battalion and Task Force Hogan attacked Auenheim. By 2000 hours the town was secured.
At 0730 hours the battalion began displacing from positions at Elsdorf. Battery A displaced as the lead battery and crossed the Erft Canal at 0815. The battery closed in firing position and the remainder of the battalion displaced forward. The battalion had completely closed in positions 200 yards across the Erft Canal and about 1000 yards north of Raffendorf at 1100 hours. In this position Battery A received small arms fire. A patrol was organized from Battery A and with two light tanks from Task Force Hogan, this force began clearing the woods in front of the battalion positions. Forty two prisoners were taken by this patrol. In the late afternoon P-47'5 plastered enemy positions 1200 yards in front of the battalion positions.

3 March 1945
The battalion remained in support of Task Force Hogan. This force attacked against moderate opposition from tanks and after knocking out the tank opposition moved on to take Rheidt. This force then attacked to seize Stommeln. Tank fire was again encountered and the fighter bombers were called in. At the end of the day Task Force Hogan was defending the northwest section of Stommeln.
At 1500 hours Task Force Lovelady attacked to seize Stommeln. Immediately heavy tank- anti-tank and artillery fire was met from the town. Fighter bombers were called in to support the attack and this opposition was eliminated. By 1845 hours Task Force Lovelady had secured the eastern half of Stommeln. Task Force Welborn followed the attack of Task Force Lovelady and at 1610 attacked Sinnersdorf. Moderate opposition of anti-tank and small arms fire was en countered. By 2015 hours the town had been completely secured.

4 March 1945
Task Force Welborn continued to mop up and secure the town of Sinnersdorf. Task Force Lovelady passed through the positions of Task Force Welborn and at 1215 hours attacked to seize Roggendorf and Warringen. Small arms, anti-tank and artillery fire was encountered but by 1415 Roggendorf had been captured and the attack continued on Warringen. By 1630 the objective had been secured and the Rhine River reached. Elements of the 83rd. Armored Reconnaissance Battalion relieved Task Force Lovelady in Warringen and this force pulled back and went into assembly area near Roggendorf and prepared for the attack on Cologne which was to start at 0400 hours 5 March 1945.
The battalion displaced from positions near Busdorf at 1000 hours to support the attack of Task Force Lovelady and closed in position at 1045 hours near Stommeln. The battalion fired its first volley across the Rhine River at 1130 hours. A battalion volley was fired at this time. First Lieutenant Plummer was the first ground observer from the battalion to see the Rhine River. He first saw the Rhine at 1635 hours and he adjusted fire on barges moving down the river. He destroyed two barges.

5 March 1945
Task Force Welborn attacked at 0400 hours with the objective Cologne and made good against moderate resistance from artillery, anti-tank and small arm fire. The following towns were secured during the day-Lindweiler, Longerich, Pesch, Wilmuth, Heimersdorf and Bergheimerhoft. Task Force Lovelady attacked at 1400 hours with the objective Cologne and made good progress against moderate to heavy resistance from tank, anti-tank, artillery, and small arms fire. This force was held up at Longerich by tanks and infantry. TOT'S were fired on these tanks and the task force called for support from the fighter bombers. Red smoke was fired to mark the tank targets, but because of the poor visibility the planes were unable to pick out the target markers. Task Force Lovelady secured the towns of Wasserm, Eurlingcn and Weiler.
The battalion displaced from positions near Stommeln at 1130 hours. The battalion displaced by battery and by 1300 hours had completely closed in positions in the vicinity of Esch.

6 March 1945
Task Force Welborn attacked east at 0400 hours and by 0700 hours had seized and secured the Ford Motor Plant in Cologne. Task Force Lovelady attacked at o4oo and by 0630 hours the two objectives Merkenich and Feldkassel were secured. Forces from Task Force Lovelady were left to hold the objectives and the remainder of the task force withdrew to assembly areas on the outskirts of Cologne. By night the 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion with the aid of Task Force Lovelady had cleaned out resistance west of the Rhine down through the suburb of Niehi. First Lieutenant Smith established an OP in the Ford Motor Plant.

7 March 1945
Task Force Hogan continued cleaning up resistance in Cologne in house to house fighting. Chief resistance was from small arms and sporadic artillery fire. By 16oo hours the city of Cologne west of the Rhine had been cleared of the enemy.
The battalion remained in position northwest of Longerich. Three OP's were set up along the river and each battery was assigned one to man. During the day, Headquarters Battery sent a billeting detail into Longerich to select and start cleaning out billets for the battalion CP. The battalion fired three missions this date: 1 on a railroad train, 1 TOT, and 1 registration. The train was knocked out. Total rounds expended this date- 113.

The mud was bad, but everyone found some sort of a place to sleep. They'd all been in the sack for a good two hours though it was only eleven. The phone on the tank jingled and the guard sloshed through the mud to answer it. It was the Exec. "Wake 'em all up". We've got to shoot all night. A thousand rounds over the Rhine. No, we're not crossing. Somebody else has crossed and we want the Krauts to think we're coming over-give them something to worry about. What? Oh down south somewhere-at Remagen.