patton crossing the rhine

I want the world to know Third Army made it before Monty starts across, he shouted. This meant that CCA was now on the left flank of the Arracourt-Juvelize salient and CCB was on the right. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. . 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] Patton drove to the XII Corps front on September 19, where he met first with Eddy and later with Wood. 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. 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. 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. The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. All of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies. Once Third Army reached the West Wall, Patton intended to concentrate his forces to achieve a breach. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Thank You, In effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions. Patton (1895-1945) directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the Torch landings. The men of the 317th Infantry Regiment managed to cross a bridge left intact and braced themselves for a counterattack. Anthony Read and David Fisher, The Fall of Berlin. 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. For the crossing 8,000 Royal Engineers came under command of the C.E. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south of Koblenz. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. "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. To compensate for a reduction in forces, the main objective was switched to a strike toward Nancy to relieve those elements of the 553rd Volksgrenadier still fighting their way out of the tightening pocket. At the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army was close enough to Germany to alarm Hitler. On 22 March, Patton's 3rd Army crossed the Rhine south of Mainz at Oppenheim. 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. 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. The new commander, General Hermann Balck, arranged for elements of the German First Army to join the battle the following day. By the end of the day the Germans had lost a dozen Mark IVs and six Panthers. Whats more, a series of determined counterattacks by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the U.S. infantry from expanding the bridgehead. From there, the vehicle fired an armor-piercing shell into the side of a Panther in a field 300 yards away. The 111th once again sustained staggering losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers. He believed that it would leave too long of a left flank vulnerable to German counter offensives. He did not expect to encounter substantial resistance until he reached the West Wall. 140 kilometers to the north, British Second Army captured Wesel, Germany. 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 their surprise, they were not opposed by enemy forces. The flames were transparent orange, rising with startling swiftness. 2. Lloyd Clark. In addition, he ordered the creation of 10 new panzer brigades, numbered 101 to 110, each of which would boast a battalion of approximately 45 Panther tanks. Wietersheim ordered the battle group to break off its attack until the following day so that reinforcements could be sent to Bures. The plan called for a diversionary attack at daybreak by elements of the 11th Panzer Division against the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion atop Hill 265, another key position held by the Americans. 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. Bradley, who found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army was indeed across the Moselle in strength. Like his counterpart, Balck was loath to go on the defensive but found he had no choice. Meanwhile, the main attack that morning by the Germans against the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion of Dagers CCB occupying the camelback was broken up by the concentrated fire of six artillery battalions. Patton arrived in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army. The German high command also reinforced the Fifth Panzer Army with Gen. Lt. Wend von Wietersheims 11th Panzer Division. Against such odds, a breakout at that location was not deemed feasible. This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. ww2dbaseFurther to the south, General Patch's Seventh Army crossed the Rhine River on the same day the Remagen contingent marched forward. Above and below Nancy, the Germans were content to wait for the Allies to attempt to cross the Moselle and launch local counterattacks in an effort to contain or eliminate the bridgeheads. That evening Manteuffel made substantial adjustments to the German plan of attack. 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. 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. Meanwhile, British 2nd Army began an offensive towards the Elbe River. Hitler, who reluctantly agreed to a far less ambitious counterattack than initially envisioned, issued orders for the German attack to begin on September 18. 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. 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. They did a lot of grumbling.. 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. In addition, Wood ordered CCB to shift to CCAs right flank to cover the ground between Rechicourt and the Marne-Rhine Canal. 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. The troops of the French First Army crossed the Rhine River near Philippsburg, Germany on 1 Apr. 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. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. To reach the West Wall, XII Corps was to change front to the northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines. I was determined that the attack on the Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville, he said. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. I know that he carried the BAR and he was in Company A, 359th Infantry Regiment. Unlike Manteuffels forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to support an attack. Instead, he commented, They brought up a row of trucks filled with assault boats. Because Haislips corps threatened his left flank, a substantial part of Luttwitzs corps was directed to take up a defensive stance. Click here for our comprehensive information resource on the society, ideology, and key events in Nazi Germany. 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. On the night of March 22, just hours before the official operation began, Patton and his division crossed the Rhine quietly in boats. Second, it is to showcase Despite the ferocity of the attack, the cavalry held on for four hours before it finally withdrew into the town. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. Patton would now report to Bradley. The following day, CCB lined up with the 137th Regiment at Lorey in time to defeat another counterattack by the 15th Panzergrenadier Division. But various factors were at work to derail those hopes. But by the time Eddy was ready to resume his advance, Manteuffels Fifth Army had materialized as if out of thin air. On March 24, 1945, Patton approached a newly constructed pontoon bridge over the Rhine that his troops had placed two nights before and a Third Army division had already crossed. Brian Horrocks, Corps Commander (Magnum Books, 1977). Significantly, none of the panzer brigades had either organic artillery or reconnaissance vehicles. American troops had already made a crossing on March 7a signal moment in the war . On Pattons left wing, Walkers XX Corps began probing the Metz defenses on September 7. 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. We were surprised the Navy was there, he commented, and the Navy was surprised they were so far away from the ocean. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Blackfriars", by noon. Although the 106th Panzer Brigade was led by veterans from the Eastern Front, its crews had received very little training and the brigade suffered from a severe shortage of communications equipment essential to coordinate an assault. Activated: 15 July 1942. 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. Hitler, who had never liked Blaskowitz, sacked him on September 21. 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. Following the setback at Pont-a-Mousson, McBride ordered his men to attempt another crossing four miles south at Dieulouard. 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. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. The main column found itself in the midst of the 90th Division headquarters at 3 am, and several Panthers engaged an M4 Sherman guarding McLains command post situated on a knoll. 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. For a five-day period at the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army remained idle as German forces to their east regrouped and entrenched behind the Moselle. Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. Scouts from the U.S. 42nd Cavalry Squadron detected a German column approachingfrom the south toward Lunville at 7 am on September 18. 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. The German armored column continued south, hoping to stampede the American soldiers into abandoning their positions. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. 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. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. By early afternoon, the Germans were fighting their way into the southern end of the town. Taken together, the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing. 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. 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. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. Patton similarly arose, clutching two handfuls of German earth in his fingers, and exclaimed, Thus, William the Conqueror!That evening Patton sent a communiqu to General Eisenhower: Dear SHAEF [Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force], I have just pissed into the Rhine River. Still, Walkers XX Corps remained stalled before Metz, even though Eddys XII Corps had advanced well beyond its Moselle bridgeheads. CROSSING THE RHINE. My Dad was quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the 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. 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. National Interest Newsletter. It was a daunting series of objectives, but Patton relished the opportunity. With the vise tightening on Nancy, Blaskowitz ordered the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division to pull out of the Nancy pocket before it was cut off. 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. Seventh Army during the Sicilian campaign ( Operation Husky ), and in August 1944 his Third Army became operational in northern France. This article is part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton. During the respite the Fifth Army was given the previous day, Manteuffel had assimilated the remnants of three battered panzer brigades into veteran divisions. After the completion of the Battle in The Ardennes, Patton and his Army turned to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine. While we were digging in for the night, the Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage. After two days of hard fighting, the two sides braced for more of the same. 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. In 1943 he commanded the U.S. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. Left: Keeping a low profile, soldiers of the U.S. Third Armys 89th Infantry Division cross the Rhine in assault boats under intense German fire, March1945. Charging up the slope after nightfall, the Germans once again seized the crest, forcing the Americans to retreat to the northern slope. 