US AIRBORNE

Louis A Walsh jr

Originally, the 517th was a Regimental Combat Team (RCT) that was part of the 17th Airborne.

The units forming the Team were the 517th PIR, the 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB), and Company C of the 139th Airborne Engineer Battalion, which was redesignated as the 596th Airborne (Parachute) Engineer Company.

The 517th was activated at Camp Toccoa in Georgia, the 460th and C/139th at Camp Mackall in North Carolina on March 15, 1943. During the following months, all volunteers for airborne troops were sent from all over America to Camp Toccoa. The 517th was tasked with redirecting volunteers to infantry, artillery, or engineering. Future officers of the 460th and 139th remained at Camp Toccoa, while others were sent to Camp Mackall. The 517th received between 100 and 200 men daily, candidates for the airborne units. The regiment had a total of 9 officers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Louis A. Walsh Jr. Three days later, they were joined by cadres under Major William J. Boyle, strengthening the regiment with 250 men. The military organization of a regiment is greatly influenced by the character of its commanding officer. This was also true for the 517th, as Colonel Walsh was young, confident, and aggressive. He had spent three months as an observer with American forces in the Pacific, witnessing combat in harsh conditions. He decided that the regiment needed to be trained to survive, fight, and win under any circumstances. To achieve this, training was particularly tough. Each troop was grouped by category, such as sharpshooters with sharpshooters.

By the end of April, the 1st Battalion, under Major Boyle, was complete, and by the end of the following month, the 2nd Battalion, under Major Seitz, was also complete.

By late June and early July, the 3rd Battalion, under Major Zais, was not yet complete, as the flow of recruits from Toccoa suddenly stopped. It was decided that the men for this battalion would come directly from the Parachute School at Fort Benning.

By the end of the summer, the regiment left Camp Mackall for Fort Benning for their parachute training. The 517th was the first regiment to use the steel helmet instead of the modified football helmet used for training. Once the training was completed, the 1st and 2nd battalions left Fort Benning, leaving only the 3rd Battalion behind, and joined the 17th Airborne at Camp Mackall. Camp Mackall was not much different from Toccoa; it was just larger. The men lived in uninsulated "huts" heated by a coal stove. The 17th Airborne was part of the athletic divisions, with the 517th placing it at the top with its football and boxing teams. The regiment received tactical training and exercises by team, section, company, and battalion. Each phase of the exercise ended with a parachute jump, depending on the weather and the number of aircraft. The average was one jump per month.

In February, the regiment moved to Tennessee to participate in maneuvers organized by the Second Army HQ. These maneuvers were a sort of dress rehearsal before the actual combat.

Rupert D. Graves

In March, the men learned that they would be deployed to the Western Front. They returned to Camp Mackall to prepare. The 460th PFAB, with 39 officers and 534 men, consisted of HQ and 4 batteries of 75mm Howitzers, each with a range of 9km. The Howitzers could be disassembled into 7 parts for parachuting. Company C of the 139th AEB was redesignated as the 596th Airborne Engineer Company. It was composed of a HQ, a company with 3 platoons, 8 officers, and 137 men. The company was lightly armed and equipped, but it received extensive training in construction and demolition. The 517th RCT did not receive additional personnel and, despite this, had to function as a small division. Upon returning to Camp Mackall, all efforts were focused on preparation for the overseas movement. During this preparation, Colonel Walsh was relieved and replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Rupert D. Graves from the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion. This was a shock for the men of the regiment.

By early May, the components of the RCT were sent to Camp Patrick near Newport News, Virginia. On May 17, the troops boarded their transports. The 517th boarded the *Santa Rosa*, while the 460th and 596th boarded the *Cristobal*.

During a pitch-black night, the ships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. It was clear to the RCT that their objective was Italy. The *Santa Rosa* and *Cristobal* docked at the port of Naples on May 31, 1944. The RCT was supposed to be sent to the suburban area of Bagnoli, but along the way, Lt. Col. Graves received orders to send his regiment to participate in the Battle of Valmontone towards Rome the following day. The regiment was ready, but they lacked all the artillery equipment and vehicles, which had been loaded separately. The order was canceled, and the regiment continued towards “Le Cratère” (named after an extinct volcano). Gradually, weapons and vehicles arrived, and on June 14, the regiment received tents. They then moved to a beach to be embarked on LCTs bound for the Anzio beaches. The 517th RCT was attached to the 36th Infantry Division under Major General Fred L. Walker, operating on the left flank of the 5th Army. After traveling by truck and then on foot, the regiment arrived south of Grosseto on June 17.

