During the Battle of the Bulge, cavalrymen held their positions and conducted active defensive operations around the Moselle River, and maintaining contact with other US units. Probing German defenses and dissipating minor German thrusts along the line ensured more American troops were not needlessly pulled away from the fighting around Bastogne. Once the German counteroffensive had been stymied, TF Polk began its move to the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River. Crossing the Rhine on 29 March 1945, the troopers made a three-day dash over 150 miles to capture Bad Hersfeld, north of Fulda. In April and early May 1945, with the end in sight, TF Polk was sent south into Upper Austria to link up with elements of the Red Army.