Ruhr-Sieg Pocket
The 13th began the Division's offensive action east of the Rhine at 1000, March 29, when it passed through elements of the 1st Division to attack northward. The towns of Zeppenfield, Salchendorf and Neukirchen all fell to the 13th Infantry with only slight opposition. The 2nd Battalion, advancing against Herdorf and Struthutten, encountered no enemy resistance until its advance elements reached the outskirts of the towns. Within these two towns, the enemy fought from house to house until the area was cleared, shortly after midnight.
Sieg River Offensive
On the following day, the 28th Infantry joined the 13th in the attack toward the Sieg River. Small enemy groups scattered throughout the difficult terrain harassed attacking elements and impeded their advance. The 28th Infantry encountered only slight resistance from small arms. Five towns were taken during the day by troops of the 28th, as units of the regiment moved north to reach the Sieg River in several places. The captured towns were Wisen, Alsdorf, Scheuerfeld, Bruche and Betzdorf. The enemy resisted fiercely in Betzdorf and Scheuerfeld with heavy small arms, mortar and artillery fire. For the most part, however, resistance was disorganized and numerous prisoners were taken.
The 13th Infantry, continuing its advance, made steady progress throughout the day. Two more towns, Sassenroth and Brachbach, were captured, and numerous groups of isolated enemy forces were taken prisoner as elements of the 13th also reached the Sieg River in several places. Several self-propelled guns were encountered during the day, and one well-dug-in tank was knocked out by a 13th Infantry patrol.
On March 31st, the 121st Infantry also joined in the attack north to the Sieg River. Destroying three enemy tanks, troops of the 121st seized four towns during the day. Lanhof, Helgersdorf, Salchendorf and Griesenbach were cleared of the enemy against moderate small arms and self-propelled gun fire.
The 8th Reconnaissance Troops, given the mission of protecting the Division right flank and clearing the enemy in its sector south of the Sieg, also made steady progress throughout the day. At Erndtebruck, however, several enemy tanks were encountered, one of which was knocked out.
The enemy in the 13th Infantry sector re-crossed the Sieg during the night to occupy several isolated positions, from which he resisted strongly until driven out during the morning. The 28th Infantry seized the towns of Bruche and Lasdorf, and sent patrols across the Sieg. Reconnoitering a railroad tunnel, they discovered four cars loaded with bombs and two cars of small arms ammunition. Almost 400 prisoners were captured during the day, bringing the number taken by the Division east of the Rhine to well over 1,000.
Fight for Siegen
During the night of March 31, orders were issued for the Division to cross the Sieg River and establish a bridgehead sufficiently wide so that the east-west road long the river could be used. Meanwhile, reports from civilians were received which indicated that Siegen, major city in the Division area south of the Sieg River, was not strongly defended and might be induced to surrender.
Pamphlets urging the enemy troops in Siegen to surrender before 0900, April 1st, were fired into the city at dawn. Earlier, the 2nd Battalion of the 28th and the 1st Battalion of the 13th had crossed the Sieg River and advanced almost to the bridgehead objective. The 28th's crossing was made at the extreme western flank of the Division, while the 1st Battalion of the 13th crossed the river directly west of Siegen.
At 0900, there had been no response from the enemy troops in Siegen. Final preparations were made to attack the city at 1100, after an hour's artillery preparation. The 3rd Battalion of the 13th was to seize the western half of Siegen, while the 1st Battalion of the 121st took the eastern half.
A determined enemy counterattack employing tanks and infantry hit the 3rd Battalion of the 13th just as it was about to begin its attack on Siegen. The enemy was thrown back, however, and the advance on the city began. The 1st Battalion of the 121st took advantage of the confusion caused by the enemy counterattack and fought its way into Siegen.
