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The 702nd Tank Battalion S-2 Journal records the first nine days of January: “January 1; 8:00am-message that two civilians were caught in division area cutting wires.  9:00am-German plane overhead-guns open up, but did not score a hit.  1:00pm-three German planes overhead, bombing and strafing.  Have red nose and German marking, resemble P-47's [see commentary at end of January's entries.].  German troops and vehicles at 79994929.  1:02pm-20 Germans moving in draw at 770447.  1:30pm-many German aircraft ten miles east of Mersch.  1:10pm-two German tanks 100 yards west of coordinates 845424.  1:12pm-two German tanks moving southwest at 847435, disappeared behind hill.  1:20pm-German activity observed at 799471.  1:30pm-eight P.O.W. deserters captured in the vicinity of Kehmen by wire patrol, identified as 6 from Engineer Platoon Company and Anti-tank Company.  According to P.O.W.'s, Kehmen is occupied by an estimated 100 men from the engineer platoon.  Higher headquarters reports seven tanks at P733512.  1:45pm-Flash: eight German planes reported ten miles north of Luxembourg.  1:52pm-four Germans east of Luxembourg, going south.  2:00pm-six German vehicles, one tank, troops and one horse-drawn anti-aircraft gun moving southeast at 850439.  2:15pm-German column previously reported in message of 2:00pm, coordinates now 865455, going northwest on road from Bastindorf to Brandenburg.  3:15pm-two German horse-drawn vehicles moving southwest out of Constheken, coordinates 7853 at 12:40 and 12:55pm.  9:00pm-German aircraft very active in the division sector.  Germans continue to harass our positions with artillery, nebelwerfer and mortar fire.  Small groups of German infantry and vehicles observed moving about the German rear areas.  However, no predominant direction of movement can be determined.

January 2; 9:50am-6 rounds of estimated 105mm German artillery fell on 746455, coming from the northeast.  10:30am-one ME 109 heading south to north at 2,00 feet, at 777400.  11:35am-one diver, very high, going west.  11:40am-Haggle reports tunnel at 718461 clear.  11:55am-German standing guard in front of second building east of street in southeast part of the town of Scheidel.  Four men observed working on this point.  11:59am-one jeep and one 2 1/2 truck moving east out of Goesdorf.  1:35pm-considerable small arms fire and mortar received from the vicinity of 665515.  1:36pm-an estimated battalion of Germans dug in on the high ground along the road from P706523 to P730511.  Thirty Germans seen digging in along the road from P732508 to P733502.  Bridge at P705538 and P712541 blown.  German roadblock at P694522 covered by fire.  3:05pm-two hostile P-47's 15 miles south of here.  3:08pm-two P-47's dropped two incendiary bombs in Colmar.  5:20pm-Headache patrols are back-none out until 6:30pm.  8:25-two German tanks burning-pulled out of woods at 807444.  Alot of activity at Welscheid.  Twelve to fifteen Germans in the street in Welscheid at 4:30pm.  8:40pm-two trucks in the vicinity of Goesdorf.  Observation post at 730500.  Bridge blown at 712498.  10:00pm-German air force active in the division zone.  Germans continue to harass our positions with artillery, nebelwerfers and mortar.  Small groups of German infantry and vehicles observed moving about in rear areas.

January 3; 8:00am-small arms fire received in the vicinity of 823423, believed to be a German patrol.  8:30am-small arms fire coming from a point behind Burden and also from the east.  10:02am-four to five rounds of mortar fire received from the vicinity of 805408 at 9:55am.  10:45am-German artillery falling.  12:02pm-one German aircraft circling east at 7915.  2:22pm- Headache reports approximately ten rounds, estimated 120mm, artillery fell on the nose of "E" Company position at 11:55am.  12:55pm-four infantry howitzers or heavy mortars at P77504955.  Three SP guns at P35154685.  Five nebelwerfers at P85004900.  Five nebelwerfers at 84954980.  Four guns at P76555285.  Four gun battery, possibly OCC at P76305290 and P79705035.  12:47pm-photos indicate bridge out at P83304170.  Two SP guns at P8384425.  12:59pm-Haggle reports eight rounds of German artillery fell at Buderscheid.  1:20pm-approximately three rounds, estimated 120mm, mortar fire at 781449.  3:45pm-German small arms fire in the vicinity of Warren.  Mortar received in the same vicinity, at 3:00pm-reported by Hamper.  4:12pm-civilians report 150-200 Germans in Kehmen in cellars.  Field Train identified unit at P8052.  Chow served at 9:00pm last night, at third house on left on the road leading to Bourscheid.  Kehmen civilians report no Germans in Scheider as of yesterday.  9:00pm-several German platoons encountered during the night in the division zone.  Artillery and mortar harass the division zone.

