The Story of the 10th Armored Division cont.
A 94th regimental combat team moved to the site, eight miles upriver from Trier and prepared strike the reeling Germans before dawn Feb. 22. The blow never fell as planned.
Assault boats trucked from rear areas were delayed by road blocks; other transports were lost at night along the triangle's tortuous, mud-rutted roadways. The opportune moment for a crossing passed because of the insufficient number of boats. Nazis gained precious hours to reorganize and man their defenses.
Attackers soon learned how precious were those hours. With assault boats brought forward during the day, doughs attempted a crossing at 1630, 12 hours after the first try was scheduled. By then, the Germans were set. Artillery and automatic weapons raked the narrow west bank with devastating fire. Most of the assault craft did not reach the water. The few that did were sunk.
Not until 2300 hours did the infantry, screened by darkness, man-made smoke, and the greatest artillery barrage Col. Bernard F. Luebbermann's cannoneers ever laid, succeed in gaining a foothold on the east bank. On the second day of the bridgehead, engineers attempted to span the Saar. Steel fragments of German shell and mortar fire ripped their pontons, thwarted this and repeated efforts for the next three days.
Three miles to the south, however, two 94th Div. regiments had punched out a two-mile area on the Saar's west bank and successfully bridged the river. Gen. Morris then put his break throuhg plan into effect. Three armored infantry battalions, commanded by Gen. Piburn, crossed the river to attack southeast.