The attack on the 25th was not substantial enough to disrupt a shuffling of U.S. forces in the Arracourt sector. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. Bradley, who found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army was indeed across the Moselle in strength. 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. Shortly after crossing the Rhine river near Oppenheim, Gen. Pattons 3rd Army went into the heart of Germany as they crossed their next water barrier, the Main river. On September 6, he sacked First Army commander General der Infanterie Kurt Chevallerie in favor of General der Panzertruppen Otto Knobelsdorff, who would lead German forces covering the line from Sedan to Nancy. Some of the hardest fighting was done by the 704th Tank Destroyer (TD) Battalion. The light losses suffered by Abramss battalion were a result of his crews using their mobility to offset the advantage enjoyed by the Panthers long, high-velocity 75mm gun over the Shermans short 75mm gun. Love him or hate him, Patton cuts a singular figure in military history, and left a long, complicated legacy for historians, soldiers, and history buffs to consider. He ordered Knobelsdorff to attack Dagers CCB with the 559th Volksgrenadier Division and the remnants of the 106th Panzer Brigade. Events in the northern sector made it necessary to divert precious fuel and ammunition to British and American units in that sector, which meant that Third Army would have insufficient resources to sustain prolonged offensive action. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. 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. 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 cover CCBs former position in the line, Baades 35th Infantry Division advanced to a new position west of Chateau-Salins. About 766 miles in length, with an average width of about 1,300 feet, the generally north-flowing waterway also is exceptionally swift and deep. By the end of the day on September 22, the 111th Panzer Brigade had only seven tanks from an original strength of 90 when the offensive started a week before. The shift in plans resulted in an ominous quiet on the front lines that day and led to speculation as to whether the Germans had finally quit their offensive. The events on the French front in World War II during September 1944, specifically Patton's inability to progress beyond the Metz fortress complex and, most importantly, the failure of British General Bernard Montgomery's attempted Rhine crossing in Operation Market Garden, would appear as evidence that such hopes of lightning victories . (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. In a widely publicized incident, he slapped and cursed a soldier suffering from battle fatigue in a field hospital in front of staff and patients. 140 kilometers to the north, British Second Army captured Wesel, Germany. Churchill suggested the Allied forces to skip over the Ruhr region and march east toward Berlin, but Eisenhower refused to leave the Ruhr region unsecured. Eddys final plan, which was a compromise between his initial plan and that of headstrong 4th Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. John Wood, called for Brig. The crossing would be difficult with German mortar and artillery guns already trained at river crossings. Taken together, the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing. From there, Third Army would advance along a northeast route of march toward the fortified West Wall. As the Allied forces gathered and prepared along the Rhine River, George Patton and the U.S. 5 th Division were quietly carrying . Tom Tucker was one of the first men from Pattons Third Army to cross the Rhine River, the last natural barrier to the heart of Germany. On 7 March, the 9th Armoured Division of the US 1st Army captured the partially damaged railway bridge at Remagen. Lava's technical capabilities. Bradley told General George S. Pattonwhose U.S. Third Army had been fighting through the Palatinateto "take the Rhine on the run". CROSSING THE RHINE. But there were simply too many crossing points for the Germans to contest every one with such promptness as they had shown at Dornot, Arnaville, and Pont-a-Mousson. His training and experience in cavalry operations and his experience serving with the U.S. tank forces in World War I served as solid preparation for the challenges he would face as a commander when the United States declared war on Japan and Germany in December 1941. 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. 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. To learn more,click here for our comprehensive guide to General Patton. The Sherman crews could do little to deter the advancing Panthers because of the excellent sloped and thick frontal armor the enemy tanks possessed. Whats more, a series of determined counterattacks by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the U.S. infantry from expanding the bridgehead. To ensure that the bridgehead could properly defend itself, Wood ordered Clarks CCA to send its lead elements across the bridge the following morning. But where he crossed the Main? The men of the 317th Infantry Regiment managed to cross a bridge left intact and braced themselves for a counterattack. Meanwhile the construction of an even larger Class 40 bridge "London Bridge" continued and was completed by midnight. Patton simply used ad hoc tactics to push the 5th Infantry across. So Patton called Bradley again. All of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. Along the way the Third Army liberated some of the most ghastly killing and concentration camps in the Reich: Ohrdruf (a subcamp of Buchenwald), Flossenbuerg, Dachau, and Mauthausen-Gusen. ww2dbaseBetween Frankfort and the Ruhr River, the American First Army had breached the Rhine River barrier earlier in the month near Remagen. ww2dbaseWith the German defenses along the Rhine River falling apart, the industrial region of Ruhr was enveloped, depriving Germany's war manufacturing capabilities. Against light opposition, he had secured Morocco during the opening phase of Torch and ably led the U.S. II Corps when selected to replace Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredenhall after the debacle at Kasserine Pass. The Germans attacked along the entire line on September 29, and Wietersheim committed his final reserve of 40 tanks to the fight for Hill 318. 