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From D-Day to V-Day

April 1945

April 6, 1945 - D-Day + 234

The Guards Armoured Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps advanced out of Lingen towards Bremen. At that time, XII Corps units had finished mopping up the sector near Rheine.

At 0500 hrs, forces from the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps launched an assault crossing of the Weser River. Assault battalions from the 84th Infantry Division’s 335th Infantry Regiment crossed the river south of Neesen in assault boats, while the division’s 334th Infantry Regiment went over a bridge that combat engineers built the previous night. The 2nd Armored Division’s Combat Command A under the XIX Corps conquered Harderode, Esperde and the hills south of Heyen. At the same time, Combat Command R crossed the Weser in Grohnde and advanced to Elze. Regiments from the 30th Infantry Division followed the armored units and mopped up the Corps’ northern flank. The 30th Division’s 117th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Walter H. Johnson crossed the Weser in Ohr, while the 120th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Branner P. Purdue did the same in Grohnde. Vanguard units from the 83rd Infantry Division advanced to the river in the section from Bodenwerder to Holzminden. The 3rd Battalion from the 83rd Infantry Division’s 329th Infantry Regiment crossed the river in Bodenwerder and occupied Halle. During the day, the 95th Infantry Division’s 377th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Fred E. Gailard started to mop up Soest, and battalions from the division’s 378th Infantry Regiment occupied part of Hamm. The 8th Armored Division’s Combat Command B advanced to Ostönnen, located southwest of Soest. Col Yarrow D. Vesely took over the command of the 8th Armored Division’s Combat Command R. The 75th Infantry Division under the XVI Corps headed southwards to the Ruhr River west of Dortmund, and tried to block escape routes out of this important hub. The 17th Airborne Division, presently without the 194th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was attached to the XVI Corps and relieved the 79th Infantry Division from its defense positions along the Rhine – Herne Canal. The 29th Infantry Division was designated as an army reserve unit and moved to the Sendenhorst – Ahlen area southeast of Münster.

Forces from the US First Army’s XVIII Corps launched a coordinated attack against the Ruhr Pocket. At 0500 hrs, battalions from the 78th Infantry Division’s 309th and 310th Infantry Regiments attacked Brachbach from positions along the south bank of the Sieg River, crossed the river and created about a three and a half mile long bridgehead. At 0600 hrs, following a half hour of artillery preparation, infantry regiments from the 8th Infantry Division went on the attack. The division’s 13th Infantry Regiment conquered Seelbach and Weidenau, and also overpowered a garrison of large barracks located northwest of Siegen. Its sister 121st Infantry Regiment occupied Lützel and Eschenbach northeast of Netphen, while the 28th Infantry Regiment advanced to Erndtebrück. The 9th Infantry Division’s Task Force Birks under the III Corps continued to advance to the north, where it mopped up several villages. The division’s 39th Infantry Regiment conquered Siedlinghausen, while the 60th Infantry Regiment took up positions northeast of Oberkirchen. The 7th Armored Division’s Combat Command B advanced to Gleidorf, and Combat Command R moved to the Oberkirchen area. The 99th Infantry Division conquered Fleckenberg, Wingeshausen, and the hills at both villages. The 2nd Infantry Division under the US V Corps advanced to the Weser River that day and secured a bridgehead for crossing the river. The division’s 23rd Infantry Regiment reached the river in the section between Reinhardshagen and Vaake, and at 1930 hrs started to cross the river in attack boats. Its sister 9th Infantry Regiment worked on mopping up the wooded hills along the west bank of the river, and the 38th Infantry Regiment took over the area held by the 23rd Infantry Division. The 69th Infantry Division’s 273rd Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Charles M. Adams moved forward to the confluence of the Werra, Weser and Fulda Rivers in Hannoversch Münden.

Together with 65th Infantry Division units, the 6th Armored Division’s Combat Command A under the US Third Army’s XX Corps conquered Bad Langensalza. At that moment, the 80th Infantry Division started to move from Kassel to the Gotha area. Assault battalions from the 76th Infantry Division’s 385th Infantry Regiment advanced to the Werra River and occupied Grossalmerode, Trubenhausen, and Bad Sooden. In Niederhone, the battalions crossed the Wehre River and advanced to Eschwege. The 304th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Wallace A. Choguette moved east of the Wehre to the Schonstedt area. The 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) assembled south of Kassel. After conquering Bad Langensalza, the 65th Infantry Division under the VIII Corps advanced to the Mühlhausen – Bad Langensalza line. The 89th Infantry Division’s 353rd Infantry Regiment defeated strong resistance in Eisenach, while its sister 354th Infantry Regiment went around the city and halted at Waltershausen. The division’s 355th Infantry Regiment was also on the move, mopping up the division’s right flank and advancing to the Ohrdruf area. The 90th Infantry Division’s 357th and 358th Infantry Regiments under the XII Corps assembled south of the Werra River. The 11th Armored Division received an order to secure the zone along the Schleusingen – Hildburghausen line and prepare to attack Bayreuth. For now, the 26th Infantry Division advanced eastward and took up positions near Themar.

During the day, units from the XV Corps continued their swift advance to the northeast. The 14th Armored Division’s Combat Command A commanded by Brigadier General Charles H. Karlstad headed for Neustadt. Regiments from the 42nd Infantry Division and the 12th Armored Division’s Combat Command A under the XXI Corps attacked Schweinfurt. At that time, Combat Command B crossed the Main in Kitzingen and, working together with sections from Combat Command R, occupied Markbreit, Obernbreit, and Mainbernheim. Other CCR units advanced to Iphofen and Einersheim. The 4th Infantry Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment mopped up the bend in the Main north of Ochsenfurt, while battalions from its sister 12th and 22nd Infantry Regiments conquered Königshofen and launched an attack to the southeast towards Bad Mergentheim. Combat units from the 100th Infantry Division under the VI Corps were still embroiled in a fierce battle for Heilbronn. The Century Division’s 398th Infantry Regiment met up with strong resistance near Jagstfeld, but in the end it was able to expand the bridgehead at Offenau southwards towards Heilbronn. The 63rd Infantry Division’s 253rd Infantry Regiment deflected a swift counterattack that the enemy led along the Jagst River, and finished occupying Mückmühl. At the same time, units from its sister 254th and 255th Infantry Regiments mopped up the area between Bad Mergentheim and Berlichingen. The 10th Armored Division’s Combat Command R secured the left flank of the Corps. Meanwhile, CCA headed out to the southeast and its vanguard units advanced to Crailsheim. In the night from April 6-7, 1945, enemy units were able to cut off the main supply route between Bad Mergentheim and Crailsheim.

A tank column from the French 5th Armored Division under the French First Army’s French II Corps advanced to the Neckar River in Lauffen. The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division started to mop up the Stromberg forest. With a tank group from the French 5th Armored Division as reinforcements, the 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division reached the Enz River in Mühlacker and Pforzheim and occupied Stein that day.