Capt. James M. Burt
was in command of Company B, 66th Armored Regiment on the western
outskirts of Wurselen, Germany, on 13 October 1944, when his
organization participated in a coordinated infantry-tank attack destined
to isolate the large German garrison which was tenaciously defending
the city of Aachen. In the first day's action, when infantrymen ran into
murderous small-arms and mortar fire, Capt. Burt dismounted from his
tank about 200 yards to the rear and moved forward on foot beyond the
infantry positions, where, as the enemy concentrated a tremendous volume
of fire upon him, he calmly motioned his tanks into good firing
positions. As our attack gained momentum, he climbed aboard his tank and
directed the action from the rear deck, exposed to hostile volleys
which finally wounded him painfully in the face and neck. He maintained
his dangerous post despite pointblank self-propelled gunfire until
friendly artillery knocked out these enemy weapons, and then proceeded
to the advanced infantry scouts' positions to deploy his tanks for the
defense of the gains which had been made. The next day, when the enemy
counterattacked, he left cover and went 75 yards through heavy fire to
assist the infantry battalion commander who was seriously wounded. For
the next 8 days, through rainy, miserable weather and under constant,
heavy shelling, Capt. Burt held the combined forces together, dominating
and controlling the critical situation through the sheer force of his
heroic example. To direct artillery fire, on 15 October, he took his
tank 300 yards into the enemy lines, where he dismounted and remained
for 1 hour giving accurate data to friendly gunners. Twice more that day
he went into enemy territory under deadly fire on reconnaissance. In
succeeding days he never faltered in his determination to defeat the
strong German forces opposing him. Twice the tank in which he was riding
was knocked out by enemy action, and each time he climbed aboard
another vehicle and continued the fight. He took great risks to rescue
wounded comrades and inflicted prodigious destruction on enemy personnel
and materiel even though suffering from the wounds he received in the
battle's opening phase. Capt. Burt's intrepidity and disregard of
personal safety were so complete that his own men and the infantry who
attached themselves to him were inspired to overcome the wretched and
extremely hazardous conditions which accompanied one of the most bitter
local actions of the war. The victory achieved closed the Aachen gap.