During the day, attacking elements advanced slowly through Siegen. Repeated enemy counterattacks and heavy fire from small arms and tanks impeded progress. Thirteenth Infantry elements ran into a group of SS troops, but Company L reached the river at the north edge of the city by 1800. During the night, troops of the 121st also advanced to the river at several points.
Elsewhere along the Division front, varying resistance was encountered. The 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry, attempting to seize the remaining ground south of the river in its sector, met strong resistance before taking the towns of Kaan, Marienborn and Burbach. The enemy defended these towns with tanks, nebelwerfers (rocket artillery) and heavy small arms fire. Numerous roadblocks were encountered, and the enemy counterattacked several times in the Netphen area. Enemy resistance was overcome, and the town of Netphen was cleared during the night.
In the 28th Infantry sector, 100 enemy infantrymen crossed the Sieg south of the 2nd Battalion, temporarily cutting off two companies. These enemy troops were rounded up, and Wissen was cleared for the second time. Twenty-eight infantry elements secured the high ground north of the Sieg River against moderate resistance and cleared the towns of Kirchen and Betzdorf during the night. The 1st Battalion of the 13th, advancing in a column of companies, met only slight opposition north of the Sieg, took the town of Rothkirchen, its final objective, and continued to patrol.
The 8th Reconnaissance Troop fought its way into Erndtebruck and Schamder several times during the day, but was forced to withdraw when tanks and strong infantry forces appeared.
Fighting in Siegen continued throughout the night. Elements of both the 13th and 121st Infantry regiments had reached the Sieg River which runs through the northern part of town. All bridges had been blown, and it was found that the river consisted of two separate streams in this area. The 121st Infantry's 1st Battalion, reporting only light resistance, started across the river shortly after 0300 on the wreckage of a railroad bridge. Three men of Company B had crossed to the north bank of the river when the enemy struck, killing two of them and wounding the other.
A few hours later, Company A succeeded in crossing the river farther upstream. The remainder of the battalion followed Company A across the Sieg and began clearing the enemy from that part of the city across the river. The 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry, also crossed both streams before daylight and continued its fight. Resistance was moderate; many prisoners were taken.
Throughout the day, Division elements made good progress all along the line. The stream of prisoners—1110 for the day—was reminiscent of the Crozon campaign, eight months previous. The 1st Platoon of Company K, 13th Infantry, captured an entire German infantry battalion of 350 men and their commander in the northern outskirts of Siegen. The enemy continued to counterattack frequently. Six attempts were made by the Germans to regain their positions north of the Sieg River. Tanks, and as many as 150 infantrymen were thrown into these abortive assaults by the enemy. German losses were heavy.
At 1200 that day, the Division was transferred from the VII to XVIII Corps (Airborne). It was contemplated that the Division frontage would be decreased preparatory to a coordinated attack to annihilate the enemy forces now trapped in a huge pocket.
By 2200, the 2nd Battalion of the 13th had relieved the 121st Infantry elements in the eastern half of Siegen. During the night, the city was cleared of remaining resistance.
The advance was continued against varying resistance on the following day. From civilian reports it was learned that the town of Lutzel, in the 121st Infantry sector, was a collecting point for German troops. Huge stores of ammunition were reported stored in that area. During the morning of April 3rd, prisoners of war affirmed that Field Marshall von Model had been in Lutzel on the previous day and that he had departed around midnight on the road to Erndtebruck. Division artillery fired two ammunition dumps near the town.
Meanwhile, 121st Infantry units were continuing their advance through the difficult terrain south of the Sieg. Task Force Grover, the regiment's reinforced raider platoon, and the 121st Infantry I & R Platoon, working on the flanks of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, assisted in overcoming the multiple German strongpoints in this area. The enemy continued his tank and infantry counterattacks, at times driving between and behind attacking companies.
Counterattacks
The 13th Infantry, fighting north and west of Siegen, was forced several times to detach units to clear Germans who had infiltrated back into previously cleared positions. The 28th Infantry, maneuvering to overcome moderate enemy resistance, reached the high ground north of the Sieg valley. Again the number of prisoners taken was high, more than 800 being captured during the day.