On June 18, the infantry battalions converged on Grosseto via Route 223. The mechanized troops had passed through and cleared the area. When the main company of the 1st Battalion reached the Moscona hills, Germans entrenched in farm buildings in a small valley opened fire. Company B was blocked, and Company C moved to the ridge and returned fire on the buildings. The Germans responded, wounding 10 men from Company C in minutes. Col. Graves had no news from his 1st Battalion but sensed the situation was serious. He ordered Lt. Col. Dick Seitz’s 2nd Battalion to envelop the enemy from the right while Company I from the 3rd Battalion was tasked with protecting the western flank. Mortars and artillery from the 460th opened fire, causing the Germans to retreat.

By early afternoon, the advance resumed. At dusk, the battalions halted for the night. Company I unfortunately stopped in a minefield exposed to German machine gun fire and had to be cleared during the night.

During these early days of fighting, the regiment lost between 40 and 50 men (killed, wounded, or missing), but inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.

The following 7 days saw mostly advances without major battles. The 460th continued operations 24 hours a day. The artillery batteries were always moving in pairs—two firing while two advanced. The 596th’s mission was reconnaissance and road clearing.

On June 19, the 2nd Battalion took the village atop Montesario. To the left, the 3rd Battalion moved to Montepescali, encountering only light resistance before capturing Sticciano with 14 prisoners. The RCT bivouacked the night of June 22-23 south of Gavarrano. The next morning, the RCT advanced through the Piombino valley, closing off the sector behind the 142nd Infantry Division. On June 24, the 2nd Battalion entered the eastern outskirts of Follonica under fire from German Nebelwerfer.

During the night of June 24-25, the 3rd Battalion infiltrated, reaching the heights overlooking the dry riverbed of the Cornia. By 8 a.m., the 1st Battalion had surpassed the 3rd to take Monte Pesolo, overlooking a valley and the town of Suvereto. The attack was preceded by a barrage from the 36th Division Artillery, coordinated by the 460th. Advancing in column along the river, the 1st Battalion was slowed by mines and snipers. Under cover from a smoke screen set by a mortar section from the 1st Battalion, a section successfully flanked the enemy’s position from the left. PFC Carl Salmon silenced a German MG as his soldiers rushed the hill. The enemy force was a detachment of the 29th SS Panzer Grenadier Division. The rest of the battalion arrived shortly after to consolidate the position.

That night, enemy artillery continued to shell Monte Pesolo. A haystack caught fire during the afternoon and served as a landmark for adjusting artillery fire.

As the 1st Battalion took Monte Pesolo, Col. Graves assessed the terrain to the north. It was ideal for defense, with steep hills leading down to wide open fields. He could see Tiger tanks moving and figured there would be minefields to contend with as well. He planned a night attack through Suvereto, but the 517th was placed in reserve for the IV Corps and remained there until the end of July. The 517th was later sent to Italy at the request of the 7th Army for airborne troops in Operation “ANVIL,” the invasion of southern France.

On July 2, the members of the Combined Chiefs of Staff issued a directive to the CINC regarding Operation "ANVIL" (renamed "DRAGOON") for August 15. For this purpose, the 517th RCT was detached from the IV Corps and integrated into the First Airborne Task Force in the Rome area. The 19th German Army was stationed along the Mediterranean coast. To the east of the Rhône, the LXII Corps was based in Draguignan. Marseille and Toulon each had a division, and one was stationed southwest of Cannes. The assault sector included 30,000 men, with another 200,000 within a few days' march. They decided to create an airborne force the size of a division. Since none existed in the Mediterranean, this force was created from scratch, consisting of the 517th RCT, the 509th and 551st PIRs, and the 550th Airborne Battalion. Other units were formed to become glider-trained airborne troops by the 550th. By early July, the concentration of airborne forces in the Rome area was almost complete. A total of 413 aircraft were sent from England.

