General Dahlquist was not well liked by the soldiers of the 36th Division, nor the attached 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The General’s overconfidence resulted in the 1st Battalion 141st Regiment being sent too far ahead and getting cutoff. This “Lost Battalion” was surrounded, so the already tired but battle decorated 442nd was tasked to fight through the hilly wooded terrain to rescue them. After several days of difficult fighting in miserable conditions, the frustrated 442nd was still more than a mile from the Lost Battalion. That morning General Dahlquist personally visited the front lines and berated Colonel Purnell for his slow progress. For the proud Japanese American unit who had lost so many friends, it was more than they could take. Whether it was started by Colonel Purnell himself, or someone else, a desperate charge up the hill was made. The fighting was brutal and hand-to-hand.
Attacker: American (3rd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team)
Defender: German (933rd Grenadier Regiment, 244th Division and the 202nd Mountain Battalion)
