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From D-Day to V-Day

December 1944

December 2, 1944 - D-Day + 179

In the sector of the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps, the Germans broke the Lower Rhine dam near Arnhem, thus flooding the entire southwest sector. The Corps was later forced to withdraw from the bridgehead on the Waal River all the way back to the railroad leading to Elst.

The 84th Infantry Division’s 334th Infantry Regiment from the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps occupied Leiffarth and the hills northeast of Beeck and Lindern. Battalions from the 102nd Infantry Division’s 407th Infantry Regiment attacked Roerdorf and Flossdorf. The 29th Infantry Division’s 116th Infantry Regiment from the XIX Corps continued to fight for two strong footholds in the Jülich area.

The 104th Infantry Division from the First Army’s VII Corps finished mopping up Inden and the entire sector assigned to it west of the Inde River. With supporting fire from the 413th Infantry Regiment, at 2300 hrs the division’s 415th and 414th Infantry Regiments started to cross the river. The attack was so much of a surprise, the Germans could not manage to defend themselves at all. The 1st Infantry Division was ordered to even out the Corps’ line, occupy Luchem and wait to be relieved. In the course of fifteen days of heavy fighting, the division had advanced just three and a half miles. The enemy troops certainly intended to fight for all they were worth. With artillery support, the 4th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment deflected an enemy attack out of Gey. Under enemy fire from the ridge before Kommerscheidt, Task Force Hamberg from the 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command R under the US V Corps advanced southwards along the main road leading between Kleinhau and Brandenberg, but in the end was halted by a mine field. During the night the US artillery aimed their fire at enemy positions, and combat engineers were finally able to remove the mines.

The 10th Armored Division from the US Third Army’s XX Corps occupied Dreisbach and finished mopping up its sector west of the Saar River. The division’s Combat Command B went into reserve while Combat Command A had patrol detachments on the western bank of the river between the 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) and units from the 90th Infantry Division. In the night from December 2-3, 1944, the 90th Infantry Division started to prepare to cross the river in the Dillingen area and expand its lodgement to the south. Supported by the tactical air command, the 95th Infantry Division engaged in fighting for access to the river near Saarlautern. The 379th Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion entered Saarlautern and, starting in the western section of town, literally fought for each and every house. In the meantime, the division’s 377th Infantry Regiment conquered St Barbara while units from the 378th Infantry Regiment pushed the enemy out of Picard. As aerial reconnaissance that day found an undamaged bridge over the river on the way to Saarlautern, units from the 379th Infantry Regiment’s 1st Infantry Battalion were given the mission of conquering the bridge. The 3rd Battalion from the 5th Infantry Division’s 11th Infantry Regiment was attached to the 10th Infantry Regiment that day to support it in its prepared attack through the southwestern section of Forét de la Houve.

As units from the 101st Infantry Regiment under the XII Corps’ 26th Infantry Division encountered several enemy footholds in Sarre-Union, they had to mop up the occupied areas of the town once more. Vanguard units from the 104th Infantry Regiment operating in other parts of the town encountered fierce enemy defense. Tank columns from the 4th Armored Division cut off the highway leading southwards from Sarre-Union to Domfessel and Voellerdingen, and with tactical air support eliminated two attempts to retake escape routes that were important to the enemy. In the night from December 2-3, 1944, the 35th Infantry Division took over an operational sector from the 6th Armored Division’s Combat Command B near Puttelange. The command expanded its zone to the north and took over part of the line from the 80th Infantry Division.

Generál Devers, the commander of the 6th Army Group, ordered the Seventh Army to regroup; the army would launch attack northwards on December 5, 1944. According to the order, French units would take over full responsibility for reducing the Colmar Pocket.

The 44th Infantry Division from the Seventh Army’s XV Corps occupied Waldhambach while units from the 45th Infantry Division went through Engwiller and mopped up Meitesheim. The French 2nd Armored Division from the VI Corps halted in the Kogenheim – Freisenheim area and would later be assigned to the French First Army. Battalions from the 103rd and 36th Infantry Divisions engaged in heavy street fighting in Sélestat throughout the day.