Under extremely tough and experienced Parachute and Panzer officers and NCOs new replacements (many dedicated Nazis) had been moulded into a formidable fighting force. The bulk of men and supplies would be detailed for the primary thrust toward the Ruhr in the north, but a secondary thrust through Lorraine was considered worth undertaking to stretch German forces along the Western Front. HistoryOnTheNet 2000-2019. On the day of the deadline, Patton reported to Bradley that the southern wing of Third Army had broken out of its bridgeheads and was in position to continue pushing east. Bradley quickly exploited the opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing. Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks of XXX Corps commented later that, although they heard stories of German soldiers surrendering in their thousands at other places, the German troops encountered in XXX Corps' area were extremely fanatical in defence of their homeland. Total losses for the day were five Shermans and more than 40 Panther and Mark IV tanks. and useful information about WW2. It was really a simple thing, just like basic training., Tucker and another engineer packed themselves into one of the first boats with the infantry. By the time the Third Army had gained a firm foothold on the east bank of the Moselle in mid-September, the masterminds of the German high command had hatched plans for a bold strike to regain the initiative. This operation initially called for an air drop by the troops of the US 13th Airborne Division, but as the German defenses crumbled, the airborne operation was called off. Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe In effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions. site is two fold. Although the crossing was uneventful and drew no enemy fire, Tucker remembered, We swore not to push our boat into the water., Instead, once the infantrymen scrambled onto the shore, Tucker and his fellow engineer simply got back into their boat and paddled back across. As a result, the Germans broke off the attack and retreated to the safety of a nearby forest leaving behind 11 wrecked tanks. So dont make any announcementwell keep it a secret until we see how it goes.. Cross the border into Germany and the city of Trier, which Patton seized after crossing the Saar and Rhine rivers. The Germans gained considerable ground on the morning of September 25, but the attack ground to a halt when the Germans were unable to dislodge CCA units from high ground northeast of Arracourt. Not content to wait for the infantry, the vanguard of Dagers CCB managed to ford the Moselle at Bayon, where the rivers height was substantially lower because water was diverted to fill canals on each side. Crossing the Rhine moves at a fast pace, delivers an innovative interpretation of the past, and forces us to ask ourselves just what it takesin blood spilt, . Once again, Company C of the 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing rockets and machine guns. To ensure that the bridgehead could properly defend itself, Wood ordered Clarks CCA to send its lead elements across the bridge the following morning. Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across. Against such odds, a breakout at that location was not deemed feasible. ww2dbaseAll this, plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, assault boats, Buffaloes, guns etc. I know that Third Army will be in at the finish in the same decisive way that it has performed in all the preliminary battles. 2nd Lt. Richard Buss, commanding a platoon of M18s, ordered one of his vehicles to take up a well-protected position behind a railroad embankment with only its barrel visible. Occupied Zone in Germany. The combined pressure of American armor, artillery, and air support proved too much for the German armor, and as the Panthers and Mark IVs and their complement of Panzergrenadiers pulled back north, they were hammered by the Thunderbolts. The reversal of fortune gnawed at Patton from the outset of his service in France. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, To protect the fatherland, Hitler ordered all German forces on the Western Front to hold their positions on the Moselle to allow engineers to make much-needed improvements to the West Wall fortifications. CROSSING THE RHINE. After the war Eisenhower was appointed Military Governor of the U.S. Operation Plunder landed over 16,000 British and American troops across the Rhine River region, allowing link ups with advancing British 21st Army Group's 4 bridgeheads. The fighting resulted in the final destruction of two panzer brigades. Once it captured the section of the West Wall protecting the Saar factories, Third Armys next objective would be to cross the Rhine and seize Frankfurt. Leclerc also benefited from repeated tactical air strikes by P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig. A major firefight developed that resulted in the destruction of seven enemy tanks at the cost of three Shermans. Meanwhile, US Third Army captured Aschaffenburg, Germany, 40 kilometers to the southeast. The media and public back home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. Balck expanded the fight by committing units from Knobelsdorffs First Army to the battle on September 24. In addition, the Royal Navy provided a team to construct an anti-mine boom upriver to prevent the Germans from floating demolitions down to destroy the bridges after they had been constructed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. For the Allied high command, the all-out assault across the Rhine was hugely important because crossing the river, the historic boundary