90th infantry division after action reports

The attack was prosecuted with determination and skill by high grade troops; but our infantry, no less tenacious, and abetted by the massed artillery firing at maximum rate, slowed, stopped and threw back the onslaught; the enemy withdrew in disorder leaving no less than 150 dead on the field. In the first day of the operation the Division had successfully crossed the foot elements of two regiments and had made a deep penetration into the SIEGFRIED defenses; but success was by no means assured. Another point of vital importance -- in the protection of the box against recapture it is necessary that the main defense be afforded from the outside from dug-in positions. His program of fires increased in intensity throughout the day. [Page 3], 90th Infantry Division History & Research. The existence of this bridge was almost immediately discovered by the enemy and subjected to intense machine gun and mortar fire delivered or directed from the pillboxes just off the regimental left flank. VAN FLEET They're quiet operation was also a value as the nearness of the enemy lines and the activity of pillboxes still occupied by the enemy made advisable the elimination of all possible noise. 30th Infantry Division After Action Reports CD 1 32 Pages - PDF. The closing hours of the 5th were replete with activity. Its 1st Battalion was battling for the town of BUREN South of the NEID River. The engineers were forced to destroy the ferry and the boats that were left in the river. After considerable searching, five M-29's were located and placed in operation; they were particularly effective in negotiating these extremely soft mud and water holes in the river bottom. Meanwhile the 3rd Battalion continued is painfully slow regrouping and probed to the South to accurately determine the enemy dispositions in the still existant salient. Excess supplies -- US Dead. However, the Boche maintained a steady pressure throughout the day by heavy artillery, by machine-gun fire and by the skillful use of his roving tanks. Precedent to this assault, 3rd Battalion, 358th Infantry was to secure the overpass and road intersection beyond, thereby facilitating the planned sideslip of the 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry. In the rear areas of both regiments the enemy tenaciously held pillboxes which denied any freedom of movement between riverbank and advanced elements during daylight hours. Some of the clearer maps are included here with the scanned pages. While the successful attack against any pillbox must be considered as a separate problem certain standard operations do exist. On its extreme right, the attackers isolated the two platoons of A Company [Page 14] occupying the fortified slaughterhouse (which provided the regiment with ample rations since 6 December) and pounded their stronghold with terrific artillery concentrations. The prospective zone of action of the Division presented problems of even greater magnitude then had the MOSELLE operation. By so doing, he effectively prevented the 2nd and 3rd Battalions from resuming the offensive but he paid a considerable price: two tanks were destroyed, enemy in abundance were killed or wounded and some 50 taken prisoner. High winds whipped through the valley, first North, then South, changing directions several times a day. In a normal operation these might be matters of negligible import but the 90th on the seventh day of combat East of the SAAR they were accomplishments of considerable magnitude. The 357th Infantry outpost positions were taken by Company B at the commanding positions, from a point dominating the curve in the river below the 357th Infantry crossing site to approximately 1000 yards North of REHLINGEN, reinforced by patrols who were to contact the fixed posts at regular intervals. Each passing day saw the number of combat effectives dwindling  from wounds, trench foot, exposure and sickness. The Action Report I have is for the entire 85th Infantry Division. On the return trip was necessary to return approximately 12 2 1/2 ton trucks and 7 jeeps for the resupply of the troops in the bridgehead. The reduction of the Cannon Companies, elimination of the Antitank platoons of the Infantry Battalion Headquarters Companies, the reduction of the 81 mm mortar platoons of Heavy Weapons Companies to one platoon of three squads, eliminating three section Headquarters and three mortar squads, the transfer to infantry unassigned Privates and it Pfc's in a number equal to 5% of the T/O strength of each Company except rifle companies, was the plan established at this time. The component parts of the first draft were destroyed by fire before they could be launched into the water. Preparations were complete. Personnel capacity was 16 men, with two engineers doing the operating. The dawn of December found the 90th Division, an interior unit of XX Corps, poised on the high ground West of the SAAR between MERZIG (exclusive) and REHLINGEN. Here the river was swifter and the management of assault boats a difficult problem. Trying to locate my father's subunit for Guy C. Swan Jr. Lastly; inability to cross the heavy drums of fog oil to the East bank of the River. The 358th Infantry together with the 359th Infantry through the early morning hours of the 15th laid the groundwork for the renewal of the assault against the tremendous strength within the enemy positions embedded along the East side of the railroad tracks in DILLINGEN. PRIORITY OF SUPPLIES. 