The 314th Infantry Regiment - 79th Division, US Army, World War Two

 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) and
the 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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The 314th Infantry Regiment
On 15 May, 1942 the men who would form the 314th
Regiment of the 79th Division of the United
States Army arrived at Camp Pickett, Virginia.
The 314th was to be formed out of the 12th
Regiment of the 4th Motorized Division. These
were dark days: Pearl Harbor was only five months
past, and on 6 May, nine days before the Regiment
was formed, Rommel was on the move with the next
Libyan offensive. On 15 June, 1942, the 79th
Division 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 trained
crossing the Cumberland River in freezing conditions; Camp Laguna,
California/Arizona in 130-degree temperatures for desert training. Due to
medical discharges or men being sent to OCS, replacements from the 42nd
Rainbow Division joined the 79th beginning in December, 1943, and throughout
the early months of 1944.
Training Maneuvers
In December, 1943, the unit was moved to Camp Phillips, Kansas to prepare
for deployment overseas. POM (Preparations for Overseas Movement) began in
earnest with the number 6002 stenciled onto all sea bags - this was the code
for deployment in Europe. 22 March, 1944 the 314th moved from Camp Phillips
to Camp Miles Standish, the Boston Port of Embarkation, to load onto two
ships; The USS Cristobal and HMS Strathmore. Cristobal carried the 1st and
3rd Battalions, Regimental Headquarters (HQ), Anti-tank, and the Service
Companies. Strathmore took 2nd BN and the Cannon Company. They sailed on 7
April, 1944.
The shipping convoy split up off the coast of Ireland with the Strathmore
landing at Glasgow on 16 April, and the Cristobal docking in Liverpool on 17
April. The timing was late in the pre-invasion days, and troop quartering was
scarce. The 314th divided into two groups, with half billeted at Goldbourne
Park, 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 reserve
with General George S. Patton's 3rd Army until it was time for the
breakthrough out of Normandy, on to the plains of France. But the Germans
moved into Carentan for maneuvers, and the plan changed. Allied High Command
switched the 79th from VIII Corps on loan to VII Corps, and the Division
moved to an assembly area near the southern coast - Southampton - on Lord
Mountbatten's estate.
On 13 June, 1944 the 79th shipped out from
Southampton en route to the vicinity of
Carentan. Debris from the D-Day invasion
was still all over the channel, and Utah Beach was a mess. Mine sweepers working the
area set one off by mistake, which only
raised the anxiety level up farther than
thought possible.
Upon disembarkation, the 314th marched up Utah
Beach,
and
headed
towards
Cherbourg. They
assembled at Blosville, 10 to 12 miles from the
beachhead, near St. Mere Eglise, on 15 June.
16 June, 1944, the 79th was placed on a two
hour alert for movement as VII Corps was
assigned to breach the German defenses at
Cherbourg. Two days later, they moved to
Picaville,
relieving
the
90th
Division on
approach to Cherbourg.
On 19 June, orders came down committing the 314th to its first combat; the
313th/315th were assigned to attack from the north (the former position of
the 90th Division) bypassing Valognes to the west, while the 314th night
moved to an area near Binneville. At 0600, 2nd BN jumped off towards its
objective to seize the ridge at Croix Jacob, outside Negreville. They took
this 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 hiding
in the woods. They had watched the Germans pulling back towards their
Cherbourg defenses. 3rd BN captured eight 88's, two AA guns, and a V-1 "Buzz
Bomb" rocket launching site in nearby Brix.
The 314th was on the outer perimeter of Cherbourg on 21 June, and the
artillery fire from the enemy was intense. These were the main defense forces
around Cherbourg. Allied radio broadcasted to the Germans to surrender before
a deadline of noon, 22 June. After the deadline was summarily ignored, the
314th pulled back 1200 yards to allow room for a bomb release line. They
watched as the Allied bombers dropped their payload. After roughly 80 minutes
of bombing (one stray took out a 3rd BN anti-tank gun and prime mover, and
the fragmentation reached as far back as Regimental CP), the 314th moved
onward towards Cherbourg with 1st's B/Co in the lead. C/Co was sent to the
left through Tollevast, with A/Co on the right. All took heavy fire and
amassed numerous casualties. It was decided to bypass the strong point and
send 3rd BN on along the Regiment's right line boundary, and collect what
they could of 1st BN's troops. B/Co could not disengage, but the rest
followed 3rd through a hole created in the German lines. To the west, the
left flank of the attack was covered by a battalion from the 315th, and the
79th's Recon BN.
The morning of 23 June, 2nd BN was
ordered to clear the supply routes
serving 1st and 3rd BN's positions.
3rd's I/Co ran into heavy artillery and
arms fire and had to withdraw due to
heavy causalities. 1st and 3rd BNs
(without B/Co) took their objectives and
became the first ground troops to look
upon the city of Cherbourg.
The morning of 23 June, 2nd BN was
ordered to clear the supply routes
serving 1st and 3rd BN's positions.
3rd's I/Co ran into heavy artillery and
arms fire and had to withdraw due to
heavy causalities. 1st and 3rd BNs
(without B/Co) took their objectives and
became the first ground troops to look
upon the city of Cherbourg.
US troops marching
German POWs
Air support was called in and 1st BN wasn't far enough away from the drop
line, subsequently suffering many casualties again. G2 sources noted two main
obstacles to the 314th's advance - two German strong points of considerable
strength. 2nd BN was assigned to one, 3rd BN the other, and by 0800, 24
June, air strikes hit the positions. By 1000, both were secured.
Fort du Roule was the key to
Cherbourg.
The
Germans
had
fortified it with Anti-Aircraft
guns
(AA's),
concrete
emplacements, pill boxes, antitank ditches and barbed wire.
3rd BN made three attempts for
heights adjacent to the fort.
All
were
unsuccessful
and
resulted in heavy casualties.
The next day's attack (25 June)
2nd BN took off for "Point 46"
- an area of AA guns and
concrete shelters on the edge
of
a
cliff
overlooking
Cherbourg,
with
3rd
BN
providing covering fire. Two
hours of fighting, destroying
the German machine guns and
securing pill boxes ensued, and
over 100 POW's were taken.
Fort du Roule
viewed from Cherbourg
The remaining enemy held on through
two more attacks by the 2nd BN before
finally surrendering late in the
evening. By midnight, 2nd was on the
lid of Fort du Roule, 1st at Point 46,
and 3rd in reserve.
1st BN began sending patrols into
Cherbourg - fighting was taking place
house to house. On 26 June, while 1st
and 3rd BN's were fighting house to
house in the town, amassing casualties
and capturing over 2000 Germans, 2nd
BN was facing its own problems at Fort
du Roule. The Germans had bored
Overlooking Cherbourg from
Fort du Roule
tunnels into the face of the cliffs,
and had mounted guns on retractable
mounts which promptly disappeared into
the rock wall after each round. They
were firing primarily on the patrols
going into Cherbourg.
2nd BN's E/Co drew up a demolition crew and blasted the tunnels. By the end
of 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 and
two Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded, as well.
La Haye du Puits
The
4th
Division
took
over
garrisoning Cherbourg on 27 June,
1944 and the 79th reverted back to
VIII Corps. They moved south to
just outside of Bricquebec (the
troops called it "Bricabrac.") The
landscape changed from beaches and
cliff faces, to farms, small towns,
and the dreaded hedgerows. On 29
June, 2nd BN moved south to take
over
a
defense
line
near
La
Picoterie,
relieving
the
90th's
357th Infantry Regiment. The 1st
and 3rd BN's joined later, and as
of 2 July, they were still awaiting
orders.
Map of troop movement
Cherbourg / La Haye du Puits
Behind the line of Carentan - St.
Lo, there was a small town called
La Haye du Puits. It was a focal
point for supply lines and the
79th's next objective. On 3 July,
the attack moved out with the 314th
approaching on the left, the 315th
on the right. 1st BN / 314th drove
forward
to
Bolleville,
the 3rd
worked on securing "Hill 121" left
of Bolleville and the 2nd remained
in a defensive position north of
the Douve River in support.
The Regiment's Battalions lost radio
contact
with
Regimental
HQ
CP
for
several hours and mission specifications were relayed by an artillery liaison.
The objectives of 1st and 3rd were
reached at 0230, 3 July.
During the night, 2nd BN crossed the Douve
to the north-northeast sector of "Hill
121." The approach exposed the troops to
the
most
extreme
fighting
they
had
experienced to date, and fatigue ran high.
At 1830, 4 July, 2nd BN moved through 1st BN's position to bypass La Haye du
Puits to reach an assembly area about 800 yards northwest of Bolleville. 1st
BN was holding the line to the right, and 3rd was in a defensive position
northwest of Ste. Catherine. 5 July - After six hours of heavy fighting, 2nd
BN managed to only advance one-half mile and was stopped cold until tank
support arrived. 3rd BN's K/Co was sent to recon La Haye du Puits and, at
0900, secured the railroad station on the north end of town. The Germans
bombarded the station heavily and orders for K/Co to pull out were issued
that afternoon. Later in the day, the entire 3rd BN pulled back to regroup
to the right flank (south of Bolleville) for the next day's assault.
2nd and 3rd BN's moved out early on 6
July to take ground southwest of La Haye
du Puits. 1st BN moved in south from
Bolleville. Late in the afternoon, 3rd
BN ran into a battalion of Waffen SS in
defensive positions of La Haye du Puits. The 315th, near Montgarden, was so far
away that what resulted was a 500 yard
gap in the 3rd's right flank. On the
northern sector, a 1st BN recon unit ran
into resistance and had to fall back to
Bolleville.
Waffen SS troops deploying
On 7 July, 2nd and 3rd BN's tried to advance again with slight progress and
at a high casualty cost. By nightfall, command of 2nd BN had changed three
times due to heavy losses. 1st BN made another attempt to reconnoiter La
Haye du Puits, but ran into heavy German defensive positions - mine-studded
fields strung with checkerboard patterns of piano wire about one inch off the
ground, mortar bursts, and machine gun batteries. Behind the 314th's
position, the 8th Infantry Division was preparing it's 28th Regiment to
relieve 2nd BN's position. The next day's orders were for the 1st BN to just
contain the town, leaving the dirty work to the 8th Infantry Division.
But, as will become pattern, the
orders changed sending 1st into town.
The battalion broke up into smaller
units
to
penetrate
the
German
defensive
positions.
It
was
an
awkward, almost Guerilla-like attack,
but after a day of this tactic, on 8
July, the 1st BN secured La Haye du
Puits.
To the south, 3rd BN was taking a
beating from the SS in its attempt to secure a position noted as "Hill 84"
and the 28th had no progress moving in
for support. 2nd BN was called up to
assist. By 9 July, F/Co had only one
officer, and 94 enlisted men left.
Between 8 and 9 July, F/Co lost 14
men, 34 wounded - almost half the
Company. The 315th established contact
with
314th's
3rd
BN,
and
2nd's
remnants pulled back to the assembly
area.
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 du
Puits, 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/315th
Regiments efforts and involvement. Typical media.
However, there is a memorial monument to the 79th Division erected at La
Haye 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 for
the assault and capture of the city of La Haye du Puits during the
period 7-8 July 1944. In the assault and capture of this most
important 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 for
over 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 in
on the roster, it was time to move out again. Objective orders for 10 July
were to take the ground about 1000 yards southeast of "Hill 84." The G2
reported that the "Der Fuehrer" Panzergrenadier Regiment of the "Das Reich"
SS Panzer Division (the best Hitler had in the west) awaited them. The "Der
Fuehrer" was very ruthless. They had just massacred the adult population of
the villages of Tulle and Oradour-sur-Glane. 3rd BN led off the Regiment in
columns. By nightfall, 3rd reached the objective. The 314th Regiment was the
only unit on the Corps front line to do so. 1st BN moved to 3rd's rear and
held the forward slopes of "Hill 84." 11 July, 1st BN led off the
southwestward 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 the
314th to take the east/west line about
500 yards north of La Picorie. On 13
July, at 0800, 1st BN led off, 2nd in
the middle of the column, and 3rd
bringing up the rear. They met heavy
resistance, and gained no ground until
tank support arrived. 2nd BN would see
progress, but then would stall out west
of Hierville. With the objective in
sight, the advance went quickly the
morning of 14 July, and by 1130 the new
line was consolidated. The rest of the
day was spent patrolling the Ay River.
15 July, the 314th was relieved by the
315th, and fell back to an area 500
yards south to rest. The location was
called "Dirty Gertie's" after the dirty
old woman seen rummaging about the
garbage and rubble. One remarked that
it appeared she hadn't washed since the
fall of France. The 314th got a much
needed rest, hot chow, showers, mail
and church services.
