The position of the 275th Infantry on the first day of March was very stable. The entire Regiment was firmly entrenched on the high ground overlooking, and just to the south, of the city of Saarbrueken. The sector extended from the German Military Cemetery on Spicheren Heights (433-679) eastward to the Saar River (454-679). The left front was held by I, K, and L Companies of the third Battalion. The right front was held by Companies A, B, and C of the first Battalion. The right flank was protected by the second Battalion with E, F, and G Companies deployed along the high ground just west of the Saar River. The position was very good defensively and it appeared that we would hold here till forces to our right and left had straightened their lines to conform with ours.

Command Posts were located as follows: Regimental at Idxing, 1st Battalion at Aslting, 2nd Battalion at Grossbliederstroff and third Battalion at Spicheren. Supply Points were at Rouhling and Hundling. The Regimental Commander maintained a daily salvage detail which proved highly efficient in gathering all enemy equipment and material found in captured towns.

The first nineteen days saw little change in the overall picture. Positions were consolidated and improved for more effective employment of troops. Dugouts and foxholes were built with overhead protection, wire was strung and alternate supplemental positions were prepared. Company Commanders utilized this lull in the fighting for further training of the men.

On 2 March certain changes in the line were inaugurated. Company "A" took over the position of Company "I"; "I" Company moved into the extreme left front to cover the road from Stiring- Wendel to Saarbrueken. Some troops of the second Battalion [unreadable] formerly occupied by "A" Company so that the first Battalion held the center of the line while the second held the right front as well as the right flank. This could be accomplished as elements of the 253rd Infantry to our right made appreciable gains. Action was limited to patrolling, and our artillery was particularly active and proved very effective against enemy mortar and artillery positions. On the second of March, General Barnett, Division Commander, ordered that two additional fifty caliber machine guns be made available to the Regiment. These were to be used for direct fire toward the 274th Infantry sector (on our left) and all other targets within range. On the third two planes bombed and strafed K and L Companies' positions. A bypass road was constructed in the first Battalion area to detour all traffic off the road as part of it was under constant enemy observation. The Regiment actively aided the forward push of the 274th on our left and the 253rd on our right with heavy machine gun concentrations and by observation. On the ninth, S-2 and S-3 moved from Lixing to a forward Command Post in Zinzingen. More changes were made in the line on the tenth when one company from each Battalion was put on reserve status. Class I, II, III Supply Points were moved from Grossbleiderstroff; Class IV and V Supply Points were in Rouhling. On the twelfth, Cannon Company shelled two barges on the river. These were evidently loaded with ammunition as a big explosion followed. On the fourteenth our Company "I" took over the positions of Companies "A" and "B" of the 274th Infantry thus enlarging our sector.

Activity flared up briefly on the fifteenth as a platoon of F Company pushed out to take a small section of woods and houses (grid coordinates 487-683). They captured 7 and killed 20 of the enemy. "F" Company engaged in a fire fight with Jerry machine guns and snipers. Tanks destroyers in support of this Regiment scored direct hits on oil storage tanks (469-677) and caused a huge fire. On the 16th all three Battalions staged a demonstration to determine enemy reaction and positions. Enemy returned fire with mortar, artillery, machine gun, small arms and final protective fire.

Aggressive patrolling was the highlight of activity during this short lull. Our forces were mindful of the enemy potency and were determined to probe his lines to discover possible signs of weakness, and then plan accordingly. It was very apparent that the prepared defenses of the enemy were not going to be easily destoyed. Each day and night numerous patrols searched the country to the front of the sector. Houses were examined for occupancy or possible gun emplacements. Roads were examined, fields and wooded areas thoroughly gone over, tank traps and ditches and dragoon teeth checked to determine the type of attack necessary to penetrate his defenses. Enemy routes were observed and all known and suspected minefields were charted. The enemy was very watchful for patrol activity and many patrols were stopped, yet the desired information was obtained.

