This outline is compiled from research material provided by personal accounts, unit diaries,online sources, "The Complete History of World War Two" edited by Francis T. Miller (1948) andthe 314th Infantry Association's "Through Combat."

A special thanks to Joseph W. Campbell and Dwight Pruitt.

17 September 2003

© Lori Cutshall 2003-2013

Photos and images used on this site are previously published, from private sources, or fromthe public domain unless otherwise credited. Credit will certainly be given for the use of anyphoto currently not properly assigned. Any image used herein which is under private copyrightwill be removed.

Permission is granted to link back to this Profile, it can be printed for personal use andreference, but cannot be republished in any form unless the express written authority is givenby the author. Thank you!

The 314th Infantry Regiment

On 15 May, 1942 the men who would form the 314thRegiment of the 79th Division of the UnitedStates Army arrived at Camp Pickett, Virginia.The 314th was to be formed out of the 12thRegiment of the 4th Motorized Division. Thesewere dark days: Pearl Harbor was only five monthspast, and on 6 May, nine days before the Regimentwas formed, Rommel was on the move with the nextLibyan offensive. On 15 June, 1942, the 79thDivision was officially activated.

Training for the new unit was intense. Infantry school at Ft. Benning,Georgia; Camp Blanding, Florida, for MTP (Mobilization Training Program);Tennessee Maneuvers in the snow outside of Murfreesboro where they trainedcrossing the Cumberland River in freezing conditions; Camp Laguna,California/Arizona in 130-degree temperatures for desert training. Due tomedical discharges or men being sent to OCS, replacements from the 42ndRainbow Division joined the 79th beginning in December, 1943, and throughoutthe early months of 1944.

Training Maneuvers

In December, 1943, the unit was moved to Camp Phillips, Kansas to preparefor deployment overseas. POM (Preparations for Overseas Movement) began inearnest with the number 6002 stenciled onto all sea bags - this was the codefor deployment in Europe. 22 March, 1944 the 314th moved from Camp Phillipsto Camp Miles Standish, the Boston Port of Embarkation, to load onto twoships; The USS Cristobal and HMS Strathmore. Cristobal carried the 1st and3rd Battalions, Regimental Headquarters (HQ), Anti-tank, and the ServiceCompanies. Strathmore took 2nd BN and the Cannon Company. They sailed on 7April, 1944.

The shipping convoy split up off the coast of Ireland with the Strathmorelanding at Glasgow on 16 April, and the Cristobal docking in Liverpool on 17April. The timing was late in the pre-invasion days, and troop quartering wasscarce. The 314th divided into two groups, with half billeted at GoldbournePark, a golf course in Newton-le-Willows between Liverpool and Manchester,and the rest at an estate named Tatton Park near Knutsford, 20 miles away.The invasion tension was high, and increasing every day.

Cherbourg and Fort du Roule

The 79th's initial invasion plan called for the Division to remain in reservewith General George S. Patton's 3rd Army until it was time for thebreakthrough out of Normandy, on to the plains of France. But the Germansmoved into Carentan for maneuvers, and the plan changed. Allied High Commandswitched the 79th from VIII Corps on loan to VII Corps, and the Divisionmoved to an assembly area near the southern coast - Southampton - on LordMountbatten's estate.

On 13 June, 1944 the 79th shipped out fromSouthampton en route to the vicinity ofCarentan. Debris from the D-Day invasionwas still all over the channel, and UtahBeach was a mess. Mine sweepers working thearea set one off by mistake, which onlyraised the anxiety level up farther than

thought possible.

Upon disembarkation, the 314th marched up UtahBeach, and headed towards Cherbourg. Theyassembled at Blosville, 10 to 12 miles from thebeachhead, near St. Mere Eglise, on 15 June.

16 June, 1944, the 79th was placed on a twohour alert for movement as VII Corps wasassigned to breach the German defenses atCherbourg. Two days later, they moved toPicaville, relieving the 90th Division onapproach to Cherbourg.

On 19 June, orders came down committing the 314th to its first combat; the313th/315th were assigned to attack from the north (the former position ofthe 90th Division) bypassing Valognes to the west, while the 314th nightmoved to an area near Binneville. At 0600, 2nd BN jumped off towards itsobjective to seize the ridge at Croix Jacob, outside Negreville. They tookthis position with little trouble, and along the way 1st BN took 14 POW's,one 88-mm gun and eight tanks. 2nd BN found four D-Day paratroopers hidingin the woods. They had watched the Germans pulling back towards theirCherbourg defenses. 3rd BN captured eight 88's, two AA guns, and a V-1 "BuzzBomb" rocket launching site in nearby Brix.

The 314th was on the outer perimeter of Cherbourg on 21 June, and theartillery fire from the enemy was intense. These were the main defense forcesaround Cherbourg. Allied radio broadcasted to the Germans to surrender beforea deadline of noon, 22 June. After the deadline was summarily ignored, the314th pulled back 1200 yards to allow room for a bomb release line. Theywatched as the Allied bombers dropped their payload. After roughly 80 minutesof bombing (one stray took out a 3rd BN anti-tank gun and prime mover, andthe fragmentation reached as far back as Regimental CP), the 314th movedonward towards Cherbourg with 1st's B/Co in the lead. C/Co was sent to theleft through Tollevast, with A/Co on the right. All took heavy fire andamassed numerous casualties. It was decided to bypass the strong point andsend 3rd BN on along the Regiment's right line boundary, and collect whatthey could of 1st BN's troops. B/Co could not disengage, but the restfollowed 3rd through a hole created in the German lines. To the west, theleft flank of the attack was covered by a battalion from the 315th, and the79th's Recon BN.

The morning of 23 June, 2nd BN wasordered to clear the supply routesserving 1st and 3rd BN's positions.3rd's I/Co ran into heavy artillery andarms fire and had to withdraw due toheavy causalities. 1st and 3rd BNs(without B/Co) took their objectives andbecame the first ground troops to lookupon the city of Cherbourg.

US troops marching German POWs

The morning of 23 June, 2nd BN wasordered to clear the supply routesserving 1st and 3rd BN's positions.3rd's I/Co ran into heavy artillery andarms fire and had to withdraw due toheavy causalities. 1st and 3rd BNs(without B/Co) took their objectives andbecame the first ground troops to lookupon the city of Cherbourg.

Air support was called in and 1st BN wasn't far enough away from the dropline, subsequently suffering many casualties again. G2 sources noted two mainobstacles to the 314th's advance - two German strong points of considerablestrength. 2nd BN was assigned to one, 3rd BN the other, and by 0800, 24June, air strikes hit the positions. By 1000, both were secured.

Fort du Roule was the key toCherbourg. The Germans hadfortified it with Anti-Aircraftguns (AA's), concreteemplacements, pill boxes, anti-tank ditches and barbed wire.3rd BN made three attempts forheights adjacent to the fort.All were unsuccessful andresulted in heavy casualties.

The next day's attack (25 June)2nd BN took off for "Point 46"- an area of AA guns andconcrete shelters on the edgeof a cliff overlookingCherbourg, with 3rd BNproviding covering fire. Twohours of fighting, destroyingthe German machine guns andsecuring pill boxes ensued, andover 100 POW's were taken.

Fort du Roule viewed from Cherbourg

The remaining enemy held on throughtwo more attacks by the 2nd BN beforefinally surrendering late in theevening. By midnight, 2nd was on thelid of Fort du Roule, 1st at Point 46,and 3rd in reserve.

1st BN began sending patrols intoCherbourg - fighting was taking placehouse to house. On 26 June, while 1stand 3rd BN's were fighting house tohouse in the town, amassing casualtiesand capturing over 2000 Germans, 2ndBN was facing its own problems at Fortdu Roule. The Germans had bored

Overlooking Cherbourg from Fort du Roule

tunnels into the face of the cliffs,and had mounted guns on retractablemounts which promptly disappeared intothe rock wall after each round. Theywere firing primarily on the patrolsgoing into Cherbourg.

2nd BN's E/Co drew up a demolition crew and blasted the tunnels. By the endof the day, 26 June, the city of Cherbourg was under 79th Divisions'control. 314th's 2nd and 3rd BN's received a Presidential Unit Citation andtwo Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded, as well.

La Haye du Puits

Map of troop movement Cherbourg / La Haye du Puits

The 4th Division took overgarrisoning Cherbourg on 27 June,1944 and the 79th reverted back toVIII Corps. They moved south tojust outside of Bricquebec (thetroops called it "Bricabrac.") Thelandscape changed from beaches andcliff faces, to farms, small towns,and the dreaded hedgerows. On 29June, 2nd BN moved south to takeover a defense line near LaPicoterie, relieving the 90th's357th Infantry Regiment. The 1stand 3rd BN's joined later, and asof 2 July, they were still awaitingorders.

Behind the line of Carentan - St.Lo, there was a small town calledLa Haye du Puits. It was a focalpoint for supply lines and the79th's next objective. On 3 July,the attack moved out with the 314thapproaching on the left, the 315thon the right. 1st BN / 314th droveforward to Bolleville, the 3rdworked on securing "Hill 121" leftof Bolleville and the 2nd remainedin a defensive position north ofthe Douve River in support.

The Regiment's Battalions lost radiocontact with Regimental HQ CP forseveral hours and mission specificationswere relayed by an artillery liaison.The objectives of 1st and 3rd werereached at 0230, 3 July.

During the night, 2nd BN crossed the Douveto the north-northeast sector of "Hill121." The approach exposed the troops to

the most extreme fighting they hadexperienced to date, and fatigue ran high.

At 1830, 4 July, 2nd BN moved through 1st BN's position to bypass La Haye duPuits to reach an assembly area about 800 yards northwest of Bolleville. 1stBN was holding the line to the right, and 3rd was in a defensive positionnorthwest of Ste. Catherine. 5 July - After six hours of heavy fighting, 2ndBN managed to only advance one-half mile and was stopped cold until tanksupport arrived. 3rd BN's K/Co was sent to recon La Haye du Puits and, at0900, secured the railroad station on the north end of town. The Germansbombarded the station heavily and orders for K/Co to pull out were issuedthat afternoon. Later in the day, the entire 3rd BN pulled back to regroupto the right flank (south of Bolleville) for the next day's assault.

2nd and 3rd BN's moved out early on 6July to take ground southwest of La Hayedu Puits. 1st BN moved in south fromBolleville. Late in the afternoon, 3rdBN ran into a battalion of Waffen SS indefensive positions of La Haye du Puits.The 315th, near Montgarden, was so faraway that what resulted was a 500 yardgap in the 3rd's right flank. On thenorthern sector, a 1st BN recon unit raninto resistance and had to fall back toBolleville.

Waffen SS troops deploying

On 7 July, 2nd and 3rd BN's tried to advance again with slight progress andat a high casualty cost. By nightfall, command of 2nd BN had changed threetimes due to heavy losses. 1st BN made another attempt to reconnoiter LaHaye du Puits, but ran into heavy German defensive positions - mine-studdedfields strung with checkerboard patterns of piano wire about one inch off theground, mortar bursts, and machine gun batteries. Behind the 314th'sposition, the 8th Infantry Division was preparing it's 28th Regiment torelieve 2nd BN's position. The next day's orders were for the 1st BN to justcontain the town, leaving the dirty work to the 8th Infantry Division.

But, as will become pattern, theorders changed sending 1st into town.The battalion broke up into smallerunits to penetrate the Germandefensive positions. It was anawkward, almost Guerilla-like attack,but after a day of this tactic, on 8July, the 1st BN secured La Haye duPuits.

To the south, 3rd BN was taking abeating from the SS in its attempt to

secure a position noted as "Hill 84"and the 28th had no progress moving infor support. 2nd BN was called up toassist. By 9 July, F/Co had only oneofficer, and 94 enlisted men left.Between 8 and 9 July, F/Co lost 14men, 34 wounded - almost half theCompany. The 315th established contactwith 314th's 3rd BN, and 2nd'sremnants pulled back to the assemblyarea.

3rd BN moved forward to hold the slope of the hill area, and 1st BN -relieved by a unit of the 8th Division, turned over disposition La Haye duPuits, and moved north to regroup.

Later, "Yank" magazine did a full story spread on the 8th Infantry Division"taking La Haye du Puits" with only a passing mention of the 314th/315thRegiments efforts and involvement. Typical media.

However, there is a memorial monument to the 79th Division erected at LaHaye du Puits, France.

The 1st BN received a Presidential Unit Citation which read in part:

"The 1st BN, 314th Infantry is cited for extraordinary gallantry forthe assault and capture of the city of La Haye du Puits during theperiod 7-8 July 1944. In the assault and capture of this mostimportant communications center, it displayed outstanding courage,determination, fortitude and fighting spirit..."

The Breakthrough at St. Lo

After three weeks of fighting, many of the men who'd trained together forover two years were gone and the whole face of the Regiment was changed.Replacements arrived, 50 to 60 per company, and about the time they signed inon the roster, it was time to move out again. Objective orders for 10 Julywere to take the ground about 1000 yards southeast of "Hill 84." The G2reported that the "Der Fuehrer" Panzergrenadier Regiment of the "Das Reich"SS Panzer Division (the best Hitler had in the west) awaited them. The "DerFuehrer" was very ruthless. They had just massacred the adult population ofthe villages of Tulle and Oradour-sur-Glane. 3rd BN led off the Regiment incolumns. By nightfall, 3rd reached the objective. The 314th Regiment was theonly unit on the Corps front line to do so. 1st BN moved to 3rd's rear andheld the forward slopes of "Hill 84." 11 July, 1st BN led off thesouthwestward push to the next objective, 1200 yards beyond the 10 July line.C/Co met a pocket of resistance that kept it held up for most of the day,and both sides exacted heavy losses.

