1st Infantry Division, 16th Infantry Regiment, Harz Mountains en route to St. Andreasberg, 14 April 1945

While most books, shows, and movies focus on the epic battles like D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge, any WWII veteran of the 1st Infantry Division would tell you that many Germans fought to the bitter end.

From 25 March – 17 April 1945, the 1st Infantry Division was ordered to attack and surround retreating German forces in the Ruhr. The 1st Infantry Division’s 16th and 18th Infantry Regiments (IRs) led the spearhead through the Harz Mountains. On 14 April 1945, the 16th IR attacked St. Andreasberg, encountering stiff German resistance including Panzers, Self-Propelled Guns (essentially artillery guns on a tank chassis), and desperate German infantry. After a brutal fight, German resistance began to crumble and, on 15 April 1945, German Army Group B, a total of over 317,000 Germans, surrendered.

The going was rough. The thick woods of the Harz Mountains restricted vehicles to the roads, meaning that infantrymen had to either assault prepared German positions along the roads or hump their weapons and living supplies through the mountains. Raymond Gattner, who fought with the 16th IR in WWII, described one such trek through the woods in his journal:

“Before dawn on April 14 we were in trucks and on the road to a place called Sieber. By noon Sieber was far behind us and we were high in the Harz Mountains, en route to St. Andreasberg. Our course was cross-country and through the mountains, up slopes so sheer that we had to pull ourselves up, bleeding fingers clawing desperately for the frail security of tree roots and outcroppings of rock. The thick cushion of pine needles underfoot made a treachery of the most tentative movement, and once a man started to slide, he was fortunate indeed if he could bring himself to a halt before skidding to the bottom, let alone knocking a dozen others into the gully below.”

---

1. M1 Helmet with “Shrimp Net” (the “shrimp net” was used to break up the helmet’s outline and reduce any possible reflections that could alert the enemy to your position)
2. M1 Garand Rifle
3. Jacket, Field, Combat, M-1943 (an excellent upgrade to the previous field jacket, this had four large pockets great for holding rations, toiletries, and, in this case, a knit hat and mittens).
4. M1 Bayonet (though infantrymen rarely saw hand-to-hand fighting in Europe, this was more often used as a can opener than a weapon)
5. Pack, Field (a rucksack that appeared only at the very end of the war in Europe, this contains 2-3 blankets, spare socks/underwear/undershirts, shelter half with pole, stakes, and rope, mess kit, toiletries, and a raincoat). Note that this is different from the “jungle pack” carried in the PTO
6. M6 Gas Mask Bag (the gas mask was “lost” along the way and repurposed to carry hand grenades, a vital weapon for infantrymen)
7. Wool Pants

1. White phosphorus smoke grenade
2. M6 Gas Mask Bag with fragmentation grenades
3. General Purpose (GP) bag with rifle grenades (typically, infantrymen would carry extra ammo for other men in their unit, so even though I’m not carrying a rifle grenade launcher, I could toss this bag to a buddy who does have one to provide our squad extra firepower)
4. Bandoleer with six 8-Round clips of M1 Garand 30-06 ammunition

1. M1 Helmet with “Shrimp Net” (the “shrimp net” was used to break up the helmet’s outline and reduce any possible reflections that could alert the enemy to your position)
2. Jacket, Field, Combat, M-1943 (an excellent upgrade to the previous field jacket, this had four large pockets great for holding rations, toiletries, and, in this case, a knit hat and mittens)

1. Wool shirt (with HBT cloth added on collar for extra comfort)
2. High Neck Sweater
3. Wool Pants
4. M-1943 Double Buckle Boots

1. Pack, Field (a rucksack that appeared only at the very end of the war in Europe, this contains 2-3 blankets, spare socks/underwear/undershirts, shelter half with pole, stakes, and rope, mess kit, toiletries, and a raincoat). Note that this is different from the “jungle pack” carried in the PTO.
2. M1 Garand Rifle
3. M1943 Shovel and Shovel Carrier
4. M1942 First Aid Pouch (contains sulfa powder and a bandage)
5. M1923 Cartridge Belt (with ten 8-Round clips of 30-06 ammunition for the M1 Garand)
6. M1942 Canteen Carrier, Canteen, and Canteen Cup

---

Footage of the 16th IR on 14 April 1945:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdwBBO2DFl4
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bMFjGLgA374
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuJulwfkXls

Bibliography:
James Scott Wheeler, The Big Red One: America’s Legendary 1st Infantry Division: Centennial Edition 1917-2017, pg 350-352.
Raymond Gantter, Roll Me Over: An Infantryman’s World War II, 329-334.
Stephane Lavit & Philippe Charbonnier, Allied Units of World War Two: The First (US) Infantry Division, 72.