patton crossing the rhine

Patton's troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. Against light opposition, he had secured Morocco during the opening phase of Torch and ably led the U.S. II Corps when selected to replace Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredenhall after the debacle at Kasserine Pass. First Armys center, which was anchored at Metz, was the responsibility of SS General-Lieutenant Herman Priess, commanding the 13th SS Corps, while First Armys left wing at Nancy was entrusted to General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Luttwitz, commanding the 47th Panzer Corps. 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. To their surprise, they were not opposed by enemy forces. 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. Although his unit was spearheading the attack toward the river, he assumed there would be a pause to get organized for the crossing. 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 December he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and planned the July 1944 invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). Units of the Canadian First Army, British Second Army, and the U.S. The Americans captured the northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days. Panzergrenadier formations then swept forward to clear American antitank, machine-gun, and rifle positions. Under extremely tough and experienced Parachute and Panzer officers and NCOs new replacements (many dedicated Nazis) had been moulded into a formidable fighting force. But the Americans stood their ground. The Shermans therefore attempted to use the ridge for cover and engage the Panthers head-on, with disappointing results. The Commanders: The Leadership Journeys of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. 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. Please refrain from using strong language. 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. After the completion of the Battle in The Ardennes, Patton and his Army turned to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine. The 9th Armored Division quickly expanded the bridgehead into a full scale crossing. ), Patton also requested the help of the press corps in informing the Germans that four of his armored divisions were slashing away at them. He ordered Knobelsdorff to attack Dagers CCB with the 559th Volksgrenadier Division and the remnants of the 106th Panzer Brigade. 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. DEste begins with Pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter. Old Blood and Gutss fixation with supply problems and haggling with his superiors over reinforcements had distracted him from the detailed planning necessary to get Third Armys divisions across the Moselle as quickly as possible. Einheiten des 3. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe 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. Although ordered to avoid German forces concentrated at Chateau-Salins, Abrams nevertheless overtook an armored column from the 15th Panzergrenadier Division and, in another stunning attack, captured or destroyed 26 armored vehicles and took 400 prisoners. 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. But his cajoling paid off, as Bradley had been working hard to ensure that Haislips XV Corps, which had been helping to clear the lower Seine of German forces, would join Third Army on its southern flank. Luttwitz and Krueger received their orders two days before the start date. 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. March 22nd, 2020 - Palatinate Chapter member visits the commemorative site of Patton's historic crossing of the Rhine. 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. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. The comparatively light casualty rate experienced by the first troops across (153rd and 154th Brigades of 51st Highland Division) clearly demonstrated how thorough the preparations had been made. Although the Panzergrenadiers on the crest had managed to hold on during the morning, the combined pressure of American ground fire and air strikes finally broke the enemys nerve and the ground troops began retreating down the southern slope in the afternoon. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. 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. Brian Horrocks, Corps Commander (Magnum Books, 1977). After the war Eisenhower was appointed Military Governor of the U.S. We've got him. 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. 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 day dawned with a thick blanket of fog shrouding the crest of the hill. As a result, the 112th Panzer Brigade lost 69 of its 90 tanks. His training and experience in cavalry operations and his experience serving with the U.S. tank forces in World War I served as solid preparation for the challenges he would face as a commander when the United States declared war on Japan and Germany in December 1941. 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. My Dad was quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the east. The news came as a hard blow to Patton, whose spirits had been riding high with the prospect of pushing through the West Wall to the Rhine. 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. On the night of March 22, 1945, with no artillery preparation or air cover, assault boats of the 5th Infantry began their quiet crossing near Oppenheim. The next morning, elements of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division overran the bridgehead, killing 300 Americans. 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. Once again, Company C of the 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing rockets and machine guns. CROSSING THE RHINE. To order this book, please visit its online sales page atAmazonorBarnes & Noble. While we were digging in for the night, the Jerries sent over a heavy artillery barrage. 2. Day 6. From there, Third Army would advance along a northeast route of march toward the fortified West Wall. 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. 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. Right: Patton famously relieved himself in the Rhine on March24, 1945and made sure he was photographed doing so. I think, everybody here know the photo as Patton urinated into the Rhine. The publicity was not for meGod knows Ive got enoughI could go to heaven and St. Peter would recognize me right awaybut it is for the officers and the men. Patton then complained that the Marines go to town by reporting the number [of their men] killed, I always try to fight without getting [our] people killed.. Nevertheless, the Germans established strong defensive positions in two dilapidated French fortresses that effectively blocked the western approaches to the city. This crossing was an important step in bringing the conflict to a close on May 8th, 1945. On September 2, Hitler issued orders for the creation of 25 new divisions, most of which were to be given the designation of Volksgrenadier. McLain issued orders for the nearest infantry regiments to converge on the enemy column. Eisenhower (18901969) was chosen in July 1942 to head Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1943. First, it is aiming to offer interesting ww2dbaseDwight Eisenhower expected the German troops, some elite including soldiers of the First Paratroop Army, would be prepared for such an invasion in the northern Ruhr area. Please use this data for any reference citations. This was the first crossing of the Rhine River by boat by an invading army since Napoleon Bonaparte. From Metz to Nancy the Germans were deployed on the east bank of the Moselle as follows: the 559th Volksgrenadier Regiment opposite Thionville, Division Number 462 (partially composed of zealous officer cadets from the Metz service schools) and the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division at Metz, the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division opposite Pont-a-Mousson, the 92nd Luftwaffe Training Regiment opposite Marbache, the 3rd Parachute Replacement Regiment in front of Nancy in a westward loop of the river, and the 553rd Volksgrenadier Regiment inside Nancy. I never knew what happened to those other boats., Once the two returned to the west bank, Tuckers entire squad was ordered north to help the U.S. Navy. Manteuffel, who knew the attacks were hopeless but was under orders from Balck to continue regardless of the cost, threw the remnants of the 111th and 113th against CCA again the following day, only to suffer further tank losses. In effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions. American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville. 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. By September 10, Baades 35th Infantry Division was in force along the western bank of the Moselle south of Nancy. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south of Koblenz. 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. 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. and useful information about WW2. 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. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. Unlike Patton, Churchill forbade photographs of the occasion. The attack on the 25th was not substantial enough to disrupt a shuffling of U.S. forces in the Arracourt sector. "It's time for another Patton to die," he said aloud. To the far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE FOUGHT WITH . All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. 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. US-Armee unter General George S. Patton (1885-1945) die Stadt Nierstein am Rhein. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and he prepared to make do with the untrained and understrength units he had been given. George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. 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. By the end of the day on September 22, the 111th Panzer Brigade had only seven tanks from an original strength of 90 when the offensive started a week before. 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. Invasion of Europe ( Operation Overlord ) River by boat by an invading Army since Napoleon Bonaparte American antitank machine-gun! May 8th, 1945 ; s time for another Patton to die &. 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