Life and Death in the Huertgen Forest with the German 216/272 Infantry Division
as lived and written by Gerd Horner
Translated by Ron Van Rijt October 20, 2003
The translator of this story (German to English), Ron Van Rijt, manages an update to Gerd's account by asking Gerd for the picture below. Gerd's identification is as follows: from L. to R. The gentleman in grey hair and grey jacket: Colonel Vernon Greene US Ret. Veteran 78 Lightning Div. (taken from Flash news July 2003 Page 6) next in blue, is me.
After three nights of bitter fighting in the Huertgen Forest as part of the Heavy-
Machine-Gun-Group of Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) Malkowski, our group was finally being relieved from its forward position southwest of the town of Kesternich. It was January 29th, 1945. We had been able to hold our position here as we had a good field of fire and were closely supported by the seasoned Regiment 981. It was late afternoon before we arrived at our rear base away from the front line fire, hopefully to enjoy some rest and relaxation.
Our rest was going to be disturbed however by the intrusion of a National-Socialistic-Officer who wanted to give us a short course in National-Socialism. Our Company-Leader, Lt. Helmers, gave this young lieutenant some answers that he didn't want to hear which turned out to be a revelation to our group so we listened with great interest. After the lecture, we checked and found there had been a heavy snow-fall but now the night was clear.
We were awakened before daylight by a heavy artillery barrage. The Americans started an attack on January 1. 1945 at 7 o'clock using mostly mortars tipped with phosphorus. Then American tanks started to advance slowly from a church down the main road but at such a slow pace that it seemed like they were hesitating. We were much concerned since we had no artillery support or anti-tank guns.
Our best weapon that we had available was the "Stovepipe," which was a 8.8cm rocket-launcher called the "Panzerschreck." So we fired like madmen mostly with our Infantry-weapons, but at 1500 that afternoon the attack finally ended and the frontline hadn't really changed. I found out later (after the war) that the Americans had a map of the village and were looking for house numbers to work their way around the village. Never did find a copy of this map although I asked many people about it.
The lines remained pretty much stationary the rest of January but on the 31st, the Americans started heavy artillery fire at 0800 and moved their tanks forward. By 1100, they had reached the edge of the crossroad Rurberg-Einruhr at a place called the memorial. The Americans called this spot "the triangle" and it is mentioned in the American reports as a place of great importance.
We had established our first-aid-post at a house at the edge of this position. The house had been severely damaged and its large stable door was wide open and dangling by its hinges. One of the American tanks moved into position on the road in front of this door. I left my location with Comrade Willi Pispers and we went into the stable carrying a Panzerfaust to destroy this tank. We were not careful enough and didn't notice a hole in the wall on the west side of this stable. An American sniper must have seen us and fired hitting Willi Pispers in the ear. The blood came gushing out.
I forgot the tank for the moment and carried my wounded comrade to the Medics in the cellar of the house. I expected that they would patch him up and bring him back in the evening, but this didn't happen. Comrad Willi Pispers sent me his pistol. This was the weapon allotted to the heavy-machine-gunner who had to carry the gun's tripod. I guess he figured that he wouldn't be needing his weapon any more.
NCO Malkowski (who as I remember to this day as a really wonderful guy) now received orders to defend this house. He asked me to go with him and we prepared the house for defense. About all we could do was to place an empty cupboard in the middle of the main room so the Americans wouldn't be able to see us through the window. I then went to our Company-leader Lt. Helmers at headquarters to tell him that we had finished our preparations. When I went back to our house / first-aid-post, I saw the tank was now positioned at the corner of the house.
I think that this tank may have had some problems with its radio as its commander opened the hatch and looked around outside; not a very wise move but he managed to get away with it. The hatch was closed again and the tank went in the reverse, making its usual threatening moves; first moving on one track and than on the other track, machine-gun firing in all directions. Then it retreated another 50 yards and joined up with the other American tanks.
We had planned to defend our location until all of our wounded were transported back to our main lines. When I went carefully from the house to the shed and to the stable, I suddenly saw that an American soldier was standing right in front of me, pointing his rifle at me from the hip. -- I had my pistol in my left hand. -- There was less than a yard distance between us. .....
