France

Battles of Bruyères and Biffontaine in the Vosges
(Rhineland Campaign)

Setting the Stage

On June 22, 1940, France signed an armistice with Germany after its defeat. Under the terms of the armistice, German forces occupied northern and western France, while the Vichy government administered the unoccupied southern zone.

Four years later, on June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy in northwestern France, beginning the liberation of France and the advance toward Germany. On August 15, Allied forces landed in southern France. The U.S. Seventh Army then advanced north through the Rhône Valley into northeastern France.

By October, the Seventh Army had reached the Vosges Mountains near the German border. German forces had strengthened their defensive positions in the rugged mountains to slow the Allied advance. The Seventh Army planned to capture key passes through the Vosges and continue toward the Rhine River and into Germany.

It was into this difficult campaign that the 100th/442nd would enter, beginning its participation in the Rhineland Campaign.

 

Into the Vosges Mountains

After arriving at Marseilles, France on September 29, 1944, the 100th/442nd trained and tested new equipment in southeastern France before moving by truck on October 9 to northeastern France, near the German border. It was cold and rainy when they reached the Vosges Mountains near Bruyères.

On October 11, the 100th/442nd was attached to the 36th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General John E. Dahlquist. Originally a Texas National Guard unit, the 36th was still referred to as the “Texas Division,” although heavy casualties in North Africa and Italy meant that it was by then composed largely of replacement soldiers from many different states. Earlier that year in Italy, the 100th Battalion had fought with the 34th Division during the Battle of Cassino, while the 36th Division had fought farther south at the Rapido River. By this time, few original members of the 100th remained. The battle-tested 100th/442nd would soon enter a period of intense, almost continuous combat as it advanced toward Bruyères.

The battle-tested 100th/442nd would soon enter a period of intense, almost continuous combat as the regiment advanced toward Bruyères, a town of about 4,000 people.

 

Battle for Bruyères

On October 14, 1944, the 100th/442nd moved from its assembly area near Épinal, France, toward Bruyères. To secure the town, the soldiers had to neutralize four hills positioned in an arc from the northwest to the northeast. The hills were designated A through D, with Hill A the highest and most heavily defended by the Germans. The 100th Battalion was assigned to take Hill A, while the 442nd’s 2nd Battalion was assigned Hill B, directly north of Bruyères.

The regiment began its attack on the morning of October 15, embarking on over two weeks of almost nonstop combat. The men faced frequent rain, often freezing in the cold, sticky mud, dense fog, and thickly growing trees that often blocked out the sun. German forces had seeded the hills with mines and established well-positioned machine-gun nests, and were determined to defend every inch of ground. Artillery fire created another deadly threat: tree bursts, in which shells that exploded when they hit the treetops scattered fragments in all directions. Trench foot also took a heavy toll on the men.

The 100th Battalion headed toward Hill A, and was soon met by German machine-gun, heavy-weapons, and sniper fire from enemy positions entrenched at the base of the hill.

On October 17, the night before the major attack on Hill A, Charlie Company sent a patrol to check two farmhouses at the base of the hill. Lieutenant Masanao Otake (Co. C) took Staff Sergeant Mike Nobuo Tokunaga (Co. C) and seven others on the mission. Covered by three of their men, Tokunaga and three others ran across the open field to the first farmhouse, while Otake and one other ran to the second. When Tokunaga reached the rear of the first farmhouse, a German machine gun opened fire. He and the others took cover behind a nearby stone well. At the second farmhouse, Otake heard voices inside and threw a grenade through an open window. As he moved toward the rear of the building, he was struck by machine-pistol fire from the hillside.

Otake’s companion ran to report that the lieutenant had been wounded. With Otake lying exposed to enemy fire, Tokunaga told his companion to move to the opposite side of the farmhouse and fire his rifle to distract the enemy. Under the diversion, Tokunaga ran into the open and dragged Otake to safety. Otake had been mortally wounded and did not survive. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary heroism.

The action illustrates the extraordinary dangers faced by the men of the 100th/442nd on the battlefield and their willingness to risk their own lives for their comrades. It exemplifies the courage, sacrifice, and deep sense of responsibility to their fellow soldiers that distinguished the unit.

The following morning, October 18, the 100th/442nd launched its major assault to capture Hills A and B and occupy Bruyères. Baker Company led the attack on Hill A, fighting through intense German machine-gun and heavy-weapons fire from well-entrenched positions at the base of the hill before advancing up the slope. Able Company moved around the left side, knocked out a German machine-gun position in a house, and then crossed open ground to join Baker Company. Charlie Company also fought its way up the hill through heavy fighting. By afternoon, the 100th Battalion had captured Hill A and took defensive positions against a possible German counterattack.

At the same time, the 442nd’s 2nd Battalion attacked Hill B while the 3rd Battalion advanced toward Bruyères. After more than eight hours of bitter fighting, Hill B was captured. Elements of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions then pushed into Bruyères, fighting from house to house. By evening, the town was under Allied control, although some German soldiers continued to resist.

The fighting had lasted almost continuously for four days in freezing, rainy weather and through thick, wet forests. But the battle was not yet over. German forces still held Hills C and D, and the 100th/442nd continued operations to secure the surrounding high ground.

On October 19, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions attacked Hill D, driving out German defenders despite heavy artillery and small-arms fire. On October 20, the 100th Battalion launched an assault on Hill C with all three rifle companies. After several hours of intense fighting, the 100th reported Hill C captured at noon, although pockets of German resistance remained. The battalion then moved toward Hill D as fighting continued around Bruyères.

