Lt. Kenneth R. Robinson page 3

March 5 1945 : After Action Report Rheinberg, 36 Tank Battalion, Company D

Interviewer : 1st Lt. Howard L. Oleck

Place and date : Venlo, Holland, 1500, 15 March 1945

Interviewed:

First Platoon Sergeant Robert W. Morris picture courtesy of Mr. Charles Gordon

1ST SGT HARRY M. CLEMENTS

SGT ROBERT W. MORRIS, #5 tank, 1st Platoon
SGT WILLARD M. HORINE, #5 tank, 3rd Platoon.
D COMPANY, 36TH TANK BATTALION

Every officer of D Co, was killed or severely wounded in the action at Rheinberg on 5 March 1945.

D Co. of the 36th Tk Bn was in reserve in Aldekerk on the morning of 5 March 1945. They were up all night awaiting orders to move into Lintfort. Orders came at 1130. The column ahead had been very slow.

On that morning the following officers were with the company:
WIA Captain Arthur C. Erdman, CO
KIA 1st Lt. Kenneth R. Robinson, 1st Platoon
WIA 2nd Lt. Thomas H. Ryan, 2nd Platoon
KIA 1st Lt. Frank Rich, 3rd Platoon

The company moved northeast to Lintfort, suffering one casualty from sniper fire, (of which they had been warned) enroute, (T/4 Samson C. Willoughby).
They passed through Lintfort from West to East with only an occasional sniper along the way and came out on the northeast edge of the town, still in column. CCB trains came with them, in fact all the way to just northeast of Lintfort.
Battalion trains also came with them, in fact moving ahead of the tank column until they were clear of the northeast edge of Lintfort. Here trains were passed and the tank column turned northeast toward Rossenray.

1945 Map of Rheinberg action 36th Tank Battalion

The column moved across an open field toward a patch of woods just north of Rossenray. Heavy small arms fire began to come from these woods. Trains halted in place (see overlay) and the tanks passed on to north of Rossenray where they moved around the southeastern corner of the woods, firing into the woods as they passed. Enemy machine guns and burp guns in the woods were silenced and the crews and infantry flushed out of the woods and driven north.
One platoon of the 809th TD Bn. was found there in line south to north, firing west into the eastern edge of the woods. Major Gurney’s tank come up to about this time and he, seeing the situation, ordered D Co. to retrace its way and move from Lintfort directly north.
The company was in the order of: 3rd Platoon leading followed by 1st and 2nd platoons. In turning the platoons got slightly mixed and tanks were out of their proper numerical order in the column. This was to have disastrous effects later.
The column went back through Lintfort and turned north on the road leading to the Fossa Canal road. They passed some of then 49th Armored Infantry mopping up the northern edge of town. The column reached the canal road and turned northeast.

When the column had cleared the road crossing, and enemy infantry company dug in just north of the intersection, opened fire with small arms and machine guns, firing into the rear of the column. Before any D Co. tanks were forced to act, 2 tanks of the 784th Tank Battalion, which were working with the 49th Infantry, came up from the south and drove north into the German infantry positions, driving the enemy off to the north. Never the less, 2 tanks of D Co. were left behind to cover the intersection as a rear guard.

Along the canal road artillery fire from the northwest began to fall on the column, including many air bursts and time fire. Lt. Ryan was leading the column, and Major Gurney’s tank was in the column.
At 1600 the column reached the bend to the north along the canal road just southwest of Rheinberg.

Here Lt. Ryan’s tank ran into a cable stretched across the road, injuring him and stopping his tank. He called on the radio to his second section leader, S/Sgt Hollis M. Towry to take the lead. Sgt. Towry’s tank had gotten out of proper order in the town around mentioned above and was too far back to pass the column so Sgt Harry W. McRae, first section leader led the column (he was not the best qualified man to lead the entire company, with all due respects to his qualities.) The column became jammed at this point as no signals were passed back from the leading vehicle. One tank stalled, half blocking the road, but the column passed by and on to the next intersection and then north when fire from the east began to come in.
In an open field to the east two 88’s entirely uncamouflaged, and one (later found to be well camouflaged) began firing. The column had turned north and several tanks returned fire. Sgt. McRae and Lt. Robinson (2 tanks) had turned. The rest of the column was still along the canal road.

Fighting alongside a smouldering D-Co M24 tank Rheinberg is not yet taken (Picture courtesy of 8th Armored Division Association)