Eye t o eye.
We didn't shoot ; ..... I don't know why; -- We both saluted. The distance between us was probably too close, ... or maybe it had something to do with humanity ? We both turned around and walked back.
I warned NCO Malkowski; "Maco, the Americans are inside the building !!!" I then jumped out of the window, onto the road and then dove into the cellar on the opposite side. Because of the cupboard in the middle of the room, the Americans never saw me. At the entrance of this cellar I saw our Company-Troop-leader Göbbels. -- He jumped out of the main entrance and was immediately hit by rounds from an American machine-pistol that was firing from the window. The machine gunner had probably been waiting for me.
Then I went back to our quarters where Lt. Helmers gave me the order, "Hörner, you cover the retreat of your comrades." I was lying on the ground with my MG-42 at the entrance of the house and feeling quite uncomfortable because now I really was the last man there and now there was no one between me and the enemy. Suddenly I saw our wounded comrades walking with raised hands behind the hedge on the opposite side of the tree-garden. I realized that they were being taken prisoner as they were preceding in a southerly direction toward the Tiefencreek-Valley. I yelled, "Willi, take care of yourself !!!" He was holding his hands on the bandages around his head and waved at me. Then I heard a voice behind me, "Hörner, now you come over here as well."
I wanted to jump up and grab my MG, but there was NCO Malkowski standing right beside me and he carried the MG for me. ... A truly great guy !!!!! We retreated to the last houses of Kesternich, in front of the big minefield. We left our foxholes in the early morning of February 4th, it was thawing and we could recognize the mines in the snow. We crossed the dam at Rurberg and took position on the slope of the hill.
Then it finally happened. It was there where I was hit by two pieces of shrapnel from the US 78th ID's Artillery; -- it was 13.00 hour, February 5th 1945. The war wasn't completely over for me yet; -- there still was POW-camp until July 1945.
As it was -- Gerd Horner
The town of Kesternich, Germany on January 29 - 31, 1945 and below, the same building above as seen today in the year 2006.
Eye to eye.... by Gerd Hörner 216/272. Inf. Div.
Update December 2004:
From: "Gerd Hörner" <Gerd.Hoerner@telebel.de>
To: "Stuart T. Brandow" <sbrandow1@juno.com>; "Ernest Herr" <e.herr@worldnet.att.net>; "Bernard Heeke" <Biheeke@aol.com>
Subject: Fw: Kranz am Ehrenmal
Date: Thursday, December 16, 2004 2:19 AM
Hello friends , Ulrich Offermann and Ron v Rilt in front by the Keasternich Monument Mondaymorning 13.12.o4 10.30 Minus 7° C. pretty cold like 60 years 60 years ago.
Hello ihr Lieben in Wuppertal. Viele Grüße aus Kesternich, mie zwei Bilder vom Ehrenmal.
From: "Gerd Hörner" <Gerd.Hoerner@telebel.de>
To: "Ernest Herr" <e.herr@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Great Story
Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 5:07 PM
Hello Ernie,
Thanks for Your @ this morning, Its true that the battle for Kesternich Dec. Jan. 44 - 45 was a big part of my life. December 22nd, 1944 was my 18th birthday but it was not my first time to see death. That occurred in 1943 with the air-raid at Wuppertal. Eighty percent of the town was blown up which caused the death of 7200 of its citizens. But Kesternich was more personal. You read it in the last paragraph, Feb.5th two 78. a splinter in my leg. I saw my own blood.Sixty years later everything looks different and I have learned much about life. I remember the 1996battlefield tour standing with Col. Vernon Green in Kesternich in front of the monument with all the Veterans from both sides of the frontline. Why do we have to endure another war, will the world not learn from the last one? I have many letters from USA after Your homepage.
> Soldiers are not killers <
Sincerely,
Gerd Hörner
Update:
From: "Ron van Rijt" <bullfrog@xs4all.nl>
To: "Ernest Herr" <e.herr@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: story
Date: Thursday, October 23, 2003 1:42 AM
Hi Ernie.
Now what do you mean with -"when I will be too old to wander through the Hürtgen Forest" ??? --- That won't happen !!! -- I'm like Dutch cheese, .... the older the better. Hey, I did my best with my translation but I'm sure that everyone can recognize that it's not written by an American. -- So don't hesitate to change whole sentences when you think that it will read better.