A
mission
brief
by
the
314th's
commander, Colonel Warren Robinson came
on 17 July. The destination was a
concealed bivouac area near Les Puits
Rault. The move was to begin late 19
July undercover of darkness to be in
position to relieve the 8th Division's
137th Infantry on 21 July. The 314th
secured the line between le Bocage and
la Uilaumerie. The Regiment closed in
and regrouped at 0225, 20 July. They
spent the next five days patrolling the
Ay River. CP devised plans for the
exchange of support fire between the
8th's positions and the 314th.
On 25 July, 3000 Allied Bombers laid the way to begin the breakthrough at
St. Lo. Ground troops drove the Germans westward toward the coast with the
314th "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 across
the Ay near Pissot. the 3rd BN piled into the rear of the 28th Infantry
because they hadn't advanced as far as the reports indicated. 3rd went to an
assembly area north of La Banserie for the night. 1st BN swung west, but all
three 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 the
28th never reached its objective. The 314th
was dispatched around the stalled advance
and reached the original objective, the la
Bocage line, at 1840. This operation book
marked the breakthrough which would reach
all the way to the Seine.
The assault column made another eleven
miles advance on 28 July, with the 314th
reaching Coutances by nightfall. 29 July,
they waited and watched as the 6th Armored
Division raced through the position hot on
the enemy's heels. A fifteen-mile gain
towards Avrances took place on 30 July.
Along the way, the destruction of the
Allied 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 assignment
was to march down the Britany Peninsula behind the 6th Armored, but the
79th's mission changed. On 2 August, they would join XV Corps to protect the
3rd Army's flank on an approach to the German communications center at
Fougeres. The 314th, on a southern course, headed for an assembly area south
of St. James.
They were greeted by flower-laden
French townspeople and three ragged
French buglers in worn out uniforms
playing the Star Spangled Banner.
Fougeres was secured early in the
morning of 3 August.
City of Fougeres
The mission was to set up a
defense around the town, and after
spending two days preparing, 5
August brought orders to march 3540 miles south to Laval. After the
314th, accompanied by the 313th
Regiment, arrived in Laval, they
were sent to Change, just north of
Laval. En route, orders changed and
the destination became the hills
leading to the Mayenne River. At
1115, the 1st and 3rd BN's attacked
and established a bridgehead by
late 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 the
troops. After a light fire fight, the 79th reached Le Mans on 8 August. Word
came that at Le Mans the 79th would revert to Corps reserves with the 90th
Division and 5th Armored in relief. Two days of rest was had in Le Mans by
the 79th/314th.
On 10 August, orders sent the 79th along with the 90th, 5th Armored and the
2nd French Armored to the southern edge of the Falaise Gap after the damaged
remnants of the German 15th Army. The 314th moved out, with it's Regimental
combat team of the 311th Field Artillery, B/Companies of the 749th Tank and
304th Medical BNs, and B/Co of the 304th Engineers. The column led off with
the I&R (Intelligence and Reconnaissance) guys leading the way, arrived just
southwest of Bonnetable that night.
The 314th moved up behind the 5th Armored to prepare a defensive position on
11 August just south of the Foret de Perseigne. Original plans for an aerial
attack on the region were called off and the troops re-routed around the
Foret and moved on to La Mele-sur-Sarthe. During this move, the 2nd BN in
the column's lead, was strafed by an unidentified plane, suffering eleven
wounded. The battalions regrouped northwest of La Mele, and billeted for two
days. On 15 August, orders arrived from Division for an advance on
Versailles and Paris immediately. XV Corps took off in two columns - 5th
Armored on the left, 79th following the 106th Cavalry on the right. A 77mile advancement placed the Divisions near Nogent le Roi.
The 313th and 315th established bridgeheads
across the Evre River on 16 August, while the
314th drew reserve and enjoyed some much needed
time off. The main topic of conversation was
laying 60 miles away - Paris. It was almost
destined, to them at least, that the 79th
Division would be the liberating unit.
On 18 August, orders for the 79th to move north
and take over Mantes-Gassicort were issued.
Located 40 miles outside of Paris, it was the key point of German escape routes across the
Seine after the Falaise Pocket disaster.
On 15 August, the German 15th Army had been cut
off and surrounded. They were attempting to
escape through a small gap near Falaise when
attacked by heavy Allied forces. The results
were high losses on both sides: several entire
German divisions, including Panzer and SS, were
destroyed.
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 it
was clear the unit had made an impression on the German troops; this is one
Divison not to be messed with, and had the reputation as a tough fighting
unit.
On 19 August, 1944, a small task force was dispatched to go into MantesGassicort to stop any lateral movements by the enemy on the south bank of
the Seine. A/Co riflemen stopped and captured a German dispatch rider along
with his dispatch case and motorcycle.
The 314th was deployed, aided by
76 assault boats and B/Co from the
304th Engineer Battalion on 20
August. The 313th had reached its
assembly area without incident, so
at 0825 the 314th crossed the
Seine River from the south bank.
Once ashore, the 1st and 3rd BNs
went east to secure the main road
between Limay and Fontenoy St.
Pere.
749th Tank BN
crossing the Seine
Courtesy of
http://personal.pitnet.net/heathde/749/
C/Co ran into two German vehicles
- one carrying fuel and ammunition
(promptly taken out by a bazooka
blast)
the
other
carrying
troops.
The
Germans
hurriedly
deployed and a fierce firefight
ensued. It was quickly over with
the 3rd BN eliminating one-half of
the opposition and both battalions
registered 40 POWs.
By nightfall, 20 August, 2nd BN was in
reserve at Regimental CP - 1st and 3rd
in solid positions of defense. Around
the CP area, there were five 88-mm guns,
eight multiple 20-mm AA guns and plenty
of ammunition, but thankfully no German
soldiers.
On 21 August, the 314th extended the
bridgehead 1000 yards further southeast.
A battalion from the 315th took over the
southern part of the Regimental sector. In the morning, a group of 150 German
troops was spotted moving towards the
river road near Limay. F/Co, supported
by tanks and a platoon from the AntiTank Company sent the Germans headed
back to Berlin with the first assault.
A few other small skirmishes broke out
randomly, but the real battle began late
the night of 21 August in the 1st BN
sector.
German POWs detained
Troops from the 36th Luftwaffe
Field Regiment, supported by five
German King Tiger tank
King Tiger tanks, had arrived
from Holland and moved south from
Drocourt
into
the
1st
BN
outposts. A/Companies outpost was
driven
back
and
a
few
men
captured. The rest of 1st BNs
outposts were driven back to the
main line of resistance.
Fighting
continued
well
after
midnight. It was an anxious night
for the 314th, as this was the
first real counterattack in force
the enemy had mounted. Only the
artillery barrages launched by
Division Artillery and the 30
Batteries
attached
from
Corps
broke up the first enemy attack.
At 0700, 22 August, German infantry, supported by four tanks, hit the 3rd BN
from the south, forcing I and L/Co to pull back. But the Germans, known for
being stingy on its armor usage, sent their tanks back to the German
assembly 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 reestablished. 1st BN had it somewhat easier as the resistance they faced had
no armor support.
On 24 August, at 0600, XV Corps (including the 79th) went over to 1st Army
control. Work continued as before, laying anti-tank mines and stringing wire
preparing for the next wave of German attacks. The Luftwaffe roughed up the
3rd BN area that day, and to the left, the 2nd BN was set in the event of an
enemy breakthrough in the 1st BN lines. Not until midnight did the 314th see
any action. A B/Co outpost was driven back from the woods southeast of
Fontenoy St. Pere. The loss was short-lived, however. By 0230 (25 August)
supported by artillery and mortar fire, the position was restored. The
situation stayed fairly quiet throughout the rest of the night.
At 1630, 26 August, B/Company's
position east of Guitrancourt and
Fontenoy St. Pere was hit hard by
a battalion of enemy which burst
through the woods accompanied by
five tanks. 3rd BN's lines were
hit by another infantry attack
supported
by
armor,
but
the
combined artillery, small arms and
57-mm High Explosive fire staved
off the enemy, and cost them
wholesale casualties. In the 1st
BN area, German King Tiger tanks
were on a rampage. The battalion
was taking a heavy hit but managed
with small arms, and a few well placed bazooka rounds, to disable
two of the tanks. They held on
until artillery pushed back the
German attack.
On 27 August, the 314th moved 20
miles north to Vernon where the
British 43rd Division had crossed
the Seine. 3rd BN was sent to a
Crossing the Seine River
point 200 yards south of Fontenoy
St. Pere, directly to 2nd's right
flank, and just in behind 1st BN.
After a few setbacks courtesy of
German resistance, the 749th Tank
BN and artillery fire helped the
314th meet its objective.
The 3rd BN rolled into Drocourt on 28
August, 1944, supported by nine tanks.
The 2nd, with armor support, took
residence on the high ground northwest
of Drocourt. Ahead, the remains of the
German 18th Luftwaffe Field Division
(keystone unit of the Paris Defenses)
went back towards Germany, beaten.
At midnight, 28 August, the 79th was transferred to XIX Corps control. The
29 August objective was to take a
sanitarium held by the Germans near Le
Tremblay. Backed up by the 2nd Armored
Division,
the
1st
BN
reached its
section, with the 2nd BN arriving to
the
east
two
hours
later.
The
breakthrough was on, and well ahead of
schedule.
Operations had XIX Corps going east towards the Belgian front on line - the
2nd Armored Division on the left, the 30th Division on the right, with the
79th down the center. On 30 August, the I&R led off with tanks, two platoons
from 3rd BN, a platoon of tank destroyers (TDs), Cannon Company, with 1st and
2nd BNs bringing up the rear. At Henonville, the lead elements of the column
ran into an enemy demolition crew setting off an ammunition dump. They were
dispatched after blowing only one bunker. The march forward was progressing
smoothly and quite fast, driving deeper into eastern France. 31 August found
the troops in the vicinity of Mouy, but the real push to the border began 1
September.
The emphasis of troop movement was on
speed.
The
79th
split
into two
motorized combat teams with the 314th
on the left. Five hours of riding, and
the
column
had
covered
half the
distance
to
the
objective.
They
crossed the Somme, ever wary of ground
resistance and the Luftwaffe, at 0215,
2 September.
next morning, (2 September) a 60
The
mile march with the 2nd BN in the
lead, was fairly uneventful. Shortly
after midnight, the 314th was at its
objective - an assembly area northwest
of St. Armand - two miles from the
Belgian border.
In 72 hours, the 79th Division covered
180
miles
through
enemy-held
territory,
crossed
the
bridgeless
Somme, 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 Division
crossed the Belgian border, becoming the first American division to do so. As
reward, the 314th drew three days of R & R. The added bonus was that the
enemy 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 to
hook up with XV Corps. The 79th had been dispatched to cover the exposed
east flank of Patton's 3rd Army. The Regiment traveled 158 miles to an
assembly area eight miles east of Rheims. The German 19th Army was being
overrun by the United States' 7th Army and was fleeing back towards Germany
through a corridor near Charmes on the Moselle River. On 8 September, the
79th moved in to prepare positions to shut down the escape route on the left
flank of the Corps section.
The 2nd and 3rd BNs had worked to set up
road blocks on the Cirey-sur-Blaise-Vignory
line when orders were sent on 10 September for the 79th to move east and secure the
west bank of the Moselle, between Charmes
and 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 at
bay in Neufchateau, Poussay and Mirecort. At 1915, the 1st BN disembarked
just outside the town limits, and went on foot into Socourt. The advancing
elements received some small arms fire as patrols moved down the canal to
the city. They were pushed back. 2nd BN buttoned down on "Hill 376" outside
of Socourt, and 3rd on the opposite end, kept eyes out on the road between
Socourt and Gripport. The 314th Regiment had advanced across the front of the
entire German 16th Infantry Division (deployed from Neufchateau to the
Moselle) and was unaware they did so.
While awaiting the consolidation of the column (313th was fighting to clear
Poussay), on 12 September, Regimental HQ sent I&R and L/Co out to secure the
southern approaches into Charmes (which were secured at 1800.) 1st BN, with
tank support, was coming into Charmes from the north. After six hours of
fighting, and tank and artillery rounds, 1st had the heart of the town.
Charmes is divided into half by the
Moselle
River,
and
as
the
battalions met up at the bridge,
the Germans blew it up. After
exploring, the 1st BN found a ford roughly 800 yards north of town,
regrouped, and crossed at 1930. 2nd
BN moved down to take over 3rd's
position
at
the
roadblock
to
Gripport.
Crossing the Moselle River
By 0925, 13 September, the 1st BN
had cleared the balance of Charmes
with little resistance. 3rd BN set
up south of the city and 1st
patrolled the eastern bank of the
Moselle.