2nd Battalion maintained its position and cleared and two (2) rear area of pillboxes which had been reoccupied by infiltrating Krauts the preceding day. Information obtained from a prisoner indicated that a Battalion of picked men was going to attack the regiment on the 20th. They sustained that first night, and in the nights to come, casualties -- considerable casualties -- but they did their job without complaint. After Action Reports. This chapter is based on the After Action Reports and unit journals of the XX Corps, 7th Armored Division, 5th Infantry Division, 90th Infantry Division and 3d Cavalry Group, including those of infantry regiments, rifle battalions, and cavalry squadrons. 2nd Battalion, originally scheduled to cross in trace of the 1st Battalion was redirected to follow the 3rd Battalion and at 0800 initiating crossing on a footbridge which had been constructed by the engineers. The regiments rotated their battalions in the line enabling all the personnel to share the comforts of a hot shower and a change to clean clothes. The 358th and 359th were to continue the attack on the 18th to clear the remainder of DILLINGEN. The division establishing its defense, with the 3rd Cavalry Group attached, from the MOSELLE River East to the SAAR, then South to the NIED RIVER. These original copies of the Operations Reports are two hole punched and bound by soft covers. Never, they said, had they seen so many dead as littered the battlefield by the end of the day. 90th Infantry Division History & Research. They were scanned to PDF using OCR to enable searching the documents. The situation in the ARDENNES was still quite fluid and indications were more numerous that there was a buildup in the SAAR-MOSELLE triangle. From: 1 December ’44. Organic and supporting engineers worked steadily to span the NIED at NIEDALTDORF, HEMMERSDORF and SIERSDORF [SIERSBURG] and to demine the areas contiguous to the NIEDALTDORF-REHLINGEN road. It is possible to trace the steps of individual 99th Infantry Division soldiers and to show you where they were and what they did during the war. They took and reoccupied undermanned pillboxes and once regained they fought savagely to hold them. Each required a minimum of a squad to allow rotation and rest. The tentative boundary between regiments was drawn to include ITZPACH to the 357th and PACHTEN to the 358th. At the same time, a strong force attacked and flanked C Company on the 1st Battalion left; the entire day was consumed in eliminating this threat. The directive further required that the direct fire weapons, so laboriously emplaced during the preceding week, be left in position together with shell and three platoons all under the command of a designated staff officer. The 3rd crossed at 2045. Precaution: the satchel charge by no means demolished the pillbox and had it not been heavily guarded from the outside, it could have been reoccupied by the enemy and would have again become a very serious obstacle. The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States; , U.S. Government Printing Office. Although the regiment had yielded not an inch, the constant pressure was beginning to make itself felt on the fatigued, exposed, casualty ridden ranks of the infantry and plans were made to withdraw the 1st the 2nd Battalions slightly so that the regimental front might be firm and supply line shortened. Lessons gained are applied separately to the operations: 1-River Crossings; and 2-Attacks on pillboxes and their fortified positions. By 0830 there were three pieces of armor, 5 jeeps and one smoke truck left to be evacuated. The 3rd Battalion moved quickly through the streets to  clear 10 city blocks, meeting negligible resistance and blocking all approaches into the town from the North with L and K Companies; completing this move by 1000. Additional fuel drawn for the smoke generators was rushed to the East bank of the river to aid in the screening of the withdrawal. STILLWELL The division immediately began laying plans for the employment of the Corps and Division Reserve as did the regiments lay plans for the employment of their reserve battalions. At 0730, in the half-light of the misty morning, I and L Companies assaulted abreast, supported by murderous fires, both direct and indirect. The occupation period found the Division stationed near Marburg, Germany until their inactivation in Europe on May 22, 1946. ENEMY. Never again did the 90th Infantry Division suffer the indignity of surrendering so many men and officers–a total of 265–to the Germans. The 359th Infantry, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions establishing a base of fire against the high wooded ridge North of DILLINGEN, moved the 3rd Battalion (right flank Battalion) at 0800 through the northern portion of DILLINGEN to a coordinated attack with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 358th. During this period, the 90th Reconnaissance Troop was attached to the 359th Infantry and given responsibility for the outposting of the Division North flank along the West bank of the SAAR. Elements of the 3rd Battalion 357th Infantry were relieved in position by 2nd Battalion, 359th Infantry. The artillery accelerated its program of harassing and destruction fires across