On 12 July, late orders arrived for the314th to take the east/west line about500 yards north of La Picorie. On 13July, at 0800, 1st BN led off, 2nd inthe middle of the column, and 3rdbringing up the rear. They met heavyresistance, and gained no ground untiltank support arrived. 2nd BN would seeprogress, but then would stall out westof Hierville. With the objective insight, the advance went quickly themorning of 14 July, and by 1130 the newline was consolidated. The rest of theday was spent patrolling the Ay River.

15 July, the 314th was relieved by the315th, and fell back to an area 500yards south to rest. The location wascalled "Dirty Gertie's" after the dirtyold woman seen rummaging about thegarbage and rubble. One remarked thatit appeared she hadn't washed since thefall of France. The 314th got a muchneeded rest, hot chow, showers, mailand church services.

A mission brief by the 314th'scommander, Colonel Warren Robinson cameon 17 July. The destination was aconcealed bivouac area near Les PuitsRault. The move was to begin late 19July undercover of darkness to be inposition to relieve the 8th Division's137th Infantry on 21 July. The 314thsecured the line between le Bocage andla Uilaumerie. The Regiment closed inand regrouped at 0225, 20 July. Theyspent the next five days patrolling theAy River. CP devised plans for theexchange of support fire between the

8th's positions and the 314th.

On 25 July, 3000 Allied Bombers laid the way to begin the breakthrough atSt. Lo. Ground troops drove the Germans westward toward the coast with the314th "maintaining pressure." 314th's 1st and 3rd BNs moved up on 26 July -1st on the slopes beyond La Banserie, 2nd BN established a bridgehead acrossthe Ay near Pissot. the 3rd BN piled into the rear of the 28th Infantrybecause they hadn't advanced as far as the reports indicated. 3rd went to anassembly area north of La Banserie for the night. 1st BN swung west, but allthree battalions ran into heavily mined areas. A/Co lost 36 men.

Regimental CP, on the morning of 27 July,relayed to the battalion positions that the28th never reached its objective. The 314thwas dispatched around the stalled advanceand reached the original objective, the laBocage line, at 1840. This operation bookmarked the breakthrough which would reachall the way to the Seine.

The assault column made another elevenmiles advance on 28 July, with the 314threaching Coutances by nightfall. 29 July,they waited and watched as the 6th ArmoredDivision raced through the position hot onthe enemy's heels. A fifteen-mile gaintowards Avrances took place on 30 July.Along the way, the destruction of theAllied Air Corps was everywhere.

Street in St. Lo

On 1 August, 1944, the 79th Division (as a unit, belonged to VIII Corps)went under control of General Patton's 3rd Army at midnight. The assignmentwas to march down the Britany Peninsula behind the 6th Armored, but the79th's mission changed. On 2 August, they would join XV Corps to protect the3rd Army's flank on an approach to the German communications center atFougeres. The 314th, on a southern course, headed for an assembly area southof St. James.

City of Fougeres

They were greeted by flower-ladenFrench townspeople and three raggedFrench buglers in worn out uniformsplaying the Star Spangled Banner.Fougeres was secured early in themorning of 3 August.

The mission was to set up adefense around the town, and afterspending two days preparing, 5August brought orders to march 35-40 miles south to Laval. After the314th, accompanied by the 313thRegiment, arrived in Laval, theywere sent to Change, just north ofLaval. En route, orders changed andthe destination became the hillsleading to the Mayenne River. At1115, the 1st and 3rd BN's attackedand established a bridgehead bylate in the day.

No resistance was met on this latest push, so the 79th moved onward to Le

Mans. Talk of Paris, only 125 miles away, began to circulate among thetroops. After a light fire fight, the 79th reached Le Mans on 8 August. Wordcame that at Le Mans the 79th would revert to Corps reserves with the 90thDivision and 5th Armored in relief. Two days of rest was had in Le Mans bythe 79th/314th.

On 10 August, orders sent the 79th along with the 90th, 5th Armored and the2nd French Armored to the southern edge of the Falaise Gap after the damagedremnants of the German 15th Army. The 314th moved out, with it's Regimentalcombat team of the 311th Field Artillery, B/Companies of the 749th Tank and304th Medical BNs, and B/Co of the 304th Engineers. The column led off withthe I&R (Intelligence and Reconnaissance) guys leading the way, arrived justsouthwest of Bonnetable that night.

The 314th moved up behind the 5th Armored to prepare a defensive position on11 August just south of the Foret de Perseigne. Original plans for an aerialattack on the region were called off and the troops re-routed around theForet and moved on to La Mele-sur-Sarthe. During this move, the 2nd BN inthe column's lead, was strafed by an unidentified plane, suffering elevenwounded. The battalions regrouped northwest of La Mele, and billeted for twodays. On 15 August, orders arrived from Division for an advance onVersailles and Paris immediately. XV Corps took off in two columns - 5thArmored on the left, 79th following the 106th Cavalry on the right. A 77-mile advancement placed the Divisions near Nogent le Roi.

The 313th and 315th established bridgeheadsacross the Evre River on 16 August, while the314th drew reserve and enjoyed some much neededtime off. The main topic of conversation waslaying 60 miles away - Paris. It was almostdestined, to them at least, that the 79thDivision would be the liberating unit.

On 18 August, orders for the 79th to move northand take over Mantes-Gassicort were issued.Located 40 miles outside of Paris, it was thekey point of German escape routes across theSeine after the Falaise Pocket disaster.

On 15 August, the German 15th Army had been cutoff and surrounded. They were attempting toescape through a small gap near Falaise whenattacked by heavy Allied forces. The resultswere high losses on both sides: several entireGerman divisions, including Panzer and SS, weredestroyed.

Troops headed to the Falaise Gap

XV Corps, with 5th Armored on the left and the 79th on the right, moved out.

Mantes-Gassicort and the Seine

The enemy were already talking about the "Cross of Lorraine" guys, and itwas clear the unit had made an impression on the German troops; this is oneDivison not to be messed with, and had the reputation as a tough fightingunit.

On 19 August, 1944, a small task force was dispatched to go into Mantes-Gassicort to stop any lateral movements by the enemy on the south bank ofthe Seine. A/Co riflemen stopped and captured a German dispatch rider alongwith his dispatch case and motorcycle.

749th Tank BN crossing the Seine

Courtesy ofhttp://personal.pitnet.net/heathde/749/

The 314th was deployed, aided by76 assault boats and B/Co from the304th Engineer Battalion on 20August. The 313th had reached itsassembly area without incident, soat 0825 the 314th crossed theSeine River from the south bank.Once ashore, the 1st and 3rd BNswent east to secure the main roadbetween Limay and Fontenoy St.Pere.

C/Co ran into two German vehicles- one carrying fuel and ammunition(promptly taken out by a bazookablast) - the other carryingtroops. The Germans hurriedlydeployed and a fierce firefightensued. It was quickly over withthe 3rd BN eliminating one-half ofthe opposition and both battalionsregistered 40 POWs.

By nightfall, 20 August, 2nd BN was inreserve at Regimental CP - 1st and 3rdin solid positions of defense. Aroundthe CP area, there were five 88-mm guns,eight multiple 20-mm AA guns and plentyof ammunition, but thankfully no Germansoldiers.

On 21 August, the 314th extended thebridgehead 1000 yards further southeast.A battalion from the 315th took over thesouthern part of the Regimental sector.In the morning, a group of 150 Germantroops was spotted moving towards theriver road near Limay. F/Co, supportedby tanks and a platoon from the Anti-Tank Company sent the Germans headedback to Berlin with the first assault.

A few other small skirmishes broke outrandomly, but the real battle began latethe night of 21 August in the 1st BNsector.

German POWs detained

Troops from the 36th LuftwaffeField Regiment, supported by five

German King Tiger tank

King Tiger tanks, had arrivedfrom Holland and moved south fromDrocourt into the 1st BNoutposts. A/Companies outpost wasdriven back and a few mencaptured. The rest of 1st BNsoutposts were driven back to themain line of resistance.

Fighting continued well aftermidnight. It was an anxious nightfor the 314th, as this was thefirst real counterattack in forcethe enemy had mounted. Only theartillery barrages launched byDivision Artillery and the 30Batteries attached from Corpsbroke up the first enemy attack.

At 0700, 22 August, German infantry, supported by four tanks, hit the 3rd BNfrom the south, forcing I and L/Co to pull back. But the Germans, known forbeing stingy on its armor usage, sent their tanks back to the Germanassembly area. I/Co regrouped and, supported by B/Co of the 749th Tank BN,caught the German infantry cold. By just before noon, 3rd BNs lines were re-established. 1st BN had it somewhat easier as the resistance they faced hadno armor support.

On 24 August, at 0600, XV Corps (including the 79th) went over to 1st Armycontrol. Work continued as before, laying anti-tank mines and stringing wirepreparing for the next wave of German attacks. The Luftwaffe roughed up the3rd BN area that day, and to the left, the 2nd BN was set in the event of anenemy breakthrough in the 1st BN lines. Not until midnight did the 314th seeany action. A B/Co outpost was driven back from the woods southeast ofFontenoy St. Pere. The loss was short-lived, however. By 0230 (25 August)supported by artillery and mortar fire, the position was restored. Thesituation stayed fairly quiet throughout the rest of the night.

At 1630, 26 August, B/Company'sposition east of Guitrancourt andFontenoy St. Pere was hit hard bya battalion of enemy which burstthrough the woods accompanied byfive tanks. 3rd BN's lines werehit by another infantry attacksupported by armor, but thecombined artillery, small arms and57-mm High Explosive fire stavedoff the enemy, and cost themwholesale casualties. In the 1stBN area, German King Tiger tankswere on a rampage. The battalionwas taking a heavy hit but managedwith small arms, and a few well-placed bazooka rounds, to disabletwo of the tanks. They held onuntil artillery pushed back theGerman attack.

On 27 August, the 314th moved 20miles north to Vernon where theBritish 43rd Division had crossedthe Seine. 3rd BN was sent to a

Crossing the Seine Riverpoint 200 yards south of FontenoySt. Pere, directly to 2nd's rightflank, and just in behind 1st BN.After a few setbacks courtesy ofGerman resistance, the 749th TankBN and artillery fire helped the314th meet its objective.

The 3rd BN rolled into Drocourt on 28August, 1944, supported by nine tanks.The 2nd, with armor support, tookresidence on the high ground northwestof Drocourt. Ahead, the remains of theGerman 18th Luftwaffe Field Division(keystone unit of the Paris Defenses)went back towards Germany, beaten.

At midnight, 28 August, the 79th wastransferred to XIX Corps control. The29 August objective was to take asanitarium held by the Germans near LeTremblay. Backed up by the 2nd ArmoredDivision, the 1st BN reached itssection, with the 2nd BN arriving tothe east two hours later. Thebreakthrough was on, and well ahead ofschedule.

Operations had XIX Corps going east towards the Belgian front on line - the2nd Armored Division on the left, the 30th Division on the right, with the79th down the center. On 30 August, the I&R led off with tanks, two platoonsfrom 3rd BN, a platoon of tank destroyers (TDs), Cannon Company, with 1st and2nd BNs bringing up the rear. At Henonville, the lead elements of the columnran into an enemy demolition crew setting off an ammunition dump. They weredispatched after blowing only one bunker. The march forward was progressingsmoothly and quite fast, driving deeper into eastern France. 31 August foundthe troops in the vicinity of Mouy, but the real push to the border began 1September.

The emphasis of troop movement was onspeed. The 79th split into twomotorized combat teams with the 314thon the left. Five hours of riding, andthe column had covered half thedistance to the objective. Theycrossed the Somme, ever wary of groundresistance and the Luftwaffe, at 0215,2 September.

The next morning, (2 September) a 60mile march with the 2nd BN in thelead, was fairly uneventful. Shortlyafter midnight, the 314th was at itsobjective - an assembly area northwestof St. Armand - two miles from theBelgian border.

In 72 hours, the 79th Division covered180 miles through enemy-heldterritory, crossed the bridgelessSomme, and reached the objective.

Major General Charles H. Corlett called it "...one of the fastest...advances

of comparable distance by an infantry division in warfare." The 79th Divisioncrossed the Belgian border, becoming the first American division to do so. Asreward, the 314th drew three days of R & R. The added bonus was that theenemy had pulled out so fast the Division ran out of gas trying to keep up.

Charmes and the Moselle River, Crossing the Meurthe

At 0300, 7 September, the 314th headed for the cathedral city of Rheims tohook up with XV Corps. The 79th had been dispatched to cover the exposedeast flank of Patton's 3rd Army. The Regiment traveled 158 miles to anassembly area eight miles east of Rheims. The German 19th Army was beingoverrun by the United States' 7th Army and was fleeing back towards Germanythrough a corridor near Charmes on the Moselle River. On 8 September, the79th moved in to prepare positions to shut down the escape route on the leftflank of the Corps section.

The 2nd and 3rd BNs had worked to set uproad blocks on the Cirey-sur-Blaise-Vignoryline when orders were sent on 10 Septemberfor the 79th to move east and secure thewest bank of the Moselle, between Charmesand Epinal.

On 11 September, the column set off, accompanied by the 106th Cavalry Group,to screen for any advancing German troops. The Cavalry had the enemy held atbay in Neufchateau, Poussay and Mirecort. At 1915, the 1st BN disembarkedjust outside the town limits, and went on foot into Socourt. The advancingelements received some small arms fire as patrols moved down the canal tothe city. They were pushed back. 2nd BN buttoned down on "Hill 376" outsideof Socourt, and 3rd on the opposite end, kept eyes out on the road betweenSocourt and Gripport. The 314th Regiment had advanced across the front of theentire German 16th Infantry Division (deployed from Neufchateau to theMoselle) and was unaware they did so.

