FO 23, Headquarters Third Armored Division, 12 2000 January 1945 was received this date. Per this order the Third Armored Division attacks combat commands abreast, CCR on the right and CCB on the left 13 0800 to secure Cherain, Vaux and Sommeraine. CCB attacks at H-2 with 1 battalion of infantry to seize the high ground south of Langlir and will attack 13 0800 to seize and secure the Cherain area. Neutralization fire on all known or suspected artillery positions and OP's. No preparation fire will be fired prior to the attack.
The battalion remained in position at Hebronval. The battalion took over direct support fires for the 83rd. Armored Reconnaissance Battalion while the 54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion displaced forward. The battalion fired 20 missions this date: 13 harassing missions, 3 on a road junction, 3 on infantry in the woods, and 1 on an enemy battery. Total rounds expended-704. M15sions on infantry were reported very effective. Heavy harassing fire was fired during the night.
Task Force Lovelady and Task Force McGeorge started moving into assembly areas at 1000 hours. Both task forces were held up just short of the assembly area waiting for the 83rd Infantry Division to clear them. Captain Peters was liaison officer with Task Force Lovelady, and Captain Hawley was liaison officer with Task Force McGeorge. First Lieutenant Willoughby, Second Lieutenant Yell, and Second Lieutenant Meek were forward observersSecond Lieutenant Dervinskas reported to Captain Peters late in the evening with a medium tank and relieved Second Lieutenant Yell.
The 83rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion was attached to the 391st Armored Field Artillery groupment for the coming operations and was to give direct support to Task Force McGeorge.

Weather: Cold and cloudy.

Visibility: Poor to fair

13 January 1945
Both task forces continued the attack at o8oo hours trying to get to the assembly areas. They had reached the assembly areas by dark and were preparing to attack at 0800 hours 14 January. First Lieutenant Willoughby was wounded by mortar fire as the task forces were pushing towards the assembly areas. He was evacuated.
Second Lieutenant Dervinskas was killed in action today in the vicinity of Cherain. He was forward observer with 2nd battalion, 33rd Armored Reconnaissance. The tanks were held up by a minefield protected by an anti-tank gun. He went forward to adjust fire on the anti-tank gun and was killed by mortar fire.
The battalion fired 26 missions this date: 3 harassing missions, S TOT's, 6 on towns, 7 on infantry, 1 on tanks, 1 on vehicles, 1 on personnel, and 2 on antitank guns. Total rounds expended-2073. Missions on infantry were reported very effective.

Things quieted down a bit in the afternoon. There wasn't even much artillery and the contrast was startling. Then, H hour arrived and the attack was on again. Every day, every hour-attack!
The Task Force moved off down the narrow icy, road, tanks coughing into the cold with 'tracks barking along behind. Small arms opened up at once, but they quieted down right away when the tankers began to reply. The force kept moving down the road. It wasn't too strong a force then, for it had been badly chewed up the day before, and the day before that. They rounded a bend in the road and churned down a straight stretch, lined with ice covered trees. As the last of the tanks came around that bend there was a sharp report, the driving whistle of an AP, and that last tank was finished. All hell broke loose then, for the tankers were on a narrow road with no room to maneuver around. The 88s came in from all angles. They had those tanks sitting there like ducks on a pond. Now the artillery started to come in, and the mortars, all in those trees above the tanks. There was a good choice. Stay in the tanks and sweat out the APs, or climb out and dodge the tree bursts.

14 January 1945
Task Force Welborn attacked at o8oo hours from Lomre against stubborn resistance and succeeded in getting into the northern outskirts of the town. Heavy direct fire from tanks and anti-tank guns forced this force to withdraw during the afternoon. Infantry attacked Cherain at midnight but could not advance. The task force remained in position about 1500 yards north of Cherain.
First Lieutenant Plummer took over the tank of Second Lieutenant Dervinskas who had been killed the previous day. The sections of First Lieutenant Plummer and First Lieutenant Willoughby returned to the battalion today. First Lieutenant Kelly set up an OP in the vicinity of Lomre this day.

15 January 1945
Task Force Welborn advanced in the vicinity of Sterpigny-Rettigny to reduce the enemy pressure on Task Force Lovelady. Task Force Welborn made steady but slow progress against anti-tank, mortar, artillery and small arms fire. By 1400 hours leading elements were in the town of Sterpigny. This task force encountered stubborn enemy resistance and was unable to secure more than the western portion of the town. Two tank companies from Task Force Richardson were attached to this force to aid in securing the town. First Lieutenant Kelly was relieved from his OP and sent as forward observer with this force from Task Force Richardson.
Task Force Lovelady advanced at t zoo hours and encountered a minefield about 1000 yards northwest of Cherain. Extremely heavy anti-tank and small arms fire from the east halted the advance of the task force. At 1530 hours Task Force Bailey was ordered to relieve Task Force Lovelady. At the end of the day Task Force Lovelady was reorganizing about 4000 yards northwest of Cherain.
During the attack on Cherain, FO 2 tank was knocked out by anti-tank fire. The driver was killed and the FO sergeant was seriously wounded. Second Lieutenant Meek was killed by mortar fire while outside the tank after it had been knocked out.
Captain Peters, liaison officer with Task Force Lovelady was lightly wounded by a shell fragment from an anti-tank gun and was relieved by Captain Nelms. Second Lieutenant Yell was sent as a reserve observer to Task Force Lovclady's headquarters. In marching to the CP, a direct hit by a mortar shell was scored oil the tank seriously wounding one of the crew members. Second Lieutenant Yell was recalled and returned to the Battalion CP in the late afternoon. First Lieutenant Plummer was unable to proceed with Task Force Lovelady because of the mechanical failure of the tank and was recalled to the battalion.
The battalion fired 43 missions this date: 18 harassing missions, 7 TOT'S, 2 on anti-tank guns, 6 on infantry, 2 on infantry and tanks, 3 on infantry in woods, 2 on personnel, 1on a road junction, 1 preparation, and 1 smoke concentration. Total rounds expended this date-2882. Two anti-tank guns were knocked out. The fire on the infantry was reported to be very effective. Three tanks were reported immobilized by the fire from this battalion. During the night and during the early morning hours, the battalion fired a mixture of HE impact and Pozit in the harassing missions.

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