The City of Charmes
In taking the city of Charmes, the
314th also captured an airplane motor
repair company, 350 airplane motors,
one 88-mm gun, two 75-mm guns and a
20-mm AA gun.
Crossing the Moselle
For
two
days,
the
314th
patrolled
Charmes while awaiting the remainder of
the Division to catch up. After the
313th and 315th secured Poussay and
Neufchateau
respectively,
the
two
regiments closed into Charmes on 15
September. Word on an enemy uprising
near the French-held sector reached the
unit in Charmes on 16 September.
Ten German tanks accompanied the force,
but it reached no further than Chatel.
Rumors of a counter-offensive were so
rampant that the 314th planned to move
out. But only four tanks appeared, and
they were dealt with swiftly by the
773rd Tank Destroyer BN.
On 18 September, 1944, Bing Crosby showed up in Charmes,
and the entire Division gathered in the airplane factory to hear him perform. During the show, the 314th went on
alert to move out ASAP.
The 106th Cavalry patrols had spotted 15 German tanks and an infantry column
stretching over a mile in length moving through Vallois to Gerberville. The
79th was dispatched to cover the west bank of the Mortagne between Luneville
and Gerberville by midnight. The 313th and 315th Regiments drew the trucks
for a run to Lamath while the 314th had to march its way to Haudonville. The
314th made it to Moriviller in three hours, but reports of enemy activity
near Gerberville stopped them until dawn.
By 1000, 19 September, the 1st and 3rd BNs
had Haudonville secured. Past Haudonville,
the next objective was Marainviller on the
Vezouse. To get there, the Division had to
cross two hazardous rivers - the first,
Mortagne at Haudonville. After building a
ford, hampered by a soft riverbed and
withstanding sporadic enemy attacks, the
Division was ready to cross at 2000.
Darkness forestalled until the next day. The
advance had to wait.
At dawn, 20 September, 1st BN
moved out to secure Gerberville.
Meeting slight resistance, they
secured at 0745. At 1015, the
314th
moved
out
towards
Fraimbois and Marainviller - 3rd
BN leading, 2nd BN center, and
the 1st BN bringing up the rear. The move to Fraimbois was
peaceful,
but
Division
HQ
reported troops in the woods on
both sides. 3rd BN was ordered
to hold in town while the 2nd
advanced to take over the lead,
and the 1st moved northwest to
its position.
To the right wooded area of 3rd BNs position, patrols found a cache of
German weaponry and vehicles. Seemingly abandoned, the enemy could not get
them across the river in time to outrun the Division's advance. 2nd BN
established road blocks northeast and southeast of town, and 3rd BN moved up
to a position overlooking the Meurthe River...what was to be the site of the
Division's bloodiest victory.
Crossing the Meurthe River
Below the 3rd BN position lay what was seen as the overwhelming task of
crossing the Meurthe River. It moved too fast to build a solid ford, the
banks 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 buildings
in site were a group of barns located on the enemy side, several hundred
yards from the bridge. At 1630, 20 September, TD's rolled into place on the
ridge line. K/Co dispatched a six-man patrol to check out the bridge. They
got to within 80 yards of the river when they were driven back by a German
machine gunner. Regrouped, K/Co sent out a platoon of infantry along with a
platoon of the 749th tanks to force the bridge, but the enemy force proved
too great and they were forced back again. This left the 3rd BN holding on
the ridge, 2nd at the outskirts of Fraimbois, and 1st BN in reserve between
Gerberville and Fraimbois. The 313th and 315th Regiments were further north
near Luneville looking for an alternative corridor. That night, the Germans
blew the bridge.
At 0600, 21 September, 3rd BN slid down the bluffs and moved toward the
river on the flat lands. K and L/Companies made it to the river, but the
L/Co area was too mucky for tank support. Both companies made it to the
riverbanks with no opposition. L/Co sent a small patrol across and back
successfully, but when a larger force was deployed, eight enemy guns fired
from the barns on the eastern bank driving them back for cover. K/Co had
better 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 to
regroup. 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-minute
artillery barrage. K and L/Companies moved out to take the St. Clement-Moncel
highway. K/Co reached the objective, but L/Co got pinned down on the west
bank by machine gunners firing from the farm area stronghold. Finally, two
tanks managed to wade through the marshy area to L/Company's position. With
the tanks leading the assault, they ran 27 enemy out of the barns. Another
stalemate ensued as German anti-tank fire halted the infantry advance. I/Co
regrouped to attack past the highway to the railroad tracks. The Company
destroyed five enemy machine gun nests, clearing the highway. F/Co was sent
to cover I/Company's rear after reports of enemy tank sightings. The Regiment
had it's objective, and the engineers were sent in to build a bridge
overnight.
At 0430, 23 September, the bridge was completed. Anti-tank units were the
first to cross and the day was spent moving the troops around to further
secure the area. Patrols reported little resistance, and what was left was
dealt with by mortar and artillery fire. At 1600, elements of the 314th met
up with the 313th's southward advance. The enemy was fleeing, but the 314th's
positions were too haphazard to allow pursuit. Once the dust had settled, the
79th Division, 314th Regiment had lost the equivalent in casualties to onequarter of a battalion - most occurring in the 3rd BN's ranks. The 3rd BN
received a Presidential Unit Citation for its part in the Meurthe River
battle.
The Foret de Parroy
On 24 September, Marainviller was
secured and A/Co held guard while the
rest of the 1st BN patrolled the edge
of the Foret de Mondon, along the
Fraimbois-Marainviller road.
They passed discarded equipment left
by the 2nd Cavalry, for they had run out of gas: six light tanks, three
assault guns, and several Jeeps. This
had occurred earlier in September when
the Germans were so disorganized they
were still on the other side of the
Siegfried Line. Then, the troops could
drive
across
the
Meurthe without
drawing fire.
An A/Co platoon crossed the bridge at
Marainviller over the Vesouze River on
25 September to check out the outer
edges of the Foret de Parroy. The
patrol was cut short by enemy small
arm and mortar fire. Intelligence
reports showed the forest was held in
strength, so the 314th was ordered to
remain
south
of
the
Vesouze and
continue patrolling.
1st BN worked the expanse of the river
trying to find a crossing point. A
patrol near town drew fire, as well
as one east of the city. All along,
artillery was being poured on the city
itself.
Field orders for the next attack came
down from Division on 26 September: XV
Corps was to clear the Foret de
Parroy. The 79th on the left, the 2nd
French Armored on the right.
Prefacing this advance was a bomber run out of XIX TAC. 79th's battle plan
had the 313th and 315th on the northeast drive with the 314th in reserve at
Foret de Mondon preparing to cross the Vesouze at one of three points:
Chanteheux, Croismare of Marainviller. The attack was set to begin on 27
September, but weather delayed the bombers.
On 28 September, a 75-minute bombing assault took place with minimal effect
to the enemy. The bulk of the German troops in Foret de Parroy were veterans
of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, and had seen combat - complete with
dive bombing runs - in Sicily and Italy. Two hours after the bombs were
away, 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 29
September, the Regiment sent several patrols out scouting, and after a
Divisional CP meeting, the 314th received orders to move out across Croismare
and join the 313th and 315th in the fight. The timing of the 314th's advance
was directly relational to the progress of the other two regiments. Word came
in that the troops were meeting with harsh counter-attacks for every advance
they made, so the 314th's jump-off was postponed until 1 October.
The battalions were deployed at 0615, 1 October, into merciless warfare. The
313th and 315th had moved about one-third of the way eastward into the Foret
de Parroy. They were facing the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, and the 113th
Panzer Brigade supplied by a constant stream of reinforcements, tanks and
assault guns. Mark IV tanks were everywhere.
The
314th,
after
45
minutes
of
artillery, gained ground fast. G and
F/Companies reached the forest in an
hour with E/Co close behind facing
heavy return fire brought on my the
314th's artillery barrage. Croismare
and
Marainviller
were
under
heavy
shelling as the 3rd BN started across
the Vesouze.
Ahead, the 2nd BN, after losing one
tank and capturing 16 POWs, stopped at
1200 to allow 3rd BN to catch up to
their
position.
By
1430,
the
battalions
had
regrouped,
and met
little resistance moving forward. They
set up camp for the night holding a
line 1800 yards from Parroy. The 314th
established contact with the 313th on
its left.
In Marainviller, the 1st BN
was relieved by the 313th's
1st BN, who had been in Corps
reserves. B and C/Co was sent
across the river to positions
on the Regiment's right. This
location
was
the
southern
portion of Parroy, called Les
Grands
Bois.
An
Anti-Tank
Company held road blocks at
Beaulieu Farms.
Artillery fell all night on
the
314th's
position,
and
trees
were
exploding
everywhere from the bursts and
mortar
fire.
At
0800,
2
October, the Regiment attacked
again.
3rd
BN
made
its
objective through the woods
to a clearing on the western
edge.
K and L/Companies attempted patrols into the open area, but enemy fire drove
them back. 2nd BN moved out to the left to cover the retreating and hard hit
313th position, but as it neared its objective, German machine gun fire
stalled the advance. E and G/Companies attempted to advance beyond the
313th's line, but had to turn back to reorganize. The cornerstone of the
German defenses in Foret de Parroy was the main supply crossroads on the
Regimental boundary line. 3rd BN, leaving a small group in the western
clearing, 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's
position to shore up a gap which had opened between the 313th and 315th's
sectors.
At 0615, 3 October, 2nd BNs E and F/Companies advanced up the ridge line to
take out the enemy pocket blocking the 313th. Further on, contact was made
with the 315th Regiment. Moving eastward, the companies caught the enemy off
guard, and had the position by 0800, with 17 POWs captured. The two
companies, with the 315th, moved ahead again along the boundary road until
stopped 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 a
loose group of German infantry. On the 3rd BN's right flank, 1st BN's B/Co
had regrouped with K/Co. At 0900, German infantry, supported by tanks, moved
back 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 and
G/Companies were on the objective with E/Co just 150 yards short. The tanks
set up a blockade to the right of the position, and settled in for the
night. More artillery tree bursts went on all throughout the night. Tree
bursts occur when artillery shells are fused to explode super-quick. The
shells hit tree tops and explode there, showering everything below with
schrapnel and wood splinters.
The attack for the crossroads was set to go off a 0700, 4 October. As the
companies prepared to deploy, four Mark IV tanks and a company of German
Infantry moved to 2nd BNs front. Two tanks were at E/Company's line, and one
was hit with a bazooka shot at five yards.
The others slammed into the battalion's
area, with E and G/Companies taking
heavy casualties. As soon as the U.S.
tanks started their engines, the enemy
opened fire with a hard concentration
of
mortars.
Before
2nd
BN could
reorganize, an enemy counter-attack
drove into the sector between E and
G/Co, and knocked a hole in the line.
2nd's HQ, along with the heavy weapons
from H/Co, was thrown into battle and
helped close the gap. By 1700, the
major fighting had stopped, but there
was a huge sag in the 2nd BN line.
A/Co
sent
over
a
platoon
of
reinforcements for a secondary defense
later than night. The other battalions
remained in position.
US Mortar crews
preparing to fire.
The order for 5 October told the 314th to hold fast while the 315th moved
around to the left to outflank the crossroads defenses. At 1300, the 2nd BN
let 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 out
patrols for spots to park tanks and TDs (tank destroyers) for the upcoming
attack. German artillery filled the air almost constant. Rumor had it that
the Foret de Parroy was Hitler's favorite forest - where he himself had
fought in World War One - and he had ordered it held at all costs. A
captured German Colonel was overheard saying that "...the Americans hadn't
taken the forest in the last war, and this one would end with them still
trying."
Late 8 October, the 314th received orders to resume the attack. German forces
had counter-attacked again on the 2nd and 3rd BNs positions, but the 314th
held them off until they withdrew.
At 0650, 9 October, E and G/Companies moved out with F/Co looping around to
the right to take the main feed road behind the German position from the
other direction. At approximately 0800, E/Co ran into a dug in German
infantry position supported by tanks on the west side of the crossroads. G/Co
moved 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 no
resistance. They discovered a house full of wounded Germans on the opposite
side. At 1530, the crossroads was secured.
With its capture of the crossroads by the 2nd BN, the German's hope of
holding Foret de Parroy was shattered. A weary and exhausted 2nd BN pulled
out to rejoin the rest of the 314th Regiment, leaving the pursuit of the
fleeing 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 a
perimeter facing Marianviller. 3rd BN moved east of 1st's position 1000
yards, but ran into anti-personnel mines and suffered heavy casualties. On 11
October, 2nd BN moved to within Croismare, and the other battalions - facing
no resistance - deployed on the line north or Manonviller to Foret de
Manonviller. The Regimental orders were keep contact tabs on the Germans.
