Letter # 134 November 24, 1943

Nov 24, 1943
Thanksgiving eve.
Dear Mummy;
Well, here it is Wed evening already. Boy these past 3 days sure did go fast, and we are now back in camp. Got in about 1830 this eve.
I'm very sorry I couldn't get a chance to write to you on Mon or Tues, but they sure as hell kept me too busy. Only had about an hour's sleep Monday night and when we got through about 2000 last night I was too tired and I would have had to write by flashlight so I just didn't. As it turned out, the mailman didn't come out today so I couldn't have mailed it anyhow.
I'll tell you a little about it. We left here Mon. morning about 1100 with 15 tanks. Baker and myself, the only mechanics. The motor Lt. Lt.Newberger, was along, but of course, he isn't a lot of help. Just takes the responsibility of the job from me. I let him make the decisions after I tell him what I think and that leaves me in the clear if anything happens. He's O.K. Always rides in the half track with us mechanics. Just one of the boys. When we are out, offers his cigarettes and bums them if he's out.
To get on with the story we had a couple breakdowns on the way that afternoon. Accelerator stuck on one and generator quit on the other. Took an hour or so to get them both rolling again. Got to our bivouac area about 1800 and then the troubles started rolling in. Captain's peep wasn't running very good. That was the first job. Didn't take very long because we didn't have anything to fix it with, along. Cylinder head gasket was leaking water into one cylinder.
Then had a blown out boggie wheel. That's the small hard rubber tired wheels that support the tank and roll on the tracks. Maybe it sounds crazy to say "blown out" but that is the term. They get so hot from the friction that the rubber tread just explodes. Sounds like a gun when they go out. About an hour to do that job.
Another was missing, one magneto was out of action. Fixed that up and it was O.K. Another needed a clutch adjustment, couldn't shift gears. About an hour for that job. Then came the good one. Driver reported that his accelerator was sticking. Thought it was the usual 10 minute job, but it wasn't. The cable from the driver's seat in front, back to the engine, had "frozen up". Have to just about take the damn tank apart to get it out. Baker and I worked until 1 in the morning getting that fixed. That was a rather tough job. Blackout camp. Weren't even allowed to smoke. Had to work with flashlights with blue paper over the lens. It only sheds a very small amount of light. Supposed to be under conditions that would exist in actual combat. Well anyhow we did it. That was all the troubles so we thought we would get a little sleep. Went to the half track to get my bedroll and someone had beaten me to it. Both blankets were gone. One of the boys, the one that drives the half track for us, had forgotten his roll and had just helped himself to mine. I still had a G.I. comforter and the shelter half and thought I could get along with it. Flopped down and went to sleep like a light. Hardly seemed to get asleep and somebody was shaking me. Time to get up he says. I asked him, "What the hell?" "I just laid down."
"Hell", he says, "It's 02:30 already. What you kicking about?" "Chow in 15 minutes and be ready to move out, blackout, for a dawn attack at 0330."
I had gotten awake by then and realized I was shivering like a dog shitting bricks. Cold as hell. About then I didn't feel so charitable toward the guy that had my blankets. Had chow in pitch dark. Think it was potatoes and scrambled eggs and piss warm coffee but I'll never know for sure. Loaded up our tools and bed rolls ready to move out. Runner comes up with the news that one tank wouldn't crank over. Gathered me up an armful of tools and took out. I had a suspicion what was wrong. Hydrostatic lock. [oil or gasoline gathering in one of the lower cylinders and keeping it from turning over] Sure enough, that was the trouble. Only took long enough to remove a couple spark plugs and drain off the oil, then she took off.
We started off on our march, pitch black night, only stars for light. One tank just follows the other by the exhaust flashes. Cross country through woods, over creeks & washouts, logs and stumps and everything. Took us until 0630 to cover about 5 miles to the scene of the attack. Waited about 45 minutes for daybreak and started the attack using blank ammunition.
The officials had laid out the battle ground and had other tanks concealed in strategic positions all over the area. The company knew nothing of the location of these guns and were supposed to make their plans as they went along.
We followed along behind the last tanks and watched. It was rather fun. Our tanks, according to the referees, didn't do so good. Lost 9 of our tanks, but put all the enemy guns out of action. Too costly, the referees say.
The enemy also had snipers out with Tommy guns, some in trees, some in foxholes and they took shots at us as we went by. One of the tank commanders, they ride with their heads out of the top of the turret, part of the time, so they can see better, spotted a sniper up a pine tree and called to him, not to shoot or he would knock his tree down. Just sounded funny as hell. The "battle" was over by 1000 and we gathered and stopped to repair and refuel the tanks.
Several small jobs and one big one. A blown exhaust port on one of the engines. I got it all taken off only to find that the bolt threads were stripped out of the cylinder. Couldn't be fixed in the field so I wired her up with bailing wire and we sent it back home as a cripple. First casualty when I was along.
It was 1430 before we were ready to move out for the next bivouac area. Just got started and a set of clutch throw out bearings gave out. Changed them and believe it or not they all made it to the area without any more trouble. Got there about 1900 and by the time I had supper and read your Sat. letter [by firelight] I was ready for bed. Two busy days with only about an hour's sleep was about enough for the old man.
This bivouac wasn't tactical and we could have fires. I unrolled my bed, I had it all this time, by the fire and boy did I sleep. 8-5:30 and don't believe I moved a muscle all night.
Didn't have so very much repairing this morning, only a couple sets of throw out bearings to replace and I was done with that by the middle of the morning.
The company was firing the 75 M.M. Cannon today, so the motor Lt. got me in on it. Mechanics aren't given any training on that. We were each firing 5 shells and I surprised myself by hitting two targets at 1200 yards. Boy I'd like to have a truckload of ammunition to fire. It's fun. Big bang when she goes off and another when the shell lands. Bullets are loaded with nitro and explode when they hit. That 75 M.M. is about a 3 inch gun. One of my targets was near a pine tree. I missed the target, but boy did I get the pine tree. It just lifted out of the ground and fell. It was a good sized one too. About 10 or 12 inches diameter and 40 ft. tall. Get a lot of action with that kind of stuff. The whole tank jars back a couple inches when the gun fires. I was surprised by the lack of noise inside though. Doesn't bother a bit, but if you are close outside, the ears will ring a long time. Very easy to fire, telescope sights, an electric trigger and another man loads the shells in the gun. The shells weigh about 20 pounds apiece.
We started home just after dinner and boy did we have our troubles. Four more boggie wheels
blew up. We changed one, that was all the spares we had. The other three had to limp along in on "flats". Two had oil pump trouble and one had transmission trouble. We managed to keep them all going and they all pulled in under their own power. That's something, but boy have we got some repairs to make tomorrow.
We covered about 200 miles in the three days. At that we did better than I ever expected.
On the way back Lt. Newberger said he thought we had the best maintenance crew in the battalion. Maybe that was a backhand compliment. I don't know, but I do know I worked like hell to get them all back in.
We will work tomorrow, at least part of the day. Have a damn parade in the evening. Say we will have Thanksgiving dinner at 1730. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I will also answer your letters in my next letter and do a little love making. It's late and I got to clean up a bit. So night sweetheart. I'm loving you.
Your hubby.
Norm.