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To relieve the pressure in the northern portion of Hatten, Lt Colonel Holton ordered a counterattack by his men from the 2nd Battalion, 315th Infantry Regiment, towards the railway station in the southern portion of the town. The attack was again supported by the Shermans from the 48th Tank Battalion. Commencing as the light faded in the late afternoon, the Americans made good progress against some inexperienced infantry from the 25th Panzergrenadier Division. As the American attack unfolded, the German anti-tanks guns found their range.

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‘The attack order came down and we were on our way toward the left of Hatten. Lt John A Stair spotted three medium tanks as we inched our way over the final ridge before Hatten, near the north edge of Hatten, their right sponsons toward us. I fired at the center one and all hell broke loose. Our whole company must have seen the Kraut tanks at the same time – within two minutes the Panzers were flaming coffins. Then the Heinies struck back. Anti-tanks guns took three of our tanks before we could pull back.’

Cpl Darrell E. Todd, gunner, C Company, 48th Tank Battalion (Carter p178)