Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher--memorial

The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher was a seven-day battle fought between the

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen" (german: 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen") was a German Waffen-SS division that saw action on the Western Front during World War II. Formation and trainin ...

and 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division, First Battalion, 398th Infantry Regiment,

100th Infantry Division (United States) The 100th Training Division (Leader Development) (formerly the 100th Infantry Division) is a division of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It currently serves as a major training command of the United States Army Rese ...

and the 753rd Tank Battalion. It was fought between the

Neckar River The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwenn ...

and the Kocher River, and the three major points that had fighting in them were the areas around and the towns of Untergriesheim (

Bad Friedrichshall Bad Friedrichshall () is a town in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated at the confluences of the Jagst and of the Kocher into the Neckar, some north of Heilbronn. Bad Friedrichshall arose by the ...

), Buchhof, and Stein am Kocher (

Neuenstadt am Kocher Neuenstadt, usually known as Neuenstadt am Kocher (; and until as late as 1800 also known as Neuenstadt an der großen Linde) is a town in Baden-Württemberg in south-western Germany with 9,600 inhabitants. It consists of Neuenstadt, the village ...

). These three towns were major battles between the

Jagst The Jagst () is a right tributary of the Neckar in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is 190 km long. Its source is in the hills east of Ellwangen, close to the Bavarian border. It winds through the towns Ellwangen, Crailsheim, Kirchberg an der ...

and Kocher Rivers over the period of 4–12 April 1945. The Battle between the Jagst and Kocher Rivers was the northern section of the Battle of Heilbronn. "On April 9th ... Company F, Company E, and Company G was down to 63, 50, and 83 men, respectively. Of the approximately 500 infantry men who were in the Battalion 7 days prior, only 196 did not sustain any physical injuries from this battle." 2nd Battalion of the 253rd Infantry Regiment sustain 66 killed in action and 238 wounded in action. The unit did not receive their Presidential Unit Citations until 2000. Also according to Malone's 2014 book on the battle 9 men of F Company 253rd Infantry Regiment have the wrong date of death.

Awards

* 2nd Battalion of the 253rd Infantry Regiment 63rd Infantry Division medals for April 2–12: **one

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, supervi ...

John R. Crews John R. Crews (March 8, 1923 – September 25, 1999) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher in Worl ...

of the 2 the division earned during the war. **three

Distinguished Service Cross (United States) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be o ...

of the 9 that the division earned during the war. **

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

s **

Bronze Stars The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

**one Presidential Unit Citation * First Lieutenant James E. Robinson Jr., of Battery A, 861st Field Artillery Battalion, 63d Infantry Division, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions near Untergriesheim and Kressbach, in which he suffered mortal wounds, on April 6, 1945. * Private First Class

Mike Colalillo Michael Colalillo (December 2, 1925 – December 30, 2011) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decorationthe Medal of Honorfor his actions during World War II. Early life Colalillo was bo ...

, of Company C, 398th Infantry, 100th Infantry Division, received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack against strong German positions near Untergriesheim, on April 7, 1945.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchhof and Stein am Kocher Conflicts in 1945 1945 in Germany Battles of World War II involving the United States Battles of World War II involving Germany April 1945 events