24 December 1944.

Map: same Vicinity: NW of Huertgen.

A patrol which had been sent out by the 1st Bn to contact Company C after dusk returned at 0040 with news hinting of the capture of the unit. In buildings searched by the patrol abandoned M-1 rifles and articles of American uniforms were found. The CG and CO 121 conferred on the feasability of coordinating the attacks of the 1st and 2nd Bn after the 2nd Bn had cleaned up the pocket of resistance to the west of Obermaubach. The CO of the 1st Bn who had refused evacuation through medical channels agreed to the plan to delay his attack.

The weight of the attacking action now lay in the 2nd Bn sector. Company C 13th Inf and one platoon of Company B 709th Tk Bn were attached to the attacking Bn. The main enemy strong point was in the vicinity 076355. At 0904 the 2nd Bn was moving with tanks to a point approximately 75 yards from the enemy bunkers attempting to reduce them. Company F and Company C 13th Inf were reported on their objectives (forward edge of woods) at 1343. One hour later Company G jumped off in the attack. Enemy fire now held up the advance of Company F and Company C of the 13th Inf. Company K of the 3rd Bn 121 Inf (which had reverted to 121st Inf control the previous day) was primed to move to the left of Company C. At 2035 Company K had made contact with Company F by patrol. The attack of the 2nd Bn had cleared out four log bunkers vicinity 075355 but could not move freely against the heavy artillery fire from the opposite bank of the Roer. A concerted infantry -tank drive was planned for the following day with Lt Col Hogan (CO 3rd Bn) as commander. Interrogation of PW's captured during the days action added weight to the belief that Company C had been captured in Obermaubach. At 1145 CP at coordinate 023372 closed and moved to original CP located in Huertgen (043357).

25 December 1944.

Map: same Vicinity: NW of Huertgen.

The missions of the 1st and 2nd Bn remained the same. The 3rd Bn with one platoon of Company D 709th Tk Bn was to move from the east edge of the woods to the SE to seize Obermaubach. The three Bn's with tank attachments all jumped off on time. At 0824 Company I reported hitting an enemy OP. Fire was received on the right flank of the Company in the advance. Heavier fire from the left front forced a slight withdrawal. Company K met fire from three MG's at 077362. Company L was in reserve in the vicinity of hill 400. The heavy fire received by Company I was traced to an enemy MLR located several hundred yards to the company front. Heavy artillery fire was placed on Company A shortly after the jump off. Company B at 0842 had moved to within 50 yards of the buildings. An hour later Company A 13th Inf had crossed the stream and had knocked out a few enemy strong points. Heavy fire on the left flank of this company led the CO to believe that the enemy had pulled to his left. The fire on this left flank increased. Aid for the company was forthcoming from elements of the 83rd Div to the north after request had been made to the CG of that unit. The maneuver at this point involved a strong line built up by Company A to secure the advance of tanks to a jump off position. Company B's left flank was to pull through the woods and A Company 13th Inf was to swing left toward the town.

In the 2nd Bn area the following positions were reported at 0909: Company G vicinity 081352, Company F 078358. Both companies were receiving bazooka fire from the immediate front. Company C was in a position to the right of Company F at 078357.

At 1111 Company K reported knocking our two strong points to its front. Company I and attached tanks were preparing to launch a coordinated attack at 1130. The supporting tank action failed to materialize as their path was obstructed by a natural abatis vicinity 077359. Company K was ordered back to the ground on left of Company I.

The advance began to move in the 1st Bn area during the late afternoon hours. At 1515 16 men from Company B were reported in the first four houses of Obermaubach. The intense cold had frozen the .30 cal MG's being employed in the advance. Fifty caliber MG's had been sent to the 1st Bn to support the attack. At 1635 houses on both sides of the road at the northern edge of Obermaubach had been secured. CO 1st Bn reported plan to take platoon of tanks and infantry and place them in five buildings in the town. The initial drive the following morning would be led by this force. Another platoon of tanks was ordered to the 1st Bn area. At 2122 two tanks had been moved into town. During the day's operations the lone supporting tank had been disabled by a teller mine vicinity 089366. A PW captured during the day stated that the town of Obermaubach was deemed important to the enemy cause. The present defenders of the town were to be relieved by a panzer outfit shortly after Christmas.

26 December 1944.

Map and vicinity: same.

