The 5th Ranger Battalion Battle of Irsch-Zerf

Army history
By Roger B. Neighborgall
The 5th
Ranger
Battalion
and the
Battle of
Irsch-Zerf
24 February - 5 March 1945
On or about 2 February 1945, during Lieuten-
ant General George Patton’s corps commanders’ conference, the
subject of river crossings was discussed, not for the first time. The
strategic goal was to reach and cross the Rhine River, which was the
last significant natural barrier between the position of the western
Allied forces and the German capital of Berlin. Patton ordered Major
General Walton H. Walker, XX Corps commander, to cross the Saar
River with the 94th Infantry Division and establish a foothold to
enable the 10th Armored Division to cross. Walker reported that
the 319th Engineer Combat Battalion could put a footbridge across
the river but that the Hocker Mountain (or Hockerberg) cliffs on the
East side were too steep for soldiers to climb. According to Walker,
Patton then asked what the 5th Ranger Battalion was doing.
The 5th Ranger Battalion was activated on 1 September 1943
at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, and was originally commanded by
Major Owen H. Carter. After months of training at Camp Forrest,
the U.S. Navy Scout and Raiders School at Fort Pierce, Florida, and
Fort Dix, New Jersey, the 5th Ranger Battalion boarded the HMS
Mauretania on 8 January 1944 and set sail for England. After arriving at Liverpool on 18 January, the battalion continued intense
training for the upcoming invasion of Europe. On D-Day, 6 June
1944, the 5th Ranger Battalion, along with the 2d Ranger Battalion,
took part in the landings at Omaha Beach. Over the next several
months, the 5th Rangers then fought their way across France and
into Germany.
The Saar River was the western boundary of the SaarMoselle Triangle. On the east side of the Saar was the
heavily fortified Siegfried Switch Line. The fortress
city of Trier was the top of the triangle, and capturing
it was the primary mission of Walker’s XX Corps.
The German Wehrmacht had escaped over the Saar River
and destroyed the bridges in January 1945. Their defensive strategy
was centered on the Siegfried Line, a defense system of concrete and
steel pillboxes, “dragon teeth” tank obstacles, and tank ditches. The
Germans fully recognized the importance of holding the Triangle
and city of Trier. They moved the 11th Panzer Division, which had
recently suffered heavy casualties, along with tanks and the 256th
Volksgrenadier Division, into defensive positions to support the 2d
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Mountain Division, 416th Infantry Division, 19th Volksgrenadier
Division, and the 25th Panzer Grenadier Division already in
place. All divisions, except for the 2d Mountain Division,
had participated in the Battle of the Bulge and were undermanned. Unlike the U.S. Army, which incorporated
individual replacements into units, the Wehrmacht did
not. German formations fought until they could no
longer function as effective fighting units.
The irony of the situation was that XX Corps was
back on the banks of the Saar River in early February
1945, almost exactly where it had been on 19 December 1944. On that date, XX Corps consisted of the
90th and 95th Infantry Divisions and the 6th Armored
Division. The mission then was to cross the Saar River
and capture Trier. However, the von Rundstedt offensive, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, intervened.
On 19 December 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces
in Europe, ordered Patton to reorient his Third Army and attack north into the German penetration
into the Allied lines. Third Army consisted of eight infantry divisions and five armored divisions,
plus as many as ten artillery battalions of 105mm guns or larger. The total personnel count was over
300,000 men. The Third Army’s shift from attacking east to north was an amazing feat of planning
and logistics that was pulled off in just forty-eight hours.
Patton’s immediate challenge was weather. It was cold and rainy and muddy, with snow on the
ground and with a low ceiling that eliminated air support. Patton ordered the Third Army chaplain
to pray for good weather. Chaplain James O’Neill did so, but reluctantly, noting that is was not
customary to pray for nice weather to kill fellow men. O’Neill prayed:
Almighty Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain
these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather
for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed
with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and
nations. Amen.
On the back of the chaplain’s prayer, when it was issued to all
soldiers, was a message from General Patton:
To each officer and soldier in the Third United States
Army, I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence
in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We
march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessing rest upon each of you on the Christmas Day.
