The enemy fire was ferocious, but the attack of the combined 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the US 28th Infantry Regiment had made its way forward in the oppressive heat of 18 July 1918. Second Lieutenant Samuel I Parker, commanding one of the weary platoons that had been fighting for hours, surveyed the situation.
Parker realised that his newly established line was in a precarious position. While the front had been stabilised, at least for the moment, he could see little of the activity on the regiment’s left flank. Just then, several German machine guns began to chatter; bullets ripped into the ground, shattered tree branches and cut down several of his soldiers. The 26-year-old officer responded instinctively.
Scanning the countryside, Parker located the source of the concentrated fire, beyond the slope of a nearby hill and apparently covered by enemy infantrymen actively working their bolt-action Mauser rifles. Despite the torrent of bullets they faced, Parker ordered his men forward, toward the crest of the hill. Along the way, he noticed a group of French colonial soldiers, apparently leaderless and wandering about the battlefield. Somehow, he overcame the language barrier and convinced these troops to join his push forward.
Within minutes, the combined effort had gained the crest of the hill, but Parker was not finished. With a rush, his soldiers silenced six German machine guns concealed in a rock quarry that had unleashed the terrific enfilading fire on his previously exposed position. Along with the machine guns, Parker’s command bagged 40 prisoners. It had been an exhausting day, one of near-misses, narrow escapes and raw courage.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 120-Ausgabe von History of War.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 120-Ausgabe von History of War.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE OTHER OPERATION OVERLORD D-DAY'S GHOST ARMY
Historian Taylor Downing discusses the cunning use of intrigue and deception during Operation Fortitude
D-DAY LANDING CRAFT
Over 4,000 Allied landing craft took part in the Normandy Landings with a huge range of designs created for specific roles and capabilities
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Spearheading the invasion of occupied France in 1944 were a small number of Special Forces soldiers dropped deep into enemy territory. Among them was a young Londoner, fresh from training here he reveals how he survived guerrilla warfare in France and beyond as part of the fledgling Special Air Service
JIMMIE MONTEITH
In the crucible of battle at Omaha Beach on D-Day, this officer of the famed 1st Infantry Division earned his nation’s highest honour at the cost of his life
KLEINKAMPFVERBÄNDE - GERMANY'S COUNTER-ATTACKS
As Allied forces crossed the Channel and stormed into Normandy, Hitler's navy fought back using a deadly new breed of maritime weaponry
STORMING GOLD BEACH
War veteran Ron Peet helped assault Gold Beach on D-Day Here he shares his experiences
UNDERGROUND WREN
Deep in the bowels of Fort Southwick, radio operator Marie Scott was one of the first to hear reports as Operation Overlord got underway, passing critical communications between the men on the beaches and high command
MINESWEEPER OFF NORMANDY
After helping clear the path to France, Royal Navy veteran Claude Sealey and his crewmates experienced a deadly encounter with their own countrymen
THE RECCE RIDER OF RANVILLE
After fencing behind enemy lines in Normandy, William Bill’ Gladden conducted us reconnaissance on his motorcycle
SWORD BEACH
The easternmost sector of the 6 June Normandy Landings was a mostly British affair, and Saw some of the biggest territorial gains of the first day of the Allied invasion