Battle of Burp Gun Corner

The Battle of Burp Gun Corner was an engagement between soldiers of the U.S. 435th Troop Carrier Group^[1][2] and the Wehrmacht. The battle took place at a small crossroads near Wesel, Germany, from March 24–25, 1945. The engagement was part of Operation Varsity.^[1]

See Operation Varsity

The U.S. glider troops landed on Landing Zone "S" and faced heavy German sniper and mortar fire. They then moved to their assigned area, a crossroads that would become known as "Burp Gun Corner" (specifically, the crossroads of Holzweg and Hessenweg). The Americans cleared several houses and took a large number of prisoners before digging in for the night.^[3][4]

Around midnight on March 24, a force of approximately 200 German infantry, supported by two tanks, a self-propelled artillery piece, and two 20mm flak guns, attempted to break through the American lines. This attack was aimed at a gap between the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 194th.^[2]

The 77th Platoon of the 435th held their fire until the German force was very close. Flight Officer Elbert Jella fired a bazooka, hitting a German Panzer IV^[1] and causing it to reverse, destroying one of the flak guns in the process. The glider pilots, using their small arms, repelled the German assault.^[3]

The glider pilots successfully defeated several smaller German counterattacks throughout the early morning hours of March 25. At daybreak, they linked up with British forces coming out of Wesel.^[3]