Enemy counterattacks increased in intensity on April 4th. Groups of 100 to 150 infantrymen, often supported by as many as six heavy tanks, knifed their way between units all along the Division front. In the 28th Infantry sector, Company A was almost completely cut off by a strong force of enemy troops which had infiltrated behind them during the night. The enemy counterattack was finally beaten off later in the morning with the assistance of Company B.
The 121st Infantry received the first of a series of counterattacks in the Netphen area shortly after daylight. Five enemy tanks spearheaded the assault on the 2nd and 3rd Battalions. Bazooka and tank destroyer fire bounced off the hulls of the German Mark V's. The attack was finally broken up by artillery. Two of the enemy tanks were destroyed.
Troops of the 13th Infantry, attempting to advance northward, discovered that several enemy groups had infiltrated behind them. One German force of almost company strength had slipped in between Companies C and K while they were attacking, and reoccupied a series of barracks behind the lines. The 2nd Battalion continued to attack, while the 1st fought off another enemy counterattack, and the 3rd attempted to mop up the enemy behind its lines.
Throughout the day, the 13th Infantry fought off one counterattack after another. Shortly after 1700, two Mark V tanks, followed by a group of German infantrymen, hit one platoon of Company I, overran a platoon of three anti-tank guns which attempted to stop them, and charged down the main road toward Siegen. Tank destroyers were quickly maneuvered into positions along the road, and artillery fire was called down upon the enemy behind 3rd Battalion positions. The attack was finally broken up.
At the same time, approximately 100 enemy infantrymen infiltrated through the dense woods and slipped behind Company L. So troublesome had the situation become that the 3rd Battalion was ordered to withdraw to the northern edge of Siegen. During the night, the troops of the 3rd Battalion fought their way back through the stubborn enemy, and formed a new line which they were ordered to hold at all cost.
The enemy lost heavily by his repeated counterattacks. Many Germans were killed, and 1,287 prisoners were taken. Casualties among the troops of the Division were also heavy, particularly in the 13th Infantry.
Meanwhile, the 28th Infantry was in process of being relieved of its positions on the west flank of the Division by the 310th Infantry, 78th Division. The 28th was then to relieve the 8th Reconnaissance Troop and elements of the 121st Infantry, on the right flank of the division. This was in preparation for a full offensive to be opened on April 6th. The Division was to drive northwest, taking an important part in the final reduction of the pocket of an estimated 85,000 to 100,000 enemy troops now hopelessly trapped.
Reorganize
The 13th Infantry held firmly throughout the following day and reorganized for an attack to recapture the territory given up in the face of enemy counterattacks. Company A of the 121st Infantry, which had advanced beyond its adjacent units, received a severe counterattack during the afternoon and was almost completely cut off. Company C fought its way through to the surrounded unit before nightfall. Several other smaller counterattacks were repelled during the day. More than 500 additional prisoners were captured.
Lt. Colonel Earl L. Lerette, former regimental executive officer of the 13th Infantry, took command of the 121st Infantry on April 5th. Colonel Thomas J. Cross, former 121st Infantry commander, was evacuated through medical channels.
Drive to Cut Pocket
The coordinated campaign to destroy or capture all enemy forces trapped in the Ruhr-Sieg pocket began on the morning of April 6th. From the north, units of the Ninth U.S. Army were to apply pressure against the enemy in the heavy industrial area north of the Ruhr River. All along the southern rim of the pocket, units of the First U.S. Army were to drive north from the Sieg River. Other First Army units, driving deep into central Germany, had effectively sealed off the enemy pocket from the east.
Maj. General Ridgeway's [sic] XVIII Corps (Airborne), consisting at present of the 8th, 78th and 86th Infantry Divisions and the 13th Armored Division, was to make the main effort, driving swiftly northwest to cut the pocket in two. The 78th Division, on the left, and the 8th Division were to begin the Corps assault.
