FIRST TASK FORCE
Following the crossing of the Rhine River, German resistance crumbled to such an extent that it
was essential to form a hard-hitting, fast moving armored unit to reach into the German rear areas,
disrupt communications, cut up German administrative units and installations. Such a force was
organized and placed under the command of Lt. Colonel Harold S. Sundt and was to be known as Task
Force Sundt. [Figure 7-1, Figure 7-2, Figure 7-3] Units comprising the Task Force were the 607th TD
Battalion, less A and C Companies, plus Company A of the 735th Tank Battalion, the 87th
Reconnaissance Troupe, K Company of the 346th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Platoon Company C of the
312th Engineer Battalion and supported by fires from the 155 mm howitzers of the 335th FA Battalion.
The Task Force was divided into three hard hitting companies plus a CP group. Each company
consisted of a platoon of tanks, platoon of TD’s, platoon of infantry, riding on the armored vehicles, and
a platoon of the 87th Reconnaissance Troupe. The CP group contained the remaining forces. It crossed
the Rhine at Boppard on a pontoon bridge and assembled six miles to the northeast at Dachsenhausen
which was the limit of the Division advance.
The Task Force’s first objective was Nastatten, 12 miles southeast of Boppard. At 0545 March
27th the Task Force took off for Nastatten, the plan of attack being to advance along the high ground to
Ruppertshaffen, and thence to Nastatten. By 0830 the Task Force had reached Ruppertshaffen, three
miles west of Nastatten, where it assembled and regrouped.
The third Task Force Company, under the command of 1st Lt. Glen J. Doman, 346th Infantry
Regiment, made the attack on the town at 0915. The first Company, commanded by 1st Lt. Frank W.
Jones, Jr., 735th Tank Battalion, and the second Company, commanded by Captain J. Laverne Nicklas,
607th TD Battalion, supported the attack by fires from the hills west of the town . The third Company’s
armor was stopped at the Muhl River when the bridge was blown in the face of the advancing
reconnaissance elements. The infantry under 2nd Lt. Robert L. Picher, 346th Infantry Regiment, swept
through the town and cleared all enemy resistance. [Figure 7-4, Figure 7-5] The Pioneer Platoon
commanded by 2nd Lt. Caesar Merlo prepared a ford across the Muhl River. By 1300 the armor of the
Task Force crossed with the mission of continuing to the east.
The 2nd Company heading northeast for Holzhausen received heavy 20mm fire, small arms fire,
and AT fire coming from the vicinity of the Holzhausen. The third Company attempting to bypass to
the north was slowed by darkness and enemy fire. The Task Force assembled for the night one and a
half miles northeast of the Nastatten at Buch. During the day they had captured 47 prisoners and
advanced eleven miles.
Behind and to the flanks of the Task Force, combat teams of the infantry regiments advanced, the
TD platoons being in small task forces. Company A advanced to Bad Ems, passing through Ober-
Lahnstein and meeting some resistance and roadblocks. To the south of Company A, Company C
advanced with the 345th Infantry to the vicinity of Miehlen, two and one-half miles north of Nastatten,
meeting light resistance and some AT and 20mm fire. [Figure 7-6]
The next morning, 28th of March, the Task Force took off again with a new objective,
Hahnstatten, 15 miles away. The 2nd Platoon of Company C, 312th Engineer Battalion was attached
and the 335th FA Battalion was relieved from direct support. At 0830 the attack on Hollzhausen was
renewed by approaching it from two directions. No resistance was met and the Task Force headed
northeast toward Katzeneinbogen meeting small arms and artillery fire 1500 yards west of the town.
The town was enveloped from three sides in conjunction with the 6th Cavalry Group, which was
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