Clay J. Ritter

  • DATE OF BIRTH
    September 14, 1921
  • DATE OF DEATH
    February 28, 2013
FULL NAME:

Clay J. Ritter

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):

  • DATE OF BIRTH: September 14, 1921
  • DATE OF DEATH: February 28, 2013
RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):

New Castle, Garfield County, Colorado

ORGANIZATION:
  • MAIN UNIT:
    15th Field Artillery Battalion
  • SUBUNIT:
    Battery B
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
  • RANK:
    Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt.)
  • POSITION IN UNIT:
    Forward Observer
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:

✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945), ✭ Central Europe Campaign (22 March – 11 May 1945)

DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):

🎖Bronze Star Medal

HONORED BY:

Linda Ritter Carroll, Daughter

NARA - Display Full Records

File Unit: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records)
in the Series: World War II Army Enlistment Records, created 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946. - Record Group 64 (info)

Brief Scope: This series contains records of approximately nine million men and women who enlisted in the United States Army, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Source: aad.archives.gov/aad/
NOTICE
NARA RECORDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS SOLDIER
ARTICLES

The Infamous „Flak Alley“ Leuna and Merseburg – April 1945

In mid-April 1945, the 2nd Infantry Division approached the great industrial area of Leuna and Merseburg near Leipzig, where the Division encountered the infamous „flak alley“ protecting Germany´s vital synthetic gasoline and rubber plants. There were approximately 1000 of the antiaircraft guns, ranging in size from 88 to 128-mm and were supplemented by light guns. The guns were now depressed for ground fire and capable of being used against the Division´s advancing infantry or tanks. Each AA gun was well fortified and surrounded by a communication trench. These deadly defensive emplacements caused heavy losses to the 2nd Infantry Division in the following days. During the fighting from April 13 to 19, men of the 2nd ID captured or destroyed 505 heavy antiaircraft artillery pieces of 88-mm, 105-mm and 128-mm caliber, as well as innumerable lighter antiaircraft weapons and took a total number of 9,111 prisoners. In this case the counter battery fire proved most effective in reducing the fortified positions…

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