While awaiting the consolidation of the column (313th was fighting to clearPoussay), on 12 September, Regimental HQ sent I&R and L/Co out to secure thesouthern approaches into Charmes (which were secured at 1800.) 1st BN, withtank support, was coming into Charmes from the north. After six hours offighting, and tank and artillery rounds, 1st had the heart of the town.

Charmes is divided into half by theMoselle River, and as thebattalions met up at the bridge,the Germans blew it up. Afterexploring, the 1st BN found a fordroughly 800 yards north of town,regrouped, and crossed at 1930. 2ndBN moved down to take over 3rd'sposition at the roadblock toGripport.

Crossing the Moselle River

The City of Charmes

In taking the city of Charmes, the314th also captured an airplane motorrepair company, 350 airplane motors,one 88-mm gun, two 75-mm guns and a20-mm AA gun.

By 0925, 13 September, the 1st BNhad cleared the balance of Charmeswith little resistance. 3rd BN setup south of the city and 1stpatrolled the eastern bank of theMoselle.

Crossing the Moselle

For two days, the 314th patrolledCharmes while awaiting the remainder ofthe Division to catch up. After the313th and 315th secured Poussay andNeufchateau respectively, the tworegiments closed into Charmes on 15September. Word on an enemy uprisingnear the French-held sector reached theunit in Charmes on 16 September.

Ten German tanks accompanied the force,but it reached no further than Chatel.Rumors of a counter-offensive were sorampant that the 314th planned to moveout. But only four tanks appeared, andthey were dealt with swiftly by the773rd Tank Destroyer BN.

On 18 September, 1944, Bing Crosby showed up in Charmes,and the entire Division gathered in the airplane factoryto hear him perform. During the show, the 314th went onalert to move out ASAP.

The 106th Cavalry patrols had spotted 15 German tanks and an infantry columnstretching over a mile in length moving through Vallois to Gerberville. The79th was dispatched to cover the west bank of the Mortagne between Lunevilleand Gerberville by midnight. The 313th and 315th Regiments drew the trucksfor a run to Lamath while the 314th had to march its way to Haudonville. The314th made it to Moriviller in three hours, but reports of enemy activitynear Gerberville stopped them until dawn.

By 1000, 19 September, the 1st and 3rd BNshad Haudonville secured. Past Haudonville,the next objective was Marainviller on theVezouse. To get there, the Division had tocross two hazardous rivers - the first,Mortagne at Haudonville. After building aford, hampered by a soft riverbed andwithstanding sporadic enemy attacks, theDivision was ready to cross at 2000.

Darkness forestalled until the next day. Theadvance had to wait.

At dawn, 20 September, 1st BNmoved out to secure Gerberville.Meeting slight resistance, theysecured at 0745. At 1015, the314th moved out towardsFraimbois and Marainviller - 3rdBN leading, 2nd BN center, andthe 1st BN bringing up therear. The move to Fraimbois waspeaceful, but Division HQreported troops in the woods onboth sides. 3rd BN was orderedto hold in town while the 2ndadvanced to take over the lead,and the 1st moved northwest toits position.

To the right wooded area of 3rd BNs position, patrols found a cache ofGerman weaponry and vehicles. Seemingly abandoned, the enemy could not getthem across the river in time to outrun the Division's advance. 2nd BNestablished road blocks northeast and southeast of town, and 3rd BN moved upto a position overlooking the Meurthe River...what was to be the site of theDivision's bloodiest victory.

Crossing the Meurthe River

Below the 3rd BN position lay what was seen as the overwhelming task ofcrossing the Meurthe River. It moved too fast to build a solid ford, thebanks were barren and provided no cover, and on the German side it was worse.Bald banks led to a wooded area perfect for enemy cover. The only buildingsin site were a group of barns located on the enemy side, several hundredyards from the bridge. At 1630, 20 September, TD's rolled into place on theridge line. K/Co dispatched a six-man patrol to check out the bridge. Theygot to within 80 yards of the river when they were driven back by a Germanmachine gunner. Regrouped, K/Co sent out a platoon of infantry along with aplatoon of the 749th tanks to force the bridge, but the enemy force provedtoo great and they were forced back again. This left the 3rd BN holding onthe ridge, 2nd at the outskirts of Fraimbois, and 1st BN in reserve betweenGerberville and Fraimbois. The 313th and 315th Regiments were further northnear Luneville looking for an alternative corridor. That night, the Germansblew the bridge.

At 0600, 21 September, 3rd BN slid down the bluffs and moved toward theriver on the flat lands. K and L/Companies made it to the river, but theL/Co area was too mucky for tank support. Both companies made it to theriverbanks with no opposition. L/Co sent a small patrol across and backsuccessfully, but when a larger force was deployed, eight enemy guns firedfrom the barns on the eastern bank driving them back for cover. K/Co hadbetter luck. The entire Company ferried across the river with I/Co following.The objective was a roadway, called the St. Clement-Moncel, 400 yards away,and their advance was peppered with enemy machine gun fire and mortar bursts.The crossing cost a heavy price; I/Co had to fall back across the Meurthe toregroup. This left only one platoon of K/Co behind to hold the position.

The showdown was set for 0530, 22 September and was kicked off by a 15-minuteartillery barrage. K and L/Companies moved out to take the St. Clement-Moncelhighway. K/Co reached the objective, but L/Co got pinned down on the westbank by machine gunners firing from the farm area stronghold. Finally, twotanks managed to wade through the marshy area to L/Company's position. Withthe tanks leading the assault, they ran 27 enemy out of the barns. Anotherstalemate ensued as German anti-tank fire halted the infantry advance. I/Coregrouped to attack past the highway to the railroad tracks. The Companydestroyed five enemy machine gun nests, clearing the highway. F/Co was sentto cover I/Company's rear after reports of enemy tank sightings. The Regimenthad it's objective, and the engineers were sent in to build a bridgeovernight.

At 0430, 23 September, the bridge was completed. Anti-tank units were thefirst to cross and the day was spent moving the troops around to furthersecure the area. Patrols reported little resistance, and what was left wasdealt with by mortar and artillery fire. At 1600, elements of the 314th metup with the 313th's southward advance. The enemy was fleeing, but the 314th'spositions were too haphazard to allow pursuit. Once the dust had settled, the79th Division, 314th Regiment had lost the equivalent in casualties to one-quarter of a battalion - most occurring in the 3rd BN's ranks. The 3rd BNreceived a Presidential Unit Citation for its part in the Meurthe Riverbattle.

The Foret de Parroy

On 24 September, Marainviller wassecured and A/Co held guard while therest of the 1st BN patrolled the edgeof the Foret de Mondon, along theFraimbois-Marainviller road.

They passed discarded equipment leftby the 2nd Cavalry, for they had runout of gas: six light tanks, threeassault guns, and several Jeeps. Thishad occurred earlier in September whenthe Germans were so disorganized theywere still on the other side of theSiegfried Line. Then, the troops coulddrive across the Meurthe withoutdrawing fire.

An A/Co platoon crossed the bridge atMarainviller over the Vesouze River on25 September to check out the outeredges of the Foret de Parroy. Thepatrol was cut short by enemy smallarm and mortar fire. Intelligencereports showed the forest was held instrength, so the 314th was ordered toremain south of the Vesouze and

continue patrolling.

1st BN worked the expanse of the rivertrying to find a crossing point. Apatrol near town drew fire, as wellas one east of the city. All along,artillery was being poured on the cityitself.

Field orders for the next attack camedown from Division on 26 September: XVCorps was to clear the Foret deParroy. The 79th on the left, the 2ndFrench Armored on the right.

Prefacing this advance was a bomber run out of XIX TAC. 79th's battle planhad the 313th and 315th on the northeast drive with the 314th in reserve atForet de Mondon preparing to cross the Vesouze at one of three points:Chanteheux, Croismare of Marainviller. The attack was set to begin on 27September, but weather delayed the bombers.

On 28 September, a 75-minute bombing assault took place with minimal effectto the enemy. The bulk of the German troops in Foret de Parroy were veteransof the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, and had seen combat - complete withdive bombing runs - in Sicily and Italy. Two hours after the bombs wereaway, the 313th and 315th Regiments attacked.

At midnight, XV Corps went over to the Seventh Army - the third of six U.S.designations committed to the European Theater of Operations; First, Third,Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, and Fifteenth.

The 314th's 2nd BN located a ford near Croismare for future use. On 29September, the Regiment sent several patrols out scouting, and after aDivisional CP meeting, the 314th received orders to move out across Croismareand join the 313th and 315th in the fight. The timing of the 314th's advancewas directly relational to the progress of the other two regiments. Word camein that the troops were meeting with harsh counter-attacks for every advancethey made, so the 314th's jump-off was postponed until 1 October.

The battalions were deployed at 0615, 1 October, into merciless warfare. The313th and 315th had moved about one-third of the way eastward into the Foretde Parroy. They were facing the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, and the 113thPanzer Brigade supplied by a constant stream of reinforcements, tanks andassault guns. Mark IV tanks were everywhere.

The 314th, after 45 minutes ofartillery, gained ground fast. G andF/Companies reached the forest in anhour with E/Co close behind facingheavy return fire brought on my the314th's artillery barrage. Croismareand Marainviller were under heavyshelling as the 3rd BN started acrossthe Vesouze.

Ahead, the 2nd BN, after losing onetank and capturing 16 POWs, stopped at1200 to allow 3rd BN to catch up totheir position. By 1430, thebattalions had regrouped, and metlittle resistance moving forward. Theyset up camp for the night holding aline 1800 yards from Parroy. The 314thestablished contact with the 313th onits left.In Marainviller, the 1st BNwas relieved by the 313th's1st BN, who had been in Corpsreserves. B and C/Co was sentacross the river to positionson the Regiment's right. Thislocation was the southernportion of Parroy, called LesGrands Bois. An Anti-TankCompany held road blocks atBeaulieu Farms.

Artillery fell all night onthe 314th's position, andtrees were explodingeverywhere from the bursts andmortar fire. At 0800, 2October, the Regiment attackedagain. 3rd BN made itsobjective through the woodsto a clearing on the westernedge.

K and L/Companies attempted patrols into the open area, but enemy fire drovethem back. 2nd BN moved out to the left to cover the retreating and hard hit313th position, but as it neared its objective, German machine gun firestalled the advance. E and G/Companies attempted to advance beyond the313th's line, but had to turn back to reorganize. The cornerstone of theGerman defenses in Foret de Parroy was the main supply crossroads on theRegimental boundary line. 3rd BN, leaving a small group in the westernclearing, swung around to augment 2nd BNs attack on the strong point. 1st BN,still south at Les Grands Bois, was hit with an infantry company of Germans,so they were ordered to hold position. E/Co moved in behind the 313th'sposition to shore up a gap which had opened between the 313th and 315th'ssectors.

At 0615, 3 October, 2nd BNs E and F/Companies advanced up the ridge line totake out the enemy pocket blocking the 313th. Further on, contact was madewith the 315th Regiment. Moving eastward, the companies caught the enemy offguard, and had the position by 0800, with 17 POWs captured. The twocompanies, with the 315th, moved ahead again along the boundary road untilstopped by a heavily-armed German road block. E/Co waited for tank support,while F/Co moved up on the right a few hundred yards where they startled aloose group of German infantry. On the 3rd BN's right flank, 1st BN's B/Cohad regrouped with K/Co. At 0900, German infantry, supported by tanks, movedback B/Companies entire line. C/Co held fast, to the right, halting the

advance. K/Co repositioned back to maintain contact with B/Co.

The tanks rolled in just in time to force the enemy for rear areas. By 1600,2nd BN was back in line (E-left, F-center, G-right), and by nightfall F andG/Companies were on the objective with E/Co just 150 yards short. The tanksset up a blockade to the right of the position, and settled in for thenight. More artillery tree bursts went on all throughout the night. Treebursts occur when artillery shells are fused to explode super-quick. Theshells hit tree tops and explode there, showering everything below withschrapnel and wood splinters.

The attack for the crossroads was set to go off a 0700, 4 October. As thecompanies prepared to deploy, four Mark IV tanks and a company of GermanInfantry moved to 2nd BNs front. Two tanks were at E/Company's line, and onewas hit with a bazooka shot at five yards.

The others slammed into the battalion'sarea, with E and G/Companies takingheavy casualties. As soon as the U.S.tanks started their engines, the enemyopened fire with a hard concentrationof mortars. Before 2nd BN couldreorganize, an enemy counter-attackdrove into the sector between E andG/Co, and knocked a hole in the line.

2nd's HQ, along with the heavy weaponsfrom H/Co, was thrown into battle andhelped close the gap. By 1700, themajor fighting had stopped, but therewas a huge sag in the 2nd BN line.A/Co sent over a platoon ofreinforcements for a secondary defenselater than night. The other battalionsremained in position.

US Mortar crews preparing to fire.

The order for 5 October told the 314th to hold fast while the 315th movedaround to the left to outflank the crossroads defenses. At 1300, the 2nd BNlet loose with all its firepower to mask the 315th's movement.

There was a lull in activity for most of 5-8 October, so the 314th sent outpatrols for spots to park tanks and TDs (tank destroyers) for the upcomingattack. German artillery filled the air almost constant. Rumor had it thatthe Foret de Parroy was Hitler's favorite forest - where he himself hadfought in World War One - and he had ordered it held at all costs. Acaptured German Colonel was overheard saying that "...the Americans hadn'ttaken the forest in the last war, and this one would end with them stilltrying."

Late 8 October, the 314th received orders to resume the attack. German forceshad counter-attacked again on the 2nd and 3rd BNs positions, but the 314thheld them off until they withdrew.

At 0650, 9 October, E and G/Companies moved out with F/Co looping around tothe right to take the main feed road behind the German position from theother direction. At approximately 0800, E/Co ran into a dug in Germaninfantry position supported by tanks on the west side of the crossroads. G/Comoved left reversing for an enveloping approach. At 1300, once in position,F/Co sent off a platoon with a tank down the road behind the German position.E/Co moved out into the clearing towards the crossroads and advanced with noresistance. They discovered a house full of wounded Germans on the oppositeside. At 1530, the crossroads was secured.

