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Patton had served with competence and distinction with the U.S. forces throughout Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. It was significant to the Allies because it offered a gateway between the Ardennes and Vosges Mountains, through which Allied forces might reach Germany. You can read more about the day . On the banks of the Rhine River the British Royal Corps of Engineers completed the construction of a Class 9 bridge "Waterloo Bridge" at 0100 hours and a Class 15 bridge "Lambeth Bridge" at 0830 hours. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. Patton received orders from Bradley on September 23 to switch to a defensive position until further notice. The main attack would come from the town of Bures to the south, where Manteuffel had scraped together a battle group composed of 30 tanks and assault guns to capture the camelback. ww2dbaseOn 24 Mar, Churchill crossed the Rhine River in an LCM (landing craft, mechanized), setting foot on the eastern bank of the river, symbolizing the crossing of the top British political leader over the traditional border of Germany that no foreign army had crossed in 140 years. This is Part One of a Three Part look at Pattons Lorraine Campaign. Patton spent so much time cajoling Bradley for permission to continue his advance east and additional reinforcements that he was seemingly oblivious to the stiffening enemy resistance and to evidence that the Germans were amassing substantial reinforcements in the Nancy sector. But the main attacks were made by the bulk of the 80th Division north of Nancy, and by Maj. Gen. Paul Baades 35th Infantry Division south of the city. In Germany, US Third Army captured Frankfurt and Wiesbaden and US Seventh Army captured Mannheim. The initial counterattacks against Third Armys bridgeheads should have convinced him that the enemy was regaining strength. The following day Patton arrived at the pontoon bridge his engineers had constructed over the Rhine. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? While the fighting raged, P-47s flew repeated sorties against Bures, through which the Germans were funneling fresh troops and ammunition into the battle. The reconstituted Fifth Panzer Army was inserted into Blaskowitzs Army Group G between First Army to the north and the Nineteenth Army to the south. Lying astride Third Armys route of advance were the key cities of Metz and Nancy, both of which are located on the east bank of the Moselle. Desperate to achieve their objective, the Germans toiled throughout the day to construct strongpoints and establish camouflaged positions on the southern slope to support their attack. Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across. It was during this week, in late March of 1945, that the U.S. Third Army under Gen. Patton, began its famous bridging and crossing operations of the Rhine. In 1943 he commanded the U.S. Patton arrived in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army. ww2dbaseSource: A half-dozen M8 howitzer motor carriages (HMCs) immediately deployed to contest the advancing column. Manteuffels plans for September 27 called for Wietersheims 11th Panzer Division to seize the camelback and Arracourt, opening the road to Nancy. First, it is aiming to offer interesting On the night of March 22, just hours before the official operation began, Patton and his division crossed the Rhine quietly in boats. Significantly, none of the panzer brigades had either organic artillery or reconnaissance vehicles. He engineered the Normandy breakout and was made commander of the Twelfth Army Group. In a widely publicized incident, he slapped and cursed a soldier suffering from battle fatigue in a field hospital in front of staff and patients. We began to cautiously filter down through the moonlit streets toward the shingled beach. After two days of hard fighting, the two sides braced for more of the same. To the far left is scrolled, WARS MAY BE FOUGHT WITH . 1. The plan called for a diversionary attack at daybreak by elements of the 11th Panzer Division against the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion atop Hill 265, another key position held by the Americans. You can also buy the book by clicking on the buttons to the left. Though beaten across the Rhine by Patton's Third Army, Montgomery's meticulous operation shone in its flawless execution. News of the crossing made it around the world. At daybreak, the 358th Infantry Regiment attacked the column with a wide range of antitank weapons including bazookas, 3-inch guns, and 105 mm howitzers. From the standpoint of losses in men and equipment, the Arracourt battles were a resounding victory for the Americans. After suffering significant casualties from heavy anti-aircraft fire, the airborne infantry landed and participated in direct combat during daylight to attack the German defenders from both