Out of combat
The infantry rotated troops to and out of the front, either as it receded while the Germans withdrew to new defensive positions or as replacement troops took over, giving the squads an opportunity to rest, shower, obtain fresh clothing and recover from combat. Rest and recovery could be at the level of any of the units of command, or as little as the squad level. It was only in the direst of circumstances that an entire division was engaged in combat simultaneously, usually several units were held in reserve. When the reserves moved up the troops which had been in combat were withdrawn, and what luxuries the Army could offer were enjoyed.
These included cold beer, which was provided by American brewers, mandated by war regulations. Fifteen percent of all American beer production was set aside for the American military, and it was brought near to the front for resting troops to consume. Access to the field kitchens provided the men not engaged in combat with hot meals, though complaining about the food in all situations was a time-honored tradition, as in all armies. Mail – though censored – was read and written. Newspapers and magazines were available for the troops as were recreation activities such as baseball and softball, volleyball, and during the warm months swimming if a suitable body of water was near.
Even during the period of rest, the possibility of a sudden attack was always present. The Luftwaffe was still a potent threat during the summer of 1944 as the Allies pushed across France. The American lines in the Ardennes were thin when the Germans attacked there in 1944 in part because the troops stationed there were there to rest. After heavy fighting across France and the Low Countries, it was believed by the Allied High Command that the Germans lacked the ability or the will to launch an assault in the Ardennes, and the troops were there to rest through Christmas. Instead, they were soon engulfed in the biggest battle of US Army history.
Units which were depleted from battle casualties received replacements both while they were on the line and during periods of rest and recreation. Those who arrived during actual combat received a warmer welcome than those arriving while the squad was resting. Absent an opportunity to prove themselves, these arriving infantrymen found the squad wary of them, and sometimes almost hostile. Replacement infantrymen were often treated as an outsider, and no doubt already somewhat fearful of what they were getting into, they bore an additional burden of being considered to be little more than a casualty waiting to happen.
Again it fell to the squad leaders to decide when enough hazing had been conducted by the veterans of combat on the new arrivals. Some were necessary as a part of simply releasing the tension built up through combat and seeing friends wounded or killed, but it was up to the sergeants to establish what went too far. For all the men given a brief respite from the fighting, the possibility of the period being abruptly cut short was ever-present, as activities at the front demanded their immediate return to the battle line. As always during the war, the combat infantryman knew little of the overall situation and did as he was told ignorant for the most part of the reason why.