On 15 September 1944 the U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment attached to 4th Division of V Corps was directed by division commander General Barton to advance from the border village of Schoenberg along the valley of the upper Our river.
Led by the 1st SS Panzer division, they planned to attack the[REF] 2nd and the 99th Infantry Division with the goal of capturing Losheimergraben and gaining access to the vital road network to its north and west that would allow them to capture the important port of Antwerp.