Chapter VII: Section VI: Rhineland Campaign

26 January-21 March 1945

At the successful conclusion of the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign the Allies again turned their attention to the Rhineland. Between 26 January and 21 March a major objective was achieved: the German troops which tried to halt the advance were cut off and destroyed, thus eliminating future enemy action west of the Rhine.

When the Rhineland Campaign ended the Allied Expeditionary Force numbered over 4,000,000 men organized into a well-balanced military machine, with combat elements ready to strike the final blow against the disintegrating enemy forces. On 21 March 1945 the First U. S. Army held a bridgehead across the Rhine about twenty miles wide and eight miles deep and had six divisions on the eastern bank of the river, while the remaining Allied troops were prepared to cross in their respective zones.

DEEP SNOW SLOWED MILITARY TRAFFIC. With the completion of the
Ardennes-Alsace Campaign the Allies again began their advance to
the Rhine after having been delayed for six weeks.]

RIFLEMEN moving through snow-covered, wooded terrain (top). A
105-mm. howitzer M3 firing in support of the infantry advance
(bottom). On 24 January the First U. S. Army was to begin an
attack to breach the West Wall and secure the high ground in the
vicinity of Blankenheim, while part of the Third Army was to
attack with its left wing to cover the First Army. The rest of
the Third Army front was to begin an aggressive defense.]

ADVANCING THROUGH THE SNOW, men wearing camouflage suits blend
in with the snow-covered ground, while those without white
suits stand out plainly (top). Infantrymen waiting in their
snow-covered foxhole for an artillery barrage which will start
an offensive (bottom). On 7 February 1945 the attack was halted
with both the First and Third Armies deep in the enemy’s
fortified zone.]

FRONT OF AN M24 LIGHT TANK showing its 75-mm. gun, newer type
track, and torsion bar suspension. When the offensive halted
attention was given to attacking the Roer dams. The enemy took
advantage of the wooded country, deep valleys, many streams,
poor roads, and the fortifications of the West Wall in an
effort to halt the advance. Bitter fighting developed but by 2
February the U. S. forces had reached a point within two miles
of Schleiden. On 8 February the Canadian First Army struck
the German forces west of the Rhine, the first of a series of
attacks that were to destroy the enemy.]

SARREBOURG SARRE RIVER NIEDERLEUKEN BEURIG

SAAREBOURG AND THE SARRE RIVER AREA. This picture is typical of
the rolling, wooded country, broken by river and deep valleys,
through which Allied troops advanced during the fighting along
the German frontier. The area was important during the Lorraine
campaign since the enemy forces might join the German troops
striking northwest from the Colmar pocket, or at least threaten
the rear of the U. S. Seventh Army.]

AN M4 MEDIUM TANK-DOZER cleaning a street in Colmar (top).
German pillboxes along a road leading to the Colmar plain
(bottom).]

THE TOWN OF BREISACH, Germany, during a heavy artillery
shelling.]

VAUBAN CANAL WIDENSOHLEN CANAL RHONE-RHINE CANAL

NEUF BRISACH, FRANCE. On 20 January 1945 U. S. and French
troops of the 6th Army Group began an offensive converging in
the direction of Breisach, Germany, on the eastern bank of the
Rhine. This operation was aimed at the total reduction of the
Colmar pocket west of the Rhine. On 1 February the U. S. forces
had advanced to within three miles of Neuf Brisach while on the
same day the French troops closed up to the Rhine. By 9 February
the Colmar pocket had been eliminated.]

CITADEL ROER RIVER

THE ROER RIVER AT JUELICH, GERMANY. The U. S. Ninth Army’s
assault northeast from Juelich was to be the first of a series
of U. S. drives to the Rhine. This attack was to begin on 10
February 1945. On 9 February the Germans blew open the discharge
valves of the dams in the Schmidt area and although the area
was cleared of enemy troops by the evening of 10 February, it
was too late to stop the flooding of the area. The Roer River
attained a width of 400-1,200 yards, a high water condition
which was to last for two weeks, and prevented the scheduled U.
S. attack.]

LOADING .50-CALIBER AMMUNITION into the wing of a P-47
Thunderbolt fighter plane. On 22 February one of the greatest
aerial operations of the war was carried out by nearly 9,000
aircraft taking off from bases in England, France, the
Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy. The targets, the German
transportation facilities, covered an area of over a quarter of
a million square miles.]

DESTROYED RAILYARD AT RHEINE, Germany, on the main line leading
from Berlin and Hannover into the Netherlands. One of the most
important targets of this attack was the German railway system.
The enemy’s attempts at defense were completely ineffective
as the bombs hit control points, railroad yards, roundhouses,
and bridges. The attack so seriously crippled traffic that the
railroad system did not recover during the war.]