I thought it to be a good story; - it tells about the brutality of war but also about humanity. - I think it's a real "soldiers-story". - I think somehow it has something to make people ponder. -- At least that's what I hope it will do. Anyway; - I think that once in a while some new stories and info on your Site will be a reason for people to keep visiting your website. -- They will check again to see "if there's something new".
Maybe we should place a war-dated picture of Kesternich with the story ? -- I'll see what I can find.
7.30 in the morning; -- Goodnight for now Ern. Ron
Ceremonies in Europe mark a crucial turning point in WWII
Battle of the Bulge, 60 years ago, was a key to Nazis defeat
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BASTOGNE, Belgium
U.S. veterans laid wreaths at ceremonies across southern Belgium and Luxembourg yesterday, marking the 60th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, in which U.S. forces defeated Germany’s last bid to reverse the rapid advance of allied forces toward Berlin.
The commemorations marking World War II’s largest land battle in which U.S. forces participated were held at memorials and cemeteries across a swath of the hilly and wooded Ardennes region which formed the battlefield that bitterly cold winter of 1944.
In the battle, more than a million soldiers - 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans and 55,000 Britons fought in the snow from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945.
Night vigils were held at several places along the serpentine front, and there was also a brief memorial service at the Mardasson Memorial near Bastogne, the town that was surrounded by Germans whose offensive created a “bulge” around the town and threatened to cut it off.
Erected in 1950, the memorial is a vast star-shaped monument that stands 40 feet tall and honors the memory of the killed and wounded American soldiers or those who disappeared during the Ardennes offensive.
On Saturday it will be the venue of the main commemoration ceremony attended by King Albert II of Belgium and Dennis Hastert, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Ahead of the ceremony, US. Ambassador Tom Korologos said that the Battle of the Ardennes represented a “living message.”
“It is as relevant for our youth as for the veterans who fought. That message is that freedom must be continually defended against forces that seek to subvert it,” he said: “Whether against a totalitarian state in 1944 that sought to destroy democracy in the name of a repugnant philosophy, or against global terrorism today that seeks to destroy Western ideas.”
The Mardasson memorial bears the names of U.S. Army units that participated in the action as well as the names of the then 48 U.S. States in bronze letters. Bastogne is central to the commemoration activities in the days ahead. Several roads converged at the town in 1944, making it critical to blocking the German advance.
Pictured above: Translator Ron Van Rijt at left with Gerd Horner at the right in the scene at left.
From: "Gerd Hörner" <Gerd.Hoerner@telebel.de>
To: "Karen Abbondondelo" <f370304@FTDMail.com>; "Sol Ledermann" <slederma@elp.rr.com>; "George MacKnight" <architdog@msn.com>; "Mema Manojlovich" <sophiem@access995.com>; "Nash, Douglas LTC G5" <Douglas.Nash@drum.army.mil>; "William Beadling" <obxgc@outdrs.net>; "Stuart T. Brandow" <sbrandow1@juno.com>; "Douglas Cahow" <TEACHDOUG@aol.com>; "Howard E. Flen" <flen@juno.com>; "Max De Forest" <mjdeforest1@mchsi.com>; "Ed Frappier" <BRINDEEDAD@AOL.com>; "Red Gonzales" <red78div@bellatlantic.net>; "Bernard Heeke" <Biheeke@aol.com>; "Ernest Herr" <e.herr@worldnet.att.net>; "Bradley Hubbard" <soldat272@hotmail.com>; "Bill Parsons" <nkfd@prodigy.net>; "Harold Smeltzer" <smeltzer@clarion-net.com>; "Ron van Rijt" <westwall@home.nl>
Subject: Treffen Schmidt Kesternich Sept.12th 04Date: Saturday, September 25, 2004 5:30 AM
Dear friends, Picture from Kesternich visit by two 272-Veterans.
Meeting 10 - 12 Sept.04 in Schmidt.
Best wishes
Gerd Hörner Zu den Dolinen 86 A
D 42279 Wuppertal
Tel. o2o2 66 16 81
