The Siegfried Line
While the 8th Division was taking part in the fight to destroy the Germans trapped on the Brittany peninsula, other Allied forces had exploited the breakthrough in Normandy to its fullest. Caught within an Allied ring of men and steel, Von Kluge's German Seventh Army was all but obliterated by air and artillery bombardment, its scattered remnants sent in headlong flight across the Seine. The British Second Army, thrusting northward to the Dutch border, had trapped the bulk of the German Fifteenth Army along the Channel coast, where it was methodically destroyed by the Canadians.
The American First Army swept into Belgium and Luxembourg, and mopped up the stragglers from the disintegrating enemy units fleeing toward the German border. American Third Army troops drove eastward to the Moselle, leaving a trail of charred enemy armor, weapons and vehicles strewn across France. From the south, a new landing by the American Seventh and French First Armies cleared the Germans from most of southeastern France and developed rapidly into a drive to a junction with the Third Army near the Swiss-German border.
More than three hundred thousand prisoners had been taken in the Allied onslaught. Most of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and part of Holland, had been liberated. Allied armies had breached the Siegfried Line, the vaunted German border defense, and along a continuous front from The Netherlands to Switzerland, American, British, French and Canadian forces were poised for the thrust into Germany to complete the destruction of the Nazi military machine. On this front, the 8th Infantry Division was now to resume its part in the fight to crush the enemy.
Luxembourg
Ordered to the Ninth Army sector of the West Wall, the 8th Division began the long move from the Crozon peninsula to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on September 26th. Foot troops and trucked [sic] vehicles made the journey by rail. Motorized elements drove in convoys, arriving near Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, on September 30th. The 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry had been retained at Rennes, France, and was assigned to temporary duty with Communications Zone, for the purpose of guarding Allied rail and motor supply routes from Cherbourg to Paris.
The front assigned to the 8th Division was a stretch of more than twenty-three miles along the Our River, which was the German-Luxembourg boundary.
It was divided into three general sectors. In the southern sector, which was approximately ten thousand yards wide, troops of the 5th Armored Division had previously penetrated the Siegfried Line, inflicting heavy losses on the Germans, and then withdrawing to a line generally along the southwest limitations of the enemy fortifications. Reasonable activity was expected here, but since the Germans had regained the ground they had lost, it was believed that they would confine their activities to patrolling, and that there would be little danger of serious offensive action.
In the central sector, approximately thirty thousand yards wide, no American offensive action had been undertaken. The Siegfried Line remained intact across its entire front, and it was anticipated that it would remain quiet, with patrols of both sides operating rather freely in a "no man's land." A long north-south ridge, approximately in the center of the area commanded observation of the German lines and was the logical line of defense.
In the northern sector, a wedge had been driven half way through the Siegfried defenses. Because here the German doctrine of defense called for an attempt to recapture the terrain and fortifications lost, heavier enemy action was expected.
In consideration of these factors, it was decided to employ the entire 13th Infantry, reinforced by normal combat team attachments and one company of tank destroyers, along the northern front, and to support this regiment with one battalion of medium artillery.
The 28th Infantry, strongly reinforced by two companies of the 64th Tank Destroyer Battalion, one light tank company of the 709th Tank Battalion, and the 8th Reconnaissance Troop, was assigned to the central sector. An additional battalion of light artillery was to support it. The situation, it was believed, called for a series of small outposts, connected by foot and motor patrols, operating also to the east. The bulk of the Regiment could then be centrally located and maintained as a mobile reserve in event of an enemy attack. Additional vehicles were attached to this force for greater mobility, and the terrain was thoroughly reconnoitered for most suitable positions and routes of movement.
The 121st Combat Team, reinforced by one company of tank destroyers, was assigned to the southern sector. It was planned to use one battalion on line, one in reserve. The bulk of the 709th Tank Battalion was to be held mobile on a good road, prepared to move to any portion of the Division front. This plan was later amended to place one medium tank company in rear of each regimental position, while maintaining the Battalion under Division control. This enabled the tanks to move more swiftly to any threatened point. Additional Corps artillery was to reinforce the Division front. Wide employment of the roving guns of the Tank Destroyers and, if necessary, the Tanks, was planned to give the impression of greater artillery strength than actually existed.
Provisional Defense Battalion
By October 3rd, this plan had been put into effect. Since the Division was essentially without a formed reserve, and because the line was so thinly held, it was decided to form a provisional battalion from the administrative units. Organization of this unit was completed on October 8th. Training began the following day, with 1,538 officers and enlisted men available. They were armed for the most part with rifles, automatic weapons and several anti-tank guns. Eight companies of approximately 200 men each compromised the battalion. Five of these were rifle companies. In addition, there was a reconnaissance company, a communication company and a transportation company. Training of this unit was continued, for two hours daily, until October 20th, under command of Lt. Colonel Henry B. Kunzig. At that time, it was believed that the units was sufficiently trained to repel any possible enemy threat to the Division command post area in Wiltz, Luxembourg.