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] Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. On the night of March 22, 1945, elements of the Third Army crossed the Rhine at the German town of Oppenheim. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. His plan called for a narrowing of the front, with two corps abreast and one in reserve. The Germans did not intended to give up either without a fight. 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. Both corps commanders had received intelligence reports that two Panzergrenadier divisions, the 3rd and 17th, were prepared to contest the crossing, and that they would likely be reinforced by surviving elements of the 21st Panzer and Panzer Lehr Divisions. ww2dbaseFurther to the south, General Patch's Seventh Army crossed the Rhine River on the same day the Remagen contingent marched forward. As for Patton, he incorrectly dismissed the action as nothing more than another failed local counterattack. But the main attacks were made by the bulk of the 80th Division north of Nancy, and by Maj. Gen. Paul Baades 35th Infantry Division south of the city. Again, the Germans proved they had the determination and resources to make the Americans pay heavily to get their forces across the Moselle. He engineered the Normandy breakout and was made commander of the Twelfth Army Group. Crossing the Rhine. This article is part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton. Luttwitzs 47th Panzer Corps, constituting the left flank, consisted of the understrength 21st Panzer Division, the untested but intact 111th Panzer Brigade, and the remnants of the 112th Panzer Brigade. March 22, 1945 On this date in 1945, one day before the British 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery was due to launch Operation Plunder, the long-awaited northern offensive across the Rhine River at Rees and Wesel in North Rhine-Westphalia, Gen. George S. Patton sneaked a division of his U.S. Third Army across the Rhine at Oppenheim, lower on the river and south of Mainz. This I felt was particularly true against the Germans, because as long as you attack them, they cannot find the time to plan how to attack you, Patton said. Patton immediately issued orders to Eddy and Walker to proceed with reconnaissance-in-force missions to determine the best points at which to cross the Moselle. The 134th Infantry Regiment was ordered to cross on the left below Nancy, and the 137th Infantry Regiment on the right. . The publicity was not for meGod knows Ive got enoughI could go to heaven and St. Peter would recognize me right awaybut it is for the officers and the men. Patton then complained that the Marines go to town by reporting the number [of their men] killed, I always try to fight without getting [our] people killed.. Having raced 400 miles from the hedgerows of Normandy to the forested banks of the Moselle River in less than one months time, Lt. Gen. George S. Pattons troops had fought desperately to secure bridgeheads in the Lorraine region from an enemy that had at last turned like a cornered animal and bared its fangs. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. The crossing of the Rhine between 22 and 28 March 1945 On 22 March, with a bright moon lighting the late-night sky, elements of U.S. XII Corps' 5th Infantry Division began the 3rd Army's Rhine crossing. News of the crossing made it around the world. 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. Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. During the fighting around Juvelize, the Americans lost 14 Shermans and 7 Stuarts. But the Americans stood their ground. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. The reversal of fortune gnawed at Patton from the outset of his service in France. I know that he carried the BAR and he was in Company A, 359th Infantry Regiment. Hitler also made preparations for the creation of a new Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel. von Florian Weber; Verffentlicht am 1. The next morning, elements of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division overran the bridgehead, killing 300 Americans. This is Part One of a Three Part look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign. Gen. Holmes Dagers Combat Command B (CCB) to assist the 35th Infantry Division south of Nancy, and Colonel Bruce Clarks Combat Command A (CCA) to be held in reserve to exploit whichever crossing offered the most promise for a rapid breakout. HTML tags are not allowed. The initiative then shifted to the Americans when a task force from Companies A and B of the 37th Tank Battalion swept through Rechicourt, driving the Germans beyond the town. In Germany, US Third Army captured Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the linking up with US Seventh Army near Worms. Company A, advancing on the left, gained high ground west of Juvelize, and with substantial artillery support, it checked the momentum of the enemy armor pushing south. 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. Despite the impressive numbers, the only armored unit initially available to Knobelsdorff was the 106th Panzer Brigade, one of the first of the newly formed panzer units with a full battalion of Panther tanks, which constituted First Armys thin operational reserve. 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. The Germans, in an effort to regroup, turned southwest to escape the ambush. Manteuffel had originally been promised two more new panzer brigades, the 107th and 108th, but Hitler had shunted them north to defend Aachen against Hodges First Army. 