out from the parachute, followed by a grim, determined face.
The paratrooper medics were busily answering the call of the wounded, regardless of the small arms fire that seemed to be popping from everywhere.
As the last chutes settled gently on the field and some attempt at organization was going on, scattered bursts of Tommy guns and Schmeissers could be heard mingled with the ping of distant carbines. It was in the afternoon that finally the battalions had made contact with most of their men, but even several days later, troopers would still be trying to contact their respective units. Men fighting alongside soldiers they didn’t know … but quick effective teamwork resulted instead of confusion.
Towards the end of the day, the full impact of what had happened struck the troopers. The realization that men had been dying around them had escaped them because each little group or squad was fighting his own little private war in the mopping-up exercises. They learned they had been dropped one and a half miles north of the intended drop zone … but before nightfall, the intrepid “chutists” had fought their way back to the original drop zone.
The command post computed the number of prisoners bagged the first day. The amazing total was 1,100!!!
In one corner of a wide field, a trooper was carefully sighting a long black tubular object that rested on his shoulder. It resembled a bazooka, but wasn’t. As the rear of the tube belched flame, part of an enemy half-track disappeared! This was the 57-mm [recoilless] gun, the latest American nemesis for Hun tanks and vehicles. Before the jump, men had been especially trained in the use of this new weapon and there are still a few technicalities kept secret about this weapon.
Near Wesel, an amazing sight confronted the troopers. British tanks, hundreds of them, were sprawled along the roads and fields.
The realization struck the paratroopers that they were going to ride those 6th Scottish Guard tanks into action! They were to spearhead the 21st Army Group assault towards Münster.
On the lead tank, our men sighted panzer units ahead. They promptly then and there overtook six horse-drawn artillery pieces, the first most of them had seen since the jump.
Clearing Dulman consisted mainly of firing the new 57s at any suspicious-looking object. They made short work of almost anything. The 194th relieved the 513th in the town and the 3rd Battalion moved through Tilbeck and then to Roxel. Patrols north of Roxel determined that a contingent of troops estimated to be a regiment, withdrew to Münster.
It was under the cover of darkness that the 1st Battalion of the 513th Parachute Infantry moved into the city of Münster proper. In the meantime, the 2nd Battalion assaulted and took the Hermann Göring Barracks on the outskirts of the city. There in the halls were where members of the most famous of the Nazi’s panzers once held sway. The battle-weary troopers rested, warmed their K-rations, and prepared to move into the city.
And move in they did. The entire regiment took and secured the bombed, once beautiful Münster. Its famed cathedral was but a shell, its vaunted shops and dwellings a mass of rubble and ruins.
The troopers moved past a heap of stone and masonry that had once been a building. On one of the columns left standing was a sign indicating the headquarters of the Nazi Party. Behind the sign was but broken brick and twisted girders.
The 513th with its customary sureness and swiftness had taken its final objective, days ahead of schedule. The regiment assembled at the Hermann Göring Barracks. Once again, they awaited orders. In the course of the day, during the regimental push, its commanded, Colonel James W. Coutts, was wounded. Despite his vigorous protest, the medical officers felt it necessary to evacuate him. With calm assurance, the regimental executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ward S. Ryan took the command into his capable hands. So the fighting continued with effectiveness and surety.
While at the Hermann Göring Barracks, the 2nd Battalion, acting as regimental security, fought a battle with a large number of German grenadiers. They completely routed the Nazis, capturing many and retaking much important American and British equipment. They also liberated large numbers of captured Allied prisoners.
The following morning, the regiment lined up in convoy and started its trek to a new sector, riding most of the rainy, wet day. Nightfall found the troopers in Hamborn, near the great industrial center of Duisberg. The men were told that they were to hold that part of the Ruhr pocket.
The I.P.W. men attached to the 513th were conducting patrols in our sector of the Ruhr, rounding up civilians, suspicious or otherwise, for interrogation and search for weapons.
Once the Ruhr pocket was cleaned out, the regiment’s mission was one of occupation, until such time that the order for movement should come. After a little over a month of occupation, the 513th was moved by train and truck convoy back to France for re-deployment.
