The 111th once again sustained staggering losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers. I never knew what happened to those other boats., Once the two returned to the west bank, Tuckers entire squad was ordered north to help the U.S. Navy. By the end of the day the Germans had lost a dozen Mark IVs and six Panthers. The British prime minister had long dreamed of relieving himself on Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line to show his contempt for Hitler and Nazism. 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. Under extremely tough and experienced Parachute and Panzer officers and NCOs new replacements (many dedicated Nazis) had been moulded into a formidable fighting force. 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. Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe 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. Please use this data for any reference citations. At Nierstein assault troops did not meet any resistance. 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. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. Pattons notion that Third Army could cross the Moselle with ease and cover the 40 miles from the river to the West Wall in a matter of weeks had been shattered by Manteuffels determined, if futile, counterattack in September. The 112th Panzer Brigade decimated by the clash at Dompaire, had only two dozen serviceable tanks. He later went as far as the railway bridge at Wesel by Montgomery's staff car, a bridge that was still under enemy fire. In fact, it was the first time an invading force had crossed the Rhein into Germany since Napoleon! Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 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. As for Patton, he incorrectly dismissed the action as nothing more than another failed local counterattack. . The Germans failed to reconnoiter enemy positions, and their replacement tank crews were no match for Leclercs veteran troops. But its fortune ended there. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. 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. He wanted a quick, spectacular crossing that would produce newspaper headlines in the manner of 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. Pattons third corps, Troy Middletons VIII Corps, had been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in Brittany. 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. To cover CCBs former position in the line, Baades 35th Infantry Division advanced to a new position west of Chateau-Salins. When a column of 11 panzers appeared out of the mist that morning, three were immediately knocked out at close range by Shermans belonging to 1st Platoon, Company C, of Abramss 37th Tank Battalion in concealed positions. Day 6. Hardcover. 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 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. Days of Combat: 91. 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. 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. 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. I was certainly very full of hopes and saw myself crossing the Rhine, Patton said. The Rhine is no ordinary river. click here for our comprehensive guide to General Patton. 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. The Germans, in an effort to regroup, turned southwest to escape the ambush. I was determined that the attack on the Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville, he said. "The only thing that Patton told us was: 'When you get after them, chase them like hounds chasing a rabbit.' Then he said: 'Go to the Rhine and capture a bridge.' We did everything but capture. Mrz 2023; . 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. Patton might have been destined to oversee U.S. forces in the invasion of France the following year, but his inability to control his emotional outbursts and a personal sense of honor and duty that blocked him from sympathizing with the trials and tribulations of frontline troops caused him to stumble. The Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes. Patton had seriously underestimated the Germans ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border. 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 World War II Database is founded and managed by To succeed in Lorraine, Patton would have to exercise careful planning, make quick tactical adjustments, and adjust his goals and expectations when the weather failed to cooperate. 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. George Patton's US 5th Division crossed the Rhine River during the night of 22 Mar 1945, establishing a six-mile deep bridgehead after capturing 19,000 demoralized German troops. Left: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in the company of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and a party of U.S. commanders, crosses to the German-held east bank of the Rhine without incident, March25, 1945. In the first day alone, CCAs vanguard had advanced nearly 20 miles and destroyed a dozen enemy tanks and 85 half-tracks and captured 350 prisoners. Troops of the US Ninth Army finished clearing the Duisberg Pocket in Germany. 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. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Beyond the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons. 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. A heavy artillery barrage preceded an attack near Chateau-Salins by two regiments supported by tanks across flat ground against U.S. forces in defensive positions on a long ridge. The very notion was unpalatable to Old Blood and Guts. The Third Army did just that on the night of 22/23 March, crossing the river with a hasty assault south of Mainz at Oppenheim. From Metz to Nancy the Germans were deployed on the east bank of the Moselle as follows: the 559th Volksgrenadier Regiment opposite Thionville, Division Number 462 (partially composed of zealous officer cadets from the Metz service schools) and the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division at Metz, the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division opposite Pont-a-Mousson, the 92nd Luftwaffe Training Regiment opposite Marbache, the 3rd Parachute Replacement Regiment in front of Nancy in a westward loop of the river, and the 553rd Volksgrenadier Regiment inside Nancy. He is all through. events, and resources. To ensure that the bridgehead could properly defend itself, Wood ordered Clarks CCA to send its lead elements across the bridge the following morning. Meanwhile, Company B engaged the Germans who had taken up a strong position inside Juvelize. Balck requested that Rundstedt provide Army Group G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the fight. From there, Third Army would advance along a northeast route of march toward the fortified West Wall. At this location, on March 22 & 23, 1945, the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion, after supporting the U.S. Army 5th Infantry Division at Oppenheim, in the first successful Rhine river assault crossing since Napoleon, completed the construction of a 366 meter floating bridge to carry elements of General George S. Patton's 3rd Army across the Rhine. 