In October 1943, the 1st Special Service Force were sent to Italy where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The Devil's Brigade arrived in Casablanca in French Morocco in November 1943 and quickly moved to the Italian front arriving at Naples on 19 November 1943 and immediately going into the line with the US 36th Infantry Division.
The force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Mount La Difensa and the other at Monte La Remetanea. The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Germany's Gustav Line. The German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Remetanea were the last entrenched line before the Gustav Line and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the force prior to their attack. It was then determined that the 2nd Regiment's assault on Remetanea would be the best way to approach the entrenched enemy. In doing this, the force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on.
The assault was planned for December 2nd, while the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. At 16:30 hours on December 1st, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within six miles of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa. This would be a six-hour march. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.
After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2nd at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire".
The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted steeply upwards for 1,000 feet. The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, the men moved forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German shot flares into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4–5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea.
Massive Allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliano Rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied. The successful assault on La Difensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled "The Devil's Brigade".
During the mountain campaign the 1st Special Service Force suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle at Anzio, south of Rome. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into enemy territory. Shortly after the Special Service Force took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to a ½ Mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. The force's constant night raids forced the Germans to fortify their positions in their area with more men than originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's Brigade often went as deep as 1,500 feet behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Special Service Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a Division. The Special Service Forces were ordered to drive several trucks to move around the Forces area in order to give the enemy the impression that the Force comprised more men than it actually did. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be, "Fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful, and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10-day furlough."
It was at Anzio that the 1st Special Service Force inspired the "Black Devils" nickname, which appears to have been an invention of the Force's intelligence officers. During Anzio, the 1st Special Service Force fought for 99-days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the Force used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate colloquially to "The worst is yet to come". Its literal translation is actually "The thick end is coming soon", implying that a larger force was on its way imminently, placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications.
When the US 5th Army's breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on 27 May 1944. The 1st Special Service Force was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing German Forces. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
There is no record of any German ever referring to the Special Service Force as "The Devil's Brigade". The Germans referred to the Special Service Force as "Black Devils" because the brigade's members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night.
Private Harold Borchers experienced a hostile traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on May 30, 1944 during the Battle of Anzio. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "KIA – "Killed in Action".
Pvt. Harold Borchers, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Borchers of Mandan, was killed in action in Italy on May 30, according to a telegram received from the War Department. He was part of a paratrooper's unit and was killed on the Anzio beachhead. (Reprint- Mandan News)
The force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Mount La Difensa and the other at Monte La Remetanea. The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Germany's Gustav Line. The German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Remetanea were the last entrenched line before the Gustav Line and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the force prior to their attack. It was then determined that the 2nd Regiment's assault on Remetanea would be the best way to approach the entrenched enemy. In doing this, the force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on.
The assault was planned for December 2nd, while the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. At 16:30 hours on December 1st, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within six miles of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa. This would be a six-hour march. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.
After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2nd at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire".
The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted steeply upwards for 1,000 feet. The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, the men moved forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German shot flares into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4–5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea.
Massive Allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliano Rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied. The successful assault on La Difensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled "The Devil's Brigade".
During the mountain campaign the 1st Special Service Force suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle at Anzio, south of Rome. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into enemy territory. Shortly after the Special Service Force took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to a ½ Mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. The force's constant night raids forced the Germans to fortify their positions in their area with more men than originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's Brigade often went as deep as 1,500 feet behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Special Service Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a Division. The Special Service Forces were ordered to drive several trucks to move around the Forces area in order to give the enemy the impression that the Force comprised more men than it actually did. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be, "Fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful, and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10-day furlough."
It was at Anzio that the 1st Special Service Force inspired the "Black Devils" nickname, which appears to have been an invention of the Force's intelligence officers. During Anzio, the 1st Special Service Force fought for 99-days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the Force used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate colloquially to "The worst is yet to come". Its literal translation is actually "The thick end is coming soon", implying that a larger force was on its way imminently, placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications.
When the US 5th Army's breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on 27 May 1944. The 1st Special Service Force was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing German Forces. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
There is no record of any German ever referring to the Special Service Force as "The Devil's Brigade". The Germans referred to the Special Service Force as "Black Devils" because the brigade's members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night.
Private Harold Borchers experienced a hostile traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on May 30, 1944 during the Battle of Anzio. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "KIA – "Killed in Action".
Pvt. Harold Borchers, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Borchers of Mandan, was killed in action in Italy on May 30, according to a telegram received from the War Department. He was part of a paratrooper's unit and was killed on the Anzio beachhead. (Reprint- Mandan News)
In October 1943, the 1st Special Service Force were sent to Italy where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The Devil's Brigade arrived in Casablanca in French Morocco in November 1943 and quickly moved to the Italian front arriving at Naples on 19 November 1943 and immediately going into the line with the US 36th Infantry Division.
