The quiet life with the usual 'garrison duties' prevailed for the remainder of the stay at Aerbeck, a period of rest. On 17 March, 'B' Battery continued the general search for weapons in the vicinity of NewKerk and Alderkerk, discovering one ammunition dump and taking two PWs. The chief available forms of relaxation included baseball and movies.

Leaving Aerbeck at 211900 March, the Battalion marched 23 miles to Loheide, Germany, where it occupied firing positions to engage in the preparation for the Rhine crossing. Loheide is located astride a ridge with the town built along a road paralleling the river and separated from it only by a broad green meadow. Across the river was part of the heavily built highly industrialized Rhur area north of Duisburg. All of this section had been severely damaged by bombing and artillery fires, yet some tall stacks remained standing with gaping holes in them evidencing direct hits.

Headquarters Battery was situated along the road, and firing batteries were defiladed behind the ridge in well fortified sand-bagged fixed positions prepared largely the night of arrival with the aid of a dozer and improved upon during the following day. In anticipation of possible counter-battery and harassing fires which, incidentally, turned out to be at most sporadic air bursts, these positions were the best ever prepared by the unit. Houses along the road afforded excellent Ops for observation across the river, and a close in OP was established along the river bank in a house at Orsoy.

Civilians had been evacuated from this locality. Cows and other domestic animals ranged the area including the broad green expanse of meadows stretching to the river. Situated in the meadows was a good illustration of German enterprise and effort at camouflage which represented a large factory site covering several acres, constructed of light wood materials. It was complete with electrically lighted skylights, simulated rail lines and sidings, simulated railroad cars, a large tank and even a tall wooden stack which had been rigged up to emit smoke. Inasmuch as there was no evidence of bombing in the area, however, this 'Kraut' effort apparently was wasted.

The operations room was located in an old house which was partially defiladed. The executive section, message center, and the Battalion aid station were located in an elaborate which walled concrete dugout constructed by the Germans which had been wired for electricity, and which also included provisions for heating. Vehicles were dug in, machine gun emplacements were established covering possible approaches across the meadows, and the tanks were set out to guard important sections of road along the approaches to the Battalion area.

The unit remained in this location through 26 March under Division Artillery control. Missions consisted largely of harassing and interdiction fires with some observed missions sent in by the air observers. Other artillery battalions with larger pieces were jammed in the area; so all in all, personnel had to become accustomed to a great deal of noise, twenty-four hours a day.

While engaged in this mission, we had a front row balcony seat from which to observe both the AAF and the RAF in action. Many bombing missions were flown in the immediate vicinity. German ack-ack appeared heavy, but formations were maintained, and very few planes were knocked down. Likewise the returning C-47s which had dropped the 17th Airborne Division across the river passed back over this locality.

At night the Krauts sent over their usual 'bed check Charlies' on reconnaissance missions. Their number was somewhat greater than we had encountered before. When they appeared to be within range, AAA units in the vicinity took them under fire, filling the sky with tracers; two or three of these planes were knocked down.

During this period one enlisted man was lost and one was gained. Pfc Sharpe of 'C' Battery was wounded in the chest by a stray bullet coming from a wooded area located southwest of the battery position. He was evacuated to the 105th Evacuation hospital. The enlisted man gained was a reinforcement assigned to the Battalion per SO 66, Hq 8th Armored Division.

The 79th Infantry Division was to attempt a crossing of the Rhine in our sector at 240230 March after an artillery preparation of one hour. This schedule was one hour later than that in the sector to our north. To provide close in observation Capt Leon and the liaison section set up an OP in a house along the river bank at Orsoy; at 0230 the preparation started as scheduled. The battle noises preparatory to the Roer crossing in our sector were very moderate compared to the pandemonium which broke loose at this time. A total of 2057 rounds were fired in this Battalion alone in the preparation. The 79th Division affected a crossing and established a bridgehead with very much lighter losses than had been anticipated. It progressed so rapidly, in fact, that targets along the line of advance were out of range of our pieces within a day, and most of the firing during the last day of our stay west of the Rhine was directed toward the industrial area to the south of the line of advance.

During the period known damage done to the enemy from observed missions included 11 cargo vehicles, 1 CP, and two MG emplacements destroyed, 7 killed and an unknown number of wounded. Weather at the time was generally favorable for air observation. No firing was conducted from the ground OP. It should be emphasized, however, that most of the missions consisted of unobserved fires. A total of 7,065 rounds was expended during this operation.