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Ed Wizda described this period in his "C" Company diary: "Jan. 6:  The morning brought with it a biting wind, freezing temperatures.  Some of the turret rings were frozen.  You cursed that, the war, the Heinies, everything.  Approximately 6:00 A.M. the tanks left Heiderscheid with the infantry well in advance.  Down the steep, slippery, winding road they went, the only road to Goesdorf and Dahl.  After they had crossed the river, they proceeded up a 'spaghetti-like' steep hill, the steepest we've ever encountered.  One false move meant tumbling down into nowhere.  Almost on top of the mountain, the Sure River looked like a mud puddle.  We were high enough now to shake hands with the observation planes that hovered over us.  Goesdorf and Dahl were mainly an infantry affair with our tanks playing a protective role.  Our 2nd Platoon worked with the 1st Battalion, 319th Infantry.  Our 1st and 3rd Platoons were in support of the 3rd Battalion, 319th Infantry.  On the approaches to Goesdorf, Lt. Marsh's 105mm Assault Gun went over an embankment.  No one was injured.  In taking both towns, only enemy artillery was the main hindrance.  The Germans had left only a small portion of troops in both towns.  A platoon of light tanks from 'D' Company remained in Goesdorf to repel any possible counter-attacks from there, while our company spent the night at Dahl.  'Screaming-meemies' played a dance of death all evening.

Jan. 7; Still very cold and all crews were remaining in their tanks at all times.  It was a 24-hour alert and anything could happen.  Each tank became an icebox (competition for the Frigidaire after the war.) and at times the cold was unbearable. It was still hot in both towns, though as far as artillery was concerned.

Jan. 8; At 3:00 A.M. everything seemed peaceful.  Everyone was on the alert.  Then the Germans 'let loose' with a terrific barrage - the worst ever encountered.  The 3rd Army's worst and strongest counter-attack had begun.  A German regiment, plus tanks were moving in for the kill.  They had plenty of surprises.  As the white-clothed Heinies came down the hill, our infantry machine guns and the 30 cal.’s from the tanks mowed them down.  Tracers were all over and they chased away the darkness with them.  S/Sgt. Shaulis, looking through his field glasses, saw a mass of blackness that looked nothing more than a manure pile.  When he saw a head move on that so-called manure pile, he knew he was face to face with a German Mark V.  The tank was already aiming its gun on Sgt. Beard's blade.  With one shot Cpl. Beadle got the tank.  The shell landed under the gun.  The Heinies can really evacuate tanks in a hurry, too.  Those guys proved that.  Our T.D.'s and infantry bazooka teams made short work of the remainder of the tanks.  We had three casualties during the fierce counter-attack - Cpl. Zedalis LWA, Cpl. Porzuzek LWA, and P.F.C Sudal LWA.  They were hurt when one of our hand grenades exploded inside the turret.  When the sun came up over Dahl this morning, it gave us a full view of the havoc, death and destruction that we had inflicted upon the enemy.  Later in the day, Prestridge and his platoon left for Goesdorf.  Two platoons stayed in Dahl.  Our trains were still in Heiderscheid.

The 702nd Tank Battalion S-2 Journal entry for this date noted that five P.O.W.’s were taken; nine tanks were destroyed (six by T.D.’s, one by infantry bazooka and the rest by 702nd tanks), making a total for the war 127 tanks, and 11,575 P.O.W.’s.  As a footnote, it stated that it continued snowing during the period.

Ed Wizda continues: "Jan. 9; Our 3rd Platoon supported Co. 'E', 2nd Bn., 319th Infantry in assaulting and taking the town of Bockholtz.  This town is situated to the right of Goesdorf.  Opposition was light; 79 prisoners were taken.  They then set up positions in the town.  At Dahl, our tankers were still having enough worries with mortars, artillery and nebelwerfers.  While coming out of his tank in the evening, S/Sgt. Farrington was hit by shrapnel in the neck."