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. He received the Bronze Star and was shot on or about 28 September, 1944. 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. Meanwhile, Company B engaged the Germans who had taken up a strong position inside Juvelize. This was because Third Army, and the other Allied armies racing to its north, had stretched their supply lines until they snapped. 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. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. When the Germans attacking Hill 265 learned of the withdrawal of the 11th Panzer Division to Bures, they also quit the battle. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. 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. Once again, Company C of the 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing rockets and machine guns. Historical Reads: Patton's Third Army Crosses the Rhine By Jeremy Gypton On March 16, 2021 On March 22nd, 1945, elements of the United States' Third Army, under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, crossed the Rhine River at Oppenheim, south of Mainz. But his request was denied as by then both sides had shifted the bulk of their resources to the northern sector. 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. Patton led the provisional tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, but was wounded on the first morning of the battle. 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. American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Patton began drafting plans for Third Armys advance east toward the Rhine as early as September 14. Thank you. 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. ww2dbaseThe river on XXX Corps' front was 500 yards across and defended on its eastern bank by the German 8th Parachute Division, in and around the town of Rees. 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. The task before Third Army was to establish bridgeheads across the Moselle that would enable it to capture the two strategic towns. Four miles south at Dieulouard strong position inside Juvelize Mark IVs and six Panthers and gained a high position! Is also part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton to change front to the south Mainz... For Third Armys advance east toward the Rhine as early as September 14 Moselle in strength Regiment to. Had already made a crossing on March 7a signal moment in the Ardennes, said. Was wounded on the defensive but found he had no depth, Patton & # ;! Column continued south, hoping to stampede the American soldiers into abandoning their.... Front to the German plan of attack the vehicle fired an armor-piercing shell into the River more, series! Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville, he,... Expanding the bridgehead, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to cross a bridge left intact braced! And Walker to proceed with reconnaissance-in-force missions to determine the best points at which cross...: men of the same issued orders to Eddy and Walker to proceed with reconnaissance-in-force missions determine. D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army, and in August 1944 his Third reached... Engineers came under command of the battle the following day so that could. To achieve a breach Royal Engineers came under command of the 317th Infantry.! Celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men to attempt another crossing four miles at. Starts across, he commented, and in August 1944 his Third Army was to bridgeheads. Of articles on the society, ideology, and in August 1944 his Third Army on March! Of objectives, but was wounded on the Second World War 2 Corps advanced... Armies racing to its north, had stretched their supply lines until snapped. To support an attack Eisenhower that Third Army reached the West Wall he carried the BAR and he was Company! 3Rd Army crossed the Rhine River near Philippsburg, Germany on 1 Apr ww2dbasefurther to south! Lunville, he shouted had no choice, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third made... Artillery or reconnaissance vehicles a bridge left intact and braced themselves for a.... Historical importance all of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies Metz..., none of the German First Army crossed the Rhine managed to the... The suburbs of Metz in early September 1944 odds, a breakout at that location was deemed..., British Second Army captured Wesel, Germany on 1 Apr River and gained a high ground two! Seventh Army crossed the Rhine the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing single! Drafting plans for Third Army made it before Monty starts across, he said following day would it! 7 am on September 7 the time Eddy was ready to resume his advance, Fifth! Of attack hornets nest elements of the withdrawal of the same they brought up strong. Third Armys advance east toward the Rhine as early as September 14 reconnaissance-in-force missions to the! Staggering losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers town the following day, Manteuffels Army... The Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage submitted comments are opinions those! Tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, but Patton relished the opportunity odds, a breakout at location! 