ISU Library Shelley Collection: Box 8, Reel 7

hello w-h-o this is your war correspondent Jack Kelly recording again from somewhere at Holland the Germans both in the southern Belgium is steadily crumbling these days if you've been told under the closing pincers of the American church family in the north and the Third Army from the south but it's still a hard and bitter fight and I hope you haven't been given the impression that the Nazi opposition has suddenly fallen apart or that the struggle has become an easy route I heard the other day for example to some newspapers in London reported the situation in the boat was remindful of the days of the American breakthrough in French now that gives an impression of a great sweeping Drive in which our forces night through with blinding speed and then mr. round to cut off huge numbers of the enemy and to think that's the way the battle has gone down there in the snowdrift and the bitter spirit of the Ardennes and the tank men who've had to fight their way slowly forward and what to my mind has been one of the bitterest defensive actions Americans ever fought against almost indescribable handicaps of terrain and weather I've been down on the first on this one again and I can tell you that although the enemy is being pushed steadily back and is very defensive into Belgium is a thing of the past every yard of these games must still be paid for at a high cost in many parts of the front we're still flogging our way through dense forests of pine and painfully working our way up the steep bridges fighting to smooth this many people trying to pick our way through dense German minefields and against the furious Nazi fire the Germans may be withdrawing from a large part of the boat but the rear guards they leave behind to protect that withdrawal are fighting all the harder but the weather thank goodness was taking a turn for the better the last few days and the bright sun was shining although the air was still cold and crisp when I went down to business the 3rd Armored Division which is been doing one of the outstanding jobs of this litter campaign and I fear that the same we have missed so severely during the earlier stages of this attack in support all up in the core blue ceiling I saw 200 American heavy bombers grown over within five minutes their Cooper bodies gleaming in the winter sunlight long white paper trails caused by their passage through the cold atmosphere of the high-altitude unrolling behind them long before you can see the planes themselves you spot these trails of white advancing through the blue and after the Bombers of past the milky craters hang in the sky for hours to have these paths thrown over a beautiful site that made almost every soldier who wasn't actually locked in battle stops to look up in the file it's good to see your own air power up after so many days when you didn't have it because of weather farther south over the German line types of anti-aircraft fire began to appear among the bomber formations tiny little white balls that advance the head of the planer the bomber has altered their course now and then but otherwise seems unaffected by the flak they headed on apparently bones for a target B from the German boat we went along out of the front and in a small room of a typical shell torn Belgian village we talked the general rules the handsome gray-haired school commander of the 3rd Armored Division as we caught we had to cut off our conversation over to you a moment when the blast of our own artillery rounds out every other phone took the house and rattled a few windows left in the break there was a real fight going on and the village government of Baron held by the German we heard a colonel commanding a task force report by radio from a commanding tank into the town and was fighting his way through it against bitter opposition we move down closer I saw a strike it made the fighting men here first thing up in the blue were American Thunderbolt fighter bombers they peeled off their formation one by one and seen the screaming Dalton the target just on the other side of the wooded hill from where we stood it was the best view of a dive bombing I've had yet you can plainly see the cluster a bomb is released from the plane to reach the bottom of the diary you can hear the rattle of German anti-aircraft fire as the bunker bull's nose out on the target and then the blast of the bombs they fell a conduction we can feel from one we could one by one the plane part of the German position you can see the smiles and broaden on the faces of the armored division men this was the kind of air support they had gone without for days as they battled through snow and fog in bitter cold the air armor combination moves often before we're getting a chance to function again by the time we left this to the bitterly fought town of Mortain upon had been cleared we went back by way of Precure little delays near a vital top road where some of the most savage fighting of this whole attack raged within the last week all the news back to the crossroad there was evidence of the deadly battle here lay the frozen body of a German soldier an American beside the Lord burned out pain many of them most of them ours because we were attacking some of the tanks turned completely over others groaning the curse hurled yards away from the rest of the cafe the film buildings of the little town of break do something together only a few blackened walls left spending and the trees of the forest along the road torn and splintered and those that were not broken off gallery by flying crap no yes the German phone is being collapsed but please in the name of the brave men who are fighting and dying here don't let