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From D-Day to V-Day

December 1944

December 3, 1944 - D-Day + 180

Units from the British Second Army finished mopping up operations the western bank of the Meuse River in the course of the day, while the British XII Corps occupied Blerick.

Detachments from the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps advanced to the Rur River. The 102nd Infantry Division’s 407th Infantry Regiment occupied Flossdorf. Col P. R. Dwyer, commander of the 116th Infantry Regiment from the XIX Corps’ 29th Infantry Division, was dismissed from his post and replaced by Col S. V. Bingham. The regiment continued its efforts to eliminate two strong enemy footholds in Jülich.

The 104th Infantry Division from the US First Army’s VII Corps expanded its bridgehead on the Inde River eastwards beyond Lucherberg. The enemy had recovered from the Americans’ surprise crossing of the Inde River the previous night and had enough time to form a line of defense. Supported by tanks and self-propelled cannons, units from the 1st Infantry Division’s 16th Infantry Regiment took control of Luchem. The 83rd Infantry Division’s 330th Infantry Regiment started to take over the sector of the 4th Infantry Division, which was slated to deploy to Luxembourg. The US V Corps’ 8th Infantry Division continued mopping up operations in the Brandenberger Wald area and near the Tiefen Creek. With effective support from the air, the 5th Armored Division’s Task Force Hamberg renewed its advance along the main highway between Keinhau and Brandenberg, occupying the latter. At that time, most of the German air force that had been inactive attacked the advancing Allies in that area. In the attack, about 60 Bf 109 Messerschmitts did not cause any serious damage to the American units, and anti-aircraft defenses even shot down 19 aircraft. Task Force Boyer under Lt Col H. E. Boyer of the 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command R was attached to the 8th Infantry Division’s 28th Infantry Regiment so that it would be able to eliminate strong footholds in Vossenack.

Assault units from the 379th Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion under the US Third Army’s XX Corps took control of the bridge on the road leading from Saarlautern to Saarlautern-Roden, but it could not be used immediately for troop movements because in their attempt to destroy the bridge, the Germans were aiming strong artillery shelling at the area around the bridge. Units from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions mopped up most of Saarlautern while other parts of the division advanced to the river. After a hard battle, the 5th Infantry Division’s 10th Infantry Regiment occupied Creutzwald. West of Lauterbach, units from the 6th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) and 2nd Rangers Battalion deflected an enemy counterattack. In the XII Corps’ operational zone, a German assault group composed of eight tanks from the 11th Panzer Division and one infantry company launched an attack out of Oermingen against the 26th Infantry Division’s positions in Sarre-Union. In the end they were able to destroy an anti-tank cannon and the command of Company I under the 101st Infantry Regiment’s 3rd Battalion. The Americans, who had taken shelter in basements, requested “friendly” fire at their own positions. Within ten minutes, a howitzer from the 101st Field Artillery Battalion had shot 380 projectiles that hit Sarre-Union. The Germans lost many soldiers and two tanks in the artillery assault. The rest of the enemy tanks and troops subsequently withdrew.

The enemy held up the advancing 44th Infantry Division under the Seventh Army’s XV Corps in Ratzviller, while units from the 45th Infantry Division conquered Zinswiller. The 100th Infantry Division started to advance towards Bitch. The division’s 398th Infantry Regiment went through the operational sector of the 44th Infantry Division. In the course of the day, the VI Corps continued mopping up operations in Sélestat.