3rd BN moved forward a few hundred
yards on 12 October, and the 1st moved
about one-half mile to the section
called Les Quatres Mamelons. On 13
October, the 314th was alerted to move
out on the attack again - H-Hour,
1300. The left line was the railroad
from Marainviller to Avricourt. The
3rd BN took the left along the ridge
line while the 1st BN took right
flank. 2nd BN remained in reserve.
1st and 3rd moved out, accompanied by
a super-sized company of tankers from
the 749th, and a company of the
773rd's TDs. At roughly 1600, I, L and
K/Companies encountered some sporadic
arms fire, but by nightfall all was
secure. 1st BN tied in with patrols
from
the
315th
Regiment
to
its
southern flank. The weather conditions
were horrid; cold winter rain, and
sleep only came at the point of
exhaustion.
Sign: 'You are leaving the
American Sector'
Early 14 October, 3rd BN was sent an
order to bypass the railroad station
strong point, and drive to the objective:
the ridge line. I/Co was shut down by
machine gun fire coming from an entrenched
enemy. The advance was further stalled by
mines, booby traps and barbed wire.
Mine detection crew
broke through the obstacles, and the
Tanks
Infantry was underway again. By 1650, I,
L, and K/Companies established a line past
the railroad station moving south to 1st
BN's position. A German patrol had passed
within 100 yards of the CP, and were
eventually caught by M/Co troops. 2nd BNs
G/Co was used to plug the gap between 1st
and 3rd's positions, but the rest of 2nd
BN remained in reserve.
The 314th was ordered to "dig in" - fortifying
the positions on 15 October. G/Co moved up to
fill out the thin line and managed to capture an entire German platoon. Patrols brought back
the news that a full regiment of the 15th
Panzergrenadier Division awaited ahead.
At 0330, 16 October, the Germans sent a small task force consisting of two
companies of infantry and twelve tanks forward into G/Companies line. After
resisting for nearly two hours, the Company finally fell back. F/Co, coming
up from reserve, counter-attacked at dawn with tank support, and captured 45
POWs. 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 this
time had almost a battalion strength of troops and nine tanks. G/Co had to
scatter. 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, and
later that day when E/Co moved forward to relieve G/Co, they captured 49
more 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 in
combat and needed a rest. But before they got it, one more objective came
down from Regimental HQ. Take ground at Bois le Remabois.
The movement was going to be a little
difficult.
It
would
require
a
"wheeling maneuver" because the left
sector was too far away to implement
a full-scale attack scenario. On the
evening of 19 October, the 114th
Regiment of the 44th Division took
over 1st BNs position on the extreme
right so the 1st could move over
2500 yards southeast of the railroad
station.
From this point, the 1st BN was to
time its advance to coincide with the
3rd BN reaching Le Remabois, and
continue up the tracks. 3rd BN, after
taking Le Remabois, would keep moving
to the central objective - Bois le
Remabois. 2nd BN, leaving E/Co to
guard the southern position, would
follow up behind 3rd BN setting up
defenses.
L/Co spent 20 October clearing a section of the woods to be used as the
launch area. The remaining 314th Regiment stayed in position. H-Hour, 21
October was scheduled for 0635, but it was delayed for one-half hour to
allow for the tanks to arrive. The rainy and cold conditions had slowed
their advance. In less than two hours, L/Co, the spearhead, along with I and
K/Companies were inside the Bois le Remabois. There was brief mortar and
small arms fire, but by 1300, the objective was taken with 2nd BN filling
the line. To the north, 1st BN began its attack, and lost two tanks almost
immediately. A/Co, on point, kept moving forward and was on its objective by
1145.
The ground was peppered with trenches and
still in place from World War One,
pillboxes
and the 1st BN gathered in them, grateful for
the shelter from enemy mortar fire.
1st BN patrols spotted some enemy troops and tanks, and artillery fire
dispatched them quickly. The only real enemy attack came around 1200, 22
October, as a small German patrol came through a hole between the I and L/Co
line. A C/Co platoon quickly sealed off the gap.
In the afternoon of 23 October, the 314th's 2nd and
their counterparts from the 44th Division's 71st
314th's officers and enlisted were left behind for a
remainder of the battalions wasted little time
temporarily attached to the 315th Regiment, and it
1944.
3rd BNs were relieved by
Infantry. A few of the
day as advisors, but the
in leaving. 1st BN was
was relieved 24 October,
The 314th Regiment had been withdrawn from combat after 127 days.
Luneville, the Saverne Gap, Fremonville, and Hattigny
The much deserved break at Luneville
gave the 314th men hot meals, clean
clothes, a place to sleep with an actual
roof, and a meal or drink from a cafe or
two
still
opened
for
business. The
billets were located in a series of old
buildings
left
virtually
factory
untouched by the Germans.
There were replacement troops brought
in, and they acclimated quickly under
the
training
and
drilling
from the
seasoned veterans.
After USO shows, movies, company
parties and so on, came 30 October.
This date marked the beginning of a
planned two-week training schedule.
It lasted one day.
The first alert arrived. An order
was issued to move the 314th out to
Baccarat to stand reserve for the
2nd French Armored Division. After three
days
of
waiting,
on
4
November, the 314th was taken off
the alert.
On 5 November, the entire 79th
Division received orders to prepare
for a move to Benamenil in the 2nd
French Armored's sector four miles
east.
Recon patrols were sent out,
and
on
9
November, field
orders came down. Take the
Saverne Gap in the Vosges
Mountains.
The
Vosges were
heavily
defended
by
the
Germans who were spread out,
staggered, in the old World
War One pillboxes and machine
gun strong points.
The positions were dotted along the
mountainside,
instead
of
uniformly
deployed at the ridge line. The 7th
Army's plans were the smash the line
wide open and beat the German defenses
to the Saverne Gap to take the city of
Strasbourg. XV Corps - the 44th on the left, the 79th on the right, with the
2nd French Armored closing in behind,
were dispatched to Sarrebourg on the
western side of the Vosges. The 79th's
zone ran from Ancerviller to Nitting,
five miles northeast of Hattigny.
Aerial view - Strasbourg
The 314th's first objective
lay
north
of
Harbouey,
northeast
of
Ancerviller.
Under
cover
of
darkness
with silence and secrecy stressed, on 12 November,
the
314th
moved
to
the
assault
assembly
area
southwest of Montigny.
Troops in the terrain located in the
Vosges Mountains
The situation map showed eleven high point objectives (designated numerically
and by terrain markings) along the line between the 314th and 315th
positions. Once these eleven points were taken, the 2nd French Armored could
roll 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 sweeping
ridge. 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 were
pulled off the line at night and billeted. The rainy conditions turned to
snow early 13 November, and the assault troops' stealth paid off as they
took Point 1 by 0815. Point 2 wasn't as easy. The troops in B/Co dodged
artillery and mortar rounds, as well as anti-tank fire losing one of their
support tanks, and eventually had to retreat and regroup. B/Co lost 47 men in
the failed advance. The 2nd BN advance met little resistance. F/Co, leading
point, took the battalion through the woods, and even though they were hit
with small arms fire along the way, they took both Points 4 and 5 by early
afternoon. 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 two
hours of battle, it was taken. Moving on to secure Points 3 and 3A, 1st BN
caught sporadic artillery fire, but reported success at 1700. L/Co was
brought up to bridge the gap between the 314th and the 315th's positions. The
315th had yet to make their objective of Ancerviller which left the 314th
with 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 battalion
from 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 BN
sent C/Co to 7A and they drew artillery fire. 2nd BN moved forward to
assemble 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 BN
jumped off to take Points 8 and 9. The 2nd BN advanced with the 315th to
Points 10 and 11. By 1530, 15 November, 2nd BN had F and G/Co occupying
Point 10, E/Co at Point 11, and 3rd BNs I/Co held Point 8. The rest of 3rd
secured Point 9. Resistance was minimal, but every move was punctuated with
mortar and artillery. All eleven points were held by the 79th Division.
At 1620, orders from Division called for a patrol to capture the bridge and
crossroads south of Fremonville on the Vesouze River. The same river the
314th had crossed at Marainviller and Croismare on the trek to Foret de
Parroy.
The orders called for the bridge to be taken at night. The Regiment was to
follow the patrols to Fremonville and send a force over to secure Barbas. 1st
BN was given the Barbas assignment, while 2nd and 3rd took the Fremonville
assault. As the plans were being drawn, the CP was being showered by German
artillery. Orders were modified as a patrol reported that Fremonville's
bridgehead was intact and defended by a squad of German infantry. The attack
was reschedule for the next morning.
At 0840, 16 November, the 2nd BN moved out headed to Fremonville. E/Co took
immediate small arms fire and artillery, halting them fast - while G/Co
faced artillery coming in from German positions southeast of Blamont. 1st BN
headed into the woods south of Barbas, with C/Co on point, and captured 25
Germans at an outpost along the path.
Entering Barbas, there were German
tanks and infantry held up there, and
a squad worked its way house-to-house
throughout
the
town.
These
troops
witnessed four tanks and some 300
German infantry leaving Barbas by the
back road to Blamont. B/Co remained in
Barbas, while A and C/Companies moved
to a position south of Blamont on a
ridge line.
By
that
night,
3rd
BN
was located
between Points 10 and 11 - near the
main road to Blamont, and 2nd BN a
little north of Point 11. 2nd sent out
a patrol to the Fremonville bridge,
but it was turned back by small arms
fire coming from the woods past Point
11.
A second patrol was dispatched to find an alternate route around the right
side of the woods, but reported back that Germans were on both banks of the
Vesouze. 1st BN spent the night lobbing grenades back and forth with the
German troops until the enemy got tired of it. 3rd BN was patrolling the
woods 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 were
receiving fire from both sides and were quickly pinned down. 2nd BN was
supposed to be on the right flank, but had hit heavy resistance along the
way. Only E/Co had advanced to the 3rd BNs position. At 0900 in the 1st BN
area, the Germans attacked with one tank and squads of infantry to recon
A/Company's position. The tank was taken out by a bazooka blast and the
ground troops retreated. By the end of the day, 3rd BN and 2nd's E/Co only
gained a few hundred yards. The remainder of 2nd BN attempted to advance to
3rd's location, but German artillery held them back.
Early 18 November, the 1st BN withdrew to an assembly area near Halloville
after being relieved by the 313th's 2nd BN. At 0700, the 3rd BN moved
quickly through the woods, and sent I/Co across an old wooden bridge west of
the 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
been
blown by the Germans
during the night. The
troops waded across the
river forced to leave
the
armor
behind.
Another
300
yards
through
challenging
enemy
fire
lay
Fremonville.
Almost
the
entire
Company
had
been
stalled
in
the
crossing, but one 12man patrol pushed on.
They
finally
reached
the main road at 1700.
The remainder of the
Company moved forward
slowly,
dodging
two Mark IV tanks and enemy
infantry on the western
side of town. As I/Co
moved
up
to
the
railroad
tracks
southwest
of
Fremonville,
the
Germans threw all they
had at the advancing
troops. With no one to
support them, I/Co fell
back across the river.
By
nightfall,
E/Co
moved
into
western
Fremonville to secure
the
area
around
the
railroad station, and
G/Co followed to hold
the remainder of the
western
section
of
town.
By 1100, 10 November, 2nd BN had removed most of the threat of enemy fire
from Fremonville. 1st BN made contact with the 313th at their objectives, and
finding no enemy, regrouped for the march four miles to Richeval. The 1st BN
and the I&R Platoon took point. The breakthrough to Alsace had begun. The
column reached Richeval without incident and swung east to Hattigny.
A/Co topped a hill a half-mile
beyond
the
town,
and
was
peppered with mortar fire. A/Co
was ordered to engage as cover
for the advancing column. They
faced an enemy with no cover as
the had none, so it was a small
arms
battle.
Behind
the
diversion
A/Co
created
by
engaging the German infantry, B
and C/Companies moved across the field to Hattigny.
The Germans held on to Hattigny
until
after
midnight,
then
torched
the
town
in
their
retreat. The German's Vesouze
line
had
been
shattered
at
Fremonville, and the withdrawal
to the Vosges was fast becoming
a rout.
The Vosges Mountains and Alsace
The 314th moved out of smoldering
Hattigny the morning of 20 November,
following the 2nd French Armored
Division
spearhead.
The
combat
situation at the time depended on the
French's armor to deter any German
counter-attack. The first resistance
was met at La Neueville-les-Lorquin,
four miles northeast of Hattigny on
the road to Sarrebourg.
