CHAPTER VII
The Fifth as a Mobile Reserve (1 Oct to 19 Nov)
In the first week of October the 5th armored Division was relieved in LUXEMBOUBG by the 8th Infantry Division and moved north to the vicinity of MONSCHAU, just south and west of the critical HURTGEN FOREST area.
During the following month the division did not operate as a unit against the enemy although elements of the 5th were engaged. Control of divisional components were even more decentralized than in the previous months elements were employed in both the V and VII Corps simultaneously; combat commands, individual battalions, and companies were attached to infantry units. In the first week of November the division headquarters and Combat Command B remained at MODERSCHEID (905990) as the V Corps mobile reserve; CCB had an additional defensive mission in a sector near KALTERHERBERG (925146). At this time Combat Command A assembled at NEUDORF (850312) in order (l) to repel any enemy counterattack through the 28th Infantry Division which was making the corps main effort or (2) to attack through the 28th on Corps order when it secured the high ground in the vicinity of SCHMIDT and STRAUCH. As discussed in Chapter III the 28th attack was unsuccessful and CCA was not committed. On 8 November CCB in the defensive sector was placed under army control; division headquarters joined CCA at NEUDORF and became V Corps reserve with restrictions, however, placed by Army on its committment. In the meantime the reserve command had been attached to VII Corps for employment with the 4th Infantry Division also attacking through the HURTGEN FOREST. On 17 November CCB rejoined the division having been relieved of its defensive responsibilities by the 99th Infantry Division. The division less CCR remained in V Corps reserve and engaged in minor security missions and in performing routine training and maintenance until 29 November. On 19 November CCR was relieved from the VII Corps and on the same day was attached to the 8th Infantry Division which had relieved the 28th.
