28th—put back into action in a defensive position along the Meuse River from Givet to Verdun on 2 January 1945—was "capable of only limited offensive action." Battle plans were soon made and, on 19 January, the 28th went into action on the northwestern section of the pocket in the Kaysersberg Valley supporting the beleaguered 3rd Infantry Division, which had been holding there since late November 1944. Despite the bitterly cold conditions, the Allies prevailed. German intelligence knew nothing about the 10th and 28th presence in their sector until they attacked. The 28th advanced westward and pressed steadily toward the city of Colmar. In less than 10 days they reduced the pocket by half and the German Führer, Adolf Hitler, who almost always refused to retreat, gave the order in the early morning of 29 January for a partial retreat of his troops in the northern sector of the pocket. By 2 February, the 28th had cleared Colmar's surrounding areas and the French 5th Armored Division led the way into the town. On 9 February, the final organized German troops in Alsace were pushed back across the Rhine. The 109th Infantry Regiment received the French Croix de guerre from Charles de Gaulle. The division was on the front line for 196 days of combat. Francis J. Clark was awarded the Medal of Honor; and 29 Distinguished Service Crosses ; 1 DSM; 435 Silver Stars; 27 Legion of Merit; SM - 21; Bronze Star Medal 2,312; AM - 100 were awarded. The division returned to the United States on 2 August 1945 and was inactivated there on 13 December 1945. Casualties Total battle casualties: 16,762 Killed in action: 2,316 Wounded in action: 9,609 Missing in action: 884 Prisoner of war: 3,953 Assignments in ETO 22 October 1943: V Corps, First Army. 14 April 1944: XX Corps, Third Army 24 April 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army 26 July 1944: XIX Corps 30 July 1944: XIX Corps, First Army 1 August 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group 28 August 1944: V Corps 19 November 1944: VIII Corps 20 December 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. 5 January 1945: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to Oise Section, Communications Zone, for supply. 6 January 1945: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. 8 January 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group. 9 January 1945: Fifteenth Army,