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From D-Day to V-Day

November 1944

November 9, 1944 - D-Day + 156

The British I Corps from the First Canadian Army finished mopping up the zone south of the Meuse River. On the same day, the II Canadian Corps took over the Nijmegen sector from the British XXX Corps. This placed the famous US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions – which had taken part in the legendary Operation Market Garden in September – under the Canadians’ command, at least temporarily. At the same time, the Guards Armoured Division, British 43rd and 50th Infantry Divisions and 8th Independent Armoured Brigade also came under the command of the II Canadian Corps. The British XII Corps from the British Second Army took up positions on the line along the Meuse River to the right of the British VIII Corps and took command of the British 53rd and 51st Infantry Divisions and Belgian 1st Brigade.

The Ninth Army’s 7th Armored Division returned from the British Second Army and was assigned to the XIII Corps. In the course of the day, the US Third Army launched another major assault against German positions. The US XX Corps’ attack received aerial support from the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. The mission was to surround and diminish the enemy in the Metz – Thionville area. At 0330 hrs, assault battalions from the 90th Infantry Division’s 359th and 358th Infantry Regiments started to cross the Mosel River in Mallingu and Cattenom in the effort to create a bridgehead. The flooded river and enemy fire prevented them from immediately building bridges, and as a result, armored support units could not cross the river.

The 359th Infantry Regiment under Col Raymond E. Bell occupied Malling, Hunting, Petite-Hettange, Métrich and Kerling. In the meantime, its sister regiment, the 358th Infantry Regiment under Col Christian H. Clark, mopped up Basse Ham in the south and conquered the western sector of Fort Koenigsmacker. That same day, the 357th Infantry Regiment under Col Julian H. George from the 90th Infantry Division crossed the river and occupied the town of Koenigsmacker a little later without encountering any resistance. The 95th Infantry Division expanded and reinforced the small bridgehead at Uckange and went around Bertrange.

Part of the 377th Infantry Regiment from the same division occupied the forests north of Semécourt. The 5th Infantry Division started to cross the Seille River on footbridges and in assault boats. The 2nd Infantry Regiment and two battalions from the 5th Infantry Division’s 10th Infantry Regiment built a bridgehead nearly 3 ½ miles deep and three miles wide. Operating to the right, the 2nd Infantry Regiment under Col Worrell A. Roofe occupied Cheminot without resistance, while the 10th Infantry Regiment under Col Robert P. Bell eliminated the defense in Hautonnerie Farm.

With aerial assistance, the 80th Infantry Division from the XII Corps occupied the greater part of the Delme Ridge. The 6th Armored Division crossed the Seille River in the 80th Infantry Division’s sector and prepared an advance on Faulquemont. Vanguard patrols from Col George W. Read’s Combat Command B advanced to positions west of Alemont. In the meantime, the armored infantry assisted 80th Infantry Division troops with mopping up operations in the Nomeny area. Tanks from Brigadier General Holmes E. Dager’s Combat Command B from the 4th Armored Division rode through the lines of the 35th Infantry Division’s 137th Infantry Regiment. The infantry troops then followed the armored units and advanced together in two columns. One column occupied Hannoncourt, while the other was halted by the enemy in front of Fonteny. The 137th Infantry Regiment occupied the village of Delme together with units from the 80th Infantry Division, which attacked along the Delme Ridge. After mopping up the Fresnes area, the 320th Infantry Regiment from the 35th Infantry Division gathered near the Bois d’Amélécourt and advanced through the woods, but the enemy had enough time to build a strong defense there. In the meantime, its sister 134th Infantry Regiment mopped up the eastern sector of the Forét de Chateau-Salins. The 104th Infantry Regiment from the 36th Infantry Division pushed the enemy out of the village of Chateau-Salins, occupied Morville-lés-Vic and continued towards Hampont. The 101st Infantry Regiment from the same division attempted to go around Hill No. 310 and occupy Salival. Combat Command A under Lt Col Creighton W. Abrams of the 4th Armored Division received an order to attack through the positions of the 104th Infantry Regiment.

Major General Withers A. Burres’ 100th Infantry Division from the VI Corps completed taking over the operational zone of the 45th Infantry Division. The “Century” Division was given a mission to protect the corps’ northern flank and mop up the sector west of the Meurthe River. The 45th “Thunderbird” Division moved to a rest area and now came under the direct command of the Seventh Army. The 103rd Infantry Division under Major General Charles C. Haffner just arrived at the front and started to take over the 3rd Infantry Division’s zone.

Although it was relatively quiet in the operational zone of the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade at Dunkirk, General Liška’s men were still dying. At the Canadian field hospital in St Omer, France, Private Václav Pejsar died from the injuries he had suffered on the fateful day of November 5, during the Armoured Brigade’s attack against enemy positions located on the line of the eastern sector of Dunkirk. Not long after the attack was called off, an unfortunate event occurred that is recalled in an authentic record preserved in the brigade staff logs.

“At first, the infantry withdrew under the cover of fire from Lt Col Šnajdr’s tank platoon, which also had the mission of protecting the recovery of immobile tanks (note: damaged by mines in most cases). The tanks were freed by one Cromwell tank and one special tank. But then tragedy struck. Lt Kavale’s tank was hit by enemy cannon fire. There was a large explosion. At the same time, the gas, oil and remaining ammunition tank exploded. The following soldiers were inside the tank: Commander Lt Kavale, driver Sgt Hlaváček, combat engineer Private Šebesta, and Private Pejsar stood in the turret. The explosion ripped the turret from the tank and flew off. Along with the turret, Private Pejsar’s body landed about 25 yards away, writhing in pain on the ground and attempting to put out the fire on his body despite his critical burns. The driver of the recovery tank from the 2nd Tank Battalion, Sgt Havlíček, also suffered serious burns in the explosion. Lt Col Kysela and head mechanic Staff Sgt Vlk miraculously escaped a horrible death and, regardless of the threat to their own lives, darted out to Pejsar and Havlíček. They used dirt and mud to put out the fires on their bodies, and put both on an auxiliary tank that was able to move. Nothing could be done for the crew of Lt Col Kavale’s tank. They were immediately killed in the explosion and reduced to ashes in seconds. All that was left of their tank was a few broken and burned armored plates.” Václav Pejsar, a native of the village of Tlumačov, western Bohemia, was just 21 years old at the time. He was buried at the Commonwealth soldiers cemetery in St. Omer.

As part of a Ramrod mission that day, the No. 312 Squadron accompanied 256 Lancasters from Bomber Command carrying lethal payloads over the oil refineries in Wanne – Eickel, Germany.