Corps and Div artillery were called upon to aid the important action scheduled for this day. Engineers opened a path for the armor by lifting an extensive AT minefield extending from 088366 to 090366. At 0411 a loud explosion in Obermaubach shook the surrounding area. At first the explosion was believed to be an enemy ammunition dump. Observations at dawn however, revealed the demolition of the Obermaubach bridge across the Roer river. The 1st Bn attack was delayed until 1100. Company C was at 092366, Company B at 090364, at 1130. Tanks were firing directly into buildings. Company L which had been ordered to the aid of the 1st Bn during the hours of darkness made contact with Company B at 1250, The 2nd Bn receiving MG fire from houses to the front at 0820 reported no enemy pocket between Company F and Company I. At 0830 Company I reverted to 3rd Bn control. Company G attacked at 1100 to determine whether the enemy had withdrawn from the 2nd Bn front. The force was met with heavy small arms fire. Patrols from both Bn's were dispatched for the same purpose. All patrols received small arm fire in the course of their mission. The 2nd Bn was ordered to jump off in the attack at 1430.

Increasing progress was reported in the 1st Bn sector. The woods in the Company A 13th Inf sector had been completely cleaned out at 1510. Companies B and L were abreast rounding the turn in the center of town. At 1758 the Co 1st Bn reported that the final objective had been taken. Forces were mopping up enemy in houses located on the outskirts of town.

The attack of the 2nd Bn jumped off at 1430. At 1518 Company F was closing in on sunken road. Company G made little progress. At the height of action in both Bn sectors Div ordered reliefs for all units in an interchange adapted to a defense plan effecting the entire Corps. The 12th Engrs were to relieve the 1st Bn. The 3rd Bn of the 121 Inf was to relieve the 2nd Bn 13th Inf the following day. The 2nd Bn was scheduled to relieve elements of the 28th Inf at a later date. This Bn was ordered to attack the following day. Their relief would be effected by elements of the 13th Inf at dark 27 December 1944.

27 December 1944.

Map and vicinity: same.

CT 121 as part of the 8th Div was now a unit of the XIX Corps. The mission of the Corps was to defend Simmerath - Vossenack - Bergstein - Roer River line. CT 121 mission was to defend its assigned sector (see annex #1, FO #13, Hq 121st Inf, 262330). Kleinhau Garrison was dissolved. Defense plans for new areas were contained in FO #13 and annex #1. At 0910 the CO 121 in the presence of the Regtl Staff and Bn CO's decorated the CO 1st Bn (Major Johnston) with the Silver Star.

The 2nd Bn jumped off at 0900. Fire from four MG's blunted the initial drive. At 1319 Company F was on ridge vicinity 077354. Within an hour Company F had reached the draw. Proceeding across draw at 1730 Company F received heavy mortar and MG fire. Contact with Company G was not reported. Relief of the 2nd Bn by the 13th Inf was effected after dark.

28 December to 31 December 1944.

Map and vicinity: same.

The closing days of the month were devoted to the consolidation of defenses and the dispatching of reconnaissance and combat patrols to the Regtl front. In the defense during this period the 3rd and 1st Bn were on the line with the 2nd Bn in reserve. At 281105 Captain Bartholomew (Exec Off 3rd Bn) assumed command of the 1st Bn. Major Johnston had been evacuated through medical channels during the day. Patrols from the 3rd Bn reported enemy patrol activity in sectors varying from 75 to 100 yards to the front of Company I. The enemy utilized dogs in his patrolling operations evidently to disclose booby traps in our outer defenses. At 301120 Lt Col Kimmel was relieved as Exec Off 121 Inf. Major Holmes assumed the duties of the position shortly thereafter. At 301356 Major Adams was relieved of duty as Regtl S-2 and assigned VOCO Exec Off 3rd Bn. Captain Pinch assumed duties as Regtl S-2. Enemy aircraft were active on the last day of the month in this sector. At 310710 an unidentified plane crashed vicinity Huertgen. A lone enemy, believed to be the pilot, wounded an A Company guard and escaped through the front lines. A map torn up and buried by the pilot was unearthed by a friendly patrol. The map was forwarded to G-2.

Location of enemy airfields disclosed by the map proved of great aid to higher Intelligence. At 311957 Huertgen was exposed to a heavy shelling. The final hour of the year witnessed counter-battery by enemy and friendly artillery.

Casualties sustained during period: 24 Off's - 641 EM's.

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