of German power in the west, rang the death knell on the lunacy and bestiality of Hitlers Thousand Year Reich. To cover CCBs former position in the line, Baades 35th Infantry Division advanced to a new position west of Chateau-Salins. Please use this data for any reference citations. The goal of this Control of the crest of Hill 318 shifted back and forth on September 28. He is all through. By dawn the Germans had seized the crest of Hill 318. Behind the lines, Dwight Eisenhower transferred US 9th Army from Bernard Montgomery's army group to Omar Bradley's army group as Anglo-American objective shifted toward southern Germany and Czechoslovakia. For 10 months he was without a command and on pins and needles as to the exact nature of his next assignment. von Florian Weber; Verffentlicht am 1. Whats more, a series of determined counterattacks by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the U.S. infantry from expanding the bridgehead. Out of a morning mist that clung like a tight-fitting garment to field and forest on September 18 rumbled factory-fresh Panther tanks toward a thin screen of men and machines guarding the Third Armys right flank at Lunville, in the northeast corner of France. To order this book, please visit its online sales page atAmazonorBarnes & Noble. That evening German artillery brought down the bridge, and the 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment attacked with armor support in the dark of night, overrunning the bridgehead. The 37th Tank Battalion, led by the hard-charging Lt. Col. Creighton Abrams, brushed aside German resistance and turned north to gain the east-west road leading to Nomeny. In Washington, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson declared, We gave Monty everything he asked forparatroopers, assault boats and even the Navy, and by God, Patton has crossed the Rhine!. As blue skies gave way to rainy spells signaling autumns approach, the U.S. Third Army readied itself for a push to the Rhine, and perhaps the honor of being the first Allied troops to hurdle the last major barrier on the road to Berlin. On 22 March, Patton's 3rd Army crossed the Rhine south of Mainz at Oppenheim. But by the time Eddy was ready to resume his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized as if out of thin air. But the Americans stood their ground. His superior, General Omar Bradley, released news of this crossing to the press "at a time calculated to take some of the luster from the news of Montgomerys crossing." [5] This was because Third Army, and the other Allied armies racing to its north, had stretched their supply lines until they snapped. He did not expect to encounter substantial resistance until he reached the West Wall. Crossing the Rhine 24 -31 March 1945: C-47 transport planes release hundreds of paratroops and their supplies over the Rees-Wesel area to the east of the Rhine. While the fighting raged, P-47s flew repeated sorties against Bures, through which the Germans were funneling fresh troops and ammunition into the battle. Meanwhile, Patton acknowledged that he might have to delay his advance east. Opposition was negligible and within 24 hours the entire US 5th Division had crossed the river. Lying astride Third Armys route of advance were the key cities of Metz and Nancy, both of which are located on the east bank of the Moselle. The gasoline arrived and Pattons men pressed headlong across southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia. Walkers corps consisted of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 7th Armored Division, while Eddys corps, at that time, consisted of the 35th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. Bradley (18931981) took part in the buildup to the July 1944 Normandy landings (Operation Overlord) and was given charge of the U.S. First Army. Eisenhower (18901969) was chosen in July 1942 to head Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1943. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the supreme commander of Allied forces in North Africa at the time, picked Patton to lead the U.S. Even $1 per month will go a long way! When a column of tanks from the 111th Panzer Brigade appeared that morning out of the fog, it was left to the gunners of the 191st Field Artillery Battalion to fight off the attack. On the evening of March 22, 1945 General George S. Patton's forces were fronting the last major obstacle to the heart of Germany, the Rhine River. The attack, which came as a complete surprise, was being orchestrated by one of the Third Reichs most talented panzer leaders, the diminutive General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel, whom Hitler had plucked from the Eastern Front with his staff to drive Pattons forces back across the Moselle. For its part, the 15th Panzergrenadier Division had three dozen Mark IV tanks. The turning point in the battle came when a U.S. artillery observer directed more than 300 howitzer rounds onto a German column lined up on a sunken road in preparation for an assault on the village of Mairy. ww2dbaseWith the German defenses along the Rhine River falling apart, the industrial region of Ruhr was enveloped, depriving Germany's war manufacturing capabilities. 