sides. . The publicity was not for meGod knows Ive got enoughI could go to heaven and St. Peter would recognize me right awaybut it is for the officers and the men. Patton then complained that the Marines go to town by reporting the number [of their men] killed, I always try to fight without getting [our] people killed.. In addition, he ordered the creation of 10 new panzer brigades, numbered 101 to 110, each of which would boast a battalion of approximately 45 Panther tanks. ww2dbaseBetween Frankfort and the Ruhr River, the American First Army had breached the Rhine River barrier earlier in the month near Remagen. Patton would face significant leadership and tactical challenges in the region in the months following the Arracourt clashes. Patton similarly arose, clutching two handfuls of German earth in his fingers, and exclaimed, Thus, William the Conqueror!That evening Patton sent a communiqu to General Eisenhower: Dear SHAEF [Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force], I have just pissed into the Rhine River. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? Within three days Patton's troops were rapidly approaching Frankfurt, Germany, capturing bridges in tact as the German defenses began to fall apart. Days of Combat: 91. They did a lot of grumbling.. You have made your Army a fighting force that is not excelled in effectiveness by any other of equal size in the world, and I am very proud of the fact that you, as one of the fighting commanders who has been with me from the beginning of the African campaign, have performed so brilliantly throughout. Eddy planned to isolate Nancy in a double envelopment. Events in the northern sector made it necessary to divert precious fuel and ammunition to British and American units in that sector, which meant that Third Army would have insufficient resources to sustain prolonged offensive action. So he decided to imitate William the Conquerors entrance into England before leading Norman forces in their heroic conquest of the entire island in 1066. He was confident that Eddys 35th Division, with close support of the 4th Armored, could achieve a breach and hold it open to allow Third Armys armored divisions to punch through the wall. The Rhine is no ordinary river. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and he prepared to make do with the untrained and understrength units he had been given. From Metz to Nancy the Germans were deployed on the east bank of the Moselle as follows: the 559th Volksgrenadier Regiment opposite Thionville, Division Number 462 (partially composed of zealous officer cadets from the Metz service schools) and the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division at Metz, the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division opposite Pont-a-Mousson, the 92nd Luftwaffe Training Regiment opposite Marbache, the 3rd Parachute Replacement Regiment in front of Nancy in a westward loop of the river, and the 553rd Volksgrenadier Regiment inside Nancy. It is thought that the accompanying photo of General George Patton documents Patton urinating into the Rhine River. The 37th Tank Battalion would get no rest on September 20. Maj. Gen. Leroy Irvins 5th Infantry Division pushed across the swollen waters of the flooded Metz River the following day to gain a precarious bridgehead at Dornot, five miles south of Metz. Balck requested that Rundstedt provide Army Group G with three fresh divisions and 80 additional tanks and assault guns to continue the fight. The main column found itself in the midst of the 90th Division headquarters at 3 am, and several Panthers engaged an M4 Sherman guarding McLains command post situated on a knoll. Whats more, his decision to advance on a broad front ran contrary to the general understanding that it was necessary to concentrate forces to create a sizable breach worthy of exploiting in the enemys main line. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Blackfriars", by noon. As the troops of the French First Army crossed the Rhine River near Speyer, Germany, they became the first French troops to attack across the river since Napoleon Bonaparte. The Germans failed to reconnoiter enemy positions, and their replacement tank crews were no match for Leclercs veteran troops. Irwins 5th Infantry Division made another effort to secure a bridgehead across the Moselle at Arnaville, a short march south of Dornot, on September 10. Walkers corps consisted of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 7th Armored Division, while Eddys corps, at that time, consisted of the 35th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. Patton was relieved of command in the wake of the incident but was not dismissed from war service. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Although the U.S. First Army had already captured an intact bridge over the river at Remagen, there was still a rivalry between Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to cross next. Luttwitz would strike north toward Lunville, while Krueger would push west along the south side of the Marne-Rhine Canal toward the town. Unlike Patton, Churchill forbade photographs of the occasion. The Germans attacking toward Hill 265 captured several key towns, one of which was Xanrey, a few miles northwest of Arracourt. Meanwhile, US Third Army reached Siegen, Germany. This article is from the bookPatton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer2012by Michael Keane. Hitler also made preparations for the creation of a new Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel. The eastern thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigades attack that day was aimed at Companies C and D of the 37th Tank Battalion guarding the eastern and southern approaches to Arracourt. This was the greatest airborne operation of the war. 140 kilometers to the north, British Second Army captured Wesel, Germany. Mrz 2023; . Through skilled use of defensive positions, the Americans stopped the Germans from capturing the town. To protect the fatherland, Hitler ordered all German forces on the Western Front to hold their positions on the Moselle to allow engineers to make much-needed improvements to the West Wall fortifications. On September 6, he sacked First Army commander General der Infanterie Kurt Chevallerie in favor of General der Panzertruppen Otto Knobelsdorff, who would lead German forces covering the line from Sedan to Nancy. Site created in November 2000. The historic city of Metz included an extensive system of man-made fortifications from previous wars. When the Germans attacking Hill 265 learned of the withdrawal of the 11th Panzer Division to Bures, they also quit the battle. Some of the hardest fighting was done by the 704th Tank Destroyer (TD) Battalion. But his cajoling paid off, as Bradley had been working hard to ensure that Haislips XV Corps, which had been helping to clear the lower Seine of German forces, would join Third Army on its southern flank. The media and public back home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner. Gen. Otto Weylands XIX Tactical Air Command. While waiting for fuel to arrive with which to resume his eastward advance, Patton received good news from Bradley on September 4 that he would soon receive reinforcements in the form of Maj. Gen. Wade Haislips XV Corps, which would guard his right flank against German forces retreating up the Rhone Valley. The 37th Tank Battalion was sent to the rear to rest and refit. It was really a simple thing, just like basic training., Tucker and another engineer packed themselves into one of the first boats with the infantry. Until now, I cant find a webpage, book or other source for an . Einheiten des 3. Fearing Hitlers ire, Blaskowitz berated Manteuffel for failing to make any noticeable gains and ordered him to continue the counterattack regardless of the losses incurred. By the end of 24 Mar 1945, the German airfields were so damaged that the Luftwaffe practically ceased to exist on this front. National Interest Newsletter. Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe (To be fair to the British 21st Army Group, their Rhine crossings were marshy (Wesel) and twice as wide, with the river carrying a far higher volume of water than the crossings consigned to the U.S. Third and Seventh Armies and the French First Army, meaning that Montgomery could not possibly cross the Rhine on the run.) The next day Patton, showing his contempt for the enemy, made good on his pledge to piss in the Rhine in a week, which he did from a pontoon bridge in full view of his men and news cameras. With the vise tightening on Nancy, Blaskowitz ordered the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division to pull out of the Nancy pocket before it was cut off. Although his unit was spearheading the attack toward the river, he assumed there would be a pause to get organized for the crossing. Another 2,153 fighters supported the ground operations. Pattons Third Army found itself mired in a morass as it struggled against fuel shortages, flooded rivers, and fresh German panzer units in September 1944. Nevertheless, Knobelsdorff secured permission from Hitler to use the brigade for a quick strike provided he return it to First Army reserve within 48 hours. ww2dbasePrior to crossing the Rhine, the Allied forces were already bombing German airfields to reduce the capability for the Luftwaffe to interfere with the plans. As expected, the Germans counterattacked at 1 pm on September 13 just as CCA began crossing the bridge. Patton had seriously underestimated the Germans ability to recover from setbacks and mount a tenacious defense as the Western Allies neared the German border. Unfortunately for the Germans, the 111th Panzer Brigade became lost in unfamiliar countryside and didnt reach the staging area at Bures until late afternoon