D-DAY DOCUMENTS

1st Division - 16th Regiment - 2nd Battalion - F Company - After Action Report

Strojny took up the bazooka, but it was pierced through the tube by shell fragments. The enemy gun continued firing, which made Strojny mad. He decided to try the bazooka anyway, so he loaded a round and fired. The first two rounds missed, the neaxt two were direct hits. Nevertheless the gun continued to fire. Strojny yelled for more ammunition, but there was none. He then went down to the beach and returned with six rounds he had found. He fired all six from the same position, all rounds hitting the target – the last one causing the ammunition to explode. A number of dead were seen, and only one German was seen to escape. Strojny fired at the German with an M1, but was wounded by a sniper. The bullet entered helmet over his left eye, going through the helmet and leaving a large hole in the rear of it. Despite this, Strojny was only superficially wounded.
Seeing the pillbox in flames, Strojny urged his men forward. He got up, but no one followed. He did see a good spot to the left, s he urged his men to it. His men followed him, but the men from 116th infantry, who were nearby, did not. Sergeant Strojny had his men pick up two BARs the 116th had abandoned. He worked to the left to the point where his unit was to cross, but as there was wire he could not get through. Strojny got a man from the 116th to blow a hole through the wire. The BAR men were placed on the right to fire into a wooded area. Private Charles Rochefort had his hand blow off by a mine as he came into position. Strojny ran through the gap and cleared the minefield. He motioned for the others to follow. Five men from Strojny’s section and an officer and a squad from the 116th followed. They received machine gun fire from their right flank. The entire group headed to this fire, and seven Germans were killed.