I received the card containing the prayer and message while in
a 1½-ton truck, headed for a mission. I read the Christmas greeting first and thought it a very nice thing for General Patton to do.
When I read the prayer for good weather, I was confused—it was
obvious that the weather was miserable.
After the Battle of the Bulge was successfully concluded, the
5th Ranger Battalion received orders on 22 February 1945 to join
XX Corps and was assigned to Major General Harry J. Malony’s
94th Infantry Division for a special mission. The strength of the
battalion was twenty officers and 378 enlisted men organized into
six rifle companies (A-F). Each company had two light machine
guns and two 60mm mortars. Each Ranger had the choice of an
M1 Garand, M1 carbine, or Thompson submachine gun. I was
a staff sergeant in Company A and chose a Garand. Company A
was commanded by Captain Charles “Ace” Parker, who earned a
Distinguished Service Cross on D-Day. Additionally, there was a
headquarters company that had the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Sullivan, and his staff, along with six 81mm
mortars, two heavy water-cooled .30 caliber machine guns, twelve
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Staff Sergeant Roger Neighborgall joined
the 5th Ranger Battalion shortly after the
battalion landed in Normandy on D-Day,
6 June 1944. (Author’s Collection)
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rocket launchers (better known as bazookas), and a supply of
anti-tank mines.
Our mission was to cross the Saar River and climb the
Hockerberg; fight through a forest known as the Waldgut
Hundscheid and the Siegfried Line to the Irsch-Zerf road; set
up a defensive position to preclude the Germans from using the
road to re-supply the defenders of Zerf; and protect the flank
of the 10th Armored Division. The length of the mission was
not to exceed forty-eight hours, or until relieved by the 10th
Armored Division.
The order to transfer the 5th Ranger Battalion to the 94th
Division for a mission behind enemy lines resulted in wild excitement and celebration, as well as meticulous preparation to
ensure success. Each soldier was issued two chocolate D-ration
bars and two K-rations, extra grenades, and as many machine
gun ammunition belts as he could carry. Additionally, each
company received about twenty anti-tank mines.
On 23 February 1945, we left Weiten to march to the Saar
River crossing point at Taben-Rodt. We understood that the 94th
Infantry Division had established a bridgehead over the river.
Our march was continually under German artillery fire; at about
1730, two rounds landed on 1st Platoon, Company A, of which
I was a member. Six soldiers were killed instantly and eighteen
were wounded. I was blown into a ditch and knocked unconcious. I was awakened when two medics lifted me by my head
and feet to pitch me onto a pile of dead soldiers. I was wearing
a tag indicating that I was dead. The wounded had already been
hauled to an aid station.
Having found myself very much alive but without my
own rifle and helmet, I grabbed the nearest M1 and helmet
and took off to rejoin my unit, over the objections of the medics. (Incidentally, it is unwise to go into battle with a weapon
that you have not zeroed in, but off I went.) For every mission, each Ranger is fully briefed on the situation, so I knew
exactly where to go. I rejoined Company A at about 1930
and learned that Sergeant Philipp V. Thomas was now acting
platoon leader of 1st Platoon. The remaining complement of
Company A was now twenty-eight soldiers and one officer.
We moved slowly down the river bank at about 2100 hours,
in total darkness, to the pontoon foot bridge. I could see that
there was a rope to hold onto, and the last words I heard were
“Don’t fall in, as nobody will attempt to rescue you.” The
river was at flood stage, so water was splashing over the teninch plank bridge. Fortunately, the water on the bridge did
not freeze, even though the temperature was below freezing.