With its capture of the crossroads by the 2nd BN, the German's hope ofholding Foret de Parroy was shattered. A weary and exhausted 2nd BN pulledout to rejoin the rest of the 314th Regiment, leaving the pursuit of thefleeing enemy to the 313th.

Manonviller and the Bois le Remabois

After questioning of the enemy POWs revealed that the Germans had retreated,1st BN moved out to the southeast of the woods on 10 October, setting up aperimeter facing Marianviller. 3rd BN moved east of 1st's position 1000yards, but ran into anti-personnel mines and suffered heavy casualties. On 11October, 2nd BN moved to within Croismare, and the other battalions - facingno resistance - deployed on the line north or Manonviller to Foret deManonviller. The Regimental orders were keep contact tabs on the Germans.

3rd BN moved forward a few hundredyards on 12 October, and the 1st movedabout one-half mile to the sectioncalled Les Quatres Mamelons. On 13October, the 314th was alerted to moveout on the attack again - H-Hour,1300. The left line was the railroadfrom Marainviller to Avricourt. The3rd BN took the left along the ridgeline while the 1st BN took rightflank. 2nd BN remained in reserve.

1st and 3rd moved out, accompanied bya super-sized company of tankers fromthe 749th, and a company of the773rd's TDs. At roughly 1600, I, L andK/Companies encountered some sporadicarms fire, but by nightfall all wassecure. 1st BN tied in with patrolsfrom the 315th Regiment to itssouthern flank. The weather conditionswere horrid; cold winter rain, andsleep only came at the point ofexhaustion.

Sign: 'You are leaving the American Sector'

Mine detection crew

Early 14 October, 3rd BN was sent anorder to bypass the railroad stationstrong point, and drive to the objective:the ridge line. I/Co was shut down bymachine gun fire coming from an entrenchedenemy. The advance was further stalled bymines, booby traps and barbed wire.

Tanks broke through the obstacles, and theInfantry was underway again. By 1650, I,L, and K/Companies established a line pastthe railroad station moving south to 1stBN's position. A German patrol had passedwithin 100 yards of the CP, and wereeventually caught by M/Co troops. 2nd BNsG/Co was used to plug the gap between 1stand 3rd's positions, but the rest of 2ndBN remained in reserve.

The 314th was ordered to "dig in" - fortifyingthe positions on 15 October. G/Co moved up to

fill out the thin line and managed to capturean entire German platoon. Patrols brought backthe news that a full regiment of the 15thPanzergrenadier Division awaited ahead.

At 0330, 16 October, the Germans sent a small task force consisting of twocompanies of infantry and twelve tanks forward into G/Companies line. Afterresisting for nearly two hours, the Company finally fell back. F/Co, comingup from reserve, counter-attacked at dawn with tank support, and captured 45POWs. G/Co was back at its original line by mid-morning, 17 October.

The Germans attacked again, at the same location - the G/Co line - but thistime had almost a battalion strength of troops and nine tanks. G/Co had toscatter. F/Co moved back in at daybreak 18 October to regain the position,but found it vacated. It was beginning to seem like harassment tactics, andlater that day when E/Co moved forward to relieve G/Co, they captured 49more German's moving forward.

Rumors were floating that the 79th would soon be relieved by a new division -the 44th, fresh from the United States. The 79th had spent over 120 days incombat and needed a rest. But before they got it, one more objective camedown from Regimental HQ. Take ground at Bois le Remabois.

The movement was going to be a littledifficult. It would require a"wheeling maneuver" because the leftsector was too far away to implementa full-scale attack scenario. On theevening of 19 October, the 114thRegiment of the 44th Division tookover 1st BNs position on the extremeright so the 1st could move over2500 yards southeast of the railroadstation.

From this point, the 1st BN was totime its advance to coincide with the3rd BN reaching Le Remabois, andcontinue up the tracks. 3rd BN, aftertaking Le Remabois, would keep movingto the central objective - Bois leRemabois. 2nd BN, leaving E/Co toguard the southern position, wouldfollow up behind 3rd BN setting updefenses.

L/Co spent 20 October clearing a section of the woods to be used as thelaunch area. The remaining 314th Regiment stayed in position. H-Hour, 21October was scheduled for 0635, but it was delayed for one-half hour toallow for the tanks to arrive. The rainy and cold conditions had slowedtheir advance. In less than two hours, L/Co, the spearhead, along with I andK/Companies were inside the Bois le Remabois. There was brief mortar andsmall arms fire, but by 1300, the objective was taken with 2nd BN fillingthe line. To the north, 1st BN began its attack, and lost two tanks almostimmediately. A/Co, on point, kept moving forward and was on its objective by

1145.

The ground was peppered with trenches andpillboxes still in place from World War One,and the 1st BN gathered in them, grateful forthe shelter from enemy mortar fire.

1st BN patrols spotted some enemy troops and tanks, and artillery firedispatched them quickly. The only real enemy attack came around 1200, 22October, as a small German patrol came through a hole between the I and L/Coline. A C/Co platoon quickly sealed off the gap.

In the afternoon of 23 October, the 314th's 2nd and 3rd BNs were relieved bytheir counterparts from the 44th Division's 71st Infantry. A few of the314th's officers and enlisted were left behind for a day as advisors, but theremainder of the battalions wasted little time in leaving. 1st BN wastemporarily attached to the 315th Regiment, and it was relieved 24 October,1944.

The 314th Regiment had been withdrawn from combat after 127 days.

Luneville, the Saverne Gap, Fremonville, and Hattigny

The much deserved break at Lunevillegave the 314th men hot meals, cleanclothes, a place to sleep with an actualroof, and a meal or drink from a cafe ortwo still opened for business. Thebillets were located in a series of oldfactory buildings left virtuallyuntouched by the Germans.

There were replacement troops broughtin, and they acclimated quickly underthe training and drilling from theseasoned veterans.

After USO shows, movies, companyparties and so on, came 30 October.This date marked the beginning of aplanned two-week training schedule.It lasted one day.

The first alert arrived. An orderwas issued to move the 314th out toBaccarat to stand reserve for the2nd French Armored Division. Afterthree days of waiting, on 4November, the 314th was taken offthe alert.

On 5 November, the entire 79thDivision received orders to preparefor a move to Benamenil in the 2ndFrench Armored's sector four miles

east.

Recon patrols were sent out,and on 9 November, fieldorders came down. Take theSaverne Gap in the VosgesMountains. The Vosges wereheavily defended by theGermans who were spread out,staggered, in the old WorldWar One pillboxes and machinegun strong points.

The positions were dotted along themountainside, instead of uniformlydeployed at the ridge line. The 7thArmy's plans were the smash the linewide open and beat the German defensesto the Saverne Gap to take the city ofStrasbourg. XV Corps - the 44th on theleft, the 79th on the right, with the2nd French Armored closing in behind,were dispatched to Sarrebourg on thewestern side of the Vosges. The 79th'szone ran from Ancerviller to Nitting,five miles northeast of Hattigny.

Aerial view - Strasbourg

The 314th's first objectivelay north of Harbouey,northeast of Ancerviller.Under cover of darknesswith silence and secrecystressed, on 12 November,the 314th moved to theassault assembly areasouthwest of Montigny.

Troops in the terrain located in the Vosges Mountains

The situation map showed eleven high point objectives (designated numericallyand by terrain markings) along the line between the 314th and 315thpositions. Once these eleven points were taken, the 2nd French Armored couldroll in and the breakthrough would be underway. 1st BN was assigned Points 1,2, 3, and 3A, while 2nd BN took Points 4 and 5 - all along one sweepingridge. B and C/Companies were moved to the slopes of Point 1 late the night

of 12 November for a surprise attack at dawn 13 November.

It was common knowledge that German troops loved their comfort, so most werepulled off the line at night and billeted. The rainy conditions turned tosnow early 13 November, and the assault troops' stealth paid off as theytook Point 1 by 0815. Point 2 wasn't as easy. The troops in B/Co dodgedartillery and mortar rounds, as well as anti-tank fire losing one of theirsupport tanks, and eventually had to retreat and regroup. B/Co lost 47 men inthe failed advance. The 2nd BN advance met little resistance. F/Co, leadingpoint, took the battalion through the woods, and even though they were hitwith small arms fire along the way, they took both Points 4 and 5 by earlyafternoon. 2nd BN had control of the major road between Domevre and Montigny.

B/Co regrouped and took off at 1410 to secure Point 2. In just under twohours of battle, it was taken. Moving on to secure Points 3 and 3A, 1st BNcaught sporadic artillery fire, but reported success at 1700. L/Co wasbrought up to bridge the gap between the 314th and the 315th's positions. The315th had yet to make their objective of Ancerviller which left the 314thwith no flanking cover. And the enemy's main line still lay ahead.

On 14 November, the 3rd BN moved into the attack at 1115 with a battalionfrom the 315th to begin securing the next four Points: 6, 7, 8, and 9.Points 6 and 7 were taken, but darkness halted troops for the night. 1st BNsent C/Co to 7A and they drew artillery fire. 2nd BN moved forward toassemble near Point 6 to support 3rd's drive the next day.

Once the 315th had advanced to equal points in line with the 314th, 3rd BNjumped off to take Points 8 and 9. The 2nd BN advanced with the 315th toPoints 10 and 11. By 1530, 15 November, 2nd BN had F and G/Co occupyingPoint 10, E/Co at Point 11, and 3rd BNs I/Co held Point 8. The rest of 3rdsecured Point 9. Resistance was minimal, but every move was punctuated withmortar and artillery. All eleven points were held by the 79th Division.

At 1620, orders from Division called for a patrol to capture the bridge andcrossroads south of Fremonville on the Vesouze River. The same river the314th had crossed at Marainviller and Croismare on the trek to Foret deParroy.

The orders called for the bridge to be taken at night. The Regiment was tofollow the patrols to Fremonville and send a force over to secure Barbas. 1stBN was given the Barbas assignment, while 2nd and 3rd took the Fremonvilleassault. As the plans were being drawn, the CP was being showered by Germanartillery. Orders were modified as a patrol reported that Fremonville'sbridgehead was intact and defended by a squad of German infantry. The attackwas reschedule for the next morning.

At 0840, 16 November, the 2nd BN moved out headed to Fremonville. E/Co tookimmediate small arms fire and artillery, halting them fast - while G/Cofaced artillery coming in from German positions southeast of Blamont. 1st BNheaded into the woods south of Barbas, with C/Co on point, and captured 25Germans at an outpost along the path.

Entering Barbas, there were Germantanks and infantry held up there, anda squad worked its way house-to-housethroughout the town. These troopswitnessed four tanks and some 300German infantry leaving Barbas by theback road to Blamont. B/Co remained inBarbas, while A and C/Companies movedto a position south of Blamont on aridge line.

By that night, 3rd BN was located

between Points 10 and 11 - near themain road to Blamont, and 2nd BN alittle north of Point 11. 2nd sent outa patrol to the Fremonville bridge,but it was turned back by small armsfire coming from the woods past Point11.

A second patrol was dispatched to find an alternate route around the rightside of the woods, but reported back that Germans were on both banks of theVesouze. 1st BN spent the night lobbing grenades back and forth with theGerman troops until the enemy got tired of it. 3rd BN was patrolling thewoods west of Point 11, and at 0515, 17 November, they moved in.

Two companies of the 3rd BN had made it to the woods by 0800, but werereceiving fire from both sides and were quickly pinned down. 2nd BN wassupposed to be on the right flank, but had hit heavy resistance along theway. Only E/Co had advanced to the 3rd BNs position. At 0900 in the 1st BNarea, the Germans attacked with one tank and squads of infantry to reconA/Company's position. The tank was taken out by a bazooka blast and theground troops retreated. By the end of the day, 3rd BN and 2nd's E/Co onlygained a few hundred yards. The remainder of 2nd BN attempted to advance to3rd's location, but German artillery held them back.

Early 18 November, the 1st BN withdrew to an assembly area near Hallovilleafter being relieved by the 313th's 2nd BN. At 0700, the 3rd BN movedquickly through the woods, and sent I/Co across an old wooden bridge west ofthe main bridge. F/Co moved in with tanks forward of E/Company's position,and slammed into the Vesouze at the main bridge area in Fremonville.

The bridge had beenblown by the Germansduring the night. Thetroops waded across theriver forced to leavethe armor behind.Another 300 yardsthrough challengingenemy fire layFremonville.

Almost the entireCompany had beenstalled in thecrossing, but one 12-man patrol pushed on.They finally reachedthe main road at 1700.

The remainder of theCompany moved forwardslowly, dodging two

Mark IV tanks and enemyinfantry on the westernside of town. As I/Comoved up to therailroad trackssouthwest ofFremonville, theGermans threw all theyhad at the advancingtroops. With no one tosupport them, I/Co fellback across the river.By nightfall, E/Comoved into westernFremonville to securethe area around therailroad station, andG/Co followed to holdthe remainder of thewestern section oftown.

By 1100, 10 November, 2nd BN had removed most of the threat of enemy firefrom Fremonville. 1st BN made contact with the 313th at their objectives, andfinding no enemy, regrouped for the march four miles to Richeval. The 1st BNand the I&R Platoon took point. The breakthrough to Alsace had begun. Thecolumn reached Richeval without incident and swung east to Hattigny.

A/Co topped a hill a half-milebeyond the town, and waspeppered with mortar fire. A/Cowas ordered to engage as coverfor the advancing column. Theyfaced an enemy with no cover asthe had none, so it was a smallarms battle. Behind thediversion A/Co created byengaging the German infantry, Band C/Companies moved across thefield to Hattigny.