January 4; Located in the same vicinity of Rechange Les Mersch.  8:00am-small minefield at 728470, containing Teller mines.  8:30am-Germans contacted in Kehmen and Scheidel.  German patrol of approximately thirty men dispersed at 788418.  There was a firefight there at 6:45am.  9:00am-P.O.W. taken at 782450 from 6th Company, 208th Regiment-strength 35 men all in cellars of Kehmen-chow served along the road at 9:00pm.  Between Kehmen and Bourscheid, just outside of town, there are no foxholes southwest of Kehmen.  10:00am-fourteen Teller mines at 722466.  11:52am-two German aircraft in sector P8027, altitude 5,000 feet.  Noon-one P.W. from the vicinity of P782450 identified from 6th Company, 208th Regiment.  P.O.W. states 6th Company strength approximately 35 men in cellars in Kehmen.  Relieved engineer platoon the night of 2nd or 3rd of January.  Engineer platoon reported to go into reserve, location unknown and at least another 40-50 men of unidentified infantry company also in Kehmen.  P.O.W. was with six others on patrol to recon terrain in the vicinity of two burned tanks.  P.O.W. not know of plans or rumors of counterattack plan.  2:13pm-German battery, estimated 75mm, firing intermittently from a position northeast of Goesdorf.  Nebelwerfer battery firing from a position in Nocher-shells land in the vicinity of Kaundorf.  2:42pm-two rounds of artillery fell in the vicinity of Ettelbruck 822399.  3:00pm- Lt. Levine and Recon. made a study of routes above Heiderscheid and reported in that the only route available was Heiderscheid to Gothbay.

January 5; 7:00am-Germans heard talking in Kehmen last night.  9:43am-four to five men observed walking toward Scheidel, along the main road at 9:00am.  9:53am- unestimated number of German tanks in Kehmen at 9:15am.  10:20am-German SP gun fired one round from Kehmen at 9:15am.  12:20pm-two men on foot left woods 200 yards west of 805453, were replaced by two other men who enter woods at the same spot.  12:34pm-Germans reported walking around in Burden and Michelan.  1:07pm-one round of artillery every three minutes on railroad bridge P8239 east of Ettelbruck.  1:10pm-anti-personnel and anti-tank mine field covered by small arms fire between P838402 and P835412.  1:40pm-two Germans move from 727487 to Goesdorf at 1:15pm-fresh foxholes and tank or half-track tracks observed.  1:50pm-15 Germans in the vicinity of 852442 move northeast at 1:40pm.

January 6; Snow and ice-roads very slippery-visibility poor.  5:00am-all personnel up-attack taking off this morning.  "C" and "D" Companies are in the attack.  9:20am-German column of foot troops on the road at P763491, moving north.  12:30pm-two volleys of nebelwerfer fire in the vicinity of    Goesdorf, coming from the north.  12:50pm--nineteen rounds of nebelwerfer fire coming from the northeast, and falling in the vicinity of 748455.  1:00pm-Battalion Command Post moving out to Merzig.  The Germans were surprised by our crossing.  We now have tanks at Goesdorf.  Five knocked out German tanks were encountered on the road.  2:45pm-German direct fire weapons at approximately 782439.  Approximately 120mm mortar position at 75154850.  Vehicular activity observed at the road junction.  105mm coming from northeast fell at 788409.  5:00pm-arrived at Merzig.  8:00pm-Division attacked toward Nocher -surprising elements of the 276th Volks Grenadier Division, who were relieving elements of the 9th Volks Grenadier Division.  German resistance steadily increased during the period.  Heavy artillery and nebelwerfer fire received throughout the division zone.  Towns of Goesdorf and Dahl were cleared.

January 7; Snowy, icy, slippery hills hard to travel, and visibility poor.  10:20am-roadblock of felled trees with anti-personnel mines near 758485.  10:25am-15 to 20 man patrol of Germans at coordinates 774448.  Vehicular movement to the ridge at Scheidel.  11:00am-400 German troops located in the draw south of Backlutz.  Four 88mm guns reported at 7650, by Major Sammons.  Germans firing in the direction of Wilwerwiltz.  Artillery corps reported firing in the 80th Division Sector-six battalions, all combat companies, by Captain Nordstrom.  2:00pm-Germans moved south from Nocher to the vicinity of 735505 and digging in along a line running east to west to that point.  4:43pm-German column of troops estimated at company strength, observed moving north on the road from P758489 to Goesdorf.  10:00pm-heavy German artillery and mortar concentrations received throughout the period by our units occupying the high ground surrounding Dahl and Goesdorf.  Reports from P.O.W.'s indicated German concentrations north and east of our bridgehead across the Sure River.  We observed considerable movements behind the German front lines.  Reported intermittent artillery and mortar fire.

