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From D-Day to V-Day

April 1945

April 3, 1945 - D-Day + 231

The British Guards Armoured Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps advanced to the Dortmund – Ems Canal in the Lingen region while the British 52nd Infantry Division under the XII Corps mopped up Rheine. Units from the British VIII Corps continued towards Osnabrück.

The 17th Airborne Division under the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps finished occupying Münster. In the course of the day, the 5th Armored Division advanced to the Weser River. The division’s Combat Command B attacked Bergkirchen and enemy positions to the southeast of Bad Oeynhausen, while Combat Command R went around Herford and advanced along the highway to Vennebeck. The division’s Combat Command A commanded by Brigadier General Eugen A. Regnier crossed the Dortmund – Ems Canal near Hiltrup and continued towards Herford. The 84th Infantry Division started to advance to the Weser River. The 102nd Infantry Division was attached to the Corps. Units from the 30th Infantry Division under the XIX Corps took over positions in the Teutoburger Forest from the 2nd Armored Division, which started to move to the Weser River. The 2nd Armored Division’s Combat Command R went on to advance to the southeast to Mackenbruch and cut off the main road between Oerlingen and Lage, while Combat Command A attacked Lage through Osterheide and Combat Command B conquered Berlebeck. Meanwhile, the 83rd Infantry Division continued mopping up operations along the Lippe River. Tank units from the 8th Armored Division launched an attack against the Ruhr pocket. Brigadier General Charles P. Colson’s Combat Command A advanced along the Soest – Paderborn highway to Erwitte while Combat Command R halted near Lippstadt. CCR’s Task Force Walker then headed to Elsen and Task Force Artman to Weckinghausen.

Forces from the US First Army’s III and XVIII Corps received an order to work with Ninth Army divisions to destroy the enemy in the area south of the Ruhr River and east of the Rhine. Units from the 3rd Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions under the VII Corps improved their present positions throughout the day. The 104th Infantry Division’s 413th Infantry Regiment occupied Scherfede and Hardenhausen, while the 415th Infantry Regiment engaged in fighting in Kuestelberg. Meanwhile, the 9th Infantry Division mopped up the zone west of the Züschen – Winterberg highway. The 9th Infantry Division’s 47th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Peter O. Ward occupied Oberkirchen, while its sister 60th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col John G. Van Housen conquered Westfeld. The 8th Infantry Division under the XVIII Corps slowly advanced to the northwest along the Sieg River. The division’s 13th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Num A. Watson defeated the strong defense in Siegen and occupied the dominant hills to the northwest of the city, while its sister 121st Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Earl L. Lerett engaged in fighting in Netphen. The 99th Infantry Division started to advance to the Schwarzenau area.

Forces from the US Third Army’s VIII Corps prepared for an attack on the Mühlhausen – Bad Langensalza – Gotha line. In the course of the day, the 89th Infantry Division assembled in the Hersfeld area. The 6th Armored Division under the XX Corps crossed the Werr River and attacked Mühlhausen. The division’s Combat Command B crossed the Wehre River at Wehretal, conquered Eschwede, and rotated to the southeast. In Grossburschl, it went over the Werra River and attacked Heyrode. Combat Command R, also from the 6th Armored Division, secured Eschwede and the area along the river from Wanfried to Heldra. Units from the 80th Infantry Division continued to fight heavily in Kassel. The 65th Infantry Division’s 260th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Frank Dunkley advanced to the Wehretal – Langenhaim line. The 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) assembled in the Fritzlar sector. The XII Corps received an order to halt its advance on the Gotha – Suhl line. The 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command B conquered the hills near the city of Gotha while Combat Command A advanced to Hörselgau. In the area east of the Werra River, the 90th Infantry Division mopped up the section from Berka to Vacha. The 11th Armored Division neared the Thuringian Forest. The division’s Combat Command B commanded by Col Wesley W. Yale attacked Oberhof, and Combat Command A advanced to Suhl. Units from the 71st Infantry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) finished surrounding German forces north of Hanau.

The 94th Infantry Division under the XXII Corps moved to the vicinity of Krefeld. General Major Orlando Ward’s 20th Armored Division was attached to the Corps. At the same time, the 102nd Infantry Division was reassigned to the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps.

After fierce fighting, the defenders of Aschaffenburg surrendered to the 45th Infantry Division’s 157th Infantry Regiment under the Seventh Army’s XV Corps. The 14th Armored Division’s Combat Command B occupied Lohr am Main. The 42nd Infantry Division’s 222nd Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Henry J. Luong launched a frontal attack against Würzburg. Its sister 232nd Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Alfred McNamee moved to Marienburg and got ready to cross the Main, while Col Norman C. Caum’s 242nd Infantry Regiment advanced to the Main in an area about 15 miles north of Würzburg, where it attempted to find a suitable site to cross the river. The 4th Infantry Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Richard G. McKee crossed the river in Ochsenfurth. After finishing repairs of the bridge, the 12th Armored Division’s Combat Command B also crossed it. In Greisheim, in the area north of Heilbronn, the 10th Armored Division’s Combat Command R under the VI Corps built a small bridgehead on the Jagst River. At the same time, Combat Command A prepared to cross the Neckar River near Heilbronn while Combat Command B advanced to the Kirchhausen – Schluchtern region. The 100th Infantry Division’s 397th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Gordon Singles advanced eastward toward Heilbronn, while its sister 399th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Edward J. Malony assembled in Sinsheim.

Forces from the French First Army expanded its bridgehead to the Lichtenau – Pforzheim – Ludwigsburg line, occupied Karlsruhe and Pforzheim and prepared to mop up the Black Forest. The French II Corps advanced to the Neckar River. The independent mountain unit DA Alp launched an attack to conquer the Mont Cenis Pass.

In the course of the day, the Czechoslovak fighter pilots from the No. 310, 312 and 313 Squadrons RAF took part in another Ramrod operation – this time number 1527. In the operation, the fighters escorted a formation of 247 British Lancaster bombers over the German city of Nordhausen. Before the war would end they would take part in eight more similar missions, including one that led them over the mystery-shrouded island of Helgoland.