We expected to see elements of the 302d Infantry Regiment,
but we found ourselves alone on a fairly wide river bank. The
battalion formed into two columns to climb the Hockerberg,
which was in the Waldgut Hundscheid. Companies A, C, and
F were on the north side, and B, D, and E were about 100 yards
south. Headquarters Company followed in the rear. A forward
observer team from the 284th Field Artillery Battalion, which
was equipped with 105mm howitzers, accompanied Companies A and B and battalion headquarters. The Hockerberg was
almost vertical in places, and it was largely covered in bushes
and trees. The only way to move forward was on hands and
knees, clinging to bushes and following the sound of the person
in front of you. The Rangers were trained to move silently, but
the loose tops on the anti-tank mines we were carrying rattled
with every step. The rattling drew the attention
of the German artillery which, unable to see us,
fired rounds indiscriminately. Fortunately, we
suffered no casualties. On two occasions, I lost
contact with the Ranger in front of me, but I kept
on moving upward while privately praying for
guidance. The temperature was below freezing, but we all were soaked in sweat. Also, for
unknown reasons, my compass did not work.
Although we did not know it, the Hockerberg was
filled with iron ore.
However, we knew we were moving on
a ten-degree azimuth. So, sometime in the
early morning, Company A commander, Captain
Parker, asked the 284th Field Artillery spotter to
request two rounds to be fired at a long range but
on a ten-degree azimuth. These shots enabled us
to orient ourselves. At first light, about 0530, on
24 February, we arrived at the top of the mountain
and at the edge of the forest. We could see what
appeared to be a plateau with clusters of trees. We
used this concealed area to reorganize.
About 150 yards in front of Company A
was a pillbox that appeared to be unmanned.
Sergeant Thomas and I took a small patrol to
investigate. We soon found nineteen unarmed
German soldiers enjoying breakfast. Their first
reaction was laughter, as they thought we were
Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Sullivan assumed command of the 5th Ranger Battalion
in July 1944 and led the battalion through the
end of the war. (U.S. Army Special Operations
Command History Office)
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This map shows XX Corps’ attack across the Saar River, including the 5th Ranger
Battalion’s infiltration behind German lines to block the Irsch-Zerf Road. (U.S. Army
Special Operations Command History Office)
Germans in American uniforms. We quickly took our first nineteen prisoners but lost the element of surprise as
the other pillboxes were somehow notified of our presence. Our compasses were still unreliable, so we asked the
284th Field Artillery Battalion to fire another two rounds on a ten-degree azimuth. It became apparent that we
faced a series of pillboxes all facing southeast, which was the natural avenue of attack. So, the ten-degree azimuth
had us attacking on a diagonal. This partially protected us from the overlapping fire of adjacent pillboxes. As
for the pillboxes, our plan of attack was to blow open the rear doors rather than attack them frontally. As sunset
approached, we had captured over 100 prisoners.
Before it got completely dark, we could see a group of farmhouses on our right front. I led a patrol, and,
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Then First Lieutenant Charles “Ace” Parker
(right) is congratulated by 5th Ranger Battalion
commander Lieutenant Colonel Max F. Schneider
after Parker was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on D-Day. Parker would
later be promoted to captain and command
Company A, 5th Ranger Battalion, during the
Battle of Irsch-Zerf. (U.S. Army Special Operations Command History Office)
although we thought the houses looked empty, we found the occupants hidden in the cellars. After posting a guard detail, we secured
the prisoners in a barn and moved inside. We told the prisoners
they would not be harmed if they stayed put. The occupants of the
farmhouses gave us several loaves of black bread, the likes of which
I had never seen, and which I initially thought were rotten. Hunger
drove me to taste my first pumpernickel bread. We also discovered
smoked hams in each fireplace chimney and made delicious sandwiches with the bread. This meal was a welcome improvement
over military-issue rations.
At daylight the next day, 25 February, we left the farmhouses
and moved to the Irsch-Zerf road under sporadic firing from the
woods. We found two pillboxes (Nos. 157 and 159) in our perimeter that were unoccupied, and we put our prisoners inside them.
Company A was the first to reach the road known locally as the
Saarburger Road. We quickly placed mines on the road and set up
machine gun coverage. At about 0830, a German staff car with an
officer and three soldiers stopped when they saw the mines. We
captured them, a doctor and three medics, along with a considerable amount of medical supplies. The doctor expressed disbelief
that Americans were 4,000 meters behind the front lines. After
recovering from his dismay, he decided he was a doctor first and a
German officer second, so he and his medical team went to work
on both wounded Americans and Germans.