Throughout the entire period the enemy was content to fight a defensive battle, and only occassional patrols were sent out to probe our lines. He relied heavily on artillery, mortar and small arms to harass our positions. A great deal of vehicular and train traffic was heard in St. Arnual, St. Johann as well as in the city of Saarbrueken itself. Our forward observations and patrols reported much defensive preparation in and around the city and it's suburbs. Tank traps were built, ditches and trenches dug. A large anti-tank ditch about 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep stretched the whole length of the front. Dragon teeth, pillboxes and many fortified positions were known to exist on this stronghold of the Siegfried Line. Every day reports were turned in stating that the enemy soldiers and civilians were seen working on defensive positions. On one occasion enemy were seen laying mines. Cannon Company fired and the mines were exploded. It was estimated that there were about 500 troops and a considerable number of Volksturm to our immediate front.

Casualties were light and, except for periodic concentrations of enemy artillery, mortar and small arms fire, the sector was fairly quiet.

The first indication that there would be no heavy fighting to take the city came on the eighteenth. Twentieth Corps, Third Army, sent a message that a large convoy was seen heading east and a general withdrawal by the enmy was expected. Air reconnaissance reports told of huge convoys moving eastward, and a 47 car passenger train apparently carrying troops was bombed and strafed. Moreover fire demonstrations held on the eighteenth and nineteenth did not seem to bear this out. A very decided resistance was offered by the enemy.

The morning of the twentieth did not appear much different than those that preceeded it. Enemy activity was noted and small arms fire was still employed against our troops. Advancing elements on each side of the Regiment encountered no opposition other than ground obstacles, so the Division ordered the Regiment to take the city.

At 1330 the city of St. Arnual was smoked and this drew no enemy response. At 1400 patrols were sent out. They met no resistance and the companies followed them into the city. By 1535 "K" and "L" Companies were reported on their objective with "I" Company moving in from the west to join them. At 1543 "F" Company was reported to be inside St. Arnual. At 0800 the entire Regiment with the exception of "E" Company and the weapons companies were on the objective, the south bank of the Saar River in the city of Saarbrueken. The city had fallen without the loss of a single American soldier. Our prisoner bag for the day was 45. The enemy had been forced to vacate his defensive positions in the Siegfried Line and had fled eastward to the Rhine. For the moment the Regiment had lost contact with him.

The next day, March 21st, was spent in cleaning out the city and inspecting the Siegfried line defenses. All Command Posts were moved into the city and troops given instructions on their conduct toward the German people. This was the land of the enemy and extreme caution and vigilance was to be the keynote from here on. The enemy must be made to feel the full effect of the war.

The Regiment remained in Saarbrueken till the 25th of March. During this period a training program was inaugurated and special mechanised patrols were sent out to police the area. On the 25th the Regiment established a new Command Post at Queidersbach, Germany. A large selection of the province of Bayr Pfalz just north and east of Kaiserslautern was placed under the control of the 275th Infantry. The Battalions and companies were so distributed that each had a portion of this to supervise. First Battalion was located at Bann with "A" Company at Oberarnbach, "B" ar Saarbrueken, "C" at Kinderbach and "D" at Bann. Second Battalion Command Post  was at Hermersburg, with "E" Company at Krickenbach, "F" Company at Schapp, "G" Company at Steinalben, and "H" at Hermersberg. Third Battalion Command Post was set up at Zeselberg, "L" Company at Saalstedt, "I" Company at Kirchenarnbach, "K" Company at Hettenhausen, and "K" Company at Weselberg. Service Company and all classes of supply points were located at Bann. Anit-tank Company was at Linden, and Cannon Company was at Harsberg.

Further training of troops was continued and daily patrols were sent out to search for German soldiers and for signs of possible hostility to our forces. Screening of German civilians was begun and a curfew put into effect. On the 26th an enemy plane dropped an incindiary bomb and strafed the main street of Schapp twice. On the 27th an enemy plane strafed Q[?]dersbach and Bann, however, there were no casualties from either action.

Though out of contact with the enemy for the last ten days of the month, the Regiment was busy with it's training and screening program. Many prisoners were taken and a sizeable amount of enemy equipment and material was salvaged. For the first time since the first of the year, the Regiment was off the line and the troops were enjoying a well earned rest. Casualties were light during the entire month with one (1) officer and eleven (11) enlisted men killed, ninty-seven (97) men wounded in combat, and two (2) men missing in action. The total number of prisoners captured during the month was 245.

General Orders - 275th Honor Roll