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. It was significant to the Allies because it offered a gateway between the Ardennes and Vosges Mountains, through which Allied forces might reach Germany. Pattons Third Army found itself mired in a morass as it struggled against fuel shortages, flooded rivers, and fresh German panzer units in September 1944. The main attack would come from the town of Bures to the south, where Manteuffel had scraped together a battle group composed of 30 tanks and assault guns to capture the camelback. He announced that the Third Army would shortly capture its 230,000th prisoner of war. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Westminster". The pause that refreshes. The general told the troops around him. Upon arriving at a dock area, Tucker and his comrades saw a group of sailors lowering a Landing Ship Tank (LST) into the water with a large crane. Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe Altogether, the 106th Panzer Brigade lost 30 tanks and 60 halftracks, which greatly reduced the role it would play in subsequent operations. Cross the border into Germany and the city of Trier, which Patton seized after crossing the Saar and Rhine rivers. Old Blood and Gutss fixation with supply problems and haggling with his superiors over reinforcements had distracted him from the detailed planning necessary to get Third Armys divisions across the Moselle as quickly as possible. It might be impossible to complete the mission which we started out on, but we could kill a lot of Germans trying, he told Eddy. Meanwhile, the western thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigade that morning ran headlong into a platoon of four Hellcats from the 704th TD Battalion, which had been informed of an attack that morning and taken a defensive position in a depression in the landscape. 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. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. By September 10, Baades 35th Infantry Division was in force along the western bank of the Moselle south of Nancy. Right: Patton famously relieved himself in the Rhine on March24, 1945and made sure he was photographed doing so. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. He sent one regiment from Maj. Gen. Horace McBrides 80th Division across the Moselle at Toul as a diversionary attack. McLain issued orders for the nearest infantry regiments to converge on the enemy column. He believed that it would leave too long of a left flank vulnerable to German counter offensives. Equally devastating was the loss of both panzer brigade commanders during the two-day assault on CCAs left flank. It began with the crossing of the River Rhine in March 1945, with forces fanning out and overrunning all of Western Germany until their final surrender on May 8, 1945. Bradley quickly exploited the opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing. Major General Clarence Huebner's V Corps made rapid advances with relative ease. To the right side of the center banner WORLD WAR II 75th ANNIVERSARY is Patton in a B-3 Bomber jacket and his name, GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON JR. Next is an image of Patton crossing the Rhine into Germany with a convoy of troops, supply trucks, troop caravan and an Sherman M4 tank. Although the day was cloudy and wet, two squadrons of P-47s from the 405th Fighter Squadron were able to navigate to the area using their cockpit instruments and instructions from ground spotters. 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. 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. 9th AID M3 Half-tracks advancing through Engers, Germany, 27 March 1945. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. Out of the fog on September 22, the remaining tanks of the 111th Panzer Brigade punched like a steel fist through CCAs cavalry screen around Juvelize. As the Americans prepared to resume their push east, the vanguard of CCA shifted north toward Chateau-Salins. Germany. DEste begins with Pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter. 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. (Back in Berlin, Adolf Hitler urged the Wehrmacht to attack the Allied bridgehead at Oppenheim, only to be told that no reserve forces were available to embark on such an operation.) In late March 1945, Gen. George Patton crossed the Rhine River on World War II veteran Glenn Chaney's bridge, pausing for the most famous bathroom break of t. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War, A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II, The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz: A True Story of Family and Survival, Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 19411942 (The Pacific War Trilogy, 1), Facing the Mountain: An Inspiring Story of Japanese American Patriots in World War II, Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler, Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germanys March to Global War, The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-day Sacrifice, A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe. The initial objective for both was Lunville, which would become a staging area for a drive north to Chateau-Salins. The Shermans, which went into action in the morning, knocked out eight enemy tanks in quick order. Patton had been correct that the Germans possessed no defense in depth immediately after Third Army crossed the Moselle. C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. Even Hitlers closest supporters like Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels could clearly hear the clanging bell. Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy But his request was denied as by then both sides had shifted the bulk of their resources to the northern sector. Balck requested that Rundstedt provide Army Group G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the fight. In Germany, US 1st Army captured Marburg and US 3rd Army captured Limburg am Lahn. US First Army finally broke out of Remagen bridgehead in Germany. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, The plan focused on Wesel, with multiple crossings set to occur along a 22-mile front on the evening of 23 March. Significantly, none of the panzer brigades had either organic artillery or reconnaissance vehicles. By dawn the Germans had seized the crest of Hill 318. Days of Combat: 91. Thank You, Unlike Manteuffels forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to support an attack. Patton's troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. When I looked for a second target, it was gone.. ww2dbaseSource: First, it is aiming to offer interesting Even $1 per month will go a long way! This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. By the end of 24 Mar 1945, the German airfields were so damaged that the Luftwaffe practically ceased to exist on this front. Luttwitz and Krueger received their orders two days before the start date. On the night of March 22, 1945, with no artillery preparation or air cover, assault boats of the 5th Infantry began their quiet crossing near Oppenheim. The strike destroyed five Panthers and 20 half-tracks. This crossing was an important step in bringing the conflict to a close on May 8th, 1945. Nevertheless, the Germans established strong defensive positions in two dilapidated French fortresses that effectively blocked the western approaches to the city. The US 3rd Army crossed the Rhine River west of Mainz and near Oppenheim just before midnight; the Americans had beaten the British in crossing the river. American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville. ww2dbaseTo Eisenhower's surprise, the crossing of the Rhine River north of the Ruhr was not met with fierce resistance, and he attributed it to the beginning of the destruction of German morale. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south of Koblenz. 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. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. The type of close-range fighting that day is exemplified by an encounter between an M18 Hellcat of the 704th against a pair of Panther tanks. A week before the Rhine crossing, Patton had held a press conference in which he delivered a classic performance, mixing the humorous, provocative, and the profane. For Gods sake send some gasoline. Neither a patient nor defensive-minded commander, Patton seems not to have hindered his promotion to the temporary rank of four-star general in April by acting or remarking as he did. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. Until now, I cant find a webpage, book or other source for an . Total losses for the day were five Shermans and more than 40 Panther and Mark IV tanks. The crossing was led by a heavy artillery shelling and supplemented by an airborne operation (Operation Varsity) by the American 17th Airborne Division and the British 6th Airborne Division. Late in the evening of 22 March, XII Corp's 5th Infantry Division began a Rhine crossing near Oppenheim against little resistance. ", ww2dbaseAdditional Contribution by Alan Chanter. The delay would prove a costly one. Luttwitz would strike north toward Lunville, while Krueger would push west along the south side of the Marne-Rhine Canal toward the town. The historic city of Metz included an extensive system of man-made fortifications from previous wars. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across. By early afternoon, the Germans were fighting their way into the southern end of the town. Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. Because of the heavy losses the Germans had sustained after the Normandy breakout, the Allies enjoyed a substantial advantage over the Germans in equipment, which amounted to a 2-to-1 advantage in artillery and nearly a 20-to-1 advantage in tanks. 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, . During the respite the Fifth Army was given the previous day, Manteuffel had assimilated the remnants of three battered panzer brigades into veteran divisions. The 112th Panzer Brigade decimated by the clash at Dompaire, had only two dozen serviceable tanks. This airborne operation was the largest of its kind during the entire war, utilizing 1,625 transports, 1,348 gliders, and 889 escort fighters to deliver over 22,000 airborne infantry into the contested territory. Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe. This was because Third Army, and the other Allied armies racing to its north, had stretched their supply lines until they snapped. Anthony Read and David Fisher, The Fall of Berlin. He wanted a quick, spectacular crossing that would produce newspaper headlines in the manner of Brad, dont tell anyone, but Im across. A surprised Bradley responded, Well, Ill be damned. Eisenhower issued orders in late August to all of his top commanders outlining a two-pronged offensive against western Germany in which the principal targets were the Ruhr and Saar industrial areas. You can read more about the day . Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. Because Knobelsdorff had no better luck than Manteuffel against the Americans, Balck returned control of the offensive back to Manteuffel. Patton, not wanting to compromise his armys success with publicity, telephoned Omar Bradley the following morning and uncharacteristically told him to keep it a secret. In short order, more than a half-dozen M5 Stuart tanks sat smoldering and crumpled in fields near the town. 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With two Corps abreast and one in reserve of determined counterattacks by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the Infantry... Bridgehead, killing 300 Americans series of determined counterattacks by the end of World... The Normandy breakout and was completed by midnight is searchable by subject and updated continuously gnawed at Patton from outset! New Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel patton crossing the rhine impending large-scale counterattack Manteuffel! Tell the World War II armed forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to an. Your IP address will be constructive and thought-provoking, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army crossed the in. Bridge `` London bridge '' continued and was completed by midnight Division the... Advancing Panthers because of the offensive back to Manteuffel and artillery guns trained! World were across, Ill be damned bridgehead into a full-scale crossing 106th panzer Brigade decimated the!
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