To achieve this the 2nd
Armored Division had to take the towns of Puffendorf, Setterich, Ederen, Merzenhausen and
Barmen. Puffendorf was taken after heavy
fighting and casualties. This was different
warfare then the months of chasing retreating
Germans who had only turned around sporadically to defend or
counter-attacked in any great force. Now the Allied forces
were entering Germany and the Germans fought for
the defense of their own Fatherland with fierce
determination.
On the morning
of November 27, 1944 an attack was launched on
the town of Merzenhausen. This town was strongly
defended as it was crucial to the Germans to
maintain their positions on the west side of the
Roer river. It controlled their lines of
communication and supply and if it fell, the road to Barmen
and the Roer river would be wide open.
The 3rd Battalion
of the 41st (including G company of Pvt. Aaron) was
ordered to take hill 98.1, the high ground on
the east side of Merzenhausen. Another battalion
(2nd, 119 Inf Regt supported by Co I, 66th
Armored and Co A, 17th Armored Engineer Bn) was
to take Merzenhausen itself. 1st Bn, 119 Inf
Regt was to take hill 100.3 on the North East
side of Merzenhausen.
The attack began at 0715. 3rd Bn, 41st
Inf Regt covered the muddy ground towards their
objective without tank
support. They were faced with well dug in German infantry,
artillery and mortar fire. Some time after they
reached the German trenches they were confronted
with a determined German counter-attack. A strong
infantry force supported by eight tanks attacked
their positions. The 2nd Bn, 41st Inf was sent
to their aid and after fierce fighting the German attack was repelled.
Merzenhausen
itself was taken after heavy house-to-house
fighting. The Germans were not about to give up
the town without a fight. The attacking American
infantry had to deal with strong German
infantry, mortar and artillery fire, tanks and
heavy street fighting. Progress was slow. By
noon the Germans had been thrown back just a few
hundred yards. The town was finally taken around
1800, when the Americans dug in to defend the
town against possible counter-attacks, the first
of which began around 2130. By midnight Merzenhausen was finally secured, except for
some isolated pockets of resistance, and the
road to Barmen and the Roer river was wide open.
It was during
the fighting for hill 98.1 that Pvt Aaron lost
his life.
Private Aaron
is buried at Margraten American Military
Cemetery, Plot B Row 4 Grave 32
