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From D-Day to V-Day

November 1944

November 19, 1944 - D-Day + 166

The British 51st Infantry Division from the British Second Army’s XII Corps occupied Helden and Panningen and made contact with units from the British VIII Corps’ 15th Infantry Division. The US 84th Infantry Division’s 334th Infantry Regiment under the British XXX Corps continued mopping up the area around Prummern and once again made an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Mahogany Hill. Its sister regiment, the 333rd, launched an attack through the Wurm River valley towards Wurm, occupying Geilenkirchen and Sueggerath. In the early morning, the 102nd Infantry Division’s 405th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the 84th “Railsplitters” Division.

The 2nd Armored Division’s Combat Command B under the Ninth Army’s XIX Corps deflected a powerful enemy counterattack against Apwiler while Combat Command A, reinforced by an infantry battalion from the 119th Infantry Regiment’s 30th Infantry Division, attacked in two marching columns from Setterich and Puffendorf towards the highland between Ederen and Freialdenhoven. The 29th Infantry Division finished mopping up in Setterich and eliminated the rest of the enemy troops hiding in antitank trenches east of the village. The division then advanced forwards and occupied the villages around Duerboslar and Schlieden. With artillery support, the 30th Infantry Division’s 117th Infantry Regiment occupied St Joeris and Kinzweiler.

The VII Corps’ 104th Infantry Division from the US First Army now focused on advancing towards the Eschweiler – Weisweiler industrial complex north of the Inde River. On the northern flank of the 1st Infantry Division, the 9th Infantry Division’s 47th Infantry Regiment advanced to the northwest along the Hamich Ridge from Hill No. 232 to Hill No. 187. The Big Red One’s 16th Infantry Regiment finished mopping up Hamich and pushed forward to the southern tip of the Bovenberger Forest. At the same time the division’s 18th Infantry Regiment, maneuvering in the middle of the division, launched an attack towards Langerwehe, which had been the target of the 26th Infantry Regiment. It then advanced to the vicinity of Wenau. The 26th Infantry Regiment was now ordered to occupy Juengersdorf and Merode. The 4th Infantry Division held off on launching an attack eastwards so it could close the gap that had been created between its 8th and 22nd Infantry Regiments. The border between the US VII and V Corps was shifted north of Huertgen so that both corps would be able to coordinate their operations leading up to clearing the Huertgen – Grosshau area. The 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command R was assigned to the US V Corps’ 8th Infantry Division. In the V Corps sector, 8th Infantry Division units took over the 28th Infantry Division’s battle line in the Vossenack – Schmidt area. General Hodges, commander of the US First Army, issued an order to launch a new offensive on November 21 and not wait until the VII Corps break through the enemy defense on the western bank of the Rur River, as has been originally planned. On the northern flank of the V Corps, the 8th Infantry Division was prepared to attack towards Huertgen and Kleinhau. The 8th Infantry Division’s 121st Infantry Regiment, which was supposed to attack first, received an order to immediately head out through the Huertgen Forest and go through the positions of the 4th Infantry Division’s 12th Infantry Regiment to the location it would later use to launch their attack.

The US XX Corps under Patton’s US Third Army has units from the 90th, 95th and 5th Infantry Divisions to completely surround Metz. In the course of the day, the 90th Infantry Division completed its assault operations in the Metz zone and halted along the Nied River. The division’s 357th Infantry Regiment advanced to the Nied River west of Boulay-Moselle while the 359th Infantry Regiment occupied and secured enemy escape routes in Les Etangs. The 90th Reconnaissance Squadron made contact with units from the 5th Infantry Division. The 90th “Tough ’Ombres” Division’s 358th Infantry Regiment located in the rear was assigned to the 10th Armored Division. Task Force Bacon from the 95th Victory Division’s was engaged in street fighting in the northeastern section of Metz. Units from the Victory Division crossed the Mosel River and advanced on Metz from the northwest. In the meantime, the 5th Infantry Division continued mopping up operations in the southern part of the city. The division’s 2nd Infantry Regiment made contact with the Tough ’Ombres north of Retonfrey, and its 10th Infantry Regiment met up with the Victory Division near Valliéres. The 10th Armored Division was ordered to advance to the Saar River. In the night from November 19-20, 1944, Combat Command A withdrew from the bridgehead near the Nied River, destroying the bridges behind it. Combat Command B ran up against strong enemy resistance in its advance to Mertzig and Dillingen (Saar). The 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized), which was advancing in a triangle created by the Saar and Mosel Rivers on the corps’ northern flank, was halted by swift fire out of the Orcholz – Switch line.