As the day went on, we continued to take prisoners. Next, a
German half-track filled with soldiers hit a mine, and its occupants
quickly surrendered. Later, a German tank hunter, or Panzerjäger,
was stopped by a Ranger rocket launcher. Other Ranger companies
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destroyed several German vehicles.
Since our lines were under German artillery observation, enemy
rounds and rockets landed frequently in our perimeter. Suddenly,
the rounds stopped and an attack by about 200 German infantrymen
came from the south. We called in support from the 284th Field
Artillery Battalion and broke up the attack. We soon learned that
the 284th was assigned to support us exclusively, and there were
three other XX Corps artillery units that were on call to provide
fire support.
The two days allotted to our mission had now passed, but where
was the 10th Armored Division? As darkness fell, it became misty
and foggy. An estimated 300 German soldiers then attacked from
the east; we saw them before they saw us. Our plan called on us to
let them walk through without giving away our position. Several
German soldiers walked within a few feet of my foxhole but never
saw me. When the last German cleared our perimeter, Sergeant
Thomas gave the order open fire, and we shot the Germans in the
back. Many surrendered and we collected another ninety prisoners.
That night passed without any other serious German actions.
At about 1400 hours on 26 February, the Germans mounted another major attack from the southwest. They overran my Company
A positions and the result was chaotic. In most cases, we were still
dug in our foxholes, and Captain Parker gave the 284th spotter team
an order to “fire for effect” on our position. The 284th questioned
the order but finally agreed. I hid low in my hole and tried to stay
under my helmet. Dozens of 105mm howitzer rounds roared in
and detonated. The Germans were slaughtered by shell fragments;
many of those who were not killed surrendered. Years later, I met
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Rangers of the 5th Battalion slowly advance through thick
woods shortly after crossing the Saar River on 23 February 1945.
(National Archives)
Corporal Ralph Winkler, who was in the 284th Field Artillery Battalion command center when the request to “fire on our position”
was received. Winkler personally described to me the mass confusion and reluctance the request caused—the 284th’s mission was
to support the 5th Rangers, not kill them. I heard Captain Parker’s
end of the dialog, and the language he used is of a type not normally
heard in church and will not be repeated here.
By dawn on 27 February, now into the third day of our two-day
mission, we had very little food and were dangerously low on ammunition. I had no food and only one clip for my M1; however, I had
a German rifle and some ammunition. But again we asked, “Where
was the 10th Armored Division?” The German artillery rounds and
rockets were becoming more frequent. Someone suggested taking
the German prisoners out of the pillboxes and putting them up on
top. With the prisoners on top of Pillbox No. 157 to “protect” us,
the incoming rounds decreased significantly as the Germans were
reluctant to fire on their own soldiers. I might add that this approach
made security impossible, so some of the prisoners escaped.
On 28 February, the 284th Field Artillery Battalion sent their
L-4 liaison planes over our perimeter to drop food and ammunition from 500 feet. Unfortunately, German machine gun fire drove
them up to 1,500-2,000 feet, and as a result, no food dropped into
the Ranger perimeter, and the ammunition was battered and useless. Battalion Chaplain Joseph Lacy came to visit Company A,
and I told him I was scared that I would be killed. He replied that
everyone was scared, but the important thing was not to let the men
you lead know it.
On 1 March 1945, the 284th’s L-4s came back, but this time
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The 284th Field Artillery Battalion was assigned the mission of supporting
the 5th Ranger Battalion during the Irsch-Zerf battle. The battalion’s wellplaced artillery barrages broke up several German attempts to overwhelm
the Ranger perimeter. (National Archives)
they dropped canisters of machine gun belts. We had to clean every
round, but the results were reasonably good. We got an order to
capture several enemy strong points to the south, in the Kalfertshaus
area that we had bypassed in our attack. We attacked under a rolling
artillery barrage and captured a pillbox by blasting open the back
door. Approximately fifty Germans surrendered. One officer, who
spoke perfect English, expressed surprise that we could follow an
artillery barrage so closely. That night, a hungry German police
dog wandered into our perimeter. We fed him, and he became a
superb sentry as he growled at noise indiscriminately, whether it
was German or American.
