Reisler

Lieutenant Philip Reisler of 2nd Armored felt that the campaign had become, like an interminable succession of Thermopylaes.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

The gunners poured fire into every hedge in front of them, but from his Sherman Lieutenant Phil Reisler could see infantry dropping around him:

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

Lieutenant Philip Reisler of 2nd Armored was sitting dozing in the turret of his Sherman on a bend in a sunken road, his crew sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion in the hull beneath him, when he heard an unfamiliar engine sound behind him, and turned to see a German half-track driving fast in his direction, the soldiers inside it laughing, oblivious of the Americans.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

The horrified German driver tore his gears in a desperate effort to reverse, while Reisler fumbled equally clumsily with his machine-gun, simultaneously kicking his gunner into life.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

Lieutenant Philip Reisler and 12,000 other men of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division gathered to hear Montgomery on the football field at Tidworth camp in Hampshire.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

Lieutenant Philip Reisler of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division had begun his career as a Forward Air Controller in Sicily, “where the bombing confusion was horrible,” equipped only with red and green signal lights which were quite invisible to the pilots, and yellow smoke canisters to reveal the Allied line.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

For the pilot above, conditions in the cockpit made map reading difficult, and as he reported to the soldier that he was approaching his area, Reisler would seek to call down a round or two of artillery or tank smoke to mark the target.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

Then he would hear the flight commander on the ground ordering his pilots in: “Jake, you go down first, Pete fly high cover …” As they bombed or rocketed, Reisler would correct their fire around the target.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

Reisler suggested to one that he should hide his wristwatch in his sock, for otherwise the MPs would surely take it.

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984

It was not unknown for the Germans to spot the planes and fire smoke onto the American positions, once obliging a desperate Reisler to yell, Pull out!

Overlord D-Day And The Battle for Normandy Max Hastings 1984