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106-CIC Det (AAR) 16/12/1944-26/12/1944

Document Source: Headquarters US Army Intelligence Center, Fort Holabird, Baltimore, Maryland. ACSIH-GC-250/58/M, April 1959, CIC History - The Ardennes Breakthrough. Typical Day-by-Day CIC A picture of representative CIC (Counter Intelligence Corps) activities during this period of the German advance was provided by the report of the 106th CIC Detachment. Prefaced: A brief outline of the activities of the 106th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment from Saturday, December 16, 1944, through Tuesday, December 26, 1944, follows: document covered the 11-day period in diary fashion. Capt Jensen, Commanding Officer, admitted, in a postscript, that this report was not in accordance with the SOP dated December 12 which his detachment did not receive until after he had prepared his version: Due to the fact of continued movement and emergency measures confronting this detachment he commented, it is deemed advisable to submit the report of activity in the above form. As such report gave an accurate picture of one CIC Detachment's total effort during the period of the German advance and revealed, in part, the following activities Saturday, December 16, 1944: The 106th CIC Detachment was located in St Vith, Belgium. Shelling began on the previous day and various units left the town for Decatur Rear. This Detachment continued its work of interviewing the many civilians apprehended by the guards. Passes for travel from St Vith had been canceled and no new ones were issued. Lt Jordan and Special Agent Underwood left St Vith with CIC equipment for Vielsalm at 1600. Capt Jensen and Agents Germain, Sullavan, Moore, and Jordan remained in the town to carry on with CIC work. Sunday, December 17, 1944: Members of the 7th Armored Division were contacted in Vielsalm and an office was established. In the meantime (1700, December 16, 1944) members of the Combat Command B Team of the 7th Armored Division CIC in St Vith worked with Capt Jensen and the 106th Detachment Agents. CIC Headquarters were set up in Vielsalm. St Vith was cut off from communications. The 106th CIC Agents interviewed civilians who were apprehended by guards. All credentials were inspected, and persons not from Vielsalm were forbidden to travel. Vielsalm civilians were instructed not to leave the town proper. Mondays, December 18, 1944: Communication with St Vith remained closed. Civilians in Vielsalm continued to jam the office seeking travel permits. These were denied. Capt Jensen and Agents Sullavan, Moore, and Jordan left St Vith at 1700 for Vielsalm when shelling of that town made it untenable. Theirs was the last tactical unit to leave. Agent Germain left at 1600 with three informers for Corps. Tuesday, December 19, 1944: Records of the Nazi Party in St Vith and adjoining towns, which had been collected by the 106th CIC Detachment, were turned over to the 7th CIC Detachment for their use in the Krombach sections. The 106th CIC Detachment immediately mobilized Belgian Army members and members of the Belgian Gendarmerie and then screened all members. These men were placed on all roads, paths, and other vantage points as guards to apprehend civilians traveling on the roads or through the woods. Vielsalm is now closed to all travel from within and from without. It was announced by the 106th CIC Detachment that all residents of Vielsalm must obtain a pass or means identification which would be issued by the 106th CIC if they were to travel on the streets of Vielsalm. Those persons whose loyalty was questionable were searched and then cleared; quartered in Vielsalm, or detained in the Corps de Garde (Guardhouse) of the Belgian Barracks occupied by the Decatur Headquarters, and the Prisoner of War Cage operated by the 7th Armored Division. A screening section was set up in the schoolhouse of Vielsalm and members of the Military Government section aided agents of the 106th CIC Detachment in screening all civilian residents of the town. Some 2000 persons came to the school for identification cards. Credentials were certified and vouched for by the banker in Vielsalm who had recently been appointed head of the town bank by the Belgian government. Identification cards were printed by the 106th CIC Detachment on United States government water-marked paper. These cards were not good for travel but were used merely as a means of identifying civilians of Vielsalm and as an aid in apprehending strangers who might and did come to town. Wednesday, December 20, 1944: Part of the 106th CIC Detachment was occupied the entire day continuing interviewing and issuing clearance identification to civilians of Vielsalm. For the record, all Belgian guards remained at their posts and were at the appointed places when a detail was dispatched to pick them up in the evening. In the evening and throughout the night, guards continued to bring in civilians. Thursday, December 21, 1944: The 106th CIC Detachment Agents continued clearance of civilians. Some 30 civilians from St Vith arrived in Vielsalm and were quartered in the schoolhouse. Friday, December 22, 1944: Notification of the moving of Decatur Headquarters to Vaux Chavanne was received. Instructions were given to the 106th Military Police Company regarding civilians they were holding on orders from the 106th CIC Detachment. The 106th CIC Detachment, along with the Military Government team, left for Vaux Chavanne and then proceeded to Werbomont where CIC Headquarters was set up. Agent Germain arrived back from delivering the three informants. Saturday, December 23, 1944: Early on this date, the 106th CIC Detachment left Werbomont for Ernonheid, where forward Decatur Headquarters was located. Headquarters were established in a farmhouse and Decatur Headquarters, Military Police, and other units were notified. The day was occupied with making out Arrest Forms for persons turned over to the Military Police by the 106th CIC Detachment for return to Corps with security trips around the vicinity and with interviews with residents. Sunday, December 24, 1944: The 106th CIC Detachment remained in Ernonheid and continued security trips around the vicinity and with interviews with residents. Monday, December 25, 1944: Word was received that Decatur was moving to Aywaille. The 106th CIC Detachment moved to Awans and set up headquarters. Headquarters, Military Police, and Message Center were notified of the Detachment's location. Tuesday, December 26, 1944: Two teams of two agents each were dispatched to the following towns. Harzé, Ernonheid, Werbomont, Harre, Aywaille, Sprimont, Oneux, Hoyemont, and Comblain-la-Tour, to contact S2s or their representatives and inform them of the Detachment's Headquarters and to establish screening areas. Contact was made again with the 7th Armored Division CIC. Read the full article