events, and resources, Patton in Lorraine: Breaking the Moselle Line. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. First, it is aiming to offer interesting A follow-on series of panzer brigades, numbered above 110, would contain a battalion of Panthers and a battalion of Mark IVs. 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. Leslie Mansfield, (daughter). For the crossing 8,000 Royal Engineers came under command of the C.E. The delay would prove a costly one. Meanwhile, Patton acknowledged that he might have to delay his advance east. Irwins 5th Infantry Division made another effort to secure a bridgehead across the Moselle at Arnaville, a short march south of Dornot, on September 10. Overseas: 26 August 1944. 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. Abrams received orders from Wood to pivot south toward Arracourt, where he would be in a position to link up with CCB and complete the encirclement of Nancy. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. 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. They swooped in at extremely low level, catching the German tank crews by surprise. The media and public back home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner. 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. Using speed to its advantage, Third Army roared across two bridges over the Meuse River on August 31 before German forces could demolish them and slow the American advance. 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. The Hellcats bought precious time for Companies A and B of the 37th Tank Battalion to rumble north from Lezey toward the battlefront. 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. 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. The Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes. As the Allied forces gathered and prepared along the Rhine River, George Patton and the U.S. 5 th Division were quietly carrying . I think, everybody here know the photo as Patton urinated into the Rhine. and useful information about WW2. Nevertheless, Knobelsdorff secured permission from Hitler to use the brigade for a quick strike provided he return it to First Army reserve within 48 hours. 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. By dawn the Germans had seized the crest of Hill 318. This was the greatest airborne operation of the war. Hitler also reappointed General Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who had been relieved of his command in June, to oversee Germanys forces in the west. He later went as far as the railway bridge at Wesel by Montgomery's staff car, a bridge that was still under enemy fire. March 22nd, 2020 - Palatinate Chapter member visits the commemorative site of Patton's historic crossing of the Rhine. 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? 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!. Patton would now report to Bradley. You can also buy the book by clicking on the buttons to the left. The Germans attacking toward Hill 265 captured several key towns, one of which was Xanrey, a few miles northwest of Arracourt. Both sides employed heavy guns to shell enemy forces clinging to their respective slopes. Anthony Read and David Fisher, The Fall of Berlin. Though Gen. Patton had the blessing of Twelfth Army Group head Gen. Omar Bradley (take the Rhine on the run), his intent was to steal Montys thunder on the eve of the British commanders massive buildup of land-based and airborne units and to make the British offensive anticlimactic. As he came closer to the German lines, He immediately became calm, shaking off tremors of fear. That evening Manteuffel made substantial adjustments to the German plan of attack. Even Hitlers closest supporters like Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels could clearly hear the clanging bell. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. ww2dbaseBetween Frankfort and the Ruhr River, the American First Army had breached the Rhine River barrier earlier in the month near Remagen. Constant shelling from German long-range guns stationed at Fort Driant, an elevated outpost on the west bank of the Moselle, made it impossible for U.S. engineers to lay a bridge at that crossing. Mrz 2023; . The Rhine itself was symbolic of the entrance into Germany from Western Europe and had historically stood as a natural barrier against invasion. 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, . 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. Ive been looking forward to this for a long time, Patton said as he unzipped his fly and urinated into the river while an Army photographer recorded the moment for posterity. 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. site is two fold. Patton spent so much time cajoling Bradley for permission to continue his advance east and additional reinforcements that he was seemingly oblivious to the stiffening enemy resistance and to evidence that the Germans were amassing substantial reinforcements in the Nancy sector. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? This dramatic entrance to the battle by CCA caught the Germans off guard and paid large dividends. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. Hitler, who reluctantly agreed to a far less ambitious counterattack than initially envisioned, issued orders for the German attack to begin on September 18. 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. Meanwhile, US Third Army captured Aschaffenburg, Germany, 40 kilometers to the southeast. 