Note 58 — Chapter XV · Battle of the Ridges

At 1325 the 1st Battalion renewed its advance and proceeded without incident, finding the situation “very quiet” to its front. At 1435 the battalion dug in for the night approximately 300 yards south of Balogo.58 The 3d Battalion moved through the gap between the 1st and 2d Battalions and across the front of the 2d Battalion on the right toward Hill 380, which consisted of a series of ridges. As the 3d Battalion advanced toward the hill, it came under machine gun fire on each flank. With artillery support, the troops reached the top of the second ridge of Hill 380 and dug in, nine of the men having been wounded.59 At 1635 the battalions of the 184th Infantry received orders to set up night defense positions in depth and to hold the “positions at all costs.”60 Colonel O’Sullivan decided that the 3d Battalion was to bear the brunt of the advance of the 184th Infantry on 6 December and push on to Hill 380.61