On the morning of January 24^th, elements of the 357^th Regiment, having just occupied the town of Binsfeld, bore the brunt of a vicious counterattack supported by overwhelming armor. Without anti-tank guns, without armor, the doughboys slugged it out, matching their light machine-guns with the direct fire laid down by the tanks. The 343^rd Field Artillery Battalion laid down a shield of fire, 900 rounds in slightly more than two hours, and the attack died in the red-stained snows of Belgium.

Succeeding days found the 90^th wading eastward through the snow, warming itself where it could as freezing winds numbed hands and feet. Security forbade the building of fires with which to warm the brick-hard cylinders of K-ration cheese, yet survival demanded fire and warmth. The Division buttoned its coat against the weather and pushed eastward over the "Sky Line Drive" grimly defended by the Germans.

On the 26^th the 90^th Division moved to VIII Corps control once more, the same Corps with which it had fought through the disheartening days of Normandy. Corps orders immediately called for another river crossing, familiar work to the 90^th. The Our River lay only a few kilometers to the east. The 90^th was to effect a crossing and protect the right flank of Corps. The 87^th Division was to cross on the left, while the 4^th Infantry Division was to knife through the center. The crossing was scheduled for the morning of January 29^th.

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