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From D-Day to V-Day

November 1944

November 29, 1944 - D-Day + 176

Following strong artillery preparation, Major General Alvan C. Gillem’s XIII Corps under the Ninth Army launched an early morning attack headed for the Rur River. The 84th Infantry Division under Major General Alexander R. Bolling, operating on the Corps’ left flank, advanced towards Lindern and the high ground northeast of Beeck. The 335th Infantry Division’s 3rd Battalion from the 84th “Railsplitters” Division occupied Lindern and held the village until reinforcements arrived. At the end of the day, the same battalion deflected an enemy counterattack that aimed to retake the village. The regiment’s 2nd Battalion launched an attack against the strong defense of the hills near Beeck. Col Timothy A. Pedley’s 333rd Infantry Regiment from the Railsplitters provided supporting fire to units from Col Hugh C. Parker’s 335th Infantry Regiment which were on the attack. Together with the 113th Cavalry Group under the command of William S. Biddle, Parker’s men launched a false attack against Beeck. The 102nd Infantry Division under Major General Frank A. Keating advanced forward on the Corps’ southern flank. The 405th Infantry Regiment under Col Laurin L. Willams attacked along the main road between Lindern and Linnich to the right of the 84th Infantry Division. At the same time, the 7th Armored Division was held in reserve.

Units from the VII Corps’ 104th Infantry Division under the US First Army held Inden and Lammersdorf, which the enemy attacked several times in the attempt to regain the village and destroy the bridge. Two companies from the 1st Infantry Division’s 26th Infantry Regiment broke through to Merode, where they were surrounded and nearly destroyed following a German counterattack. The 4th Infantry Division renewed an attack along the entire line in the Huertgen Forest against positions that the enemy had enough time to significantly strengthen. The division’s 12th Infantry Regiment closed the gap between two of its sister regiments, the 8th and the 22nd. The 8th Infantry Regiment made just minor gains towards the road located in the eastern tip of the forest. In a frontal attack and with support from tanks, the 22nd Infantry Regiment conquered Grosshau and cut off the road leading to Gey. The 5th Armored Division, currently minus Combat Command R, was placed under the Corps’ command. Combat Command R’s Task Force Hamberg under Lt Col W. A. Hamberg of the US V Corps occupied and mopped up Kleinhau. In the night from November 29-30, 1944, the 1st Battalion from the 8th Infantry Division’s 13th Infantry Regiment relieved Task Force Hamberg, but was unable to occupy two road barricades that posed a threat to the Corps making any further advancements.

Units from the 90th and 95th Infantry Divisions under the US Third Army’s XX Corps launched a coordinated attack towards the Saar River. Reconnaissance patrols from the 90th Infantry Division reached the river. The 95th Infantry Division waged heavy fighting for the hills in front of Saarlauternem, deflecting about ten counterattacks and advancing to the Kerpich – Hemmersdorf – St Barbara – Merten line. A garrison surrendered the St Privat fort to units from the 5th Infantry Division. In the zone of the XII Corps’ 80th Infantry Division, the enemy carried out a strong counterattack against the positions of its 317th Infantry Regiment in Farebersviller, and in the end was able to retake the village. As the enemy was gradually tightening a noose around the 317th Infantry Regiment, units from the 80th “Blue Ridge” Division’s 318th Infantry Regiment and tank units were called in to provide battle support to the beleaguered regiment. A task force from the 4th Armored Division’s Combat Command A conquered Durstel.

The 114th Infantry Regiment under Col Robert R. Martin from the XV Corps’ 44th Infantry Division of the Seventh Army occupied Tieffenbach. In the course of the day, the 45th Infantry Division strengthened its positions located along the northern bank of the Moder River between Rothbach and Mertzwiller. Col Warren A. Robinson’s 314th Infantry Regiment from the 79th Infantry Division occupied and mopped up Niederschaeffolsheim, located near Haguenau. The French 2nd Armored Division from the VI Corps occupied Erstein. The 411th Infantry Regiment under Col Donovan P. Yeuell conquered Barr and Andlau. The 14th Armored Division advanced southwards through Barr along the eastern edge of Vosges, while the 36th Infantry Division fought near Liepvre and occupied Le Bonhomme, which the enemy had already abandoned.

All three Czechoslovak fighter squadrons took part in Operation Ramrod 1382 that day, escorting nearly three hundred Lancasters from Bomber Command to the city of Dortmund, Germany.

British Spitfire fighters continued to attack German positions at Dunkirk. Enemy anti-aircraft fire shot one of the aircraft down, and it crashed in the western sector. In its battle against Vice Admiral Frisius’ men, the Czechoslovaks also used psychological warfare tactics. In addition to shooting leaflet grenades, megaphone announcements became another essential part of this “battle without casualties”. For now, though, these missions had little effect. That night, the western section of the front became the target of a German artillery assault, claiming the life of Private Vojtěch Matis (b. 1920), a native of Bratislava, Slovakia.