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Infantrymen of the 8th Division, enter the twon of Wurdinghausen, Germany. The pass was under enemy fire, and part of the bridge shown fell on passing soldiers. |
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With all three regiments abreast, the 8th Division began its attack on May 6th. The 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 8th Reconnaissance Troop were in direct support of the infantry elements. Against strong enemy resistance, the Division made only slight gains. In the are north of Siegen, particularly, troops of the 13th Infantry encountered heavy opposition from machine gun, mortar and artillery fire. The 1st Battalion was able to advance only 500 yards. Company B took the town of Seelbach after a fierce battle. At 1600, the enemy counterattacked with five tanks and strong infantry forces. Before the Germans were repelled, Company A lost its commander, Lt. Mathews Gregory, killed in action.
The 2nd Battalion of the 13th fought its way through the town of Weidenau, gaining approximately 1,500 yards. The 3rd Battalion, fighting to destroy infiltrating German units which had retaken the Fischbacher barracks, north of Siegen, two days previously, finally crushed all enemy resistance by 1955. The Germans, all young, fanatical members of the 3rd Paratroop Regiment, held out until their positions were overrun. Two hundred were taken prisoner.
Troops of the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, which has been fighting in Netphen throughout the night preceding the attack, mopped up that town and also captured Eschenbach. The 3rd Battalion attacked at 0600, and by midafternoon had seized Lutzel. The enemy counterattacked strongly with heavy tanks, one of which was hit with approximately 25 rounds of tank destroyer fire without being stopped.
The 28th Infantry had not fully completed its shift in position at the time of the attack. The 3rd Battalion, which had gone into the line during the preceding night, jumped off at 0600 and cleared the town of Erndtebruck by early afternoon. One Tiger tank and two other armored vehicles were destroyed.
Advance Quickens
On the following day troops of the 13th Infantry gained up to 3,000 yards, while the 28th and 121st Infantry elements advanced 4,000 yards. Enemy resistance, generally, was still strong. The 2nd Battalion of the 13th fought its way into Klafeld, while the 3rd attacked Trunbach. The 1st Battalion continued to fight off counterattacks in the Seelbach area.
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An infantryman moves cautiously past burning vehicles knocked out when a 8th reconnaissance column was ambushed near Oberbrugge, Germany. The reconnaissance troops quickly organized and returned the fire with Mortar, machine gun and 75-mm. anti-tank fire. |
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The 3rd Battalion of the 28th continued its advance, taking Birkelbach after a brisk fight. Troops of the 2nd Battalion joined the 3rd in the attack, advancing approximately three miles.
In the center of the Division front, elements of the 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry, were able to make only slight progress against strong enemy small arms and artillery fire. The 2nd Battalion of the 121st advanced approximately 4,000 yards. Company E took the town of Eckmanhausen. Company F attacked Herzhausen, while Company G moved against Unglinghausen. Four other small towns were ordered cleared by Division units during the day. Huge stores of enemy supplies and equipment were seized. Among them were four warehouses of French, American and German weapons and ammunition, 200 boxcars, and six 350 mm. railroad guns fully mounted. Prisoners of war for the first two days of the attack numbered approximately 1,000.
Substantial gains were made on April 8 in the northern and central sectors of the front. In the southern sector, the enemy continued his stubborn defense. Troops of the 121st Infantry received three counterattacks after clearing the town of Kredenbach, Dahlbruck and Allenbach. The 28th Infantry gained 10,000 yards during the day. The 1st Battalion reached Wurdinghausen; the 2nd entered Rinseke. It was in the 13th Infantry sector that resistance was most severe. The 1st Battalion attacked through the 3rd and advanced slightly beyond Birlenbach. The 2nd Battalion cleared four small towns north of Siegen against an enemy defense of numerous roadblocks and self-propelled weapons.
