From: An Historical and Pictorial Record of the 87 Infantry Division in WWII:
Olzheim fell by nightfall of February 6. Neuendorf, just north of Olzheim, was next on the objective list. The third Battalion sent a “Tiger Patrol,”… into the town before dawn on February 9. Early that moning the rest of the battalion moved in. Company I attacked and won high ground east of Neuendorf… After the fall of Neuendorf, which marked the end of the first phase of cracking the Siegfried Line, the 346th Regiment, now under command of Colonel Curtis Renfro, took over all positions held by the 345th… A period of rest was granted divisions all along the front in which Ihey could resupply, reinforce and consolidate their positions. During the next fortnight the 312th Engineer Baltalion enlisted the aid of many infantrymen in the maintenance of roads that were chopped up, hub-deep over which an ever increasing amount of supplies, munitions and reinforcements were being carried forward.
From 346th Infantry:
For the next 18 days the Division held defensive positions. During this period of time patrols were sent frequently into the sector around Ormont and Neundorf to determine activity and resistance to be met there. During the 18 days that the Division was defending temporarily, daylight and night patrols of the 346th continuously prodded into the vaunted Siegfried Line through heavily mined and booby trapped woods, across open areas swept by fire from the pillboxes and through barrages of screaming meemie’s and mortars, plotting detailed locations of mine and booby trap fields, locations and fields of fire of pillboxes, and enemy strengths and dispositions. The enemy information was so completely and accurately known through patrol reports that at all times the Regimental operations map showed the location, strength and designation of all enemy troops to our front. One morning at 0500 a relief of an enemy unit was made and at 0800 the map showed the new unit in place, its strength, armament, and commanding officer, and the direction in which the relieved unit went.
Germany
Feb. 16 (1945)
Dear Folks,
It won’t do any good to apologize but it likely seems like ages since I last wrote. Yesterday I received your letter of Jan 31 and since Daddy made a special request for me to put the country in, I’ll try to always do so. You said my last few V-mails had not been photgraphed so I am doing my best to make this one legible. I’ve wished several times that I had not left my fountain pen in my duffle bag before we moved into action. I guess that’s about the only thing I really cared about that I didn’t bring but I doubt now if we’ll ever see our bags again. I’d be happy if you would send me a cheap pen so there would be no difficulty in the V-mails going through. I was sure glad to hear that mother had started a box on the way. If you included mostly things to eat, it can’t come amiss. I sort of hate to start asking for specific things along this line but if you’d like for me to, I could start a bunch of mother’s divinity fudge. I think I have gotten all the packages you mentioned. I’ve gotten Sunday school papers several times and the other day I received a bunch that contained a Reader’s Digest. Thanks. I know you are praying for me and I really know prayer helps. God has sure been good to me. Happy birthday Richard and Jim.
Love, Donald