Despite the impressive numbers, the only armored unit initially available to Knobelsdorff was the 106th Panzer Brigade, one of the first of the newly formed panzer units with a full battalion of Panther tanks, which constituted First Armys thin operational reserve. Meanwhile, US Third Army reached Siegen, Germany. 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. The German troops knew that the Allied forces were only taking a short time to gather up strength before the invasion into Germany would commence. The British prime minister had long dreamed of relieving himself on Hitlers much-vaunted Siegfried Line to show his contempt for Hitler and Nazism. 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. site is two fold. Patton had seriously underestimated the Germans ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border. If Third Army was unable to cross the Moselle by September 14, Bradley told Patton, it would have to go over to the defensive. 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. At the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army was close enough to Germany to alarm Hitler. ww2dbaseAs the Allied forces gathered on the west banks of the Rhine River, it was no longer a matter of surprise. 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. Frankfort was captured by Allied troops on 29 Mar. News of the crossing made it around the world. Along the way the Third Army liberated some of the most ghastly killing and concentration camps in the Reich: Ohrdruf (a subcamp of Buchenwald), Flossenbuerg, Dachau, and Mauthausen-Gusen. 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. In Germany, US Third Army captured Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the linking up with US Seventh Army near Worms. 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. BATTLE OF THE BULGE is scrolled underneath. To learn more,click here for our comprehensive guide to General Patton. Once it captured the section of the West Wall protecting the Saar factories, Third Armys next objective would be to cross the Rhine and seize Frankfurt. The crossing of the Rhine between 22 and 28 March 1945 On 22 March, with a bright moon lighting the late-night sky, elements of U.S. XII Corps' 5th Infantry Division began the 3rd Army's Rhine crossing. After 48 hours of hard fighting, the bridgehead was abandoned. 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. The Crossing of the Rhine River. He announced that the Third Army would shortly capture its 230,000th prisoner of war. In late March 1945, Gen. George Patton crossed the Rhine River on World War II veteran Glenn Chaney's bridge, pausing for the most famous bathroom break of t. 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. 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. Manteuffels attack for the following day involved a coordinated strike toward Arracourt using the 111th and 113th Panzer Brigades from Luttwitzs and Kruegers corps, respectively. Since the days of the Roman Empire it has served as central Germany's traditional defense against invasion from the west. 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. For 10 months he was without a command and on pins and needles as to the exact nature of his next assignment. Patton spent so much time cajoling Bradley for permission to continue his advance east and additional reinforcements that he was seemingly oblivious to the stiffening enemy resistance and to evidence that the Germans were amassing substantial reinforcements in the Nancy sector. March 22nd, 2020 - Palatinate Chapter member visits the commemorative site of Patton's historic crossing of the Rhine. Patton had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The crossing would be difficult with German mortar and artillery guns already trained at river crossings. The Sherman crews could do little to deter the advancing Panthers because of the excellent sloped and thick frontal armor the enemy tanks possessed. The historic city of Metz included an extensive system of man-made fortifications from previous wars. After two days of hard fighting, the two sides braced for more of the same. Patton's troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. 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. The Rhine itself was symbolic of the entrance into Germany from Western Europe and had historically stood as a natural barrier against invasion. Beyond the German front lines, US aircraft harassed retreating German columns, destroying 246 trucks and 241 railway wagons. 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. Cross the border into Germany and the city of Trier, which Patton seized after crossing the Saar and Rhine rivers. 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. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Eisenhower (18901969) was chosen in July 1942 to head Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1943. 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. The bombing started on 21 Mar, and by 24 Mar the German air force were no longer able to put up much of a resistance against its Allied counterpart; 8,000 sorties were launched between 21 Mar and 24 Mar, and Allied airmen reported only about 100 enemy aircrafts sighted. events, and resources. I think, everybody here know the photo as Patton urinated into the Rhine. He wanted a quick, spectacular crossing that would produce newspaper headlines in the manner of 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 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. Lava's technical capabilities. Patton led the provisional tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, but was wounded on the first morning of the battle. In Germany, US Third Army captured Frankfurt and Wiesbaden and US Seventh Army captured Mannheim. "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. In Washington, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson declared, We gave Monty everything he asked forparatroopers, assault boats and even the Navy, and by God, Patton has crossed the Rhine!. US First Army captured Paderborn and Hamm, Germany. 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. Manteuffels goal, as head of the 5th Panzer Army on the Western Front, was to transform Lunville into a base from which to roll up Third Armys flank on the east bank of the river. Until now, I cant find a webpage, book or other source for an . Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. ww2dbaseBetween Frankfort and the Ruhr River, the American First Army had breached the Rhine River barrier earlier in the month near Remagen. 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 . Hitler, who had never liked Blaskowitz, sacked him on September 21. 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 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. They swooped in at extremely low level, catching the German tank crews by surprise. and useful information about WW2. Leclerc also benefited from repeated tactical air strikes by P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig. I was determined that the attack on the Siegfried Line should go on in spite of what had happened in Lunville, he said. The tank battle raged well into the afternoon as Company B arrived to help Abrams hold back the Germans. 