3rd BN took 20 POWs, then ran into
more enemy troops south of Nitting.
The Germans had blown the bridge and
the troops had to wade across the
river
under
heavy
fire.
That
evening, the 2nd and 3rd BNs camped
in the town of Nitting after it was
cleared of enemy, and 1st bunked at
La Neueville-les-Lorquin.
Units of the 2nd French
Armored Division
On 21 November, 2nd BN relieved the
3rd in the lead off position, and
had delays crossing its tanks and
armor across the river; a problem
they had faced quite often along
this advance.
Rhine-Marne Canal (Saverne)
At the Rhine-Marne Canal, the column
halted again to allow engineers to
check the bridges for explosives. By
nightfall, the 2nd reached St. JeanKourtzerode, the 1st, La Pote de
Homarting, and the 3rd BN in the
town of Homarting. This concluded a
thirteen-mile advance.
The bulk of 22 November found the Regiment sitting tight while the I&R men
moved out to make contact with the 2nd French Armored. The French Armored
Division was already at the approach to Phalsbourg - the gateway to the
Saverne Gap. 1st BN moved A and D/Companies to relieve the French party at
Middlebron. The action was at the Belfort Gap, and that night, reports came
in that the French had poked through the German defenses there. The 2nd
French Armored moved in north behind the Vosges to attack the Saverne
defenses from the rear, and it forced the Germans to flee Phalsbourg.
Thanksgiving Day, 23 November, 1944 found the 314th underway to an assembly
area at the eastern end of the pass near Saverne. Past the Vosges, Alsace
stretched eastward to the Rhine River. At midnight, orders were sent to the
79th Division to move out to Brumath to hook up with the 44th Division in
the 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 2nd
in the rear. Weyersheim was sixteen miles away. They encountered no ground
troops, 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, 2nd
BN outside Hoerdt, and the 1st BN in reserve.
Safe billets became more important from a
security standpoint because it was rumored
the 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 BN
stumbled into enemy forces who had strayed
from their units due to the breakthrough at
the Saverne. The cannoneers held fast, and
the next morning, 2nd BN policed up 130
POWs from the Bois.
Motorized patrols were sent to scout the towns southeast of the line. The
day of 25 November passed in relative quiet, and that night orders were sent
for the 314th to move out north to set up a defense from Weitbruch to
Kurtzenhausen. The new objective needed to be established by nightfall 26
November. The 314th arrived at 1400, with the 1st BN patrolling around
Weitbruch, 3rd BN had the main line of resistance around Gries, and the 2nd
BN spread out: F/Co in Weyersheim tied into a 3rd BN patrol outpost at
Kurtzenhausen, with the rest in reserve at Regimental HQ in Geudertheim.
German artillery began again, and reports had a considerable enemy presence
in the Haguenau / Bischwiller area. The Luftwaffe, back to operational
strength, flew 52 sorties over the Division on 26 November. The 463rd AA BN
scored four kills.
On 27 November, the Division was ordered to move out to the south bank of
the Moder River. This river flowed through the northeast edge of both
Haguenau and Bischwiller. The 315th was sent forward on the left, and the
314th
was
assigned
to
take
the
towns
of
Niederschaeffolsheim and
Schweighausen. They were to also set up road blocks from the southwest
leading to Haguenau. 1st BN, accompanied by a platoon from the 749th medium
tankers, was sent to establish the road block. 2nd, with another tank
platoon, was sent behind 1st BN to approach Niederschaeffolsheim from the
northeast, and to be ready to drive on to Harthausen. 3rd BN, still in
reserve, stood pat over its blockades in Gries and Kurtzenhausen.
H-Hour was set for noon, 28 November, but
the tank platoons were late in arriving.
A/Co moved out and arrived in Birckwald
at 1400. A smattering of enemy small
arms fire was the only resistance met. By
dark, A and B/Companies were posted near
Birckwald, and C/Co, along with the
entire 2nd BN, were holding Weitbruch.
0730, 29 November, 2nd BN headed for
Niederschaeffolsheim, and C/Co was sent
to
man
the
road
blocks
leading to
Haguenau. The 2nd BN met the first
objective, and at 1245 began a drive for
Harthausen. Enemy artillery and ground
fire met the 2nd en route, but they took
possession of the town by the afternoon.
B/Co had joined C/Co on the blockade route, now moving forward to the
Haguenau-Harthausen road, when they met two German tanks and 50 or so
infantry armed with machine guns. The surprise attack exacted heavy
casualties on the two companies, forcing them to fall back 400 yards south
to regroup. Fifty-six men were lost in C/Co alone in the two days (28-29
November). Late the night of 29 November, a change in direction was
necessitated to send the 314th head on into Haguenau.
On 30 November, at 0800, the 1st BN moved out, supported by all the tank
destroyers, anti-tank guns and 50-caliber machine guns that were assigned to
the 1st and 2nd BNs. Progress was still slow, and by 1045, the battalion had
reached its objective of the Haguenau-Niederschaeffolsheim road blockade. 3rd
BNs orders changed to recommit ahead of 1st BNs position to take 1st's next
objective. The 2nd BN had advanced to the road leading north to Schweighausen
when it came under heavy fire. E/Co made it across, but G/Co took the brunt
of the attack, and the whole left flank was rolled back. 3rd BN had almost
reached the objective at the Harthausen-Niederschaeffolsheim crossroad, with
K/Co on point, when German fire attacked from three sides. 3rd pulled back
and called in counter artillery fire. 3rd regrouped, and K/Co crossed the
junction first. By the evening of 30 November, the 314th held a line around
the woods overlooking Haguenau.
Haguenau
As of 1 December, the 79th Division still fell under the control of VX
Corps, 7th U.S. Army. The 44th Division had been replaced by the 45th
Division "Thunderbirds" from the brutal Italian campaigns. The 44th remained
in the Vosges guarding the Saverne. The next stop for the 314th Regiment was
Haguenau.
At 0800, 1 December, 2nd BN was dispatched in a limited offensive to secure
Meyershollam Farm located just forward the Regimental line. Some small arms
fire erupted from the buildings, but the farm was taken by 0940. F/Co
advanced, but took a beating from 20-mm flak guns cutting the road from
Haguenau to Winterhausen. E and G/Companies followed, securing positions in
the woods beyond at 1230. To the right, 1st BNs A/Co sent a patrol to a
walled farm at Walk Chateau, and drew some fire. The patrol regrouped and
held the area, tying into the 3rd BN position; holding a line to the right
of the 1st BN in the woods overlooking a pasture. Everyone buttoned up for
the night.
The next day, 2 December, the 1st and 3rd
BNs held their positions, with A/Co
facing
one
counter-attack
at
Walk
Chateau,
but
the
2nd
BN
had some
organizational problems and needed to
straighten their line. F/Co moved onehalf mile to a quarry on the battalion's
left. They faced arms fire and mortar
from
a
waiting
enemy,
but advanced
through it to put the 2nd BN back in
alignment.
At this stage, the troops dug in to wait
out orders and battle plans, sending out
patrols
and
covering
up
when
the
artillery flew. From 3 December to 7
December, they waited. On 5 December, the
79th Division transferred over to VI
Corps to form one flank of the new Corps
defensive
to
breach
the
Siegfried
defenses.
German troops prepare
anti-tank fire.
On 7 December, the first details of the plan
came in: the 79th was to move out on the
right, 103rd Division center, and the 45th
on the left. The newly-deployed 14th Armored
Division waited for word of a break in the
line to advance. The 79th Division's line of
attack would take them through Bischwiller
and Seltz, destroying the bridges crossing
the Rhine. The 314th's immediate objective
was Haguenau and the Foret de Haguenau where
enemy ammunition dumps were located. Beyond
the Foret de Haguenau lay the fortifications
of Hitler's infamous "Westwall."
The attack zone had the 314th headed to
Haguenau,
the
313th
moving
north
to
Bischwiller, and the 315th leading off to
take Kaltenhaus - all supporting the other's
attacks if necessary.
On 8 December, the battalions special unit
commanders met at the Regimental CP in
Niederschaeffolsheim
to
coordinate.
The
315th was to lead off the attack at 0645, 9
December, while the 314th activated at 0715
laying fire to thwart a German attack to the
left.
City of Haguenau
On the afternoon of 8 December, the 315th moved into
position on the right flank. That night, 314th's 2nd
BN pushed up a few hundred yards, but could get no
further. Patrols reported heavy enemy activity, and
the 314th jump off time was pushed back until 1400 the
next day. The 313th and 315th moved out as originally
planned.
Early 9 December, B/Co sent out patrols, but they were
stopped by enemy fire just beyond Walk Chateau. B/Co
attempted, along with the 315th's 3rd BN, to align
with the A and C/Co positions at Walk Chateau. 2nd BN was facing heavy resistance, but was able to insert
G/Co along with F/Co at its quarry position. By
nightfall, 2nd BN was still well behind the time
table. 3rd BN faced heavy fire, but was able to reach
the southwest edge of Haguenau before dark. I/Co
patrolled the woods and captured 25 POWs. 1st BN was
situated on 3rd's right flank. 1st BNs A/Co was now
sharing the position with 3rd BN on the edge of town.
2nd BN, seeing more resistance than the others, sent
E/Co over to Walk Chateau to guard the Regiment's
right flank, and went into reserve.
Germans had moved back into the 3rd BNs
zone on early 10 December, and the jump
off was delayed by one hour to deal
with the threat.
The advance into Haguenau had A/Co on
the right, L/Co in the center, and K/Co
holding the left. It was slow going as
units worked house-to-house, all
the
the while dodging mortar rounds. As the
advance came up to Haguenau proper, the
progress was halted because a crossing
bridge over a deep railroad track had
been blown.
German defenses were only 50 yards
away, and were secured in reinforced
positions in the houses.
The companies moved to a three-story
building beside the railroad tracks to
regroup and plan. E/Co sent out a patrol
to the tracks east of Haguenau to gauge
crossing the 2nd BN there. They made it
to within 30 yards of the tracks when it
was attacked. They retreated. A second
patrol sent out at midnight was also
heavily fired upon. With the bridges
out, armored support was out, and any
attack fire was returned in kind by the
Germans.
At 0500, 11 December, 2nd BN, coming out of reserve, swept around to the right.
By 0825, they were at the tracks due
north - close enough to see A/Co and the
3rd
BN
crossing
the
deep
tracks.
Miraculously, the Germans had withdrawn
sometime during the night.
The units closed in on Haguenau, and had
road blocks in place north and east by
1400. The townspeople were gracious and
surprisingly pro-Allied. The engineers
set about repairing the bridges so the
armor
and
the
other
vehicles could
cross.
The next stop was to be Soufflenheim, eight miles east through the Foret de
Haguenau. 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. They
discovered the bridge west of Soufflenheim mined, but whole. The demolition
engineers cleared the explosives, and the 314th reached town at 0830, and
ordered to hold in place and support the 313th Regiment.
The 13 December orders had the 314th moving north through the Foret de
Haguenau to the town of Niederroedern. The assignment was to set the stage to
cross the German border into Scheibenhardt - the edge of the Siegfried Line.
Troops were loaded on any vehicle that moved for a fast-paced mechanized
advance. 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 the
objective town, 2nd BN moved to Leutenheim, the 3rd BN fell back all the way
to Soufflenheim, and the 1st BN, never having began the move, remained there
as well.
With the routes to Niederroedern congested or impassable, the 314th was
ordered to swing out right to Seltz and cross there on the heels of the
313th. The 3rd BN reached Seltz, and the orders changed - again. 2nd BN moved
out to assemble in Wintzenbach, but word reached the Regiment that
Wintzenbach was overcrowded, so 2nd diverted to Schaffhausen. The 1st BN
moved out later, and assembled at Seltz across from the 3rd BN position. The
314th was finally in line - right behind the 313th Regiments' drive north to
Lauterberg.
Riding on tank hulls, the troops got
the first look at Hitler's Germany
across the Rhine. On 15 December,
1st BN assembled in Neewiller, while
2nd
and
3rd
BNs
billeted
in
Wintzenbach awaiting the next battle
plan.
At 0645, 16 December, the 314th was
alerted to prepare for crossing the
Lauter River and move up through the
315th's position near Scheibenhardt.
The approach was a forested area,
and there would be no cheering
townspeople. The 314th prepared to
invade Germany.
Germany...Into the Siegfried Line
As the 314th Regiment moved north from Haguenau, it passed the French Maginot
Line. Thankfully, the forest was void of enemy troops. A few miles ahead,
however, lay the Siegfried Line which was manned heavily. The plan to move
into Germany had the column crossing with 1st BN in the lead, 3rd BN, and 2nd
BN in the rear.
