By the time the 9th Infantry Division as­sumed command of the bridgehead, it had become a major effort. Shop Military Vet Shop:By Aircraft | The 395th Infan­try Regiment moved out during the early morning hours to an assembly area in the vicinity of BODENDORF (F6317), and at ap­proximately 1230 its 1st Battalion had crossed the RHINE, to be followed during the day by the 2d and 3d Battalions. [4], The 2d Battalion, echeloned to the left rear of the 1st Battalion, coordinated its attack with the 1st Battalion. inactivated. infantry in battalions of designated either "motorized" or "attack." During the day, the regiment secured 1500 yards of the autobahn and advanced up to 3500 yards. "It seemed that Army Headquarters did not feel, as the Fuehrer did, that Germany had so many capable division and corps commanders she could sacrifice them for a gesture. In the morning, Combat Command B, 9th Armored Division, was directed to assemble in the general area OHLENBERG (F6721)-OCKENFELS (F6720)-LINZ (F6718) (exclusive)-DATTENBERG (F6817), and to revert to the control of the 9th Armored Division effective 172400 March. Ill Corps Artillery supported corps oper­ations by a heavy counterbattery program, long-range interdiction and harassing fires, and heavy close support fires upon call of the divisions. After a night-long road march, the 9th Infantry crossed the bridge and expanded the bridgehead. The 1st Battalion attacked to the northeast on the right of the 311th Infantry, and gained approximately 1000 yards. The 9th Infantry Division held defensive positions near the Roer River from December 1944 through January 1945, and then crossed the Rhine at Remagen Bridge on March 7, 1945, pushing into the German Harz Mountains. The 1:34th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion became operational on the west bank of the river. The central sector showed a marked decline in small-arms fire, although artillery and mortar fire was particularly heavy. Maj. Gen. John W. Leonard (October 1942 to inactivation). units fielded the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV or "humvees") and attack units drove Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV), which were Aviation   MACV, 1st Combat Command B, 9th Armored Division, remained in III Corps reserve, and the 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron continued to maintain observation close on the west bank of the RHINE. After Action Report, 52d Armored Infantry Battalion, March 1945. Upon orders from regiment, the unit held its positions on the open slopes south­west of town during the night, suffering nu­merous casualties in the process. Enemy artillery activity continued light, but III Corps Artillery, assisted by V and VII Corps Artillery, fired heavy counter-battery programs. During the night of 7-8 March, he moved to the east bank all command posts of units having troops across the river, so that a coordi­nated fight could continue even if the bridge were blown. On 3 March, it became even clearer when US tanks fired directly into his com­mand post at RHEINFELD , driving him and his staff practically to the river bank across from BENHAT. The seizure of line Red was to prevent small-arms fire from being delivered on the bridge area; when line White had been reached, observed artillery fire would be eliminated; and the seizure of line Blue would prevent medium artillery fire from being delivered on the bridge sites. III Corps - Major General John Milliken Reeds along the south Vietnamese/Cambodian border. It actually did collapse on 17 March. [2]After Action Report, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, March 1945, page 6. Rugged, densely wooded terrain also made the ad­vance slow and arduous. On 17 March, the 26th Volksgrenadier Di­vision, an old enemy from the ARDENNES and the ROER RIVER battles, arrived on the southern front, under General Kokott, an experienced straggler collector. [4]After Action Report, 78th Infantry Division, March 1945, page 12. The attack was stopped just outside the town. [3], The 2d Battalion, reverting to the 78th Di­vision, was attached to the 311th Infantry and assembled in the vicinity of HIMBERG (F694281) with the 1st Battalion as division reserve. Messina. insisting that the threat to the south be met by an attack on LINZ (F678187). Together the two units gained the high ground just north and west of KALENBORN (F706247). [2], The 1st Battalion relieved the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Division, in BRUCH-HAUSEN (F65S226) during the night of 9-10 March. var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; This officer had partially filled out his command with remnants of the 277th Replacement Regiment of BONN and 253d Replacement Battalion of AACHEN, and elements of the 18th Volks­grenadier Division and the 89th Infantry Division. He was given a day to study the situation and prepare a plan. [2], The 1st Battalion advanced against strong opposition consisting oF small-arms, self-pro­pelled gun, mortar, and artillery fire to its two objectives at (F663233) and (F664244).