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Battery B Heroics On Hill 769 In Italy Action Packed Account
Sgt. Clan Herr of Bluffton Ohio and Lt. Harry Van Ness Newton New Jersey lead observers in Battery B of the 195 mm howitzer unit on Hill 769 north of Filignano. For six days they endure shelling while adjusting fire, spotting enemy positions, and relaying coordinates as 105s fire with relentless volume. The piece highlights near-misses, paratrooper encounters, and the battery’s unorthodox, tireless defense during Salerno and subsequent fighting, with vivid anecdotes and pride from the crew.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fifth Army
Italy
Filignano
Clan Herr
Bluffton
Ohio
Herr
Jerry
Harry van Ness
Newton
N. J
van Ness
Salerno
Battery B
Vincent Shaffer
Anadarko, Okla
Pfc
Elmer, Meier
Kingfisher
Okla
Charles K. Fetzer
Morristown
Meier
Fetzer
Pipestein
National Guard
Anadarko
Brooklyn