Survey Party One, led by staff Sgt. Robert H. Mason, relieved our party in the morning. Bob Mason was a West Virginia mountaineer, tall and slender and only a year or two older than I. He was a natural leader, especially in time of crisis, yet he was warmhearted and had a good sense of humor. Because he had perfected an imitation of Donald Duck, he called himself "the Duck." By Bob's recollection, they had two bazookas, one 50 caliber machine gun, 38 pounds of high explosives, and various small weapons. He remembered, "We dug into the farm trail's rutty tracks and planted 19 pounds of the explosive under each track a tank could crawl over. The explosive was wired to a small battery which I held in my hands. It was of sufficient voltage to set off the charges. We had a forward observer, in the fog, about 600 feet ahead, to listen for approaching enemy tanks. There were rumbles and gunfire beyond our station, but nothing appeared in our vicinity. At some time, just before dusk, our first sergeant rode up in a Jeep and cleared us out." Lieutenant Tyler and Mason's group were the last to leave Champlon. the rest of us, under orders to continue our retreat, left about noon, Everyone was mad and disgusted at having to retreat after making efforts to halt the enemy.
The Germans continued to make progress on all fronts, although The flanks were holding firm south of Bastogne and north of St. Vith. While the situation in the center remained confused, it was definitely established that one enemy spearhead was driving on La Roche. The battalion moved back to Bande, a few kilometers to the northwest, in the most disorderly convoy yet. On our way we passed the 740th Field Artillery Battalion. They had two guns left. at Bande the battalion vehicles were regrouped, and at dusk we set out for Neuvillers, several miles to the southwest. The unit drove blackout most of the way, arriving at the destination shortly before midnight. We slept in a barn that night. We learned later that ragtag groups of noncombat GIs all over the Ardennes battle area delayed or stopped the Panzers, much to the Germans' surprise. At the time I thought we would have been slaughter if the Panzers or armored infantry had arrived, but in retrospect I believe we, too, might have given a good account of ourselves. Although many of us were scared, God knows we were also plenty mad.
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