the massive Schwammanauel Dam, just before midnight on February 9. Examination revealed that the Dam had not undergone any demolitions. The Dam, erected in 1934 primarily for defensive reasons, is 188 feet in height and 1000 meters in width. The five-tiered earthen staircase is strengthened by a reinforced concrete core over 1000 feet thick at the base. The 22,000,000,000 gallons of backup water would have threatened any river crossing operation. All the settlements along the Roer from Heinbach to Doermund would have been submerged if the Germans had unleashed this mass of water, and anyone who tried to cross the river would be trying to commit suicide. The sluiceway had a blown bridge just above it; the control houses had been obliterated. The reservoir was emptied, and the river's water level increased as water poured through the penstock and into the river. Nevertheless, the possibility of devastation and flooding was eliminated, and the Division achieved a goal that the American First Army and Ninth Army failed to accomplish in the Hurtgen Forest months before. Maj. Gen. C. R. Huebner, Commander of the V Corps, offered the Division kind praise after the capture of the Dam.. "Although the 78th Infantry Division is relatively new in combat, you have given ample proof that in future operations, you will add new honors to those you have already achieved in this...." In one of his programs, the well-known radio commentator Gabriel Heattor spent considerable time complimenting the Division for "its wonderful successes." The Division's actions were featured in newspapers across the nation. The soldiers preparing to assault in the north would not be in danger if the Dam remained in Allied hands. Fox Company was tasked with ensuring that the recently captured prize would remain Allied. Therefore, they departed Schmidt on February 23 to establish themselves at the north end of the Dam. A portion of the Company functioned out of a once-beautiful restaurant; Fox men could undoubtedly imagine the public gatherings that must have occurred there during the peak of Nazism. Squads would swap turns watching over the tunnel house. The men examined the reservoir's water level every half-hour to provide crucial information to those preparing the major assault to their north. On February 23, the First and Ninth Armies launched a quick and effective advance across the Roer River and onto the Cologne Plains. Fox men anxiously watched the quick advance, knowing