Finale
The 513th is breaking up. To those of us who have helped make the regiment what it is today, the knowledge of that fact creates a strange mixture of emotions within our hearts. Whether we joined the outfit in Chalon, England, Camp Macall, or Fort Benning, we are all proud to be members of the “Battle of the Bulge” and “Jump Over the Rhine” regiment, a group of boys who made history within the short time of four months. Only sheer courage and plain guts on the part of those present and those who for some reason are no longer with us, are responsible for the enviable record of which the 513th is now the proud possessor.
Ages ago (or at least so it seems now), a group of young, cocky boys, left the Fort Benning Parachute School, just “another” graduating class at that time. Raising hell in Columbus, Georgia, and Fayetteville, North Carolina, upon their arrival at Fort Bragg, those cocky boys, although not creating too favorable an impression in some places, were merely following in the footsteps of their famous predecessors, the 101st, 82nd, and 11th Airborne Divisions.
The boys became proud—proud of the fact that they were ‘troopers; proud of their wings and boots; and last but not least, proud of their outfit, the 513th. They talked together, drank together, shared their different moods together, sweat out maneuvers, practice jumps and problems together. The spirit was rising—it expanded and developed to a state where they wanted to quit the kid’s play and get into the big thing, where they could prove how good they were.
They got their chance and they didn’t fail. The story of the 513th in the “Bulge” is now history—their gallant stand around Bastogne and subsequent push which sent the Germans scurrying to the Our River. Then a little more than a month later, the airborne invasion of Germany, the blow which was to spell defeat for the Germans in a short time.
Now those days are memories—we are looking back upon them with a strange feeling. Friendships had sprung up, deeper than any experienced before, born through days of living and fighting closely together in combat.
But the experiences we’ve had, the friends we’ve made, the records we’ve established, we will never forget. The 513th is in our blood—no matter what walk of life we may enter in the future, there shall always be a space reserved in our minds for memories of that fighting, history-making “Black Cat” Regiment.
History of the Regimental Insignia
When the 513th Parachute Infantry was first organized, the black cat was the first and most frequent idea for an insignia, carrying out the ideas of the number. To superstitious folk, the black cat, and number 13, and walking under a ladder, are all things to be avoided.
Discussion finally settled on the idea of a parachute, a black cat and a big number thirteen for the insignia. With only this indefinite idea in mind, the project was turned over to the visual aids section of the Parachute School, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Artists went to work to give action, personality, and zip to the insignia. They swung him into an aggressive, fighting pose, symbolizing the power, the swift movement and the driving force that the 513th would have as a regiment.
Into the cat’s paws they set a rifle, topped with a bayonet, the two principal weapons of the Infantry. To emphasize, what the 513th hoped to do to Tojo’s boys and Adolph’s roughnecks, the artist tipped the bayonet with red. A jump suit and boots added the parachute angle.
Over “Little Joi’s” head was placed a parachute, black in this case to carry out the superstition-defying theme of the 513th and also to agree with the regimental colors of red and black.
To blazon the regiment’s numbers boldly on the insignia, a giant red “13” was added completing the insignia.
Sports
Since the days of Fort Benning, the 513th Indians have always had a reputation for being a hard-to-beat outfit in all sports in which it engaged. Division championships have been frequent, and many victories have come even at the hands of “outside” opponents. That was especially true in hardball, where at the very beginning, the Indians showed their superiority, finishing second to the Parachute School in the Fort Benning League. Then, at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, while frequently playing against big-league opposition, the 513th rolled up a very formidable record, capturing the division championship in its stride. In France, after taking the first half crown, the Indians were considerably weakened when seven first-string players were drafted for the division team, but despite their mediocre showing in the second half, they had already earned the right to play for the official division championship at the conclusion of league play.
The division team, winner of its first four contests, had immeasurable help from the 513th, calling on two Indian hurlers, who came through with two of the four victories, allowing one run between them. Ellsworth “Marty” Martin, whose big bat sparked the regimental team to the top, was also the hero of the first four division frays, with his hard and timely hitting.
In softball, although never reaching the top of the ladder, the 513th was always right behind the leaders, and frequently assumed the role of “giant killers” pulling the unexpected.
Swimming brought one overseas championship. In Germany, the mermen splashed their way to victory in the only meet held since their departure from the States.
Inter-regimental competition always found many enthusiasts in the form of players who were not good enough to make the regimental team, but who consequently developed a strong company spirit. Rivalry was intense, and many outstanding teams were brought to light in the course of two years.
