The Decoy Doughboy Souvenir Edition -- Printed in Czechoslovakia May 23, 1945. -- Publishes by and for the men of the 18th Combat Team. -- First Infantry Division, U. S. Army. THE LAST HILLS During the two week period in which the 18th Infantry White and Blue Battalions fought their way through the 25 miles of Harz Mountains to clean one of Central Germany's largest pockets, more than 12,000 German prisoners passed through the regimental PW cage. In the 12,000 haul, were four generals, 75 colonels, and 423 lesser ranking officers making a sizable dent in the defending Panzer divisions. Since April 8th when the regiment crossed the Wesser River and entered the massive forests of the Harz the rate of German prisoners had increased in proportion to the progress of the rifle companies until the 3rd Battalion took the final regimental objective, industrial city of Thale, when the prisoner total reached new heights. In the mountain fighting, the 2nd and 3rd plowed its may thru terrain similar to that encountered in the bloody Hurtgen Forest. Through snow and rain, cliffs and quarries, dense brush and thick forests, the l8th's men pushed the enemy before them until reaching open land again. The evacuation of prisoners was the biggest problem next to the actual fighting. As the drive gained momentum, the roads were sometimes clogged by surrendering Nazis 'hoofing' it back to American rear areas and there never seemed to be enough trucks to handle the great loads of enemy prisoners. 2nd Lt. Lewkowicz, in charge of the regimental PW cage, explained that during the late winter months, the Harz Mts. had become a sort of collecting point for returning stragglers; especially for orphaned members of the defunct Luftwaffe. Wermacht soldiers who's outfits had been knocked out, streamed back to the steep-sloped mountains; there to be assembled by Nazi commanders into mobile infantry units for the purpose of defending the stronghold. The result of the regiment's success was the elimination of a dangerous enemy pocket bringing V-E Day that much closer to actuality.
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