Description
274TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
Snow Ridges and Pillboxes
70th Infantry (Trailblazer) Division • World War II
450 pages scanned. Instant PDF download.
Document Overview
Written by Lt. Colonel Wallace R. Cheves, regimental commander of the 274th Infantry, this unit history chronicles the regiment’s full combat experience in World War II—from its defensive stand along the Rhine River in Alsace in late December 1944 through the grueling assault on the Siegfried Line, the drive on Saarbrücken, and the final breakthrough to the Saar River in the spring of 1945. Compiled with the assistance of company historians, writers, and photographers from the regiment itself, the narrative weaves together official action reports, firsthand soldier accounts, and battlefield commentary into a vivid record of 86 consecutive days of combat with the 70th Infantry (Trailblazer) Division. This listing is a digital download of a high-resolution scanned copy of the original printed regimental history.
Campaigns:
• Defensive positions along the Rhine River, Alsace, France (December 1944)
• Battle of Phillipsbourg – repelling the German Nordwind offensive
• Battle of Wingen – clearing German forces from Alsace
• Battle of Rothbach – defensive operations in northern Alsace
• Battle for the Ridges – assault on the Siegfried Line fortifications
• Drive on Saarbrücken – crossing of Kreutzberg Ridge and Spicheren Heights
• Saar River Crossing and capture of Saarbrücken (March 1945)
• Occupation duties – Bad Kreuznach, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt (1945)
Commanders:
• Colonel Samuel G. Conley – Regimental Commander, 274th Infantry
• Lt. Colonel Wallace R. Cheves – Battalion Commander (3rd Bn); later Regimental Commander
• Lt. Colonel James T. Willis – Commander, 1st Battalion (Red)
• Lt. Colonel Karl S. Landstrom – Commander, 3rd Battalion
• Lt. Colonel J. T. McCann – Regimental Executive Officer
• Brigadier General Thomas W. Herren – Commander, Task Force Herren / Asst. Division Commander, 70th Division
• Major General Allison J. Barnett – Commanding General, 70th Infantry Division
Unit paper: unknown
Table of Contents
Watch on the Rhine
Red Takes Phillipsbourg
Wingen Falls to White
Blue Guards Rothbach
The Battle for the Ridges
From Ridges to River
The Breakthrough
Journey’s End
Appendix: Casualties
Appendix: Awards
Appendix: Battlefield Commissions
Appendix: Commendations
Appendix: Roster
Glossary
“This book is dedicated to the everlasting courage of the American Infantryman who always went forward and unflinchingly faced death.”
— Lt. Colonel Wallace R. Cheves, 274th Infantry Regiment