D-Day and H-Hour were set for 8:00 AM on August 15. 180 C-47s were allocated to the 517th RCT. Combat zones were marked on August 10, and escape kits and maps were distributed. During the final hours of August 14, equipment packages were prepared. Around midnight, paratroopers formed into sticks and marched toward their planes. They adjusted their parachutes, checked their weapons, and boarded. At 1:00 AM on August 15, 396 C-47s roared to life. At 10-second intervals, the planes taxied and finally took off to form up. Radio beacons guided the formations from Elbe north of Corsica. Then, Navy ship radars took over and guided the squadrons to Agay, where each was to drop at 1500 feet and slow to about 200 km/h. As they approached the DZ (Drop Zone), Pathfinder teams activated their location beacons. Each plane carried 6 containers of equipment to drop. Most of the Pathfinders missed their DZ. They landed at 3:28 AM. North of La Ciotat, 300 dummy paratroopers were dropped, making noise upon landing. The squadron carrying the 517th RCT arrived at 4:30 AM. The first to arrive were the 2nd Battalion under Lt. Col. Dick Seitz with squadron No. 6 from the 440th Group of Ombrone. Following them was the 3rd Battalion of Lt. Col. Mel Zais with squadron No. 7 from Orbetello. The 460th PFAB (without Battery C) was in squadron No. 8 with the 437th Group from Montalto. 20 aircraft dropped their paratroopers west of Fréjus. The last squadron, No. 9 from the 43rd Group of Canino, arrived at 4:53 AM with the 1st Battalion and Battery C of the 460th PFAB. A section of the 596th AEC landed with the 509th PIR, another with the 2nd Battalion, and another with the 3rd. But only 20% of the 517th RCT landed within 3 km of the DZ. Despite this, the 517th fought with the tenacity and aggressiveness that defines airborne troops. The fighting lasted three days and threw the Germans into chaos. Enemy convoys were attacked, their communication lines cut, and reinforcements for the beaches repelled. Towns and villages were liberated—Le Muy, Les Arcs, La Motte, and Draguignan are names to remember. A part of the 3rd Battalion moved toward Fayence, cutting enemy lines and installations as they moved. The rest of the 3rd Battalion regrouped from Seillans, Tourette, and Callian. These troops, landing east of Tourette, were joined by the 2nd British Parachute Brigade. This force destroyed a large German convoy that was supposed to bring reinforcements to the beaches. Lt. Col. Boyle and a handful of men from the 1st Battalion attacked Les Arcs, capturing all of the objectives assigned to them.

The 460th PFAB under Lt. Col. Ray Cato placed its guns in position and was ready to fire by 11:00 AM. The 2nd Battalion joined the 1st on the outskirts of Les Arcs as the Germans regrouped for a counterattack. The 3rd Battalion marched 40 km to consolidate the RCT. The RCT attacked all enemy positions, clearing roads for the Allied armies landing on the beaches. The 1st section under Captain Bob Dalrymple of the 596th joined the assault operations with elements of the 509th PIR near Le Muy. The second section carried out operations south of Les Arcs. The 3rd section joined operations with the 3rd Battalion.

By D+3, German opposition in the airborne sector ceased. The 517th RCT was placed in reserve for a new mission.

The airborne operation was executed remarkably and is considered by many military historians to be the most successful of the war. Within 18 hours, 9,099 men, 213 pieces of artillery and anti-tank guns, and 221 vehicles had flown over 320 km across the Mediterranean and parachuted or landed by glider on enemy-held territory. Despite significant dispersion, all assigned missions were accomplished within 48 hours. The casualties were 560 killed, wounded, or missing. There were also 283 glider and parachutist accidents. The 517th PIR counted 19 killed, 126 wounded, and 137 missing by D+3. The VI Corps advanced westward, the Airborne Task Force returned to the 7th US Army, and took responsibility for defending its right flank while the main forces moved up the Rhône Valley. The 2nd British Parachute Brigade returned to Italy and was replaced by the 1st Special Force.

The protection of the right flank involved movement along a line from Fayence to La Napoule. The 517th RCT was assigned to the left, the 1st Special Force to the center, and the 509th and 551st PIRs to the right along a narrow strip of the coast. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were tasked with taking Fayence and Callian. Both towns were in their hands by August 21. On the 22nd, St-Cezaire was in the hands of Company G.

