Lot of WWII Ephemera to include 1) 143rd Gun Battalion Unit History. The book is titled 143RD GUN BN and was compiled by officers and EM of the the 143rd AAA Gun Battalion. It was printed by Richard Bechtle, Esslingen/ Neckar  and is certainly theater made. 2) Framed pencil drawing of a POW camp in Kaufbeuren which is in Bavaria. and is artist signed and dated 2.12.45. The frame measures 13 1/2 X 12 inches. 3) 23 Nazi Postcards 4) 2 Surrender Documents 5) Several Photo Book Cards from Adold Hitler and Der Weltkrieg and other personnel photos including several WAC photos. Starting with December 5, 1944 the 143rd began to hear rumors that they were to move forward from their present deployment around Liege to fire on the sites launching the buzz bombs that were landing in and around Liege. Recon parties started leaving the area, coming back with reports of the situation at the front and stories were heard of emplacing the batteries within 1800 yards of German outpost positions. Finally, on December 14th, the radars of "Hq" and "C" Battery, together with recon elements of all batteries, left to check the battery sites that had previously been selected by map and ground recon in the vicinity of Mutzenich, Monschau and Kalterherberg, Germany. The batteries were to follow and set up in front of the buzz bomb launching sites that were then being used to attack Liege. At Kalterherberg, on the morning of December 16th, the recon parties received the opening barrage of von Rundstedt's counter-offensive, which was then thought to be only a local counter-attack. Part of the recon party returned to Liege on this day and found that the projected move was cancelled. There was a possibility of an all-out German offensive. A small party returned on the 17th to Eisenborn, south of Kalterherberg, where the 18th AAA Group was located, to learn more of this position and to find out what had happened to the radars that had been left there previously. On arrival, the party saw the 18th Group evacuating their position and moving to the rear in the face of the German offensive. Both radar crews to return to Liege with the equipment as quickly as possible had received Word. This was accomplished after considerable difficulty due to the roads necessary to travel over in order to evade enemy forces.All batteries were in March Order but when the recon party returned, the orders were changed and the 143rd was returned to it's original positions. The men were uneasy and everything was too quiet. Then it broke loose! Word came down that the batteries were to March Order, leaving as soon as possible on an anti-mechanized mission south of Liege. Recon parties left in 30 minutes and were on their way to meet the Commanding Officer of the 11th AAA Group that would give the 143rd its Bn mission. The members of the recon party remembered the atmosphere of that hotel room in Aywaille when they learned that the whole German front was erupting in a major counter offensive. The Battalion had been given four important road nets that were to be held at all costs regardless of men and material. The party made a hasty reconnaissance so that the main column with the guns would be met within a space of 3-4 hours later.Battery "A", my father's battery, had the farthest to go, moving down highway N-15 past Werbomont to Manhay, then turning east to the crossroads at Snamont. "B" Battery was assigned the defense of the road net at Habiemont, just east of Werbomont. The recon party from "B" Battery, consisting of Captain Browne, Capobianco, Rankin and Sproat, proceeded on the basis of these orders. The main column of "B" Battery continued to the battery center at Werbomont and, upon finding that its recon party had been cut off by a blown bridge, moved into its emergency assembly area and was later picked up by the Bn recon party going to the Bn CP. Immediate recon was made for new positions since original map positions were without in the hands of the enemy. The guns set up abreast, beside the road leading west to Werbomont. Later, when John Sproat managed to come back through the German lines, it was learned that the rest of the members of the recon party of Battery "B" ran into a German forward outpost and were killed.Battery "C" turned east and south from Aywaille and set up anti-mechanized defenses in the vicinity of Stoumont. In connection with the 119th Infantry of the 30th Division, "C" Battery provided the immediate defenses for the road net leading to Aywaille from the east. Early next morning, Charlie attempted to move Gun 4 to a more advantageous position in the town of Stoumont. The gun became mired in mud and while the men worked to emplace it, enemy fire destroyed it, together with the M-4 tractor. The crew of the gun was evacuated and fell back as infantry to the vicinity of the next gun. At 0730, Gun 2, which was emplaced in Stoumont, engaged a Mark VI tiger tank at a range of 40 yards, knocking it out and setting it afire with seven rounds. The crew of the tank was completely destroyed. Here a major engagement was developing. A mortar shell landed in a US halftrack, which was parked in the vicinity, setting off its ammo and the 90mm ammunition of Gun 2. This destroyed the gun, which had to be abandoned in the face of the enemy advance. The gun crew took their place as infantry along with the crew of Gun 4. During this time, in answer to a request for volunteers by an infantry officer, Pfc's Darago and Seamon volunteered to attack two German Mark VI tanks with bazookas, which they had never fired previous to this time. After crawling behind the building where the tanks were parked, each man fired his one round into the rear radiator, setting the tanks ablaze. Retiring around the building, the men were given another round of ammo apiece and crept forward again to make sure of their kill. For this heroic action, these two men were