And now the direction of attack shifted once again. Transferring from VIII to XII Corps control, the Division recalled elements of the artillery and infantry which were already within sight of the Rhine. Swinging sharply south, the men of the 90^th once more viewed the river they had decisively beaten four months before. Again the 90^th was face to face with its erstwhile enemy... the challenging Moselle.

Plans called for a crossing to be effected by the 5^th and 90^th Infantry Divisions. The 90^th would then drive southeast and seize a bridgehead over the Nahe River between Bad Kreuznach and Bingen. On the left the 87^th Infantry Division was to hold on the north side of the Moselle. At the same time, troops of the Seventh Army, held up by the Siegfried Line positions in the Saar area to the south, were to launch a powerful offensive. It was hoped that the twin drives would catch the Germans in a vise and thus clear for the Americans the entire area west of the Rhine. Preparations were carefully made for the important action.

The enemy expected a crossing, but nevertheless were unable to prevent its accomplishment when it was actually launched at two o'clock in the morning of March 14^th. Only sporadic small arms and machine fire greeted the 357^th as it moved silently across the river in assault boats on the Division left sector. One crossing was made south of Katennes, the other south of Löf.

Cutting south to take Brodenbach on the enemy side of the river, the 90^th discovered a vigorous defense. Violent house to house fighting continued until noon, when Brodenbach was finally cleared. Fanatical troops of the 6^th SS Mountain Division opposed the 90^th's efforts to cross, and they fought with desperate suicidal fury in a vain attempt to prevent the consolidation of the Moselle Bridgehead.

High hills rose dizzily on the southern side of the Moselle, hills which had to be taken before daylight if the enemy was to be denied observation on the crossing sites. In the darkness the doughboys clambered up the steep slopes, grasping bushes, roots of trees, boulders and tufts of grass to aid them in scaling the commanding heights. By morning the hills were taken and the bridgehead established.

- 68 -

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