The force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Mount La Difensa and the other at Monte La Remetanea. The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Germany's Gustav Line. The German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Remetanea were the last entrenched line before the Gustav Line and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the force prior to their attack. It was then determined that the 2nd Regiment's assault on Remetanea would be the best way to approach the entrenched enemy. In doing this, the force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on.
The assault was planned for December 2nd, while the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. At 16:30 hours on December 1st, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within six miles of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa. This would be a six-hour march. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.
After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2nd at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire".
The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted steeply upwards for 1,000 feet. The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, the men moved forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German shot flares into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4–5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea.
Massive Allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliano Rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied. The successful assault on La Difensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled "The Devil's Brigade".
During the mountain campaign the 1st Special Service Force suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle at Anzio, south of Rome. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into enemy territory. Shortly after the Special Service Force took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to a ½ Mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. The force's constant night raids forced the Germans to fortify their positions in their area with more men than originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's Brigade often went as deep as 1,500 feet behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Special Service Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a Division. The Special Service Forces were ordered to drive several trucks to move around the Forces area in order to give the enemy the impression that the Force comprised more men than it actually did. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be, "Fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful, and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10-day furlough."
It was at Anzio that the 1st Special Service Force inspired the "Black Devils" nickname, which appears to have been an invention of the Force's intelligence officers. During Anzio, the 1st Special Service Force fought for 99-days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the Force used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate colloquially to "The worst is yet to come". Its literal translation is actually "The thick end is coming soon", implying that a larger force was on its way imminently, placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications.
When the US 5th Army's breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on 27 May 1944. The 1st Special Service Force was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing German Forces. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
There is no record of any German ever referring to the Special Service Force as "The Devil's Brigade". The Germans referred to the Special Service Force as "Black Devils" because the brigade's members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night.
Private Harold Borchers experienced a hostile traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on May 30, 1944 during the Battle of Anzio. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "KIA – "Killed in Action".
Pvt. Harold Borchers, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Borchers of Mandan, was killed in action in Italy on May 30, according to a telegram received from the War Department. He was part of a paratrooper's unit and was killed on the Anzio beachhead. (Reprint- Mandan News)
The force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Mount La Difensa and the other at Monte La Remetanea. The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Germany's Gustav Line. The German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Remetanea were the last entrenched line before the Gustav Line and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the force prior to their attack. It was then determined that the 2nd Regiment's assault on Remetanea would be the best way to approach the entrenched enemy. In doing this, the force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on.
The assault was planned for December 2nd, while the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. At 16:30 hours on December 1st, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within six miles of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa. This would be a six-hour march. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.
After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2nd at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire".
The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted steeply upwards for 1,000 feet. The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, the men moved forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German shot flares into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4–5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea.
Massive Allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliano Rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied. The successful assault on La Difensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled "The Devil's Brigade".
During the mountain campaign the 1st Special Service Force suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle at Anzio, south of Rome. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into enemy territory. Shortly after the Special Service Force took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to a ½ Mile to avoid their aggressive patrols. The force's constant night raids forced the Germans to fortify their positions in their area with more men than originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's Brigade often went as deep as 1,500 feet behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Special Service Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a Division. The Special Service Forces were ordered to drive several trucks to move around the Forces area in order to give the enemy the impression that the Force comprised more men than it actually did. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be, "Fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful, and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10-day furlough."
It was at Anzio that the 1st Special Service Force inspired the "Black Devils" nickname, which appears to have been an invention of the Force's intelligence officers. During Anzio, the 1st Special Service Force fought for 99-days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the Force used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate colloquially to "The worst is yet to come". Its literal translation is actually "The thick end is coming soon", implying that a larger force was on its way imminently, placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications.
When the US 5th Army's breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima on 27 May 1944. The 1st Special Service Force was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing German Forces. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
There is no record of any German ever referring to the Special Service Force as "The Devil's Brigade". The Germans referred to the Special Service Force as "Black Devils" because the brigade's members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night.
Private Harold Borchers experienced a hostile traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on May 30, 1944 during the Battle of Anzio. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "KIA – "Killed in Action".
Pvt. Harold Borchers, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Borchers of Mandan, was killed in action in Italy on May 30, according to a telegram received from the War Department. He was part of a paratrooper's unit and was killed on the Anzio beachhead. (Reprint- Mandan News)
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from North Dakota.
Family Members
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