September 1944 – Groesbeek Heights, Holland. By the second day of Market Garden, the German High Command was desperately calling for counterattacks by any forces available. Near the small town of Beek, scattered units from the 82nd Airborne had captured a wooded hill that offered excellent observation and fire positions over the surrounding countryside. On the morning of the 20th, Kampfgruppe Becker, hastily organized from multiple ad hoc units, began its assault against Hill 759. The crucial struggle for Devil’s Hill was just beginning. 

Oberleutnant Lang eyed the woods to the west suspiciously. The Americans were waiting there, hidden in the brush and shadows. Soon, it would be time to attack and reclaim the wooded hills. The Germans had moved into position a few hours prior and support was brought up in the form of StuGs and extra machine guns. The thump-thump-thump of German mortars launching smoke bombs at the wood line announced the beginning of the attack. 

Leutnant Rolfe was the first to move. His platoon, including the two StuGs, moved up aggressively on the left. As they neared the woods, small-arms fire erupted from hidden American positions. 

Lang was next to move. Lang’s move was apparently obscured by the smoke screen. He led his men to a trio of buildings approximately 100 yards from the woods to his front. The house and its barn were discovered to be empty. All the same, Lang and Rolfe were now dangerously close to the Americans and Lang was able to locate the center of resistance on the left flank. 

Leutnant Heinz finally began moving on the right flank. However, he nor his men strayed too far into the open, as they feared American retaliation. All the same, the hapless Heinz soon found himself under an intense barrage from the American mortars. Lang returned the courtesy by directing mortar fire into the wood line on the face of the hill. 

As the mortar rounds fell and trees splintered along the tree-line, Lang led his platoon in an assault against the American positions covered by suppressive fire from the MG-42 section. At the same time, Rolfe and the StuGs rushed forward on the left in an attempt to flank the enemy. Suddenly, a hidden enemy anti-tank gun barked and the left most StuG exploded into a ball of fire. But that would be the last of that anti-tank gun and its crew, as Rolfe and his men cut through them with grenade, rifle, and bayonet. Not everything went the Germans way, however, as Lang was forced back by a fusillade of enemy small-arms fire. 

As Lang was attempting to rally his platoon for another assault, Rolfe and his men were swept up in a rush of adrenaline after overrunning the anti-tank gun. Instead of consolidating the positions just gained, Rolfe pushed his men up the hill in hot pursuit of the retreating “Amis.” Although taking heavy fire, the ferociousness of the attack was unexpected and caught the American soldiers off-guard and forcing them from their foxholes. 

Not stopping to rest, Rolfe continued to push his men forward, assaulting the last remaining enemy position on the left. In a desperate attempt to stop the German momentum, the Americans called down mortar fire on their own position, forcing Rolfe’s men to find cover, temporarily halting their advance. 

Meanwhile, as Lang’s platoon surged forward, the Americans came charging down the hill in a heroic counterattack supported by mortar fire. Surprised by the audacity of the American attack, Lang and his men fell back once more to the farm buildings. Thankfully, the enemy’s mortars ceased and Lang’s radio man signaled that another mortar mission was ready for targeting. 

A lull descended on the battlefield… interrupted only by bursts of fire traded at long range. In the interim, Leutnant Heinz, realizing he could use the contours of the hill to mask his movement, began to maneuver against the American improved positions to his front. His men moved out and were able to get within fifty yards of the tree-line before they encountered enemy fire. Back over on the left, Rolfe unsuccessfully attempted to regroup his men for another assault, but they were temporarily spent after the hard fighting and steep ascent of the hill. 

Lang requested and directed mortar fire on the Americans position to his front, and once again pushed his men up the hill toward the enemy foxholes. As they moved forward, Lang was struck by shrapnel and seriously wounded. Two of his men dragged him to safety, while the rest continued on with the attack. Driven by the loss of their leader, the Germans cleared the enemy from their positions with ruthless efficiency. Only a couple of GIs survived the assault, retreating further up the hill. 

Meanwhile, Heinz and his units finally entered the fray, charging and clearing out the enemy improved positions in the tree-line, but then immediately encountered intense enemy fire from positions further up the hill. By this time, the fight had now raged for a little over fifteen minutes and both sides were getting fatigued. Realizing the possession of the hill on the left was within his grasp, Leutnant Rolfe, along and the remaining units of Lang’s platoon, prepared for the final push to clear the remaining enemy units from the hill. Although the Americans put up a stiff fight, the final assault was just too much for their few remaining units, who were quickly swept away. The left hill was now in German hands. 

On the right, Heinz and his men again assaulted the enemy’s second line of defense. This time they were able to force them to retreat. All that was left was one enemy squad holding the farmhouse and outbuildings on top of the hill. 

Heinz rallied his men for — what he hoped would be — the final assault. His men then surged forward in the face of the enemy’s return fire, entering into hand-to-hand combat. The ensuing melee was fierce and costly for both sides. The Americans, sensing the hopelessness of their position broke off and retreated down the hill. Although the Germans controlled the hills for now, all involved knew that the fight wasn’t over and that they would meet again. 

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