Doyle Glass Bronze Sculptor "Sgt. John Squires" "Battle of the River Bed"

John Squires Bronze Monument work in progress clay model
Clay stage work in progress of the
John Squires Bronze Monument John Squires Medal of Honor recipient
John Squires

Battle of the River Bed

After a two-week layoff from combat, the 3d began to move into position to relieve the 45th Division on April 11. By 0600 April 16, the Division had completed the relief and was in command, with a mission to straighten out its lines, relieve enemy pressure on vital strong points and improve its defensive positions.
The 7th and 30th Infantry Regiments occupied the new front-line positions, with the 15th in reserve. The 7th's sector, on the left, was wooded and cut with draws, affording the enemy good opportunity for infiltration into our positions. The 3Oth's front was more open, although it was cut with one unusually deep draw, the Spaccasassi Creek, down which the enemy was to attempt several attacks.
The regiments spent the first day locating sniper posts, improving their defensive works, and establishing outposts and listening posts. The 7th sent out a combat patrol to find approach routes for infiltrating troops to more favorable positions.
On the following day, the 2d Battalion of the 30th celebrated its return to combat by firing all its organic: weapons on known enemy positions in a five-minute barrage that shook the lethargic beachhead. That night, the 191st Tank Battalion, attached, fired 120 rounds in a single shoot and started a large fire in the enemy area. The Division had returned to action, blazing away.
The Germans were intent on containing the 3d in its present position and the 3d was determined to straighten the weaving front that offered opportunities for enemy flank attack.
Our combat patrols annoyed the enemy for several days but with no noticeable effect-the scalloped front still remained. On April 21, three combat patrols tried in vain to oust four enemy machine guns that created a bulge in the 7th's sector between Companies K and L. A limited objective attack, the kind the Division had been training for at Torre Astura, was launched against the positions at 2200 April 22 with Company G, supported by four tanks, assaulting. Companies K and L were in support. It was an all- night fight but by daybreak the enemy positions had been destroyed and twenty-seven prisoners had been taken.
Two other plans for raids into enemy territory had been completed and were ready for execution-the operations known as "Mr. Black" and "Mr. Green."
The enemy had made three attacks down the Spaccasassi Creek bed against Company B, 30th Infantry on April 22, so General O'Daniel decided to forestall future pushes by taking he' ground to the immediate front of the lst Battalion of the 30th, in the initial operation.
The "Mr. Black" operation was an attack by Company A of the 30th that developed into one of the bloodiest small encounters that the Division had ever known.
The assault, which began at midnight April 23, was preceded by artillery and mortar fire and introduced the "scorpion" as an advance road-clearer for foot troops. The scorpion, a medium tank with a rotating flailing device made of chains and designed to detonate land mines, led the attack across "no man's land" and up the road that led into the enemy lair. The scorpion, as well as the radio-equipped light tank which followed it as a guide, was quickly put out of action by enemy antitank rocket launchers and two T-2 recovery vehicles were disabled trying to retrieve them and clear the advance route.
Following closely behind the scorpion the company attacked in column of platoons, each platoon supported by a medium tank from the 191st Tank Battalion.
Two houses, located about 400 yards apart on alternate sides of the road, were objectives of two of the platoons. The third platoon was to cross the open fields, drive the enemy from the banks of Spaccasassi Creek and establish an outpost near the bend in the river.
The attack was to be "fast, aggressive and ruthless," but the medium tank with the leading 3d platoon struck a mine and the advance was temporarily halted. Enemy mortar and artillery fire caused numerous casualties among our bunched-up infantry, mostly members of the Ist platoon, which was following the 3d.
With their platoon leader, two squad leaders, the platoon guide and radio operator wounded and out of action, the remaining members of the 1st platoon joined with the 2d platoon, which by now had bypassed the 3d platoon and was crossing the open fields toward the Spaccasassi.
Fire from machine guns and small arms was turned on the men from all directions as they headed for the creek-from houses far up the road, from ruins of battered dwellings in the vicinity, from the irrigation ditches and from the numerous shell holes that pocked the area. These hideouts, unoccupied in daylight, had become centers of destruction at night.
One squad reached the river bank and plunged down the 25-foot slope that led to the bed, screaming, shouting, and shooting. Several Germans were killed and a number were captured by this -audacious act. Other members of the raiding force who had lived through the withering fire in the open field slid down the river bank. The group was being reassembled when pointblank fire from enemy guns placed in the river bend drove them back with more casualties. The 3d Division men stood toe-to-toe and slugged until the enemy withdrew to a point of safety beyond the bend.
The enemy had converted the high river banks into a system of foxholes and dugouts that were interconnected by narrow footpaths which afforded convenient avenues of approach and exit. Facing an emplaced enemy, the platoon came under heavy artillery fire at this point and was forced to move north up the gully out of range.
