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From D-Day to V-Day

February 1945

February 19, 1945 - D-Day + 258

Divisions from the First Canadian Army’s British XXX Corps were engaged in heavy street fighting in Goch.

The 99th Infantry Division was assigned away from the V Corps and placed under the direct command of the US First Army.

Assault battalions from the 90th Infantry Division’s 358th Infantry Regiment under the US Third Army’s VIII Corps conquered Masthorn and the strongly defended hill west of Pronsfeld. In the meantime, the division’s 359th Infantry Regiment occupied Oberüttfeld and Niederüttfeld and later attacked the hill north of Huf while Task Force Gassman, composed of the 90th Reconnaissance Company and a tank platoon, secured the right flank. The division’s 357th Infantry Regiment advanced towards Binscheid. The 11th Armored Division’s Combat Command R occupied Herzfeld and mopped up the area near Leidenborn. One platoon from the 28th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron under the 6th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) crossed the Our River north of Vianden and built a footbridge while units from the 6th Squadron reinforced the bridgehead between Gemünd and Bivels. Battalions from the 80th Infantry Division’s 318th and 317th Infantry Regiments under the XII Corps advanced to the Prüm River and occupied Hommerdingen, Freilingen, and Nusbaum. Units from the division’s 319th Infantry Regiment surrounded the remaining enemy positions on the Siegfried Line. The 2nd Battalion from the 5th Infantry Division’s 2nd Infantry Regiment conquered Stockem while the 11th Infantry Regiment was relieved by parts of the 76th Infantry Division’s 385th Infantry Regiment before going into reserve. A task force from the 2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) crossed the Mosel near Ehnen that night and occupied the main road leading to Wincheringen. Forces from the XX Corps launched an attack leading to mopping up the Saar/Mosel triangle. Following intense artillery preparations, at 0400 hrs battalions from the 94th Infantry Division’s 376th, 301st, and 302nd Infantry Regiments and a company from the attached 5th Rangers Battalion attacked in the direction of the main road between Borg and Munzingen. With direct support from the artillery and tactical air force, the attacking units broke through the Siegfried Line and conquered Oberleuken, Kesslingen, Faha, and Münzingen. At 1800 hrs the 94th Infantry Division’s 376th Infantry Regiment was attached to the 10th Armored Division, which was assembling to launch an attack in the Perl – Besch area. Assault units from the 26th Infantry Division and Task Force Polk continued to carry out local attacks from their current positions.

Battalions from the 70th Infantry Division’s 276th Infantry Regiment under the Seventh Army’s XV Corps entered Forbach, where they engaged in heavy street fighting. The 63rd Infantry Division’s 253rd Infantry Regiment won back Auersmacher and occupied Kleinblittersdorf. In the sector of the VI Corps, the 14th Armored Division relieved units from the 103rd Infantry Division on the left flank. Another episode of psychological warfare was underway at Dunkirk today. The Allies’ artillery fired off 30,000 fliers at German positions informing Vice-Admiral Frisius’ men about the real situation on the fronts. The text in some of the fliers encouraged the enemy’s soldiers about the “appropriateness” of surrendering rather than getting killed for the Führer. It probably worked, because not a month went by before several Germans from the Third Reich and people from other countries that had fought alongside Hitler appeared in the “Czech” positions.