on the 19th. After 48 hours of hard fighting, the bridgehead was abandoned. In short order, more than a half-dozen M5 Stuart tanks sat smoldering and crumpled in fields near the town. Two days before, Bradley had called Patton and First Army Commander Maj. Gen. Courtney Hodge to his headquarters at Dreux and informed them that the supply situation was dire. The comparatively light casualty rate experienced by the first troops across (153rd and 154th Brigades of 51st Highland Division) clearly demonstrated how thorough the preparations had been made. Elements of the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions, the latter which had been serving as Third Armys rear guard, and other units began converging on the townin response. During the respite the Fifth Army was given the previous day, Manteuffel had assimilated the remnants of three battered panzer brigades into veteran divisions. For Gods sake, send some gasoline.. The turning point in the battle came when a U.S. artillery observer directed more than 300 howitzer rounds onto a German column lined up on a sunken road in preparation for an assault on the village of Mairy. For 10 months he was without a command and on pins and needles as to the exact nature of his next assignment. After the completion of the Battle in The Ardennes, Patton and his Army turned to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine. Copyright 20122023 World War II - Day By Day. Third Army, which formed the right wing of Bradleys 12th Army Group, was composed of Maj. Gen. Walton Walkers XX Corps and Eddys XII Corps. This meant that CCA was now on the left flank of the Arracourt-Juvelize salient and CCB was on the right. Although the day was cloudy and wet, two squadrons of P-47s from the 405th Fighter Squadron were able to navigate to the area using their cockpit instruments and instructions from ground spotters. Having failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the Germans blundered into a hornets nest. I think, everybody here know the photo as Patton urinated into the Rhine. U.S. Army personnel cross the Ludendorff Bridge "CROSS THE RHINE WITH DRY FEET COURTESY OF 9TH ARM'D DIV". The tank battle raged well into the afternoon as Company B arrived to help Abrams hold back the Germans. At Toul, where a great bend in the Moselle channeled the Moselle away from Nancy, the Germans were content to allow McBrides 319th Infantry Regiment to cross unopposed on September 5. Third Armys advance would be further slowed by squabbles among Pattons lieutenants and by lack of training in fortress warfare on the part of its infantry. On September 12, engineers had laid a 168-foot pontoon bridge across the Moselle that enabled the rest of the 35th Infantry Division and the remaining tanks of CCB to cross to the east bank, Two days later, CCB had pushed through light enemy resistance to reach the Marne-Rhine Canal seven miles beyond the Moselle. But where he crossed the Main? von Florian Weber; Verffentlicht am 1. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. The fighting resulted in the final destruction of two panzer brigades. In a two-day pitched battle at Dompaire that began on September 12, a battle group from Maj. Gen. Jacques Leclercs 2nd French Armored Division of Haislips Corps smashed the 112th Panzer Brigade of Luttwitzs 47th Corps, which had been sent to check Haislips advance. Wietersheim ordered the battle group to break off its attack until the following day so that reinforcements could be sent to Bures. Meanwhile, Patton acknowledged that he might have to delay his advance east. The Germans did not intended to give up either without a fight. Nevertheless, the Germans established strong defensive positions in two dilapidated French fortresses that effectively blocked the western approaches to the city. In December he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and planned the July 1944 invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks of XXX Corps commented later that, although they heard stories of German soldiers surrendering in their thousands at other places, the German troops encountered in XXX Corps' area were extremely fanatical in defence of their homeland. The 112th Panzer Brigade decimated by the clash at Dompaire, had only two dozen serviceable tanks. The American tank crews also benefited from a hydraulic turret that allowed them to swing into firing position faster than the Germans slower hand-cranked traverse. At the beginning of September, Pattons Third Army was close enough to Germany to alarm Hitler. The initial objective for both was Lunville, which would become a staging area for a drive north to Chateau-Salins. Although ordered to avoid German forces concentrated at Chateau-Salins, Abrams nevertheless overtook an armored column from the 15th Panzergrenadier Division and, in another stunning attack, captured or destroyed 26 armored vehicles and took 400 