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“With the 80th infantry Division, Jan. 4, 1945

A T/4 in Headquarters Company, Third Battalion, 317th Infantry Regiment is credited with forcing a Nazi Lieutenant Colonel to surrender an entire Nazi prison camp garrison at Strasbourg and release 164 Allied prisoners of war.

Sgt. Eric Reilinger, of New York was shot in the leg in the 80th's Seille River crossing and was knocked unconcious when mortar shrapnel ripped through his helmet.  He was picked up by an SS trooper, taken to three overcrowded Nazi military hospitals and finally to the Strasbourg prison camp.

Persistent German intelligence officers vainly pumped Reilinger, who speaks fluent German, and made him stand 14 hours in a corner under guard when he refused to talk.

Counter-Intelligence

With the aid of 14 French KP’s and a British medic, Reilinger formed a counter-intelligence section.  By grapevine, the KP’s got word that the advancing French Army was only 12 miles away.  Immediately, Reilinger went to work.  First, by talking to the guards, then convincing a frightened Nazi lieutenant that his small garrison of 55 old untried soldiers, with poor equipment could not hold the fresh French forces.

As Reilinger hoped, the officer lost no time in reporting this news to the commandant of the prison.  This resulted in a meeting between the commandant and the Allied prisoners’ committee of which Reilinger was the leader.

Given Authority

“I was released, as I suggested, to contact American liason officers with the French Army.  I returned from this mission with authority to accept unconditional surrender of the garrison and to post ten of our men as guards over the Nazis.”, Reilinger related.

The Nazi commandant’s complaint was Reilinger’s insistence that the terms of surrender would include handing over his decorated pistol and sword to a Yankee T/4.

After blowing off steam, the colonel surrendered.”