ROER RIVER TREADWAY PONTON BRIDGES. Early on the morning of
23 February the Ninth Army jumped off after a heavy artillery
preparation. Covering the right flank was a corps of the First
Army. Because the enemy was surprised by this attack only
moderate opposition was encountered and by the end of the first
day bridgeheads two to four miles deep were held, infantry
troops were east of the Roer River, and seven bridges were being
completed under a heavy screen of smoke.]

A PORTION OF MUENCHEN-GLADBACH. After crossing the Roer the U.
S. units advanced to within seven miles of the Rhine and closed
in on Muenchen-Gladbach by 28 February. On 1 March one infantry
regiment cleared the city which had a population of 170,000 and
was the largest German city captured up to that time. Located
twelve miles from the Rhine, it was one of the approaches to
the Ruhr. On 3 March contact was made with the British and by 5
March the U. S. Ninth Army had closed up along the Rhine on its
entire front.]

MEDIUM TANK M26 WITH A 90-MM. GUN equipped with a muzzle brake,
introduced in combat early in 1945 (top). Both the light tank
M24 and the medium tank M26 used a torsion bar type suspension
which replaced the volute spring suspension of earlier models.
Troops of the U. S. First Army approaching the Rhine (bottom).
In the First Army area an attack was launched on 23 February
simultaneously with that of the Ninth Army in the north. By 5
March First Army troops had secured all their initial objectives
west of the Rhine.]

A GERMAN ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN on medium tank chassis (Pz. Kpfw.
IV with 2-cm. Flakvierling 38) (top). German 380-mm. rocket
projector on Tiger E chassis (Sturmmorser) (bottom). The German
insistence on holding west of the Rhine cost two enemy armies
large quantities of material and heavy losses in manpower.]

155-MM. MOTOR GUN CARRIAGE M12 firing on enemy installations
(top). Infantrymen searching for snipers in Pruem, Germany
(bottom). In the Third Army area probing attacks toward the West
Wall were resumed on 7 February 1945. Self-propelled 155-mm.
guns proved particularly effective in knocking out pillboxes,
and by 12 February Pruem was cleared.]

C-47’s DROPPING SUPPLIES TO INFANTRY TROOPS (top). 2?-ton truck
bogged down in the mud (bottom). Weather and terrain placed
a heavy burden on engineer troops maintaining the roads. As
the ground began to thaw one of the main supply lines became
impassable for a time. Over 190 plane loads of rations,
gasoline, and ammunition were dropped to one division to
maintain its attack.]

INFANTRYMEN MOVING PRISONERS to the rear across a river near
Echternach (top). Assault troops crossing the Our River
(bottom). Bridgeheads were secured over the Our and Vianden was
cleared by 20 February. Between Vianden and Echternach troops
pushed into the West Wall.]

FRIED EGGS BEING SERVED FOR BREAKFAST, a special treat for the
men stationed near the West Wall (top). Troops moving through
dragon’s teeth of the West Wall fortifications (bottom). By
23 February two corps of the Third Army had fought their way
through the West Wall to the Pruem River.]

CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE TROOPS passing a German 75-mm. antitank
gun in the outskirts of Saarburg, Germany (top). Firing a
.30-caliber machine gun M1917A1 (bottom). On 21 February
Saarburg was cleared by one task force of the Third Army, while
a part of an armored division drove north and cleared the tip of
the Saar-Moselle triangle the next day.]

A SIGNAL CORPS MOTION PICTURE CAMERAMAN wading through the
mud of the February thaws while photographing the activities
of a military unit. By the end of February the Third Army was
advancing toward Trier and Bitburg. By 5 March 1945 Trier was
captured and preparations were being made for the final drive to
the Rhine.]

TROOPS OF THIRD ARMY waiting for the order which would start a
drive to the Rhine. The two armored vehicles are German armored
personnel carriers (top). Tanks and infantry entering Andernach
(bottom). The Rhine city of Andernach was captured on 9 March
and contact was made with U. S. First Army units the next day.]

A MEDIUM TANK of an armored division of the U. S. First Army
knocked out by enemy artillery fire. During the first week of
March the First Army advanced toward the Rhine with parts of its
forces while others launched a strong attack from Euskirchen to
converge on the Third Army area in the vicinity of Ahrweiler.]

HANDIE-TALKIE. An infantryman, armed with a carbine equipped
with a grenade launcher M8, using a handie-talkie radio SCR 536.]

AN ARTILLERYMAN DIRECTS FIRE, using an azimuth instrument M1 for
spotting and observing.]

THE CITY OF COLOGNE on the banks of the Rhine. U. S. First
Army forces took Cologne on 7 March. The enemy had withdrawn
most of the veteran troops who had defended the city and left
its Volkssturm troops to be battered by the advancing U. S.
soldiers. By 9 March the First Army zone was cleared of enemy
troops west of the Rhine.]