The Germans held on to Hattignyuntil after midnight, thentorched the town in theirretreat. The German's Vesouzeline had been shattered atFremonville, and the withdrawalto the Vosges was fast becominga rout.

The Vosges Mountains and Alsace

The 314th moved out of smolderingHattigny the morning of 20 November,following the 2nd French ArmoredDivision spearhead. The combatsituation at the time depended on theFrench's armor to deter any Germancounter-attack. The first resistancewas met at La Neueville-les-Lorquin,four miles northeast of Hattigny onthe road to Sarrebourg.

3rd BN took 20 POWs, then ran intomore enemy troops south of Nitting.The Germans had blown the bridge andthe troops had to wade across theriver under heavy fire. Thatevening, the 2nd and 3rd BNs campedin the town of Nitting after it wascleared of enemy, and 1st bunked atLa Neueville-les-Lorquin.

Units of the 2nd French Armored Division

Rhine-Marne Canal (Saverne)

On 21 November, 2nd BN relieved the3rd in the lead off position, andhad delays crossing its tanks andarmor across the river; a problemthey had faced quite often alongthis advance.

At the Rhine-Marne Canal, the columnhalted again to allow engineers tocheck the bridges for explosives. Bynightfall, the 2nd reached St. Jean-Kourtzerode, the 1st, La Pote deHomarting, and the 3rd BN in thetown of Homarting. This concluded athirteen-mile advance.

The bulk of 22 November found the Regiment sitting tight while the I&R menmoved out to make contact with the 2nd French Armored. The French ArmoredDivision was already at the approach to Phalsbourg - the gateway to theSaverne Gap. 1st BN moved A and D/Companies to relieve the French party atMiddlebron. The action was at the Belfort Gap, and that night, reports camein that the French had poked through the German defenses there. The 2ndFrench Armored moved in north behind the Vosges to attack the Savernedefenses from the rear, and it forced the Germans to flee Phalsbourg.

Thanksgiving Day, 23 November, 1944 found the 314th underway to an assemblyarea at the eastern end of the pass near Saverne. Past the Vosges, Alsacestretched eastward to the Rhine River. At midnight, orders were sent to the79th Division to move out to Brumath to hook up with the 44th Division inthe taking of Haguenau, and recon the area between Strasbourg and Gambsheim.The 314th Regiment was sent to Weyersheim.

At 1015, 24 November, the 314th moved out - 3rd BN on point, 1st, then 2ndin the rear. Weyersheim was sixteen miles away. They encountered no groundtroops, but were bombed and strafed several times by a renewed Luftwaffe.Road blocks were set up at dusk, with 3rd BN in Weyersheim on the left, 2ndBN outside Hoerdt, and the 1st BN in reserve.

Safe billets became more important from asecurity standpoint because it was rumoredthe Alsace-area was home to many French

sympathizers to the Hitler regime.

That night, due west of 2nd BNs position -at Bois de Geudertheim - the 311th FA BNstumbled into enemy forces who had strayedfrom their units due to the breakthrough atthe Saverne. The cannoneers held fast, andthe next morning, 2nd BN policed up 130POWs from the Bois.

Motorized patrols were sent to scout the towns southeast of the line. Theday of 25 November passed in relative quiet, and that night orders were sentfor the 314th to move out north to set up a defense from Weitbruch toKurtzenhausen. The new objective needed to be established by nightfall 26November. The 314th arrived at 1400, with the 1st BN patrolling aroundWeitbruch, 3rd BN had the main line of resistance around Gries, and the 2ndBN spread out: F/Co in Weyersheim tied into a 3rd BN patrol outpost atKurtzenhausen, with the rest in reserve at Regimental HQ in Geudertheim.German artillery began again, and reports had a considerable enemy presencein the Haguenau / Bischwiller area. The Luftwaffe, back to operationalstrength, flew 52 sorties over the Division on 26 November. The 463rd AA BNscored four kills.

On 27 November, the Division was ordered to move out to the south bank ofthe Moder River. This river flowed through the northeast edge of bothHaguenau and Bischwiller. The 315th was sent forward on the left, and the314th was assigned to take the towns of Niederschaeffolsheim andSchweighausen. They were to also set up road blocks from the southwestleading to Haguenau. 1st BN, accompanied by a platoon from the 749th mediumtankers, was sent to establish the road block. 2nd, with another tankplatoon, was sent behind 1st BN to approach Niederschaeffolsheim from thenortheast, and to be ready to drive on to Harthausen. 3rd BN, still inreserve, stood pat over its blockades in Gries and Kurtzenhausen.

H-Hour was set for noon, 28 November, butthe tank platoons were late in arriving.A/Co moved out and arrived in Birckwaldat 1400. A smattering of enemy smallarms fire was the only resistance met. Bydark, A and B/Companies were posted nearBirckwald, and C/Co, along with theentire 2nd BN, were holding Weitbruch.

0730, 29 November, 2nd BN headed forNiederschaeffolsheim, and C/Co was sentto man the road blocks leading toHaguenau. The 2nd BN met the firstobjective, and at 1245 began a drive forHarthausen. Enemy artillery and groundfire met the 2nd en route, but they tookpossession of the town by the afternoon.

B/Co had joined C/Co on the blockade route, now moving forward to theHaguenau-Harthausen road, when they met two German tanks and 50 or soinfantry armed with machine guns. The surprise attack exacted heavycasualties on the two companies, forcing them to fall back 400 yards southto regroup. Fifty-six men were lost in C/Co alone in the two days (28-29November). Late the night of 29 November, a change in direction wasnecessitated to send the 314th head on into Haguenau.

On 30 November, at 0800, the 1st BN moved out, supported by all the tankdestroyers, anti-tank guns and 50-caliber machine guns that were assigned tothe 1st and 2nd BNs. Progress was still slow, and by 1045, the battalion hadreached its objective of the Haguenau-Niederschaeffolsheim road blockade. 3rdBNs orders changed to recommit ahead of 1st BNs position to take 1st's nextobjective. The 2nd BN had advanced to the road leading north to Schweighausenwhen it came under heavy fire. E/Co made it across, but G/Co took the bruntof the attack, and the whole left flank was rolled back. 3rd BN had almostreached the objective at the Harthausen-Niederschaeffolsheim crossroad, withK/Co on point, when German fire attacked from three sides. 3rd pulled backand called in counter artillery fire. 3rd regrouped, and K/Co crossed thejunction first. By the evening of 30 November, the 314th held a line aroundthe woods overlooking Haguenau.

Haguenau

As of 1 December, the 79th Division still fell under the control of VXCorps, 7th U.S. Army. The 44th Division had been replaced by the 45thDivision "Thunderbirds" from the brutal Italian campaigns. The 44th remainedin the Vosges guarding the Saverne. The next stop for the 314th Regiment wasHaguenau.

At 0800, 1 December, 2nd BN was dispatched in a limited offensive to secureMeyershollam Farm located just forward the Regimental line. Some small armsfire erupted from the buildings, but the farm was taken by 0940. F/Coadvanced, but took a beating from 20-mm flak guns cutting the road fromHaguenau to Winterhausen. E and G/Companies followed, securing positions inthe woods beyond at 1230. To the right, 1st BNs A/Co sent a patrol to awalled farm at Walk Chateau, and drew some fire. The patrol regrouped andheld the area, tying into the 3rd BN position; holding a line to the rightof the 1st BN in the woods overlooking a pasture. Everyone buttoned up forthe night.

The next day, 2 December, the 1st and 3rdBNs held their positions, with A/Cofacing one counter-attack at WalkChateau, but the 2nd BN had someorganizational problems and needed tostraighten their line. F/Co moved one-half mile to a quarry on the battalion'sleft. They faced arms fire and mortarfrom a waiting enemy, but advancedthrough it to put the 2nd BN back inalignment.

At this stage, the troops dug in to waitout orders and battle plans, sending outpatrols and covering up when theartillery flew. From 3 December to 7December, they waited. On 5 December, the79th Division transferred over to VICorps to form one flank of the new Corpsdefensive to breach the Siegfrieddefenses.

German troops prepare anti-tank fire.

On 7 December, the first details of the plancame in: the 79th was to move out on theright, 103rd Division center, and the 45thon the left. The newly-deployed 14th ArmoredDivision waited for word of a break in theline to advance. The 79th Division's line ofattack would take them through Bischwillerand Seltz, destroying the bridges crossing

City of Haguenau

the Rhine. The 314th's immediate objectivewas Haguenau and the Foret de Haguenau whereenemy ammunition dumps were located. Beyondthe Foret de Haguenau lay the fortificationsof Hitler's infamous "Westwall."

The attack zone had the 314th headed toHaguenau, the 313th moving north toBischwiller, and the 315th leading off totake Kaltenhaus - all supporting the other'sattacks if necessary.

On 8 December, the battalions special unitcommanders met at the Regimental CP inNiederschaeffolsheim to coordinate. The315th was to lead off the attack at 0645, 9December, while the 314th activated at 0715laying fire to thwart a German attack to theleft.

On the afternoon of 8 December, the 315th moved intoposition on the right flank. That night, 314th's 2ndBN pushed up a few hundred yards, but could get nofurther. Patrols reported heavy enemy activity, andthe 314th jump off time was pushed back until 1400 thenext day. The 313th and 315th moved out as originallyplanned.

Early 9 December, B/Co sent out patrols, but they werestopped by enemy fire just beyond Walk Chateau. B/Coattempted, along with the 315th's 3rd BN, to alignwith the A and C/Co positions at Walk Chateau. 2nd BNwas facing heavy resistance, but was able to insertG/Co along with F/Co at its quarry position. Bynightfall, 2nd BN was still well behind the timetable. 3rd BN faced heavy fire, but was able to reachthe southwest edge of Haguenau before dark. I/Copatrolled the woods and captured 25 POWs. 1st BN wassituated on 3rd's right flank. 1st BNs A/Co was nowsharing the position with 3rd BN on the edge of town.2nd BN, seeing more resistance than the others, sentE/Co over to Walk Chateau to guard the Regiment'sright flank, and went into reserve.

Germans had moved back into the 3rd BNszone on early 10 December, and the jumpoff was delayed by one hour to dealwith the threat.

The advance into Haguenau had A/Co onthe right, L/Co in the center, and K/Coholding the left. It was slow going asthe units worked house-to-house, allthe while dodging mortar rounds. As theadvance came up to Haguenau proper, theprogress was halted because a crossing

bridge over a deep railroad track hadbeen blown.

German defenses were only 50 yardsaway, and were secured in reinforcedpositions in the houses.

The companies moved to a three-storybuilding beside the railroad tracks toregroup and plan. E/Co sent out a patrolto the tracks east of Haguenau to gaugecrossing the 2nd BN there. They made itto within 30 yards of the tracks when itwas attacked. They retreated. A secondpatrol sent out at midnight was alsoheavily fired upon. With the bridgesout, armored support was out, and anyattack fire was returned in kind by theGermans.

At 0500, 11 December, 2nd BN, coming outof reserve, swept around to the right.By 0825, they were at the tracks duenorth - close enough to see A/Co and the3rd BN crossing the deep tracks.Miraculously, the Germans had withdrawnsometime during the night.

The units closed in on Haguenau, and hadroad blocks in place north and east by1400. The townspeople were gracious andsurprisingly pro-Allied. The engineersset about repairing the bridges so thearmor and the other vehicles couldcross.

The next stop was to be Soufflenheim, eight miles east through the Foret deHaguenau. The 313th was already there facing a fierce fight. On 12 December,a scouting party from the 1st BN was sent out to determine the route. Theydiscovered the bridge west of Soufflenheim mined, but whole. The demolitionengineers cleared the explosives, and the 314th reached town at 0830, andordered to hold in place and support the 313th Regiment.

The 13 December orders had the 314th moving north through the Foret deHaguenau to the town of Niederroedern. The assignment was to set the stage tocross the German border into Scheibenhardt - the edge of the Siegfried Line.Troops were loaded on any vehicle that moved for a fast-paced mechanizedadvance. Speed was a must for this move to be successful. Along the way,however, were dozens of streams at which the Germans had blown every bridge,and had left tanks to guard the positions. Roughly four miles short of theobjective town, 2nd BN moved to Leutenheim, the 3rd BN fell back all the wayto Soufflenheim, and the 1st BN, never having began the move, remained thereas well.

With the routes to Niederroedern congested or impassable, the 314th wasordered to swing out right to Seltz and cross there on the heels of the313th. The 3rd BN reached Seltz, and the orders changed - again. 2nd BN movedout to assemble in Wintzenbach, but word reached the Regiment thatWintzenbach was overcrowded, so 2nd diverted to Schaffhausen. The 1st BNmoved out later, and assembled at Seltz across from the 3rd BN position. The314th was finally in line - right behind the 313th Regiments' drive north toLauterberg.

Riding on tank hulls, the troops gotthe first look at Hitler's Germanyacross the Rhine. On 15 December,1st BN assembled in Neewiller, while2nd and 3rd BNs billeted inWintzenbach awaiting the next battleplan.

At 0645, 16 December, the 314th wasalerted to prepare for crossing theLauter River and move up through the315th's position near Scheibenhardt.The approach was a forested area,and there would be no cheeringtownspeople. The 314th prepared toinvade Germany.

Germany...Into the Siegfried Line

As the 314th Regiment moved north from Haguenau, it passed the French MaginotLine. Thankfully, the forest was void of enemy troops. A few miles ahead,however, lay the Siegfried Line which was manned heavily. The plan to moveinto Germany had the column crossing with 1st BN in the lead, 3rd BN, and 2ndBN in the rear.

At 0900, word came in of a delaydue to a bridge was repaired on themain road between Buchelberg andLauterberg to allow armor toprecede the ground troops. Thebridge site came under heavy enemyfire, so repairs took longer thananticipated. The move was postponeduntil 17 December.

