Chapter 2
Falaise Pocket Adance
2-1 Operations Cobra and Falaise Pocket
On the 25th of July of 1944, allied forces initiated operation Cobra. Operation Cobra was three days of concentrated aerial bombardment from thousands of Allied aircraft from front lines typically about 30 miles inland from the English Channel to the Loire River on the south side; a corridor about 90 miles west to east and 50 miles north to south. American, English, and Canadian forces made a few miles southerly progress, with badly hammered German forces consolidating in front of these forces.
The Third Army, under the command of General Patton, landed at the end of July. Tony set foot on French soil on July 31st. Shortly after that, the Third Army initiated a flanking maneuver to the right (going south than east) of the German forces. The M8 Greyhound served the important roll of reconnaissance in advance of the main army and typically behind enemy lines.
The Falaise Pocket advance occurred as Third Army advanced during the first two weeks in August of 1944.
One of my earliest memories of the few times dad would talk about the war was when their M8 Greyhounds encountered German tanks. As the squad proceeded about half way down the hill, there they were. Two German tanks, and the M8’s were in easy range. Tony pointed them out to Walson. Walson immediately halted the tanks and ordered a retreat back up and over the hill, at the fastest possible speed and in a zig-zag path.
As a young boy I was disappointed by this story. The WWII war movies showed how American tanks out-manuevered the more powerful German tanks to get a shot at the tracks or weaker armor on the back or underside. Dad’s squad ran as fast as they could. Dad proceeded to explain to me that the tanks in the movies had bigger guns then their M8 Greyhounds. Clarification that the guns were too small on the M8s, did not help my disposition toward the tanks. That disposition would change, and this was only part of a much larger experience that day in Northern France.
2-2 French Underground
The M8 Greyhound tanks were making fast progress going around the shell-shocked German forces this second week of August. But that progress came to a quick halt at a French farmstead where four French men were crying over the bodies of their freshly shot women and children. The French were active in the underground resistance; and the Germans were inflicting their wrath on those suspected of helping the allies.
The Germans arrived a couple hours earlier to shoot the men, but the men could not be found. The women and children were gathered and questioned. The lucky ones were shot first, not having to watch their loved ones being executed followed by torture to give up the location of their men.
The men were hiding under a nearby stack of bails and watched the whole thing.
The M8 tanks approached them. The brutality was evident, but the French spoke no English. Commander Walson called on a crew member of the third tank who knew some French. However, this crewman had little grasp on the French language; and communication was futile. Desperate for information, Lt. Walson asked Tony to see if the French knew enough German to communicate with dad in German.
The M8, served as advance "eyes and ears." This mission demanded an emphasis on speed and agility, rather than firepower and armor. When on the march, the cavalry's mission was to make contact with enemy forces at the earliest practical moment and maintain it thereafter. In this role, the recon troops identified hostile units and reported their strength, composition, disposition and movement. During withdrawals, the cavalry often served as a screening force for the main units.
The M8 was not designed for offensive combat, and its firepower was adequate only against similar lightly armored enemy vehicles and infantry. The vehicle's armor provided a fair degree of protection against small-arms fire but nothing more. With a meager .25 in (6 mm) of floor armor, the M8 was particularly vulnerable to German mines.
The M8 was fitted with a 37 mm M6 gun (aimed by an M70D telescopic sight) and a coaxially mounted .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine gun in a one-piece, cast mantlet, mounted in an open-topped, welded turret.
The crew of four comprised a commander (who doubled as the loader), gunner, driver, and radio operator (who could also act as a driver). The driver and radio operator were seated in the forward section of the hull, while the commander and gunner sat in the turret, with the commander seated on the right, and the gunner on the left,
Machine gun ammunition consisted of 1,500 .30 caliber rounds and 400 .50 caliber rounds. In addition, the vehicle carried a mix of 16 smoke and hand grenades, four smoke pots, six M1 anti-tank mines and four M1 carbines for the crew. (From Wikipedia, “M8 Greyhound”)
2-3 Catching Up With the Germans
The tanks followed the road; pushing their speed to the maximum. In about 10 minutes, the tanks caught up to the Germans. The Germans were clearly outgunned. While the M8 Greyhound’s primary mission was reconnosance, this was an appropriate combat mission. About a dozen of the Germans attempted to flee to the side of the road. The tanks opened fire. Many fell, and the rest quickly raised their hands in surrender. About five were taken prisoner.
Being held at gun point, a leader emerged from the Germans. Tony started to question them in German. An odd look came over the German’s face, not only could he easily understand dad, he stated; “How can this be. You not only speak excellent German but you speak the same dialect as my village.”
The squad had problem. While the tanks were well-equipped to overcome the Germans, the tanks were now well behind enemy lines. And to take prisoners would interfere with their reconnoiter duties.
