This section of the history starts in February but doesn't list any more dates in the account until 24 March, so this post is an overview of what was going on as the Allied troops regrouped back on the Sigfried line at the end of the Battle of the Bulge and began its push to take new ground and get the German army in retreat as the allies pushed into Germany itself.
Battalion History:
February saw 4th Division troops of the VIII corps taking Brandseheid, beginning the first phase in the reduction of the Siegfried Line defenses in that sector. Prum and Vlanden fell, and day after day the battalion leg entry was, "the military situation was virtually the same."
Arafeld was taken by the 90th division and corps troops cleared more ground west of the Prum River. And through it all, sound sound-ranged, flash flash-ranged, survey parties surveyed, GI's yapped about brush less shaving cream and cheap razor blades, and followed "Li'l Abner" and Bill Mauldin's cartoon characters in Stars and stripes.
The Prum Fiver was crossed and spearheads reached the Kyll River. The forward movement began to get too fast for the work of an observation battalion. Before we could get bases in, the enemy was beyond flash or sound ranging distance.
AS VIII Corps gained ground east of the Kyll River, the 4th Armored Division of the XII Corps reached the Rhine north of Koblenz. the continued rapid drive toward the Rhine in our corps sector again fouled up sound and flash operations, and GI's whose parents, wives or friends suspected that they were in the Third Army embarrassed the GI's with such remarks as, "I see Patton is really driving. Boy, you fellows must really be travelling fast!" Letters like this usually were received while the GI was taking it easy, sleeping in beds and eating good rations for a change.
The 87th Division took Koblenz. All German troops were cleared from the corps sector west of the Rhine. Flash and sound location reports showed a sudden spurt and for once EVERYTHING worked all right.
Battalion History:
February saw 4th Division troops of the VIII corps taking Brandseheid, beginning the first phase in the reduction of the Siegfried Line defenses in that sector. Prum and Vlanden fell, and day after day the battalion leg entry was, "the military situation was virtually the same."
Arafeld was taken by the 90th division and corps troops cleared more ground west of the Prum River. And through it all, sound sound-ranged, flash flash-ranged, survey parties surveyed, GI's yapped about brush less shaving cream and cheap razor blades, and followed "Li'l Abner" and Bill Mauldin's cartoon characters in Stars and stripes.
The Prum Fiver was crossed and spearheads reached the Kyll River. The forward movement began to get too fast for the work of an observation battalion. Before we could get bases in, the enemy was beyond flash or sound ranging distance.
AS VIII Corps gained ground east of the Kyll River, the 4th Armored Division of the XII Corps reached the Rhine north of Koblenz. the continued rapid drive toward the Rhine in our corps sector again fouled up sound and flash operations, and GI's whose parents, wives or friends suspected that they were in the Third Army embarrassed the GI's with such remarks as, "I see Patton is really driving. Boy, you fellows must really be travelling fast!" Letters like this usually were received while the GI was taking it easy, sleeping in beds and eating good rations for a change.
The 87th Division took Koblenz. All German troops were cleared from the corps sector west of the Rhine. Flash and sound location reports showed a sudden spurt and for once EVERYTHING worked all right.
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