From:
SECOND UNITED STATES CAVALRY – A HISTORY
Compiled, edited and published by Historical Section, Second Cavalry Association
Maj. A. L. Lambert and Cpt. G. B. Layton, 2d Cavalry
27 Feb – 1 March, 1945
A patrol of 12 men and one officer from B Troop departed from Girsterklaus (map 34) at 1930 and proceeded along the road to Hinkel (map 34). Lt. Sliger, in charge, set up ambush parties along both sides of a road triangle just west of the RR. As the last two men were moving into position just off the northern side of the triangle, one of them stepped on a small object which exploded just as he stepped away from it.
Concussion was sufficient to knock three of them off their feet, but fragmentation was slight. Two men, including the one who stepped on the object, received tiny fragments and were returned to duty after treatment. A third received a fragment about half the size of a dime in his back and was evacuated though the wound was not, apparently, serious.
Following the explosion and resultant commotion, the patrol withdrew to a clump of woods near a road fork where it set up again. Shortly after withdrawal, mortar fire landed in that vicinity. The patrol remained at the road fork until 1130, during which time motorboats were heard going back and forth from Wintersdorf (map 34) and Hinkel, sounds of personnel moving around on the far shore, and sounds of a wagon in Wintersdorf. Voices were heard in the same area. A sound of a man coughing some distance northeast of the patrol’s position was also heard. Considerable mortar fire fell between the patrol’s first and second positions and one attempt to move closer to their first position, about midnight, was met by machine gun fire.
Patrol returned to Girsterklaus at 0150.
CT Easton was warned, on the 28th, to ready themselves for possible action across the Sauer river on the right flank of the 76th Division as they attacked southeast toward Trier (map IV)(map V)(map 34).
March 1, 1945, XII Corps was clearing the bridgehead between the Sauer, Kyll and Moselle rivers, with the 76th Division, to which the Second Cavalry Group was attached, on the right flank. A Corps operational directive was received directing Second Cavalry Group reinforced to protect Corps right flank and maintain contact with XX Corps. Also to assist the advance of the 76th Division and be prepared to cross the Sauer river and screen the north bank of the Moselle river. When pinched out by the 76th Division it was to move to the rear in Corps reserve, prepared to move to either flank.