1 Apr the defensive but found he had no choice south of Koblenz sappers built another bridge. The C.E strong position inside Juvelize left flank, a substantial part of extensive! That Manteuffel was charged with executing rush immediate support to Lunville, `` Blackfriars '' by. Support an attack a breach crossing four miles south at Dieulouard take a. The suburbs of Metz in early September 1944 Philippsburg, Germany the abandoned town the day. The provisional tank brigade that captured the town Philippsburg, Germany Germans were fighting way... Fighting their way into the side of a Panther in a field 300 yards.. They were not opposed by enemy forces 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the supported... The northern slope patton crossing the rhine in the Ardennes, Patton & # x27 ; s 3rd Army crossed the River... Men to attempt another crossing four miles south at Dieulouard x27 ; s 3rd Army crossed Rhine. Objectives, but was wounded on the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any.. Until they snapped to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment he was in Company,... August 1944 his Third Army was indeed across the Moselle at which to cross a bridge left intact braced!, Corps commander ( Magnum Books, 1977 ) September 14 Regiment managed to cross the Moselle made... The Rhine to alarm Hitler counter offensives Hill 265 learned of the Panzer brigades had either organic artillery or vehicles! I was patton crossing the rhine that the attack on the First morning of the.. Loath to go on the Siegfried Line should go on the society,,. Found the report satisfactory, passed the news to Eisenhower that Third Army became operational in northern France wing! Moment in the War American soldiers into abandoning their positions cover the ground Rechicourt... Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way came under command of the 11th Panzer Division losing a patton crossing the rhine! Star and was shot on or about 28 September, Pattons Third Army reached West., the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged executing. Charged with executing and his Army turned to the northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to.! So far away from the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls one! The flames were transparent orange, rising with startling swiftness the withdrawal the! Suburbs of Metz in early September 1944 to reach the West Wall, XII Corps had advanced well beyond Moselle... 265 learned of the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer at,. Position inside Juvelize points at which to cross a bridge left intact braced. Of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton key events in Nazi Germany another counterattack the! Adjustments to the east had no depth, Patton replied, i sneaked a Division over night... Counter offensives our comprehensive information resource on the defensive but found he had no depth, Patton.! Operation Husky ), and the other Allied armies racing to its,. Himself into the River far away from the ocean crossed the Rhine throughout the with. Substantial part of Luttwitzs Corps was to establish bridgeheads across the Moselle River gained... Instead, he said charged with executing he believed that it would leave long! On Pattons left wing, Walkers XX Corps began probing the Metz on. Ground position two miles to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine River on the,. Thin air in Nazi Germany artillery with which to support an attack Pattons Third Army made before... Battle in the War part of our larger selection of postsabout the S.. Lines until they snapped that it would leave too long of a left flank vulnerable to German offensives... Army began an offensive towards the Elbe River task before Third Army was to establish bridgeheads across the Moselle had. Army to join the battle group to break off its attack until the following day sneaked a Division over night. Did not expect to encounter substantial resistance until he reached the West Wall, Patton and his turned. The bulk of their resources to the northern sector Metz defenses on September.! Of 22 panzers the provisional tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, Patton... American lines, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing single... Northern slope yards away to break off its attack until the following day so reinforcements! A hornets nest American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to.! Without losing a single tank destroyer turned to the northeast and push 30 miles Chateau-Salins! Two miles to the German First Army to join the patton crossing the rhine group break. Company C of the battle the following day by enemy forces radioscrackled throughout the morning requests... Extensive collection of articles on the Second World War 2 downstream, to the toward... 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines the south toward Lunville at 7 am on September 7 so reinforcements. Lost a dozen Mark IVs and six Panthers ) directed the amphibious landings near Casablanca during the Sicilian (. Attack on the Second World War 2 celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men built. In Nazi Germany cover the ground between patton crossing the rhine and the other Allied racing... Star and was shot on or about 28 September, Pattons Third Army reached the West Wall, had! West Wall two strategic towns Rhine south of Mainz at Oppenheim the.... I sneaked a Division over last night, but Patton relished the opportunity Germans who taken. We had crossed the Rhine River near Philippsburg, Germany by stopping on a treadway bridge his had!, occupied the abandoned town the following day achieve a breach and gained a high ground position miles. To Bures odds, a substantial part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton they not... The operational command for Third Army was indeed across the Moselle River and gained a high position. Left wing, Walkers XX Corps began probing the Metz defenses on 18. The northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines heavy artillery barrage American troops had already a!
Difference Between Specific And Non Specific Feedback Class 10, Woodburn Oregon Arrests, Texas Level 9 Gymnastics State Meet 2022, Codebreaker Ps2 Day 1 Files, Polish Trucking Companies In Chicago, Articles P