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"The 76th Division was to advance east in accordance with F.O. #6 Headquarters XII Corps: 'XII Corps advance H Hour 4 March 1945, seize west bank Rhine River between Andernach and Koblenz on two routes with the 4th Armored Division on the left followed by the 5th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 76th Infantry Division on the right.  The 702nd Tank Battalion attached to the 17th Armored Group.  The 17th Armored Group Headquarters attached to the 76th Infantry Division.'  The plan of attack for the 76th Infantry Division was as follows: The 304th Infantry Regiment to attack the night of 3 March 1945, establish and secure bridgehead across the Kyll River, vicinity of Kyll.  Engineers to build bridge, to be completed 6:00 A.M., 4 March 1945, at which time tanks will cross in support of expanding bridgehead and continue advance to the East.  Due to heavy mortar and artillery fire on the bridge site, and difficult approaches to the bridge site itself, the bridge was not completed until late the 5th of March, at which time the Task Force crossed and assembled in the vicinity of Priest.  Using a regular march formation with tanks leading, the Task Force started to advance 12:00 noon, 6 March, 1945, north to Speicher and then east.  The column advanced against moderate artillery fire to a position west of the town of Herforst where a crater in the road halted the column.  Due to numerous roadblock and craters, making the advance by the tanks very difficult, the infantry was pushed ahead the night of 6 March 1945, with the mission of taking Herforst and continuing the attack by fire from positions east of Herforst until the route was cleared, at which time they were to move with the Infantry.  The attack progressed as planned and Binsfield had been cleared by sundown, 7 March 1945.  Two columns composed of an infantry battalion and one tank company were used in continuing the attack east from Binsfield the night of 7 March 1945.  One column advanced along the route to Binsfield, Niederkail and Landcheid while the second column moved over the route Binsfield to Bruck.  The northern column by late afternoon had succeeded in reaching and clearing Landcheid while the southern column was still having difficulty in reaching Bruck.  In view of this situation, it was decided to abandon the effort to break through on the South and make an effort to seize Burg and the bridge over the Salm River located in Burg.

The 702nd Tank Battalion plus one company of infantry attacked Burg at 6:20 P.M., 8 March 1945, in compliance with this decision and succeeded in capturing the town in twenty minutes; however, the bridge was blown as the advancing troops entered the town.  After the completion of the capture of Burg, Task Force Onaway was dissolved and the three Medium Tank Companies attached one to each infantry regiment.  The companies thus supported the advance of the 76th Infantry Division east to Wittlick, which was entered on 12 March 1945.  On 11 March 1945, the battalion was detached from the 76th Infantry Division and attached to the 80th Infantry Division, which was assembling in the vicinity of Remich, Luxembourg in preparation for a movement east across the Sauer River.  The battalion assembled in this area late 12 March 1945, and the three medium tank companies were immediately attached to Combat Teams with 'A' Company to CT 317; 'B' Company to CT 318 and 'C' Company to CT 319. 'A' and 'B' Companies moved without delay to forward assembly areas vicinity of Irsch, while 'C' Company remained in Rellingen pending the movement forward of the 319th Infantry Regiment.  The battalion command post moved to Beurig the night of the 12th of March 1945.  Company 'A' advancing from Irsch with the 317th Infantry Regiment [on] 13 March 1945, assisted the regiment in clearing the towns of Greimerath and Oberzerf, and by the morning of the 15th of March was attacking Scheiden with the 3rd Battalion.  Both Scheiden and the neighboring town of Waldhoelzbach were captured on 16 March 1945 as the 10th Armored Division passed through the regiment to continue the attack east. After the 10th Armored Division had passed through the 317th Infantry Regiment was ordered to advance behind them and clean out remaining pockets of resistance.  Company 'A' moved east with them, normally carrying one company of infantry of the leading elements on its tanks during the rapid advance.  Upon reaching the vicinity of Bad Durkheim 22 March 1945, the company was placed under battalion control and assembled in Freinsheim.

Company 'B' assembled in Zerf with the 318th Infantry Regiment 13 March 1945, and one platoon was sub-attached to each battalion initially.  The 1st Platoon sub-attached to the 2nd Battalion, advanced to Weiskirchen on 14 March 1945, and was cut off that night by German troops that had been by-passed during the advance.  The remainder of the company with the 3rd Battalion, 318th Infantry at once moved on the town from the Northwest and succeeded in reaching it, late 15 March 1945.  The company was released from attachment to the 318th Infantry Regiment 16 March 1945, and for the exception of one platoon attached to Company 'C'.  During this period, one platoon of the Company ['D'] was attached to each 'B' and 'C' Companies and operated as an additional platoon with these companies.  The 2nd Platoon of the company was attached to the 80th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, and operated with that unit screening the flanks of the 80th Infantry Division during its rapid move into Germany.  The battalion moved from its assembly area in Freinsheim on 24 March 1945, to the new area of the 80th Infantry Division in the vicinity of Rockenhausen.  The entire unit conducted rehabilitation of equipment and personnel in this area until 27 March 1945.

On 27 March 1945, the battalion less Company 'C' assembled just east of Mainz [in] preparation for a crossing of the Rhine River.  The 80th Infantry Division planned to force a crossing of the Rhine River at Mainz, with the 317th and 318th Infantry Regiments, while at the same time the 319th Infantry Regiment was to move over the Rhine River through the bridgehead of the 5th Infantry Division and establish a bridgehead over the Mainz River at Rischfsheim. Company 'C' was to support by fire the crossing of the 319th Infantry Regiment over the Mainz River.  Companies 'A' and 'B' were to support the crossing over the Rhine River of the 317th Infantry Regiment with Company 'B' reverting to the 318th Infantry Regiment after the 318th Infantry had secured a foothold on the east bank.