On April 9th, the 86th Division passed through 28th Infantry lines and went into the attack on the Division right flank. The 28th Infantry was given the mission of protecting the Division left flank, since advances during the day had placed the 13th and 121st Infantry regiments in advance of adjacent 78th Division units.
Enemy Defenses Crumble
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Brig. General Bryant E. Moore awards the Silver Star to Pfc. Lacey Cox, Jamaica, New York, for knocking out an 80-ton tank in Netphen, Germany. |
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On this day, the enemy defense in front of the Division began to crumble. Only the main roads and towns were defended, and many of these only haphazardly. The 1st Battalion of the 13th advanced nine miles during the day against spotty small arms and occasional self-propelled fire. The 2nd Battalion gained ten miles, and at the close of the period was entering the city of Olpe. Here an entire German infantry company was captured as it was going out to man the city's defenses. Elements of the 121st Infantry also made substantial gains, advancing five to seven miles.
More than a thousand prisoners were captured during the day. Eight tanks and three other armored vehicles were knocked out. Approximately 15 enemy towns were cleared; among them: Elben, Rahrbach and Krombach. It was in the last mentioned town that the heaviest fighting occurred. Rocket artillery and four enemy self-propelled guns were encountered in the city. Although his vehicle was hit by enemy fire, Brig. General Canham, assistant Division commander was uninjured.
Germans in Flight
A general crumbling of enemy defenses was apparent by April 10th. The Division made advances of eight to twelve miles. Division troops swept past numerous undefended roadblocks and scores of camouflaged vehicles parked in the woods. Among the 1,125 prisoners of war taken during the day's operations were many artillerymen and service troops from a conglomeration of disorganized units. The towns of Olpe, Rohde, Drolshagen and Wilkemberg, and many smaller towns and villages were cleared of the enemy after brief skirmishes.
On the following day, the 28th Infantry passed through the 13th which then went into reserve. The 740th Tank Battalion had again joined the Division. Rapid advances continued. Principal resistance encountered was from enemy 20 mm. anti-aircraft guns, which were being used as flat trajectory weapons. Gains of eight to ten miles were made; 2,200 prisoners were captured. Among the larger towns taken during the day were Meinerzhagen, Kierspe and Beckinghausen.
Advances up to ten miles were made on each of the following two days. Enemy forces were thoroughly disorganized, and offered only sporadic resistance. On April 12th alone, 5,067 prisoners passed through Division channels. An additional 2,500 were captured on the day following. In a tunnel, troops discovered three carloads of ammunition, six railroad guns, thirty assorted railroad cars with living accommodations, and two locomotives with steam up. So effectively had Allied fighter planes taken command of the air that trains did not dare risk movement during daylight hours. Halver, Oberbrugge and approximately forty smaller town and villages fell to the Division in the two day period.
13th Reaches Ruhr River: Cuts Pocket
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A machine gun crew of the 8th Infantry Division fire cover for advancing troops street fighting their way into Schwelm. |
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On April 14th, the 13th Infantry, which had again gone into the attack after passing through the 121st Infantry, reached the Ruhr River. At Hattingen, troops of the 3rd Battalion shouted across the river to men of the 3rd Battalion, 313th Infantry, 79th Division, telling them to call off the artillery fire in this area. This was the first contact between First Army and Ninth Army troops during this campaign. The enemy pocket had now been cut in two.
Units of the 28th Infantry, meanwhile, were encountering heavy resistance in the industrial sector north and west of Schwelm. The enemy defense consisted of four tanks, five self-propelled guns and a number of panzerfausts. Crossroads were defended with heavy small arms and automatic fire. In the towns, much sniper fire was received. Despite the strong opposition, Schwelm, Milspe, Vorde and many smaller towns were cleared, and 2,224 prisoners were taken, during advances of three to five miles.