The battle for Bruyères came at a high cost. Along with casualties from tree bursts, small-arms and artillery fire, and mines, the men endured exhaustion, exposure, and trench foot. In addition to these conditions, Major General John Dahlquist, who had little combat experience, was criticized for ignoring his advisors and intelligence from the front lines, and commanding units to advance before they were able to consolidate their positions with adequate supply lines and artillery support.

For the people of Bruyères, who had endured more than four years of German occupation, the arrival of the 100th/442nd marked their liberation. The residents never forgot the American soldiers of Japanese ancestry who liberated their town. The bond between the soldiers of the 100th/442nd and the people of Bruyères grew into lasting friendships that have endured for generations and continue to this day.

 

Securing Biffontaine

On October 21, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions advanced northeast toward Belmont, while the 100th Battalion moved through the thick, wet forest toward the road between Belmont and Biffontaine.

General Dahlquist ordered the 100th to capture Biffontaine, a small town with limited strategic military value. The 100th followed a forest trail toward the town, moving ahead of the rest of the 442nd, and reached the high ground overlooking Biffontaine by late afternoon. The 100th was about a mile ahead of the nearest friendly troops, while German forces operated along the forest trail behind them. Communications and resupply became difficult, leaving the battalion in an increasingly isolated position, separated from the rest of the 442nd.

Beyond the range of artillery support, the 100th continued to fight German forces on October 22 from its exposed position near Biffontaine. The battalion inflicted heavy losses and captured two German officers and about 23 soldiers. With no resupply, some 100th soldiers used captured German weapons and ammunition as their own supplies ran low.

To help the isolated battalion, an armored task force known as Felber Force was sent from the Belmont area toward Biffontaine. The force included tanks, tank destroyers, engineers, and a platoon from Company A of the 100th. Staff Sergeant Itsumu Sasaoka (Co. A) served as a machine gunner on the last tank. When German forces opened fire from both sides of the mountain trail, Sasaoka was seriously wounded by the first burst. Despite his wounds, he remained on the tank and continued firing his machine gun to protect his comrades. Eventually, too weak to continue, he fell from the tank and was reported missing. He was later found to have been taken to a German POW camp. He reportedly died in January 1945 when Soviet forces accidentally fired on German POWs. His remains were never recovered. For his extraordinary heroism, Sasaoka was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

On October 23, the 100th attacked Biffontaine. German forces had taken up positions in houses, barns, and other buildings around the town, forcing the soldiers into intense house-to-house fighting. Company C led the assault, supported by Company A.

With limited radio communication, artillery support, ammunition, food, water, and medical supplies, the 100th fought continuously from October 22 into October 23.

During an attempt to evacuate the wounded to the rear, a “litter train” — a group of medics and litter bearers carrying wounded soldiers on stretchers — was intercepted and captured by German forces. The group included 100th and 3rd Battalion medics, guards, wounded soldiers, and German prisoners serving as litter bearers.

A wounded Captain Young Oak Kim (HQ), litter bearer Richard Chinen (Medics) and George Hagiwara (Co. C) managed to escape, while the others spent time in German captivity or did not survive. Among those captured from the 100th were Samuel Sakamoto (Co. A), Takeichi Miyashiro (Co. C), Stanley Akita (Co. C), Kaoru Yonezawa (Co. C), Mike M. Tokunaga (Co. C), Oscar Miyashiro (Co. C), and Roy Nakamine (Medics). Their experiences are documented in the article “Why Do You Fight for America?”

Biffontaine was entered and largely secured on October 23, but fierce fighting and clearing operations continued through October 25. On October 24, the 3rd Battalion broke through German positions and reached the 100th, helping relieve the exhausted battalion. Later that day, the 100th and elements of the 442nd were relieved by other units of the 36th Division. The exhausted soldiers were pulled back toward Belmont for a brief rest.

The fighting at Biffontaine came at a tremendous cost. Two experienced and respected 100th officers, Captain Young Oak Kim (HQ) and Captain Sakae Takahashi (Co. B), were wounded and removed from the battlefield. Both had served with the original 100th from Salerno, Italy.

For the keynote address at the 40th Anniversary Banquet commemorating the formation of the battalion, Kim was asked to speak of the wartime exploits of the 100th. Reflecting on the aftermath of the capture of Biffontaine, he recalled:

“The capture of Biffontaine, seven miles behind the German lines two days later placed the 100th in an untenable position. The 100th was forced to abandon the commanding heights it captured five miles behind the German lines and capture Biffontaine over our vigorous objections. This put us beyond the range of friendly artillery support and also beyond range of all radio communications for a worthless tactical objective.

The attack was finally made on Biffontaine after receiving several promises from Dahlquist – none of which materialized.

We later had to fight our way back from Biffontaine. We took heavy casualties because in one day of fighting we were extremely low on ammunition and in 3 days of fighting were without food and desperately needed medical supplies. We went into Biffontaine as the best unit in Europe, and came out with only one officer per rifle company and very depleted ranks.

In my opinion, a Lost Battalion was inevitable from the way Dahlquist was operating, and, of course it happened.”

The battle for Biffontaine was another reminder of the extraordinary price paid by the 100th/442nd. There would be little time to rest. Within days, the regiment would be called upon to rescue the 141st Infantry’s “Lost Battalion,” surrounded by German forces in the Vosges.

Pages: 1 2

• Italy (Naples-Foggia Campaign/ Anzio Campaign/ Rome-Arno Campaign)
• Return to Italy (North Apennines Campaign/ Po Valley Campaign)