St-Vallier, Grasse, Bouyon, and La Roquette fell in succession. The RCT's momentum was slowed by a line of enemy fortifications stretching from the Maritime Alps to the sea. On September 5, Company D succeeded in capturing heights near the Col de Braus. Violent combat then ensued. Companies G and H succeeded in capturing the Col, one more step toward the heavily defended Sospel Valley. The 1st Battalion, supported by the guns of the 460th, approached Peira Cava. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions took Ventebren and Tête de Lavina.

The rest of September was spent digging in defensive positions in and around Peira Cava. The 517th RCT now held a front of approximately 25 km, lightly equipped, replacing a soldier's position with a trap. The month ended with an artillery duel on Hill 1098. The deep rumble of artillery echoed in the Alps. Despite the fire from German artillery, a patrol from Company F pushed into Sospel on September 29. The Germans withdrew while Company B occupied Mont Agaisen. The siege of Sospel lasted 51 days.

The paratroopers pursued the enemy. The campaign for the 517th RCT ended on November 17, 1944. The RCT marched 48 km to La Colle. On December 6, the 517th RCT moved from La Colle to Soissons to be assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps.

The 517th RCT's losses amounted to 500 men, with 102 killed in combat. On July 15, 1946, the President of the French Temporary Government published the decision to award the regiment the Croix de Guerre.

All the elements of the RCT were separated in Soissons on December 10. Each American airborne unit in Europe was now part of the XVIII Airborne Corps under the command of General Matthew B. Ridgway. This Corps included the 82nd and 101st Airborne, the 517th RCT, and all independent units in the Mediterranean region. Additionally, the 17th Airborne had just arrived in England.

During the night of December 15-16, the German Army launched its last major offensive on the Western Front, attacking with three armies positions poorly defended by American GI’s in the Belgian and Luxembourg Ardennes. The Allies were completely caught by surprise. Movement orders reached the 517th RCT at 11:00 on December 21. A battery from the 460th and a section from the 596th were attached to each battalion. The 1st Battalion was to join the 3rd Armored Division in the sector near Soy in Belgium. However, the advance of the Panzers made the situation complicated, and it was nearly impossible to know where the front line began. Company D was attached to the 3rd Armored’s Task Force Kane. This unit held a key point on which the front was supposed to hinge. Companies A and B, northeast of Soy, received orders to attack along the Soy–Hotton road. The mission of the 1st Battalion was to take and hold a sector around Haid and Hits, then push the enemy back towards Sur-Les-Hys. The final goal was to facilitate a breakthrough to free elements of the 3rd Armored Division in Hotton. Company B led the attack until it was blocked by German Panzers and machine guns. It became clear that the planned route to Hotton for Company A needed to be changed. They fought meter by meter. Despite casualties and the fanatic resistance of the Germans, the mission was completed. For this feat, the 1st Battalion received the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation. The casualties were 150 wounded and 11 killed. While the 1st Battalion was attached to the 3rd Armored Division, the rest of the RCT was attached to the 30th Infantry Division in Malmedy. Only Company G was attached to the XVIII Corps HQ as a security unit.

On Christmas Day, the RCT was detached from the Infantry Division to return to the XVIII Corps. When the RCT was attached to the 30th Division, the 460th was attached to the 30th Artillery Division and fired 400 shells with missions to the south and east of Malmedy. The capture of Manhay by the 2nd SS Panzer Division on Christmas Day had a shocking effect on the entire Allied command. From Manhay, the Germans could continue north towards Liège or turn against the flank of the 3rd Armored and the 82nd Airborne. Urgent orders were sent to General Ridgway of the XVIII Airborne Corps to retake Manhay at all costs. The order to retake Manhay finally reached the RCT HQ on December 26 at 14:00. The 517th RCT was joined by a battalion from the 7th Armored Division. The 3rd Battalion (without its Company G) under Lt. Col. S. Paxton was to lead the way. It was assigned a section of the 596th and a demolition section. They had to cross +/-3km of snowy and brush-covered terrain, in the dark, before reaching their start line. The attack began at 2:15 after fire from eight artillery battalions. The attack started as planned. By 3:30, the last pocket of resistance was eliminated. At 4:00, a counterattack occurred but was repelled. The total losses for the battalion were 36 men, including 16 killed.