At 0900, word came in of a delay
due to a bridge was repaired on the
main road between Buchelberg and
Lauterberg
to
allow
armor
to
precede
the
ground
troops. The
bridge site came under heavy enemy
fire, so repairs took longer than
anticipated. The move was postponed
until 17 December.
Orders were specified to send the 79th Division north, breach the
Siegfried Line, and capture Kandel
on the other side of the woods. The
attack jumped off at 0700 with the
1st BN moving in two columns; C/Co
going straight up the main road
into Kandel, and A/Co moving up on
the left. After dealing with road
blocks, C/Co reached the crossroads
at 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, the
units moved eastward. B/Co, with two tanks, had been tracking C/Co when they
encountered an enemy defensive position 400 yards east of the road. B and
C/Companies spent the rest of the day observing the enemy. K/Co met
resistance to the left of 1st BNs position. By nightfall, the placement was
following: B and C/Co facing enemy to the right of the main road into
Kandel, 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 I
and L/Co to it's left position. F/Co was north of Scheibenhardt with the
remainder of 2nd BN into town proper. At midnight, K/Co patrols reported an
enemy presence of unknown number left of the 1st BN sector.
At daybreak, 18 December, the 1st BN
reconned their forward area slowly. B
and C/Companies breached an area of
pillboxes, capturing one. Artillery fire
in the area was heavy, and the 1st BN
only succeeded in pushing close to the
Line unable to penetrate, but gained
valuable
intelligence.
Another failed
attempt to gain ground by the 1st BN
took place later in the day. The 313th
Regiment had lost its forward position by a German counter-attack.
On 19 December, the 2nd BN marched a
reconnaissance in force around the left
side of the Line. They met blockades of
felled
trees
across
the
road. E/Co
advanced cleaning out small pockets, but
the enemy fire was relentless. The next
two days were spend sending out patrols
for spots to exploit in the German's
defense of the Line.
2nd BN was called in from its recon run on 23 December, and 3rd BN sent
forward 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 Line
behind the Lauter River. On 24 December, the 314th withdrew to the new
Regimental line - 2nd BN at Lauterberg and Berg, 3rd BN to Scheibenhardt,
the woods beyond and Neewiller. 1st BN established a position on a ridge
between Neewiller and Lauterberg.
Christmas
Eve,
1944,
was
spent
patrolling the German woods. Platoons
were rotated so that the troops got a
chance to warm up and have a meal. The
79th Recon troops reported from the
right flank of the Rhine that the
enemy was laying wire. Numerous enemy
flares were also reported.
On Christmas Day, an I&R platoon along
with the 79th Recon were patrolling
between Lauterberg and north along the
bank of the Rhine. Defenses were
bolstered
by
AT
mines, demolition
preparations for bridges, barbed wire,
TD and tank positions, and overall
ground weapons. The 314th's line of
defense was a little over 9000 yards;
the covering was thin due to support
Infantry Troops crossing the Siegfried Line
troops being pulled and sent to assist
into Germany
in
the
Battle
of
the
Bulge
in
Bastogne.
A quick meal and rest around
the cook fire...
Over the next four days, 26-29 December,
the troops spent the time patrolling and
observing the German troops crossing the
Rhine. Orders came in for the 314th to
move gradullay to a new position six miles
southwest - the old French Maginot Line.
This
new
line
ran
from
just above
Rittershoffen, south through the Foret de
Haguenau, to Koenigsbruck. The Regiment
moved out 30 December.
Enemy
artillery
fell
on
the 314th's
positions throughout the nights of 30 and
31 December, 1944, while the second line
was being established. Patrols were still
being sent out from the original line.
The new year started out badly as enemy
forces pressured the Division's entire
position west into the Vosges Mountains.
Division prepared to withdraw to the
secondary 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 the
Saverne. At 1400, the 1st BN of the 314th was rerouted to swap positions
with 3rd BN/315th. This gave control of the 313th/314th area solely to the
314th Regiment. 3rd BN/313th acted in reserve capacity. Later, at 1820, 1st
BN/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 of
Zinswiller to assist in a battle taking place near Reipertswiller. They had
36 miles to go to meet the DUKWs. The remainder of the 314th was to fall
back to the secondary line.
Since the current line was so thin due to the troops sent to Bastogne, the
decision was made on 2 January to withdraw and shorten the line. AT/Co and
Regimental HQ were to begin the fall back, followed by Cannon Co, the 311th
FA BN, with the infantry units to begin its move at 2000. At 0400, 3
January, the demolitions were to be blown taking out the bridges. A delaying
force consisting of E/Co, a Company each of TDs and tanks, and the I&R
platoon was left in Neewiller to cover the enemy approaches. The withdrawal
was executed without detection. The 2nd BN assembled from the Saltzbach River
(located between Hatten and Buhl) extending 2500 yards to just shy of the
Haguenau 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 near
Kriegsheim. This was later amended for a deeper move back to Walk-Chateau and
the Saverne Pass - the November 1944 objectives. Luckily, at 1430, the orders
were rescinded, and new orders issued held the battalions in their current
locations, and to patrol - quietly.
On 4 January, the 314th's 2nd and 3rd BNs were
notified they were being relieved by the 242nd
Infantry, and to go into temporary reserve. The
2nd BN was to assemble in Schwabwiller, and 3rd
sent to Oberbetschdorf. The 1st BN was now
located six miles north of Zinswiller, roughly
40 miles from its Regiment.
Due to transportation difficulties, the 314th was
not fully relieved until 0700, 5 January. At 1430, the 314th loaded on trucks for a move to
the area of Bischwiller to secure it. German
troops had crossed the Rhine and now occupied
Gambsheim, Herrlsheim, and Offendorf. The order
also outline a planned attack on Rohrwiller,
situated between Bischwiller and Drusenheim.
Patrols spotted prepared enemy positions on the
outskirts of Rohrwiller, but they were not
presently manned.
Rohrwiller and Drusenheim
On 6 January, at 0830, the 2nd BN,
supported by a company of 749th
tanks, moved out to Rohrwiller.
Foggy conditions provided excellent
cover, the objective was met and the
town under 314th's control by 0100.
The attack drive was ordered forward
to take Herrlisheim.
Word reached the 314th elements that
A/Co 232nd Infantry was in trouble
in Drusenheim. 2nd BN was to clear
and secure the town en route to
Herrlisheim. 3rd BN was called from
Bischwiller to Rohrwiller as the 2nd
moved out.
At 1400, G/Co riding on its tank support,
entered the northwest side of Drusenheim.
After meeting up with elements of 232nd's
A/Co, 2nd BN moved its units under small
arms fire across the Moder River bridge to
clear and secure the southern part of town.
Five tanks managed to clear the bridge
before
it
broke
down.
The
tanks then
accompanied F/Co, on point, on the attack
southwest of Herrlisheim. At 1630, as F/Co
reached the outskirts of Drusenheim, it met
light artillery fire.
F/Co attacked the enemy's strong point - a
factory building on the east bank of the
Moder - capturing two officers and 51
enlisted men. The rest of the 2nd BN were in
positions in or around Drusenheim. As the
3rd BN moved up the take over positions in
Rohrwiller, it fell under the heaviest
artillery barrages it had faced to date.
During the night of 6-7 January, the bridge
in Drusenheim was repaired in the midst of
constant enemy fire. I&R and Cannon were
outposting Bischwiller alone, because the
1st BN was still away on the Zinswiller
mission.
The 2nd BN was hit with heavy artillery at dawn, 7 January, and it continued
for an hour. Enemy infantry, estimated at one battalion strength with tank
support, hit F/Company's factory building position. F/Co was ready for them.
The Germans were using the high embankment of the Drusenheim-Herrlisheim road
for cover, and when they broke cover, F/Co and its tanks attacked. After a
quick exchange of fire, the enemy broke off and moved its attack northeast
to 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 was
ordered to move out to the G/Co position, as well. E/Co arrived at
G/Companies position without a problem, but when F/Co began to execute the
move, it fell under heavy fire from artillery positions on the highway
embankment. F/Co was sent back wading across the Moder to the old E/Co
position. As night approached, suspecting an armor attack from the Germans,
G/Co was pulled back across the bridge to man the perimeter along the
southwest 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 the
southern tip of Drusenheim. These positions rarely changed for the next
twelve days.
Early 8 January, the zone of attack switched to the 3rd BN sector with L/Co
assigned the main objective - establish a bridgehead across the Zorm River
near 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 on
L/Company's left flank. As the advance stepped off, Rohrwiller was shelled
hard amassing multiple casualties in K and M/Companies. L/Co escaped the more
harsh shelling and waded the Zorm, establishing the bridgehead. The rubble of
factory buildings provided the only cover, and L/Co held it precarious
position for the next ten days.
Combat Command B, 12th Armored Division, moved through L/Companies bridgehead
and made it to the northern outskirts of Herrlisheim, but the 12th Armored
Division, who was to support the drive, was held up and did not follow in
time, forcing a wholesale withdrawal. I and K/Companies regrouped, reached
the Moder River, and spent the rest of the day thwarting the enemy's
crossing. That night, engineers started repairs on the bridge at L/Company's
position amidst heavy fire which culminated in an infantry attack at 0800, 9
January. L/Co, aided by tanks, broke up the attack, and the bridge was fully
repaired by 1645. At 1840, L/Co faced a second attack. The enemy was
strongly 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
activity
during the night of 9 January,
into the next day, 10 January.
By
nightfall,
however,
it
became evident that an enemy
attack was forming on the 3rd
BN position.
The only artillery available to the units
was the 8-inch shells. They were thrown at
the advancing threat. To take pressure off
the 3rd BN, 2nd BN staged a live-fire
demonstration, and took heavy shelling for
the effort. For once, the Germans had more
artillery at their disposal than the 314th Regiment. The enemy barrages were heavy and
frequent on both Rohrwiller and Drusenheim.
Communications took a constant hit as
wiremen from both battalions and Regimental
HQ were continually on the go making
repairs.
314th Regiment HQ/Co Wiremen courtesy
of J.W. Campbell's personal collection
For the next several days, the situation remained fairly unchanged; 2nd and
3rd BNs held their positions. On January 12, I/Co captured an enemy patrol
of five men which had managed to skirt the L/Co position. I/Co exchanged
assignments with K/Co, sending I/Co to Rohrwiller. The F/Co outpost at the
factory location was hit hard at 0300, 13 January, and they withdrew to a
position at the Bois de Drusenheim. The enemy was slowly increasing its
presence in front of both battalion positions. An enemy tank, firing on the
factory positions, threw about 50 rounds into the church steeple in
Rohrwiller. 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 out
of the area quick.
Drusenheim and Rohrwiller met heavy enemy shelling on 14-15 January, and the
232nd Infantry's A/Co was ordered to leave Drusenheim. A platoon from F/Co
was 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 diversion
to allow the 12th Armored to make its second
attempt on Herrlisheim. The enemy response was a
sustained
shelling
that
left
Drusenheim in
shambles.
At 0200, the 12th Armored went through the L/Co
bridgehead over the Zorm River. It was met with
88-mm gunfire that tallied twelve tanks before
retreat was issued. By 1200, the remains of the
12th Armored attack force had withdrawn through
the L/Co position. L/Co took sustained fire as
well.
Earlier, at 0515, the 1st BN had rejoined the Regiment at the assembly area
at Oberhoffen. Immediately placed on alert, a reported attack came in on the
242nd Infantry position east of the Foret de Haguenau. The report proved
false.
At 0930, 17 January, 1st BN was sent to Schirrhoffen with a platoon of
tanks, and Regimental HQ was set up in Schirrhein. At 1600, A and B/Companies
were released to the 3rd BN 232nd Infantry, and took up a position with K/Co
232nd along the railroad tracks between Sessenheim and Drusenheim. C/Co
committed on the east edge of the Bois de Rountzenheim blocking the road
between Soufflenheim and Rountzenheim. Division ordered another company be
sent to the 1st BN, so I/Co was immediately transported from Rohrwiller to
1st BNs command. I/Company's position in Rohrwiller was taken over by 3rd BN
HQ and M/Co. During the move, I/Co caught heavy fire and suffered nine
casualties. The 232nd's K/Co lost its lines under heavy attack at the
railroad tracks, on 18 January. A, B, and D/Companies also fell back under
orders from the 232nd Infantry's command to the Bois de Soufflenheim. The 1st
BN from the 410th Infantry attempted to restore the line, but failed due to
darkness.
