Manonviller and the Bois le Remabois

After questioning of the enemy POWs revealed that the Germans had retreated, 1st BN moved out to the southeast of the woods on 10 October, setting up a perimeter facing Marianviller. 3rd BN moved east of 1st's position 1000 yards, but ran into anti-personnel mines and suffered heavy casualties. On 11 October, 2nd BN moved to within Croismare, and the other battalions - facing no resistance - deployed on the line north or Manonviller to Foret de Manonviller. The Regimental orders were keep contact tabs on the Germans.

1st and 3rd moved out, accompanied by a super-sized company of tankers from the 749th, and a company of the 773rd's TDs. At roughly 1600, I, L and K/Companies encountered some sporadic arms fire, but by nightfall all was secure. 1st BN tied in with patrols from the 315th Regiment to its southern flank. The weather conditions were horrid; cold winter rain, and sleep only came at the point of exhaustion.

Tanks broke through the obstacles, and the Infantry was underway again. By 1650, I, L, and K/Companies established a line past the railroad station moving south to 1st BN's position. A German patrol had passed within 100 yards of the CP, and were eventually caught by M/Co troops. 2nd BNs G/Co was used to plug the gap between 1st and 3rd's positions, but the rest of 2nd BN remained in reserve.

The 314th was ordered to "dig in" - fortifying the positions on 15 October. G/Co moved up to fill out the thin line and managed to capture an entire German platoon. Patrols brought back the news that a full regiment of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division awaited ahead.

At 0330, 16 October, the Germans sent a small task force consisting of two companies of infantry and twelve tanks forward into G/Companies line. After resisting for nearly two hours, the Company finally fell back. F/Co, coming up from reserve, counter-attacked at dawn with tank support, and captured 45 POWs. G/Co was back at its original line by mid-morning, 17 October.

The Germans attacked again, at the same location - the G/Co line - but this time had almost a battalion strength of troops and nine tanks. G/Co had to scatter. F/Co moved back in at daybreak 18 October to regain the position, but found it vacated. It was beginning to seem like harassment tactics, and later that day when E/Co moved forward to relieve G/Co, they captured 49 more German's moving forward.

Rumors were floating that the 79th would soon be relieved by a new division - the 44th, fresh from the United States. The 79th had spent over 120 days in combat and needed a rest. But before they got it, one more objective came down from Regimental HQ. Take ground at Bois le Remabois.

The movement was going to be a little difficult. It would require a "wheeling maneuver" because the left sector was too far away to implement a full-scale attack scenario. On the evening of 19 October, the 114th Regiment of the 44th Division took over 1st BNs position on the extreme right so the 1st could move over 2500 yards southeast of the railroad station.

From this point, the 1st BN was to time its advance to coincide with the 3rd BN reaching Le Remabois, and continue up the tracks. 3rd BN, after taking Le Remabois, would keep moving to the central objective - Bois le Remabois. 2nd BN, leaving E/Co to guard the southern position, would follow up behind 3rd BN setting up defenses.

L/Co spent 20 October clearing a section of the woods to be used as the launch area. The remaining 314th Regiment stayed in position. H-Hour, 21 October was scheduled for 0635, but it was delayed for one-half hour to allow for the tanks to arrive. The rainy and cold conditions had slowed their advance. In less than two hours, L/Co, the spearhead, along with I and K/Companies were inside the Bois le Remabois. There was brief mortar and small arms fire, but by 1300, the objective was taken with 2nd BN filling the line. To the north, 1st BN began its attack, and lost two tanks almost immediately. A/Co, on point, kept moving forward and was on its objective by 1145.

The ground was peppered with trenches and pillboxes still in place from World War One, and the 1st BN gathered in them, grateful for the shelter from enemy mortar fire.

1st BN patrols spotted some enemy troops and tanks, and artillery fire dispatched them quickly. The only real enemy attack came around 1200, 22 October, as a small German patrol came through a hole between the I and L/Co line. A C/Co platoon quickly sealed off the gap.

In the afternoon of 23 October, the 314th's 2nd and 3rd BNs were relieved by their counterparts from the 44th Division's 71st Infantry. A few of the 314th's officers and enlisted were left behind for a day as advisors, but the remainder of the battalions wasted little time in leaving. 1st BN was temporarily attached to the 315th Regiment, and it was relieved 24 October, 1944.

The 314th Regiment had been withdrawn from combat after 127 days.

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