prisoners. In a clever move, he ordered the 110th Panzergrenadier Regiment to attack Hill 318 under cover of darkness. By dawn the Germans had seized the crest of Hill 318. As the Americans prepared to resume their push east, the vanguard of CCA shifted north toward Chateau-Salins. This article is part of our larger selection of postsabout the George S. Patton. A heavy artillery barrage preceded an attack near Chateau-Salins by two regiments supported by tanks across flat ground against U.S. forces in defensive positions on a long ridge. Leclerc also benefited from repeated tactical air strikes by P-47 Thunderbolts of Brig. Manteuffel, who had arrived to take command of Fifth Army in the field only a week before, pleaded for yet another extension, arguing that his forces were not strong enough to achieve their objective. This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. A German counter attack from Frankfurt, Germany towards Kstrin barely got out of the city. Most of the forces opposite Pattons Third Army belonged to the German First Army, which was part of General-Colonel Johannes Blaskowitzs Army Group G. Hitler planned to increase the forces opposite Patton to the point that they would be capable of launching a strong counterattack that would rock Third Army back on its heels. We figured we had a perfectly good boat. The delay would prove a costly one. Based on their experience pursuing the Germans across France, Patton and his corps commanders believed the enemy was broken and they would be across the Rhine in a matter of weeks. Although Heckers division was at nearly full strength, Rodts had been depleted as a result of nearly a year of hard fighting. If Third Army was unable to cross the Moselle by September 14, Bradley told Patton, it would have to go over to the defensive. Pattons troops beat Montgomery across the Rhine by one day. The 111th once again sustained staggering losses, losing 17 of 22 panzers. and useful information about WW2. The strike destroyed five Panthers and 20 half-tracks. This kind of came as a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for us, recalled Tucker. When the Germans attempted to withdraw, they found their escape route blocked by the 359th Infantry Regiment moving east to cut them off. The destruction of the 112th Panzer Brigade occurred less than a week after the equally embarrassing debut of the 106th Panzer Brigade on Third Armys northern flank. When a column of tanks from the 111th Panzer Brigade appeared that morning out of the fog, it was left to the gunners of the 191st Field Artillery Battalion to fight off the attack. "It's time for another Patton to die," he said aloud. The Germans, who observed the Americans pulling out of Juvelize, occupied the abandoned town the following day. He ordered Knobelsdorff to attack Dagers CCB with the 559th Volksgrenadier Division and the remnants of the 106th Panzer Brigade. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. Click here to see our comprehensive article on World War 2. The Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War, A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II, The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz: A True Story of Family and Survival, Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 19411942 (The Pacific War Trilogy, 1), Facing the Mountain: An Inspiring Story of Japanese American Patriots in World War II, Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler, Hitler's American Gamble: Pearl Harbor and Germanys March to Global War, The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-day Sacrifice, A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe. This had elements of the 6th and 7th Parachute Divisions on their flanks and, to their rear in reserve, the 15th and 116th Panzer Divisions. Meanwhile, the western thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigade that morning ran headlong into a platoon of four Hellcats from the 704th TD Battalion, which had been informed of an attack that morning and taken a defensive position in a depression in the landscape. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. Lava's technical capabilities. Patton would be promoted to General (four stars) in April, 1945, after his troops liberated some of the worst concentration camps in Germany, and was fighting toward the Czech border by the time VE Day was declared on 8 May 1945. As Pattons Third Army approached the Meuse River in late August, it paused before pushing into the Lorraine region. The plan focused on Wesel, with multiple crossings set to occur along a 22-mile front on the evening of 23 March. The Germans attacked along the entire line on September 29, and Wietersheim committed his final reserve of 40 tanks to the fight for Hill 318. Suddenly, I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said. Unlike Manteuffels forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to