Month: August 2014

Fortress Metz: The 3rd Army’s Toughest Battle

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In the fall of 1944, after the Normandy break out, a three-month long struggle was fought during World War II around the fortress city of Metz, France. This fight would pit the United States 3rd Army, under General George Smith Patton Junior, against the German 1st Army, commanded by the newly appointed General der Panzertruppen Otto Von Knobelsdorff. This clash would be forgotten and pushed aside by history but it is one of great importance for the men who fought and died there. This campaign was one of the hardest fought during World War II due to the nature of Metz and its fortifications.
By September of 1944 the mighty 3rd Army had been reduced into only two corps after its triumphant march to Paris. The XII Corps was under the command of Major General Manton Eddy, while the XX Corps was under the command of Major General Walton Walker. After the three months of fighting and marching the troops were fatigued and were short on supplies. The indomitable 3rd Army although weakened  would soon be up against one of the most fortified sections of the western German front.

The Allies knew they would need a no nonsense general that would fight hard, which is why they chose General Patton to tackle the challenges of Metz.

Figure 1 General George S. Patton

Figure 1: General George S.   Patton

Patton was fascinated by the military throughout his childhood and was regaled by stories from his dad, who served in the confederacy with distinction during the Civil War. Another man who was close to the Patton family also influenced young George this man was Colonel John Mosby, more famously known as “The Grey Ghost,” Mosby was part of Major general J.E.B Stuart’s Confederate Calvary . (1) During the summer Mosby would reenact battles from the Civil War with Patton on horseback. Patton would play the part of General Robert E. Lee and Mosby would play himself. (2) This influence and young George’s obsession with all things military, led Patton to attend the Virginia Military Institute, and then West Point. He saw his first combat in Mexico during the Mexican expedition of 1916, which was led by General “Black Jack” Pershing. During this expedition he would encounter his first experiences with close quarter combat, this took place when Patton killed three banditos with his pistol during a raid on a hacienda. He then strapped the bodies over the hood of his Dodge Touring car and drove back to Pershing with his trophies. (3) This action made Patton the first person in American history to engage an enemy in warfare using a motorized vehicle, which officially marshaled motorization into combat. (4)   His knowledge of mechanized warfare, vast knowledge of military history,and  close quarter combat would become useful during the 3rd Armies attack on the city of Metz.
During World War I Patton was again an aid to Pershing. During this time Patton focused on the idea of tank warfare; throwing himself into it with an almost religious fever writing manuals and virtually single handedly forming the tank corp. (5) He led the tank corps into combat during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, and was severely wounded when a bullet pierced through his leg ripping out a large chunk of flesh from his backside. Patton nearly bled to death and before his recovery was complete the armistice was signed, Patton would not see combat again until World War II. (6)
Patton’s impressive resume continued into The second World War. He was given the assignment of creating the desert training corps in 1942. This group became proficient in tank warfare and was the first American force to land on enemy soil in World War II during Operation Torch in Africa. In 1943 after a devastating and embarrassing defeat of the United States forces at Kasserine in Africa, Patton was put in charge of the II Corps. With his strict discipline and attention to detail he turned this group of men from a loose group of misfits into a finally tuned fighting force that would achieve a sound victory in the battle of El Guettar. After his success in Africa, Patton moved onto Operation Husky. This invasion of Sicily fueled a rivalry between himself and General Bernard Montgomery of the British forces. This competition brought out the best and worst in Patton as he achieved victory in Palermo and Mesina. However the stress of these battles may have led Patton to his controversial “Slapping Incidents” in which on two separate occasions he slapped two soldiers that were suffering from battle fatigue in the face. This was almost the end of the Generals career; many high ranking officials were calling for his dismissal,but the army knew Patton’s value and suspended him from combat till 1944.
Patton was a natural born warrior and was feared by the Axis because of his reputation as an unrelenting attacker. The allies used his name and reputation while he was suspended to deceive the Germans into believing that the D-day landings would be led by Patton and that he would strike at Pas-de-Calais. To achieve this  the Allies employed special effects men from Hollywood to create a whole fictitious army that was built around Patton. They constructed fake tank barracks and fake radio chatter. This deception paid off because the German high command thought the Normandy landings were just a diversion and refused to release there reserve corps from Pas-de-Calais, allowing allied success. (7) The Allied Commanders knew they could not win the war without Patton; his reputation, experience and motto to never fight for the same piece of land twice lead to his re-instatement, and by late 1944 he was given command of the Third Army that would become the spearhead of Operation Cobra. Patton and his stout Third had success after success throughout Europe then they hit a wall in Metz.

The German commander of fortress Metz was, General Otto von Knobelsdorff. Like Patton, he was a decorated infantry officer during World War I where he earned the Iron Cross twice for his heroism. After World War I Knobelsdorff commanded a regiment that in 1935 was part of the Polish campaign that touched off World War II. During the beginning of the war he commanded divisions in the fight for France and Belgium.