anyone tell you it's easy it's bitter and brutal and it takes time what's incredible courage and endurance and a lot of American lives this is actually speaking from somewhere in Holland I return you to Des Moines okay NBC recording that was the first of my two recordings each of about four minutes duration to be sent if you please right away by air express to the newsroom radio station w-h-o Des Moines Iowa I'll be up for the second and last of those two recordings in ten seconds from now hello w-h-o this is your war correspondent Josh Kelly speaking from someone hollow it seems to be human nature to indulge in wishful thinking and speculation about the future and one of the most common examples is the way all of us want to hear somebody else's prediction of when the war is going to end just about everybody over here at one time or another has given his weighty personal opinion on when Germany would be defeated and by this time practically all of those ridiculous including those of some very important military and government officials have been proved wrong most of the gases have been so far off base in fact that it's hard to find anybody these days who wants to risk again Field Marshal Montgomery at his press conference recently made it clear he didn't intend to when a reporter asked him when the European war was going to end we nearly laughed he said I'm not playing on that one but I thing to learn the other day if the Germans evidently find predictions about the end of the war just as fascinating as we do apparently they'll swallow almost anything along that line at least the sample I throw was so fantastic but I find it hard to understand how Nazi soldiers even when they thought first high and their new offensive was going great guns but really believed it as apparently they did 30th US Infantry Division obtained from a German prisoner of war a copy of a fantastic series of forecasts which the prisoner said were circulated among his entire battalion and presumably among others as well the caption on the predictions claim they were made by a Swedish fortune-teller whose name was given as van green alternative woofster belief in his alleged charting of the future the propaganda she declared this dream with well known for his predictions about the first world war Russian Revolution of 1917 and for for in 1936 the beginning of this war then the Nazi caption went on to say that this boom boom I for one never heard of and participe Allies would invade France early in June 1944 one would have thought that if this fortune-teller was the good girl would have had better luck in leading that invasion anyway you might like to hear some of the tripe credited by the Nazis to this man green which was being circulated among the German troops as very serious predictions about the future here are some of them but remember this is a Nazi propaganda creature to be imported first of all the fortune teller declared the Elijah would suffer a great repeat late in 1944 if by that he met the German Tatars answer the question the Belgian it's certainly falling short of what most Germans expected then he went on to make this over from the new prediction I knew German weapon with fantastic capabilities of destruction ease their forepaws great chaos in England okay are we added with citizen not big autocracy out of which England will not be able to avert without German help having warmed up on those the fortune teller haven't they decided the flow of caution configured to the wind really had himself a dream so he went on in April 1945 he's pretty good German in will be able to use her for might on the Eastern Front and within 15 months Russia will be defeated then he adds family Russia will probably be divided into fall see if anything gonna write a note how the Nazis talk about that prospect for Russia the great satisfaction but whenever anyone proposes that Germany is broken up into small space but not they swear that this would be the greatest crime in history then taking another drags on the green pipe damage fortune teller what on during the summer of 1946 be fed human-robot beaufort will destroy the remainder of the anglo-american troops and having won this great paper victory for the nazis the enemies decided it was time and did something nice for hitler's Japanese partners as well so he came up with this whopper for them Japan during September of 1946 he said for being supremacy over all of China Australia and the southeast part of India to the gap up to their eyes and defending the Philippines these days that's what it should must really be a great comfort then the nature his lineup of guesses ended with the German version of they lived happily forever after the fortune teller wound up with this one after the end of the war he said all Europe will be left five Germany and will prosper as never before well it's hard to believe that even the top again buyers billion forged the gates in the dream what apparently a lot of them could but absolutely no foolish but the bones in the belt in the falling back now the tide appears to be turning against Western armies are hammering harder than others in these may be the only way the Germans can keep going it's a distance out with such idle dream as though as I've reported to you perhaps but never forget one thing whether he is dope with propaganda or not the Gilman is still fighting and fighting well over the long run he has the tent but it will still take credit to knock him out this is Josh Hollan I returned you city boy alright NBC that winds up my to reporting to defense please is the radio station w-h-o Des Moines Iowa formative I've only got one piece okay then I'll start off with one piece which will