FIRST ARMY MEN AND EQUIPMENT crossing the Ludendorf railroad
bridge which became known as the Remagen Bridge. This was
the only bridge across the Rhine which was left intact. The
attention of the First Army was focused at Remagen during the
critical days of securing a bridgehead over the Rhine. The
capture of this bridge was an unexpected windfall, because the
retreating enemy troops had placed charges and were to blow the
bridge at 1600 on 7 March. The first U. S. troops reached the
bridge at 1550 and as the first charges began to explode army
engineers cut the wires to the others. Thus the bridge, while
damaged, was still intact and enabled the U. S. forces to cross
the river.]

THE LUDENDORF BRIDGE four hours before it collapsed (top). The
bridge after it fell into the Rhine (bottom). After capturing
the bridge troops were rushed across in pursuit of the
retreating Germans while the engineers set to work to repair the
damage. Enemy planes made repeated attacks on the bridge and it
was shelled by long-range artillery. At 1430 on 17 March the
bridge buckled and fell into the river only a few hours before
the repairs would have been completed.]

PONTON BOATS AND FLOATS being moved to the Rhine in the Remagen
area (top). Treadway bridge across the Rhine near Remagen
(bottom). During the period 11–16 March the bridgehead was
expanded north and south and all attacks gained ground despite
the arrival of enemy reinforcements. Treadway and heavy pontoon
bridges were built across the river. As the Rhineland Campaign
came to an end, six divisions were east of the Rhine and six
more were ready to cross in the First Army zone.]

HONNEF ASBERB HILL 441 BRODERKONSBERG

ROLLING, WOODED AREA EAST OF THE RHINE, typical of that
encountered by the Allied troops in their advance into Germany.
A small portion of Honnef, between Bonn and Remagen, may be seen
in the extreme upper left portion of picture.]

MEDICAL AID MAN dressing the wounds of an infantryman.]

WOUNDED SOLDIERS being evacuated by air to hospitals in Paris
and London.]

SARREBOURG BEURIG

AN ENLISTED MAN looking across the Saar River valley between
Serrig and Saarburg. The village of Serrig is in the foreground.
In this area the forward edge of the West Wall, over two miles
deep, followed the eastern bank of the Saar River. An antitank
ditch skirting the southwestern side of the village of Serrig
and a communication trench in the lower right hand corner are
visible. U. S. vehicles may also be seen dispersed through the
area.]

SPRING CLEAN-UP. An artilleryman takes time out for a bath
during a warm spring afternoon while other members of the
105-mm. howitzer crew remain near their piece.]

A MEDIUM TANK being ferried across the Moselle River (top).
Artillery shelling Bingen (bottom). From 11 to 13 March the
Third Army cleaned out the Germans who remained north of the
Moselle. The Third Army next regrouped its forces and started an
attack toward Bingen and Bad Kreuznach to prevent the enemy from
retreating across the Rhine. The attack was then to continue
southeast to secure a crossing site somewhere between Mainz and
Worms. At the same time a drive to Kaiserslautern was to begin
and Coblenz was to be reduced.]

ENEMY EQUIPMENT destroyed during the U. S. advance (top).
Infantrymen moving on the double past a fire started by enemy
shelling (bottom).]

A THREE-MAN ARTILLERY CREW preparing to fire a multipurpose
88-mm. gun captured in Germany.]

LIGHT TANK M24 firing (top); medium tank M26 crossing a muddy
field (bottom).]

SOLDIERS WATCHING VAPOR TRAILS left by bombers on their way to
bomb Germany.]

INFANTRY MEN USING FOOTBRIDGES to cross a river while engineers
complete a Bailey bridge. On 15 March three corps of the Seventh
Army began attacks, one in the heart of the important Saar
industrial area around Saarbruecken, the second driving toward
Zweibruecken and Bitche, and the third from the Moder River.]

75-MM. HOWITZER motor carriage M8 firing on enemy positions.]

TUBE AND RECOIL MECHANISM OF AN 8-INCH GUN M 1 on the way to the
front.]

SEVENTH ARMY TROOPS ENTERING BITCHE (top). Infantrymen marching
cross-country on their way to Germany (bottom).]

DRAGON’S TEETH, part of the West Wall defenses (top).
Infantrymen climbing over obstacles as they advanced through the
West Wall into Germany (bottom). The advance of the Seventh Army
through the dense mine fields and fortification of the West Wall
was necessarily slow.]

155-MM. MOTOR GUN CARRIAGE M12 FIRING.]

TWO TYPES OF MINE DETECTORS. At left, AN/PRS-1 type; at right,
SCR 625 (top). Mine detectors were developed by the Signal Corps
primarily for use by Engineer troops. Signal Corps repairmen
splicing wires of an underground cable which was damaged by
artillery fire (bottom).]

INFANTRY PLATOON BEING BRIEFED before making an assault (top).
Soldiers taking a ten-minute break during a march to the front
lines (bottom).]

CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN

The Allied Advance during the Central Europe Campaign 22 March
1945 to 11 May 1945]