After a day of rest in the sun and reorganization from their action on the west bank of the Rhine, the artillery battalions rejoined the bulk of the division in Euskirchen on the afternoon and evening of April 10^th, and marched through Bonn, Cologne, and Bad Godesburg in blackout conditions.  Tensions were heightened by reports of snipers, and somewhere between Bonn and Munich, Joe Pecora (Brooklyn, New York),  "B" Battery, 414^th AFA, was accidentally shot and killed by a 50 cal. machine gun.  They crossed the Rhine about 2300 on the 'Hodges bridge', a monstrous temporary bridge built with river barges as pontoons.  Some of the batteries covered the crossing from the west bank by firing into the German rear areas.  An arc light was trained on the river so armed guards could spot floating mines, and German searchlights were bounced off the low cloud over.  A dark night, cloud cover, lots of muzzle flashes and tracer fire mixed with the arc light made for a rather eerie atmosphere.
     There was a long hill on the other side, and the road eventually led to the division's first autobahn.  The 412^th proceeded to Dorcheim, approximately 10 miles north of Limburg, and arrived just in time for breakfast, relieving the 28^th 'Bloody Bucket' Infantry Division.  The 414^th stopped at Nister, near Wurzburg, and the 413^th  south of Seigen, at Lautzenbrucken. They stayed in the area for several days, ready for the possibility of a German breakout from the 4,000 square mile Ruhr pocket where more than 300,000 German troops were surrounded.  Time was spent foraging for food and hunting the abundant deer.  Captain Johnson rejoined the 412^th, after having been liberated by troops of the 86^th 'Blackhawks' Infantry Division.  He returned carrying a unique souvenir - a wooden demolition tag from the Remagen Bridge.  While he was missing, a decision had to be made about his personal effects, which contained some 'questionable' material.  Before his belongings were sent home, the decision to burn the offensive material was made.  Captain Johnson was made to sweat it out when the men took their time in telling him of their act of censorship.