Figure 2 General der Panzertruppen Otto von Knobeldorff

Figure 2: General der Panzertruppen Otto von Knobeldorff

He distinguished himself on the Russian front, receiving the Knights Cross for his division’s actions in 1942. Later that year he was promoted to General and commanded a Panzer Corp. He was decorated again for his leadership of that Corp during the battle of Kursk with a Knights Cross with Oakleaves, a very high honor in the German Army. For his battle command at Nikopol Bridgehead he was awarded yet another Knights Cross, this one with Oakleaves and Sword. This made him one of the highest decorated German commanders of the war. By the time he was put in command of the defenses around Lorraine in which Fortress Metz was a part of  there was a bit of trepidation due to his health, which would play a role in the battle’s outcome due to the fact that Knoblsdorff  during the height of this battle had to take a brief leave due to his health issues. (8)

Taking the city of Metz would be a challenging task for the allies. There were a series of natural as well as man-made obstacles these included, the Moselle River, a multitude of forts and a plethora of pill boxes. Patton’s army made attempt after attempt to cross the Moselle River but these fortresses rained heavy artillery fire down upon them making it a daunting task. These forts and pill boxes dated back to the 19th century making them almost a natural part of the landscape this made the structures much harder to detect and therefore defeat. (9) another reason the pill boxes created a challenge was, because of their small size. Two German soldiers could easily hide inside and shot a .50 caliber machine gun at the Allies and have little chance of being hit by small arms fire. The Combination of these natural and unnatural defenses had made the city of Metz  a formidable opponent for invaders for more then 1500 years since it is placed superbly for defense on the east bank of the Moselle River. As well as being surrounded by barbed wire and earth fortifications that had been built around the city. Its best defense however, was the fact it was surrounded by hills that were turned into dominating underground forts composed of passageways and well dug in steel and concrete doors placed in a fashion that not only concealed them but protected them from artillery fire.

Figure 3 German Pill Box

Figure 3: German Pill Box

These doors were also impervious to air attack since they were defended by earthen banks. (10) It would take multiple operations in order to take the city of Metz. A lull in the action took place during most of October before General Eisenhower authorized Operation Madison with the objective of taking Metz. He gave the task to General Patton and his 3rd Army.

Figure 4: Map of Fortress Metz and Surrounding Forts

Figure 4: Map of Fortress Metz and Surrounding Forts (Click to enlarge)

On November 8, 1944, General Eddy’s XII Corps began Operation Madison. Eddy had objections to starting the operation due to the muddy terrain as a result of heavy rains and flooding. He asked Patton to delay the attack to which Patton responded “Attack or name your replacement.” (10) At 0600 the attack on German forces that were blocking the way to Metz began with an artillery barrage that took the Germans by surprise. The attack was well camouflaged since the foggy weather the previous night allowed the 3rd Army to move the battery into position without being noticed. This led to a disruption in the forward German defenses. At the American right flank, Hill 310 was being defended by a regiment from the 361 Volksgreadier-Divison, leading to a three day intense engagement. This action created a breach between two German Volksgrenadier Divisions that was exploited by General Eddy. Eddy used the 4th Armored Division to try and seize the Morhange road junction, which was a vital peace of real-estate since it would help move men and material towards their ultimate objective. This move by the 4th Armored Division was such a threat  it forced the German Commander Knobeldorff to divert his reserve in defense and to equalize the front. (11) By the evening of the 8th the Allies held ten bridges over the Seille River. However, the ridge was still held by two German infantry units, the 48th and most of SS-Panzergrenadier 37th. The American 80th division was given the task of taking this ridge. (12) This push began early in the morning of the 9th and taxed the German defenses of the Delme Ridge forcing Gen. Knobelsdorff to transfer a division in relief. This only delayed the American advance and did not stop it.

Figure 5 Map Denoting The Battle Lines Of Operation Madison

Figure 5: Map Denoting The Battle Lines Of Operation Madison

Later in the day on the 9th, XX Corp got into the fray after the 95th division staged an attack that was intended to divert the Germans away from an incursion made by the 90th division at the most prominent river crossing. The weather played a factor in this action as well as the Germans were again caught off guard by the advance and the minefield they had put in place was rendered obsolete by a flood that turned the ground into a small body of water. The allies overran the German positions and advanced. Almost simultaneously the 358th infantry advanced to Fort Koenigsmacker and split up leaving companies A and B to deal with this nemesis. As it happened, the 358th was accompanied by a regiment of engineers who helped in the attack of the Fort by using improvised explosives to take down the observation domes. (13) By night fall the Americans had control of the western side of the fort but the fight was not over. It took till November 11th to gain total control of Fort Koenigsmacker. With this control the allies were on the precipice of the Fortress City Of Metz.

