Seven decades ago he was there. Thirteen years ago we got an inkling of where he was and what he did. Two years ago I put this map together. And on this, the 70th anniversary of Tonice’s time in Europe as a combat medic, I’m doing a bit of revisiting of what the 137th Infantry Regiment did. We don’t know which company, or even which battalion, so this is only a regimental overview with some movements down to the company level.
So, then, for Dec. 18:
The 137th was ordered to resume the attack. The enemy was unable to stop the assault of our forces and was driven back to the rear edge of the woods.
The 2nd Battalion of the 134th Infantry, attached to the 137th Infantry, attacked the enemy at the edge of Reinneimerald Woods, on the 137th’s right flank, just south of Bebelsheim.
The Regiment was ordered to stop its attack at 1830 and to consolidate its positions on the most favorable ground. At the conclusion of the day’s operations the 2nd Battalion of the 134th was at the edge of Reinneimerald Woods. The 137th’s 1st Battalion was holding all of the Breiterwald Woods and a small patch of woods near Bannholz. The 2nd Battalion had elements in Bliesmengen and east of the town, while the 3rd Battalion was held in reserve at Neunkirch.
You can click all of the pins in the map below to see more of the unit’s day-by-day notes.
This information is derived from the unit history, found here and here and from this unit overview. Any errors are mine alone.