Chronological Record
1942
30 December: 513th Parachute Infantry pre-activated and authorized cadre grades only by authority of Par. 2 letter Hq. AGF, 30 December 1942, Subject: Activation of 513th Parachute Infantry, File 321/61, Inf (R) GNGCI (12-30-42).
1943
11 January: 513th Parachute Infantry activated per SO 1, Hq. 513th Parachute Infantry, 11 January 1943, pursuant to authority contained in GO No. 2, Hq. ABC, 5 January 1943 (Parachute School Pool). Lieutenant Colonel Albert H. Dickerson commanding.
20 February: First issue of the Thirteener (official regimental newspaper).
6 March: 513th moves from "Frying Pan" area, Fort Benning, Georgia, to "Alabama."
13 March: 513th adopts its regimental insignia.
16 March: Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Dickerson, CO, 513th, promoted to colonel.
17 April: Major Allen C. Miller II appointed Executive Officer of 513th.
31 May: The 513th Parachute Infantry is relieved from its duties of administering the Parachute Replacement Pool at Fort Benning, Georgia, and authorized to fill to full strength in grades as shown in applicable T/O per letter Hq. ABC, AGF, Camp Macall, North Carolina, File: 321-GNVDT, Sub: Activation of 513th Parachute Infantry, dated 2 May 1943.
7 June: Officers of 513th attend New Division Officers course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
12 June: The motto, "Sequitis Bastatii," adopted as the official regimental motto.
14 June: Twenty officers and twenty enlisted men of 513th make an exhibition parachute jump for Camp Rucker, Alabama.
26 June: 513th officers entertain at first "Prop-blast."
2 July: Officers of 513th graduate from New Division Officers course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
13 August (Friday): The 513th Parachute Infantry becomes part of the 13th Airborne Division.
4 September: Brigadier General Griner visits Alabama area and 513th.
7 September: 2nd Battalion, 513th, participates in training film on tactical maneuvers.
12 September: 513th holds dedicatory program.
2 October: 513th marches in parade given in honor of General Walter Fulton, who retired as commanding general of Fort Benning, Georgia.
7 October: General Cutler visits 513th in the Alabama area.
16 October: 1st Battalion enters Parachute School for jump training.
20 October: 2nd Battalion enters Parachute School for jump training.
24 October: 3rd Battalion enters Parachute School for jump training.
15 November: 513th moves to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to join the 13th Airborne Division.
1944
8 January: 513th completes basic training (13 week period).
12 January: Colonel A. H. Dickerson, CO, transfers to 13th Airborne Division Headquarters. Lieutenant Colonel Allen C. Miller II assumes command of the regiment.
15 January: The 513th completes the Individual and Physical tests, ABC.
15 January: 513th moves to Camp Macall, North Carolina.
21 January: Lieutenant Colonel James W. Coutts assumes command of the 513th and Lieutenant Colonel Miller reverts to original status, regimental executive officer.
19 February: Lieutenant Colonel Ward S. Ryan appointed regimental executive officer and Lieutenant Colonel Miller assigned as 2nd Battalion commanding officer.
10 March: 513th relieved from 13th Airborne Division and assigned to 2nd Army and 17th Airborne Division, for maneuver period.
20 March: 513th moves to Tennessee maneuvers, Lebanon, Tennessee.
22 March: Lieutenant General McNair, commanding general, AGF, visits 17th Airborne Division and 513th in maneuver area in Tennessee.
24 March: 513th assigned to Base Camp, Camp Forrest, Tennessee, with 17th Airborne Division.
5 June: Lieutenant Colonel James W. Coutts, commanding officer, 513th, appointed Commandant of the 17th Airborne Division Parachute School, composed of two classes of approximately 1,500 officers and enlisted men per class.
16 June: Major General Terrill, commanding officer, XXII Corps, visits 17th Airborne Division and 513th.
Lieutenant General McNair, commanding general, AGF, visits 17th Airborne and 513th.