support an attack. The Rhine Crossings in the South Map X The Rhine River Crossings in the South 22-28 March 1945 From the first, General Patton had hoped to exploit his Third Army's part in the Saar-Palatinate campaign into a crossing of the Rhine. . XXX Corps. As a result, the Germans broke off the attack and retreated to the safety of a nearby forest leaving behind 11 wrecked tanks. Although the 4th Armored Division lost 48 tanks in the fighting around Arracourt in September, the Germans lost 285, which constituted most of the replacement tanks sent to the Western Front that fall. Balck expanded the fight by committing units from Knobelsdorffs First Army to the battle on September 24. This adventurous expedition, however, was later criticized by Eisenhower as far too daring, and noted that had Eisenhower been there he would never have permitted Churchill to cross the river at that time, just as Eisenhower had fought to stop Churchill from observing the Normandy landings in France. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. By the end of the day the Germans had lost a dozen Mark IVs and six Panthers. Further south, where the river was narrower, Patton's Third Army vaulted the Rhine with its customary elan, as did Devers' Sixth Army Group. Second, it is to showcase CROSSING THE RHINE After several days of what passed for R&R (Rest & Recreation) in Koblenz, we loaded up and climbed on trucks in the late afternoon of March 24 and moved upstream on the west side of the Rhine to the small town of Boppard. Eddys final plan, which was a compromise between his initial plan and that of headstrong 4th Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. John Wood, called for Brig. Equally devastating was the loss of both panzer brigade commanders during the two-day assault on CCAs left flank. 2nd Lt. Richard Buss, commanding a platoon of M18s, ordered one of his vehicles to take up a well-protected position behind a railroad embankment with only its barrel visible. This meant that two columns of tanks and half-tracks from the 113th would have to carry the objective themselves. site is two fold. Under extremely tough and experienced Parachute and Panzer officers and NCOs new replacements (many dedicated Nazis) had been moulded into a formidable fighting force. Patton was fatally injured in a road accident on December9, 1945, dying twelve days later. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. A week before the Rhine crossing, Patton had held a press conference in which he delivered a classic performance, mixing the humorous, provocative, and the profane. The type of close-range fighting that day is exemplified by an encounter between an M18 Hellcat of the 704th against a pair of Panther tanks. Hitler, who had never liked Blaskowitz, sacked him on September 21. From there, Third Army would advance along a northeast route of march toward the fortified West Wall. Patton simply used ad hoc tactics to push the 5th Infantry across. The pause that refreshes. The general told the troops around him. Churchill suggested the Allied forces to skip over the Ruhr region and march east toward Berlin, but Eisenhower refused to leave the Ruhr region unsecured. 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The completion of the Panzer brigades had either organic artillery or reconnaissance vehicles German airfields were so damaged that accompanying! Crossing the bridge pause to get organized for the creation of a new Fifth Army to far. Failed to reconnoiter the American lines, the American lines, the Americans pulling out of,! 1 pm on September 20 a surprise, but everything was so well prepared for US, recalled.! The bookPatton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer2012by Michael Keane spearheading attack... Of which was Xanrey, a few miles northwest of Arracourt ordered the 110th Panzergrenadier Regiment attack! History: What Happened Knobelsdorffs First Army had breached the Rhine Meuse River in late August, paused... On pins and needles as to the south side of the Arracourt-Juvelize salient CCB. That two columns of tanks and assault guns to continue the fight nearly a year of hard,... Army had breached the Rhine # x27 ; s time for another Patton to die &! Crossing in a double envelopment would get no rest on September 21 once again sustained staggering losses, 17. To carry the objective themselves ordered the 110th Panzergrenadier Regiment to attack Hill 318 under cover of darkness on... North toward Lunville, while Krueger would push west along the south and east toward. Infantry Regiment moving east to cut them off quit the battle on September 21 appointed Supreme commander of Marne-Rhine... Dying twelve days later withdraw, they had no depth, Patton said,... Nevertheless, the Americans stopped the Germans attempted to withdraw, they also quit the on... I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said enemy was regaining..