| The intentions of the Germans, however, failed to
coincide with the intentions of the 90th Division. Through mud
and hills they forced their way into the enemy stronghold. One by one the
pillboxes fell before the infantry and the armor. Working with systematic
precision the men of the 90th forced the boxes, took their
prisoners and moved on to the next. Enemy artillery and "screaming meemies"
(short range mortars) worked frantically to crush the advance,
but the attack was ruthlessly pressed. Roads were constantly subjected to the interdictory fire, roads which now became rivers of glue and paste. The Siegfried Line bent slowly before the attacking American troops, bent slowly and cracked. In four days the 90th had smashed its way forward through the concrete fortifications, through the valleys and over the Eifel Hills. In four days the main defensive belt had been pierced, and now only a thin sliver of defenses remained to be destroyed. On the 12th Prüm fell to the 4th Division on the 90th's left. Pronsfeld remained in the enemy's hands, but now a brief halt was called in order that minor redispositions might be made and road conditions improved. For three days the 90th held defensive positions and watched delightedly as the skies cleared and bombers and fighter planes raked enemy positions immediately to the front. The attack was resumed on the 18th with startling initial success. The enemy was caught literally asleep in his pillboxes. The 359th Regiment alone bagged a total of 400 prisoners, including one regimental commander and two battalion commanders together with their staffs. Quantities of valuable maps and documents were likewise taken. Those Germans not captured awoke in the early hours of morning to find their positions long since bypassed and that they themselves were somewhere in the 90th's rear echelon. Kesfeld was soon captured, but now the enemy had been thoroughly alerted and responded to the challenge with severe artillery and mortar fire, preventing further advances for the time being. The following day the advance was resumed. Masthorn fell immediately, as did Neider- and Ober Uttfeld. It was not a beaten German army which relinquished these objectives one by one, it was hard-fighting stubborn, slugging army which struck back at every opportunity. American air superiority was making itself felt, American superiority in equipment was dealing decisive blows, but nevertheless the enemy held fanatically to its ground and retreated only when the strongest persuasive forces was exerted by the doughboys and the tankers of the 90th. |
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