As dusk fell, I was in my foxhole when I heard a noise behind
me. I turned around to shoot toward the noise and recognized Chaplain Lacy crawling toward me on his stomach. I grabbed him and
pulled him into my foxhole. He said “I was just passing through the
neighborhood and thought I’d drop in and say hello.” He had come
to comfort me, of course, and to this day, I remember his wonderful
sense of humor and the way it lifted my spirits. Military chaplains
are the too-often unsung heroes of the troops serving in war zones.
Chaplain Lacy also told me, if you see your “buddy” killed, it is
correct to say a prayer but also okay to say to yourself, “I’m truly
sorry, but I’m glad it is not me!”
On the morning of 2 March, Company A, which had started
this mission with about forty men and three officers, was reduced
to eighteen men and one officer. My platoon, initially of about
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After capturing this pillbox, No. 157, the 5th
Rangers used it to house German prisoners.
In an effort to reduce the heavy German shelling falling on their perimeter, the Rangers
ordered the prisoners on top of the pillbox,
and as a result, incoming rounds decreased
significantly. (Author’s Collection)
Chaplain Joseph Lacy (right),
being presented the Distinguished Service Cross by Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder
for his actions on D-Day, helped
maintain morale among the
Rangers during the Battle of
Irsch-Zerf. (U.S. Army Special
Operations Command History
Office)
twenty men, was down to eight. At about 0730, the Germans attacked, but we were
dug in and easily threw back the attackers. There was a rumor that the 10th Armored
Division had made contact with Company E and carried off wounded Rangers and
some prisoners. If the rumor was true, Company A received no benefit from their
proximity. In the early evening, German artillery blasted the area with little or no
result. However, the shelling continued that night at a frenzied pace, and we were
pinned in our foxholes, even for biological functions.
On 3 March, several members of the German 2d Mountain Division walked
into Company A’s perimeter and surrendered. They reported through an interpreter
that their regiment was almost annihilated, that their commanding officer was killed,
and that their regiment no longer functioned. They also said that their assigned mission was to destroy the Rangers by killing or capturing the entire unit. They were
astounded at our small size.
About 150 Germans attacked from both the north and the west the following
day, 4 March. However, by this time the foliage had been destroyed, so we had a
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The Irsch-Zerf Road as it appears today. In 1957, the West German government tore down the remaining pillboxes in the area.
(Author’s Collection).
wide open field of crossfire. Additionally, the 284th Field Artillery
Battalion gave us supporting fire. We captured about fifty more
prisoners and killed many more.
Finally, on 5 March, the 5th Ranger Battalion was relieved by the
302d Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division. During its nine-day
battle behind enemy lines, the 5th Ranger Battalion killed or captured
over 600 soldiers, and wounded an equal number. President Harry
S. Truman later acknowledged our accomplishment by awarding the
Presidential Unit Citation to the 5th Ranger Battalion.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
Postscript: In my conversation with Major General Walker
after the war, I asked him if a decision had been made to abandon
the 5th Ranger Battalion for the greater good. He said that things
like that do happen. In this case, however, although the 10th Armored Division forded the river with orders to turn south, relieve
the 5th Rangers, and destroy the German 2d Mountain Division,
their orders were changed to attack Trier. The plight of the Rangers
was never discussed.
The only other survivor of the Battle of Irsch-Zerf known to me
is Daniel Farley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Daniel has reviewed this
article and contributed several helpful details and suggestions. O
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roger B. Neighborgall entered the service from West
Virginia in 1941. He was awarded the Bronze Star and
the Silver Star for his actions during his service with the
5th Ranger Battalion. He returned from World War II
to finish his undergraduate degree at Duke University.
Upon graduation, he entered the corporate world
specializing in the government/business sector where he
served for sixty years.
Roger has appeared on both the History Channel
and Discovery Channel in World War II programs. He
resides in Falls Church, Virginia.
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