17 June: 513th completes Unit Training Curse and Tests.
11 August: 513th left Camp Forrest, Tennessee, for staging area.
13 August: Regiment arrived at staging area, Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts.
20 August: Regiment left staging area and embarked for overseas from Boston Port of Embarkation.
28 August: Regiment arrives at Liverpool, England.
29 August: Regiment arrives at Tidworth Barracks (tents), Windmill Hill, England.
6 September: Major General Matthew B. Ridgway, commanding general, XVIII Corps, visits 513th.
16 September: Dedication of 513th at ceremony and review as Expert Infantry Regiment.
25 September: Regimental jump in Tidworth area.
1-4 October: Regiment moves to Barton Stacey area, Andover, England.
15 November: Regiment marched from Barton Stacey to Chilbolton Air Field for review by Lieutenant General L. H. Brereton, commanding general of the First Allied Airborne Army, and Major General Ridgway, commanding general, XVIII Corps, with Major General Williams, commanding general, 8th Troop Carrier Command, and Major General William Miley, the divisional commander.
23 November: General Miley visits 513th and announces Major General Ridgway's selection of the 1st Battalion, 513th, as the best battalion participating in the division review, 15 November 1944.
23 November: Thanksgiving Day football game between 513th and 507th Parachute Infantry Regiments. Score, 20-0, favor 507th. Guests at dinner dance afterwards were Major General Miley, Brigadier General Whitelaw, Colonel Raff, and Colonel Coutts.
25 November: Regimental review. One hundred and forty enlisted men awarded Good Conduct ribbons by Colonel Coutts, Colonel Ryan, and Major Moir.
19 December: Regiment departed Barton Stacey, England, for departure from airfield at Chilbolton.
20-22 December: Regiment awaited flying weather for departure. Seaborne echelon departed Barton Stacey for France.
23 December: Advance details for all units, regimental headquarters and 1st Battalion, departed for A-70, six miles north of Laon, France; air landed.
24 December: First echelon continued move to Mourmelon le Grande. Remainder of regiment departed Chilbolton for A-70. First echelon closed in Mourmelon, second echelon closed in Mourmelon. Seaborne echelon closed in Mourmelon.
25 December: Regiment departed Mourmelon for defense of Meuse River to stop further penetration of German breakthrough from Rhine River between St. Vith and Bastogne, which had at that time reached the line Marche–St. Hubert.
26 December: Regiment closed in positions along Meuse River with 1st Battalion and regimental headquarters in vicinity of Chatel Chehery, 2nd Battalion in Stenay, and 3rd Battalion in Verdun.
27-31 December: Organization of defense of Meuse River. German penetration stopped short of Meuse River. Regiment saw no action except patrolling, attempting to pick up reported enemy parachute drops and light strafing and bombing towns, railroad and bridges along the Meuse River.
1945
1 January: Departed Chatel Chehery for front west of Bastogne.
2 January: Closed in positions vicinity Flamierge and Flohamount. The 2nd Battalion ordered to relieve elements of 11th Armored Division in Monty. The 1st Battalion ordered to woods south of Monty (Bois de Fragette). The 3rd Battalion remained in reserve in Jodenville. Regimental headquarters and headquarters company in Flohamount.
3 January (through 10 February): Battle of the Bulge.
11 February: Regiment closed in new bivouac area in vicinity of Chalon, France, at 1130. Work was begun in completion of bivouac area and reception of replacements.
12 February: Replacements of officers and enlisted men start to come in bivouac.
22 February: Combat Infantryman's Badge awarded to officers and enlisted men.
5-10 March: Regimental jump. Experimental jump from C-46 … from both sides of plane.
6 March: Motion picture stars Marlene Dietrich and Mickey Rooney visit 513th area.
7 March: Motion picture star Bobby Breen visits 513th area.
Battalion parades. Opening of "Cafe du Cerque" as 513th Enlisted Men's Club in Chalon.
8 March: 513th Indians Regimental basketball team played first game, defeated 139th Engineers, 31-21.
10 March: Regimental review—Colonel Coutts presents Combat Infantry awards.
13 March: Regimental review—presentation of Silver and Bronze Star awards by General Miley, commanding general, 17th Airborne Division.
14 March: Basketball game—513th defeated 411th Quartermaster, 57-21.
15 March: Regimental problem.
19 March: Regiment moved to marshaling area, located in the vicinity of Achier, prior to jump on Germany.
24 March (through 4 April): Airborne invasion of Germany and subsequent advance to Münster.
5 April: Regiment departed from Münster and relieved element of 79th Infantry Division in Oberhausen, Germany.
25 April (through 9 June): Regiment enjoyed rest center in Oberhausen, Germany, under guidance of Lieutenant Colonel Ryan, Captain Robertson, and Lieutenant Coughlin.
