Kentucky Medal of Honor memorial, featuring a statue of Squires
Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At the start of his company's attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around Spaccasassi Creek, near Padiglione, Italy, on the night of 23-April 24, 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German Spandau machinegun ammunition at the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks. Following these fights, he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point-blank range, forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and capturing 13 more Spandau guns. Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner, he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation. The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc.
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He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose
There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.
Brings back that comment made a little while ago Jim about knowing your enemies weapons in this case they had in the field instruction on "H*tlers Buzzsaw" think thats what Lee Emery called it.
I've always agreed, one of my contemporaries disagreed though. He said there would always be enough of ours around so no need(?). He must have been right, he rose to exalted heights...I only made Warrant Officer...
He said there would always be enough of ours around so no need(?).
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose
There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.
If the generic term "Spandau" is referring to a MG42 machine gun, I have heard or seen it stated somewhere that allied soldiers were under strict orders not to put captured examples to use because of the distinctive noise that they made and the response was likely to be shell or mortar fire. Obviously the MG's in question in post 1 could have been MG34's; the article isn't specific.
My dad called them that forever after... Yes, using foreign weapons can cause friendly fire to descend on you from all directions...not the best idea. This was a war emergency, which is an acceptable risk.
my old neighbor in Rochester was in the 80th mountain division. While patrolling through some hard wood a MG42 open up. He hit he ground and rolled behind a tree. Then another GI rolled in from the other side. This persisted for a minute or two pushing each other out from behind the tree. He eventually exited and said the as he was laying flat and low on the ground that the bullets were clipping the grass above his head. Then he said he heard the M1's open up and got up and charged hoping that the Germans were not baiting them with captured M1's
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose
There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.
It was known the Germans re-purposed captured weapons on the Eastern, Western and N.Africa to help their cause which thankfully did not alter the outcome thank goodness.
, on the night of 23-April 24, 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German
PM
Originally Posted by Mark in Rochester
