A HISTORY OF THE 3RD BN, 274TH INFANTRY REGIMENT 70TH INFANTRY DIVISION BASED ON THE 3RD BN DAILY REPORTS JAN 5, 1945 – MAR 25, 1945 CONTRIBUTED BY COL. KARL LANDSTROM, A.U.S. RET. 3RD BN C.O MAY 2007 HEADQUARTERS 274th INFANTRY APO 461 US ARMY Period Event 25 December to 5 January Initiation to combat 5 January to 7 January Defense of Rothbach 7 January to 9 January Reserve position vicinity Zinswiller 9 January to 15 January Defensive position NE of Niederbronn. 15 January to 17 January Attack made and cleared enemy from high ground on 3rd BN left flank and right flank of Co. B. Consolidated positions gained. 17 January to 20 January Defensive positions resumed NE of Niederbronn. 20 January to 22 January Reserve position vicinity Weiterswiller. 22 January to 24 January Defensive position vicinity of Wingen. 24 January to 29 January Defensive position vicinity of Wimmenau. 29 January to 30 January Reserve position vicinity Durstel. 30 January to 9 February Division reserve vicinity St. Louis. 9 February to 17 February Defensive position vicinity Theding. Back with 70th Division. 17 February to 19 February Battle of Kreutzberg-Stiring-Wendel-le Forbacherberg Ridges. 19 February to 3 March Consolidated, reorganized, patrolled. Defensive positions held and improved. 3 March to 6 March Battle of Stiring-Wendel List of Regimental CPs Date Place 25 Dec 1944 Bischwiller, France 27 Dec 1944 Herrlisheim, France 30 Dec 1944 Bischwiller, France 3 Jan 1945 Weterswiller, France 6 Jan 1945 Ingwiller, France 8 Jan 1945 Neiderbronn, France 20 Jan 1945 Obersoultzbach, France 22 Jan 1945 Wingen, France 25 Jan 1945 Woods NE of Wimmenau, France 25 Jan 1945 Wimmenau, France 26 Jan 1945 Wimmenau, France (new location) 29 Jan 1945 Durstel, France 30 Jan 1045 Montbronn, France 9 Feb 1945 Farebersviller, France 16 Feb 1945 Diebling, France 19 Feb 1945 Bousbach, Franc 17 Mar 1945 Forbach, France 23 Mar 1945 Sulzbach, Germany 25 Mar 1945 Kaiserlautern, Germany 1 Apr 1945 Gonsenheim, Germany THIRD BATTALION HEADQUARTERS AND STAFF 5 January to 15 January 1945 DEFENSE OF ROTHBACH The third battalion completed its motor movement from SUFFLEHEIM into bivouac at SCHNEITZWALD FOREST by 1500 on 4 January and the motor column was met by S- 3, Captain Myler. “I Company on the right, K on the left, L on outpost to front and right flank.” Order also included, “Dign in – we are within enemy light artillery range.” A&P platoon set up to protect the exposed right flank and A&P immediately distributed engineer tools which were welcomed by the “doughs”. The ground was frozen and several inches of snow covered everything. Manjor Coles remarked, “I’ll take Texas anytime.” While the troops dug in, Lt. Col. Landstrom and Capt Myler went on to Rothbach to contact the 313th Infantry which at that time was attached to the 45th Infantry Division. There was no enemy activity at this bivouac but Jerry was known to be on the high ground to the NE as we later found out. The hollow booming of the nearby 4.2 Chemical Mortars was continuous and put a note of foreboding in the air. We all felt the battalion would soon run into the Jerry. At 0245 Capt. Myler, Battalion S-3, returned to the battalion CP from regimental CP with additional orders. “L” Company with the 1st platoon of “M” Company was sent to occupy the high ground on both sides of the deep valley just north of ROTHBACH to prevent the Germans from coming out of the hills and on to the Alsatian plain. This was accomplished by daylight. “I” Company had relieved “L” of its outpost line at SCHNIETZWALD bivouac. At 1330 “I” Company was relieved by “K” Company and had assembled at the SW edge of ROTHBACH prepared to reinforce “L” Company. At 1515 Lt. Col. Landstrom received a telephone message from Lt. Col. Echelman, G-3 of the 45th Division, inquiring why the third battalion was not yet in position in ROTHBACH! He replied that one company reinforced was in position there with balance of the battalion ready to take up a rearward strong defensive position abreast the SCHNIETZWALD FOREST, and that no orders had been received to move the battalion to ROTHBACH. Col. Echelman said, “You are not doing any good back there. Move the battalion to a defensive position on the high ground abreast of the mountain pass at ROTHBACH.” The third platoon of “L” Company under Lt. Westfall at this time manned an outpost about a mile N of ROTHBACH on the W side of ROTHBACH. In an engagement at this outpost, the platoon took 4 prisoners who were turned over to the 313th Infantry. The entire day was a hectic one and the battalion was moved into position, by Companies, to defense of ROTHBACH with Love on the left and Item on the right. Later “K” Company was moved into reserve of OFFWEILER. “M” Company was under battalion control and set up an FPL on filly, difficult terrain. Enemy patrols were active and at 2000 eleven rounds of 88’s were received on “I” Company’s position. S-4, Lt. Brinker, [CONTINUED WITH SCAN OF ORIGINAL] .