8 May: Regiment celebrated V-E Day.
3 June: Lieutenant Colonel David P. Schorr assumed command of 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, replacing Colonel James W. Coutts, who was injured in the Germany campaign.
15 June: Regiment moved to re-deployment area on airstrip (tents) near Tantonville, France.
4 July: Regimental parade celebrates Independence Day.
Awards—Posthumous
Distinguished Service Medal
Lt. Arthur G. Clark
Lt. Robert E. Hammerquist
Lt. Richard D. Manning
Legion of Merit
Lt. Col. David P. Schorr
Silver Star
Col. James W. Coutts
Lt. Col. Ward S. Ryan
Lt. Col. Allen C. Miller
Maj. Morris S. Anderson
Maj. Irwin A. Edwards
Capt. Oscar A. Fodor
Capt. Robert P. Horne
Capt. Leno C. Odorizzi
Capt. Marshall M. Reynolds
Lt. Milton Morris
Lt. David J. Scott
Lt. Sam C. Dean
Pfc. Alex Deaton
Pvt. Alvin N. Gray
Pfc. Lenard P. Diedrichs
T/4 James F. Hillery
T/5 Whitworth W. Hoskins
Pfc. Jack E. Humphreville
Pvt. Lester H. Johnson
T/Sgt. Norman H. Arrow
Pfc. Roland L. Bragg
S/Sgt. Merrell R. Bunge
T/Sgt. Paul H. Burnett
Pfc. Jack Cook
Pfc. Donald W. Cormane
Capt. Harry Kenyon
Pvt. William C. Kuntz
T/4 Harold E. Lotz
T/5 Robert E. Miller
Cpl. Robert A. Nobrega
Pfc. William G. Ream
S/Sgt. Robert C. Steanson
T/5 Joseph W. Smith
Pfc. Henry G. Smith
Pvt. Ludie L. Smythe
Pvt. Richard M. Schoonerman
S/Sgt. Clarence C. Thomasson
Lt. John W. Leary
T/Sgt. Harold I. Thompson
Pvt. William Thompson
Pvt. Corley H. Wright
Cpl. Frank W. Varsone
T/4 Lawrence R. Bohner
Bronze Star
T/5 Burl C. Arms
T/3 Harold D. Austin
Pfc. Lee W. Alden.
Pvt. Armen Abrahamian
Lt. Peter C. Beer
Lt. David L. Blunt
Maj. Roger M. Bachman
S/Sgt. Charles W. Bell
S/Sgt. Grant L. Bishop
T/4 Robert A. Beckman
Pfc. Carl F. Bayer
Pfc. Leo J. Beaulieu.
Pfc. Edwerd W. Ballas
Pvt. Ray T. Belding
Pvt. Fred A. Bergman
Pvt. Donald W. Brown
Lt. Arthur G. Clark
S/Sgt. Paul C. Christensen
Capt. George W. Crain
Pfc. Jack E. Chapman
Lt. James C. Cox
S/Sgt. Donald C. Camp
Sgt. Billie Cunningham
Capt. Rollie L. Cantley
S/Sgt. Donald W. Cate
S/Sgt. Robert L. Crady
T/3 Serryl D. Couch
Sgt. Harry C. Deaton
Sgt. Richard J. Dunn
Sgt. Phillip Brown
Capt. Richard Cosner
Pfc. Robert J. Dunham
Lt. Edward C. Dennis
S/Sgt. Clifford A. Davis
T/5 Ernest M. Elder
Pfc. Josh F. Elias
Pfc. Robert J. Fox
S/Sgt. Joseph Fernandez
S/Sgt. Richard A. Friedlander
T/5 Harold H. Floyd
Pfc. John H. Forshay
Pvt. Melvin Fontenot
S/Sgt. Donald R. Gauvin
T/5 John Grodzicki
Pfc. Pablo Galindro
Pfc. John A. George
Pfc. Clayton Green
Pvt. Harry J. Goate
Lt. Frank R. Hebert
Sgt. Ralph D. Hunter
Pfc. Thomas J. Haynes
S/Sgt. Arlie C. Hopkins
Lt. Robert E. Hammerquist
Lt. Col. Edward F. Kent
S/Sgt. Thomas C. Halbert
T/5 Earl Kearly
S/Sgt. Charles E. Kennedy
T/4 Joseph Kelly
T/4 Terrence E. Kelly
Pfc. Joseph P. Kitson
Pvt. John W. Klemm
Sgt. Clinton G. Lynch
Lt. Charles E. Lewis
Capt. George Mielke
Capt. Paul M. McQuire
Maj. William W. Moir
T/Sgt. James A. Michienzi
S/Sgt. Buchan E. McKendrick
S/Sgt. William N. McCutchen
M/Sgt. Frank Macchiaverna
Lt. Don R. Mort
T/5 Hugh T. McQuillan
Pvt. Merle E. Mathew
Pvt. George H. McCallum
Cpl. Herbert A. Nobrega
Pfc. George H. Nelson
T/Sgt. Thomas R. Norsworthy
T/5 John W. Oliver
Sgt. John F. Pass
Lt. James D. Phillips
Sgt. Edmund C. Powless
Sgt. Wilhelm Pieper
Pvt. William T. Peters
Pvt. Earl K. Peterson
Sgt. John F. Queenan
Pvt. Earl E. Quillan
Lt. Price W. McGee
T/5 Fred A. Obley
T/5 Robert L. Rudolph
Lt. Harold E. Rudel
T/Sgt. Norman J. Roberts
Capt. Joseph W. Rawn
Capt. Walter A. Rydesky
Pvt. Warren M. Rispalje
Capt. Herbert U. Sieben
S/Sgt. Lawrence A. Sanford
T/5 Robert A. Starnes
Pvt. Gilbert Stokes
Capt. John H. Spears
Lt. Raymond H. Stem
Lt. Scott G. Stubbs
Pfc. Seraph Sanchez
Pvt. Vincent J. Sherlock