January 8; Vicinity of Merzig, snow all night-visibility poor and the roads are icy and slippery.  7:00am-heard considerable German air activity during the night.  Heavy artillery barrage at 5:00am.  9:16am-estimated 3-inch gun firing in the vicinity of 809425-30 rounds heard from east to west.  9:18am-"C" Company recovery vehicle knocked out by German action.  9:20am-ten German tanks and infantry going down the draw southwest of Dahl to end over and retake Goesdorf from the southeast.  9:50am-three P.O.W.'s captured were identified from 2nd Company, 226th Regiment.  One P.O.W., wounded, from Der Fuehrer Brigade.  Sporadic artillery fire in the vicinity of Goesdorf and Dahl.  2nd Company, 226th Regiment had 30 men and suffered heavy casualties.  This morning's mission to attack from the northeast to take the high ground north of Goesdorf.  Battalion command post at P75194848.  Six tanks knocked out by tank destroyers and one by bazooka.  10:50am-German troops observed in draw at 771, running north from 45 to 47, also observed in draw at 768479.  10:53am-estimated German platoon observed at 768498.  German patrol at 790473.  12:44pm-German infantry at 818474, also southeast of Harterdach, also north of 774484 and 786495, moving along the road.  1:49pm-horse-drawn supply train at Harterdach.  88mm gun in the same vicinity.  Two or three German snipers at 764487.  One German tank in the vicinity of Bockholl.  2:01pm-P.W. reports light battery at 740509.  Heavy battery at 739516.  Most of artillery north of Wiltz flashes during preparation indication of 6-8 battalions of artillery in 72-78 grids.  Enemy artillery along the road east and west of Nocher, also the high ground north of the river.  Movement along the road west of Nocher.  10:00pm-heavy German artillery concentration preceded strong German counterattack with tanks and infantry from northwest, north and southeast on our positions in the vicinity of Dahl and Goesdorf.  "C" Company attack was repulsed with heavy loss of tanks.  Harassed with artillery and mortar fire throughout division zone.  P.O.W.'s-5.  Tanks destroyed today-9.  Total 127 tanks.  Total prisoners-11,575.  Continued to snow during the period.

January 9; 9:15am-German mines were to be laid last night, south of Dahl.  9:17am-40 rounds of artillery fell in the woods at 816383, at 9:00am.  10:05am-15 rounds, estimated 105mm, fell on coordinates 816388.  10:30am-men walking around outside of foxholes at 794438.  Single rounds of small arms fire heard between Goesdorf and Buchloe.  11:30am-P.W. reports outpost in the vicinity of 725514.  Six men are there and the remainder of the company are in that vicinity.  German guns located at 69396062, 71405437 and 70243391.  Three Germans reported digging in at 738477.  Thirty Germans occupied a position at the edge of the woods east of that point.  12:19pm-convoy of six vehicles moving north to east along road 785467 at 12:05pm.  1:01pm-German artillery falling in the vicinity of 734493 and Dahl-mortar in Goesdorf.  2:45pm-15 rounds of mortar landed east of Goesdorf between 12:45 and 1:15pm.  3:04pm-column of vehicles moving south of 9451.  3:15pm-one horse-drawn cart moving west in Kehmen.  Horse-drawn activity going northeast in Leptenscheid.  Smoke observed from the east edge Derback, also from Bourscheid.  3:20pm-two half-tracks reported at 747479.  Blue Two reports 12-15 foot troops walking between 767493 and 710496 at 3:00pm.  3:30pm-60 German troops at 780466, digging in.  3:40pm-smoke shells falling northeast of Kehmen.  3:45pm-seven rounds of timed fire placed on hill 805405-appeared to be coming from the vicinity of Erpeldange.  Vehicle in the vicinity of Warken.  Sporadic artillery at 8039.  4:06pm-six vehicles and thirteen men seen in the vicinity of 729511, at 3:20pm-moving toward Nocher, then stopped at the road junction northwest of Nocher.  4:12pm-small group of Germans moving northeast of Bockholtz into woods at 3:34pm.  6:12pm-approximately ten rounds of mortar fell in the vicinity of Goesdorf in the last hour.  6:27pm-four German tanks move south from Nocher, then turn and move northeast.  Horse-drawn artillery moving south at 7455.  Considerable motor and horse-drawn vehicular movement observed in the German rear areas.  Germans continue pressure on our bridgehead north of the Sure River.  Heavy artillery concentrations were received in the division zone.  Two ME 109's flew over the division zone.  Continues cloudy and cold weather, with limited visibility.