awarded the DSC. During this engagement, the medical detachment of the Bn could pride itself on knowing that all of its personnel conducted themselves in the tradition of the medical corps. On several occasions the medics aided not only their own batteries, but also infantrymen who were near by. All of them gave untiring attention to the men assigned to their care.Now the full pressure of this German armored column became apparent as the enemy pushed on to Stoumont Station close on the heels of the retiring American tank and infantry units. There was a heavy fog that morning and the reactions and sensations of the boys from Charlie were mixed as they saw the troops retiring, realizing that they were to stand in place in front of this armored thrust. The last American tank to leave made a temporary roadblock by pulling a "daisy chain" of mines across the road. The explosion of these mines did not stop the tiger tank but it did warn the men that shortly out of the fog would come the spearhead of the German advance. At the first appearance of the dim shape of the tiger tank at approximately 400 yards, Charlie opened fire and destroyed this tank with seven rounds. A second tank following closely on the heels of the first attempted to pass the disabled Mark VI but as it did so, Gun 1 opened fire again and destroyed this second tank in such a fortunate position as to form a roadblock.The counter fire that was received during this action did not destroy either men or material. However, the enemy sent up infantry to reduce this strong point. The crew of the first machine gun, which brought the men of Charlie under fire from the right, was driven off or killed by small arms fire. Second machine gun opened up from a well-concealed position and it was impossible for "C" battery to hold the strong point any longer. The 90mm gun was destroyed and the men fell back to the fourth and only remaining gun. It was during this action that Pfc Donald Eyanson was killed and Pvt's DP Phillips and Charles Schofield were seriously wounded. During this time the 119th Infantry regiment reorganized, counter-attacked and held the enemy. "C" Battery had helped to stop the spearhead.Batteries "A" & "D" were in position supporting the 82nd Airborne Div's advance elements that had arrived during the nights of the 18th and the 19th December. Battery "A" formed an advance strong point with one company of the Parachute Infantry and Battery "D" became part of the integrated anti-tank defenses supporting the advance of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. A new conception of mobile warfare was gained when it was discovered that between these two batteries were approximately 15 to 20 German armored vehicles that were attempting to advance. Leon Feifer, one of my father's best friends in "A" Battery, remembered, "we were dug in and blissfully unaware that we were actually surrounded by the enemy. We could see the enemy on a hillside but we never fired on them and they never fired on us. We could hear the artillery and gunfire and could smell the gunpowder but we were not attacked. It was so cold, lying in trenches, in the morning covered in snow and wet." The men breathed a sigh of relief when the 82nd attacked the morning of the 20th and drove the enemy back. Cpl. Dale Gill of "A" Battery recollected, "By the time the 82nd got to our position they had begun to fan out as they started down that long hill. The strain of what lay ahead had begun to show on their faces. It wasn't long after they reached the bottom of that hill that all hell broke looses. The firing seemed continuous for hours." During that day various reports were coming in regarding the progress of the American counter-attacks. Early on the morning of the 21st, around 0200, came that cry "March Order!" The Bn was then attached to the 30th Division, under the XVIII Corps Airborne. The 143rd was to move immediately to the Francorchamps - Stavelot - La Gleize - Malmedy area where another armored column threatened a breakthrough. Recon elements left in the middle of the night to report to the battalion report center at Spa. At this point orders for the disposition of the batteries were received and the battery recon parties left to make actual ground reconnaissance of positions for the individual guns. On arrival of the Bn recon parties at 30th Div Hdqs, the situation had changed. An immediate breakthrough by the Germans was now possible and all guns had to be emplaced immediately in order positions outlined in order of priority regardless of the original dispositions. Although everything seemed to be in a complete state of confusion, the guns were set up as fast as they arrived. Fortunately, the expected penetration was beaten back and our positions were improved as further reconnaissance became available."B" Battery discovered on the 22nd, as a result of reconnaissance by elements of the 30th Division, that there were a considerable number of German armored vehicles assembled in the area of La Gleize. From the maps and Baker's own ground recon it was seen to be possible to move Gun 4 forward, under cover of darkness, to a defile which would command this pocket at a range of about 1500 yards. On the night of the 22nd -23rd this move was completed. The 23rd was a very foggy day and it wasn't until late in the afternoon that the mist cleared enough for German artillery to fire a few rounds in the vicinity. Counter fire was delivered by the guns of "B" Battery at the point of the flash and they received no further fire. The men spent a restless, cold night anticipating a clear day ahead.At approximately 0830, liaison parties were received from the 743rd Tank Bn and the 119th Infantry. Div which indicated targets in the La Gleize pocket to fire upon. What a thrill the men felt as their first rounds were fired and a camouflaged tiger tank shot up in flames, "B" Battery's