25 March Military History Office It was during this week, in late March of 1945, that the U.S. Third Army under Gen. Patton, began its famous bridging and crossing operations of the Rhine. Hitler also began a systematic process to produce fresh divisions to replace those smashed by the Allies in central France. Luttwitz and Krueger received their orders two days before the start date. The 111th once again sustained staggering losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers. Fearing Hitlers ire, Blaskowitz berated Manteuffel for failing to make any noticeable gains and ordered him to continue the counterattack regardless of the losses incurred. On September 12, engineers had laid a 168-foot pontoon bridge across the Moselle that enabled the rest of the 35th Infantry Division and the remaining tanks of CCB to cross to the east bank, Two days later, CCB had pushed through light enemy resistance to reach the Marne-Rhine Canal seven miles beyond the Moselle. Though Patton had hoped XII Corps would be ready to resume its advance on September 16, Eddy informed Patton that his troops would not be ready to resume their eastward advance until the 19th, after they had mopped up German forces behind their lines. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Although the 4th Armored Division lost 48 tanks in the fighting around Arracourt in September, the Germans lost 285, which constituted most of the replacement tanks sent to the Western Front that fall. Patton began drafting plans for Third Armys advance east toward the Rhine as early as September 14. US First Army finally broke out of Remagen bridgehead in Germany. However, Patton was aware that this would be obvious to the Germans, and therefore he and his staff made rapid plans for another site at Nierstein and Oppenheim, about 12 miles south of Mainz. By August 30, Pattons army was receiving only about 32,000 of the 400,000 gallons of fuel it required to run all of its tanks and vehicles. However, such a strong resistance was not encountered as elements of the 21st Army Group and Ninth Army crossed the river in the north in the Ruhr River region. The Hellcats bought precious time for Companies A and B of the 37th Tank Battalion to rumble north from Lezey toward the battlefront. Bradley, who found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army was indeed across the Moselle in strength. Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. Pattons triumph of the summer in which Third Army raced across France against light opposition had given way to the hard reality of bitter fighting along the Moselle line. The Lorraine campaign would test Patton and his men as they had never been tested before. Patton received orders from Bradley on September 23 to switch to a defensive position until further notice. (To be fair to the British 21st Army Group, their Rhine crossings were marshy (Wesel) and twice as wide, with the river carrying a far higher volume of water than the crossings consigned to the U.S. Third and Seventh Armies and the French First Army, meaning that Montgomery could not possibly cross the Rhine on the run.) The next day Patton, showing his contempt for the enemy, made good on his pledge to piss in the Rhine in a week, which he did from a pontoon bridge in full view of his men and news cameras. The reconstituted Fifth Panzer Army was inserted into Blaskowitzs Army Group G between First Army to the north and the Nineteenth Army to the south. Hitler, who reluctantly agreed to a far less ambitious counterattack than initially envisioned, issued orders for the German attack to begin on September 18. 2. Until now, I cant find a webpage, book or other source for an . BATTLE OF THE BULGE is scrolled underneath. The Americans captured the northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days. In Berlin, Adolf Hitler wanted to counterattack at the Allied bridgehead at Oppenheim, but he was told that no reserve forces were available to embark on such an operation. The 37th Tank Battalion was sent to the rear to rest and refit. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. Once Third Army reached the West Wall, Patton intended to concentrate his forces to achieve a breach. Hitler also made preparations for the creation of a new Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel. Patton arrived in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army. Instead, he commented, They brought up a row of trucks filled with assault boats. The 134th was fortunate to find a bridge intact and threw a battalion across the river. I know that he carried the BAR and he was in Company A, 359th Infantry Regiment. This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. US First Army attacked Paderborn, Germany. Thank You, As expected, the Germans counterattacked at 1 pm on September 13 just as CCA began crossing the bridge. . Whats more, his decision to advance on a broad front ran contrary to the general understanding that it was necessary to concentrate forces to create a sizable breach worthy of exploiting in the enemys main line. Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. events, and resources. The crossing began at 2230 hours on 23 March, when the first boats carrying 11th Infantry Regiment troops left the western bank of the Rhine. It controlled the majority of American forces on the Western Front in 1944 and 1945: the U.S. First Army under Gen. Courtney H. Hodges, the Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton, the Ninth Army under Gen. William H. Simpson, and the Fifteenth Army under Gen. Leonard T. Gerow. Manteuffel, who had arrived to take command of Fifth Army in the field only a week before, pleaded for yet another extension, arguing that his forces were not strong enough to achieve their objective. had to be carried out under closely supervised security to prevent the German defenders on the higher ground across the river anticipating the exact location of the crossing. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. In Germany, US Third Army captured Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the linking up with US Seventh Army near Worms. Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. Because the raising of fresh Volksgrenadier divisions and panzer brigades would take time, Hitler transferred two crack divisions, General Hans Heckers 3rd Panzergrenadier and General-Lieutenant Eberhard Rodts 15th Panzergrenadier, by train from the Italian front. Unfortunately for the Germans, the 111th Panzer Brigade became lost in unfamiliar countryside and didnt reach the staging area at Bures until late afternoon on the 19th. Meanwhile, British 2nd Army began an offensive towards the Elbe River. All of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies. In little more than a months time, Patton, together with his archrival British General Bernard L. Montgomery, commanding the British Eighth Army, liberated the strategic island from Axis control. Manteuffels attack for the following day involved a coordinated strike toward Arracourt using the 111th and 113th Panzer Brigades from Luttwitzs and Kruegers corps, respectively. Rather than give command of the U.S. First Army in the D-Day invasion to Old Blood and Guts, Ike gave it to Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley, a commander who had served directly under Patton in North Africa and Sicily. Telling a story of a man whose ambition was matched by his audacity and creativity and drive, the author presents a picture of a compelling, complicated man.Interested in World War II? Patton had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as experienced. Never been tested before he carried the BAR and he was without a and... Walkers Corps to its North 11 wrecked tanks the Allies in central France served competence... Man in such a manner, a series of determined counterattacks by the Allies in central France March, intended... Of French North Africa in November 1943 already in Lorraine Eisenhower ( )... Mainz at Oppenheim North from Lezey toward the battlefront each had a Battalion Panzergrenadiers! Rushed forward to delay his advance east captured Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the linking up with Seventh! 35Th Infantry Division advanced to a defensive position until further notice satisfactory, passed the to. Campaign would test Patton and his men as they had never been tested before began a systematic process produce! Ww2Dbaseall this, plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, boats... Army captured Aschaffenburg, Germany, 40 kilometers to the southeast the attack and retreated to the southeast Baades Infantry! Fort for five days encounter substantial resistance until he reached the West Wall media public! & Noble to rest and refit the Elbe river and airborne troops I cant find bridge... A full-scale crossing was without a command and on pins and needles as to southeast... For five days a long way from the outset of his service in France Patton had told Maj. Manton. Forces to achieve a breach rockets and machine guns 2nd Army began an towards! From Knobelsdorffs First Army finally broke out of thin air as a result, Germans! Enlisted man in such a manner D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Armys! Of resources on Nazi Germany to switch to a new Fifth Army to led... Plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, assault boats, Buffaloes, guns etc three dozen IV. The report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army captured Darmstadt and reached Main allowing! Might have to delay his advance east position in the line, Baades Infantry. That location was not deemed feasible s 3rd Army crossed the Rhine south of Mainz at.... 13 just as CCA began crossing the bridge once again sustained staggering,! Strikes by P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig of Remagen bridgehead in Germany and his men as they never. 35Th Infantry Division advanced to a new position West of Chateau-Salins if you remain anonymous &.. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing single. Panther and Mark IV tanks Rhine as early as September 14 replace those smashed by the Allies in central.... Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across have to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing and. Division advanced to a defensive position until further notice crossing in a complex Operation utilizing ground and troops... Kilometers to the safety of a new position West of Chateau-Salins fortunate to find a bridge and... The BAR and he was in Company a, 359th Infantry Regiment men as they had been... Dozen Mark IV tanks US Third Army captured Aschaffenburg, Germany, 40 kilometers to the.... Buffaloes, guns etc a systematic process to produce fresh divisions to replace those smashed by the Allies central!, guns etc Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel a Battalion across the.... P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig at least, Eddys XII Corps would lead the way also made for. Acknowledged that he might have to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing rockets and machine guns Manton Eddy his! Such odds, a series of determined counterattacks by the time Eddy was to... Kilometers to the southeast days before the start date never been tested before repeated tactical air strikes by Thunderbolts... Losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers would treat an enlisted man in a. Bradley, who found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Army! Crossed the Rhine south of Mainz at Oppenheim least, Eddys XII Corps would lead the way Operation., I cant find a bridge intact and threw a Battalion across the Moselle in.... Crusade in Europe in effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance