551st Parachute Infantry Association

8 hours ago

A window, or visualization, of the closing chapter of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion is captured in this aerial photograph from 24 December, 1944...taken at 1100 hours by the 30th Photo Recon Sq. Capt. McPheeters, formerly of the 551st, was with the 505th of the 82nd that day in Rochelinval when the picture was taken, the day in which Montgomery ordered the 82nd to pull back to Basse-Bodeux against both Ridgeway’s and Gavin’s recommendations…the day the Germans returned to that once sleepy village in the Ardennes. Some of the Germans the 551st ended up facing on 7 January 1945 may even be somewhere within the frame of that photo. It was displayed at the Trois Ponts community center in 2025 during the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

When I think about the 551st it’s difficult, as a descendant, for my thoughts to not be led to this final challenging chapter for them. A time when the suffering from the cold was becoming nearly insufferable, then add to that…the bayonet charge at Dairômont, A company’s initial assault on Rochelinval…when Lt. Durkee questioned Pvt Casanova wanting to know where the men were after making it to the edge of the town, to which Casonova replied, “Sir, they’re all dead”, to the tree burst in which LTC Joerg was KIA, to finally blowing the bridge over the river Salm…after two failed attempts.

Visiting Rochelinval today you’ll quickly notice that not too much has changed, outside of some tree lines from time and harvesting, and a few new homes. However, in the aerial photograph that was taken just two weeks prior to that last battle for the 551st, is THE same snow-covered Rochelinval…the same bridge, as well as open areas and tree lines that they saw that fateful day of 7 January, 1945. Add to that Harry Renick’s (A company) situational depiction of what he was seeing…that he had shared with COL Dillard, and you can almost hear the guns, the mortars, the tracers, the yelling, and cries for help as they struggled to win the day. Walking those same grounds is a moving experience to those who know their story and sacrifice…GOYA!

Rochelinval and the 551st marked the opening pages of the last chapter of another book, the beginning of the end of many of the Army's independent units in the airborne during WWII...another first, not necessarily a desired one, for the 551st. They were first notified of the news by Gen Gavin in a small theater in Juslenville on 27 January 1945, and was officially deactivated on 10 February 1945.

From the Army Center for Military History's (CMH) review of the performance of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion during the period 3-7 January 1945 to ascertain its eligibility for the award of a Presidential Unit Citation, they noted:

"The fate of the 551st Parachute Infantry, however, had already been decided. The organizational tables for the regular airborne division had been under modification based upon combat experience with the objective of increasing the authorized strength to the levels under which the divisions actually fought. Previously, separate airborne units had augmented each of the airborne divisions in Europe. In December, 1944, the War Department decided to disband many of the separate units to provide trained levees to augment the regular tables of those airborne divisions."

"One of the battalions which the European Theater of Operations had nominated for disbandment in December, 1944, was the 551st. Unknown to its soldiers who were on their way to fight in the Ardennes, the 551st was traveling to combat under its own colors for the last time. Following combat, the battalion reorganized, reabsorbed soldiers returned from the wounded or sick lists, and occasionally transferred soldiers to cross level the rifle companies. During this period, at least 107 soldiers were promoted in grade, mostly from the rifle units, an indicator of their past performance and future potential for the division's units to which they were about to be transferred."

Although their "fate had been decided" according to CMH, the earlier date of 10 February, 1945...the day in which that fate fell, and crushed the 551st, was likely a by-product of Rochelinval with an 83% casualty rate and the loss of LTC Joerg. The 509th, 550th, and 193rd (after 550th was absorbed into the 193rd's third battalion in February) came a couple weeks later on 1 March, 1945. Of course the 551st started disbanding on 27 January, 1945 after Gen. Gavin's visit in Juslenville, but was officially deactivated on 10 February, 1945.

Major “Pappy” Herrmann, Battalion S-3 (letters dated 1982) from The Left Corner of My Heart by Dan Morgan:

"That was the last battle of the 551st. Upon being withdrawn from the lines, the Battalion was informed that it was to be disbanded. Men cried like babies when they got the news. Of course, higher headquarters was nice about it. We had done a good job but there was no further need for separate battalions.”

