Deffenbaugh, Lyle Joseph

Date of birth:: June 7th, 1910 (Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, the United States of America)
Date of death:: May 28th, 1944
Service number:: 0-288505
Nationality:: American

Biography

Lyle Joseph Deffenbaugh was born in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, on the 7th June, 1910. He was the youngest kid of seven (and the sixth son) of Joseph Edgar and Frances Mary Deffenbaugh. His military career took off at the Abraham Lincoln High School where he was named cadet colonel of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) unit. After graduation from high school, he became – next to being a reserve officer - a salesman for the Petersen & Schoening Company and eventually spent several years there as a clerk. In those years he met Helen D. Lorkovic and he married her on 10 November 1935.

In the late 1930’s he started full time as officer in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In 1939 Lyle became camp commandant of the CCC. He then was assigned to the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment. Being part of the 1st Armored Division ‘Old Ironsides’, the regiment trained at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before moving to Fort Dix, New Jersey, in April 1942. Shortly thereafter the 1st Armored Division shipped to Northern Ireland and Lyle’s 6th Armored Infantry Regiment for a while stayed in Belfast where the unit prepared for the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, Operation Torch.

Lyle, already Major, served in the 1st Battalion where Lieutenant Colonel William B. Kern was the Commanding Officer. The Battalion landed on the 8th November, 1942, west of Oran, in Algeria. The unit then fought in several battles, often in the midst of the fight. On 24th March, 1943, when Lieutenant Colonel Kern was heavily wounded, Major Lyle Deffenbaugh took over command, while being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel simultaneously. He was battle proven and already had received a Silver Star as a Major. One of his first successes as commander 1st Battalion was when his unit, in early May, helped take and occupy Mateur as Allied troops closed on Bizerte and Tunis and moved on. When the fighting in North Africa ended, Deffenbaugh and his 1st Battalion, 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, had to wait until October before they could leave via Oran, and shipped to Italy.

On 28 October, 1943, the regiment landed near Naples and pushed via Cassino towards Rome. Lyle and his Battalion fiercely fought around Mount Porchia, that formed a naturally defense for the German troops before Cassino. The 6th Regiment was ordered to attack Porchia. Starting the 4th January, 1944, Lyle’s Battalion was heavily involved in fierce battles when the Allies conducted several attacks on the German defense. On the 6th of January, in the afternoon, Lyle’s Battalion was reduced to only 150 men. In the evening, the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, with Lyle’s Battalion conquered part of Mount Porchia. During the night the Americans repelled a last resort all-out counterattack by the Germans and conquered the rest of the hill in early morning of 7th January. For its contribution in this battle, the regiment was later awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. Lyle would later, posthumously, be awarded with the Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry and exemplary leadership under fire on the 4th and 5th of January 1944 during the battle near Mount Porchia.

The next job for Lyle’s 1st Battalion was at Anzio. Deffenbaugh and his men landed there in the beachhead on the 29th January 1944. Like all of the allied forces, they were to stay there for months because they couldn’t break out. Only in the end of May 1944, Operation Buffalo was launched to break out of the beachhead at Anzio and start the push towards Rome. On 23rd May this operation commenced. Lyle’s 1st Battalion was part of Combat Command Bravo that broke out towards the northwest of Cisterna. Lyle’s Battalion navigated an antitank mine field but slowed to a stop in front of an antipersonnel mine field that was backed by an enemy strongpoint. After both minefields were eventually cleared, the German strongpoint was neutralized on 25th May by a combination of tanks and infantry. After General Clark, CO of the 5th Army, adjusted his attack plans (he decided to go straight to Rome), Lyle’s 1st Battalion was assigned to the 13th Armored Regiment of Colonel Howze. They were to push north towards Valmontone. On 27th May, 1944, Lyle’s armored vehicles were the first to enter Artena, south of Valmontone. The next day an attack was conducted on the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring", where the enemy suffered severely. However, the Germans conducted a counterattack supported with artillery that pounded Lyle’s 1st Battalion. One artillery barrage hit the command post of the Battalion, killing its Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lyle J. Deffenbaugh. It was the 28th of May, 1944, Lyle was 34 years of age.

On 10th January 1945 his widow Helen was presented the Distinguished Service Cross for Lyle’s gallantry at Mount Porchia a year before, during a ceremony in Omaha. Lyle’s body was at first buried in Anzio, but four years later, in August 1948, was moved and laid to rest at the Keokuk National Cemetery, Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. His grave is located in Section D, site 119.

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Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major
Unit:: 1st Battalion, 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division ‘Old Ironsides’
Awarded for:: Operation Torch

GENERAL ORDERS:
Headquarters, 1st Armored Division, General Orders No. 34 (1943)
CITATION:
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Major (Infantry) Lyle J. Deffenbaugh (ASN: 0-288505), United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with the 1st Armored Division, in action in Tunisia in 1943. Under heavy machine gun fire aimed directly at his position, which silenced the radio, Major Deffenbaugh disregarded all personal safety and remained in full view of the enemy within close range to shout directions and orders to two of his companies. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant Colonel
Unit:: 1st Battalion, 6th Armored Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division ‘Old Ironsides’
Awarded for:: Operation Avalanche

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Lyle J. Deffenbaugh (ASN: 0-288505), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against enemy forces on 4 and 5 January 1944 in Italy. Lieutenant Colonel Deffenbaugh advanced with the assault companies in his battalion in an attack against artillery, mortar, machine gun, small arms fire; and heavy casualties were suffered. Disregarding the severe enemy fire, Lieutenant Colonel Deffenbaugh moved from company to company issuing orders and encouraging his men to continue the attack. The following morning he went to each company and personally assisted in reorganization of the companies for continued attack. During the assault against concrete pillboxes and almost impregnable dug-in positions, he constantly exposed himself to severe enemy fire to control his troops' positions and to maintain contact with the battalion on his flank. Reaching the top of the mountain he joined his leading elements, viewed the situation and then went to direct all available personnel to reinforce his small assault group. His courageous leadership and inspiring devotion to duty were largely responsible for the success of the operation, and reflected great credit on himself and the Army of the United States.

On 10th January, 1945, Deffenbaugh’s Distinguished Service Cross was presented to his widow, Helen, at a ceremony in Omaha.