An argument ensued. The Germans clearly wanted to surrender to the Americans, but the French insisted on having control over the prisoners. Quin connected with battalion command on the radio and Lt. Walson explained the situation. Battalion command instructed Lt. Walson to hand the radio’s head set to the French leader, who would speak to a French commander at Battalion command.
A heated conversation pursued. It proceeded for several minutes with additional discussions going on in the background at Battalion command. Then the French leader returned the head set to Lt. Walson.
The conversation with Lt. Walson was brief. The squad was to give the French the guns of the Germans and have the French take custody of the prisoners.
The Germans were distraught. To turn them over to the French would mean certain and quick death. Tony was stuck in the middle. The German leader pleaded with Tony. Tony pleaded with Lt. Walson. A brief conversation over the radio was conclusive. The French were to take custody of the prisoners. That was an order.
Bill Quinn was one perhaps the only non-family who made multiple trips to visit us in our small Kansas town. Lt. Walson was the commander, Oyler was the primary driver, Quinn operated the radio, and Tony was the primary gunner, eyes and interpreter. Bill operated the second gun (lighter machine gun versus 37 mm) and was a backup to all operations. Bill was also more informed on history and geography; he was a good man. I remember the race track and cars he brought me (actually, it was mostly Ivan’s; my older brother). There were many courteous formalities; but Bill and dad were more-private in talking about the war (this was about 1970, I was age 7). That front porch and had some deep conversations.
Stepping out on the porch from our front room, I interrupted a conversation. Quinn asking Tony what he thought happened to them (obviously referring to the Germans taken prisoner). Tony just shook his head.
While my questions were persistent and I dearly wanted to know more details of what they were discussing; they were willing to discuss it with me.
I then informed Quinn that Tony had been in France, Luxemburg, and Germany during the war. Quinn nodded, but with some surprise. I (Tony to me) had left something out. Quinn pointed out that they had also been in Bastogne, a city in Belgium. I was confused, not knowing where Belgium was and even more confused on this strange word, “Bastogne”. I promptly ran inside.
“Hey Mom! Did you know Tony was in Belgium and some place called Bastogne?” This did not prompt any memory with mom, but Quinn’s wife did respond. “Yes indeed, they were in Belgium. Bastogne is a city in Belgium. Dad had not associated his experiences with countries past France, Luxemburg, and Germany.
2-4 The Drive Back
That day’s path deeper behind enemy lines was without event, and so the squad proceeded to return back to base. This must have been at least 20 miles. Progress was good and fast, but then, half way down the hill, Tony saw them. Two tanks were parked in the trees in front of them. This was not good, the M8 Greyhounds were easy shots for the German tanks, and there was a good distance between the M8’s and the top of the hill. With the greatest of haste, the M8s proceeded back up the hill from where they emerged. On the way back, they randomly zig-zagged make it more difficult to be locked in the sites of the German tanks.
The M8’s were easy targets for the German tanks, except for one factor. The Germans were looking the other way, waiting to ambush advancing American forces. The M8 tanks had come from behind the Germans. The M8 Greyhounds were so far behind enemy lines that the Germans were not prepared for the aft approach.
2-5 Rapid Progress at Falaise Pocket
With ally forces holding the ground 30 miles inland from France’s Normandy beaches and the Third Army’s successful flanking move to the east, the stage was set to encircle the German forces by containing the south side to the Loire River and choking off any exit to the East. This was referred to as the Falaise Pocket Advance. The M8 Greyhounds were critical in locating the routes for rapid advance. The contact with the French underground was equally critical. And the dire situation of the Germans killing civilians in retaliation made it worth the risk for the Third Army to press the limits of just how fast they could advance.
Best estimate place about 100,000 Germans being surrounded in the Falaise Pocket, with about 50,000 being taken prisoner. The German’s abandoning of large amounts of equipment reduced the resistance to Paris and then to Luxemburg. This was the American version of the Blitz Krieg for which Patton was mastering.
With the right intelligence, the risk of deep penetration into enemy lines was reduced. The acquiring of that intelligence repeatedly placed the M8 squad mano-o-mano with German elements who had the advantage of lying in wait. Walson’s squad found themselves in this position again and again.
2-7 Tony and Agnes
In 1923, when dad started school, he did not have a good master on the English Language. Tony’s father was a three years of age when Tony’s grandfather took his family across the Atlantic to the U.S. Speaking of German was common in these Volga German communities. Tony was a first generation American; his wife Agnes (Urban) was a second generation. The Volga Germans built beautiful churches in these communities; churches of remarkable beauty and size in view of congregations at times of less than 100.
As a young girl mom was provided a bible in German to study from by the parish priest in Loretto, Kansas. John Urban (mom’s father) had a problem with this. He went to the priest and insisted on an English version of the bible. These Volga Germans shared and spoke a common German language, but they had found their home and they were going to speak the language of that United States, the English language.
