(2 of 2)
The Germans had sown the slopes and the ridge with mines, booby traps, concealed anti-tank guns, mortars, machine guns and riflemen. Three times before, the third battalion had tried to take 532 and each time they had been driven back with losses.
On Friday morning B Company made a dash for the nearest slope. The doughboys crossed the wheat field and started up the steep side. Then all hell broke loose.
The Germans opened up with everything they had—guns, machine guns, mortars and heavier artillery from the rear. In the hours which followed the hill was alive with explosions as American artillery fired at the Germans on the eastern side and the Germans fired on Company B.
The battalion commander, who had personally led the B Company attack, was a rugged and capable lieutenant colonel. He had lost a front tooth from a piece of .88 shrapnel at El Guettar. Now he decided it was better to die fighting. With two of his platoons he marched up the hill through the fire on that ridge and crossed over the ridge. Those two platoons and the colonel were not heard from again.
In due course, Hill 532 and others like it were taken, and the way to Mateur was opened.