Interview with Lt. Ray Holmquist
120th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Assistant S-1
First weeks in ETO, Friendly Bombing at St. Lo
Photos are thumbnails
Photos from US War Department Pamphlet: St. Lo
Interview by Bret Job
The boat pulled up as far as the ship could go so it wouldn’t beach and we went over the side of the boat and into these landing craft. We got on a landing craft and they took us in. At that time they had floating piers that came out quite a ways that floated, it’s like something floating on a barrel, floating piers. They took us up to floating pier. We got off the landing craft, on the pier and walked up to shore. This is D +10 and the beach was absolutely secure. There was no gunfire or anything; it was just totally secure when we got of the ship. We camped not to far from the beach. The next day we were in this encampment area right close to the coast and there was a tremendous amount of artillery fire and god you knew there was a war on. It was continual bombardment night and day, both ways, in terms of Americans and German. Just continual artillery, just like thunder, always a bombing. By god the second day our camp was strafed by some German Luftwaffe planes. They came straight down on us and strafed the hell out of our camp. Then I knew I was in a war and it was the first experience I had had under fire. It was a very scary feeling, yes it is and they come down low and boy there is really a roar and they got 50 caliber guns. It was my first confrontation with the enemy. At that time we had, the American forces really had mastery of the air. So for the Luftwaffe to come out was not very common, they really took a chance to come out because we dominated the skies.
Then I got my orders to report to the second battalion of the 120th regiment of the 30th Infantry Division and I was to report to battalion headquarters. And I was to be on the battalion staff as the assistant to the S1. So I am reporting to the front line troops and this is the 2nd battalion of the 120th Infantry Regiment. This is the hedgerow country. I get up to the front line on the very first day and report to my battalion commander. Well this is an experience that’s beyond, really beyond explanation. The American forces in Normandy were at a great disadvantage because basically what a hedgerow is, it is a little field that’s maybe about an acre, maybe half acre. It’s in the orchard country, a farming agricultural area in France. But largely orchards and lots of apple trees and this little patch maybe one acre. Its maybe only about a half acre, about half the size of our lake lot. Over the years they would build a hedge around their little plot of land to define the boundary. And then the hedge would catch blowing sand and debris and it would gradually build up into a mound. And then they would plant again on the mound another hedge or trees. Over the years these hedges would grow higher and higher and higher and higher and then they always keep a hedge on top. This was the boundary of their land. The hedgerows were usually at least six to eight to ten feet high. So we would be, maybe the ground would be here and the top of the hedgerow would be at about at that point up there, at the top of the door. And it would be a big wide wedge because of the accumulation of debris and dirt and the tree or hedge on top. This was a tremendous fortification for the Germans. What they would do, the Germans, would dig right through the base of the hedgerow, you get the picture now. We have this wedge, maybe 20 feet wide, six to eight feet high, and they would dig tunnels right through to the other side. They would lay down and fire their machine guns across that open space. Now you know what a field of fire is? A field of fire is, when a machine gun is sitting up maybe at that level or a little lower and they train them to point one machine gun this way and another machine gun that way. So you would get cross fire and that’s what you call a field of fire. And if anyone came out into that open area, they would open up with their machine guns and create that crossfire, and you are a dead duck, absolutely a dead duck. Every open space the Germans would be set up their field of fire and it was murder. And not only that, they would just pound you with mortar fire. You know what a mortar is? And artillery fire. The Germans had a piece of artillery that was devastating called a 88 and it was a very, very big piece of artillery and they had the 88’s time shells called air bursts. They would fire the gun and it would be timed so it would explode at a certain point in time over where their target was and it would explode in the air and just shower a field of shrapnel over a big area, oh my god they were deviating. I mean you had no defense unless you were in a tunnel. So they just pounded American troops with artillery fire, mortar fire, and then with their small arms fire. My very first day up, when I say I went to Battalion Headquarters, I mean this is just like the guys up in the front lines. I mean everything, you are just on the move and your maybe here and the battalion commander is there and maybe a S1 is over there and you are all seeking cover. You are trying to communicate in the best way you can, always being exposed to fire. And our casualties were just horrendous. I remember the first day I was on the line. I was lying at the base of a hedgerow; you get the picture of the hedgerows? There was a guy lying right ahead of me. Many of the guys I never knew, I had just got there. There is this other guy there and jeez here came an 88. You don’t here them. The artillery shell that gets you, you don’t hear. But he got hit point blank in his head and was killed just like that. He was right, right next to me. Wow! Jeez my first day at the line. That’s a pretty harrowing experience. Shit, it wasn’t long after that that we started taking sniper fire. The Germans would at nighttime, sneak over the hedgerow into the little orchards; climb up lets say an apple tree. It was a nice perfect cover to get into one of these heavily grown apple trees. And they would cover nicely. They would sneak into these apple trees and come daylight they would open on you, with sniper fire. We would start taking really heavy sniper fire. This was my first day. I hadn’t even receive any orders; I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do. I had just met the Battalion Commander and he could care less about me, we were just fighting for our lives you know. The sniper fire was really taking its toll. Here we are out there laying in an area about half the size of this place here and the Germans would be firing direct at us, with rifles. Boy they were taking dead aim and they were picking guys off like you couldn’t believe. Well finally the Battalion Commander got communication to the Regiment. The Battalion always has light tanks that are available and called in some light tanks. They came around into the orchard and took care of those snipers. That ended and real quickly. And that very first day they took some German prisoners, the snipers. Right in our little Battalion, I saw them, Germans soldiers. This was day one. Well I’m giving you a little capsule of what it’s like to be there. I mean your life is turned upside down. I had concluded almost after the first day, Ray, you are going to be either killed or you are going to be wounded. For sure! I reached that as a solid conclusion. They were being killed off all around me like you can’t believe. Now that is a pretty traumatic experience.
