Rimling and ObergailbachOn December 9th, the 346th and 347th infantry regiments both moved away from Fort Driant, and shifted focus to the Saar-German border. The 87th split the two remaining divisions between two towns, Rimling and Obergailbach. Rimling quickly fell to the 346th, while Obergailbach proved to be very challenging for the 347th. The offensive encountered heavy opposition due to four enemy rifle divisions supported by tanks defending the town. At Obergailbach, Hatcher remembers being ordered to scout the ground ahead of the company. He refused, and someone else volunteered to go to the top of the hill and see what was on the other side. When the soldier reached the peak, he was shot and killed. After Obergailbach, the 346th and 345th regiments both went back into battle. The 346th finally punched into Germany, while the 345th fought a vicious three-day battle in a forest inside Germany’s border. Shortly afterward, German forces launched the massive offensive in the Ardennes, starting the Battle of the Bulge. During that time, the 87th dug in, waiting for orders to move to Belgium. During this time, Samuel remembers the life in the foxholes and trenches. He said that two people stayed in each hole. One watched while the other sleep, and they switched every three hours. He also said they were shelled every night, and were forced to dig a new foxhole for every night as well.
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Battle of Fort DriantThe division’s first assignment in France was to take Fort Driant. The battle for Fort Driant is considered to be Patton’s lost battle. The fort was heavily fortified, forcing the US’s attack to consist of air and ground soldiers. The United States would take the fort on December 8th, and the 345th regiment accepted the fort’s surrender.
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