355th Infantry Regiment…March Through Germany

Campaign chronicle of the 355th Infantry Regiment.

As part of the 89th Infantry Division, the 355th Infantry Regiment debarked from New York in December of 1944. The unit’s first casualty was experienced shortly after landing in France, when PFC Donald Sutton stepped on a landmine near the regiment’s camp. By early March, the division was ready for combat and moved into Germany.

This map picks up the action in the middle of the month, showing the progress of the 355th as matter-of-fact and relatively unencumbered. Starting with the crossing of the Moselle, the regiment traversed through Germany; liberating Ohrdruf Prison Camp and capturing Zwickau before reaching the outskirts of Chemnitz. It was there, on May 9th, that the regiment got word of the final ceasefire (a day later than V-E day is traditionally celebrated, due to the time change). A few illustrations add life to the otherwise static image; including a winged Allied tank and Germans in a hasty retreat to their bunkers.

The map was drawn by Master Sergeant J.E. Barton and designed/approved by Major N. Casavola. Published, probably in Germany, in 1945. WorldCat notes only two examples as of April 2024, at the University of Texas and Texas A&M. An additional copy is located at the Library of Congress. It is rarely available on the market. OCLC# 226216090.