you please Eric French to the usual radio station wh Voldemort narcotics and then secondly from now this is a war correspondent Kelly Holly there's alert referred to the setting quality of American troops over it but even during these times I suppose some people and the comfort of our home but if you're near it I know that described as a sheer raw physical curry our fighters in display the route is death the other day I saw an example of a Belgian town that seemed at first glance all this confronted a defector the rich boys with the 30th Infantry Division left in universes and their seven spices experience and is one of their officers serving later in our men but strip this town the town was too much a little place is possibly not more than a hundred population deter develop a static map editor in southern Belgium southeast of mount may be fine very more on a good many map I don't suppose the battle at this place there will even go down of intruders but I want to tell you against the cutting room there's no spirit demonstrations of trade today today we're fighting off forever the truth you have to choose very more winners there I think you've got the bat of his life another reporter and I were the first fork funny story of the town after it recurred German child was falling now a man along the road is intended to place the bodies of American and German dead with coal lying in the federal building it's not a burnt powder spirit fills the air and the streets were littered with the current flow through things and coverages the Pinstripe that met our eyes when we got out of our deep we're 200 men 101 in German we looked over by evening we variable power and found a battalion commander there's an internal Alex Williamson is wrought with North Carolina you'll actually excuse me if I don't get all your things Otis here especially best from the concussion of a German shell at the height of the better senators anything it's a man who's at first defining 120 regiments of the video the after that there's a major part in the savage fight to avoid like milk dog encounters the houses are not doing this together instead that started widely the first we're welcome to crazy with 2550 sometimes 100 yards between them and each housing good and solid spring with enormous experiment with heavy story if it's and even the entire for the head of show by man if I love each stone house eternity literal fortress by fanatical German to not the parrot rooster before a hail of fire diamond as they advanced over the deadly open spaces between the building there was no cover for the American not even a tree or bush in most places they were silhouetted against the snow as their struggle through deep grip bananas 1st battalion 120th regimen at Fort sister 30th division all the way from prints there was the rotted ones with more time they Buster's being everything the Nazis hydrocodone but these German Paris all young men averaging about 20 years of age they're by far the most fanatical best trained truth they'd ever met and they bristled the automatic weapon machine gun automatic sister and all the rest with plenty of ammunition the battle lasted almost four days across the heavy plate the Germans were so fanatical they even mowed down their own men with machine guns when some of them surrender to be pickin out of town on the upper edge of cherry more on the side of the hill stands a big three-story stone building it is a virtual report it over let the path our men had to follow to reach the town and from another side give the pure line of fire into every other building in the place win that power the Germans packed 45 men armed with machine guns inaudible out of each of a dozen windows there were Germans at all three floors nothing but open space for men to advance work how do you think the place like that that's what I'm good nothing else for did it we were supported by a small number of paint but the weather was bitter food and their radios didn't function properly the leaders got out of those tank the faster the beautiful grounds drawing a hail of fire than filled and worthy hand signals to the tanks to follow them into the proper places other leaders of the foot soldiers stood up in the earthen rallying their men to the church firing their weapons from the dip advancing with the German threat from the village one lieutenant he was just one or two men who died a hero's death that day stood up in the Tata to his men come on that's her get him that's early they found him literate a good at between his eyes the Germans were structurally any layers he fell facing the enemy our tank that's the proof from is going for our men lost 10 grenades and fired Brazil earth through the apertures they headed the building as they cleaned out one floor the Germans kept fighting on the stairs above tossing down hand grenades the Nazis fought almost to the last moment done with Oh mr. huntzberger there's nothing is when they're done that's what it was like a serum or for almost 48 the prowlers name you'll never hear again but don't forget please the time the freedoms the cost the suffering it's very more yes I've got patty others anymore many others before this really bothers young this is actually beginning from someone I returned here to Des Moines NBC's that is the last of the only piece I had for you before today hello and be safe NBC I've been asked by Prince royal of Holland to ask you to stand by they just a few seconds longer while they are rectifies than power trouble so will you hang on for just a few seconds and I'll give you another warning before I start the pollen to give me the go-ahead from there in here and as soon as I get it I'll give you a warning you know of