A week before the Rhine crossing, Patton had held a press conference in which he delivered a classic performance, mixing the humorous, provocative, and the profane. Days of Combat: 91. 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. Unlike Patton, Churchill forbade photographs of the occasion. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Westminster". This kind of came as a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for us, recalled Tucker. 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. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. Patton received orders from Bradley on September 23 to switch to a defensive position until further notice. 2. All rights reserved. ), Patton also requested the help of the press corps in informing the Germans that four of his armored divisions were slashing away at them. Overseas: 26 August 1944. 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. "It's time for another Patton to die," he said aloud. Site created in November 2000. In Germany, US Third Army captured Frankfurt and Wiesbaden and US Seventh Army captured Mannheim. With the vise tightening on Nancy, Blaskowitz ordered the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division to pull out of the Nancy pocket before it was cut off. 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. The 37th Tank Battalion would get no rest on September 20. 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. In preparation for his counterattack, Hitler made several key command changes. Right: U.S. Army Generals Omar Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George S. Patton. 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. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Patton's troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. 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. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Right: Patton famously relieved himself in the Rhine on March24, 1945and made sure he was photographed doing so. Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks of XXX Corps commented later that, although they heard stories of German soldiers surrendering in their thousands at other places, the German troops encountered in XXX Corps' area were extremely fanatical in defence of their homeland. He sent one regiment from Maj. Gen. Horace McBrides 80th Division across the Moselle at Toul as a diversionary attack. At the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army was close enough to Germany to alarm Hitler. 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. While we were digging in for the night, the Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. 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. George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. 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. Einheiten des 3. On the day of the deadline, Patton reported to Bradley that the southern wing of Third Army had broken out of its bridgeheads and was in position to continue pushing east. As the Americans prepared to resume their push east, the vanguard of CCA shifted north toward Chateau-Salins. On the banks of the Rhine River the British Royal Corps of Engineers completed the construction of a Class 9 bridge "Waterloo Bridge" at 0100 hours and a Class 15 bridge "Lambeth Bridge" at 0830 hours. 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. In short order, more than a half-dozen M5 Stuart tanks sat smoldering and crumpled in fields near the town. Thank you. Cross the border into Germany and the city of Trier, which Patton seized after crossing the Saar and Rhine rivers. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. 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. This article is part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton. 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. Hitler also made preparations for the creation of a new Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel. 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. This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. On the evening of March 22, 1945 General George S. Patton's forces were fronting the last major obstacle to the heart of Germany, the Rhine River. The initiative then shifted to the Americans when a task force from Companies A and B of the 37th Tank Battalion swept through Rechicourt, driving the Germans beyond the town. I think, everybody here know the photo as Patton urinated into the Rhine. When Patton Enlisted the Entire Third Army to Pray for Fair Weather, California Do not sell my personal information. On September 2, Hitler issued orders for the creation of 25 new divisions, most of which were to be given the designation of Volksgrenadier. In little more than a months time, Patton, together with his archrival British General Bernard L. Montgomery, commanding the British Eighth Army, liberated the strategic island from Axis control. (Back in Berlin, Adolf Hitler urged the Wehrmacht to attack the Allied bridgehead at Oppenheim, only to be told that no reserve forces were available to embark on such an operation.) In 1943 he commanded the U.S. events, and resources. Elements of the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions, the latter which had been serving as Third Armys rear guard, and other units began converging on the townin response. The delay would prove a costly one. 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. For Gods sake, send some gasoline.. 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. This article is from the bookPatton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer2012by Michael Keane. Haislips arrival in early September disrupted a key element of Hitlers plan for a counterattack against Third Army by denying the Germans a staging area on the west side of the Moselle from which they might isolate American forces on the east side. 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. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. About 766 miles in length, with an average width of about 1,300 feet, the generally north-flowing waterway also is exceptionally swift and deep. 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. Panzergrenadier formations then swept forward to clear American antitank, machine-gun, and rifle positions. By August 30, Pattons army was receiving only about 32,000 of the 400,000 gallons of fuel it required to run all of its tanks and vehicles. Altogether, the 106th Panzer Brigade lost 30 tanks and 60 halftracks, which greatly reduced the role it would play in subsequent operations. His high hopes for a rapid advance to the West Wall would be dashed as heavy rains over the next two months restricted Third Armys tank columns to primary roads and sharply curtailed tactical air support. "The pause that refreshes." The general told the troops around him. The turning point in the battle came when a U.S. artillery observer directed more than 300 howitzer rounds onto a German column lined up on a sunken road in preparation for an assault on the village of Mairy. The German armored column continued south, hoping to stampede the American soldiers into abandoning their positions. As US Third Army made another Rhine River crossing near Worms, Germany, British Second Army and Canadian First Army launched their assaults across the Rhine River north of the Ruhr River. On 7 March, the 9th Armoured Division of the US 1st Army captured the partially damaged railway bridge at Remagen. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. Copyright 20122023 World War II - Day By Day. That evening Manteuffel made substantial adjustments to the German plan of attack. The American tank crews also benefited from a hydraulic turret that allowed them to swing into firing position faster than the Germans slower hand-cranked traverse. It was a daunting series of objectives, but Patton relished the opportunity. The Shermans then retreated behind the crest of the ridge and reappeared at another point to finish off the three remaining Panthers. 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. This adventurous expedition, however, was later criticized by Eisenhower as far too daring, and noted that had Eisenhower been there he would never have permitted Churchill to cross the river at that time, just as Eisenhower had fought to stop Churchill from observing the Normandy landings in France. This is Part One of a Three Part look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign. Maj. Gen. Leroy Irvins 5th Infantry Division pushed across the swollen waters of the flooded Metz River the following day to gain a precarious bridgehead at Dornot, five miles south of Metz. 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. Major General Clarence Huebner's V Corps made rapid advances with relative ease. 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. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. Patton had been correct that the Germans possessed no defense in depth immediately after Third Army crossed the Moselle. The men of the 317th Infantry Regiment managed to cross a bridge left intact and braced themselves for a counterattack. Although the day was cloudy and wet, two squadrons of P-47s from the 405th Fighter Squadron were able to navigate to the area using their cockpit instruments and instructions from ground spotters. Please use this data for any reference citations. 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. To the right side of the center banner WORLD WAR II 75th ANNIVERSARY is Patton in a B-3 Bomber jacket and his name, GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON JR. Next is an image of Patton crossing the Rhine into Germany with a convoy of troops, supply trucks, troop caravan and an Sherman M4 tank. Meanwhile, the western thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigade that morning ran headlong into a platoon of four Hellcats from the 704th TD Battalion, which had been informed of an attack that morning and taken a defensive position in a depression in the landscape. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. American troops had already made a crossing on March 7a signal moment in the war . Meanwhile, Patton acknowledged that he might have to delay his advance east. 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. 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. Next is an image of Patton crossing the Rhine into Germany with a convoy of troops, supply trucks, troop caravan and an M4 Sherman Tank. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. During the fighting around Juvelize, the Americans lost 14 Shermans and 7 Stuarts. 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. Taken together, the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing. It was an unusually costly day for the Americans, who lost a dozen Shermans. Had I not secured a good bridgehead by that time, I was to stop arguing and assume the mournful role of a defender, Patton said. Lloyd Clark. In a widely publicized incident, he slapped and cursed a soldier suffering from battle fatigue in a field hospital in front of staff and patients. 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. US First Army finally broke out of Remagen bridgehead in Germany. Meanwhile, US Third Army captured Ludwigshafen and Speyer, Germany. Hardcover. The goal of this Luttwitz and Krueger received their orders two days before the start date. Mrz 2023; . 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. Patton had seriously underestimated the Germans ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border. Day 6. Some 22,000 tons of assault bridging had to be brought forward, including 25,000 wooden pontoons, 2,000 assault boats, 650 Storm boats, 120 River tugs, 80 miles of balloon cable and 260 miles of steel wire rope. Distinguished Unit Citations: 11. 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. 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 article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. Suddenly, I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said. events, and resources, Patton in Lorraine: Breaking the Moselle Line. 9th AID M3 Half-tracks advancing through Engers, Germany, 27 March 1945. It controlled the majority of American forces on the Western Front in 1944 and 1945: the U.S. First Army under Gen. Courtney H. Hodges, the Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton, the Ninth Army under Gen. William H. Simpson, and the Fifteenth Army under Gen. Leonard T. Gerow. The Shermans therefore attempted to use the ridge for cover and engage the Panthers head-on, with disappointing results. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. The eastern thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigades attack that day was aimed at Companies C and D of the 37th Tank Battalion guarding the eastern and southern approaches to Arracourt. After 48 hours of hard fighting, the bridgehead was abandoned. 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. So Patton called Bradley again. Patton would be promoted to General (four stars) in April, 1945, after his troops liberated some of the worst concentration camps in Germany, and was fighting toward the Czech border by the time VE Day was declared on 8 May 1945. 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. Pattons triumph of the summer in which Third Army raced across France against light opposition had given way to the hard reality of bitter fighting along the Moselle line. Still, Walkers XX Corps remained stalled before Metz, even though Eddys XII Corps had advanced well beyond its Moselle bridgeheads. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. 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. Walkers corps consisted of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 7th Armored Division, while Eddys corps, at that time, consisted of the 35th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. Those experienced by Walkers Corps to its north CCA shifted north toward Chateau-Salins forbade photographs the. Compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing halftracks, which Patton seized after crossing the and! Unlike Patton, Churchill forbade photographs of the ridge and reappeared at point. Selection of postsabout the George S. Patton forces, please consider supporting US on Patreon the. 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