On November 18, 1944 the siege of the Fortress City Of  Metz commenced. This attack was reliant upon taking and securing the rest of the bridges over the Moselle River. This operation was made extremely difficult due to the destruction of almost all the bridges by German forces. The 95th infantry and 379th Infantry regiment moved in from the west but left two companies behind to deal with German resistance. They succeed in cutting off Fort Jeanne d’Arc and reached their bridge objective by the evening only to discover its destruction. A boat crossing was considered but determined not plausible so they were ordered to hold Ft Jeanne D’Arc and stop any further German resistance. (15) At this time the 378th infantry was in trouble as well, they had their full attention on engaging Fort Plappeville. This fort was in a good location for the Germans due to the fact that they could share supplies with a neighboring fort. Together both forts totaled 650 men, but that withstanding the Germans where still running low on food and ammunition. However, they were willing to hold these two forts till the last man due to their strategic position overlooking the Moselle and their ability to rain artillery fire down on all those who dare cross. If these forts were properly supplied they would have been able to greatly slow the American advance. US troops began to enter the city later that day with little resistance due to a lack of communication between the Germans as a result of the blown bridges disrupting their lines of communication. By the end of the day on the 18th the German high command made a decision to concentrate all their forces around their command post on the Isle of Chambiere as to hold this post to the last.

Figure 6 Envelopment Of Metz From The South 8-19 November 1944

Figure 6: Envelopment Of Metz From The South 8-19 November 1944 (Click to enlarge)

The next day, November 19th, The 377th American Infantry unit was returning to the area of Fort Bellacroix when they discovered one of the bridges had not been blown. They quickly overtook the small German opposition force and captured the important real estate. (16) A company with tank support crossed the bridge under heavy sniper fire and faced approximately 700 men. The German forces were not organized though and their commander surrendered. The US forces now had control of most of the city. An attempted was made by the Germans to air drop supplies to the desperate men in Fort Plappeville but failed, adding to their problems. By the evening of the 19th The American forces were well into Metz, even destroying a Gestapo Headquarters. All means of German retreat were sealed by the evening and the capture of the Fortress  City Of Metz was assured. (17)
On November 20th to the 21st American forces took part in bloody and chaotic house to house fighting. as the German army was desperate to hold the city and fought with tenacity. William Lake, a riflemen in the 377th infantry, stated “They fought like tigers that’s the something we would have done had it been reversed.” (18)

Figure 7 House To House Fighting In The City Of Metz

Figure 7: House To House Fighting In The City Of Metz

He also described just how rough the fight was when he said “These mortars walked down the street, they don’t come as a barrage, they come BOOM BOOM BOOM!! It turned out Sgt. Garsline lost one of his legs….and Schagle got hit in the stomach…During the same barrage one of the fragments went down the hallway where our squad was and hit another man in our squad in the spine.” (19) This hard fighting paid off when on the morning of the 21st German General Kittel was captured after he was wounded acting as an infantrymen. By the 22nd of November the resistance in the city had ended and the Allies held Metz. (20) Even though the battle for the city was over, the fight for the forts on the outskirts of town raged on into December.

The capture of Metz led the Allies to have a clear road across the Rhine and into Germany.  It was a long and hard fought struggle and resulted as a loss for the Germans. This victory did however delay the Allied advance, allowing the Germans to retreat and save their army for a later engagement, the Battle of the Bulge.

Figure 8 Capture of Ft Jeanne d'Arc December 13, 1944

Figure 8: Capture of Ft Jeanne d’Arc December 13, 1944

One can look at this battle to see the true character of the greatest generation in action. These brave men faced death every day but had a job to do and did it with the honor and courage that only an American would posess. The American men who fought in Metz would never forget the carnage and violence of that fight. A captured German Officer spoke of these men saying “You men must be made of Iron to take this city,”  . (21) These words most certainly sum up the character of the valiant 3rd Army soldiers who risked it all for the greater good.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes;
1) Province, Charles M.: The Unknown Patton (New York: Bonanza Books., 1983) Pg., 3
2) Ibid., Pg. 3
3) Ibid., Pg. 14
4) Ibid., Pg.16
5) Province, Charles M.: George S. Patton, Jr. U.S. Army 02605 1885-1945 (Oregon City, OR: The Patton Society), Retrieved From Http:// http://www.pattonhq.com/pattonbio.pdf, Pg. 2

6) Ibid., Pg. 2

7) America In WWII The Magazine of a People at War 1941-1945, “Patton’s ghost army” : Brian, John Murphy (310 Publishing 2009) Retrieved from http:// http://www.americainwwii.com/stories/pattonsghostarmy.html

8) Zaloga, Steven J.: Metz 1944 “Patton’s fortified nemesis” (Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing., 2012) Pg.’s 15-16

9) Ibid., Pg. 4

10) Ibid., Pg. 53

11) Wallace, Gen. Brenton G.: Patton & Third Army ( Mechanicsburg, Pa: Military Service Publishing, 1946) Pg. 117

12) Ibid., Pg. 57

13) Ibid., Pg. 57

14) Ibid., Pg. 60

15) Combat Studies Institute Battle Book 13-A: The Battle Of Metz (Ft. Leavenworth, TX: CSI Publishing, 1984) Pg. 55-56