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

2 days ago

81 years ago, on 04 January 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge in the snowy, frozen Ardennes, the Paratroopers of Company A, 551st Parachute Infantry conducted one of the rarely documented bayonet attacks of World War II, near the village of Dairomont, Belgium. A Co, under the leadership of 1LT Richard Durkee, neutralized several enemy machine gun positions and inflicted great losses on the enemy who greatly outnumbered them.

Sergeant Douglas Dillard, Communications Sergeant for A Company relates his view of the bayonet attack:

“Fix Bayonets and charge!” That was the order that Lieutenant Durkee gave us as we charged across this field and wooded area and into the German positions. I can understand why he did it and can see the advantage in it. I’m sure it occurred to him that, “Hey, we can scare the hell outta these guys by fixing bayonets!” It may also boost the morale of our troops. It had been a hell of a day. There was lots of activity and we lost a lot of men. People were pretty mad and fired up. You wanted to accomplish something.” (Interview with Patrick O’Donnell, 2001.)

The GOYAs of Company A charged German gun positions, despite seeing the muzzle flashes of the MG-42 machine guns firing at them. Sergeant Dillard recalls it looking like something from a movie, as he watched Lieutenant Durkee move across a line of German foxholes, killing several Germans in the process. Dillard’s own Thompson submachine gun was frozen solid and couldn’t fire. He eventually helped Durkee round up several of the GOYAs who had come unglued and continued to bayonet the dead Germans, their last breaths hanging in the air in a foggy mist. The GOYAs had unleashed all their pent-up anger and rage, and just wanted to kill the Germans, over and over again. (O’Donnell, 2001).

We remember…..

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

1 week ago

551st Parachute Infantry
Nighttime Raid at Noirefontaine, Belgium
27-28 December 1944

Initiating movement shortly after nightfall on the 27 December 1944, the GOYAs of the 551st would conduct one of the few nighttime raids during the Battle of the Bulge, against a German headquarters garrison at Noirefontaine.

Sergeant Carl Noble, Company C, 2nd Platoon Machine-Gun Section Leader [Pgs. 366-367 of “Left Corner”]

“There was a big farm complex that had been targeted from aerial photography (which made up most of the village of Noirefontaine). Company C was to partially surround it after we had made our way through the defensive perimeter of the 508th (Parachute Infantry) Regiment (of the 82nd Airborne). The target was about five miles inside German territory. Then we were to pour in heavy fire, ignite a big haystack that showed in the photos (to provide light), then cut down most of the Germans as they tried to escape. We were also to get inside there and take at least one prisoner.

So we opened up on them and fired for 3 minutes. Now, I had the mission of setting fire to that haystack which showed so clearly in the photos, so I poured tracer fire into it but it wouldn't catch fire. Somebody, I don't know who, kept yelling ‘Get that haystack burning!’ Maybe it was Captain Quinn (Commander of Company C). I shouted back, ‘She won't burn!’ I put the whole belt of tracer into it but it was no use. Then I ceased firing and the assault platoon went in. I left Dale Arborgast on the (M1919A4 .30 caliber machine) gun and went over to look at the haystack and it was just a great big pile of manure. I guess it looked like a haystack in the photos, sure enough.

Just about then a German half-track took off and our guys were firing at it but couldn't stop it, so two of our guys ran after it, jumped on the back and shot the Germans inside. That was the closest any of the Germans came to getting away.”

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Sergeant Doug Dillard, Company A Communications NCO [Pgs. 371 of “Left Corner”]

“We were getting artillery fire because you could run from one crater to another and they were still smoking. I think that may have been normal German interdiction fire. When our men began to engage the Germans on the outskirts of the town, then there was machine-gun, rifle fire and grenades. A big building caught fire and I could see figures moving around it.”

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Lieutenant Ralph Wenthold, Company B, 1st Platoon [Pgs. 374-375 of “Left Corner”]

“Company B was first in line and we were advancing along the left side of the road…..Company C was on the other side of the road, I think they had followed us for a while and then turned off to the right. Then we came to a wide fire-break and there was one German standing behind a tree. He would stick his Schmeisser machine pistol out one side and fire off a magazine and then reload and stick it out the other side and fire again. Finally, he got brave and stuck his head out and a Rifleman got him.

