Download - 70th Infantry Division Association
Download - 70th Infantry Division Association
Download - 70th Infantry Division Association
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The Engineers had 56 boats with four-man crews for each. Two platoons from Company G were sent to<br />
aid in carrying the boats to the debarkation points along the Saar. Our Regimental anti-tank guns and<br />
cannon were moved into covered positions along the river to give support by direct fire on the fortifications<br />
manned by the enemy on the north bank. Patrols from Companies B and C continually kept<br />
contact with the enemy by drawing fire from them. Whenever the enemy exposed his positions, our<br />
artillery and mortars immediately zeroed in. As a whole, the enemy fire was light, but we lost one officer<br />
and five enlisted men from one Company B patrol.<br />
The town of Schoeneck was decided upon as the de-trucking and rear assembly area.. This. town was in<br />
the 274th Sector.<br />
Our 3d Battalion was moving toward Schoeneck when we were notified by <strong>Division</strong> that the 274th would<br />
not allow our 3d Battalion to detruck and remain there. Therefore, the 3d Battalion was ordered to move<br />
back to Petite Rosselle, and they closed in at 1550.<br />
New plans called for Company C to send a patrol across the Saar River near Hostenbach, and, if<br />
successful, the company would follow. The whole 1st Battalion would then follow Company C.<br />
The 3d Battalion would then cross followed by the 2d Battalion. By 1800 all was in readiness. Company A<br />
was holding the line along the entire Regimental front; Company B was in an assembly area at<br />
Geislautern; Company C was in the vicinity of Werbeln; the 2d Battalion was in an assembly area in the<br />
vicinity of Klarenthal, and the 3d Battalion was assembled in Petite Rosselle. The weather was fair. All<br />
roads were dry.<br />
Two rubber boats with the patrol from Company C were launched at 2200 on the night of 19 March 1945.<br />
They met no opposition. The 2d and 3d Battalions were alerted to be ready to move on a half hour's<br />
notice.<br />
Once across the river, the patrol found an unoccupied pill box and ran into a mine field, exploding several<br />
mines. The Mine Platoon from the Regimental Anti-Tank Company and some of<br />
our attached Engineers next moved across the river to clear a path through the mine field. All Battalions<br />
held up pending the clearing of the mine field which consisted of anti-personnel and Schu mines, most of<br />
which were booby-trapped.<br />
In the early morning hours of 20 March we received a report from the 274th Regiment on our right that<br />
they were meeting resistance in the form of heavy small arms fire. They had taken<br />
two prisoners who stated that their unit had been ordered to withdraw across the river before daylight.<br />
By 0300 a path three feet wide had been cleared through the mine field, and the balance of Company C<br />
crossed the river followed by Company B. They were ferried across while the Engineers constructed a<br />
foot bridge and a vehicular bridge. Company A still held the line along the Regimental front and the 2d<br />
and 3d Battalions were awaiting orders to cross as soon as the way was clear.<br />
By 0700 the foot bridge was completed. The 3d Battalion, which had been moving up to the river, crossed<br />
on the foot bridge and completed the crossing by 0840. The 2d Battalion followed the 3d across the river.<br />
The Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon gained contact with the 259th <strong>Infantry</strong> Regiment of the<br />
65th <strong>Division</strong> on our left flank, and they maintained contact until Company A was relieved and moved<br />
across the river. The 274th on our right had moved their 3d Battalion across the river in the vicinity o£<br />
Ottenhausen and were meeting no resistance.<br />
At 0850 the Regiment set up a forward CP in Geislautern. By 1100 the 8 ton vehicle bridge had been<br />
completed in the vicinity of Hostenbach.<br />
The 1st Battalion secured the high ground to the north and northwest of Volklingen. The 2d Battalion<br />
moved into the town, while the 3d Battalion, after clearing out several houses just across the river, was<br />
ordered to proceed to Puttlingen.