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From D-Day to V-Day

April 1945

April 8, 1945 - D-Day + 236

The 4th Canadian Armored Division under the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps crossed the Ems River between Meppen and Lathen, and headed towards Oldenburg. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division occupied Zutphen and pushed towards Deventer. The Polish 1st Armored Division was assigned to the Corps.

The Guards Armoured Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps broke through the German defense lines east of Lingen and continued on to Bremen. The British 7th Armored Division under the British XII Corps neared the Weser River. In the course of the day, units from the British VIII Corps advanced to the southeast from Nienburg to the Leine River.

The 29th Infantry Division under the Ninth Army secured the rear from the Rhine to the Dortmund – Ems Canal. The 84th Infantry Division’s 334th Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Charles E. Hoy under the XIII Corps reached the Leine River near Guemmer. At the same time, the division’s 333rd Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Lloyd H. Gomes took up defense positions around Weetzen. The 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command R was ordered to secure crossings over the Leine River south of Hannover. For now, the 102nd Infantry Division continued with missions west of the Weser River. The 11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) commanded by Col A. A. Frierson crossed the Weser and protected the section of the Corps’ northern flank leading to the Leine River. The XIX Corps’ 2nd Armored Division regrouped and carried out only limited attacks in an effort to improve its positions. The 83rd Infantry Division advanced on the Corps’ right flank, crossed the Leine near Alfeld, and moved forward to the Bad Gandersheim – Westfeld line in the area south of Hildesheim. The 83rd Division’s 331st Infantry Regiment commanded by Col Roberta H. York started to cross the Weser in Heinsen and occupied Bevern. Meanwhile, Task Force Twaddle continued its attacks against the Ruhr Pocket. Task Force Faith mopped up the area between the Möhne and Ruhr Rivers east of the Hirschberg – Meschede Line. The 8th Armored Division’s Combat Command B advanced westward through Werl and conquered Büderich, while Combat Command R headed to the west along the Werl – Wickede highway. The 95th Infantry Division continued its advance between Hamm and the Unna – Soest railroad. After conquering Castrop-Rauxel, the 75th Infantry Division under the XVI Corps neared Lütgendortmund, and the 79th Infantry Division expanded the bridgehead south of the Rhine – Herne Canal. The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was detached from the 82nd Airborne Division and attached to the 17th Airborne Division in March 1945, went through the canal. Here the regiment was to secure the open right flank of the 79th Infantry Division, which was mopping up the sector at the Berne Canal.

The 97th Infantry Division’s 386th Infantry Regiment under the US First Army’s XVIII Corps expanded the bridgehead on the Sieg River northwards, and its sister 387th Infantry Regiment expanded it westwards. Units from the 78th Infantry Division occupied Waldbröl, Lichenberg, and Freudenberg. The 8th Infantry Division’s 28th Infantry Regiment advanced to the Würdinghausen – Rinsecke line. In the course of the day, the 13th Armored Division started to depart Homberg and deploy to the Ruhr Pocket. The 9th Infantry Division’s Task Force Birks under the III Corps occupied Beswig, Halbeswig, and Wehrstapel, and neared Meschede. The 7th Armored Division’s Combat Command B commanded by Col Josepha F. Haskell conquered Obringhausen and provided fire support to units from Col Francis P. Thompkins’ Combat Command R attacking Fredeburg. In cooperation with tank units from the 7th Armored Division, the 99th Infantry Division’s 394th Infantry Regiment occupied Wormbach, Selkentrop, and Werntrop. In the meantime, the division’s 393rd Infantry Regiment conquered Selbecke and engaged the surrounded enemy west of Milchenbach. Battalions from the 1st Infantry Division’s 18th Infantry Regiment under the VII Corps crossed the Weser River in Beverungen, while the division’s 16th Infantry Regiment went across at Wehrden. They went on to occupy Fürstenberg, Derental, Meinbrexen, and Lauenforde. The 104th Infantry Division’s 413th Infantry Regiment made its way across the Weser at Gieselwerder. The 3rd Armored Division’s Combat Command R crossed the river at the same location. It later assembled in Niemetal. After units from the 2nd Infantry Division under the V Corps crossed the river, they swiftly advanced about nine miles eastward. The division’s 23rd Infantry Regiment conquered Göttingen and continued to the southeast. Battalions from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 9th Infantry Regiment broke through Reinhausen to the nearby forest of the same name, while the 38th Infantry Regiment took up positions east of the river and secured the division’s left flank. The 69th Infantry Division’s 273rd Infantry Regiment mopped up the zone around Hannoversch Münden. Meanwhile, the division’s 272nd Infantry Regiment finished crossing the Wera River and subsequently headed towards the Leine River between Niedergandern and Hohengandern. The 9th Armored Division started to move to the area east of the Weser where they were to gather.