16) Ibid., Pg.’s. 59-60

17) Ibid., 61

18) Vogt, Tobias O.: The Iron Men Of Metz Reflections Of Combat With The 95th Infantry Division( San Diego, CA: Aventine Press, 2005) Pg. 106

19) Ibid., Pg. 106

20) Combat Studies Institute., 64

21) Vogt., 113

 

Figures;
1) Retrieved From: http://www.biographyonline.net/military/general-patton.html
2) Retrieved From: http://imageshack.us/f/458/0193mz.jpg/
3) Retrieved From: Zaloga, Steven J. Metz 1944 “Patton’s fortified nemesis” (Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing., 2012) Pg. ,35

4) Retrieved From: http://www.ww2museums.com/article/27295/German-Pillbox-Bl%26%23299%3Bdene%26%238206%3B.html

5) Retrieved From: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/III/AAF-III-17.html
6) Retrieved From: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Lorraine/maps/USA-E-Lorraine-XXXII.jpg

7) Retrieved From: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Lorraine/img/USA-E-Lorraine-p445b.jpg

8) Retrieved From: Zologa, Pg. 76

 

 

 

The Bataan Death March: An Atrocity We Must Never Forget

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A burial detail carries the remains of POWs who survived the Death March, but who later succumbed to exhaustion, disease, or execution after reaching Camp O'Donnell. (U.S. Air Force photo).

A burial detail carries the remains of POWs who survived the Death March, but who later succumbed to exhaustion, disease, or execution after reaching Camp O’Donnell. (U.S. Air Force photo).

The Bataan Death March began on April 9, 1942, following the three month battle of Bataan during World War II. It was the transfer of Filipino and American prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army. This march was the worst atrocity on United States soldiers during the Second World War. This was because of its wide-ranging physical abuse and murder. During the march there was a very high fatality rate inflicted by the Japanese Army upon prisoners and civilians alike.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, declaring war on the United States of America. On the 8th they launched a full scale assault on the American bases in the Philippian Islands. During the first day of the Japanese attack on the Philippian Islands, most of the American aircrafts got caught on the ground and were destroyed. Inside of a week, the Naval Yard at Manila was flattened by Japanese bombs, and many of the war ships left to find cover in the Dutch East Indies. Without sufficient air and sea support the Americans stationed in the Philippines were in a desperate situation, with little to no prospects of reinforcements. (1) After three months of fighting, the battered bloody and ill equipped American forces were forced to surrender to the well supplied and superior numbers of the Japanese forces. On April 9th Major General Edward P. King, commander of the last remaining American troops, rode off to meet Japanese General Homma and officially capitulate. The remaining American soldiers were now Japanese prisoners of war.

The uncertainty of how these American Soldiers would be treated was palpable amongst the American soldiers. As reported in the memoir of Army Captain Manny Lawton, entitled Some Survived, he wrote that some men expected to be shot on sight, as others were cautiously optimistic. The men found out quickly what they were in for when a truck of Japanese soldiers pulled up and motioned for the men to move forward. When they did not respond in time, the men got their first taste of Japanese brutality, “immediately they charged forward and began kicking and slapping us while indicating that we were to start marching….Our guard was assigned to heard us along while the others continued south to round up other prisoners. Threating with a bayonet, he kept us moving at a rapid pace almost a run.” (2) Thus began the treacherous journey known forever as the Bataan Death March.

More than seventy thousand Americans and Filipinos were sent on this forced march of sixty five miles. Approximately seven to ten thousand of them would die, from exhaustion, starvation and cruelties, before arriving at their destination, Camp O’Donnell, a Japanese prison camp.(3) The first of these fatalities would happen as early as the first day of the march, when the Japanese were searching the POWs for anything made in or from Japan. Their thinking being that these articles would have come from the corpse of a dead Japanese soldier. One unlucky prisoner, a Captain in the United States Army, was found with some Yen in his pocket. Lieutenant Colonel William Edwin “Ed” Dyess, a Bataan survivor, described what happened next, “The big Jap looked at the money. Without a word he grabbed the Captain by the shoulder and shoved him down to his knees. He pulled the sword out of the scabbard and raised it high above his head…Before we could grasp what was happening the black faced giant had swung his sword…. The Captains head seemed to jump off his shoulders … The body feel forward. I have seen wounds but never such a gush of blood as this.” (4) This was just one of the many unspeakable atrocities committed by the Japanese during the march.

