17th Airborne Walk: avril 2009

The history of the 17^th Airborne division also know as the “sightseeing seventeenth” began with his activation on the 15^th of April 1943 at Hoffman, North Carolina. It was originally composed by 506 officers, 29 warrant officers and 7970 enlisted men and it sprang from the 101^st Airborne division at Fort Bragg. From the time of its activation the division was commanded by Major general William M. Miley.

General Miley’s background is the background of the division and in order to appreciate what the 17^th did during WW2 it’s necessary to know something about its commander.

A product of a military family, William M. Miley, was born into the army on the 26^th of December 1897. As a second son of Lieutenant Colonel John D. Miley US Army he followed his brother Lt Col John D. Miley Jr. into the career of professional soldier. He attended the military academy at West Point and graduated on the 12^th of June 1918 to become a 2^nd Lieutenant in the 48^th Infantry Division. From the graduation day until September1940 Lieutenant Miley followed the conventional pattern of Army service. He served in the Philippines and later attended General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth.

In September 1940 he was promoted to Major and he assumed the command of the 501^st P.I.B. He was the first officer to command a designated unit of Airborne Troops in the US Army. As the first Parachute Battalion Commander he was responsible for all the early precepts of airborne planning and operation, these were the early days and test and experimental work occupied much of the time. Parachute Battalion Commander Miley established the precedent for paratroop officers by never asking a subordinate to do anything he himself would not, or hesitate to do. It was in these early days that Major Miley, rather than assign the task of determining the maximum weight that could be carried safely to the ground undertook the tests himself. These experiments resulted in a fracture and many severe bruises which kept him in the hospital for several weeks.

On the 12^th of June 1941, he was promoted to rank of Lieutenant Colonel and moved with his parachute Battalion to Panama. When he returned to USA on January 1942 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and assumed command of the 503^rd P.I.R. at Fort Bragg. When war came Colonel Miley was assigned as Assistant Division Commander of the 96^th Infantry Division at Camp Adair (Oregon) and on the same year was promoted Brigadier General. Then General Miley left camp Adair to assume command, because of his background, of the 1^st parachute Brigade and later became Assistant Division Commander of the 82^nd Airborne.

On the 17^th of April 1943 he assumed command of the new born 17^th Airborne Division and he would conduct it through the Ardennes, the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns and until its final deactivation in Boston in September 1945.

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The 17^th A.D. advance party embarked in Boston and arrived in Scotland, Glasgow, on the 31^st of July 1944, while the main buck of it arrived in Liverpool on the 26^th of August 1944. The Division spent the rest of its time in England at camp Chisledon doing tactical training and night maneuvers. By this time a veteran regiment was attached to the division coming back from the Normandy campaign, the former 82^nd 507^thP.I.R. On the 15^th of November the division paraded for the authorities and the 507^th was decorated for its actions on June the 6^th. The Division remained as a tactical reserve until the Holiday Season. Christmas dinner 1944 would be the last civilized dinner before entering the Ardennes’ Hell. The division arrived from England by plane and left Charleville in France by truck under the cover of darkness; after securing the river Meuse the division left Neufchateau and establish its operational HQ in Morhet (Belgium). The division was positioned to left flank of the 101^st and to the right of the 87^th Infantry Division. The attack began on the 4^th of January 1945 the enemy were the best Panzer grenadiers and armor that Von Rundstedt had to offer under the command of General Remmer (former Commander of Hitler’s personal bodyguard). The 17^th receive the toughest assignment they could get.

The German needed to severe the vital road to Bastogne coming from the North (N4) they met the 17^th Airborne paratroops and glider men on the early morning of the 4^th of January. On one side the Germans used Panzer and vehicles along with troops and artillery on the other side the Americans had only artillery and their guts to prevent any breakthroughs. Without time for reconnaissance, after relieving the 11^th Armored Division, and with 10 minutes of artillery preparation the division launched its attack with the 194^thG.I.R. and the 513^thP.I.R. supported by the 550^thA.I.R. The 193^rdG.I.R. and 507^thP.I.R. remained in tactical reserve to meet a probable German counterattack. During the night, the Germans sent 20 tanks supported by artillery against the slowly but surely advancing line of airborne troops. Dug in on the rear lines of the slope of what became famous as the “Dead Man’s ridge”, the attacking echelons were subjected to the bursts of tank and self propelled guns. The Woosh of the “screaming meemies” filled also the air.

In the sector of Flamisoulle the situation was more or less the same. The divisional artillery was doing all its best to support the troops on the front; let us not forget the sacrifice of captain Charles H. Jones forward observer of the 466 P.F.A.B., who said “ZERO ON ME” when its position was overrun by 2 German heavy panzers.

The situation remained almost the same during all night, mortar fire from both sides and patrolling to prevent any infiltration and wounded being evacuated.

Before the second day of this Battle the Germans began another counter-attack. Artillery fire was terrifying, enemy tanks appeared and Bazooka Teams were sent forward to disperse the panzers. Tree tanks were knocked out and the rest withdrew. At noon 11 US tanks appeared, but joy was soon turned to despair as they were blasted out of action by hidden 88s. The 17^th 81mm Mortars remained in action throughout enemy’s barrage, pumping rounds after rounds upon the besieging tanks. General Miley sensed that this was the right time for to plan an attack.

At 0900 hours on the 7^th of January the division jumped off again in the attack, the Germans were in the villages were amazed to see all these dispersed troops charging towards shouting “GERONIMO”. The city of Flamierge was attacked by the men of the 513^th, 1st and 3^rd battalion attacking from front and right. On the afternoon of the same day German tanks, coming from Flamisoulle were knocked out by 1^st Battalion. During the night it snowed again and unfortunately the communication from Flamierge were severed, assuming that the town was lost and the 513^th encircled the HQ gave order to withdraw to the position of Monti.

On the 10^th of January the division received again order to attack 194^th assumed the left flank 507^th was in the center and 193^rd to the right, 513^th as a reserve. This was the final push Flamierge was finally liberated and the German lines crumbled.

194^th turned right towards Renaumont and Heropont. 513^th 1^st and 2^nd battalions took defensive position in the wood north west of Flamierge and 3^rd in Flamierge itself. 507^th liberated Flamisoulle and pushed forward. 193^rd was attached to Armored Troops and would continued north. The battle of Dead Man’s Ridge was over, but not the pushing of the Germans out of Belgium.

On the 16^th of January at 1700 hours 507^th and 193^rd moved out to attack the Germans; they were facing elements of the 9^th Panzer Division and 130^th Panzer and 26 Infantry. The weather was again awfully cold ( 20°F) but the regiments started their trek towards Givry, Gives and by the 13-14-15 of January liberated Bertogne and Compogne and finally arrived (193^rd) into Houffalize.