Nightmare Kall Trail
The next morning, parts of the 116. Panzer Division attacked with infantry and tanks. The surprise is successful and the 112. U.S. Regiment retreated under serious losses to Kommerscheid. At times it was a pure flight. But even under these circumstances a remarkable fighting spirit developed. Three Sherman tanks of Lieutnant Fleig challenged five German tanks successfully, the only U.S. victory on an otherwise terrible day. In the meantime some German Panzers moved on towards Kommerscheid but a strong U.S. barrage changed course.
In the night to November 5, the Americans managed to bring six tanks and nine tank destroyers to Kommerscheid. But the Kall Trail was already interrupted by German forces in the early morning and destroyed the security at the Mestrenger bridge. That made an ordered retreat impossible. November 5 developed into one single fright for the GIs. The situation in Kommerscheid got hopeless, the pressure of the German tanks increased by the hour. The battalion commander was the first to crack and became a casualty with nervous breakdown. First, only single U.S. soldiers ran away, then entire companies. The survivors stumbled by the Kall valley back to Vossenack
The next morning the drama went on undiminished. A German counterattack on Vossenack was prepared. First there was an artillery blow. Then at 11.00, Panzergrenadiers and infantry pushed forward from the north and the east towards the village centre.
Panic broke out amongst the GIs. Weapons and equipment were thrown away and they tried loudly to reach the village, while the German artillery was steering destruction fire on Vossenack. A few officers and sergeants succeeded in building up a thin front line nearby the church. Just about 70 American opposed the Germans. In the early evening both parties met at the church and a merciless fight began with spades, bayonets, bazookas, knives and bare fists. The church changed hands repeatedly. Sometimes the one sat on the gallery, the others in the sacristy, even the altar was used for protection.
The battle carried on in Vossenack on November 7. Church and cemetery changed repeatedly hands but the German force had shrunk except for a pitiful rest of 50 men and is pushed out of the village by the evening. In the meantime, the pressure on the survivors got worse in Kommerscheid. The remaining US tanks were put out of action by a growing number of German Jagd Panther (tank destroyer Panzer V) and self propelled artillery of the type "Hummel" (bumble-bee) and the crews turned off to flight. Cota realized that the battle had got senseless and ordered the retreat across the Kall.
The balance of the attack on Schmidt was disastrous. Of the two battalions which had moved forward on Schmidt and Kommerscheid, just 300 returned to their initial positions. 6, 00 had fallen, missed, wounded, or been taken prisoner. 3 000 victims had to be lamented on a German side.
Altogether, the attack of the 28 U.S. Infantry Division on Schmidt had cost more than 6 000 victims. The worst sacrifice of honour which any US Division before and after World War II had had to endure. And it was not over yet. The 28. Division was relieved and transferred for refreshing to the Ardennes. Destiny wanted that again, it would be the 116. Panzer Division which would make a terrible mess out of 28. Division for a second time during the Battle Of The Bulge in the Ardennes, but this is another story.
The All Souls Day Battle was finished with the resignation of Cota. However, the fight for the Hürtgenwald was not. The Americans attacked again and again and suffered terrible losses again and again. As if they had not studied the mistakes made at Schmidt. By the end of November, the 22. Regiment of the 4. U.S. Division lost 3 178 men alone at the two-week battles for the villages of Hürtgen and Großhau . A loss instalment of 100%!
Schmidt and Kommerscheid were lost at long last for the Germans in February 1945. Oh yes, the dams were also taken. But it did not change anything. German sappers blew them up and put the Rur valley under water for several weeks.
In this senseless sacrifice of honour the Americans lost 55 000 of their men, the Germans 13 000