On the 25th of July of 1944, allied forces initiated operation Cobra. Operation Cobra was three days of concentrated aerial bombardment from thousands of Allied aircraft from front lines typically about 30 miles inland from the English Channel to the Loire River on the south side; a corridor about 90 miles west to east and 50 miles north to south. American, English, and Canadian forces made a few miles southerly progress, with badly hammered German forces consolidating in front of these forces.
The Third Army, under the command of General Patton, landed at the end of July. Tony set foot on French soil on July 31st. Shortly after that, the Third Army initiated a flanking maneuver to the right (going south than east) of the German forces. The M8 Greyhound served the important roll of reconnaissance in advance of the main army and typically behind enemy lines.
The Falaise Pocket advance occurred as Third Army advanced during the first two weeks in August of 1944.
One of my earliest memories of the few times dad would talk about the war was when their M8 Greyhounds encountered German tanks. As the squad proceeded about half way down the hill, there they were. Two German tanks, and the M8’s were in easy range. Tony pointed them out to Walson. Walson immediately halted the tanks and ordered a retreat back up and over the hill, at the fastest possible speed and in a zig-zag path.
As a young boy I was disappointed by this story. The WWII war movies showed how American tanks out-manuevered the more powerful German tanks to get a shot at the tracks or weaker armor on the back or underside. Dad’s squad ran as fast as they could. Dad proceeded to explain to me that the tanks in the movies had bigger guns then their M8 Greyhounds. Clarification that the guns were too small on the M8s, did not help my disposition toward the tanks. That disposition would change, and this was only part of a much larger experience that day in Northern France.
2-2 French Underground
The M8 Greyhound tanks were making fast progress going around the shell-shocked German forces this second week of August. But that progress came to a quick halt at a French farmstead where four French men were crying over the bodies of their freshly shot women and children. The French were active in the underground resistance; and the Germans were inflicting their wrath on those suspected of helping the allies.
The Germans arrived a couple hours earlier to shoot the men, but the men could not be found. The women and children were gathered and questioned. The lucky ones were shot first, not having to watch their loved ones being executed followed by torture to give up the location of their men.
The men were hiding under a nearby stack of bails and watched the whole thing.
The M8 tanks approached them. The brutality was evident, but the French spoke no English. Commander Walson called on a crew member of the third tank who knew some French. However, this crewman had little grasp on the French language; and communication was futile. Desperate for information, Lt. Walson asked Tony to see if the French knew enough German to communicate with dad in German.
The M8, served as advance "eyes and ears." This mission demanded an emphasis on speed and agility, rather than firepower and armor. When on the march, the cavalry's mission was to make contact with enemy forces at the earliest practical moment and maintain it thereafter. In this role, the recon troops identified hostile units and reported their strength, composition, disposition and movement. During withdrawals, the cavalry often served as a screening force for the main units.
The M8 was not designed for offensive combat, and its firepower was adequate only against similar lightly armored enemy vehicles and infantry. The vehicle's armor provided a fair degree of protection against small-arms fire but nothing more. With a meager .25 in (6 mm) of floor armor, the M8 was particularly vulnerable to German mines.
The M8 was fitted with a 37 mm M6 gun (aimed by an M70D telescopic sight) and a coaxially mounted .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine gun in a one-piece, cast mantlet, mounted in an open-topped, welded turret.
The crew of four comprised a commander (who doubled as the loader), gunner, driver, and radio operator (who could also act as a driver). The driver and radio operator were seated in the forward section of the hull, while the commander and gunner sat in the turret, with the commander seated on the right, and the gunner on the left,
Machine gun ammunition consisted of 1,500 .30 caliber rounds and 400 .50 caliber rounds. In addition, the vehicle carried a mix of 16 smoke and hand grenades, four smoke pots, six M1 anti-tank mines and four M1 carbines for the crew. (From Wikipedia, “M8 Greyhound”)
2-3 Catching Up With the Germans
The tanks followed the road; pushing their speed to the maximum. In about 10 minutes, the tanks caught up to the Germans. The Germans were clearly outgunned. While the M8 Greyhound’s primary mission was reconnosance, this was an appropriate combat mission. About a dozen of the Germans attempted to flee to the side of the road. The tanks opened fire. Many fell, and the rest quickly raised their hands in surrender. About five were taken prisoner.
Being held at gun point, a leader emerged from the Germans. Tony started to question them in German. An odd look came over the German’s face, not only could he easily understand dad, he stated; “How can this be. You not only speak excellent German but you speak the same dialect as my village.”
The squad had problem. While the tanks were well-equipped to overcome the Germans, the tanks were now well behind enemy lines. And to take prisoners would interfere with their reconnoiter duties.
