358th Infantry:
1st Battalion assembled in WINCRANGE and replaced 2nd Battalion in the Rest Camp at
HABAY-LA-NEUVE.
2nd Battalion returned on trucks of 1st Battalion in afternoon and closed in DERENBACH at
1800.
357th Infantry:
3rd Battalion left BASTOGNE 0730 and closed 0930 in ASSELBORN. 1st and 2nd Battalions
attacked at 1300, crossing the CLERF River. The enemy countered with small arms, machine
guns and Nebelwerfer fire. Aided by TD fire the attackers drove the enemy from his trenches
and gained the high ground on both sides of the draw (Hills 470, 490 and 500 on the left and 520
on the right). Continuing after dark, 1st Battalion attacked and captured BINSFELD and a 75
mm AT gun. 2nd Battalion spread its companies facing Southeast along Hill 520 and the Hill to
the Southwest. 3rd Battalion moved forward to vicinity SASSEL and placed Company L on Hill
490 and 500 to hold that flank.
Supporting armor began its move across the river but the first 3 Medium tanks bogged down,
blocking the road. One platoon, [Page 21] Company D, 712th Tank Battalion was attached in an
effort to get some AT guns up to the 1st Battalion without success. 12 bazooka teams from AT
company were rushed forward to 1st Battalion instead.
To keep pace with the fast-moving situation, Division CP move to HAMIVILLE.
24 January 1945
357th Infantry:
About 0230A, 1st Battalion was counterattacked by enemy infantry and tanks from HOLLER.
Hardly set in their defensive positions and without AT guns or armor support, the Battalion
fought desperately to hold the town. By heroic effort of machine gunners who held their posts in
face of point-blank tank fire to move down accompanying infantry and a shield of fire laid down
by 343rd FA Battalion, (who fired 900 rounds up to 0600) the attack was broken. 58 PWs were
captured. The enemy tanks withdrew those few Germans not killed or captured fled.
Meanwhile supporting army with engineers, who removed 19 mines from the road, and a platoon
of infantry from Company K all crossed at TROISVIERGES and worked down the road to
BINSFELD where they remained after their arrival in 0600.
Both Division and Regimental boundaries changed during the night which shifted the axis of
attack to the East.
The Regiment therefore sent patrols toward OBERSTENWALD following with 2nd Battalion on
left and 3rd Battalion on right. Following reduction of an enemy's strong point at the CLERF