patton crossing the rhinepatton crossing the rhine

Second, it is to showcase US First Army attacked Paderborn, Germany. George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. A heavy artillery barrage preceded an attack near Chateau-Salins by two regiments supported by tanks across flat ground against U.S. forces in defensive positions on a long ridge. 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. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. ww2dbaseFurther to the south, General Patch's Seventh Army crossed the Rhine River on the same day the Remagen contingent marched forward. 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. 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. Although Heckers division was at nearly full strength, Rodts had been depleted as a result of nearly a year of hard fighting. Look for the Monument Patton and stop by the General Patton Memorial Museum. Even Hitlers closest supporters like Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels could clearly hear the clanging bell. 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. 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 . Patton was fatally injured in a road accident on December9, 1945, dying twelve days later. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. 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. Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy Unlike Manteuffels forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to support an attack. Again, the Germans proved they had the determination and resources to make the Americans pay heavily to get their forces across the Moselle. Once again, Company C of the 704th TD Battalion rushed forward to delay the advance supported by P-47s firing rockets and machine guns. 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. 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. To descend the ridge and maneuver against the Panthers would have exposed the Shermans to the Panthers highly effective guns. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. 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. This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. ww2dbaseAll this, plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, assault boats, Buffaloes, guns etc. This dramatic entrance to the battle by CCA caught the Germans off guard and paid large dividends. 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. 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. XXX Corps. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. 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. The Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes. Nevertheless, the Germans established strong defensive positions in two dilapidated French fortresses that effectively blocked the western approaches to the city. Objekt des Monats Mrz: Rhine River Crossing Memorial. 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. A half-dozen M8 howitzer motor carriages (HMCs) immediately deployed to contest the advancing column. 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. The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. Meanwhile, Patton acknowledged that he might have to delay his advance east. At daybreak, the 358th Infantry Regiment attacked the column with a wide range of antitank weapons including bazookas, 3-inch guns, and 105 mm howitzers. 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. The Crossing of the Rhine River. 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. 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. "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. Patton was relieved of command in the wake of the incident but was not dismissed from war service. Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across. ww2dbaseWith the German defenses along the Rhine River falling apart, the industrial region of Ruhr was enveloped, depriving Germany's war manufacturing capabilities. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. 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. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. Pattons troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. Instead, he commented, They brought up a row of trucks filled with assault boats. 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. Finally, head to Hamm American Cemetery to visit Patton's grave. That same day Third Army received about 240,000 gallons of fuel, which was sufficient to resume its advance the following day. I was convinced then there were no Germans ahead of us except those we were actually fighting. The fight that began that morning touched off an 11-day running tank battle that raged across the hills of southern Lorraine and tested the resourcefulness of two of World War IIs most gifted practitioners of the art of mobile warfare. News of the crossing made it around the world. 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. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? He received the Bronze Star and was shot on or about 28 September, 1944. This crossing was an important step in bringing the conflict to a close on May 8th, 1945. The delay would prove a costly one. Patton simply used ad hoc tactics to push the 5th Infantry across. Click here for parts Two and Three. The very notion was unpalatable to Old Blood and Guts. The media and public back home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner. A German counter attack from Frankfurt, Germany towards Kstrin barely got out of the city. American troops had already made a crossing on March 7a signal moment in the war . 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. 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. 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 Sherman crews could do little to deter the advancing Panthers because of the excellent sloped and thick frontal armor the enemy tanks possessed. 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 had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Click here for our comprehensive information resource on the society, ideology, and key events in Nazi Germany. My Dad was quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the east. Even $1 per month will go a long way! 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. 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 strike destroyed five Panthers and 20 half-tracks. 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. 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. To reach the West Wall, XII Corps was to change front to the northeast and push 30 miles from Chateau-Salins to Sarreguemines. Of World History: What Happened crossing was an important step in bringing the conflict to a on... Had already made a crossing on March 7a signal moment in the wake of excellent. Gallons of fuel, which was sufficient to resume its advance the following day, Company C of the TD. 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