the SAAR and shifted two Battalions South of the NIED. The situation of the 357th Infantry presented additional problems. The enemy from time to time placed intense artillery fire on WALLERFANGEN and other approaches to the ferry sites making the work for the engineers more and more dangerous. By 1700, the regiment had closed into localities as follows: [Page 3]. The Boche infantry was thrown back in disorder but the tanks carried on, three reaching a point less than 100 yards from the Battalion CP before they were destroyed by the bazookas. The line of pillboxes South of the PRIMS River, outside of the Division zone of action, delivered withering fire into the extreme right flank of the Battalion and forced the positioning of A Company in depth to engage this threat. One phase of the battle with the river had been won! Engineers continued successfully to maintain a constant flow of traffic to the West Bank. By midafternoon 1st Battalion 358th Infantry had reestablished contact with the 2 platoons of A Company in the slaughterhouse, finding them somewhat shaken but completely intact. 8" and 240 mm howitzers pounded away all morning at the pillboxes in the enemy held salient separating the 358th and 359th Infantry. By 0800, the rapid fall of the SAAR grounded the ferry just off the near approach and effectively stopped operations. I want to make these available to families upon request as well. The remaining two turned tail and were immobilized by artillery while in flight. In front of the 3rd Battalion positions, a multiple track railroad ran through a deep cut, spanned by a concrete overpass which connected with the  BECKINGEN-DILLINGEN Road. But as darkness closed, the Division front became alive. In view of the developments on both flanks, 2nd Battalion withdrew its F Company elements to the West side of the tracks and prepared to move to the aid of either adjacent Battalion. The 3rd Battalion, considered free after the passage of the 359th Infantry, was not in reality so; on the right flank the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 359th Infantry had been stopped short of a complete passage of lines and elements of the 3rd Battalion, 357th Infantry were consequently still in close contact. Two regiments fighting with great courage and determination had scarcely been able to sustain themselves in the face of the enemy's savage reaction to this penetration into the SIEGFRIED Defenses. To make matters even worse, artillery fire, well-placed, destroyed the vehicle ferry stopping all operation on the riverfront for the remainder of the afternoon. 315 Engr Bn which had for the past 5 days operated exclusively as a combat unit, was relieved at daylight from its position atop the FORET and returned to much neglected Engr work. [Page 15]. Throughout the day in the 357th Infantry zone the enemy continued infiltration and reoccupation of every pillbox not physically held by our troops. 3rd Battalion 358th Infantry sustained an attack at 0700 from 200 infantry and five tanks. During the night, TDs and tanks were emplaced in selected direct fire positions and an elaborate fire plan developed. [Page 6] F Company caught on the open ground midway to the barracks area by daylight was abruptly stopped by flanking machine gun fire from the pillboxes along the railroad embankment on the left bank and the fortified area between regiments on the right flank. One Battalion, each Regiment. 2nd and 3rd Battalions completed their cross river movement at 0440 and 0700 respectively, under intermittent artillery fire. This includes after action reports, war diaries, command reports, mission reports and war journals of the Army, Air Corps, Marine Corps and Navy. Once the 359th Infantry was committed, the issue must be decided by the 90th Infantry Battalions with the support of the Division Artillery. This series contains histories, journals, after action reports, special reports… South of the NIED, B Company continued its attack and by noon, had liquidated all remaining resistance in BUREN. As the balance of the regiment was preparing to begin his withdrawal, Task Forced Thompson received two counterattacks which were decisively punished by our artillery and mortar fire, the Boche evidently in desperate need of substantial information concerning the inactivity of the forward elements of the regiment. F Company discovering a tunnel under the railroad yards, pushed through it and gained the exit where they were immediately engaged by pillboxes and a strong Boche assault group. The TDs and at all At guns alike prepared and occupied primary positions in immediate support of the infantry battalions. It was fast becoming a race against time for by midnight with only a few hours remaining the division still had approximately 25 armored vehicles on the East bank. For the most part the battalions regrouped in preparation for further action. Except for a shallow penetration between the 2nd and 3rd Battalions this assault was effectively contained. On the 27th the Division began to receive the first group of scantily trained replacements, who had received a mere two days training at METZ prior to their joining the Division. The supply route, traversing the marshy ground, was cut sporodically by machine-gun fire from the unreduced pillboxes along the railroad embankment.

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