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. 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. US-Armee unter General George S. Patton (1885-1945) die Stadt Nierstein am Rhein. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. Pattons troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. The fight that began that morning touched off an 11-day running tank battle that raged across the hills of southern Lorraine and tested the resourcefulness of two of World War IIs most gifted practitioners of the art of mobile warfare. A spearhead of the 317th Infantry Regiment crossed the river in boats, but the following morning they were bombarded by German artillery and mortars, which forced them into their foxholes. This time the engineers were able to construct a bridge under the cover of darkness, but the bridgehead was again subjected to concentrated shelling by long-range guns from the Metz defenses and also from counterattacks by various elements of all three of the German Panzergrenadier divisions defending the Moselle. Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy Total losses for the day were five Shermans and more than 40 Panther and Mark IV tanks. Overseas: 26 August 1944. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Lava's technical capabilities. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. 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. To their credit, the RAF despatched fifty specialist within twelve hours and promised that a further 300 volunteers good be made available if required. While the fighting raged, P-47s flew repeated sorties against Bures, through which the Germans were funneling fresh troops and ammunition into the battle. 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. Bradley quickly exploited the opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing. 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. We figured we had a perfectly good boat. 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. The German troops knew that the Allied forces were only taking a short time to gather up strength before the invasion into Germany would commence. To descend the ridge and maneuver against the Panthers would have exposed the Shermans to the Panthers highly effective guns. Until sufficient forces were gathered for the counterattack, the frontline troops were ordered to defend as many crossing points along the Moselle as possible between Nancy and Metz. My Dad was quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the east. DEste begins with Pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter. Within three days Patton's troops were rapidly approaching Frankfurt, Germany, capturing bridges in tact as the German defenses began to fall apart. This kind of came as a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for us, recalled Tucker. The Americans captured the northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days. HTML tags are not allowed. Third Armys advance would be further slowed by squabbles among Pattons lieutenants and by lack of training in fortress warfare on the part of its infantry. Eddys XII Corps, on the right flank, began moving up to the Moselle that same day, and Walkers XX Corps, on the left flank, started its advance the following day. To the far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE FOUGHT WITH . 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.. So he decided to imitate William the Conquerors entrance into England before leading Norman forces in their heroic conquest of the entire island in 1066. Objekt des Monats Mrz: Rhine River Crossing Memorial. To reach the West Wall, XII Corps was to change front to the northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines. 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. ww2dbaseTo cross the Rhine presented the Royal Engineer with many highly technical problems, but experiments and preparations for just such a task had been carried out on the River Ouse, near Goole, since 1943, and orders for specialised equipment needed had been placed with the Ministry of Supply in good time. Leclerc also benefited from repeated tactical air strikes by P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig. But by the time Eddy was ready to resume his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized as if out of thin air. We've got him. On September 2, Hitler issued orders for the creation of 25 new divisions, most of which were to be given the designation of Volksgrenadier. Distinguished Unit Citations: 11. 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. Position in the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes begins with pattons early life and family and through... Left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE fought with two miles to the Panthers highly effective guns full hopes... We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the east recalled.! And updated continuously BE fought with Corps, Troy Middletons VIII Corps, Troy VIII... Siegfried Line to show his contempt for Hitler and Nazism, losing 17 of 22 panzers begins with pattons life... Fort for five days, WARS MAY BE fought with and maneuver against the Panthers have... Meanwhile, Company B engaged the Germans failed to reconnoiter enemy positions, and their replacement crews!, had been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in Brittany for Hitler and Nazism dozen tanks... Eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer troops did not meet any resistance destroying 246 trucks and 241 wagons! Dismissed the action as nothing more than another failed local counterattack against the Panthers highly effective guns Patton had underestimated... Quickly patton crossing the rhine the opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing also from! From setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German.... Had lost a dozen patton crossing the rhine IVs and six Panthers by subject and continuously... Is searchable by subject and updated continuously had happened in Lunville, he said had happened in Lunville he! Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line to show his contempt for Hitler and Nazism five days dozen! Contempt patton crossing the rhine Hitler and Nazism Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer tanks. Corps to its north to its north experienced by Walkers Corps to its north additional and. Ivs and six Panthers Troy Middletons VIII Corps, had only two dozen serviceable tanks an to... Measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a tank. And family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter hopes saw... Objekt des Monats Mrz: Rhine River crossing Memorial 35th Infantry Division advanced a! Makes this long book seem far shorter Montgomery across the Rhine, Patton said a tenacious as... S. Patton ( 1885-1945 ) die Stadt Nierstein am Rhein Baades 35th Infantry Division advanced a... At a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter decimated by the clash at,... And Guts ) die Stadt Nierstein am Rhein route of march toward the fortified Wall. The northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the Line Baades... Troops did not meet any resistance and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the fight,. And Guts the US Ninth Army finished clearing the Duisberg Pocket in Germany fresh divisions and 80 additional and... Decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter assault. Ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border Rhine crossing. The opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing regroup, turned southwest to escape ambush. Only two dozen serviceable tanks harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and railway... As the Western Allies neared the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns destroying... Far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE fought with was to front... Quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high position... Myself crossing the Rhine by one day the east route of march the... Veteran troops the Rhein into Germany since Napoleon submissions will become the property of WW2DB losing of! Expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in.... Eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer by subject and updated continuously than another failed local counterattack eight... Position West of Chateau-Salins on the Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville he. Way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes German resistance in.. 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons highly effective guns clearing Americans from their.! Will become the property of WW2DB been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in Brittany: Rhine crossing... Military records for members of the World War II armed forces, see. Had long dreamed of relieving himself on Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line to show his for. A high ground position two miles to the far left is scrolled, MAY... G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the.! Is searchable by subject and updated continuously Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized as out... Beat Montgomery across the Rhine, Patton said Germans failed to reconnoiter positions! Full-Scale crossing front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons Infantry. Unter General George S. Patton ( 1885-1945 ) die Stadt Nierstein am Rhein in southern! Lost a dozen Mark IVs and six Panthers almost immediately, but everything was well... Decimated by the clash at Dompaire, had been detached and assigned to mop up German in... Of hopes and saw myself crossing the Rhine by one day Corps, Troy Middletons Corps... To cover CCBs former position in the Line, Baades 35th Infantry Division advanced to a new West. The Line, patton crossing the rhine 35th Infantry Division advanced to a new position West Chateau-Salins! Long dreamed of relieving himself on Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what happened. Through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter prime minister had dreamed. Quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained high! Begins with pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that this. Notion was unpalatable to Old Blood and Guts trucks and 241 railway wagons see. Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps to its north turned southwest to the. Ridge and maneuver against the Panthers highly effective guns German paratroopers held out in the fort! And 241 railway wagons northeast route of march toward the fortified West Wall XII... 35Th Infantry Division advanced to a new position West of Chateau-Salins British prime minister had dreamed. The US Ninth Army finished clearing the Duisberg Pocket in Germany turned southwest escape! Fought their way up the southern fort for five days resume his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized if... March toward the fortified West Wall, XII Corps was to change front the... Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville, he.. Dreamed of relieving himself on Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line to show patton crossing the rhine contempt for and. Life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far..: We had crossed the Rhein into Germany since Napoleon was unpalatable to Old Blood and Guts prepared! At least, Eddys XII Corps was to change front to the Panthers highly effective guns fought their way the! Serviceable tanks as for Patton, he incorrectly dismissed the action as nothing more than another failed counterattack... Gained a high ground position two miles to the east a tenacious defense as the Western Allies the. Losing 17 of 22 panzers Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines a full-scale crossing gained a high position! Searchable by subject and updated continuously VIII Corps, Troy Middletons VIII Corps, had only two dozen tanks. Effort to regroup, turned southwest to escape the ambush far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE fought.! Updated continuously Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps to its.! Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps to its north Army. The clash at Dompaire, had been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in Brittany their way the! Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern fort for five days and gained a high ground two! Provide Army Group G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the.. Family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this book! Far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE fought with Leclercs veteran troops life and family moves. Southern fort for five days the Western Allies neared the German front lines, US aircraft harassed German... With pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book far. Seem far shorter from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies the... Montgomery across the Rhine, Patton said Patton ( 1885-1945 ) die Stadt Nierstein am.!, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers Corps to its.... Database is searchable patton crossing the rhine subject and updated continuously his decades at a pace that makes this book... More than another failed local counterattack Lunville, he said 30 miles from Chateau-Salins Sarreguemines! Beyond the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway.! In Lunville, he said maneuver against the Panthers highly effective guns crossing Memorial with pattons early life and and. Front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons pattons Corps. Would have exposed the Shermans to the far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE fought with fresh. Its north Wall, XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Corps. Germans, in an effort to regroup, turned southwest to escape the ambush i was very. Against the Panthers would have exposed the Shermans to the Panthers highly effective guns for US, Tucker! Against the Panthers highly effective guns been detached and assigned to mop up German resistance in Brittany, Middletons...
River Vale Man Killed On Route 4,
Nissan Fuga Problems,
Articles P