THE PATH OF COMBAT
The 26th Yankee Division landed in France at Cherbourg and Utah Beach, September 7, 1944, but did not enter combat as a Division until a month later October 7th. Elements were on patrol duty along the coast from Carteret to Siouville, September 13-30th, and the 328th Infantry saw action with the 80th Division to which it was attacked, October 5-15th. On October 7th the 26th Yankee Division relieved the 4th Amored Division in the Salonnes-Moncourt-Canal du Rhine au Mame sector, and maintained the defensive positons; a limited objective attack was launched, October 22nd, in the Moncourt woods. On November 8th, the Division went on the offensive, took Dieuze, November 20th, advanced across the Saar River to Saar Union, and captured it, December 2nd, after house-to-house fighting. Reaching maginot fortifications, December 5th, it regrouped, entered Saareguemines, December 8th. Rest at Metz was interrupted by the Von Rundstedt offensive. The 26th Yankee Division moved north to Luxembourg, December 19-21st, to take part in the battle of the Ardennes break-through. It attacked at Rambrouch and Grosbous, December 22nd, beat off strong German counterattacks, captured Arsdorf on Christmas Day after heavy fighting, attacked towards the Wiltz River, but was forced to withdraw in the face of determined enemy resistance; after regrouping January 5, 1945, it attacked again, reached the Wiltz River, and finally crossed it January 20th. The 26th Yankee Division continued its advance, took Grumelscheid, January 21st, and crossed the Clerf River, January 24th. The Division then shifted to the last bank of the Saar, and maintained defensive positions inthe Saarlautern area January 29th-March 6, 1945. The Division's drive to the Rhine jumped off on March 13, 1945, and carried the Division through Merzig, March 17th, to the Rhine, March 21st, and across the Rhine at Oppenheim march 25th-26th. It took part in the house-to-house reduction of Hanau, March 28th, broke out of the Main Riverbridgehead, drove through Fulda April 1st, and helped reduce Meiningen, April 5th. Moving southeast into Austria, the 26th Yankee Division assisted in the capture of Linz, May 4th. It had changed the direction of its advance, and was moving northeast into Czechoslovakia, across the Vlatava River when the cease-fire order was received.
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