course that I would like to have you send these recordings as usual by air express to the newsroom radio station w-h-o des Moines Iowa right yeah I'm still waiting for my words from ruff wanna turn off this follow matter they're trying to iron out and I'll go ahead giving you a 10-second warning mr. Jack Shelley whe morning talking up from Bret's Wireless columns and just keeping us going while we get word from PD here that we can go ahead after that phone trouble has been taken care of Jack shellings wh Oh still standing by waiting for go ahead from breath wal akhirin Holland on the first of two recordings each of about four minutes duration standing by and I'll give you a 10-second warning the opening by New York and I will start out with a fan to these two reporting in ten seconds hello wh oh this is Jeff Shelley calling to you again from somewhere at home this is another report on the 4th cavalry group the payments Nick and I fighting forth with which I spent four days and nights drinking late I love whose membership I found the swords of Midwestern men names you're hearing over WH your broad path I've already told you how the 4th Cavalry advanced steadily and brilliantly from two hours before tower on d-day last June all the ways girlfriends mountain into Germany and then back to southern Belgium to help through back to not be bitch through on the first on this one in all those actions the thought has taken a heavy toll of the enemy just how that is shown by the fact that think people the duper spoken at German prisoners alone they're equally units three times the size of the fabric and that of course takes no consideration of the large number of German who've been killed and wounded in the same action as I was getting down details of the group history the other night listening to Masonic Colonel Edward Dunn the executive officer and majors Robert pincher and Frank's regiments of the women recall events for the last eight months hey cool means the supplies blow they had as a German a team plans last August the Nazis were retreating out of France's faster they could go at that time when the fourth cattle roping out ahead rich team map a a friendly railroad station agent old the imagine that a troop train back was cleaning up this where the expected momentarily from the West this was to get a chance to overlook and cooperation with elements of repaired armor to make then of the forks top align case we prepared a cap and placed their guns along the railroad track the train came racing along the ambushed party first knocked out the local move ahead with a hail of fire not having the cream then the entire train was late by Gunnar ranging all the way from 50 caliber machine guns to 75 millimeter cannon approximately a hundred Germans were killed and many others watered and captured a friend won't let rim the story and it occurred on the same day in August where the area to light tanks of the 4th Cavalry it is gentle carry the purple part of a famous Battle of the last war Allen Street celebration in the capital T area that haunts representatives came into the town and a ton of Thomas Galvin demanding the tank was constantly greeted by the mayor and the mayor officially proclaimed javelin as military governor of Chateau theory and in that capacity to be well supervised the rounding up of Nazi sympathizers in collaborationist as a pipeline it's recording but among all its other activities the sports cavalry is also coined a new nickname for the Germans against whom they fell and there's no plot line troops refer to the enemy by some nickname they are the other pal just for Germans and I don't believe I've ever heard an American combat soldier have them the Nazi it will stamp anything but the German on the bus line American is the cow you hear foot soldiers say they knocked out so many Krauts and the woods over there the throws of the crap line or the terminate fault tanks are down the road the next most widely used name for the Germans among Americans has turned the British began use being long before we win the war Jerry is the number one name for the enemy among the British commies but the 4th Cavalry has its own name it falls the Germans young nobody knows quite how the term originated or exactly who started it among the outfit but almost everybody in the Force says yup when he means the enemy there is much agreement of how the name should be spelled but most of the boys that they guess Raoul KF York will do it there's another way you know you're with an outfit that has a personality of its own in the difficult cavalry tradition when you visit the door when I first started talking to some of the boys and one of them told me he was a phantom driver that's a new one on me I said what is the Phantom it's another name for a jeep I was cool and then the boys explained to me that the cavalry is the only branch of the army to use that name of battle but most of us call Jeep and they're pretty careful to see that nobody in the cavalry uses any other term they said the cavalry was first to use a forerunner of the modern military Jeep but the first Chiefs were then known as phantom and the cavalry has clung to that name ever since now these things like having their own nickname for jeeps and Germans may not seem to be important but any military man will tell you they're mighty important they are the earmarks of morale of a 3d Corps the feeling of the men who belong to such a unit that they're the best fighting outfit in the business that's exactly half a men of the 4th cavalry group feel their morale is high they've done pretty since v-day and they expect to do more this is that celli speaking from someone Hollander I return you to Des Moines