Private Peter Vincent Carlino -
Company I, 3rd Battalion, 334th Infantry Regiment,
84th Infantry Division, 9th U.S. Army
--Killed in Action December 24, 1944--

Trained in Camp Howze, Texas and Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, 1944. Embarked from Brooklyn Navy Yard 9/20/44 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Barry. Disembarked at Southampton, England and assembled near Winchester on 10/10/44. Embarked for France 10/31/44. Landed on Omaha Beach on 11/1/44. On 11/5/44 moved to Dreaux, France. On 11/8/44 arrived at Witterm, Holland.

Baptism of fire and first action 11/18/44. Mission to take Prummern, a strong point in the Siegfried Line. Action lasted until 12/18/44. The 334th Infantry Regiment sustained heavy losses in this action. On 12/20/44 the 334th Infantry Regiment was deployed to the Marche-Hotten Sector (Belgium). 12/24/44 I Company, 334th Infantry Regiment was on a ridge overlooking the vital Marche-Hotten Road. Because it had suffered heavy losses, without replacement, I Company's foxholes were about 150 yards apart. During the night of 12/23-24, more than 100 Germans had infiltrated through I Company's lines, capturing Lt. Norman Seadensticker, T/Sgt. Ray Owen, and PFCs Edward Prince and Oscar Delgado. The Germans were well concealed in the woods behind I Company's lines. The German plan was to attack I Company from the rear and with a frontal assault at 1500 hours (3:00 PM). Unknown to the Germans, K company, 334th Infantry and 3 tanks had been assigned the task of attacking and destroying the German position behind I Company's position. By coincidence, K Company was to attack at 1500 hours. The 16th Panzer Regiment of the 116th Panzer Division, 5th Panzer Army, Army Group B, launched a frontal assault against I company at 1500 hours 12/24/44, overrunning I Company's positions with tanks and infantry. It was in this action that Peter was killed. His machine gun position took a direct hit from a “88”, fired from a German tank. The German drive stalled and was finally stopped, and on Christmas Eve the line was thoroughly secured. K Company supported by the artillery of the 84th Division thoroughly destroyed the Germans who had infiltrated through Company I's lines. They found the four missing men that had been captured by the Germans. They were in good condition and reported that they had been treated well. What was left of Company I was reorganized a few days later. The 116th Panzer Division failed to break through the 334th Infantry Regiment's lines, and the vital Marche-Hotten Road remained securely in the hands of the 334th and 335th Infantry Regiments of the 84th Infantry Division.

The 116th Panzer Division (Greyhounds) was commanded by Major General Siegfried Von Waldenburg. The 84th Infantry Division (Railsplitters) was commanded by Major General Bolling.

Researched and written by Fortune Carlino, Peter's brother.

Peter V Carlino