Orders were specified to send the79th Division north, breach theSiegfried Line, and capture Kandelon the other side of the woods. Theattack jumped off at 0700 with the1st BN moving in two columns; C/Cogoing straight up the main roadinto Kandel, and A/Co moving up onthe left. After dealing with roadblocks, C/Co reached the crossroadsat Buchelberg-Berg/Kandel.

The Siegfried Line was blocked by German"Dragon's Teeth" for miles.

A/Co was still to the left, one trail over. To avoid more road blocks, theunits moved eastward. B/Co, with two tanks, had been tracking C/Co when theyencountered an enemy defensive position 400 yards east of the road. B andC/Companies spent the rest of the day observing the enemy. K/Co metresistance to the left of 1st BNs position. By nightfall, the placement wasfollowing: B and C/Co facing enemy to the right of the main road intoKandel, A/Co tied in at the road but behind slightly to the west. K/Co, to

A's left, was at the junction of Berg and Scheibenhardt-Buchelberg, with Iand L/Co to it's left position. F/Co was north of Scheibenhardt with theremainder of 2nd BN into town proper. At midnight, K/Co patrols reported anenemy presence of unknown number left of the 1st BN sector.

At daybreak, 18 December, the 1st BNreconned their forward area slowly. Band C/Companies breached an area ofpillboxes, capturing one. Artillery firein the area was heavy, and the 1st BNonly succeeded in pushing close to theLine unable to penetrate, but gainedvaluable intelligence. Another failedattempt to gain ground by the 1st BNtook place later in the day. The 313thRegiment had lost its forward positionby a German counter-attack.

On 19 December, the 2nd BN marched areconnaissance in force around the leftside of the Line. They met blockades offelled trees across the road. E/Coadvanced cleaning out small pockets, butthe enemy fire was relentless. The nexttwo days were spend sending out patrolsfor spots to exploit in the German'sdefense of the Line.

2nd BN was called in from its recon run on 23 December, and 3rd BN sentforward to secure a good jump off position, and maintain a defensive line.Troops set mines and booby traps all along the German side of the Linebehind the Lauter River. On 24 December, the 314th withdrew to the newRegimental line - 2nd BN at Lauterberg and Berg, 3rd BN to Scheibenhardt,the woods beyond and Neewiller. 1st BN established a position on a ridgebetween Neewiller and Lauterberg.

Infantry Troops crossing the Siegfried Lineinto Germany

Christmas Eve, 1944, was spentpatrolling the German woods. Platoonswere rotated so that the troops got achance to warm up and have a meal. The79th Recon troops reported from theright flank of the Rhine that theenemy was laying wire. Numerous enemyflares were also reported.

On Christmas Day, an I&R platoon alongwith the 79th Recon were patrollingbetween Lauterberg and north along thebank of the Rhine. Defenses werebolstered by AT mines, demolitionpreparations for bridges, barbed wire,TD and tank positions, and overallground weapons. The 314th's line ofdefense was a little over 9000 yards;the covering was thin due to supporttroops being pulled and sent to assistin the Battle of the Bulge inBastogne.

A quick meal and rest around the cook fire...

Over the next four days, 26-29 December,the troops spent the time patrolling andobserving the German troops crossing theRhine. Orders came in for the 314th tomove gradullay to a new position six milessouthwest - the old French Maginot Line.This new line ran from just aboveRittershoffen, south through the Foret deHaguenau, to Koenigsbruck. The Regimentmoved out 30 December.

Enemy artillery fell on the 314th'spositions throughout the nights of 30 and31 December, 1944, while the second linewas being established. Patrols were stillbeing sent out from the original line.

The new year started out badly as enemyforces pressured the Division's entireposition west into the Vosges Mountains.Division prepared to withdraw to thesecondary line on 1 January, 1945.

Four battalions (1st and 2nd of the 313th, 1st BN, 314th, and 1st BN 315th)were temporarily shifted to the Vosges to hold off a breakthrough at theSaverne. At 1400, the 1st BN of the 314th was rerouted to swap positionswith 3rd BN/315th. This gave control of the 313th/314th area solely to the314th Regiment. 3rd BN/313th acted in reserve capacity. Later, at 1820, 1stBN/314th's orders changed again, as they were ordered to load onto DUKWs(sea-going 2 1/2 ton trucks) to move out to the northeast section ofZinswiller to assist in a battle taking place near Reipertswiller. They had36 miles to go to meet the DUKWs. The remainder of the 314th was to fallback to the secondary line.

Since the current line was so thin due to the troops sent to Bastogne, thedecision was made on 2 January to withdraw and shorten the line. AT/Co andRegimental HQ were to begin the fall back, followed by Cannon Co, the 311thFA BN, with the infantry units to begin its move at 2000. At 0400, 3January, the demolitions were to be blown taking out the bridges. A delayingforce consisting of E/Co, a Company each of TDs and tanks, and the I&Rplatoon was left in Neewiller to cover the enemy approaches. The withdrawalwas executed without detection. The 2nd BN assembled from the Saltzbach River(located between Hatten and Buhl) extending 2500 yards to just shy of theHaguenau woods. 3rd BN was to the right, fanned out 3000 yards south through

the woods to the outskirts of Koenigsbruck.

On 3 January, orders came down for a motorized move to a new position nearKriegsheim. This was later amended for a deeper move back to Walk-Chateau andthe Saverne Pass - the November 1944 objectives. Luckily, at 1430, the orderswere rescinded, and new orders issued held the battalions in their currentlocations, and to patrol - quietly.

On 4 January, the 314th's 2nd and 3rd BNs werenotified they were being relieved by the 242ndInfantry, and to go into temporary reserve. The2nd BN was to assemble in Schwabwiller, and 3rdsent to Oberbetschdorf. The 1st BN was nowlocated six miles north of Zinswiller, roughly40 miles from its Regiment.

Due to transportation difficulties, the 314th wasnot fully relieved until 0700, 5 January. At1430, the 314th loaded on trucks for a move tothe area of Bischwiller to secure it. Germantroops had crossed the Rhine and now occupiedGambsheim, Herrlsheim, and Offendorf. The orderalso outline a planned attack on Rohrwiller,situated between Bischwiller and Drusenheim.Patrols spotted prepared enemy positions on theoutskirts of Rohrwiller, but they were notpresently manned.

Rohrwiller and Drusenheim

On 6 January, at 0830, the 2nd BN,supported by a company of 749thtanks, moved out to Rohrwiller.Foggy conditions provided excellentcover, the objective was met and thetown under 314th's control by 0100.The attack drive was ordered forwardto take Herrlisheim.

Word reached the 314th elements thatA/Co 232nd Infantry was in troublein Drusenheim. 2nd BN was to clearand secure the town en route toHerrlisheim. 3rd BN was called fromBischwiller to Rohrwiller as the 2ndmoved out.

At 1400, G/Co riding on its tank support,entered the northwest side of Drusenheim.After meeting up with elements of 232nd'sA/Co, 2nd BN moved its units under smallarms fire across the Moder River bridge toclear and secure the southern part of town.Five tanks managed to clear the bridgebefore it broke down. The tanks thenaccompanied F/Co, on point, on the attacksouthwest of Herrlisheim. At 1630, as F/Coreached the outskirts of Drusenheim, it met

light artillery fire.

F/Co attacked the enemy's strong point - afactory building on the east bank of theModer - capturing two officers and 51enlisted men. The rest of the 2nd BN were inpositions in or around Drusenheim. As the3rd BN moved up the take over positions inRohrwiller, it fell under the heaviestartillery barrages it had faced to date.During the night of 6-7 January, the bridgein Drusenheim was repaired in the midst ofconstant enemy fire. I&R and Cannon wereoutposting Bischwiller alone, because the1st BN was still away on the Zinswillermission.

The 2nd BN was hit with heavy artillery at dawn, 7 January, and it continuedfor an hour. Enemy infantry, estimated at one battalion strength with tanksupport, hit F/Company's factory building position. F/Co was ready for them.The Germans were using the high embankment of the Drusenheim-Herrlisheim roadfor cover, and when they broke cover, F/Co and its tanks attacked. After aquick exchange of fire, the enemy broke off and moved its attack northeastto G/Companies position. E/Co was ordered to advance to Drusenheim proper,from its position in the eastern part of the Bois de Drusenheim. F/Co wasordered to move out to the G/Co position, as well. E/Co arrived atG/Companies position without a problem, but when F/Co began to execute themove, it fell under heavy fire from artillery positions on the highwayembankment. F/Co was sent back wading across the Moder to the old E/Coposition. As night approached, suspecting an armor attack from the Germans,G/Co was pulled back across the bridge to man the perimeter along thesouthwest of town. F/Co manned the eastern edge of the Bois de Drusenheim,with an outpost in the northwest section of town. E/Co remained on thesouthern tip of Drusenheim. These positions rarely changed for the nexttwelve days.

Early 8 January, the zone of attack switched to the 3rd BN sector with L/Coassigned the main objective - establish a bridgehead across the Zorm Rivernear where the Zorm connected to the Moder, and the factory buildings beyond.K/Co was to advance in support eastward from Rohrwiller to the Moder onL/Company's left flank. As the advance stepped off, Rohrwiller was shelledhard amassing multiple casualties in K and M/Companies. L/Co escaped the moreharsh shelling and waded the Zorm, establishing the bridgehead. The rubble offactory buildings provided the only cover, and L/Co held it precariousposition for the next ten days.

Combat Command B, 12th Armored Division, moved through L/Companies bridgeheadand made it to the northern outskirts of Herrlisheim, but the 12th ArmoredDivision, who was to support the drive, was held up and did not follow intime, forcing a wholesale withdrawal. I and K/Companies regrouped, reachedthe Moder River, and spent the rest of the day thwarting the enemy'scrossing. That night, engineers started repairs on the bridge at L/Company'sposition amidst heavy fire which culminated in an infantry attack at 0800, 9January. L/Co, aided by tanks, broke up the attack, and the bridge was fullyrepaired by 1645. At 1840, L/Co faced a second attack. The enemy wasstrongly supported by armor, but American tank fire, along with machine

gunners from M/Co, forced the attack away after a three hour fight.

There was little activityduring the night of 9 January,into the next day, 10 January.By nightfall, however, itbecame evident that an enemyattack was forming on the 3rdBN position.

The only artillery available to the unitswas the 8-inch shells. They were thrown atthe advancing threat. To take pressure offthe 3rd BN, 2nd BN staged a live-firedemonstration, and took heavy shelling forthe effort. For once, the Germans had moreartillery at their disposal than the 314thRegiment. The enemy barrages were heavy andfrequent on both Rohrwiller and Drusenheim.Communications took a constant hit aswiremen from both battalions and RegimentalHQ were continually on the go makingrepairs.

314th Regiment HQ/Co Wiremen courtesyof J.W. Campbell's personal collection

For the next several days, the situation remained fairly unchanged; 2nd and3rd BNs held their positions. On January 12, I/Co captured an enemy patrolof five men which had managed to skirt the L/Co position. I/Co exchangedassignments with K/Co, sending I/Co to Rohrwiller. The F/Co outpost at thefactory location was hit hard at 0300, 13 January, and they withdrew to aposition at the Bois de Drusenheim. The enemy was slowly increasing itspresence in front of both battalion positions. An enemy tank, firing on thefactory positions, threw about 50 rounds into the church steeple inRohrwiller. Just moment before, the steeple had been M/Companies OP. Luckily,they had evacuated just prior to the action. The remainder of M/Co got outof the area quick.

Drusenheim and Rohrwiller met heavy enemy shelling on 14-15 January, and the232nd Infantry's A/Co was ordered to leave Drusenheim. A platoon from F/Cowas sent to plug the hole left by the withdrawal from the northern sector.The 2nd BN was left alone in its defense of Drusenheim.

At 0130, 16 January, 2nd BN threw up a diversionto allow the 12th Armored to make its secondattempt on Herrlisheim. The enemy response was asustained shelling that left Drusenheim in

shambles.

At 0200, the 12th Armored went through the L/Cobridgehead over the Zorm River. It was met with88-mm gunfire that tallied twelve tanks beforeretreat was issued. By 1200, the remains of the12th Armored attack force had withdrawn throughthe L/Co position. L/Co took sustained fire aswell.

Earlier, at 0515, the 1st BN had rejoined the Regiment at the assembly areaat Oberhoffen. Immediately placed on alert, a reported attack came in on the242nd Infantry position east of the Foret de Haguenau. The report provedfalse.

At 0930, 17 January, 1st BN was sent to Schirrhoffen with a platoon oftanks, and Regimental HQ was set up in Schirrhein. At 1600, A and B/Companieswere released to the 3rd BN 232nd Infantry, and took up a position with K/Co232nd along the railroad tracks between Sessenheim and Drusenheim. C/Cocommitted on the east edge of the Bois de Rountzenheim blocking the roadbetween Soufflenheim and Rountzenheim. Division ordered another company besent to the 1st BN, so I/Co was immediately transported from Rohrwiller to1st BNs command. I/Company's position in Rohrwiller was taken over by 3rd BNHQ and M/Co. During the move, I/Co caught heavy fire and suffered ninecasualties. The 232nd's K/Co lost its lines under heavy attack at therailroad tracks, on 18 January. A, B, and D/Companies also fell back underorders from the 232nd Infantry's command to the Bois de Soufflenheim. The 1stBN from the 410th Infantry attempted to restore the line, but failed due todarkness.

The 1st BN companies of the 314th remained in their positions along thewoods of Soufflenheim. Meanwhile, enemy elements had slipped through into thesouthwest sector of Rohrwiller overnight. Small arms fire was everywhere, andthe 3rd BN units were issued an order: remain stationary in position, andshoot anything that moves. In Bischwiller, the main Bischwiller-Rohrwillerroad was heavily mined by a crew from the AT Company. Around midnight, thefiring in Rohrwiller died down, and as the 3rd BN troops were calmingsomewhat, the town received a concentrated shelling. The ironic orders wereto "remain alert."

