|
A Ranger Who Led the Way! Honoring
J. Austin Miller, 1st Ranger Battalion |
|
From
Article dated Sees Action Aplenty in Great African Campaign a A
sensational eye-witness account of the part American troops took in the
battle of Tunisia is contained in a letter received this week by Mrs.
Ralph Streeter from her brother, Austin Miller, technical sergeant with
the U.S. Army Ranger Battalion. Miller is the son of Mr. And Mrs. J.J.
Miller of Ritzville. The
letter was mailed June 6 from
Now
that the North African campaign is over we are able to write home a few of
the things that happened. So, here goes: You
know when we landed in We
stayed on the coast for some time and then went to Hid
out in hills… From
Gafsa we pulled the raid on the Italian outpost of which I sent home the
clipping. It was behind the enemy lines and we had to hide out in the hill
all day after the raid, for fear of a tank attack, of which we were just
about incapable of handling. But the attack never came, so we got back to
Gafsa safely. The German forces were back in the hills and our forces
could not get at them, however, it seems that the Germans did not like the
raid we pulled, so out they came in a swarm. Two
nights after the raid, the Germans started the drive of which you have
probably read quite a bit about. We, “F” Company, dug in on the
outskirts of Gafsa to repel a tank attack which was expected just before
dark. As I sate in my foxhole that evening, I thought of all kinds of
things. That was the most nerve-wracking evening I spent in my life. It is
hard to explain the feeling I had. It wasn’t exactly fear, but I just
can’t explain it. However, the Germans went around our position and that
was the beginning of the “withdrawal from Gafsa.” We
were the last unit to leave Gafsa that night. We fought rear guard action
for our forces that night and when we did finally get out, we got out as
best we could. Due to the fact we had no trucks of our own; it was up to
every man to get out on his own. We caught trucks wherever and however we
could and got back to Furina, where we organized and straightened up our
lines. In a few days we withdrew from there and again we were the last
American force to leave, and this time we DID walk. We were left all alone
on the plains of Germans
on the run…. We
were tired, but we kept going, stopping only once to eat our rations at We
began moving up-Ferianna, Gafsa, El Guettar, Maknassy. At El Guettar, all
hell broke loose. The enemy counter attacked, we attacked again, we drove
them off. There we saw the Germans come across a field, wave after wave of
them, in a straight line, on a slow walk. They didn’t run, they didn’t
crawl, but straight up and walked. The Germans use this method to break
the morale of the enemy; and when one man in shot down, another steps up
in his place. It is quite nerve-wracking, but we stayed in our positions
and shot. Our artillery took heavy toll and the enemy finally turned
around-what was left of them-and walked back at the same speed they came
forward and in the same way. Our machine guns and artillery and rifles
took heavy toll, and again we started driving. British
Great Fighters… Our
planes flew over every day; wave after wave of bombers and fighter planes,
and the enemy was bombed and strafed until they were in full retreat. And
it was then we met the British Eighth Army, which you have heard so much
about, and it is one of the-if not the-greatest fighting force in the
world. I am proud to say that I fought in the same campaign with them. A
short time later, we were withdrawn from the front. While we were up
there, however, we did our share. We took many prisoners, mostly Italians,
and they got so at last they would hardly fight. They knew it was about
over, so they decided they wanted to get on the band wagon, as the Dagos
usually do. Anyway, they can’t be blamed much. They were used mostly to
fight spearhead and rear guard for the Germans, and sometimes when they
started to run or refuse to go forward into certain death, they were shot
by the Germans. The Germans are a great fighting force. They are not to be underestimated, and the officers are plenty shrewd. I suppose Rommel will go down in history as one of the great generals of the war. However, the outcome, credit must be given where credit is due.
Glad
it’s over… We
were not in on the last of it. It was mainly the British. They have been
at it for four years and all we did was keep the enemy from breaking
through while the English pushed them to the sea. I
am glad that it is all over with. We have been bombed, strafed, shot at
with nearly every type of German and Italian gun, and had their hand
grenades thrown at us. Sometimes it seemed as though we were all through,
but then a miracle of some kind would happen. We must have charmed lives
in this battalion. It is quite hard to explain, but it has been miraculous
indeed. Now that it is all over it seems like it couldn’t have happened,
but it did I reckon. I wish I had had my camera with me, but it is too
late now.
Photo and story courtesy Ranger John Austin Miller October 2003
|