The 76th Infantry Division’s 417th Infantry Regiment under the US Third Army’s XX Corps took up positions east of Eschwege. At that same moment, together with the 6th Armored Division’s Combat Command R, 385th Infantry Regiment battalions mopped up the areas north and northeast of the town. They went on to advance to Allendorf and Volkenrode, while the division’s 304th Infantry Regiment held the line east of Bad Langensalza. The 80th Infantry Division’s 319th Infantry Regiment remained in the town of Gotha. In the course of the day, battalions from the 317th and 318th Infantry Regiments headed out eastwards towards Erfurt. Units from the 87th and 89th Infantry Divisions under the VIII Corps continued to mop up the Thuringian Forest. The 6th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) moved to the Thal – Seebach area, and the 80th Infantry Division took over the zone from the 4th Armored Division, which was starting to gather in the Gotha area. The 90th Infantry Division under the XII Corps went through the area at Zella-Mehlis, and battalions from the division’s 358th and 359th Infantry Regiments reached Gehlberg and Stützenbach. Units from the 26th Infantry Division’s 101st and 328th Infantry Regiments reached the Nahe River between Schmiedefeld and Schleusingen, and made contact with the 11th Armored Division. In the course of the day, the 71st Infantry Division mopped up the area in the Meiningen – Marisfeld – Jüchsen triangle. The 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron advanced to Jüchsen – Nordheim vor der Rhön on the Corps’ right flank

Reinforced by the 14th Armored Division’s Combat Command B under the Seventh Army’s XV Corps, troops from the 3rd and 45th Infantry Divisions continued to battle in the wooded hills of Hohe Rhön. At Schweinfurt, the 42nd Infantry Division under the XXI Corps ran up against the strong outer defenses of the city. The division’s 232nd Infantry Regiment headed toward the Altbessingen – Schwebenried line, while its sister 242nd Infantry Regiment and tank units from the 12th Armored Division’s Combat Command A advanced to Werneck a Ettleben. Meanwhile, the 222nd Infantry Regiment secured the bridgehead at Volkach and positions west of the Main River. On the Corps’ right flank, patrols from the 4th Infantry Division’s 12th and 22nd Infantry Regiments carried out reconnaissance to the southeast. Assault battalions from the VI Corps’ Century Division continued to battle hard in Heilbronn. In the Jagstfeld area, the division’s 398th Infantry Regiment tried to expand the bridgehead at Offenau towards Odheim. Operating on the Corps’ left flank, the 63rd Infantry Division mopped up the area between the Jagst and Kocher Rivers. The 10th Armored Division changed the direction of its offensive and headed out of Crailsheim to the northwest in the direction of the 63rd Infantry Division.

The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division under the French First Army’s French II Corps finished mopping up the zone west of the Neckar River to the Enz River near Bissingen. Task Forces Schlesser and Navarre conquered Pforzheim and, with assistance from Task Force Valluy, occupied Dietenhausen, Ellmendingen, and Dietlingen. In the course of April 8, 1945, the 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division advanced north of the Enz River and build a bridgehead at Mühlhausen.

During the day, the US “Mighty Eighth” Air Force sent 111 B-17 Flying Fortresses out on an air raid of the city of Cheb. The targets were both the local Eger Flugzeugwerke airplane factory and the train station. The damages – particularly those to the railroad – were enormous. Bombs also dropped on the city itself, causing fatalities in the double digits. Less than three weeks later, gunfire and explosions would once again fill the air of the West Bohemian city – but this time it was not bombs that were causing all the commotion.