After day of exchanging fire, it became obvious the major offensive mountedby the Germans on both Rohrwiller and Drusenheim was to take place on 19January. Drusenheim was exposed on three sides with the withdrawal of the232nd's units. Only the 314th's 2nd BN remained. All day, 2nd and 3rd BNsreported the enemy build up concentrated to the woods southwest. Regardless,the 2nd BN command placed much of the unit's firepower northwest of town. TheGerman attack on Drusenheim began at dusk, 19 January, with heavy mortar andartillery fire. To the south, an intense barrage of machine gun fire createdthe diversion, while the main attack did, indeed, come from the north.Assault teams quickly gained the town limits, taking out machine gunpositions and tank destroyers in H/Companies sector. Two companies of enemyinfantry, along with five tanks, dispersed throughout the town. The remainingH/Co positions were quickly taken. To the south-southeast, the Germanscrossed the Moder River near F/Company's position in the factory buildings.This enemy element pushed on into the Bois de Drusenheim, up the left sideof K/Company's position, and forced the right flank of F/Co back toDrusenheim. F/Co was ordered to move to the northwest corner of town, leavingits original position outposted. In Drusenheim, the enemy moved freely, anddealt with any point of resistance. Battalion CP was taken almostimmediately. All communication wires were cut, which left only radio

transmissions. 2nd BN reported the situation to Regimental HQ at 2010, andwas ordered to break out and assemble northwest to F/Company's position. Anadvancing enemy, poor communications and not enough time to organize properlyled to the breakthrough failing.

Efforts did continue until 0300, 20 January. F/Co was ordered northwest asfast as they could go. Only five officers and 93 enlisted from F/Co made itto Bischwiller. A few more troops from E (one officer, 28 enlisted), G (noofficers, 44 enlisted), H (no officers, 23 enlisted) and BN HQ and I&R (twoofficers, 45 enlisted) returned. A total of 241 men. The rest of 2nd BN was"missing in action."

As F/Co was in the midst of its withdrawal, K/Co redeployed to block theRohrwiller-Drusenheim road. A and B/Companies moved to defensive positionssouthwest of the Bois de Soufflenheim, blockading the road betweenSoufflenheim and Sessenheim. A unit from the 410th Infantry Regiment was sentto close the hole left by the loss of the 2nd BN, but they failed to makecontact on K/Companies left flank.

The 2nd BN - Captured at Drusenheim

Starting at 0630, 19 January 1945, German troops rained its artillery andmortar fire on the 2nd BN position in Drusenheim for more than an hour. The2nd threw everything they had right back at the enemy. After the elements ofF/Co had escaped, the rest of the battalion was trapped - essentially cut offfrom any help whatsoever. Facing 20 tanks and over 100 heavy artillerypieces, capture was close at hand.

Hand to hand combat took place until the early hours of 20 January. At 0430,the Battalion CP was captured, and within the next one-half hour, theremainder of the Battalion was taken by the enemy. The American POWs wererelieved of their cold weather clothing and forced to march in the snow,

gloveless and in stocking feet. At the German CP in Dalhunden, about 500yards from the Rhine, the troops were separated; officers in one group,enlisted in another. On 22 January, the troops were ferried across the Rhineon their way to a POW camp. For four days, they marched through the BlackForest in Germany until they reached the camp at Baden-Baden. They wereinterrogated one by one by an SS officer posing as a representative from theInternational Red Cross. Food was very scarce, and some of the men hadn'teaten since their capture.

On or about 27/28 January, the troops were marched to a railroad station andloaded into cars to be transported to a second camp. After two days of beingshoved into railcars in sub-zero temperatures, they arrived in Stuttgart.There was roughly 3000 POWs representing almost every U.S. Army outfit, andthey were marched ten miles north to Ludwigsburg. After ten days of ahellish situation of no food and no warmth, the troops were loaded intorailcars once again, and transported to a third location: Hammelburg-Läger.They spent roughly 45 days here.

On 27 March, report reached the camp that American troops had broken throughand were moving on Hammelburg. The prisoners were ordered to gather theirbelongings and prepare to evacuate. Stall tactics forced the captors to turnthe camp over to their captives. White flags were raised and small battlesensued. It was quickly over, and the joy of the win was soon dampened by therealization that the liberators equaled one company of tanks dispatched byGeneral Patton. The tanks took as many men as they could carry, and the restwere left with finding their way back to the American front as best theycould; the rumored front being Frankfurt. Every route the fleeing prisonerstook, there were German troops waiting. Eventually, most were recaptured andreturned to Hammelburg-Läger.

On 31 March, the remaining prisoners onceagain loaded into railcars and, 12 hourslater, arrived in Nuremberg, Germany.They were fed well for three days, thenbegan a 150-mile march to Moosburg on 3April. For 17 days, they marched;borrowing, begging and even stealing foodalong the way. Most had been issued a RedCross care package, the first of theirlong captivity.

Seven days after reaching Moosburg, on 29April 1945, liberation came for goodfinally came for the men of the 314thRegiment's 2nd BN at the hand of the 14thArmored Division. They were taken to

Ingolstadt and flown to Rheims, France onC-47 transport planes. Food, clothing,rest, and one more stop in LeHavre toboard ships headed, finally, home.

The men of the 2nd BN spent 72 days incaptivity.

Aerial view - Nuremberg 1945

The Moder River and Schweighausen

On 20 January, L/Co still held thebridgehead on the Zorm River, and 3rdBN was sent to a new defensive linealong the Moder near Bischwiller. The8-inch artillery was fired at enemypositions spotted by K/Co patrols inthe Bois de Drusenheim. No counter-attack came, so the bridges were blownacross the Moder and Zorm, allowingthe withdrawal to go ahead. A, B andI/Companies joined the rest of theRegiment later that day. The 314thRegiment was solidly established atthe new line position along the Modernear Bischwiller and Kaltenhaus on 21January.

1st BN was on the left, with 3rd onthe right with the remnants of F/Coattached. I/Co went to Regimentalreserve. On 22 January, word came thatthe 313th Regiment would be relievingthe 314th position, sending them toreserve near Niederschaeffolsheim.(The relief unit ended up being the315th at the Moder River position.)

Before the reserve orders camethrough, reports of clear indicatorsof an enemy buildup forming northeastof Bischwiller. Roughly 200 troops hadbeen spotted in the Bois d'Oberhoffenacross the Moder. The 813th TDRegiment and the 25th Tank Regimentsent armor to the 314th for adefensive show of force.

Now that the artillery was more plentiful since Bastogne had been secured,Corps artillery threw TOTs (time-on-target) rounds to dissuade any enemy

attack. At dusk, 3rd BNs position came under sporadic fire. At 2200, 1st BNreported seeing five tanks near Camp d'Oberhoffen. Enemy infantry was alsosettling along the outskirts of town.

At 0220, 23 January, B/Co reported trucks and tracked vehicles unloadingenemy troops to their front. At 0530, a German patrol hit C/Co, and B/Coforced another patrol back shortly after the first attack. The outposts werewithdrawn, and a TOT round fired.

Hitler's new jet-propelled planeflew over the 314th's position anddropped several bombs. A/Company'sCP was hit.

Retaliation came in the form of twoAllied bombing runs over Campd'Oberhoffen. The plans to move the314th to reserve were called off asmore enemy vehicle movement wasreported near Oberhoffen. To makematters worse, some of the vehiclesspotted were the 314th's own thathad been captured earlier.

At 1800, 24 January, relief finallybegan of the 314th by the 315th.1st BN was to move to Winterhausen,and the 3rd BN to the remnants ofNiederschaeffolsheim. Relief of theline was completed undercover of ahuge snow storm.

Before the 1st BN had arrived to its reserve location, reports came in thatenemy troops had crossed the Moder River between Neubourg and Schweighausen,breaking through the 42nd Division's 222nd Infantry positions. 1st BN wasplaced on a one-hour alert, and as the 3rd BN closed in at 0030, 25 January,it was also on the alert.

At 0130, 1st BN was sent in knee-deep snow 2000 yards north of Winterhausento Ohlungen. The task force (consisting of elements from the 42ndRainbow/222nd Infantry and the 314th) assignment was to force the Germansback across the river. The enemy force had broken through the 222nd's line inan effort to take Haguenau. Units moved to Schweighausen and eastward on toNeubourg at 0530, accompanied by two medium tanks.

Schweighausen was being cleared by the 1st BN222nd, while the 1st BN 314th sent out arecon patrol to establish a CP and installcommunications. The Command Post was billetedin a house with a solid cellar. Thebattalions tanks began down the Schweighausenroad and were lost to the unit when one washit, and the other crashed. Both crewsescaped.

The ground troops advanced forward about 500yards to a brewery building occupied by theenemy. After a short firefight, the buildingwas cleared and the column advanced to theoutskirts of Schweighausen. They observed theforward CP in trouble. They were takenprisoner, and ended up with the 2nd BN POWs.

B/Co was deployed to the left of town in a wooded area, and was immediatelypinned down. Combat Command B of the 14th Armored Division cleared the woodsdue west of Schweighausen, and by 1830, the 1st BN held the town. With fivelight tanks, 3rd BN was sent on foot toward Neubourg to help restore the 3rdBN 222nd's line. At 1100, the unit was advancing and attacking east throughthe Bois d'Ohlungen. I/Co faced heavy resistance, and was pushed back 400yards. They managed to regroup, counter-attack, and gain back most of thelost ground. The battalion dug in for the night tied in with the ranks ofthe 222nd.

Reports reached the exhausted task force on 26 January of a considerableenemy force moving across the river. A company of 155's were dispatched toshore up the force from VI Corps. Early in the morning, 1st BN had tied inwith the 222nd's 2nd BN in Schweighausen. The attack began at 0730, sendingthe 3rd BN east through the woods, Combat Command B 14th Armored west, and1st BN with units from the 222nd hitting north. They discovered the enemyhad withdrawn in full. By 1100, 26 January, a Moder River defense was re-established.

On 27 January, elements from the 101st Airborne Division had arrived -signaling once and for all the Battle of the Bulge was over - to relieve the

314th Regiment's position. The battalions assembled for replacements, andmoved out again to the banks of the Moder taking over the area held by the242nd Infantry

This section of the line, from the southern edgeof Haguenau to just south of Kaltenhaus, was thearea the Germans broke through on 24 January.Relief finally began, and despite a snow storm andsome enemy activity in A/Company's sector, by2200, 28 January, the 314th was back in Haguenau.

The next three days were spent patrolling, and theonly incident of record happened when C/Coattempted to capture a three-man enemy scoutforce early the morning of 31 January. C/Company'sposition was hit by a heavy mortar barrage. Thechurch steeple was hit by enemy artillery inKaltenhaus, as well.

On 1 February, a newly trained and outfitted 2nd BN arrived to make up theRegimental reserve. The 79th Division was holding VI Corps front, the 314th'ssector assignment was southwest of Haguenau, including Bischwiller. All ofthe units were depleted and exhausted - the veterans needing rest, and moretraining for the replacements. Division orders were sent of an"identification of the enemy force" which opposed the 314th presently. Theobjective was Taubenhof Farm, one-half mile west of Camp d'Oberhoffen - rightacross the river from Kaltenhaus.

Warmer temperatures was melting the snow, causing the Moder River to risefast, so small boats had to be used to cross the 1st BN patrols. At 0130, 2February, the returning patrols reported enemy located at and around the Farmlocation. An attack patrol had almost captured two Germans soldiers, but inthe firefight they evaded, and the enemy was alerted to the patrol'spresence. They retreated without identifying the enemy element, and furtherpatrols were stalled due to daybreak.

Patrol actions took place over the next several days, and the enemy wasfinally determined by papers found on a dead German soldier.

All in all, the forces faced by the 79th Division in the battles takingplace in the Alsace included: the 25th Panzer Division, the 25thPanzergrenadier, 21st Panzer Division, 553rd, 4th, and 405th InfantryDivisions, the 7th Parachute Division, and the 10th S.S. Division - plus the256th and 361st Volksgrenadier Divisions.

Orders arrived for relief of the 314th from the line on 5 February. It wasalso alerted for a move to Pont-a-Mousson, France, but before the move acrossthe Rhine to spearhead the 9th Army's movement - and after 87 days of combat- the unit was due a rest and training period.

Pont-a-Mousson, France

They cleared the Haguenau area, and moved out on 7 February to towns alongthe Moselle River - Regimental CP at Jezainviller, 1st BN at Pompey, 2nd BNat Belleville, and 3rd located at Dieulouard. The units trained, rested -complete with passes to Paris, and USO shows - until 14 February, 1945.

Belgium and the Roer River

At midnight, 14 February, the 79thDivision transferred over to XIV Corps,9th U.S. Army. The Division had beenassigned to four different armies atthis point: twice each in the First andThird Army, once in the Seventh, andnow the Ninth Army.

The Division was moved by rail toTongres, Belgium. On arrival, they weremoved by motorized columns to billetareas; 1st and 2nd BN's in Diepenbeek,3rd in Rombershoven, and Regimental CPat Ridderborn par Cortessem. Althoughthe 79th was in Corps reserve, the314th Regiment was issued an independentmission: recon the area to relieve the137th Infantry, 35th Division. The314th was to participate in the 9thArmy move across the Roer River.

On 22 February, all units of the Regiment moved into position relieving the137th - 1st BN near Heinsberg, 2nd BN around Lieck, and 3rd in the Kirchovenarea. A night attack was planned to take the regimental front to the westbank of the Roer River. The 1st BN attacked at 2400, and caught the enemy bysurprise. Resistance was minimal, small arms and smaller patrols.