Then we heard a tracked vehicle coming up the road, and I got the Bazooka out ready to fire. It was a captured US half-track with a swastika painted on the side. I got a bead on it and pulled the trigger, but all that damn bazooka would do was make a clicking sound because the battery was either too cold or else spent. I must have pulled that trigger 20 times in 2 seconds. Somebody was right beside me and fired a good burst with his Thompson submachine gun and hit the front of the half-track and it sounded like a jackass in a tin barn. Some of the rounds must have gone through the radiator lose because steam started coming out of the engine compartment. The crew just climbed out of that thing and took off, and everybody was firing at them, but they seemed to get away. There was a 50 caliber machine gun on the vehicle, and I climbed up there and grabbed the bolt handle and pulled it back to load the gun, but I pulled it so hard it came off. I put it back, got the gun loaded and fired some good bursts into the woods along the west side of the road. Then we looked down in the half track and it was full of Teller (German antitank) mines. If I hit it with the bazooka it probably would have gone up and killed us all.”

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The raid was a success, with at least 30 Germans killed (to include a Company Commander), six prisoners taken, and an armored vehicle destroyed, with the GOYAs of the 551st suffering one KIA, two missing, and fifteen wounded, all from B Company.

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*pages 2-3 of the Company B Morning Report for 27 December 1944

HEADQUARTERS
MORNING REPORT (page 2 of 3)
ENDING 2400: 27 DECEMBER 1944
STATION: Basse Bordeuax, Belgium
ORGANIZATION: Co B 551st Prcht Inf

SERIAL NUMBER - NAME - GRADE - CODE

RECORD OF EVENTS
27 Dec 1944 Rahier, Belgium
The Company formed and left the Bn assembly area at 2120. After crossing the final line of departure at 2300, they attacked immediately. The men fought courageously and aggressively, manifesting exemplary conduct in battle. The enemy, composed of experienced SS men, did not , although they fought bitterly, prevent the company from accomplishing its mission. The enemy artillery fire was limited period the order to withdraw came from (con’t on Pg. 3)

HEADQUARTERS
MORNING REPORT (page 3 of 3)
ENDING 2400: 27 DECEMBER 1944
STATION: Basse Bordeuax, Belgium
ORGANIZATION: Co B 551st Prcht Inf

SERIAL NUMBER - NAME - GRADE - CODE

Bn at 0300 28th Dec. The Company withdrew according to a prearranged plan, taking all of our casualties with us that could be found. There were 12 casualties in the company.
Weather: Cold and clear
Morale: Excellent

I CERTIFY THAT THIS MORNING REPORT IS CORRECT

SIGNATURE: James Evans Capt, Inf

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*M-1 Bayonet carried by CPL John M. "Mel" Clark, HQs 551st Parachute Infantry during the Night Raid on Noirefontaine

GOYA!🌴

Sur les traces du 551st PIB

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551st Parachute Infantry Association

3 weeks ago

Much thanks to Michelle Dillard Resnick Howl for kicking the holiday season off with some Christmas cheer...by not only putting together, but also mailing out, the Association Christmas card to Association members. My card just arrived, and is perfect once again! This year we have an additional treat that was shared with us by the grandson of Charlie Burnham (HQ Demolitions with the 551st), John Burt. Charlie had a great photo of LTC Wood Joerg from November of '44 in the Alps, just prior to Joerg's, and many of his men's, last Christmas of December '44. Today is also Wood Joerg's birthday, born 111 years ago on this day. John touched up the photo and shared with the Association. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Association...GOYA!!

Some short descriptions of that December '44 Christmas by a couple of men who were there....

From the diary of Charles Fairlamb:

"On the 28th with our faces still blackened because we had no place to wash, we had our Christmas Church service in the woods. It was cold and snowing, and nearly half the men had lost their voices because of the bad weather. But the service was beautiful, the most impressive Christmas service I’ve ever attended. The trees, mostly pine, were beautifully covered with snow and decorated with tinsel which the Germans had been dropping to make our radar ineffective. I don’t believe anyone could be any closer to the real Christmas than we were. But it made you feel kind of funny standing there worshipping God while you had a helmet on your head, a hymn book in one hand, and a rifle in the other."

T/4 Harry Renick, Company A communications (The Left Corner Of My Heart):

“I think it was Christmas Day that we were eating cold, boiled turkey. We still had just our combat boots and two pairs of socks, so to keep our feet warm we would put one pair of socks inside our shirts and then change them when we could... We rarely built fires because we were on the move all the time, and of course, we were almost always in a tactical situation once the attack of 3 January started...” ... See More from 551See Less from 551