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. Churchill suggested the Allied forces to skip over the Ruhr region and march east toward Berlin, but Eisenhower refused to leave the Ruhr region unsecured. The strike destroyed five Panthers and 20 half-tracks. The troops of the French First Army crossed the Rhine River near Philippsburg, Germany on 1 Apr. Patton arrived in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. The 9th Armored Division quickly expanded the bridgehead into a full scale crossing. This meant that two columns of tanks and half-tracks from the 113th would have to carry the objective themselves. We are now fairly started on that phase of the campaign which I hope will be the final one. I was certainly very full of hopes and saw myself crossing the Rhine, Patton said. We began to cautiously filter down through the moonlit streets toward the shingled beach. The Panthersknocked out three of the lightly armored HMCs in short order. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. Captain Richard Lamison, commanding Company C, took four Shermans and raced south along a ridge to another ambush position. In 1943 he commanded the U.S. Brian Horrocks, Corps Commander (Magnum Books, 1977). 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. Indeed, the advance of Haislips XV Corps prevented German forces from assembling for their attack on the west bank of the Moselle, where they might cut off the forces on the east bank. 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. The new panzer brigades each had a battalion of Panzergrenadiers drawn from the three Panzergrenadier divisions already in Lorraine. Two days earlier, Patton had told Maj. Gen. Manton Eddy that his XII Corps would lead the way. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. World War Two Timeline From The Great War To Germanys Surrender. To their surprise, they were not opposed by enemy forces. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. 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. This meant that CCA was now on the left flank of the Arracourt-Juvelize salient and CCB was on the right. 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. 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. (To be fair to the British 21st Army Group, their Rhine crossings were marshy (Wesel) and twice as wide, with the river carrying a far higher volume of water than the crossings consigned to the U.S. Third and Seventh Armies and the French First Army, meaning that Montgomery could not possibly cross the Rhine on the run.) The next day Patton, showing his contempt for the enemy, made good on his pledge to piss in the Rhine in a week, which he did from a pontoon bridge in full view of his men and news cameras. If you supply any information, it would be appreciated by his family. The following day Patton arrived at the pontoon bridge his engineers had constructed over the Rhine. The 37th Tank Battalion would get no rest on September 20. The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. 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. On 22 March, General George S. Patton sent his Third Army across the Rhine, at Nierstein, to form another bridgehead. Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. Based on their experience pursuing the Germans across France, Patton and his corps commanders believed the enemy was broken and they would be across the Rhine in a matter of weeks. ww2dbaseTo assist the Engineer the RAF's No.159 Wing was approached to furnish some of the men who operated the balloons to handle the winches that were to be used to haul the ferries and rafts across. You can also buy the book by clicking on the buttons to the left. The initial objective for both was Lunville, which would become a staging area for a drive north to Chateau-Salins. Leslie Mansfield, (daughter). Site created in November 2000. This kind of came as a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for us, recalled Tucker. But the main attacks were made by the bulk of the 80th Division north of Nancy, and by Maj. Gen. Paul Baades 35th Infantry Division south of the city. Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. 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. 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. In addition, the Royal Navy provided a team to construct an anti-mine boom upriver to prevent the Germans from floating demolitions down to destroy the bridges after they had been constructed. 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. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. The goal of this On the night of March 22, just hours before the official operation began, Patton and his division crossed the Rhine quietly in boats. 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. 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. Patton's goal was to cross the Rhine, even if not a single bridge was left standing over which to do it. Patton told Wood to strike east the following day in the belief that it would keep the Germans off balance. 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. Seventh Army in the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. Manteuffel had originally been promised two more new panzer brigades, the 107th and 108th, but Hitler had shunted them north to defend Aachen against Hodges First Army. 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 very notion was unpalatable to Old Blood and Guts. In effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions. I know that Third Army will be in at the finish in the same decisive way that it has performed in all the preliminary battles. The German armored column continued south, hoping to stampede the American soldiers into abandoning their positions. My Dad was quoted as saying: We had crossed the Moselle River and gained a high ground position two miles to the east. The type of close-range fighting that day is exemplified by an encounter between an M18 Hellcat of the 704th against a pair of Panther tanks. Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe. But various factors were at work to derail those hopes. The Americans captured the northern fort almost immediately, but German paratroopers held out in the southern fort for five days. Whats more, his decision to advance on a broad front ran contrary to the general understanding that it was necessary to concentrate forces to create a sizable breach worthy of exploiting in the enemys main line. But there are so few Krauts around there they dont know it yet. Meanwhile the construction of an even larger Class 40 bridge "London Bridge" continued and was completed by midnight. Patton, not wanting to compromise his army's success with publicity, telephoned Omar Bradley the following morning and uncharacteristically told him to keep it a secret. Manteuffel, who had arrived to take command of Fifth Army in the field only a week before, pleaded for yet another extension, arguing that his forces were not strong enough to achieve their objective. 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