We were positioned in the town of Manhay the day before Christmas. That night at 10:00pm we were expected to withdraw. The Germans captured some of our vehicles and used the vehicle radios to intercept our plans to withdraw to higher ground. The Germans attacked just before 10:00pm.

My Commanding Officer, Colonel Brown, had left to talk to the other Company Commanders about the withdraw and hadn't returned. I received orders over the radio to place my tank in a defensive position because we were under attack.

After placing my tank in a driveway next to a house, I stepped out into the street to survey its position. In the still darkness, I heard a vehicle roaring down the street. Thinking it was one of our tank destroyers looking for a defensive position, I paid it little attention. Stepping out of its way in the darkness, I stood by my tank in the drive as it went by. Just as it passed, it ran over one of our jeeps down the street! My driver exclaimed "That was a German Tank" and we both saw the twin exhausts in the darkness!

The Colonel never returned, and we received orders to withdraw to another defensive position. All other tanks of the 40th in town were overrun and destroyed as the Germans charged into town. Their surviving crews retreated to the same defensive position that we arrived at and dug fox holes. My tank was the only tank to make it out of Manhay intact that day that I know of.

Interview of Lieutenant-Colonel Brown, Manhay,11 January 1945

Probably about 20.00 hr a column of CCA, 48th Infantry, half tracks, peeps and light tanks were passing thru Manhay as a part of the withdrawal planned for that evening. Mixed in with the column were some 9th Armored Division vehicles. All was quiet until suddenly a German tank which had worked its way in the column decided it was time to open up on the remainder of the column. The German side swiped a light tank of "D" Co, 40th Bn, and then began to fire back at the column. Another light tank, several half tracks, and a number of peeps were hit by the tank. The tank was not hit, and it is thought that he worked his way around to the East and back to his friendly column.

During the confusion following the shootings another group of three enemy assault guns went thru the town, and past the friendly positions. They apparently took up positions on the high ground to the North of Manhay because shortly after this column was noticed by Colonel Brown enemy HE fire began falling on the town.

To the South of Manhay in the meantime all had been quiet. The situation was roughly as follows: during the afternoon the 40th Tank Bn had been given a new defensive position to the rear of the friendly lines then in the area. Positions were rapidly picked, emplacements were dug for the tanks in the "C" Co, 40th Bn sector. The position was generally favourable with commanding terrain which looked down the enemy's throat. The disadvantages for the evening were that there was no contact with the enemy, the units were in new positions where contact had not yet been established with friendly troops on all sides, and it was presumed that friendly forces were to the front.

The projected operation was that the 3rd Armored Division would hold to the front while the 7th Armored Division set up its new defensive positions, after which the 3rd Armored Division would withdraw. However, apparently the 3rd Armored Division had already withdrawn all its forces but the screening force to the front. (7th Armored Division was unhappy about withdrawing because it thought the defensive positions were better than the new ones to which they were going)

The enemy bazooka teams which caught "A" Co, 40th Bn may have been building up in the woods all afternoon or they may have moved out just ahead of the tanks. In any event they did their job well. The enemy tank column coming down the road toward "C" Co, 40th Bn had the advantage of a row of trees along the road which hid them, and in addition had the advantage of a bright moon which made the 40th tanks stand out against the snow. All tanks of "C" Co, 40th Bn were hit.

When the tank column continued on into Manhay the only friendly troops in the town were the tanks of the Colonel, Lieutenant Fiedler, Sgt Janney, and Captain Allen. The Colonel was on the rear deck of the Captain's tank, looking for the Captain. The Captain was looking for the Colonel. The gunner of Captain Allen's tank spotted the enemy tank about 35-50 yards away. He wasn't sure of the identification so he asked the Colonel if he should fire. The Colonel took one look and said "Yes". He opened up and the enemy tank was knocked out. The second tank in the column immediately opened fire with the machine gun, then the flare, and finally the big gun which hit the Captain's tank and knocked the Colonel to the ground. When he came to the Colonel got on one of the light tanks (or perhaps a truck) which was at the corner, and rode out of town with it to the West. Later he worked his way back to his Battalion.

In the meantime just before the Colonel was knocked off the tank he had given instructions to the assault gun platoon to set up defensive positions on the high ground to the North of Manhay. He had also sent his S-3, Major Corbin, back to that position to organize the AG's (105 on medium tank), and to collect what stragglers they could round up from the 48th Armored Infantry Battalion. By the time the Colonel returned the position was set up. Early in the morning of the 25th, "B" Co, 40th Bn also arrived on the scene and added to the defense.