first destroyed tank. As fire was delivered on this first tank, it was noticed that there were two other tanks moving in the bushes. Fire was shifted to these two targets and they were destroyed. Finally, fire was directed at various other suspicious looking targets with the result that several small dumps and one enemy-manned Sherman tank was destroyed. During this engagement 42 rounds of 90mm ammunition was expended. Cease-fire was given so that elements of the 743rd and the 119th could move in and mop up the pocket. Later in the day, around 1200, "B" Battery in conjunction with the 639th, opened fire and shot down a ME-109 in flames."C" Battery, at this location, had no action until around 1240 when they were strafed by two ME-109's while going into position. "C" Battery's answering fire from their 50 cal. machine guns brought down one plane and the other departed, leaving a trail of smoke.On the 24th December, "A" and "D" Batteries, together with the operations section of Hdqs and the service elements of Hdqs, received orders to move to the vicinity of Aywaille. They were attached to the 11th AAA Group to establish the AA defenses of the two bridges at that location. As a result of this move, the guns of "B" and "C" Batteries were rearranged to cover the forward positions. "A" and "D" Batteries left on the morning of the 24th and were in their new positions and ready to fire by 1900. On Christmas day the Batteries all had a relatively quiet day and, despite the conditions, all managed to have turkey for dinner. The morning of the 26th was another clear morning and "A" and "D" Batteries were strafed by low flying P-47's, one plane bearing German insignia. The planes were engaged with no observed results. Enemy air activity was general throughout the area during the day and in the vicinity of Francorchamps a fighter bomber dropped a bomb right in the crater of a gun pit that had been evacuated by one of "C" Battery's guns the day before. The house adjacent to the gun, which was being used as a forward CP was almost completely destroyed by the blast and four members of the battalion were wounded. No further action occurred in the vicinity of Francorchamps and December 31st, the men of Batteries "B" and "C" were relieved of their mission and returned on the 1st January 1945 to Aywaille, reverting back to their normal AAA mission. The men of the 143rd felt pride in the box score they had accumulated since December 18th, which totaled twelve German tanks destroyed, two "category one" and one "category two" claim as well as incidental scores and numerous enemy dead. Unfortunately, on the debit side, the 143rd suffered four KIA, six WIA and three 90mm guns and one M-4 tractor lost in action.On the 3rd January 1945 the 143rd AAA Gun Bn was relieved from its present mission and moved to Namur, setting up under the control of the 31st AAA Group as the AAA defenses of the bridges and the marshalling yards at Namur, Belgium.The 143rd received a commendation for it's "outstanding drive, tenacity of purpose, and aggressiveness with which the 143rd AAA Gun Bn. performed all combat missions in the Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central European Campaigns." The commendation continues:"When the German Ardennes Counter-offensive was launched on 16th December 1944, the Bn., which had been given the mission of destroying PAC over German territory, was enroute to the Anti-Robot-bomb Belt east of Monschau - St.Vith, but was diverted to an anti-tank mission in the Houffalize - Manhay -Werbomont - Stoumont - La Gleize area, directly across the path of the 2nd German Panzer Army seeking to reach the Meuse. Moving into positions under cover of darkness, the 90mm guns of the 143rd, with practically no infantry support, brought to an abrupt halt the breakthrough aspirations of German Armored Force commanders in the above area. The Bn. becoming, in effect, the front line until the arrival of the 82nd Airborne Division of the XVIII Airborne Corps from the rear, when its guns became the rallying point and later the line of departure for the attacking infantry of the Corps. Twelve German Royal Tiger M-VI tanks and their American uniformed crews were definitely destroyed by the 143rd AAA Gun Bn in the vicinity of Stoumont Station and Stoumont alone. No prisoners were taken, while many other tanks, armored cars, assault guns and motor vehicles were found which gave evidence of being hit by 90mm fire in the La Gleize pocket.Attached to the 30th Infantry Division of the XVIII Corps on 23rd December 1944 in the anti-tank mission, the 90mm guns of the 143rd leap-frogged ahead under cover of the thick fog prevailing during this period, seeing out and destroying German Royal Tiger tanks and closely supporting the assaulting infantry attacks of the Corps, which converted the `Ardennes Bulge' into the `Ardennes Bubble.'During the period 18 December 1944 to 3 January 1945 the Bn., with blazing courage and tenacity of purpose, fearlessly stood and fought the enemy on the ground and in the air, shoulder to shoulder with the infantry in the bloodiest battle of the European Campaign. When their 90mm guns were overrun or destroyed by tanks, the gun crews of the gallant Bn unfalteringly battled on as infantry, seizing bazookas and other abandoned infantry weapons, in implementing their attacks along the line Trois-Ponts - Stavelot - Malmedy.With the launching of the Roer and Rhine offensives, the 143rd AAA Gun Bn.. utilizing its weapons to the maximum in an antiaircraft role at Duren and Remagen, successively supported the pulverizing smash of the 1st Army, which terminated all German resistance in its zone of action of the Rhineland. The termination of hostilities on 8 May 1945 found the Bn well on the road to Berlin with a record that no objective defended by it had been damaged by air or taken by ground attack."