222 Infantry Regiment (USA) movement to Soultz 2
The following day, January 5, was one of the most eventful in the history of the Rainbow. Early that morning the First French Army began taking over Strasbourg and the area immediately north and south of the city, relieving the Second Battalion, 232nd Infantry, the Second Battalion, 222nd Infantry, and Companies I and K of the 232nd. At 0800 on the same day the 222nd Infantry began its movement to Soultz to take up its new positions. Its vehicles having returned, the Second Battalion of the 242nd Infantry was at the same time beginning to move to its new positions to the north.
Possibly knowing of this movement, possibly merely fortunate in selecting a time for their attack, the Germans crossed the Rhine River north of Strasbourg during the darkness of the morning of January 5 and at 0745 launched an attack against the towns of Gambsheim, Offendorf, Herlisheim and Kilstett. They could not have selected a better time.