Bulldozers cleared heavy road blocks for waiting convoys . . .

The burgermeister surrendered the town without a fight . . .

The east side of the Werra River was thoroughly secured before the 76th pressed further east. The 3d Cavalry Group took over the assignment along the river from the 417th and the regiment moved by motor to Eigenrieden, Heyerode and Lengenfeld, where patrols were kept active flushing woods and towns. The 385th, having advanced north to capture Allendorf, Klein-Vach, Albungen and Fürstenstein, was likewise relieved 9 April by the Cavalry Group and moved by shuttling to positions along the road between Ollendorf and Ballstedt. The men of the 304th remained alert on the high ridge north of Langensalza waiting for orders to continue the advance.

Tanks covered roads leading into town
as infantry units cleared houses . . .

The three-man patrol from Company B 417th had been assigned to check woods near Auerswalde [Several days later, near Mittweida -U.Koch]. As the doughs approached the woods three German boys emerged from the shadows of some trees. The patrol questioned them and one of the boys replied in English, "No, there are no German soldiers in there," and pointed toward the woods. 2d Lt Jay Angeluzzi and his two EM assistants moved among the mass of trees. The German boys seemed to have been telling the truth for there was no sign of krauts. All they could see was a house set deep in the woods.

By 10 April ONAWAY troops were driving with all possible speed toward a new objective the railroad running from Strausfurt to Kühnhausen. Advances were becoming so rapid that the communication and supply lines were being strained to the utmost and taxed the wits of those men behind the man with the gun. However, despite the speed of the advance and the tremendous volume of vehicular traffic, no serious difficulties were encountered in traffic circulation or movement due to perfect coordination between all sections in charge of this phase of combat. Wire communication was next to impossible at times. The means available were radio and liaison but the great volume of radio traffic strained the effectiveness of that means. The most satisfactory method of communication was found to be the liaison officer who traveled by jeep in most cases. In situations of great urgency or where long distances were involved, 76th Artillery planes were made available and communication was relatively swift. Two officers of the liaison section, as an example, were employed by the 76th to operate between the division command Post and that of the 6th Armored. In addition, a liaison officer from the 6th Armored, equipped with a radio in contact with the armored outfit, remained at ONAWAY 's CP throughout the operation.

Antitank gunners await orders.
Prepared to move on a moment's notice . . .

It was, noon when the first platoon of Company F 385th Infantry neared the town of Dachwig where the enemy held a commanding view of the flat and open-terrain approaches. The platoon worked its way to within 800 yards of the town when the enemy opened up with machine gun and rifle fire so intense that it pinned down the men. Most of the trouble was coming from a machine gun nest that Sgt Vito C. Pumilia, squad leader, could see from his position. There were eight heinies there. He managed, in short rushes, to get to within ten yards of the machine gun nest and opened up with his M-1. He got the gunner with the first shot and killed three more in rapid succession. The other four gave up. With the first machine gun nest out of the way the platoon continued its advance with Pumilia in the lead. Ahead of him was the enemy entrenched about twenty-five yards from the town. He worked his way through machine gun, rifle and grenade fire to a point where he eliminated three more heinies and routed the rest. The platoon then broke through and entered the town. During the house-to-house fighting Pumilia killed four more of the enemy. In all, he personally accounted for eleven dead and four captured.

In the 304th drive on the 10th the troops moved in on Bad Tennstedt. Krauts, manning outposts, gave up readily. The attack continued towards the town where several buildings went up in smoke under tank and TD fire. Three Jerry machine gun positions were overrun and the machine guns turned on the Jerries, more than fifty of whom already had been captured and as many killed. With marching fire the doughboys swept the town, cleaning it out in double-quick time.