Another shocking account is that of 3rd Lieutenant Corban K. Alabado. Lieutenant Alabado witnessed a fellow soldier break ranks to drink from a spring. He stated, “Just as he was about to drink, the Japanese sentry struck his bayonet into his back shouting “Kura Kura!” As our comrade struggled to get back into line, a Japanese truck ran him over like paper flat on the ground. A second truck whizzed by, its wheels running over the body and flattening it even more as if it were glued to the road.” (5) Lieutenant Alabado also observed the Japanese “fire volley after volley” at soldiers who broke rank to get sugar cane, since they were starving and thirsty. After they were wounded, the men lay bleeding on the ground as the Japanese fired into their defenseless bodies. Alabando was told to “Walk Faster” as he and the rest left those men suffering and bleeding in the middle of the road to die a horrible and slow death. (6)

In what can be argued as one of the most grotesque sites of the whole ordeal was what Sgt. Mario “Motts” Tonelli, a stand out football player for the University of Notre Dame, witnessed. He heard the hoof beats of a Japanese cavalry regiment approach and then suddenly stop. Tonelli looked up to see the Cavalry officer holding a Pike with a severed head on it. The morbid trophy was covered in flies and other insects. All Tonelli could say to a fellow soldier was, “We’re in trouble”. (7)
The brutality of the Japanese Guards was not the only problem facing the men during the march. Starvation was another pressing issue. Captain Manny Lawton recalls the rations being handed out only a few times during the entire march. These rations consisted of “one rice ball about the size of an orange.” (8) Captain Lawton also remembers that during their rare overnight stops more and more men would not awaken after they went to sleep, succumbing to both starvation and exhaustion. Lawton wrote, “Perhaps they were the fortunate ones, for more torment lay ahead for those who marched out.” (9)

The march culminated with the prisoners getting pushed and prodded at bayonet point into dark and dusty rail cars. “Temperatures in the poorly ventilated cars reached in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a dreadful odor quickly filled the rolling kilns. The POWs had not bathed in weeks and their bodies stank. Floorboards were soon smeared with urine, feces, and vomit….In some cars, men died upright, unable to slump on the floor.” (10) When the train of horrors finally came to a stop, Lieutenant Colonel Dyess exited in a haze of hunger and exhaustion. The only thoughts swirling in his head were the horrors he had witnessed over the past few days. But he and the other prisoners had made it to Capas and Camp O’Donnell. The march was over. (11)

In both theaters of operation during the Second World War, the Bataan Death March was perhaps the most horrific war crime against the soldiers of the United States of America. One of the few other atrocities or World War II that stands out was the Malmedy massacre that took place during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944. This was when eighty six American soldiers were gunned down in cold blood after they surrendered by a German SS Division. (12) Although the Malmendy massacre was a dreadful atrocity, one can argue that Bataan was worse. First, one must look at the numbers. Over seventy thousand were involved in Bataan with several thousand dying from starvation, exhaustion, and being cut down by Japanese guards. Compare this to Malmandy, in which far less were affected. Second, we can look at the length of both occurrences. The Bataan Death March took place over days, with men suffering in agony over every hour and every mile dealing with starvation and overwhelming heat combined with exhaustion. Whereas by all accounts the Malmendy massacre lasted fifteen minutes with very little suffering, most of the men were killed instantly. (13) This is not to say that what happened in Malmendy was not a horrific and tragic event in the course of the Second World War, or to say that one life is worth more than another. However, the repeated atrocities and persistent agony that befell the men of Bataan make it the worst war crime committed against American soldiers during the Second World War.

Notes;
1) Lawton, Manny. Some Survived . Algonquin Books: Chapel Hill, 1984. 3
2) Ibid, 17
3) Reynoldson, Fiona. Key Battles of World War II. Chicago : Heinemann , 2001. 19
4) Alabado, Corban K. Bataan, Death March, Capas: A Tale of Japanese Cruelty and American Injustice. San Francisco: Sulu Books, 1995. 52-53
5) Ibid, 53
6) Lukacs, John D. Escape From Davao . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010. 64
7) Lawton, 20
8) Ibid, 20
9) Ibid, 21
10) Lukacs, 72
11) Ibid, 73
12) Macdonald, Charles B. A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks, 1997. 222
13) Ibid, 219

Matthew B. Ridgway: Fighting General and Statesman

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  Matthew B. Ridgway was born to a military family on March 3, 1895. Like most army families, the Ridgways moved around quite a bit; it was not till Ridgway’s appointment to West Point in 1913 that he finally felt at home. (1) It was at West Point where Ridgway first was established as a leader, becoming cadet lieutenant, and was said to be “the busiest man in the place, handling well the jobs of several men” (2). This would serve him well in the future. After his West Point graduation in 1917, Ridgway looked forward to seeing combat in The Great War. However, this was not to be the case since he was recalled to West Point as an instructor after a brief stint in the infantry stationed in Texas. Ridgway was outwardly upset with his new assignment, saying, “To me, this was the death knell of my military career. The last Great War the world would ever see was ending, and there would never be another. Once the Hun was beaten, the world would live in peace throughout my lifetime.” (3) Nevertheless, Ridgway was wrong on all counts as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, thrusting America and then Lieutenant Colonel Ridgway into war. 

