INTERVIEW

Unit: Combat Command A, 8th Armd Div
Action: Roer-Rhine
Source: Capt Howard T McCafrey, S-2, 7th Armd Inf Bn
Interviewer: Capt Joseph Vasta
Place and Date of Interview: Wankum, Germany, 13 Mar 45

On the 28th of February, Task Force Crittendon took Wegberg. In the taking of this town they came under small-arms and artillery fire. In Wegberg itself, they found a road-block. The task force moved right out on its way towards Merbeck. (At this point, Capt. Bryden hyde who had served on the staff of Task Force Crittendon brought out the fact that Wegberg had been taken by an infantry division. He thought that it was the 35th Infantry Division that took the town, but he wasn't sure.)

On the road from Wegberg to Merbeck (next objective), the task force was held up by a road-block approximately 500 yards to the southeast of Merbeck. This road-block was covered by small-arms fire coming from the vicinity of the town itself. Merbeck was shelled by medium artillery and Company A of the 18th Tank Battalion gave direct support. About 0630 hours, the tanks moved forward into town firing as they went, followed by B Company of the 7th AIB. Company B moved right on into the town and mopped up the remaining enemy resistance. The tanks came through the town and fanned out on the west side of it. Reports from prisoners taken in the town were that one company of the 169th Pioneer Battalion had been holding the town. When the shelling started, most of the defenders took off for the next town. Merbeck was completely cleaned out by 0800 hours 28 February.

About 0900 hours the enemy began shelling the town of Merbeck. Company A of the 7th AIB dismounted and moved to the northern edge of the town and into position to attack Tetelrath which was about 1000 yards north of Merbeck. In the meantime, Company B mounted and moved to the south edge of town. At 1000 hours Company A jumped off and advanced one platoon as far as the AT ditch 500 yards south of Tetelrath. There the platoon was pinned down by fire. A second platoon of Company A advanced to a point about 150 yards to the north of Merbeck and was also pinned down. Fire was coming in from both flanks and a pillbox on the right flank. The enemy was also firing from some of the houses in Tetelrath. Three tanks (A Company, 18th Tank Bn.) moved just north of Merbeck to bring fire on the automatic fire holding down Company A. But the enemy was too well dug in and the tanks were unable to root the enemy out.

At 1045 hours mortar and artillery fire began to fall on the road between Merbeck and Tetelrath. At 1230 hours, Company A was still pinned down. . . couldn't go forward along the road because of enemy fire and couldn't go along side the road because of mines. The engineers moved up and began to clear out the mines under fire and they were really under fire as they worked.

About this time Lt. Col. Crittendon assembled all his company commanders in Merbeck for new attack orders. Company B of the 7th AIB was to move up into the woods west of Merbeck and clear out the opposition there which was bringing fire on A Company. An artillery preparation was to be placed on the town of Tetelrath which would be followed by an attack by A Company of the 7th AIB and A Company of the 18th Tank Bn. At 1510 hours Company B reported they were in position for their part of the mission. Company A mounted up and jumped off for the attack at 1550 hours. About five minutes later, one platoon of infantry and one platoon of tanks reach Tetelrath. The lead track (not a tank) was knocked out by fire. The enemy artillery dominating the road made it impossible for vehicles to get through. A Company knocked out the pillbox on their right front. B Company knocked out an 88 (mm gun) which was in position in the woods on the west flank. About 1600 hours, B Company called back that they were cut off by German infantry. At 1755 hours B Company came out of the woods with 60 prisoners. In the meanwhile, A Company of the 7th AIB and A Company of the 18th Tank Bn. had gone into Tetelrath (1630 hours) and consolidated their positions. After taking the town and consolidating their positions, one platoon of A Company pushed out beyond Tetelrath.

At 2300 hours the battalion CP was established at Wegberg. At that time Task Force Crittendon was dissolved and two new task force were set up in CCA. They were TF Goodrich and TF Mossman. TF Goodrich consisted of the following units: 18th Tank Bn (minus A Company); Company C, 7th AIB; Company A, 809th Tank-Destroyer Bn; Company A, 53d Engineers. TF Mossman was composed of the following units: Hq Company, 7th AIB; A Company and B Company also from the 7th AIB.

1 March 1945

The road east of Waldniel from a junction 800 yards north of Tetelrath was blocked during the night by blown bridges over the Schwan River so that it was impassable. Before TF Goodrich could move, the engineers had to clear the road and bridge the river. B Company (7th AIB) sent one platoon to outpost this area while the engineers put in a treadway. At 1000 hours a patrol was sent up the road leading from Tetelrath to Waldniel. The patrol located an 88 mm gun in the woods vicinity 955891. This 88 was on the edge of the woods and nearby was a concrete shelter. The position was found unoccupied. The entire area around this spot was heavily fortified with trenches, emplacements and AT ditches.

It was planned to move TF Goodrich followed by TF Mossman through Waldniel which was being held by one battalion of infantry from the 84th Infantry Division. At 1130 hours the treadway across the Schwam was completed, but the engineers were still busy clearing out mines. At 1230 hours TF Goodrich moved out with the tanks in the lead. They crossed the river and drew small-arms fire from the high ground just north of the bridge. C Company (7th AIB) dismounted and at 1400 had cleaned out the enemy opposition.

After getting through Waldniel, the going was very slow. The combat command had been routed by way of the MSR of the 84th Infantry Division.

The 7th AIB (less C Company) moved along behind TF Mossman. At 1910 hours the column halted to reorganize. They moved out at 1940 hours. The column was again halted at 2220 hours after marching along inch by inch and were ordered to feed chow there. At 2310 hours the column began moving again. They were halted again at 2340 hours just south of Boisheim by a road-block.

2 March 1945

At 0219 hours the road-block was reported cleared by the engineers. TF Mossman closed up on the tail of TF Goodrich. They were still south of Boisheim. The column remained in that area until 1300 hours. In the meanwhile TF Goodrich had proceeded to take Lobberich. While they (TF Mossman and elements of the 7th AIB) were in the area south of Boisheim, they were twice strafed by enemy aircraft. The enemy aircraft was driven off by the intense fire thrown up by all the vehicles in the column.

At 1425 hours the column was halted by a blown bridge northeast of Hinsbeck vic 985075. This was a bridge across the Nett River. The engineers put a treadway across this river but it wouldn't bear the load of tanks. B Company (7th AIB) was the first to cross. In the meanwhile, the engineers went to work and put in a bridge that would carry tanks. This second bridge was in by 1800 hours.

At 1955 hours the column was halted about one kilometer south of road junction leading into Herongen (vic Wankum) and was receiving fire from 122 mm guns (believed to be captured Russian weapons according to Capt. McCaffrey) which caused six casualties. At 2255 hours they closed into Herongen. That was the end of the action.