By 0630, 23 February, all of the1st BN objectives were met: theyheld the west bank of the RoerRiver, from Roerhof to Hochbruck- and netted 36 POWs. 2nd and 3rdBN's jumped off at 0330, and F/Cotook a hard hit from mines aroundthe perimeter of Kempen. Aftercarefully maneuvering in thedark, Kempen was secured and themines disabled by 2130, 23

February. 3rd BN met withresistance of small arms fire aswell, but by nightfall hadsecured a line through Karkienand Hingen. The next push waspostponed due to rain andflooding.

At 0600, 26 February, 2nd BNbegan crossing the Roer with avolley of gunfire from the enemy.German artillery fell throughoutthe Regimental sector. The 35thDivision began forging the river,and the Germans were pulling outin retreat.

XIV Corps orders placed the Regimentholding positions until the 35th hadsecured the section of the east bank ofthe Roer. 1st BN sent two platoons toOrsbeck to act as a security force for anengineers corps. They were constructing abridge from Orsbeck to Roerhof.

On 28 February, the 314th assembled inHeinsberg for redeployment to rejoin the79th Division. The battalions arrived attheir billets by 1600. For two days, thetroops rested in Heinsberg, and on 3March, moved out to rejoin its Division,now located near München-Gladbach.

The motorized move to the 314th assigned area near Holtum went smoothly. Inthe new location, the troops saw the first "displaced persons camps forforced laborers." They were empty. From 4-8 March, the troops policed thearea, found and repaired captured motor vehicles and other equipment.

On 9 March, the 314th moved approximately 35 miles to the area ofAmsterrade, Holland, backtracking over the now completed bridge at Orsbeck.Preparations began for the new mission: an assault attack by the 79th and30th Divisions crossing the Rhine. The plan called for two Regiments (the313th and 315th) to attack side by side with the 314th in Regimentalreserve. Practice took place on the Maas River, above Maeseyck nearRoostoren. The units refined their strategy over the next few days byrepeated practice.

The 314th moved out 57 miles northwest to an assembly area near the Rhine,along with Company B, 89th Chemical Mortar Battalion, on 21 March. Upontheir arrival at the assembly point, they were greeted by 58 artillerybattalions, almost as many mortar companies, and direct fire weapons tosupport the drive. This was to be one of the most extensive and difficult

operations since 6 June, 1944 - the D-Day Invasion.

The Rhine

Regimental CP held a meeting 22 March with all commanders to discuss thefinal plans. Early evening, 23 March, the units moved forward by trucks fourto five miles, then on foot the final two miles to the forward assemblyareas. At 0200, 24 March, artillery fire commenced. With the rationing ofammunition not an issue anymore, the sky was lit up almost non-stop for overan hour. At 0330, the 1st and 2nd BN's were alerted for the crossing.General Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with General Simpson, and GeneralAnderson were at Division Command Post to observe. At 1000, 2nd BN began itsforge of the Rhine and reached its objective - the outskirts of Overbruch.There was a small amount of artillery fire scattered over 1st BNs position,coming from an area close to Dinslaken. 3rd BN followed 2nd's route andclose up just right of the 2nd BN position.

The plan called for the 313th topush south, 315th to push northwith the 314th in between in anattempt to expand the beachheadwidth before moving on due east.Without TDs or tank support, the1st and 2nd BNs jumped off headedto Dinslaken at 1630. Speedyprogress was made as they facedminimum resistance.

Along the outskirts of Dinslaken,C/Co took a large factorybuilding and had reached therailroad tracks coming in from thenortheast. A and B/Companies sweptthe rear of town clean, and 2ndBN moved down the center of thesector seeing little and sporadicresistance.

By dark, the Regiment wassettled in for the night withthe railroad tracks serving asthe outpost line. 3rd BN hadreverted to reserve atOverbruch. Overnight, theRegiment moved 147 vehicles,including the Cannon Companyguns, across the Rhine.

The 25 March objective was awooded area west of a yet to becompleted autobahn five milesinland. At 0700, 1st and 2ndBNs restarted the attack toenlarge the bridgehead. Bothreceived fire from 40-mm AAguns firing horizontally. B andC/Companies led off 1st BNsattack with B/Co moving intoHeisfeld from the east, andC/Co coming up the west side.By 1200, the town was secured.

E/Co led point for the 2nd BN, and F/Co attempted to advance east of therailroad tracks, but had to fall back and regroup behind E/Company's positiondue to 88-mm gunfire. Eickhof was finally cleared early in the morning hoursof 26 March.

The 315th Regiment position was relieved by the 134th Regiment of the 35thDivision on 26 March, and they proceeded northeast with the attacks. The314th attacked with the 134th on the left flank. The 315th moved to securepart of the 2nd BN position. The 313th Regiment went into reserve. 3rd BN wasstill in reserve at Regimental HQ, and the position received sporadicshelling. The 1st BN objective was to seize the command ground at Zur ForstWesel to the edge of Koter Bruch, some 3000 yards forward. The 2nd BN was tohold its position in a defensive stance, and 3rd BN was activated to move upbetween the 1st and 2nd BNs positions.

The 3rd BN was tasked with following the right flank of 1st BN, and defendfacing south. 1st BN moved out with A/Co on point, followed by B/Co. A/Cocleared out an enemy strong point about 500 yards past the autobahn. Nowreaching open space beyond the woods, A and B/Companies attacked strongly andquickly - out advancing the 134th Infantry to their left. By 1200, A/Co hadsecured the northern half of the battalion objective. B/Co was held up by twoenemy tanks and support infantry, but reached its portion of the objectiveand secured it by 1400. 3rd BN companies I, K and L moved in to shore up 1stBNs position and to relieve the manned outposts. Later in the day, I/Co wasordered to push its flank into the woods to the main roadway running north-south on the line's east side tying into E/Company's position. E/Co had beendelayed by resistance from the houses located in the east sector of thewoods. E/Co cleaned out these strong points on their progress, while F/Co washit hard by artillery and roughly 100 German infantry. The counter-attack wasshut down by the Regiment's artillery and chemical mortars. The 315th movedover to secure this position at 2030 to allow F/Co to regroup.

At 0845, 27 March, the 1st BN was relieved by the 137th Infantry. They weremoved to the assembly area at Heisfeld for Regimental reserve. The Regimentalfront was facing south towards the city of Sterkrade and the Rhine-HerneCanal, with the 2nd and 3rd BNs stationed on the line. The Rhine was crossed.

Sterkrade

The Regiment moved eastward to the outskirtsof Sterkrade, the night of 27-28 March.Along the way, I&R captured 17 POWs, 2nd and3rd BNs captured six 88-mm guns amongstheavy fighting. At 0600, 29 March, with the3rd BN attacking from the Regiment's leftflank and 2nd BN on the right, pushed theadvance forward against little resistance.

By nightfall, 1st BN had moved up shadowing2nd's line of attack, and Sterkrade wassecure.

The established line advanced to the Rhine-Herne Canal, consolidated, and the Regimentheld this position for the next week. The314th's situation was so secure that a Corpsteam arrived with movies to entertain thetroops.

Sunday, 1 April, was Easter, and church services were held in a beautifulcathedral in town. A captured German food depot yielded eggs and wine. 2ndBN's elements were pulled from the line during the week for guard duty aroundintelligence targets in the area.

Steele

On 6 April, the 17th Airborne Division relieved the 79th Division in theSterkrade area, and the 79th moved about five miles northeast to Bottrop.There, they went into Division reserve to rest and refit for what was to bethe Division's last attack mission. The objective was the large city of Essenand its surrounding hamlets, including Steele.

Early evening, 7 April, the 1st and 3rd BN's crossed the Rhine-Herne Canalin preparation for the attack toward the town of Steele. At 0930, 8 April,the attack jumped off to virtually no resistance. 2nd BN was deployedeastward to the town of Sevingham. All three battalions were on theirobjectives quickly. 1st BN patrols had an excellent observation point inSteele of across the Ruhr River. Opposite the position was a strongly builtGerman AA battery. The fire was almost constant until the 311th FieldArtillery took the German position out.

The 3rd BN position was relieved by the 315th Regiment on 9 April, and movedinto reserve. 10 April, 1st and 2nd BN's attacked to advance the Regiment'sposition all the way to the Ruhr. B and C/Companies were hit hard by anotherconcrete surrounded AA position, and sustained heavy casualties. Tank supportpushed the enemy back, and the battalions moved forward again. At sunset, ledby the 3rd BN, the entire Regimental rear elements drove to the river banks,and before midnight, 10 April 1945, the entire area was secure. Thiscompleted the 314th Regiment's last attack mission.

Dortmund, Czechoslovakia and Home

The 314th Regiment, being relievedagain by elements of the 17th ABN,moved to the city of Dortmund on 14April. The task was to outpost the RuhrRiver line. German troops were observedin several large concentrations,occasionally throwing harassingartillery.

Return fire from the 314th was notcalled for as long as the enemyremained on the opposite side of the

The Ruhr River Pocket

Ruhr. Late that night, it was reportedthat I/Co had linked with the relievingelements of the 8th Infantry Division.The 314th Regiment's part in the warwas over.

Contact with the enemy was lost on 16 April, and the 314th officially passedinto the next phase of the war - military government. This occupationalfunction would include everything from governing and policing, to caring forthe "displaced persons" (slave laborers from all over Europe) and guardingPOWs.

Dortmund was the center of the factorydistrict and most of the displaced hadbeen working there, so the problem ofdealing with so many people wasparticularly bad for the 314th. Therewere over 19,000 people who neededrepatriation to their homelands.Hospitals were set up and staffed, andtroops acted as "guards" to quelllooting attempts.

By 1 May, 1945, the entire area,including the camps, was secured andrunning smoothly.

Sea of refugees in Dortmund

On 7 May, 1945, a Liaison Officer brought the following written message fromDivision HQ signed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower:

"A representative of the German High Command signed the unconditionalsurrender of all German Land, Sea and Air Forces in Europe to theAllied Expeditionary Force and simultaneously to Soviet High Commandat 0141 hours European time 7 May, 1945, under which all forces willcease active operations at 0001 hours 9 May, 1945. Effectiveimmediately all offensive operations by Allied Expeditionary Forceswill cease and troops will remain in present positions. Movesinvolved in occupational duties will continue. Due to difficulties ofcommunication there may be some delay in similar orders reachingenemy troops so full defensive precautions will be taken..."

It was all over.

Beyond V-E Day

After the glorious V-E Day celebrations, the troops began training for thepossibility of entering the Pacific Theater of Operations. Dortmund was stillconsidered a hostile area, so guard duty was kept up, along withadministering to all the displaced. Dortmund fell within the British zone ofoccupation, and on 28 May word came in that the 48th BN Royal Artillerywould take over duties there sometime between 2-7 June. On 30 May, aMemorial Service for the entire Regiment was held at Garden Suburb, a largepark in Dortmund.

On 5 July, after being relieved in Dortmund, the 314th moved out for a 400mile journey to Cheb, Czechoslovakia. On 9 June, the 79th was transferred tothe control of V Corps, 3rd Army. Regimental HQ was established inKonigsberg, in relief of the 1st Infantry Division. Duties for the Regimentincluded maintaining road blocks, guard and patrol duty, military governing,and training. This section of Czechoslovakia was opposite the Russianpositions. Life in Czechoslovakia was a repetition of the site in Dortmund asregards to the displaced persons.

The Division was assigned "Category II" status: re-equip, retrain and shipback to America as reserves for possible deployment to the PTO. A review ofpersonnel took placed based on the "point" system: high-pointers were to bemoved out to units due for departure home, mid-pointers moved to unitsassigned occupational duties, and low-pointers scheduled for training. Theunit was moved on 3 August to an isolated village named Dalherda in Bavaria.This location was an old German Panzer Division facility - perfect fortraining. But the conditions were horrible - what buildings remained wereroofless, and it rained almost non-stop.

On 6 August 1945, at 0815 the first atomic bomb was dropped from a B-29bomber on Hiroshima. On 9 August, the second one was dropped on Nagasaki. TheJapanese surrendered - it was finally over.

Formal surrender ceremonies on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

The 12 August orders pending a trip home were rescinded for the 79th was toreplace the 99th Division and the 6th Armored Division on occupationalduties. On 23 August, the 314th relieved the 395th Infantry Regiment (of the99th Division), and the 735th Tank BN. The 314th was again manning roadblocks along the Russian frontier in Germany. 3rd BN found itself governing ahuge civilian camp, previously known as the German camp Hammelburg-Läger. Menwho had enough points started going home. The unit settled into what wouldbe its last post in Europe: 1st BN at Konigshofen, 2nd BN at Mellrichstadt,3rd BN and the Service Company at Hammelburg-Läger. The HQ Company residedin a small town called Munnerstadt, while the Cannon and Anti-Tank Companiescamped in the resort town of Bad Bruckenau.

At the end of October, 1945,the Regiment was alerted toprepare to ship home. The 79thDivision was relieved by the1st infantry Division on 15November 1945. The 314th movedto a tent camp inAschaffensburg, and latertaken by train to Marseilles,France, to board ships headedfor America.

Sailing began the last week ofNovember. The ships ported allalong the eastern seaboard -from Boston to Norfolk,Virginia ten to fifteen dayslater.

On 11 December, 1945, the 79thInfantry Division, includingthe 314th Regiment, wasofficially deactivated. Themen who wore the Cross ofLorraine and the Sign of theFalcon were finally home.

Troops arriving home (National Archives)

This outline is compiled from research material provided by personal accounts, unit diaries,

online sources, "The Complete History of World War Two" edited by Francis T. Miller (1948) andthe 314th Infantry Association's "Through Combat."

A special thanks to Joseph W. Campbell and Dwight Pruitt.

17 September 2003

© Lori Cutshall 2003-2013

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