Ridgway was promoted to full Colonel and assigned to the War Plans department, where he stayed until 1942 when he was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned to help General Omar Bradley put together and train the 82nd Airborne Division. Upon Bradley’s reassignment, promoted again to Major General and given command of the 82nd.  During the Second World War, Ridgway led the 82nd into battle through every significant engagement, even jumping with them into Normandy.

Uniform worn by General Ridgeway when he jumped into Normandy, on display at The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Photo by MGC

Ridgway even received a Purple Heart for actions that took place during Operation Varsity; General Ridgway describes the action in his memories: “I fired all five shots from my Springfield, shooting from the hip because the range was so close. Then I hit the ground to reload…There was quite an explosion then, very close to em’, and I felt the heat of a stinging fragment in my shoulder.” (4) He later states the grenade missed his head by three feet. General Ridgway was indeed a fighting general; he led the 82nd through the most formidable fighting and was loved by the men he commanded; he was dubbed “Old Iron Tits” because he always had a grenade and metal first aid kit strapped to him. However, the true sign of respect came from the saying, “There is a right way, a wrong way, and a Ridgeway,” the Ridgway being the best (5)

After World War II, Ridgway was assigned to multiple posts, including a United Nations liaison and a command in the Caribbean islands, before being selected by General Omar Bradley to be deputy chief of staff of the army in Washington, D.C.

Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway, three-quarter length portrait, standing, facing front, in uniform. , 1952. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002697883/.

In this position, in 1950, Ridgway was first exposed to the situation in Korea. He was deeply engrossed in high-level planning and feared that this conflict would lead to World War III. On December 22nd, 1950, after a long work day, Ridgway was out to dinner with his wife when he was informed he would head up the Eight Army in Korea due to the sudden death of its commander, General Walton Walker, in a car accident. (6) When Ridgway arrived in Korea, he found an American army in shambles and retreat. Ridgway’s aid, Walter Winton, described the situation in later years as “Weather terrible, Chinese ferocious, moral stinko” (7). Ridgway now had the daunting task of turning the war effort around. His first task was to instill a sense of order in the troops by teaching them discipline, feeling that this would put his men in an aggressive disposition. Another psychological maneuver that Ridgway employed was when he fired Colonel John R. Jeter when Jeter offered cautious plans. When Ridgway asked if Jeter had any more aggressive plans, Jeter responded that he did not and was sacked on the spot; this story was widely publicized and had the effect of officers under Ridgway focusing on attack from henceforth.

This constant state of aggression Ridgway believed was the only way to defeat the Chinese, and he used the American’s superior military capability to turn the Korean conflict into total war; Ridgway reorganized the Eight Army to make all the units self-supporting. Nonetheless, this new strategy did not work immediately as Ridgway was forced to evacuate Seoul in early January 1951, but the Chinese offensive was stopped. By the middle of the month, the UN forces were making great strides, and by March, Seoul was recaptured. A Regimental commander spoke of Ridgway’s part in the Eighth Army’s turnaround like this, “He not only made us attack, but he made us win. He made us into a professional army. The boys aren’t up there fighting for democracy. Now they are fighting because the platoon leader is leading them, and the platoon leader is fighting because of command, and so on right up.” (8)

General Ridgway’s success did not go unnoticed in Washington, and when Truman dismissed General Douglass McArthur later that year, Ridgway was given the title of theater commander. In this capacity, General Ridgeway initiated peace talks with a radio broadcast on June 30th, 1951; along with this, Ridgway supported the limited war strategy that Truman had recommended, and MacArthur refused. Ridgway poured all his effort into making the peace talks work and preventing what he thought may be a third world war. Foreign Service officer William N. Stokes noted, “Ridgway’s investment of personal time and effort demonstrates his extraordinary care to collect and face the facts before arriving at conclusions regardless of perceptions…. Ridgway then recommended to Washington against bombing….by this restraint the United States confined the war to Korea” (9). However, as General Dwight Eisenhower planned to run for President, Ridgway could not see the fruits of his labors. Ridgway was made supreme allied commander of Europe in 1952 before the peace talks in Korea were over.

In his job as supreme allied commander, Ridgway again applied his whole self to his work and tried to strengthen NATO, but this job also did not last long as he was appointed United States Army Chief of Staff in 1953 under Eisenhower; this was Ridgway’s most challenging assignment as he stated “The Vexations and frustrations I encountered in Europe, though they were many and great, were in no way comparable to the vexations, the frustrations, the sheer travail of spirit which were my final lot in my two-year tour as Chief of Staff”  (10) Ridgway’s main issue was Eisenhower’s armed forces reduction act wanting to reduce the military by 20 percent, Ridgway disagreed with this policy known as the New Look, and for this he was not reappointed to his post in 1955.

Ridgway retired after not retaining his Chief of Staff job but stayed in the spotlight. He was put on an advisory board about the Vietnam War, arguing against the “domino” theory and said the war was unwinnable.  Ridgway stayed in the public eye through the Regan administration till his death in 1993.