The 1st BN companies of the 314th remained in their positions along the
woods of Soufflenheim. Meanwhile, enemy elements had slipped through into the
southwest sector of Rohrwiller overnight. Small arms fire was everywhere, and
the 3rd BN units were issued an order: remain stationary in position, and
shoot anything that moves. In Bischwiller, the main Bischwiller-Rohrwiller
road was heavily mined by a crew from the AT Company. Around midnight, the
firing in Rohrwiller died down, and as the 3rd BN troops were calming
somewhat, the town received a concentrated shelling. The ironic orders were
to "remain alert."
After day of exchanging fire, it became obvious the major offensive mounted
by the Germans on both Rohrwiller and Drusenheim was to take place on 19
January. Drusenheim was exposed on three sides with the withdrawal of the
232nd's units. Only the 314th's 2nd BN remained. All day, 2nd and 3rd BNs
reported the enemy build up concentrated to the woods southwest. Regardless,
the 2nd BN command placed much of the unit's firepower northwest of town. The
German attack on Drusenheim began at dusk, 19 January, with heavy mortar and
artillery fire. To the south, an intense barrage of machine gun fire created
the diversion, while the main attack did, indeed, come from the north.
Assault teams quickly gained the town limits, taking out machine gun
positions and tank destroyers in H/Companies sector. Two companies of enemy
infantry, along with five tanks, dispersed throughout the town. The remaining
H/Co positions were quickly taken. To the south-southeast, the Germans
crossed 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 side
of K/Company's position, and forced the right flank of F/Co back to
Drusenheim. F/Co was ordered to move to the northwest corner of town, leaving
its original position outposted. In Drusenheim, the enemy moved freely, and
dealt with any point of resistance. Battalion CP was taken almost
immediately. All communication wires were cut, which left only radio
transmissions. 2nd BN reported the situation to Regimental HQ at 2010, and
was ordered to break out and assemble northwest to F/Company's position. An
advancing enemy, poor communications and not enough time to organize properly
led to the breakthrough failing.
Efforts did continue until 0300, 20 January. F/Co was ordered northwest as
fast as they could go. Only five officers and 93 enlisted from F/Co made it
to Bischwiller. A few more troops from E (one officer, 28 enlisted), G (no
officers, 44 enlisted), H (no officers, 23 enlisted) and BN HQ and I&R (two
officers, 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 the
Rohrwiller-Drusenheim road. A and B/Companies moved to defensive positions
southwest of the Bois de Soufflenheim, blockading the road between
Soufflenheim and Sessenheim. A unit from the 410th Infantry Regiment was sent
to close the hole left by the loss of the 2nd BN, but they failed to make
contact on K/Companies left flank.
The 2nd BN - Captured at Drusenheim
Starting at 0630, 19 January 1945, German troops rained its artillery and
mortar fire on the 2nd BN position in Drusenheim for more than an hour. The
2nd threw everything they had right back at the enemy. After the elements of
F/Co had escaped, the rest of the battalion was trapped - essentially cut off
from any help whatsoever. Facing 20 tanks and over 100 heavy artillery
pieces, 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, the
remainder of the Battalion was taken by the enemy. The American POWs were
relieved of their cold weather clothing and forced to march in the snow,
gloveless and in stocking feet. At the German CP in Dalhunden, about 500
yards from the Rhine, the troops were separated; officers in one group,
enlisted in another. On 22 January, the troops were ferried across the Rhine
on their way to a POW camp. For four days, they marched through the Black
Forest in Germany until they reached the camp at Baden-Baden. They were
interrogated one by one by an SS officer posing as a representative from the
International Red Cross. Food was very scarce, and some of the men hadn't
eaten since their capture.
On or about 27/28 January, the troops were marched to a railroad station and
loaded into cars to be transported to a second camp. After two days of being
shoved into railcars in sub-zero temperatures, they arrived in Stuttgart.
There was roughly 3000 POWs representing almost every U.S. Army outfit, and
they were marched ten miles north to Ludwigsburg. After ten days of a
hellish situation of no food and no warmth, the troops were loaded into
railcars 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 through
and were moving on Hammelburg. The prisoners were ordered to gather their
belongings and prepare to evacuate. Stall tactics forced the captors to turn
the camp over to their captives. White flags were raised and small battles
ensued. It was quickly over, and the joy of the win was soon dampened by the
realization that the liberators equaled one company of tanks dispatched by
General Patton. The tanks took as many men as they could carry, and the rest
were left with finding their way back to the American front as best they
could; the rumored front being Frankfurt. Every route the fleeing prisoners
took, there were German troops waiting. Eventually, most were recaptured and
returned to Hammelburg-Läger.
On 31 March, the remaining prisoners once
again loaded into railcars and, 12 hours
later, arrived in Nuremberg, Germany.
They were fed well for three days, then
began a 150-mile march to Moosburg on 3
April.
For
17
days,
they
marched;
borrowing, begging and even stealing food
along the way. Most had been issued a Red
Cross care package, the first of their
long captivity.
Seven days after reaching Moosburg, on 29 April 1945, liberation came for good
finally came for the men of the 314th
Regiment's 2nd BN at the hand of the 14th
Armored Division. They were taken to
Ingolstadt and flown to Rheims, France on
C-47 transport planes. Food, clothing,
rest, and one more stop in LeHavre to
board ships headed, finally, home.
Aerial view - Nuremberg 1945
The men of the 2nd BN spent 72 days in
captivity.
The Moder River and Schweighausen
On 20 January, L/Co still held the
bridgehead on the Zorm River, and 3rd
BN was sent to a new defensive line
along the Moder near Bischwiller. The
8-inch artillery was fired at enemy
positions spotted by K/Co patrols in
the Bois de Drusenheim. No counterattack came, so the bridges were blown
across the Moder and Zorm, allowing
the withdrawal to go ahead. A, B and
I/Companies joined the rest of the
Regiment later that day. The 314th
Regiment was solidly established at
the new line position along the Moder
near Bischwiller and Kaltenhaus on 21
January.
BN was on the left, with 3rd on
1st
the right with the remnants of F/Co
attached.
I/Co
went
to Regimental
reserve. On 22 January, word came that
the 313th Regiment would be relieving
the 314th position, sending them to
reserve
near
Niederschaeffolsheim.
(The relief unit ended up being the
315th at the Moder River position.)
Before
the
reserve
orders
came
through, reports of clear indicators
of an enemy buildup forming northeast
of Bischwiller. Roughly 200 troops had
been spotted in the Bois d'Oberhoffen
across
the
Moder.
The
813th
TD
Regiment and the 25th Tank Regiment
sent
armor
to
the
314th
for
a
defensive 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 BN
reported seeing five tanks near Camp d'Oberhoffen. Enemy infantry was also
settling along the outskirts of town.
At 0220, 23 January, B/Co reported trucks and tracked vehicles unloading
enemy troops to their front. At 0530, a German patrol hit C/Co, and B/Co
forced another patrol back shortly after the first attack. The outposts were
withdrawn, and a TOT round fired.
Hitler's new jet-propelled plane
flew over the 314th's position and
dropped several bombs. A/Company's
CP was hit.
Retaliation came in the form of two
Allied
bombing
runs
over
Camp
d'Oberhoffen. The plans to move the
314th to reserve were called off as
more enemy vehicle movement was
reported near Oberhoffen. To make matters worse, some of the vehicles
spotted were the 314th's own that
had been captured earlier.
At 1800, 24 January, relief finally
began of the 314th by the 315th.
1st BN was to move to Winterhausen,
and the 3rd BN to the remnants of
Niederschaeffolsheim. Relief of the
line was completed undercover of a
huge snow storm.
Before the 1st BN had arrived to its reserve location, reports came in that
enemy troops had crossed the Moder River between Neubourg and Schweighausen,
breaking through the 42nd Division's 222nd Infantry positions. 1st BN was
placed 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 Winterhausen
to Ohlungen. The task force (consisting of elements from the 42nd
Rainbow/222nd Infantry and the 314th) assignment was to force the Germans
back across the river. The enemy force had broken through the 222nd's line in
an effort to take Haguenau. Units moved to Schweighausen and eastward on to
Neubourg at 0530, accompanied by two medium tanks.
Schweighausen was being cleared by the 1st BN
222nd, while the 1st BN 314th sent out a
recon patrol to establish a CP and install
communications. The Command Post was billeted
in
a
house
with
a
solid
cellar. The
battalions tanks began down the Schweighausen
road and were lost to the unit when one was
hit, and the other crashed. Both crews
escaped.
The ground troops advanced forward about 500
yards to a brewery building occupied by the
enemy. After a short firefight, the building
was cleared and the column advanced to the
outskirts of Schweighausen. They observed the
forward CP in trouble. They were taken
prisoner, and ended up with the 2nd BN POWs.
B/Co was deployed to the left of town in a wooded area, and was immediately
pinned down. Combat Command B of the 14th Armored Division cleared the woods
due west of Schweighausen, and by 1830, the 1st BN held the town. With five
light tanks, 3rd BN was sent on foot toward Neubourg to help restore the 3rd
BN 222nd's line. At 1100, the unit was advancing and attacking east through
the Bois d'Ohlungen. I/Co faced heavy resistance, and was pushed back 400
yards. They managed to regroup, counter-attack, and gain back most of the
lost ground. The battalion dug in for the night tied in with the ranks of
the 222nd.
Reports reached the exhausted task force on 26 January of a considerable
enemy force moving across the river. A company of 155's were dispatched to
shore up the force from VI Corps. Early in the morning, 1st BN had tied in
with the 222nd's 2nd BN in Schweighausen. The attack began at 0730, sending
the 3rd BN east through the woods, Combat Command B 14th Armored west, and
1st BN with units from the 222nd hitting north. They discovered the enemy
had withdrawn in full. By 1100, 26 January, a Moder River defense was reestablished.
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, and
moved out again to the banks of the Moder taking over the area held by the
242nd Infantry
This section of the line, from the southern edge
of Haguenau to just south of Kaltenhaus, was the
area the Germans broke through on 24 January.
Relief finally began, and despite a snow storm and
some enemy activity in A/Company's sector, by
2200, 28 January, the 314th was back in Haguenau.
The next three days were spent patrolling, and the
only
incident
of
record
happened
when C/Co
attempted to capture a three-man enemy scout
force early the morning of 31 January. C/Company's
position was hit by a heavy mortar barrage. The
church steeple was hit by enemy artillery in
Kaltenhaus, as well.
On 1 February, a newly trained and outfitted 2nd BN arrived to make up the
Regimental reserve. The 79th Division was holding VI Corps front, the 314th's
sector assignment was southwest of Haguenau, including Bischwiller. All of
the units were depleted and exhausted - the veterans needing rest, and more
training
for
the
replacements.
Division
orders
were
sent
of an
"identification of the enemy force" which opposed the 314th presently. The
objective was Taubenhof Farm, one-half mile west of Camp d'Oberhoffen - right
across the river from Kaltenhaus.
Warmer temperatures was melting the snow, causing the Moder River to rise
fast, so small boats had to be used to cross the 1st BN patrols. At 0130, 2
February, the returning patrols reported enemy located at and around the Farm
location. An attack patrol had almost captured two Germans soldiers, but in
the firefight they evaded, and the enemy was alerted to the patrol's
presence. They retreated without identifying the enemy element, and further
patrols were stalled due to daybreak.
Patrol actions took place over the next several days, and the enemy was
finally determined by papers found on a dead German soldier.
All in all, the forces faced by the 79th Division in the battles taking
place in the Alsace included: the 25th Panzer Division, the 25th
Panzergrenadier, 21st Panzer Division, 553rd, 4th, and 405th Infantry
Divisions, the 7th Parachute Division, and the 10th S.S. Division - plus the
256th and 361st Volksgrenadier Divisions.
Orders arrived for relief of the 314th from the line on 5 February. It was
also alerted for a move to Pont-a-Mousson, France, but before the move across
the 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 along
the Moselle River - Regimental CP at Jezainviller, 1st BN at Pompey, 2nd BN
at 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 79th
Division transferred over to XIV Corps,
9th U.S. Army. The Division had been
assigned to four different armies at
this point: twice each in the First and
Third Army, once in the Seventh, and
now the Ninth Army.
The Division was moved by rail to
Tongres, Belgium. On arrival, they were moved by motorized columns to billet
areas; 1st and 2nd BN's in Diepenbeek,
3rd in Rombershoven, and Regimental CP
at Ridderborn par Cortessem. Although
the 79th was in Corps reserve, the
314th Regiment was issued an independent
mission: recon the area to relieve the
137th
Infantry,
35th
Division. The
314th was to participate in the 9th
Army move across the Roer River.
On 22 February, all units of the Regiment moved into position relieving the
137th - 1st BN near Heinsberg, 2nd BN around Lieck, and 3rd in the Kirchoven
area. A night attack was planned to take the regimental front to the west
bank of the Roer River. The 1st BN attacked at 2400, and caught the enemy by
surprise. Resistance was minimal, small arms and smaller patrols.
