On 31 January the 315th staged the assault crossing of the Our river between Burg Reuland and
Steffeshausen – for the third time, a flooded stream plagued the engineers. [Figure 7-2] An early thaw
was developing. Above freezing weather was now melting the ice and snow and the Our leaped out over
its flood plain. Baileys were built at Burg Reuland and a Peterskirche and no sooner than they were
completed – the floodwaters lashed at the footings. Rubb!e was hau!ed, sand bags were filled and the
Burg Reuland bridge was saved. But the Peterskirche bailey was toppled into the torrent.
The 90th was across, however, and smashing its way again into the Siegfried Line – this time in
the vicinity of Heckhuscheid, Habscheid, Brankscheid and Grosskampenberg. [Figure 7-3, Figure 7-4]
Division headquarters moved to Winterspelt and the battalion CP was established at Elcherath on 9
February.
Mines, which had been frozen into insensitivity now thawed. On roads, which had been carrying
heavy traffic, trucks were being blown up by the thawing mines and in the rear areas the corps engineers
worked feverishly to remove these bypassed weapons.
The 3l5th Engineers joined the infantry teams in blasting the forts with satchel charges as the
90th steadily drove through the fortifications. But again the supply situation caused a temporary halt, the
mission became a containing one, yet violent artillery and mortar duels were a daily occurrence. Cutting
timber from the "orchard type" pine forest the 3l5th assisted the infantry in improving their positions by
constructing log covered shelters and OP's.
During the entire month of February the 315th fought the mud battle. Supporting corps engineers
worked hundreds of civilians and finally the MSR situation became so bad that rails and ties were
removed from the ballast and the railroad grade was converted into a one-way road between Burg
Reuland and Hemmeres.
On 24 February the 90th was relieved and pulled out for a brief rest and rehabilitation. The 315th
H & S Company motor section had been working, at Elcherath, on a portable shower unit. A captured
gravel-spreading trailer was converted into a firebox. Boiler tubing was cut and welded to form the
heating coils. An atomizer was fabricated to blow diesel fuel into the chamber and captured fire pumps
were used to force water through the heater. After several trial runs and modifications the unit was set
up on the Wintermpelter branch near Heckhalenfeld just south of Winterspelt. Three hospital ward tents
and stoves were borrowed and through these shower and dressing tents poured a steady stream of battle
weary troops. The QM provided clean clothes for all and soon the entire division had been refitted for
the next battle, which was sure to come.
Preparations for a final thrust through the Siegfried were made for the 90th knew that the assault
could not be much longer delayed. On 2 March it struck – smashing through the remaining forts,
dragons teeth and pillboxes and during the night 2-3 March Company B bridged the Prum at Pronsfeld
with a bailey. The west wall was cracked wide open and in the process the division had captured and
destroyed over 500 pillboxes and log bunkers, had captured 3,195 prisoners and had knocked out 38
tanks and SP guns.
The 315th filled many of the larger forts with tons of captured explosives and ammunition. Then
it detonated the charges, which in a mighty blast, destroyed the fruits of years of German planning and
the work of thousands of slave laborers who had died in the construction of the impregnable Siegfried.
But the major tasks of fort destruction and mine removal were left to the corps and army engineers as
the 315th plunged on with the 90th on into the Rhineland.
 |
 |
 |