Placing a flag at General Ridgway’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by @firefightinirish

General Matthew B. Ridgway was one of the most outstanding Americans of an already unique generation. Not only did he put his life on the line for freedom, but he stood firm in his convictions and used his experience and tireless effort to keep the Korean War from getting out of control and possibly prevent World War III.

 

1)  Soffer, Jonathan M. General Matthew B. Ridgway From Progressivism to Reaganism 1895-1993. (Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1998.) 12

2)  Ibid

3)  Mitchell, George C. Matthew B. Ridgway Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen. (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2002.) 10

4)  Ridgway, General Matthew B. Soldier The Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway. (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.) 126

5)  Mitchell, Pg. 35

6)  Soffer, Pg. 116

7)  Ibid, Pg. 117

8)  Mitchell, Pg. 55

9)  Ibid, Pg. 97

10) Soffer, Pg. 175

 

The Irish Brigade A Destiny Tied With Glory and American History

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Historic-Flags

To me, one of the most fascinating and admired regiments in the United States Civil War was the Irish Brigade. The Irish brigade was a group of regiments made up of the 63rd, 69th and 88th New York, the 116th Pennsylvania, and the 29th and 28th Massachusetts that fought with the Army of the Potomac. However, the 29th Massachusetts, not wanting to be part of a predominantly Irish New York Brigade, left the brigade in 1862 after the battle of Antietam.(1) These men fought with gallantry and ferocity, which made them heroes in their new found home. It was these repeated heroic acts that helped solidify the place of the Irish in American culture.

The call to arms in the early spring of 1861 excited many Irish Americans for two reasons, one, they were eager to show loyalty to their new homeland, and two, they wanted to learn new battle tactics to gain experience to take back to Ireland and use against the British. (2) This especially excited the members of the Sixty Ninth New York State Militia under the direction of Michael Corcoran. Corcoran had just been reinstated after being court-martialed for refusing to parade his regiment for the visiting Prince of Whales. (3) Soon, there were a thousand Irishmen ready to go into battle. They marched down Broadway, in New York City, leading the procession with a decorated wagon drawn by four noble steeds. The wagon bore the following inscription: “Sixty-ninth remember Fontenoy” and No North no South, no East, no West, but the whole Union.” (4) This was significant because Fontenoy referred to a battle in 1745 where the Irish Brigade of the French Army fought with exceptional bravery against the British. (5)

The first major engagement that these men were involved in was that of the first battle of Bull Run also known as first Manassas. The brigade waited to be called into the fight and when their time came, they sprang into action to support a charge on Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s position, the position where Jackson got his now famous nickname. The brigade moved to the right and initially pushed back the enemy, but the Confederate forces got reinforced and stopped the advancement of the Irish Brigade and began to move the Union forces back. The Sixty-ninth would not go down that easily, they rallied and charged multiple times under heavy artillery fire, only to be stopped. (6) When General Meagher, the commander of Company K Sixty Ninth N.Y.S.M., had his horse shot out from under him, he jumped up, waved his sword, and exclaimed, “Boys! Look at that flag! Remember Ireland and Fontenoy!”. (7) The brigade made one final advance and suffered heavy losses. One of those losses was Lieutenant Colonel Haggerty, a native of Glenswilly, County Donegal, who was described by Captain David Power Conyngham as “A fine a specimen of a Celt as Ireland could produce.” (8) Haggerty was just one of many men who died bravely that day. Another loss to the Brigade that day was Michael Corcoran who was captured. (9) After the battle General McDowell, who watched the charge, rode up to the Sixty- ninth and personally thanked them. (10) The Irish Brigade, although not a victorious in this battle, the first of the war, showed the Union Army a great deal about dedication to a cause.

The next major action these brave Irishmen saw was in 1862, at the Battle of Antietam. The Irish Brigade was once again thrust into heavy fighting. The Sixty-ninth, Sixty-third, Eighty-eighth New York and Twenty-ninth Massachusetts formed the left wing of the battle field. Under heavy fire, they marched up hill cheering as they went. At the time, they did not know that this would be some of the deadliest combat witnessed by the Brigade to this point. In the thick of the fighting, the color bearer advanced and waved his flag definitely in the enemy’s face. This action prevented the line from being broken. The men of the Brigade, still under the heaviest of fire, continued to charge and face heavy losses due to the Confederates’ entrenchment in the sunken road. The green flag, a revered symbol of the Sixty-ninth, was torn and tattered with holes from rifle shot and was laying on the ground, (11) when General Meagher yelled out, “Boys, raise the colors and follow me!” Captain James McGee shouted back “I’ll follow you!” (12) He picked up the colors. As he raised the tattered colors, a bullet struck his hand and splintering the flagstaff breaking this symbol of the Brigade in two. This push went back and forth till the Irish won the day. After the fight, it was reported that General Meagher’s uniform was perforated with bullets and that he had another horse shot from under him. (13) As we know now the Battle of Antietam was a crucial day in American history, it is due to this tactical victory that Lincoln saw an opportunity to get his Emancipation Proclamation passed.

