JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II – and the final climactic battles that defined the war’s conclusion.
In January of 1945, the United States Army fought German advances through the Ardennes Forest in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. 150 miles south in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France, the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division endured another costly battle — the Battle of Reipertswiller.
It would be nearly 70 years later, in 2018, that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency would begin examining the Battle of Reipertswiller to research, recover and identify the 15 unaccounted-for American GIs from the 157th Infantry Regiment. Since then, 13 sets of remains associated with the battle were disinterred and 12 individuals have been identified by DPAA.
In 2021, an additional set of remains was unilaterally turned over to DPAA and an additional person was identified.
“We got really great DNA success,” said Dr. Carrie Brown, laboratory manager for DPAA. “That is not the case for all our disinterments. A lot of times we run into challenges with preservation. But we have had amazing DNA results.”
According to the unit’s records, the Soldiers of the regiment arrived in Reipertswiller, France, already exhausted and battered from weeks of intense combat. They had spent most of December repelling the Germans on the Siegfried Line, a heavily fortified defensive position that stretched across western Germany. Their orders were to counterattack the Germans near Reipertswiller in the Lichtenberg Forest, drive the enemy out of the wood line, and secure the surrounding area.
On Jan. 13, 1945, three battalions moved into position, traversing rugged terrain blanketed in deep snow. The troops were ordered to pack light, making the trek more manageable. The regiment had been struggling to keep up with the demand for ammunition, food, and medical supplies, and the soldiers were forced to make do with what little they had.
As the men maneuvered into positions to relieve their comrades, they immediately came under fire from German artillery. The Germans had been expecting the American counterattack and prepared a series of ambushes and booby traps. More than 200 rounds of artillery fire landed in less than an hour.
Dr. Brown stated that throughout the seven-day battle, the 157th endured unrelenting bombardments. The explosions often destroyed communication wires, forcing commanders to rely on runners to communicate with units which greatly hampered coordination. Amidst the chaos, the men dug into their positions and waited for the barrage to subside, huddled in foxholes and trenches, trying to avoid the worst of the enemy shelling.
On the other side of the lines was one of Germany's fiercest and most highly trained units, the 6th Schutzstaffel Mountain Division, known for their brutality as well as their winter warfare skills. As the fighting wore on, confusion set in, with neither side knowing how close they were to each other’s lines.
"Germans were actually infiltrating the lines and getting past the Americans without even realizing they were in American lines," said Dr. Eric Klinek, DPAA historian.
After suffering countless attacks, five companies from the 157th found themselves encircled. The situation grew desperate. The regiment would attempt a breakout on Jan. 20, 1945, but were once more forced to pull back. As the hours dragged on, little hope remained that the surrounded companies would be able to make it through German lines.
That evening, the trapped companies received orders to withdraw from their positions. In response, K Company radioed saying it was impossible to get back and would have to surrender. In the end, only two U.S. soldiers, Pvt. Walter T. Bruce and Pfc. Benjamin C. Melton, managed to break through the German cordon and make it to safety.
Klinek noted that the Battle of Reipertswiller was one of the bloodiest battles of the Western European Theater of World War II, and it would go down in history as a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of the American soldiers who fought there. According to the casualty report, in January 1945, the 157th suffered 32 killed in action, 244 wounded, 70 taken prisoner, and 472 missing in action.
There still remains two unaccounted for soldiers from the 157th Infantry Regiment.
Despite this, the search goes on, with John Figuerres, DPAA acting deputy director of operations, stating “DPAA will never stop looking until it has provided the fullest possible accounting to the nation and its families.”