Lost Bastards
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The "Lost Bastards" of Iron Ridge
During the
13 July to
Compiled by
John R. Carpenter
Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved
**
Lost Bastards
In January of 1953 a group of 28 American volunteer soldiers came together
near
The assignment was to form a test unit to explore the potential of a new anti-vehicle, anti-personnel field radar system under combat conditions. This was later called battlefield radar. As a cover they were assigned the equipment and weapons of an anti-aircraft (AA) battery.
The training started immediately with artillery officers and NCOs from the Division Artillery units stationed in Erlangen. They trained on the vehicles and weapons. The Major and the Lieutenant did all of the training on the Radar Systems. They were all experienced soldiers and it did not take long for them to become an cohesive unit.
The unit went into the field to set up several different defensive positions on the ridges over looking the old German army testing range at Tanelow. There they practiced tracking, from fixed and mobile positions, American vehicles and troops training below. In addition they cross trained on their equipment. The wisdom of this joint training would prove invaluable in combat.
As their skills progressed, they were tested. Their unit was attacked by American "aggressor" soldiers playing day then night war games. They passed with flying colors. The "aggressors" were stopped cold both by day and by night. Those American "aggressor" troops attacking did not understand that if this was real, many if not most of them would have died.
This "AA" battery had a secret. They could see in the dark. Radar records the return signal from an object. The more sensitive the equipment, the less dense a target can be seen. Human bodies are made of about 98% water and are much harder to see than a vehicle. The new Radar could see humans walking a skyline at about 600 yards in the dark. Matching preset range (using metal stakes at set distances) and elevation based on the ghostly images on the radar screen with the seen "enemy" gave direction and purpose to the support weapons.
This "AA" battery was to be lead by a First Lieutenant of Artillery commanding two squads mounted in four halftracks. A Master Sergeant was next in command and supervised two squad Sergeants. A Corporal supervised the driver, gunner and loader in each halftrack. Eight radar operators and assistants controlled four radar sets, each set assigned per vehicle.
Each M-3 Infantry halftrack had mounted either a quad .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun (1) or a twin or "dual" 40 mm anti-aircraft mount (2). In addition each track had two M1919A6 air cooled .30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns (3), spare barrels and tripods for all the machine guns plus related gear.
M1919A6. Click on picture for link.
When they were proved proficient they crated their radar and packed their duffels. All halftracks and weapons were cleaned, inspected and turned back in.
On the1st of April 1953, April Fools Day, this group of 28 men left the
Click on picture for larger
view.
Leaving
A day or two later they were trucked with their gear to the 7th Infantry Division Headquarters. Over the next week they drew combat gear, personal weapons and prepared for duty on the line. There their bodies adjusted to local time.
7th Infantry Division shoulder Patch -
The Bayonet Division
Later this group would refer to themselves as the "Lost Bastards"
because they officially did not exist and could not even send or receive mail.
Only for about a week they were listed as a "Provisional AA Battery,"
without equipment, temporarily attached to Headquarters Company of the 7th
Infantry. After this there is no further record of them in
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