During the drive through Southern Germany in the spring of 1945, it was unclear as to which units of the German Army were encountered.  The unit history of the 414^th Armored Field Artillery Battalion states that "several German soldiers were picked up who had either deserted their units to or were lost……it was difficult to be certain what enemy units were opposing us" and "even the prisoners we captured did not know what units they belonged to, nor their officer's names."  While it is difficult to precisely place enemy units that directly opposed the 20^th Armored Division, it is possible to determine which units were in close proximity.  For the 20^th, the first unit to move up and make contact with the enemy was the 33^rd Cavalry Recon Squadron when they relieved the 97th Infantry Division and were subjected to enemy Artillery fire.

        When the three Armored Field Artillery Battalions (the 412^th, 413^th, and 414^th) moved up to support the 82^nd Airborne Division's crossing of the Rhine near Cologne, units of Army Group B were most likely the defending force on the East bank of the Rhine.  Among the first troops to cross the river was CAPT. EDWIN C. JOHNSON, "C" Battery B.C. of the 412^th, who was subsequently captured in Hitdorf.  Accounts of the crossing told of a German Mark V tank that the GI's had little defense against, since the crossing was made by boat and they had no armor support (see After-Action Battle Reports section).  The Mark V was better known as the Panther, and was possibly the best overall tank design of the Second World War.  Well sloped armor and a high velocity main gun made the Panther hard to defeat.