For Gods sake, send some gasoline.. A German counter attack from Frankfurt, Germany towards Kstrin barely got out of the city. Still, Walkers XX Corps remained stalled before Metz, even though Eddys XII Corps had advanced well beyond its Moselle bridgeheads. 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. Meanwhile the construction of an even larger Class 40 bridge "London Bridge" continued and was completed by midnight. 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. As expected, the Germans counterattacked at 1 pm on September 13 just as CCA began crossing the bridge. Look for the Monument Patton and stop by the General Patton Memorial Museum. ww2dbaseBetween Frankfort and the Ruhr River, the American First Army had breached the Rhine River barrier earlier in the month near Remagen. 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. 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. "The pause that refreshes." The general told the troops around him. I know that he carried the BAR and he was in Company A, 359th Infantry Regiment. When Patton Enlisted the Entire Third Army to Pray for Fair Weather, California Do not sell my personal information. Hitler, who reluctantly agreed to a far less ambitious counterattack than initially envisioned, issued orders for the German attack to begin on September 18. BATTLE OF THE BULGE is scrolled underneath. For 10 months he was without a command and on pins and needles as to the exact nature of his next assignment. Seventh Army during the Sicilian campaign (Operation Husky), and in August 1944 his Third Army became operational in northern France. 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. 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. 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. I was convinced then there were no Germans ahead of us except those we were actually fighting. 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. Most of the forces opposite Pattons Third Army belonged to the German First Army, which was part of General-Colonel Johannes Blaskowitzs Army Group G. Hitler planned to increase the forces opposite Patton to the point that they would be capable of launching a strong counterattack that would rock Third Army back on its heels. 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. Luttwitz would strike north toward Lunville, while Krueger would push west along the south side of the Marne-Rhine Canal toward the town. 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. They did a lot of grumbling.. 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. 2. 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. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. . von Florian Weber; Verffentlicht am 1. 9th AID M3 Half-tracks advancing through Engers, Germany, 27 March 1945. 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. Einheiten des 3. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 . If you supply any information, it would be appreciated by his family. Day 6. Leslie Mansfield, (daughter). Beyond the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons. On the night of March 22, 1945, elements of the Third Army crossed the Rhine at the German town of Oppenheim. The reversal of fortune gnawed at Patton from the outset of his service in France. 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. Panzergrenadier formations then swept forward to clear American antitank, machine-gun, and rifle positions. That same day Third Army received about 240,000 gallons of fuel, which was sufficient to resume its advance the following day. In December he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and planned the July 1944 invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). 140 kilometers to the north, British Second Army captured Wesel, Germany. Patton had seriously underestimated the Germans ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border. He was confident that Eddys 35th Division, with close support of the 4th Armored, could achieve a breach and hold it open to allow Third Armys armored divisions to punch through the wall. 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] Still, the 137th Infantry Division that same day managed to establish several small bridgeheads on the eastern bank. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville. The Rhine itself was symbolic of the entrance into Germany from Western Europe and had historically stood as a natural barrier against invasion. The Americans sought to offset the Germans armor advantage in the sector by committing a platoon of Shermans from the 8th Tank Battalion to the fight. To the far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE FOUGHT WITH . 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. This was because Third Army, and the other Allied armies racing to its north, had stretched their supply lines until they snapped. After the war Eisenhower was appointed Military Governor of the U.S. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and he prepared to make do with the untrained and understrength units he had been given. Despite efforts to rush fuel to the frontline units, the Allies were still receiving their fuel from supply dumps in Normandy. Crossing the Rhine. The goal of this Third Army, which formed the right wing of Bradleys 12th Army Group, was composed of Maj. Gen. Walton Walkers XX Corps and Eddys XII Corps. site is two fold. While the fighting raged, P-47s flew repeated sorties against Bures, through which the Germans were funneling fresh troops and ammunition into the battle. 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 . The Germans failed to reconnoiter enemy positions, and their replacement tank crews were no match for Leclercs veteran troops. Patton was fatally injured in a road accident on December9, 1945, dying twelve days later. 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. This is Part One of a Three Part look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign. Charging up the slope after nightfall, the Germans once again seized the crest, forcing the Americans to retreat to the northern slope. 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. Because Knobelsdorff had no better luck than Manteuffel against the Americans, Balck returned control of the offensive back to Manteuffel. (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.) The Germans attacked again in the vicinity of Rechicourt in the afternoon, but after losing another nine tanks they broke off the action. 