The guns were silenced but more fire was coming from the east, and without any express order, the balance of the tanks backed down the canal road to a point just east of the woods which were along the north side of the road. At that point there was a semi-circular excavated area which afforded cover and concealment. The tanks entered that area and used it as a rallying point. Sgt. McRae and Lt. Robinson knocked out another anti-tank gun and one SP gun in a field to the northeast, before returning.
Having rallied, the whole company returned southwest to the factory at the intersection north of Lintfort, bringing their wounded along on their tanks. A storm of fire was falling over the rally area and all along the road, coming from anti-tank guns in an arc from the south, swinging west and up to the north. The tank moved back, firing at every possible gun location but the enemy fire did not slacken.
While thus withdrawing, several more tanks were hit and left in positions shown on the overlay. Lt. Robinson’s tank was hit and burning. Sgt. McRae’s gun had jammed and he remained in the woods trying to repair it. Lt. Ryan’s tank had been stopped by the cable across the road. Lt. Robinson’s tank was hit by a bazooka. Sgt James A Geiger’s tank was hit. Sgt Alonza Larkin’s tank was hit by an 88 as was that of Sgt Edward A. Wargo. Sgt Vernon G. Carr’s tank struck a mine. The road was lined with blazing tanks, artillery was bursting all along the route, and the remaining tanks backing away were firing desperately at very few visible targets. The remaining tanks reached the factory to find no medics to give them assistance, except one Negro medic from the colored tank company who could evacuate only one man on his peep (in Armored Divisions a jeep was called a 'peep'). Six casualties were loaded on the back of one tank and evacuated.
Captain Erdmann led the 7 remaining tanks up the road again toward the rallying area. Enroute, S/Sgt Lewis J. Sullivan had his hand smashed, and dropped out to return with his tank to the factory.
Now there were 6 tanks ready for action at the rallying area (the excavated area mentioned above). Lt. Rich led the tanks out in line across a field to the northeast of the rally area, in assault toward the western edge of Rheinberg. An anti-tank gun, well camouflaged along side a house to the north, was knocked out. Three tanks continued northeast in line (those of Sgt Towry, Sgt Marcell O. Saborn and Sgt Horine), see overlay.
Two of the tanks, those of Lt. Rich and Capt. Erdmann, turned south to the road and moved east along the road to the railroad station. Every tank was firing rapidly with all guns.
Capt. Erdmann’s and Lt. Rich’s tanks were hit and knocked out at the railroad station where the canal road crosses the railroad.
The other 3 tanks to the north were under heavy fire and Sgt Towry’s tank was hit and began burning.
Sgt Horine and Sgt Sayborn finding themselves thus alone, put their tanks into reverse, still firing, and got behind houses. Sgt Sayborn’s machine guns were jammed and he was working on them. Sgt. Horine’s tank, alone, could continue to fire. This was about 1700 hours.
Sgts Horine and Sayborn withdrew to the canal road. There they met Major Gurney, Col. Kimball and Lt. Robinson with the anti-tank platoon of C Co. of the 49th AIB. Lt. Robinson mounted the back of Sgt Horine’s tank and fired the 50 caliber machine gun over the turret. The infantry platoon deployed along both sides of the road and they began to move up toward Rheinberg again in the ditches. At this time all the heavy guns (anti-tank) had been silenced and only sporadic small arms fire was being received from the town. The fire from the right flank (southeast) began to increase. The tanks fired smoke mortars from their turrets, smoking the south side of the road. There was enemy infantry on the north and machine guns firing on the south. An AT gun opened up again from the east.

Sgt Horine’s tank was hit. Lt. Robinson and those that did escape landed in a nearby ditch. It was then that Lt. Robinson told his men that he was going to get some infantry to help them. That was the last the men saw of him. The next morning they learned that while Lt. Robinson tried to contact infantry he was killed by a shot in the head.

Sgt. Sayborn, in the only remaining tank, backed up, turned, picked up some dismounted tankers and returned to the north edge of Lintfort. As he was leaving some of our armored infantry came up, joining the few who already were moving toward Rheinberg, and they all moved into Rheinberg against only light small arms fire.

On the 6th of March the 88th Cavalry Squadron cleared the pocket which had been the original objective, in a few hours, taking 60 prisoners and suffering no serious casualties whatsoever. The 88th Cavalry Squadron came into position to attack the pocket by swinging somewhat south and east from 8th Armored Division CP at Grefrath and then northeast into the pocket on the right flank of CCB

Final tally of the battle for Rheinberg shows not only the determination of the "CCB" men of the 8th Armored to accomplish their mission, but also the fanatic defense put up by the Germans in an attempt to hold open the Wesel "escape route."
The 49th AIB suffered 68 casualties, while the 36th had 131 either wounded or killed in action. From the German ranks 512 prisoners were taken and 350 killed. The 36th Tank Battalion lost a total of 41 tanks. Baker Company had lost all but six tanks. Able Company fared somewhat better, but a final count showed 11 of its tanks knocked out. D Company, which had been ordered to attack from the southwest, left 17 of its 18 tanks along the road and the remaining tank had to be withdrawn.
The Germans had intended to defend Rheinberg strongly in order to withdraw as many men and as much equipment as possible behind the temporary safety of the Rhine. Here in Rheinberg the Germans had employed anti-tank guns en masse. The entire city was ringed with 88 mm guns supported by 20 mm and 40 mm anti-tank guns. Along all routes and approaches to the town the enemy had prepared positions. Fanatical members of the Second Para Regiment were dug in and well armed with automatic weapons and Panzerfausts.

Around noon on March 9 1945, Kenneth was buried at the U.S. Military Cemetery Margraten, at Plot U, Row 7, Grave 156. Adjacent to his grave at both sides were the graves of two other 8th Armored Division brothers in arms who died in the Rheinberg action, TEC4 Charles R. West, B-Co, 36th Tank Battalion and SSGT Walter D. Steinmetzer, A-Co, 49th Armored Infantry Battalion.

On 9 April 1949 he was reburied at his present grave at Plot M, Row 10, Grave 5

On 27 March 1945 Kenneth was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal.

In 2004 the Erie County Government initiated a Memorial Walkway at the Erie County Courthouse. The commemmorative tile of Lt. Kenneth R. Robinson is amongst the many tiles at the Courthouse walkway. Lt. Robinson is honored by Bert Caris and Erie Friends. These Erie friends are the Erie County Public Library staff : Terry Wirick and his colleagues Ann Marie, Barbara, Diane and Patricia.

Kenneth's grave 1945 and a picture of his grave taken at Memorial Day 2008