Later that same year, the brigade faced off against some of their fellow countrymen, at the Battle of Fredericksburg. The men they faced belonged to the 24th Georgia, commanded by Irish born Colonel Robert McMillan. The Unions Irish mounted a gallant charge against the 24Th Georgia and were repelled. (14) When the Confederate Irish from Georgia noticed the green flag of the Union’s Irish Brigade, one member was said to have uttered “Oh God, what a pity! Here come Meagher’s fellows.” McMillian replied “Give it to them now, boys! Now’s the time! Give it to them!” (15) The charge of the Union and its Irish brigade was soundly defeated that day on Marye’s Heights. Again, though not victorious, the Brigade was an inspiration to all, that day.
By July 1863, the Irish Brigade was a well-seasoned group of veterans. This would bode well for them, as on July first they were well on their way to a little town known as Gettysburg.

A long march put the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg in the evening of the first of July. They rested that night and awoke the next day knowing the deadly business at hand. The Brigade attended a general benediction performed by Father William Corby, the Chaplin of the 88th New York and future president of the University of Notre Dame. Both catholic and protestant alike kneeled in prayer together that day. (16) After the Benediction, the Brigade marched to what is now known as the “Wheatfield”, and again the fighting was fierce. The fighting was described by Captain David Power Conyngham in the following passage: “Our rifled guns repelled with effect and for two hours the air seemed literally filled with screaming messengers of death”. (17) Eventually, the Confederate troops pushed the Irish Brigade back. The 69th New York came into that battle with five hundred and thirty men and left with three hundred of the original recruitment of over two thousand. (18) The Irish Brigade played a valuable role in the Unions’ victory at Gettysburg.

While continuing to serve with honor, losses continued to compound and by June 1864 the Irish Brigade had been drastically decreased down to regimental size, after its two of its newly appointed commanders were killed in battle Colonel Richard Byrne at Cold Harbor and Colonel Patrick Kelly during the Siege of Petersburg. The Federal Army disbanded the Brigade and incorporated the remaining elements of it into the 3rd and 4th Brigades of the 1st Division, II Corps. (19)

Eventually a second Irish Brigade was reformed from the old Irish Brigade of the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York, 116th Pennsylvania, and 28th Massachusetts Regiments as well as the addition of the 7th New York Heavy Artillery (later replaced by the 4th New York Heavy Artillery in early 1865

By the  spring of 1865, the Confederacy was lost and on April 9th of that year, Lee surrendered at Appomattox with the Irish of the 69th New York State Volunteers (NYSV) present for the ceremony. On April 11th the 69th NYSV began their extensive march home. In May the 69th proudly marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC to the cheers of thousands. The war that cost a tremendous loss of life in the entire country was finally over.

The American Civil War was a turning point in the history of the Irish American, their devotion, bravery and sacrifices both north and south gave a new dignity and admiration to America’s Irish population. The Irish became widely accepted and a well-respected and vital part of America. A journalist of the period is quoted as saying, “There are several kinds of power working at the fabric of the American republic water power, steam power and Irish power, the last works hardest of all”. (20) The Irish had done a complete 180 degree turn from their humble immigrant beginnings. They had become individuals with political power, and with a unique and well-earned sense of Irish pride that is still felt today. Erin Go Braugh!

Notes

1. Steven J. Wright “The Irish Brigade” (Springfield, PA: Steven Wright,1992), iv

2. D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns” (New York: Fordham University Press, 1994), xv-xvi

3. Evert A Duyckinck “National History of the War For The Union Civil, Military and Naval.” (New York: Johnson, Fry and Company, 1861), 411

4. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 21

5. British Battles.com “The Battle of Fontenoy 1745” (British Battles.com, 2010) http://www.britishbattles.com/battle_fontenoy.htm

6. D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 35-36

7. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 37

8. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 37

9. Evert A Duyckinck “National History of the War For The Union Civil, Military and Naval.”, 411

10. D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 37

11. D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 304-305

12. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 305

13. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 305-306

14. Thewildgeese.com The Civil War “’Undaunted Courage’: The Irish at Fredericksburg” (GAR Media, 2001) http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/fredpt2.html

15. Quoted in Thewildgeese.com The Civil War “’Undaunted Courage’: The Irish at Fredericksburg” (GAR Media, 2001) http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/fredpt2.html

16. Steven J. Wright “The Irish Brigade”, 23

17. Quoted in D.P Conyngham with an Introduction, by Lawrence Frederick Kohl “The Irish Brigade and It’s Campaigns”, 416-417

18. Steven J. Wright “The Irish Brigade”, 23

19. James M. Bergquit, Daily Life in Immigrant America, 1820-1870 (Westport CT, Greenwood Press, 2008) 241

20. J.J. Collins, Famine to Freedom The Irish in The American Civil War (J.J Collins, 2011), 244