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. "My dear General", Winston Churchill said to the American general as they met the next morning, "the German is whipped. This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. This kind of came as a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for us, recalled Tucker. 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. When the Germans attempted to withdraw, they found their escape route blocked by the 359th Infantry Regiment moving east to cut them off. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. By that evening, the Germans had discovered Pattons forces, and perhaps more important, Pattons British rival, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, was preparing to cross the Rhine as well. The Germans attacking toward Hill 265 captured several key towns, one of which was Xanrey, a few miles northwest of Arracourt. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. From there, the vehicle fired an armor-piercing shell into the side of a Panther in a field 300 yards away. The initial objective for both was Lunville, which would become a staging area for a drive north to Chateau-Salins. 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. The task before Third Army was to establish bridgeheads across the Moselle that would enable it to capture the two strategic towns. 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. National Interest Newsletter. He engineered the Normandy breakout and was made commander of the Twelfth Army Group. Having mustered 50 tanks for the attack, Manteuffel ordered Wietersheim to capture Moyenvic and inflict as much damage as possible on CCA. You can read more about the day . The tank battle raged well into the afternoon as Company B arrived to help Abrams hold back the Germans. Anthony Read and David Fisher, The Fall of Berlin. Patton received orders from Bradley on September 23 to switch to a defensive position until further notice. 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. Although the U.S. First Army had already captured an intact bridge over the river at Remagen, there was still a rivalry between Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to cross next. All of these units suffered serious armored and antitank deficiencies. The 37th Tank Battalion would get no rest on September 20. TeachingAmericanHistory.org is a project of the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, 401 College Avenue, Ashland, Ohio 44805 PHONE (419) 289-5411 TOLL FREE (877) 289-5411 EMAIL [emailprotected]. After the completion of the Battle in The Ardennes, Patton and his Army turned to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine. Nevertheless, the Germans established strong defensive positions in two dilapidated French fortresses that effectively blocked the western approaches to the city. Although his unit was spearheading the attack toward the river, he assumed there would be a pause to get organized for the crossing. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. He believed that it would leave too long of a left flank vulnerable to German counter offensives. For the Allied high command, the all-out assault across the Rhine was hugely important because crossing the river, the historic boundary of German power in the west, rang the death knell on the lunacy and bestiality of Hitlers Thousand Year Reich. As Third Army firmly established itself on the east bank of the Moselle at Nancy, capturing not only crossing points but also key crossroads on the east bank, the Germans had to postpone their counterattack several times and continually revise it to adjust to new events. 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. Patton would face significant leadership and tactical challenges in the region in the months following the Arracourt clashes. Lying astride Third Armys route of advance were the key cities of Metz and Nancy, both of which are located on the east bank of the Moselle. On March 23, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a warm letter to Patton: I have frequently had occasion to state, publicly, my appreciation of the great accomplishments of this Allied force during the past nine months. Again, the Germans proved they had the determination and resources to make the Americans pay heavily to get their forces across the Moselle. Eddy was tasked with locating possible crossing points above and below Nancy, while Walker was instructed to do the same above and below Metz. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. Control of the crest of Hill 318 shifted back and forth on September 28. This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. The attack, which came as a complete surprise, was being orchestrated by one of the Third Reichs most talented panzer leaders, the diminutive General der Panzertruppen Hasso von Manteuffel, whom Hitler had plucked from the Eastern Front with his staff to drive Pattons forces back across the Moselle. Hitler, who had never liked Blaskowitz, sacked him on September 21. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Westminster". In short order, more than a half-dozen M5 Stuart tanks sat smoldering and crumpled in fields near the town. Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. 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. As blue skies gave way to rainy spells signaling autumns approach, the U.S. Third Army readied itself for a push to the Rhine, and perhaps the honor of being the first Allied troops to hurdle the last major barrier on the road to Berlin. 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. Until now, I cant find a webpage, book or other source for an . Copyright 2004-2023 Lava Development, LLC., all rights reserved, See all 47 photographs of Crossing the Rhine, Message from George Patton to US 5th Infantry Division. Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. From the standpoint of losses in men and equipment, the Arracourt battles were a resounding victory for the Americans. 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. On 22 March, General George S. Patton sent his Third Army across the Rhine, at Nierstein, to form another bridgehead. 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. 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