An argument ensued. The Germans clearly wanted to surrender to the Americans, but the French insisted on having control over the prisoners. Quin connected with battalion command on the radio and Lt. Walson explained the situation. Battalion command instructed Lt. Walson to hand the radio’s head set to the French leader, who would speak to a French commander at Battalion command.
A heated conversation pursued. It proceeded for several minutes with additional discussions going on in the background at Battalion command. Then the French leader returned the head set to Lt. Walson.
The conversation with Lt. Walson was brief. The squad was to give the French the guns of the Germans and have the French take custody of the prisoners.
The Germans were distraught. To turn them over to the French would mean certain and quick death. Tony was stuck in the middle. The German leader pleaded with Tony. Tony pleaded with Lt. Walson. A brief conversation over the radio was conclusive. The French were to take custody of the prisoners. That was an order.
Bill Quinn was one perhaps the only non-family who made multiple trips to visit us in our small Kansas town. Lt. Walson was the commander, Oyler was the primary driver, Quinn operated the radio, and Tony was the primary gunner, eyes and interpreter. Bill operated the second gun (lighter machine gun versus 37 mm) and was a backup to all operations. Bill was also more informed on history and geography; he was a good man. I remember the race track and cars he brought me (actually, it was mostly Ivan’s; my older brother). There were many courteous formalities; but Bill and dad were more-private in talking about the war (this was about 1970, I was age 7). That front porch and had some deep conversations.
Stepping out on the porch from our front room, I interrupted a conversation. Quinn asking Tony what he thought happened to them (obviously referring to the Germans taken prisoner). Tony just shook his head.
While my questions were persistent and I dearly wanted to know more details of what they were discussing; they were willing to discuss it with me.
I then informed Quinn that Tony had been in France, Luxemburg, and Germany during the war. Quinn nodded, but with some surprise. I (Tony to me) had left something out. Quinn pointed out that they had also been in Bastogne, a city in Belgium. I was confused, not knowing where Belgium was and even more confused on this strange word, “Bastogne”. I promptly ran inside.
“Hey Mom! Did you know Tony was in Belgium and some place called Bastogne?” This did not prompt any memory with mom, but Quinn’s wife did respond. “Yes indeed, they were in Belgium. Bastogne is a city in Belgium. Dad had not associated his experiences with countries past France, Luxemburg, and Germany.
2-4 The Drive Back
That day’s path deeper behind enemy lines was without event, and so the squad proceeded to return back to base. This must have been at least 20 miles. Progress was good and fast, but then, half way down the hill, Tony saw them. Two tanks were parked in the trees in front of them. This was not good, the M8 Greyhounds were easy shots for the German tanks, and there was a good distance between the M8’s and the top of the hill. With the greatest of haste, the M8s proceeded back up the hill from where they emerged. On the way back, they randomly zig-zagged make it more difficult to be locked in the sites of the German tanks.
The M8’s were easy targets for the German tanks, except for one factor. The Germans were looking the other way, waiting to ambush advancing American forces. The M8 tanks had come from behind the Germans. The M8 Greyhounds were so far behind enemy lines that the Germans were not prepared for the aft approach.
2-5 Rapid Progress at Falaise Pocket
With ally forces holding the ground 30 miles inland from France’s Normandy beaches and the Third Army’s successful flanking move to the east, the stage was set to encircle the German forces by containing the south side to the Loire River and choking off any exit to the East. This was referred to as the Falaise Pocket Advance. The M8 Greyhounds were critical in locating the routes for rapid advance. The contact with the French underground was equally critical. And the dire situation of the Germans killing civilians in retaliation made it worth the risk for the Third Army to press the limits of just how fast they could advance.
Best estimate place about 100,000 Germans being surrounded in the Falaise Pocket, with about 50,000 being taken prisoner. The German’s abandoning of large amounts of equipment reduced the resistance to Paris and then to Luxemburg. This was the American version of the Blitz Krieg for which Patton was mastering.
With the right intelligence, the risk of deep penetration into enemy lines was reduced. The acquiring of that intelligence repeatedly placed the M8 squad mano-o-mano with German elements who had the advantage of lying in wait. Walson’s squad found themselves in this position again and again.
2-7 Tony and Agnes
In 1923, when dad started school, he did not have a good master on the English Language. Tony’s father was a three years of age when Tony’s grandfather took his family across the Atlantic to the U.S. Speaking of German was common in these Volga German communities. Tony was a first generation American; his wife Agnes (Urban) was a second generation. The Volga Germans built beautiful churches in these communities; churches of remarkable beauty and size in view of congregations at times of less than 100.
As a young girl mom was provided a bible in German to study from by the parish priest in Loretto, Kansas. John Urban (mom’s father) had a problem with this. He went to the priest and insisted on an English version of the bible. These Volga Germans shared and spoke a common German language, but they had found their home and they were going to speak the language of that United States, the English language.