Treachery
Considerable enemy activity and construction of several foot bridges across the Our River, near the towns of Roth and Bethel, led to assumption that possibly the enemy was preparing to cross the Our River in force. Action was taken at once to reinforce this area. One company of the 709th Tank Battalion was alerted for possible utilization. Artillery fire and air bombardment was directed upon the bridge site. The threat failed to materialize.
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Major General Donald A. Stroh at his desk at the 8th Division Command Post in Wiltz, Luxembourg. |
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The hilly, wooded terrain of Luxembourg afforded the enemy ample opportunity for infiltration, ambushes and the more treacherous methods of Nazi warfare. During daylight on October 7th, a vehicle bearing Lt. Colonels Frederick J. Bailey, Jr. and John P. Usher of the 28th Infantry, was travelling well in rear of the front lines when it was flagged down by what appeared to be a U.S. Army captain and sergeant, standing beside a halted American First Army jeep. Pulling alongside, and hearing the "captain" talking wildly in German although he wore an American combat jacket and helmet, the 28th Infantry officers opened fire and killed the two men.
An enemy machine gun and at least one rocket launcher opened up from the edge of the forest. Realizing that they had driven into an ambush, the American officers dismounted and started shooting it out with the Germans.
Lt. Colonel Usher was killed. Bailey continued to fire back until the Germans withdrew. The driver of the 28th Infantry vehicle had disappeared, presumably captured by the enemy.
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8th Division men entering one of Clerveaux, Luxembourg's cages in rest camp. |
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Photographs of the American-clad Germans were taken, so that this violation of international codes of warfare could be substantiated. The Division Commander ordered that in the future no vehicles would go forward of the Division command post without at least two armed passengers in addition to the driver. During the hours of darkness, no vehicle was to proceed beyond those limits without another vehicle following it.
Also during that period, flying bombs, the Nazi "V-1" rocket propelled weapon, began to fall in the 8th Division area. There were numerous reports of these projectiles flying over front line positions. Several of them landed in the regimental installations and near the city of Wiltz, causing some damage, but no loss of life.
Marshall and Eisenhower Visit Division
Among the many high military commanders who visited the 8th Division during this period in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and General Dwight W. Eisenhower [sic], Supreme Allied Commander. General Marshall, who in World War I had served as an officer with the 28th Infantry, discussed immediate problems of the Division with Major General Stroh and his staff. Later he appeared before a group of officers and enlisted men of the 8th, explaining to them the broad picture of world battlefronts.
While visiting the Division, General Marshall presented the Silver Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster to Major Donald R. Ward of the 28th Infantry, for courageous exploits on the field of battle.
General Eisenhower, accompanied by Lt. General Omar S. Bradley, 12th Army Group Command, remained with the Division long enough to pin Silver Star Medals on seven members of the unit, join in a brief discussion with Major General Stroh, and chat informally with a group of enlisted men.
Changes in Defense Plans
From time to time during this relatively static period, minor changes in the Division plan were required. In the broad central sector of the Division front, the 8th Reconnaissance Troop and the Reconnaissance Company of the 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion had been, between them, outposting and patrolling an area approximately 12,000 yards wide. This required virtually all personnel to be on continuous duty. Men were beginning to show the strain of repeated contact with the enemy. A plan was worked out to rotate the troops. Beginning on October 19th, one platoon at a time was relieved. To accomplish this, the Reconnaissance Platoon of the 709th Tank Battalion was attached to Combat Team 28, which was responsible for this sector.
On October 20th, the 9th Armored Division, recently assigned to the VIII Corps, closed into the area. Although the newly arrived organization was intended primarily as a Corps reserve, its elements, it was believed, could be given valuable battle indoctrination by attachment to front line divisions in the VIII Corps. For this reason, the 52nd Armored Infantry Battalion and the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron, less Troops C and D, were attached to the 8th Division.
The 52nd Armored Infantry Battalion was attached to Combat Team 121, where it was assigned to one of the front line battalion sectors. This made it possible to move one of the battalions of the 121st to the town of Diekirch, where it was held in regimental reserve.
The four troops of the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron were attached to Combat Team 28, and assigned to the northern portion of that sector. This made it possible to relieve the 8th Reconnaissance Troop, the Reconnaissance Company of the 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion, and elements of the 709th Tank Battalion. The 8th Reconnaissance Troop was placed in Division reserve, and the 644th and 709th elements reverted to their respective units. The reserve battalion of Combat Team 28, no longer needed in the southern sector of the front, was moved to the town of Alschoid and held motorized for possible use to reinforce the 9th Armored Division.
Elements of the 9th Armored Division remained attached to the 8th Division until November 9th. At this time, they reverted to their parent unit, and the original plan for holding the Our River was again put into effect.
Relaxation
In the town of Clerf (or Clerveaux) in Luxembourg, the 8th Division established a rest camp to provide relaxation for the battle-weary front line troops. To this pleasant village, which in pre-war years had been a popular tourist center, each combat unit of the Division was permitted to send a quota of 300 men every three days. Soldiers were given clean, comfortable rooms in the town hotels, provided with adequate recreational opportunities, and granted freedom to spend their time as they saw fit.
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