This "battle of the river bed" continued all night but fire gradually subsided because neither force could see the enemy positions on account of the intervening river bend During the night a platoon from Company K, 15th Infantry, arrived and one squad took positions in the river bed while two evacuated the wounded.
The first light of day revealed an unoccupied ditch with field fire into the enemy's foxholes and dugouts. It was here that Pfc. John C. Squires particularly distinguished himself. Squires, at the time 18 years old and engaged in his first combat, had been performing far above and beyond the normal call of duty all through the night's hellish activity. When Company A's 1st platoon was badly hit, during the night, Squires volunteered to go forward and see what had become of it, returning to report that its platoon leader and platoon sergeant were wounded, and that his platoon could go around and carry on the fight.
"Not many of us thought very much of the idea, said Radioman Pfc. James T. Simmons. "There was nothing ahead except high explosive and lead all the way to the creek. Nevertheless, our platoon leader gave the order to move out."
The platoon moved forward under a terrific concentration of fire, suffering along the way. When it reached Spaccasassi Creek the situation became nearly intolerable. In addition to heavy fire which converged on the creek the enemy was within hand-grenade range.
One after another each NCO became wounded. Squires thereupon took charge and coolly placed the remaining men of the platoon in firing positions as though it were a tactical exercise and the battlefield miles away. Following this he volunteered to return to the company CP for reinforcements, which he did returning about an hour later with his trousers ripped to shreds from enemy fire, but bringing with him Company A's 2d platoon, a light machine gun, and a bazooka squad from Company K, 15th Infantry.
" . . . The Germans counterattacked our outpost three times in the early morning of April 24," said Pvt. Cleo A. Toothman, "from our front, both flanks and our rear, using every weapon at their command.
. . . I should like to express the opinion that Pfc. Squire, was in great part responsible for our successful defense. In the first attack he operated a German Spandau machine gun until it jammed, then used both a rifle and BAR just as effectively. In the second, he used the borrowed BAR. Before the third attack he obtained information concerning the operation, assembly and disassembly of his Spandau machine gun from a captured German officer, reduced the stoppage in his weapon, and surrounded himself with ammunition. When the counterattack developed Pfc. Squires fired three full belts of ammunition (750 rounds) into the oncoming enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. He was. in every sense of the word, an inspiration to all of us.
"After the third counterattack Pfc. Squires went down the Spaccasassi Creek bed alone in a personal manhunt for Germans who still remained in their holes. One by one he silenced enemy machine pistols which opened up on him, setting up his Spandau in the midst of the enemy fire which missed him by only a few inches each time, and firing his weapon until the Germans were forced to surrender. Alone, Pfc. Squires captured twenty-one prisoners in this unique manner, and collected thirteen more Spandau machine guns. These he distributed among the men in the outpost, placed them in firing position, and instructed his comrades in their cleaning and operation."
Said Rifleman Pvt. Aubra Smith, "The desire to close with and eliminate the Jerries whenever and wherever he could find them inspired confidence in me as this was my first taste of real offensive fighting and I was not overly confident. Although it was Pfc.Squires' first fighting, too, he. couldn't wait to get at the Jerries and clean them out of their holes.
"Pfc. Squires was an inspiration to all of us. His fearlessness showed us what a determined man could do to the so-called Nazi superman."
Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action . He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The "battle of the river bed" successfully completed the Division's first limited-objective, infantry-tank attack, since the 3d platoon had seized its objective early, capturing a number of prisoners, an 88mm antitank rocket launcher, and fourteen machine guns in the process. Operation "Mr. Black" extended our outpost line, resulted in penetration of the strongly fortified Spaccasassi Creek banks, brought in forty-seven PWs and marked the decimation of two companies of the 29th Panzer Grenadier Division

Doyle Glass Acrylic & Bronze Sculptor
Executive Officer, Co. A, 30th Infantry, seated outside the Company Command Post tent as he prepared the recommendation which resulted in the award of the Medal of Honor for John Squires and the Silver Star for David Oglesby. Photograph by Sgt. David Ogelsby. Doyle Glass Acrylic & Bronze Sculptor
Sgt. David Ogelsby(right) and friend, Anzio, 1944. Ogelsby and John Squires were both members of Co. A, 30th Infantry, at Anzio. During the "Mister Black" Operation, Ogelsby captured four German soldiers after engaging them in hand to hand combat. In addition to his other heroics that night, John Squires relieved Ogelsby of the prisoners and escorted them back to the main American Line.
The soldier on the left is wearing a "tanker's" jacket. Ogelsby is wearing the two strap combat boot. John Squires wore during the "Mister Black" Operation.

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