Sgt. Ernest J. Trombley
S/Sgt. James W. Thoburn
Pvt. Stanley H. Tucker
Pvt. James W. Wilson
Lt. Marshall I. Woolper
Capt. Charles E. Woolen
Capt. Albert G. Wing
Capt. Walter R. Woirol
Lt. Peter K. White
Pfc. Lenard H. Williams
Pvt. John Vafides
Pvt. Augustine Villaneauva
T/5 Harry C. Vizina
Cpl. Anthony J. Vamos
Capt. Arthur F. Young
T/5 Albert E. Zeitler
Maj. Irwin A. Edwards
Certificate of Merit
T/4 Robert E. Bocchino
Lt. Prospero De Bona
Sgt. Robert Gordon
Pfc. Leroy J. Johns
T/5 Victor M. Raphael
T/5 Robert A. Starnes
Pvt. Joseph S. Simetz
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| Awards presentations to troopers of the 513th PIR at Chalons-sur-Marne, France, circa February/March 1945 prior to Operation Varsity. |
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| Jump training with the 513th PIR, Camp Forrest, 1944. It shows men of the 513th PIR just before a training jump. The photo was probably taken at Camp Forrest between March and June 1944. The paratroopers are loading their materiel aboard a C-47 airplane. Of interest, note the typical M42 combat uniform with 17th AB insignia sewn on the left shoulder, the jump boots and the T5 parachute used by the unit only during training in the USA and England. It was later replaced by the modified T5 (with quick release system) for Operation Varsity. Despite the specific M42 paratrooper uniform being classified limited standard after the adoption of the new M43 uniform and progressively replaced by this last one, men of the 17th continued to largely use it, even during the Bulge and German campaign. |
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| Company D - HQ Platoon, 513th PIR. Standing left to right: Pvt Bill Austin, T/Sgt Charles J Ust (KIA), Pvt Jack Davis, Pvt Edward S Reider, Pvt Virgil Osteen, Pfc Robert E McClure and Sgt Albert Jacobson. Kneeling left to right: Cpl W H DeMorgan, Sgt C Markacinis, Cpl Luther Davis Jr, S/Sgt James C DeGidio (KIA), Pvt Eugene Haas and Pvt Joseph D Disarro. |
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| Men of the 1st Platoon, E Company of the 513th PIR after the Battle of the Bulge. They are (left to right): Back Row: Pfc Q.P. Lisenbee, Pfc R.W. Heriford, Sgt T.W. Preston, Pfc S.S. Stryker (MOH), Pvt J.A. Parten, S/Sgt T.J. Haynes,Pvt H.K. Kessler and Pvt Jones. Middle Row: Pfc Edwards, Pfc D. Rosen, Pvt E.P. Maley, Pfc G.G. Scott and Sgt Crapps. Front Row: Pfc J.M. Demko, Pvt Chander, Pvt Veluscious and Pfc G.E. Burt. |
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| Men of the 17th Airborne assemble as a British Horsa glider passes overhead. German anti-aircraft fire hit several Allied gliders and transport aircraft during the operation. |
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| A 17th Airborne paratrooper with an M1 Garand rifle. |
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| A 17th Airborne paratrooper with a Browning .30-cal. M1919A6 machine gun. The M1919A6 was a belt-fed machine gun (with a bipod) that weighed in at a hefty 32 lbs. |
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| Paratroopers of the 17th Airborne during Operation Varsity. The man in the foreground carries an M1928A1 Thompson gun, while the man behind him carries an M1A1 model of the Thompson. |
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| Bringing in the wounded from the 17th Airborne after the Operation Varsity drop, March 24, 1945. |
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| The daylight landings were engaged by heavy and accurate German anti-aircraft fire, causing a number of casualties to men and transport aircraft. Paratroopers were also injured in the usual way, as with this man with a broken ankle. |