By 0630, 23 February, all of the
1st BN objectives were met: they
held the west bank of the Roer
River, from Roerhof to Hochbruck
- and netted 36 POWs. 2nd and 3rd
BN's jumped off at 0330, and F/Co
took a hard hit from mines around
the perimeter of Kempen. After
carefully
maneuvering
in
the
dark, Kempen was secured and the
mines
disabled
by
2130,
23
February.
3rd
BN
met
with
resistance of small arms fire as
but
by
nightfall
had
well,
secured a line through Karkien
and Hingen. The next push was
postponed
due
to
rain
and
flooding.
At 0600, 26 February, 2nd BN
began crossing the Roer with a
volley of gunfire from the enemy.
German artillery fell throughout
the Regimental sector. The 35th
Division began forging the river,
and the Germans were pulling out
in retreat.
XIV Corps orders placed the Regiment
holding positions until the 35th had
secured the section of the east bank of
the Roer. 1st BN sent two platoons to
Orsbeck to act as a security force for an
engineers corps. They were constructing a
bridge from Orsbeck to Roerhof.
On 28 February, the 314th assembled in
Heinsberg for redeployment to rejoin the
79th Division. The battalions arrived at
their billets by 1600. For two days, the
troops rested in Heinsberg, and on 3
March, moved out to rejoin its Division,
now located near München-Gladbach.
The motorized move to the 314th assigned area near Holtum went smoothly. In
the new location, the troops saw the first "displaced persons camps for
forced laborers." They were empty. From 4-8 March, the troops policed the
area, found and repaired captured motor vehicles and other equipment.
On 9 March, the 314th moved approximately 35 miles to the area of
Amsterrade, Holland, backtracking over the now completed bridge at Orsbeck.
Preparations began for the new mission: an assault attack by the 79th and
30th Divisions crossing the Rhine. The plan called for two Regiments (the
313th and 315th) to attack side by side with the 314th in Regimental
reserve. Practice took place on the Maas River, above Maeseyck near
Roostoren. The units refined their strategy over the next few days by
repeated 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. Upon
their arrival at the assembly point, they were greeted by 58 artillery
battalions, almost as many mortar companies, and direct fire weapons to
support 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 the
final plans. Early evening, 23 March, the units moved forward by trucks four
to five miles, then on foot the final two miles to the forward assembly
areas. At 0200, 24 March, artillery fire commenced. With the rationing of
ammunition not an issue anymore, the sky was lit up almost non-stop for over
an hour. At 0330, the 1st and 2nd BN's were alerted for the crossing.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with General Simpson, and General
Anderson were at Division Command Post to observe. At 1000, 2nd BN began its
forge 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 and
close up just right of the 2nd BN position.
The plan called for the 313th to
push south, 315th to push north
with the 314th in between in an
attempt to expand the beachhead
width before moving on due east.
Without TDs or tank support, the
1st and 2nd BNs jumped off headed
to
Dinslaken
at
1630. Speedy
progress was made as they faced
minimum resistance.
Along the outskirts of Dinslaken,
C/Co
took
a
large
factory
building
and
had
reached
the
railroad tracks coming in from the
northeast. A and B/Companies swept
the rear of town clean, and 2nd
BN moved down the center of the
sector seeing little and sporadic
resistance.
By
dark,
the
Regiment
was
settled in for the night with
the railroad tracks serving as
the outpost line. 3rd BN had
reverted
to
reserve
at
Overbruch.
Overnight,
the
Regiment moved 147 vehicles,
including the Cannon Company
guns, across the Rhine.
The 25 March objective was a
wooded area west of a yet to be
completed autobahn five miles
inland. At 0700, 1st and 2nd
BNs restarted the attack to
enlarge the bridgehead. Both
received fire from 40-mm AA
guns firing horizontally. B and
C/Companies led off 1st BNs
attack with B/Co moving into
Heisfeld from the east, and
C/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 the
railroad tracks, but had to fall back and regroup behind E/Company's position
due to 88-mm gunfire. Eickhof was finally cleared early in the morning hours
of 26 March.
The 315th Regiment position was relieved by the 134th Regiment of the 35th
Division on 26 March, and they proceeded northeast with the attacks. The
314th attacked with the 134th on the left flank. The 315th moved to secure
part of the 2nd BN position. The 313th Regiment went into reserve. 3rd BN was
still in reserve at Regimental HQ, and the position received sporadic
shelling. The 1st BN objective was to seize the command ground at Zur Forst
Wesel to the edge of Koter Bruch, some 3000 yards forward. The 2nd BN was to
hold its position in a defensive stance, and 3rd BN was activated to move up
between the 1st and 2nd BNs positions.
The 3rd BN was tasked with following the right flank of 1st BN, and defend
facing south. 1st BN moved out with A/Co on point, followed by B/Co. A/Co
cleared out an enemy strong point about 500 yards past the autobahn. Now
reaching open space beyond the woods, A and B/Companies attacked strongly and
quickly - out advancing the 134th Infantry to their left. By 1200, A/Co had
secured the northern half of the battalion objective. B/Co was held up by two
enemy tanks and support infantry, but reached its portion of the objective
and secured it by 1400. 3rd BN companies I, K and L moved in to shore up 1st
BNs position and to relieve the manned outposts. Later in the day, I/Co was
ordered to push its flank into the woods to the main roadway running northsouth on the line's east side tying into E/Company's position. E/Co had been
delayed by resistance from the houses located in the east sector of the
woods. E/Co cleaned out these strong points on their progress, while F/Co was
hit hard by artillery and roughly 100 German infantry. The counter-attack was
shut down by the Regiment's artillery and chemical mortars. The 315th moved
over 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 were
moved to the assembly area at Heisfeld for Regimental reserve. The Regimental
front was facing south towards the city of Sterkrade and the Rhine-Herne
Canal, with the 2nd and 3rd BNs stationed on the line. The Rhine was crossed.
Sterkrade
The Regiment moved eastward to the outskirts
of Sterkrade, the night of 27-28 March.
Along the way, I&R captured 17 POWs, 2nd and
3rd BNs captured six 88-mm guns amongst
heavy fighting. At 0600, 29 March, with the
3rd BN attacking from the Regiment's left
flank and 2nd BN on the right, pushed the
advance forward against little resistance.
By nightfall, 1st BN had moved up shadowing 2nd's line of attack, and Sterkrade was
secure.
The established line advanced to the RhineHerne Canal, consolidated, and the Regiment
held this position for the next week. The
314th's situation was so secure that a Corps
team arrived with movies to entertain the
troops.
Sunday, 1 April, was Easter, and church services were held in a beautiful
cathedral in town. A captured German food depot yielded eggs and wine. 2nd
BN's elements were pulled from the line during the week for guard duty around
intelligence targets in the area.
Steele
On 6 April, the 17th Airborne Division relieved the 79th Division in the
Sterkrade 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 be
the Division's last attack mission. The objective was the large city of Essen
and its surrounding hamlets, including Steele.
Early evening, 7 April, the 1st and 3rd BN's crossed the Rhine-Herne Canal
in preparation for the attack toward the town of Steele. At 0930, 8 April,
the attack jumped off to virtually no resistance. 2nd BN was deployed
eastward to the town of Sevingham. All three battalions were on their
objectives quickly. 1st BN patrols had an excellent observation point in
Steele of across the Ruhr River. Opposite the position was a strongly built
German AA battery. The fire was almost constant until the 311th Field
Artillery took the German position out.
The 3rd BN position was relieved by the 315th Regiment on 9 April, and moved
into reserve. 10 April, 1st and 2nd BN's attacked to advance the Regiment's
position all the way to the Ruhr. B and C/Companies were hit hard by another
concrete surrounded AA position, and sustained heavy casualties. Tank support
pushed the enemy back, and the battalions moved forward again. At sunset, led
by the 3rd BN, the entire Regimental rear elements drove to the river banks,
and before midnight, 10 April 1945, the entire area was secure. This
completed the 314th Regiment's last attack mission.
Dortmund, Czechoslovakia and Home
The
314th
Regiment,
being relieved
again by elements of the 17th ABN,
moved to the city of Dortmund on 14
April. The task was to outpost the Ruhr
River line. German troops were observed
in
several
large
concentrations,
occasionally
throwing
harassing
artillery.
Return fire from the 314th was not
called
for
as
long
as
the enemy
remained on the opposite side of the
The Ruhr River Pocket
Ruhr. Late that night, it was reported
that I/Co had linked with the relieving
elements of the 8th Infantry Division.
The 314th Regiment's part in the war
was over.
Contact with the enemy was lost on 16 April, and the 314th officially passed
into the next phase of the war - military government. This occupational
function would include everything from governing and policing, to caring for
the "displaced persons" (slave laborers from all over Europe) and guarding
POWs.
Dortmund was the center of the factory
district and most of the displaced had
been working there, so the problem of
dealing
with
so
many
people was
particularly bad for the 314th. There
were over 19,000 people who needed
repatriation
to
their
homelands.
Hospitals were set up and staffed, and troops acted as "guards" to quell
looting attempts.
By 1 May, 1945, the entire area,
including the camps, was secured and
running smoothly.
Sea of refugees in Dortmund
On 7 May, 1945, a Liaison Officer brought the following written message from
Division HQ signed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower:
"A representative of the German High Command signed the unconditional
surrender of all German Land, Sea and Air Forces in Europe to the
Allied Expeditionary Force and simultaneously to Soviet High Command
at 0141 hours European time 7 May, 1945, under which all forces will
cease active operations at 0001 hours 9 May, 1945. Effective
immediately all offensive operations by Allied Expeditionary Forces
will cease and troops will remain in present positions. Moves
involved in occupational duties will continue. Due to difficulties of
communication there may be some delay in similar orders reaching
enemy 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 the
possibility of entering the Pacific Theater of Operations. Dortmund was still
considered a hostile area, so guard duty was kept up, along with
administering to all the displaced. Dortmund fell within the British zone of
occupation, and on 28 May word came in that the 48th BN Royal Artillery
would take over duties there sometime between 2-7 June. On 30 May, a
Memorial Service for the entire Regiment was held at Garden Suburb, a large
park in Dortmund.
On 5 July, after being relieved in Dortmund, the 314th moved out for a 400
mile journey to Cheb, Czechoslovakia. On 9 June, the 79th was transferred to
the control of V Corps, 3rd Army. Regimental HQ was established in
Konigsberg, in relief of the 1st Infantry Division. Duties for the Regiment
included maintaining road blocks, guard and patrol duty, military governing,
and training. This section of Czechoslovakia was opposite the Russian
positions. Life in Czechoslovakia was a repetition of the site in Dortmund as
regards to the displaced persons.
The Division was assigned "Category II" status: re-equip, retrain and ship
back to America as reserves for possible deployment to the PTO. A review of
personnel took placed based on the "point" system: high-pointers were to be
moved out to units due for departure home, mid-pointers moved to units
assigned occupational duties, and low-pointers scheduled for training. The
unit was moved on 3 August to an isolated village named Dalherda in Bavaria.
This location was an old German Panzer Division facility - perfect for
training. But the conditions were horrible - what buildings remained were
roofless, and it rained almost non-stop.
On 6 August 1945, at 0815 the first atomic bomb was dropped from a B-29
bomber on Hiroshima. On 9 August, the second one was dropped on Nagasaki. The
Japanese 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 to
replace the 99th Division and the 6th Armored Division on occupational
duties. On 23 August, the 314th relieved the 395th Infantry Regiment (of the
99th Division), and the 735th Tank BN. The 314th was again manning road
blocks along the Russian frontier in Germany. 3rd BN found itself governing a
huge civilian camp, previously known as the German camp Hammelburg-Läger. Men
who had enough points started going home. The unit settled into what would
be 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 resided
in a small town called Munnerstadt, while the Cannon and Anti-Tank Companies
camped in the resort town of Bad Bruckenau.
At the end of October, 1945,
the Regiment was alerted to
prepare to ship home. The 79th
Division was relieved by the
1st infantry Division on 15
November 1945. The 314th moved
to
a
tent
camp
in
Aschaffensburg,
and
later
taken by train to Marseilles,
France, to board ships headed
for America.
Sailing began the last week of
November. The ships ported all along the eastern seaboard from
Boston
to
Norfolk,
Virginia ten to fifteen days
later.
On 11 December, 1945, the 79th
Infantry
Division, including
the
314th
Regiment,
was
officially
deactivated.
The
men who wore the Cross of
Lorraine and the Sign of the
Falcon 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) and
the 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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