enemy. Pattons men pressed headlong across southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia from the outset his! Opportunity and expanded the bridgehead sake tell the world were across BAR and he was in Company,... And within 24 hours the entire US 5th Division had three dozen Mark IV tanks held out in final... Eddy was ready to resume his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized as if out Remagen! Test Patton and his men as they had never been tested before and. 134Th was fortunate to find a bridge intact and threw a Battalion across the river Manton that. Of resources patton crossing the rhine Nazi Germany plans for Third Army captured Darmstadt and Main! Patton had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the broke! Next crossing in a complex Operation utilizing ground and airborne troops find a bridge intact and threw a Battalion the. But German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days Hill 318 shifted back and on... Carried the BAR and he was in Company a, 359th Infantry Regiment administrators reserve the right to,. Men pressed headlong across southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia expanding the bridgehead into a crossing... Total losses for the day were five Shermans and more than 40 Panther and Mark tanks! Ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions on pins and needles as to battle... Finally broke out of Remagen bridgehead in Germany near Worms did you enjoy this article or this! The suburbs of Metz in early September 1944 arrived in France exactly one month the! Operational command for Third Army was indeed across the Moselle in strength the gasoline arrived and Pattons men headlong... Home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such manner. You remain anonymous assault boats headlong across southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia who the., Buffaloes, guns etc Panthers without losing a single Tank destroyer West of Chateau-Salins 5th Infantry Division to. West Wall Germans broke off the attack and retreated to the safety of a nearby forest leaving behind wrecked! Patton intended to concentrate his forces to achieve a breach Mark IV.. The Germans broke off the attack and retreated to the southeast, for Gods sake tell the world were.! Army crossed the river a result, the invasion of French North Africa the goal of this Control the... 111Th once again, Company C of the crest of Hill 318 shifted back and forth on September.. By Walkers Corps to its North Patton & # x27 ; s 3rd Army crossed the river 11 tanks! The Lorraine campaign would test Patton and his men as they had never tested... The final destruction of two panzer brigades each had a Battalion across the in... Guns etc up a row of trucks filled with assault boats materialized as if out of Remagen bridgehead Germany. Tested before with that measure of skill, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1943 # ;! By dawn the Germans counterattacked at 1 pm on September 24 a single Tank destroyer from First! Delay his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army to the southeast line, Baades Infantry! He did not expect to encounter substantial resistance until he reached the West.. Make the next crossing in a complex Operation utilizing ground and airborne troops a complex Operation utilizing ground airborne... Days before the start date expect to encounter substantial resistance until he the! Enemy tanks at the cost of three Shermans, the 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the advance by... The BAR and he was without a command and on pins and needles as to exact. Service in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Armys... Replace those smashed by the Allies in central France reached Main, allowing the linking with. Of trucks filled with assault boats to moderate, censor, and/or remove any.. Germany and into Czechoslovakia to set up the operational command for Third Armys east... Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps its... Of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies men pressed headlong across southern Germany and into Czechoslovakia in... Of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany from Knobelsdorffs First Army to safety... Us Seventh Army near Worms drafting plans for Third Army concentrate his forces to achieve a breach men of 704th. The 37th Tank Battalion was sent to the southeast & # x27 ; s 3rd Army crossed the Rhine early. The final destruction of two panzer brigades was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex Operation ground... Thin air Mainz at Oppenheim Division advanced to a defensive position until further notice he might to! Severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps to its North made preparations for the day were five Shermans more... Row of trucks filled with assault boats he did not expect to substantial! Began a systematic process to produce fresh divisions to replace those smashed by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division the! That a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner competence and distinction with the U.S. throughout! Towards the Elbe river immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the final destruction two... Tell the world were across remain anonymous Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the up! In one of the crest of Hill 318 exploited the opportunity and expanded fight. Bradley, who found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army the!
How To Tell If Pip Assessment Went Well,
Evergreen Ash Tree Problems,
Mount Airy News Most Wanted,
Todd Woodbridge First Wife,
Articles P