On January 1, the RCT was attached to the 82nd Airborne. On January 3, as the left flank of this division, the RCT attacked along the Salm River. The 551st PIR, as an attached unit, fought through Basse Bodeux and with the 2nd Battalion took Trois Ponts. To the south, the attack continued until Monte Fosse, where advanced elements came under enemy shellfire. The 1st Battalion moved to take St-Jacques and Bergeval. The 3rd Battalion continued its attack across the Salm and moved eastward. On January 9, the 551st closed the encirclement around the Salm riverbanks at Petit-Halleux. That night, the 75th Infantry Division arrived to relieve the 82nd. Before this, the 3rd Battalion of the 517th RCT, along with the 504th PIR, crossed the Salm and took Grand Halleux.

On January 11, Colonel Graves received orders to join the 106th Infantry Division to which his RCT was assigned. (Without its 2nd Battalion, which was assigned to the 7th Armored Division.) They received orders to relieve the 112th Infantry at Stavelot and along the Ambleve River. The mission was completed by the 1st Battalion on January 12, 1945.

A new attack began at 08:00 on January 13 to seize a line passing through Spineux, north of Grand Halleux, Poteaux, and approximately 13km south of Malmedy. The 1st and 2nd Battalions moved south to take Butay, Lusnie, Henumont, Coulee, Logbierme, and establish strongpoints at Petit Thier and Poteaux. The RCT had by this time reached the limit of its advance. While most of the RCT was engaged in fighting with the 106th and 30th Infantry Divisions, the 2nd Battalion moved from Goronne to Neuville to be assigned to the 7th Armored Division. Colonel Seitz and his men were assigned to Combat Command A at Polleux.

On January 20, Task Force Seitz attacked south of the Am Kreuz sector, taking the Auf der Hardt forest and enemy defensive positions.

Next, once the objective was achieved, a patrol was sent to the village of Hochkreuz. At 15:00, Company F joined a Tank Company to attack Born.

On January 22, Task Force passed through the Der Eidt forest to close combat positions northwest of Hunnange. At 17:00, artillery bombarded Hunnange. Under the cover of darkness, Task Force Seitz bypassed Neider Emmels and Hunnange to make contact with elements of the 7th Armored Division. Defensive positions to the south and southeast were taken. The road was controlled at Lorentswaldchen, and patrols were sent to the outskirts of St-Vith. By 14:00, January 23, Combat Command B crossed the Task Force to take St-Vith.

On January 24, orders were sent to clear the St-Vith – Ambleve road, still held by the enemy. On January 25, at 06:00, the battalion left its positions, and by 14:00, the objective was cleared.

On February 1, the 517th RCT joined the 82nd Airborne near Honsfeld. The following day, the 1st Battalion took positions to protect the northern flank of the 325th GIR. The 3rd Battalion moved to provide support. All objectives of the attack plan were met, and on February 3, the RCT received orders to join the 78th Infantry Division at Simmerath, to which it was to be attached. The 78th was to attack on February 6 to take Schmidt and the Schwammenauel dam. The 517th RCT moved north to the Kleinhau-Bergstein area to relieve the 8th Infantry and attack south of Bergstein under cover of darkness on February 5, taking Schmidt-Nideggen. The Germans had reinforced the defense sector on the western side of the front.

At 06:00 on the morning of February 5, all units were stationed at Kleinhau. The German lines passed west of Zerkall and south through Hill 400 on the Kall River. During the night, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions moved to take their attack positions. 450 to 500 meters below Bergstein, the two battalions encountered a minefield. They tried to cross it, but nothing worked, as the Schu mines, Tellermines, and other “Bouncing Betties” halted their advance.

By mid-morning, the men of the 596th AEC began work to clear a path through the largest minefield encountered by the Allies, under direct fire from the Germans. This heroic work lasted 36 hours. In the sector of the 1st Battalion, Company A sent a patrol to Hill 400 at Zerkall.

By early afternoon on February 7, Colonel Graves was informed that the 517th RCT was detached from the 78th and would rejoin the 82nd.

Task Force A was formed, comprising the 517th and 505th PIR. The 517th was to continue its attack as planned.

Under cover of darkness, on February 7, the 1st and 2nd Battalions prepared for the attack. At 21:45, the 2nd Battalion moved through the cleared paths in the minefield. At 01:00, Company E and the remnants of Company F reached the banks of the Kall River. At 01:45, the 1st Battalion was +/-360 meters southeast of Hill 400. To the north of Kall, the paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion prepared for the next attack and encountered strong enemy resistance.