On January 3, went on the offensive with Task Force Lovelady and captured Malempre. We had some new 83rd. Infantry with us that had not seen any combat except their squad leader. There was a squad of them attached to our tank as we attacked toward Fraiture on January 6. Their squad leader got shot just after we started. The tanks had to stay pretty close to the road, as the snow was deep. The eight 83rd men stayed behind my tank as we coming into Fraiture and receiving a lot of small arms fire. Lt. Elliott called on the radio and said I think the fire is coming from the farmhouse ahead so put a couple rounds in it. Then we pulled up beside the house and my tank commander lobed a hand grenade it the upstairs window and a German ran outside and round the house in front of our tank. Then he ran behind the woodpile, and my tank commander said gun left, Fire! Then we moved up again and came to a small stone fence. A German with a pancerfaust stood up and fired at us. He missed the tank but hit some of the Infantry guys. The Infantry said there he is but they did not shoot. I traversed the gun toward him but before I could get the angle on him he fired at us again and the shell hit us in the turret and killed the tank commander with him falling on me. When I got out from under him I followed the driver and bow gunner had baled out so the loader and I followed. We went into the house and we patched up three of the wounded guys and at that time I realized I had been wounded in the back of my head. We went back out to the road as I carried one on my back. About that time Major Stallings came by in his jeep and carried us back to an aid station in Malempre. It was my last day in combat.

CORBIN:

How many tanks did you knocked out and how many you got knocked out of, and what was the range that you could knocked out another tank.

STITT:

I don't remember how many tanks I hit but I loss three. I would say we had to be within 400 yards for a good straight shot, otherwise you had to lob it.

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