In cooperation with the 35th Infantry Division’s 137th Infantry Regiment, Combat Command B from the XII Corps’ 6th Armored Division occupied Betring and Gros-Tenquin while the division’s 320th Infantry Regiment, assisted by tanks from the 4th Armored Division, conquered Virming. The 26th Infantry Division deployed all of its regiments in the attack against the Dieuze – Bénestroff line, where advancing American troops encountered fierce enemy resistance that was covering the retreat of its main forces. During the day, battalions from the 26th “Yankee” Division’s 104th and 101st Infantry Regiments tried but failed to conquer Marimont and enemy positions on Marimont Hill – Hill No. 334. After dark, the Germans left the hill and the village, allowing the American units to continue its advance. The Yankee Division’s 328th Infantry Regiment, reinforced by tanks from the 761st Tank Battalion, attacked the retreating enemy together with a unit from the 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) and conquered the only bridge that was left standing in Dieuze. The 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command A occupied Rodalbe.

While advancing towards Sarrebourg, the 44th Infantry Division from the Seventh Army’s 44th Infantry Division occupied Ibigny and St Georges. The German defense line along the Vezouse River in the Blamont – Cirey area fell apart. Units from the 79th Infantry Division conquered Fremonville, and in the meantime, the French 2nd Armored Division’s Combat Command R took control of Cirey. Combat Command L from the same division took advantage of a break in the enemy’s defense and started to advance in order to secure the gap that had been created between the units. It then continued on towards Strasbourg. The 79th Infantry Division advanced behind French tanks and safeguarded the Corps’ southern flank. The VI Corps was now deployed along the Meurthe River and prepared to cross the waterway. The 14th Armored Division’s Combat Command A was assigned to the Corps. Units from the 100th Infantry Division that were already on the eastern side of the river continued to advance forward in the Raon area. The “Century” Division’s 398th Infantry Regiment attempted to go through Plaine from the south and take control of the highway leading southeast from the city while the 397th Infantry Regiment battled with the footholds located in the quarries on the edge of town. With the 117th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron participating, a division reconnaissance group took Badonviller without a fight. Working with tank units from the French 5th Armored Division, the 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division from the French First Army’s I Corps reached Chalon-Villars on the outskirts of Belfort. The French 1st Armored Division made an unsuccessful attempt to occupy the highway to Dannemarie while the French 5th Armored Division advanced through Fontaine towards Cernay. The division’s reconnaissance units advanced in three directions on the right flank, reaching the Rhine River in Roseau at 1830 hrs – thus making it the first Allied combat formation to reach the legendary river. It would take another four long months for the Allies to carry out Operation Plunder - Varsity, though, after which the Rhine would no longer pose an obstacle for the troops.

Still occupied by German forces, the French port of Dunkirk once again came under the radar of the British fighter aircraft. The Spitfires raided and bombed selected enemy positions such as the power plant, railroad flak and other sites. Unfortunately, two of the aircraft deployed for the mission collided in midair over the southern sector during the raid. One pilot parachuted down to ground. The men from the Anti-Tank Cannon Unit immediately set out to attempt to save the pilot, but five were injured by an exploding mine and two others, Privates Kudla and Novák, were captured by the enemy. They were returned to the armored brigade following a POW swap on April 18, 1945. By then, the German occupation of Dunkirk was to last just another twenty days.