Attack Westward
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Men of the 8th watch as thousands of Nazis are brought into a prisoner of war enclosure near Remscheid, Germany. |
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Although the original mission of the Division had been completed, orders were received on April 15th, to continue offensive operations, attacking west along the south bank of the Ruhr River. For this operation, CC"R" of the 13th Armored Division was attached to the Division. The westward advance began at 1000, April 15th, when the 121st Infantry passed through rear elements of the 28th. Encountering heavy opposition, particularly from enemy 20 mm. flak guns, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 121st gained approximately three miles during the remainder of the day. The 28th Infantry, meanwhile, had continued its drive north to reach the Ruhr River west of the 13th Infantry positions.
CC"R" of the 13th Armored Division was attached to the 13th Infantry. Three task forces were formed, one consisting of the 1st Battalion of the 13th with armored engineer and reconnaissance elements and one company of medium tanks attached; another, composed of the 3rd Battalion and similar armored attachments; the third was comprised of the armored infantry battalion and the remainder of CC"R". Advances of approximately three miles were made over difficult terrain. Among the principal towns cleared were Neidersprock, Hovel, Hasslinghausen and Linderhausen. Approximately 2,5000 prisoners were captured by the Division and attached units.
Substantial gains were made on the following day against only sporadic opposition. Enemy armor provided a slight threat, but only one defended roadblock was encountered during the entire day. The towns of Wulfrath, Heviges, Langemberg and Hierenhof were taken. So disorganized were the enemy forces that at Wulfrath, two entire regiments surrendered intact with their commands and staffs to 121st Infantry units. A total 5,633 prisoners were taken during the day.
Division Offensive Mission Completed
Before daylight on April 17th, the 13th Infantry had cleared the towns of Wenden and Heiligenhaus to complete the Division offensive mission in this sector. All resistance ended early that morning. Only mopping up operations and the rounding up of remaining German soldiers, many of them in civilian clothes, remained to be accomplished. During the day, 8,305 additional prisoners of war were processed through Division channels. Of the 317,000 prisoners officially reported taken in the enemy pocket by all units engaged in its destruction, the 8th Division accounted for 50,192. Casualties of the Division in the campaign were approximately 1,500, of which approximately 200 were killed.
Artillery support in the fast moving campaign was particularly difficult. During some days, displacements were so frequent that communication was almost entirely by radio. Toward nightfall each day, an effort was made to establish wire communications so that control could be regained and orders for future operations disseminated.
Principal engineer operations during this period took place early in the advance, when numerous bridges over the Sieg River were required. For a time, the Division sector was so wide that all available bridging equipment was in use. Mines were relatively few throughout the advance. Roads were in good condition.
Problems of supply and signal communication in this fast-moving campaign were numerous. Wire crews, particularly, worked long hours to keep communications with Division forward elements. On days of most rapid advance, only the frequent trips of liaison officers between units and the Division could keep organizations abreast of the situation.
Military Government
From April 18th to April 26th, the Division was employed in Military occupation of a section of the Ruhr-Rhine area. Principal districts under Division control were the Wuppertal, Dusseldorf, Wissen and Mulheim areas. A number of officers and men of Division and attached units were temporarily attached to the Military Government section to facilitate administration of so large an area.
Among the chief problems of military government officials during this period was the control of displaced persons. The large cities of Ruhr, particularly Wuppertal, Hagen, Solingen and Dusseldorf, were heavily over-populated with Russian, Polish, Italian and French slave laborers. When these area had been cleared of German forces, displaced persons began looting and pillaging to gain revenge against the Germans and to obtain food and clothing. Several instances of violence occurred in the Division area until the situation was gradually brought under control. Transient displaced persons were placed in camps and provided with food for the most part from German civilian stores.
There were no serious disease epidemics in the Division area, although several cases of typhus were reported in the town of Siegburg and several other overly-congested places.
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This page last updated on Thursday, May 22, 2003 at 09:46 AM
