The Story of the 10th Armored Division cont.
For the Krauts, confusion mounted to panic. They had been forced to blow most of the Rhine bridges to prevent seizure by American forces driving down the river's west bank. Trapped, the Nazis fled without kowing where to flee. Air observers reported German columns retreating in oppositie directions. Gasoline-less Wehrmacht columns, moving in charcoal-burning vehicles, horses and oxen-drawn carts, or marching afoot, were overtaken by swift armoraiders.
TF Hankins caught the largest enemy convoy 15 miles short of the Rhine on the moonlit night of March 20. A tank-infantry team, whooping like Indians, traversed the length of the column, destroyed 300 vehicles, five tanks and 15 artillery pieces.
Nazis fought desperately to hold open a narrow escape corridor to the two remaining Rhine bridges at Speyer and Gemesheim. To slash this corridor, the Tiger juggernaut wheeled southward.