By the time Berndt and his jeep driver, Technician 4th Class Wheeler W. Wolters–who would act as a truce flag bearer and interpreter–arrived at the aid station, medics were loading wounded soldiers onto two trucks and a cargo carrier. Unknown to Berndt, the cease-fire had been authorized while he was en route. Seeing that the wounded were on their way to the rear, Berndt and Wolters walked down the Kall Trail to the river. A German soldier appeared briefly and then ran off, apparently to sound an alert. Several minutes later a German lieutenant and six soldiers appeared and asked, through Wolters, if the Americans had weapons. Berndt said no and explained their mission.

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Just then they heard someone with an American accent, a wounded GI crying for help from across the river. Fortunately, two American medics appeared at that point and asked for permission to get water from the river, and Berndt told them to try to help their wounded comrade to safety.

'Can we have a truce to get the wounded out of Kommerscheidt?' Berndt asked the German lieutenant. 'They have already left,' came the reply. But the German did offer to evacuate the aid station casualties. Berndt declined, fearing that it was a ruse and the Germans might take the medical personnel prisoner. The Americans were then allowed to pass. Berndt and Wolters went back up the Kall Trail, helping the aid station wounded onto vehicles. By that time the two medics who had gone down to the river had succeeded in moving the wounded GI to a safe position near a group of American combat engineers.

The hospital train limped along the trail. Because a cargo carrier had a hole in its gas tank, Technician 3rd Grade John Shedio had to walk alongside it, pouring in fuel from jerry cans. Then a new group of Germans appeared, along with some wounded GIs, and they stopped the convoy to check for Geneva Convention cards. The Americans accepted the wounded, and the Germans allowed them to continue toward Allied lines.

Two days later a third impromptu truce took place. First Lieutenant Heinz Munster, commander of the German 14th Company, 1056th Infantry Regiment, 89th Division, recalled meeting some Americans at the Mestrenger Mëhle on the Kall Trail. 'It had become almost impossible to move supply items, human replacements and medical assistance to either forces,' said Munster. 'The multitude of calls for help in this area indicated the worst of all situations.'

Dr. Gënter Stëttgen, the German unit's medical officer, decided to arrange for a temporary cease-fire by entering into direct negotiations with the Americans, so that both sides could aid their wounded and withdraw their dead. Colonel Rösler, Munster's regimental commander, issued orders to offer safe passage for an American officer to enter the field command post.

Rösler's intention was to arrange for additional breaks in hostilities by direct communications at command level, in order to convince his Allied counterparts of the sincerity of his proposal. As a result, Munster recalled: 'Dr. Stëttgen, a medic and myself, identified by Red Cross signs on chest and back, wearing white arm bands and being unarmed, proceeded on foot from the field HQ Gerstenhof through the forest towards Mestrenger Mëhle. As intended, we approached and entered the American lines of defense. The Americans were surprised and kept us under close guard. After a brief conversation, their unit leader appeared and greeted us in German. He agreed immediately to discuss details of our proposal at our command post in the mill. The situation in this front sector was much more serious, however, than anticipated. Between deserted and destroyed tanks [lay] dead and wounded from both sides. Friend and foe hid in their foxholes, totally wet, hungry and demoralized. The fighting was briefly halted, and each side was busy retrieving their dead and wounded. To the dismay of the Americans, our soldiers did not hesitate to climb into [U.S.] Sherman tanks in order to forage for food and cigarettes.

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