General Lauer, commanding officer of the 99th, ordered Col. Robertson at Wahlerscheid to hold his position until at least the next morning when more orders would be forthcoming. Robertson told his men to hold and he also prepared them for an orderly withdrawal in the morning. Early the next morning General Gerow, commander of US V Corps, told Robertson to turn south and withdraw to a crossroads just north of Rocherath-Krinkelt where they were to establish a road block. Robertson's troops were heavily engaged and withdrawal was complicated, but successfully completed. 9th Infantry Regiment pulled back to the Baracken crossroads at the edge of the forest, about to the south of the cross roads at Wahlerscheid. The other units moved south through the area near Rocherath-Krinkelt. Robertson moved his headquarters from Wirtzfeld, south and west of Rocherath-Krinkelt, to Elsenborn, just west of the ridge line. Robertson also informed Gerow that he intended to hold Rocherath-Krinkelt until troops east of the villages had retreated through them to the ridge line, which then would become the next line of defense. This defensive line was intended to safeguard the key high ground on Elsenborn Ridge from the German advance. The area around Elsenborn Ridge became a collection point for ragtag groups of American troops whose units been broken and scattered at the start of the enemy offensive. With so many troops from different units arriving in every kind of condition, organizing a coherent defense was a huge task, but one that occurred with surprising speed under the circumstances. Intelligence about the attack that reached the Americans was spotty and contradictory.