Troops cleared Wittlich of civilian snipers . . . |
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Such was the general tempo of the Western Front. German forces were being pushed back, back, back. The 76th Division on the north side of the Moselle was doing its full share of the pushing. On 1 March the 1st Battalion of CT 304 moved southeast from Wittlich, flushed intervening wooded areas and villages, and in a seven mile march which took more than five hours to complete over hilly and heavily wooded terrain, occupied Osann, Monzel, Kesten and Piesport. Companies of the 3d Battalion drew beads on Wengerohr and Platten east-south-east of Wittlich, followed by the 2d Battalion fully prepared to exploit the seizure of any bridge across the Moselle. The 2d Cavalry Group, swinging south, captured Bekond and then Schweich. Here, where the Moselle runs from west to south by east, the Cavalry relieved the 10th Armored Division on the north bank of the river. To the Germans, the 76th Division must have appeared a multi-headed snake as it viciously struck out in all directions. The superb timing left the enemy breathless and frightened. With the 417th Infantry Regiment returned to division control, the 2d Battalion was again attached to armor to form Task Force Cherry with the mission of establishing a bridgehead across the Moselle at Bullay, sixteen miles to the northeast of Wittlich. Sure the enemy resisted. They resisted like savages at Bausendorf, but it wasn't enough; the Yanks outfought them to reach the objective and determinedly hold the bridgehead which was later used by the relieving 89th Infantry Division. |
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Motorized
infantry struck out viciously . . . |
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Combat Team 385, assembled at Neuerburg and Berlingen with a regimental reserve at Belingen, approached the Moselle banks with the capture of Hetzdorf, Bengel and Kinderbeuern. While the 3d Battalion began a southern sweep-up by seizing Ürzig, patrols scooted east to nose around Traben. That north bank of the river was really getting a going over. The 304th's Company K, with Company B supporting, entered Maring. Forced back by heavy small arms and mortar fire, plans were immediately made for a dawn attack. The next morning the town's defenses crumbled in no uncertain terms before the retaliating infantrymen. Nor was the routed enemy given any respite for regrouping on the far side of the river. Liaison planes made seventeen flights on 13 March to direct the firing of the 76th Division Artillery Battalions against targets on the opposite bank. It was a noisy day, but to the infantrymen it was an outdoor concert of inspiring music. Enemy concentrations in Erden and Lösnich suffered the direct fire of an 808th TD Battalion company. The 301st Engineer Battalion swept the north bank roads of mines and sent reconnaissance parties looking for bridging sites. The 76th Division was getting set to cross the Moselle. There was still some work to be done, however, on the northern side of the river. Here the twisting banks and protruding peninsulas were swept clean by the 304th Infantry. |
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Towns
on the northern bank |
The 385th's 1st Battalion, brought out of reserve, moved north of the Task Force Cherry bridgehead at Bullay and took Alf and a high hill to the north to securely anchor the division's left flank, while Reil, Kröv, Kinheim and surrounding wooded areas were accounted for by the 2d and 3d Battalions. Towns, towns, towns. Each had to be secured. There could be no exceptions. Wehlen and Cues were written off by the 304th's 3d Battalion. Minheim was seized by the 1st Battalion. Entire volumes could be written about the action in each of these towns. As an example, consider Minheim. |
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From the tourist's point of view Minheim is quaint and picturesque. Narrow streets wind through its maze of humpedback, wainscoted houses. Beyond the town the broad Moselle glints in the warm sunshine. It is a typical Rhenish village and could serve as an admirable model for a Christmas card or a grocer's calendar. Its quaintness, however, was largely lost on the men of the 304th's Baker Company when they received orders to clear and patrol the town so that a brother unit could use it as an outpost. The infantrymen saw only that Minheim was located on a narrow peninsula jutting out into the river, and that it was flanked on three sides by high cliffs from which hidden guns suddenly could blaze. |
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All reconnaissance reports had confirmed that the town had been relinquished by the nazis. On the previous day another patrol passed through Minheim without observing any enemy soldiers. The 304th men, however, on the edge of town encountered and took prisoner six Wehrmacht soldiers who either had infiltrated back into Minheim or kept themselves concealed from the previous patrol,. Suspicious, the Yanks began searching houses warily from cellar to attic. Fifteen houses had been combed fruitlessly when suddenly a warning flashed from man to man. The patrol melted into the shadows as a party of fifty enemy troops went marching by. The doughboys had not been observed but an enemy unit this size had to be dealt with. Two buildings straightway were outposted and machine |
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guns set up for the expected encounter. In the meantime a Hitler hausfrau had warned the nazis of the Yank's proximity, so they hurriedly set up a machine gun of their own, accidentally choosing a building directly across the street from the 304th position. Waiting until the krauts had completed the operation, the 76th doughboys opened fire, eliminating both gun and crew but also unavoidably giving away their position. |
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