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From D-Day to V-Day

March 1945

March 19, 1945 - D-Day + 286

Battalions from the 78th Infantry Division’s 311th Infantry Regiment under the US First Army’s VII Corps occupied Römlinghoven and Oberkassel, while its sister 310st Infantry Regiment conquered Heisterbacherrot. The 1st Infantry Division advanced about one and a half to two miles to the northeast and east. The division’s 18th Infantry Regiment occupied Eudenbach, while its sister 26th Infantry Regiment advanced to Gratzfeld and attacked eastwards through the forest and towards the airfield. Combat engineers finished building the first bridge over the Rhine that had a load carrying capacity of 22,000 pounds. To secure the west bank of the Rhine, the 7th Armored Division was attached to the Corps. Units from the 99th Infantry Division under the III Corps received an order to conquer and secure the dominant hills along the Sölscheid – Hammerstein line. One battalion from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 9th Infantry Regiment under the US V Corps mopped up the island of Hammersteiner Werth on the Rhine near Namedy.

Battalions from the 87th Infantry Division’s 345th Infantry Regiment under the US Third Army’s VIII Corps completely occupied Koblenz while the division’s 347th Infantry Regiment conquered Spay. Units from the 28th Infantry Division took over the zone held by the 6th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) around the Rhine. The 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) under the XII Corps moved southward along the Rhine to the confluence with the Nahe River, relieving the 358th Infantry Regiment and Task Force Spiess from the 90th Infantry Division. The 358th Infantry Regiment then crossed the Nahe River in Bretzeheim and advanced to Aspisheim and Dromersheim, while its sister 359th Infantry Regiment crossed the river in Bad Kreuznach and continued to Wolfsheim, Vendersheim, Sprendlingen, and Hackenheim. In a rapid assault, the 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command B took Wöllstein, Gumbsheim, Siefersheim, Wonsheim, and Wendelsheim. In the interim, Combat Command A occupied Vendersheim, Sulzheim, Wallertheim, Rommersheim, and Schimsheim. With direct tactical air support, tank units from the 11th Armored Division broke through the last enemy defense positions in the hills south of the Nahe River and started to pursue the demoralized enemy eastward towards the Rhine. The 41st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron headed out of Fischbach, advanced on Medard and Odenbach, and made contact with units from the XX Corps.

The 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command B eliminated the German defense south of the Nahe River, quickly headed toward Meisenheim, took control of the bridge over the Glan River, and continued on toward Rockenhausen, where it conquered another bridge over the Alsenz River. Meanwhile, part of Combat Command A engaged in fighting in the pocket at Rohrbach, while another part of CCA crossed the Nahe River ford in Martinstein, broke through the enemy’s main defense line in Merxheim, and continued on toward Meisenheim. Advancing behind CCB, the 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command R took a number of German soldiers prisoner. Behind the quickly moving tank groups, the men from the 5th and 89th Infantry Divisions mopped up the area south to the Nahe River and west of Bad Kreuznach. The 76th Infantry Division’s 304th Infantry Regiment expanded the bridgehead over the Mosel to Muelheim and occupied Graach, Andel, Longkamp, and Gornhausen. The 94th Infantry Division’s 302nd Infantry Regiment under the XX Corps advanced about 21 miles and its sister 376th Infantry Regiment about 11 miles. The 12th Armored Division’s Combat Command R went around the enemy’s defense in Lauterecken, later eliminated by units from the 94th Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, Combat Command B rode through the positions of the 94th Infantry Division in Baumholder and, headed up by Task Forces Norton and Field, progressed toward the divided highway bridge over the Rhine in Mannheim. Tank columns from three 10th Armored Division combat groups attacked enemy positions in a single line near Kaiserslautern. In the course of the day, the 80th Infantry Division occupied Kusel while assisting units from the 10th Armored Division in mopping up Sankt Wendel. The 26th Infantry Division advanced to Ottweiler. While expanding the bridgehead at Saarlouis, the 65th Infantry Division’s 261st Infantry Regiment occupied Nalbach, Piesbach, Bilsdorf, and Saarwellingen, while its sister 260th Infantry Regiment mopped up Saarlautern and Saarlautern-Roden. In the meantime, the division’s 259th Infantry Regiment conquered Fraulautern and Ensdorf.

Assault infantry regiments from the 63rd Infantry Division under the Seventh Army’s XXI Corps continued to do battle on the Siegfried Line, where they destroyed a number of German fortified posts. The 70th Infantry Division renewed its attack against Saarbrücken. At night, a reconnaissance patrol from the division’s 276th Infantry Regiment crossed the Saar River without encountering any resistance. Units from the 3rd and 45th Infantry Divisions under the XV Corps continued to attack the Siegfried Line, where they were able to neutralize a large number of bunkers and pillboxes. Infantry regiments from the VI Corps’ 42nd Infantry Division also slowly fought their way through the Siegfried Line fortifications. The 103rd Infantry Division ran into fierce enemy resistance near Niederschlettenbach and Reisdorf. In the course of the day, the 36th Infantry Division mopped up Wissembourg and continued toward Oberotterbach. Northeast of Schleithal, part of the 14th Armored Division’s Combat Command A crossed the Lauter River. Task Force Monsabert, commanded by Lt General Aime de Goislard Monsabert, was created out of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division and a combat command from the French 5th Armored. After crossing the Lauter River, the task force conquered Scheibenhard and Lauterbourg.

In the course of the day, pilots from all three Czechoslovak squadrons (No. 310, 312 and 313) RAF took part in escorting 79 four-engine Lancasters headed over the gasoline refineries in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.