I’m a replacement officer and I didn’t know any of the other guys in line with me. I was a total stranger to them. I didn’t talk to them much at the beginning but as time went on I got to know them. I got to get to know the Battalion Commander and the Battalion staff officers a little bit. I got to know who they were but really we were so harassed and so busy we were just trying to survive. There was no time for comradeship or anything else. We are all trying to do our job, trying to survive. At this time, we are very thankful for any guy that’s around. You don’t know his name but you are god damn thankful that he is there.
I don’t even know how many troops are in the area when I came into this battalion. I don’t know because I was so busy trying to take cover. I don’t have the vaguest idea. We were not even trading fire; we didn’t have any way of returning fire. I was carrying a carbine rifle. When you don’t see the enemy, there is no target. You hope the enemy doesn’t see you. You don’t fire. The first enemy soldier I saw was a prisoner of war. I think there was three of four of them. It was the first enemy I saw.
When I saw my first German prisoners of war, I thought those poor bastards, you know, those poor bastards. It was kind of awesome to see the enemy right in front of you, from where you are to me. I wasn’t angry or anything but it was an event. You don’t really have time to think about anything except to survive and to do the job. You don’t really contemplate anything. The only thing I contemplated on was the fact of the matter that I was either going to killed or wounded. I just knew that.
Communication and organization is difficult under these circumstances. It is hard to know where to go and what you are supposed to do. I was on the Battalion Staff and the Battalion commander is a Lt. Colonel. A battalion is about 800 men, full strength and he has a staff of second in command, and he has an S1, S2, S3, and an S4. S1 is administration, S2 is intelligence, S3 is plans and training, and S4 is supply. They are his officers that are his chief assistants. Then we have a group of enlisted men with us to help us with our work. The staff is maybe 30 men including the communications people. You understand that we are in this hedgerow country that I have described and we are a group or a battalion of 800 men who are organized into a company. There are four companies and each company has a company commander. Each platoon has a 1st Lt. hopefully. There are 48 men in each platoon. Each squad has a squad leader who is a sergeant. That’s how it is organized. The battalion commander gives the orders and prescribes the missions and directs the operation of the whole battalion. The company commander moves the orders to the battalion commander. Communication is basically by radio and sometimes by word of mouth and other times by hand message with runners. You try to keep the communication by radio communication. The battalion commander gets his orders from regimental commander. The battalion will have a mission and the regimental commander will tell the battalion commander what the mission is. He will organize his companies to carry out the mission. He gives his orders to his company commanders and they follow the orders of the battalion commander. You don’t even see anyone.
Many times you don’t have any idea what is going on. It’s total chaos; it’s total chaos. You know I know there were 800 men in our battalion and you have 4 company commanders and I don’t think I ever saw them, hardly ever. Once in awhile when they would report into battalion headquarters. You would never see them! With me, I was part of the battalion and I just moved with the battalion. When they moved, I moved. I had my assignment to do but basically we were all so confused, we don’t really know what to do. It’s total chaos.
We all tried to carry rations with us as much as possible. You know you are supposed to have a hot meal, I never had a hot meal as long as I was there. I would just pick up rations wherever I could. I would maybe find some on the ground or wherever. It was such chaos, so totally unorganized you wonder how anything ever happened. Total chaos. It was that way on the other side too. You wonder how any battles can be won. The Generals always have this big plan and they have their grand scheme their battle orders, great battle plans. But by god when that battle starts, it’s totally out of the Generals’ hands. He could just as well go to bed because there is nothing he can do. Again what I am describing now is pretty much the first days, this is maybe D-day plus 15 or so. You are barely entrenched there and we were in a very precarious position. I mean, I didn’t know this at that time but now when I read some history, it could have been a disaster. They almost, General Omar Bradley was almost ready to call off the landing at Omaha Beach, pull the troops back. It was that bad. It was very much touch and go. And believe me now, the Generals worked very hard and are very capable, wonderful men and great leaders but it is out of their hands. My god it seems sometimes that it’s out of the hands of the company commanders. They have a little bit more control but they are only company commanders. You have some control but really, when the battle starts it comes down to these guys. The first sergeants, the sergeants, the captains and lieutenants, they are the ones trying to carry out their orders. Somehow these guys find ways to accomplish their mission.