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| Paratroopers of the 17th Airborne equipped with M1 rifles and a Browning Automatic Rifle (far left). |
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| The 17th Airborne worked with the British 6th Guards Tank Brigade to assault Munster, April 2, 1945. The paratrooper carries an M1A1 Carbine. |
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| Paratroopers of the 17th Airborne Division, equipped with M1 Garand rifles ride into battle in Munster, Germany, on the deck of a British Tank, Infantry, Mk IV “Churchill” on April 2, 1945. |
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| Paratroopers of the 17th Airborne Division follow a Churchill tank of the British 6th Guards Tank Brigade in the assault on Munster. |
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| Churchill tanks of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade carrying paratroopers of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, US 17th Airborne Division, through Dorsten, 29 March 1945. |
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| Thompson gunners of the 17th Airborne in Munster. The paratrooper at left has an M1A1 Thompson gun. The man at right has the same, but curiously has the butt stock removed on his weapon. |
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| 513th Skytroopers wait in foreground for orders to advance on Munster, Germany while British tanks at left roll towards front line. |
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| Outside Munster: Paratroopers of the 17th Airborne equipped with an M18 57mm recoilless rifle. The gunner carries an M1A1 Carbine. |
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| Company H Platoon Leaders, 513th PIR on the day prior to Operation Varsity in France. Left to right: Lt Ernie Kim (POW) , unknown, Lt J R Pahle , Lt R E Hammerquist (DSC) and unknown. |
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| Troops of Co. A, 513th PIR, 17th AB Division, walk toward Marche, Belgium, where they fought it out with the Nazis, trapping them in area near Bastogne. January 10, 1945. |
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| Members of the 513th PIR, 17th AB Division, First Allied Airborne Army who have just landed near Wesel, Germany keep a sharp lookout for enemy activity. |
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| German prisoners captured by the 513th PIR are lined up in Wesel area, Germany. These are some of the more than 800 Germans captured by the paratroopers within a few hours after their landing in this area. |
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| Men of the 17th Airborne Division, First Allied Airborne Army, the first unit to land in Germany in one of the greatest airborne invasions of the war, set out in search of the enemy immediately after landing near Wesel, Germany. |
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| T/Sgt. James G. Smith and S/Sgt. Frank E. McCann talk with two British paratroopers who have just been liberated from Germans in Munster, Germany. The two American soldiers are from the 513th PIR, 17th AB Division, fighting with the US Ninth Army. |
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| First troops in Munster—Infantrymen of the 513th PIR, 17th AB Division, fighting with the US Ninth Army, pass through roadblock in the front line city of Munster. They were the first Allied troops to arrive in the city. |
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| Actual 513th PIR shoulder patch insignia. |
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| Drawing of 513th PIR insignia as printed on the booklet cover. |
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