The Story of the 10th Armored Division cont.
Meanwhile, nine towns in the Western half bowed in rapid succession to the persuasive firepower of Col. Wade C. Gatchell's teams led by TF Cherry and TF Standish. By nightfall, TF Cherry had contacted cavalrymen who spanned the Moselle to seize Wincheringen. CC B joined the fight the second day. TF Riley's tankers and TF O'Hara's doughs drove three miles through a thickly wooded area to envelope and seize Saarburg, wine capital of the Saar Valley. Nestled on the west bank of the Saar River, the triangle's largest town had been the division's goal three months previous. In the west, CC R moved steadily up the vineyard-lined Moselle Valley to join CC A on the final objective. The combat command then pushed its 'units eastward to high ground overlooking the Saar.
Except for scattered pockets of resistance undergoing speedy 'elimination by cavalry, the triangle operation was finished. In two days, the l0th had blitzed 85 square miles of German territory and seized 23 towns. The Tigers had their revenge but no time to enjoy it.
Maj. Gen. Walton H. Walker, XX Corps Commander, issued terse orders Feb. 21: "Bridge the Saar and take Trier !"
Retreating Germans had destroyed the Saar's three bridges. Infantrymen would have to cross in assault boats, storm the east bank. Then engineers would bridge the river for the 10th's rolling stock. Hazards of an assault crossing, normally a difficult and complex operation, were multiplied by enfilading fire from the
Siegfried's main fortifications.