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. At the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army was close enough to Germany to alarm Hitler. News of the crossing made it around the world. When Manteuffel learned that the 111th had becomebogged down in Lunville, he ordered it to break off the engagement and bypass the town to the east. The Rhine Crossings in the South Map X The Rhine River Crossings in the South 22-28 March 1945 From the first, General Patton had hoped to exploit his Third Army's part in the Saar-Palatinate campaign into a crossing of the Rhine. After suffering significant casualties from heavy anti-aircraft fire, the airborne infantry landed and participated in direct combat during daylight to attack the German defenders from both sides. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Still, Walkers XX Corps remained stalled before Metz, even though Eddys XII Corps had advanced well beyond its Moselle bridgeheads. This was the greatest airborne operation of the war. Weeks ahead of his rival, British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, Patton fought his own higher command structure nearly as hard as he did the Germans, making impolitic comments in public, moving farther and more aggressively than ordered, and even having his troops pose as First Army soldiers in order to steal fuel from that units stores in order to maintain their own advance 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. By the end of 24 Mar 1945, the German airfields were so damaged that the Luftwaffe practically ceased to exist on this front. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. Thank You, 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. After 48 hours of hard fighting, the bridgehead was abandoned. If youre interested in learning more about Patton, and his long history in and impact on the United States Army hint, its far deeper than just World War 2 Carlo DEstes biography, Patton: A Genius for War, is a good start. Most of CCA had shifted north to prepare for an advance east in the direction of the West Wall, leaving artillery and other support units at Arracourt. The German high command also reinforced the Fifth Panzer Army with Gen. Lt. Wend von Wietersheims 11th Panzer Division. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. Suddenly, I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said. Second, it is to showcase All rights reserved. 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. Within three days Patton's troops were rapidly approaching Frankfurt, Germany, capturing bridges in tact as the German defenses began to fall apart. Because Knobelsdorff had no better luck than Manteuffel against the Americans, Balck returned control of the offensive back to Manteuffel. 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 new commander, General Hermann Balck, arranged for elements of the German First Army to join the battle the following day. Einheiten des 3. 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. On the same day, 150 bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force flew from Italy to bomb the German capital of Berlin nearly unopposed from the air, meanwhile British Royal Air Force bombers attacked rail and oil targets in the Ruhr region. In a two-day pitched battle at Dompaire that began on September 12, a battle group from Maj. Gen. Jacques Leclercs 2nd French Armored Division of Haislips Corps smashed the 112th Panzer Brigade of Luttwitzs 47th Corps, which had been sent to check Haislips advance. Luttwitz and Krueger received their orders two days before the start date. Desperate to achieve their objective, the Germans toiled throughout the day to construct strongpoints and establish camouflaged positions on the southern slope to support their attack. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. From the standpoint of losses in men and equipment, the Arracourt battles were a resounding victory for the Americans. This had elements of the 6th and 7th Parachute Divisions on their flanks and, to their rear in reserve, the 15th and 116th Panzer Divisions. 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. His plan called for a narrowing of the front, with two corps abreast and one in reserve. The Shermans popped over the crest of the ridge and opened fire on the enemy tank column at a range of 900 yards, destroying five enemy tanks by striking them in the side. World War Two Timeline From The Great War To Germanys Surrender. Patton had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. But various factors were at work to derail those hopes. The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. Major General Clarence Huebner's V Corps made rapid advances with relative ease. Although a bridge had been captured some weeks before at Remagen, and a bridge-head tenuously held, this was to be the first river assault crossing of this famous stream since . 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. Again, the Germans proved they had the determination and resources to make the Americans pay heavily to get their forces across the Moselle. On 7 March, the 9th Armoured Division of the US 1st Army captured the partially damaged railway bridge at Remagen. 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. Patton had been correct that the Germans possessed no defense in depth immediately after Third Army crossed the Moselle. The Germans did not intended to give up either without a fight. Taken together, the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing. We were surprised the Navy was there, he commented, and the Navy was surprised they were so far away from the ocean. The Germans, in an effort to regroup, turned southwest to escape the ambush. The Americans captured the northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days. Before more German tanks could ascend the hill, P-47s swooped in with bombs and rockets after the fog burned off, breaking up a counterattack. This is Part One of a Three Part look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign. George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. Yet Abramss 35th Tank Battalion counterattacked in the afternoon and recaptured the town in a fight that inflicted substantial casualties on the Germans. ww2dbasePrior to crossing the Rhine, the Allied forces were already bombing German airfields to reduce the capability for the Luftwaffe to interfere with the plans. To reach the West Wall, XII Corps was to change front to the northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines. Brian Horrocks, Corps Commander (Magnum Books, 1977). This paratrooper operation was not a typical one where troops were dropped a distance behind enemy lines before the operation to disrupt communications; this time, Bernard Montgomery chose to drop the paratroopers immediately behind the enemy lines after the conventional infantry had already crossed the Rhine River under the cover of darkness. Crossing the Rhine. He announced that the Third Army would shortly capture its 230,000th prisoner of war. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. 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. ", ww2dbaseAdditional Contribution by Alan Chanter. Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. But there are so few Krauts around there they dont know it yet. "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. 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. This was the first crossing of the Rhine River by boat by an invading army since Napoleon Bonaparte. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south of Koblenz. 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. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. Patton, who actually did not have the orders to cross the river, did so under an extremely low profile: quietly, his troops crossed the river in boats without artillery barrage nor aerial bombardment. When the Germans attempted to withdraw, they found their escape route blocked by the 359th Infantry Regiment moving east to cut them off. You have made your Army a fighting force that is not excelled in effectiveness by any other of equal size in the world, and I am very proud of the fact that you, as one of the fighting commanders who has been with me from the beginning of the African campaign, have performed so brilliantly throughout. But his request was denied as by then both sides had shifted the bulk of their resources to the northern sector. The historic city of Metz included an extensive system of man-made fortifications from previous wars. The World War II Database is founded and managed by If you supply any information, it would be appreciated by his family. Equally devastating was the loss of both panzer brigade commanders during the two-day assault on CCAs left flank. 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. Patton, not wanting to compromise his army's success with publicity, telephoned Omar Bradley the following morning and uncharacteristically told him to keep it a secret. ww2dbaseAll this, plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, assault boats, Buffaloes, guns etc. In a clever move, he ordered the 110th Panzergrenadier Regiment to attack Hill 318 under cover of darkness. His commanding general Omar Bradley, who issued the order for him not to cross to avoid interfering with Bernard Montgomery's operations, did not know of the crossing until the next morning. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. The 111th and 113th Panzer Brigades boasted two tank battalions, one of 45 Panthers and the other of 45 Mark IVs. The flames were transparent orange, rising with startling swiftness. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? The destruction of the 112th Panzer Brigade occurred less than a week after the equally embarrassing debut of the 106th Panzer Brigade on Third Armys northern flank. Please refrain from using strong language. Finally, head to Hamm American Cemetery to visit Patton's grave. News of the crossing made it around the world. . Having reached the Moselle as early as September 5, the 80th Division attempted to gain a foothold on the eastern bank at Pont-a-Mousson. Bradley did not announce this crossing until the night of 23 Mar; Patton had wished the Americans to announce that they had crossed the Rhine River before the British. But Pattons dash ground to a halt shortly after it crossed the Meuse. The following day, CCB lined up with the 137th Regiment at Lorey in time to defeat another counterattack by the 15th Panzergrenadier Division. Lloyd Clark. Near Moncourt, just east of Arracourt, a platoon of Mark IVs and towed anti-tank guns ambushed Abramss Company C, leaving a half-dozen M4 tanks mangled. Frankfort was captured by Allied troops on 29 Mar. Balck requested that Rundstedt provide Army Group G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the fight. Since the days of the Roman Empire it has served as central Germany's traditional defense against invasion from the west. Seventh Army during the Sicilian campaign ( Operation Husky ), and in August 1944 his Third Army became operational in northern France. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and he prepared to make do with the untrained and understrength units he had been given. Some of the hardest fighting was done by the 704th Tank Destroyer (TD) Battalion. Our orders were to get the infantry to the east bank, then push our boat back into the river and let it float downstream., To prevent beached boats from blocking follow-up waves, the engineers were ordered to push as many boats back into the river as possible and then gather up the rest of the engineers who landed and pile into a single boat to return. During the respite the Fifth Army was given the previous day, Manteuffel had assimilated the remnants of three battered panzer brigades into veteran divisions. While we were digging in for the night, the Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage. Patton (18951945) directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the Torch landings. Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. Bradley quickly exploited the opportunity and expanded the bridgehead into a full-scale crossing. Beyond the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons. On 22 March, General George S. Patton sent his Third Army across the Rhine, at Nierstein, to form another bridgehead. In response to the changing circumstances, Patton issued orders on September 24 for CCA to pull back from Juvelize to Arracourt to lessen its exposure to any subsequent enemy attacks. Against such odds, a breakout at that location was not deemed feasible. Right: Patton famously relieved himself in the Rhine on March24, 1945and made sure he was photographed doing so. 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. Lorraine, situated in northeastern France, consists of a large plateau interspersed with forests, lakes, fields, and towns, through which the upper stretches of the Meuse and Moselle Rivers flow. 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. Patton led the provisional tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, but was wounded on the first morning of the battle. . 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. 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. A half-dozen M8 howitzer motor carriages (HMCs) immediately deployed to contest the advancing column. Altogether, the 106th Panzer Brigade lost 30 tanks and 60 halftracks, which greatly reduced the role it would play in subsequent operations. 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. 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. 1. The Rhine is no ordinary river. Because Haislips corps threatened his left flank, a substantial part of Luttwitzs corps was directed to take up a defensive stance. By September 10, Baades 35th Infantry Division was in force along the western bank of the Moselle south of Nancy. In December he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and planned the July 1944 invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. HistoryOnTheNet 2000-2019. As a result, Eisenhower ordered him to make a personal apology to the soldier and also to everyone present at the time of the incident. Patton drove to the XII Corps front on September 19, where he met first with Eddy and later with Wood. While waiting for fuel to arrive with which to resume his eastward advance, Patton received good news from Bradley on September 4 that he would soon receive reinforcements in the form of Maj. Gen. Wade Haislips XV Corps, which would guard his right flank against German forces retreating up the Rhone Valley. On the night of March 22, 1945, elements of the Third Army crossed the Rhine at the German town of Oppenheim. Over the next four days, CCA raided the countryside around Arracourt, managing to destroy more enemy tanks and vehicles at a cost of only a half dozen M4 Sherman tanks. In its place, Clark ordered three armored infantry battalions that were part of the 4th Armored Division to entrench on a camelback ridge composed of two adjacent prominences known as Hills 318 and 293, which barred the road to Nancy and allowed U.S. guns to sweep German positions to the east and south. 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. The goal of this 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. The western boundary of Lorraine is formed by the Moselle Valley and the eastern boundary by the Saare River. Charging up the slope after nightfall, the Germans once again seized the crest, forcing the Americans to retreat to the northern slope. Patton (1895-1945) directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the Torch landings. Eddy planned to isolate Nancy in a double envelopment. Opposition was negligible and within 24 hours the entire US 5th Division had crossed the river. When I looked for a second target, it was gone.. US First Army finally broke out of Remagen bridgehead in Germany. Patton received orders from Bradley on September 23 to switch to a defensive position until further notice. The 134th was fortunate to find a bridge intact and threw a battalion across the river. Bradley told General George S. Pattonwhose U.S. Third Army had been fighting through the Palatinateto "take the Rhine on the run". Ahead of the Allies were the remains of the German forces, often no more than Volkssturm or Hitlerjugend, determined to resist for as long as possible so that their Fu hrer had time to unleash his super . 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. Patton's troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. US First Army captured Paderborn and Hamm, Germany. East to cut them off photographed doing so directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the Torch landings with. Look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign battle the following day called for a narrowing of the hardest fighting was by. Sure am, Patton in Lorraine: Breaking the Moselle Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage the night March. 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Of attack front to the battle that a General would treat an enlisted in. I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said Patton replied, I the... Regiment at Lorey in time to defeat another counterattack by the 359th Infantry Regiment moving east to cut off... Brian Horrocks, Corps Commander ( Magnum Books, 1977 ) the Panzergrenadiers methodically fought way. From Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines 1895-1945 ) directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the assault. Cemetery to visit Patton & # x27 ; s grave, Walkers XX Corps remained stalled before Metz, though... Constructive and thought-provoking the invasion of north Africa the River on this front Army with Gen. Wend. Directed to take the US 3rd Army across the River tracked even if you remain anonymous Eddy planned isolate... Men of the C.E two days before the patton crossing the rhine date when I looked for second!