(upbeat music) (guns firing)
(upbeat music) - [Narrator] After the rapid
push across occupied France, American soldiers faced
the sobering prospect of doing battle against
Nazi Germans on German soil. Instead of joyful citizens welcoming the long awaited liberators, they would enter bombed
out towns as the spoilers of Hitler's dreams. Who knew what dangers lurked, what problems would emerge
as soldiers advanced across the sacred soil
of the Nazi fatherland. One thing though was certain,
the fighting would intensify. The programs you are about
to see pick up the progress of world war II from autumn 1944 through the early winter months of 1945, allied soldiers are now advancing from France in the
Belgian low country east towards city of Aachen and then forward into
the German Roer Valley. The front lines resulting from
this offensive will be one of the broadest ever and place the allies on the very border of Germany itself. As you will see, the long supply lines will require clever
transportation logistics and will in the end be as important to the outcomes of battle
as any tactic employed on the ground or in the air. Produced at the end of world war II, these official
documentaries convey a sense of time and place that
modern documentaries simply cannot recreate. We present these programs without any editorial
intervention whatsoever. First, however, some
dramatic still photography from the allied push into Nazi Germany. (upbeat music) (guns firing)
(upbeat music) - [Man] Third army tanks blast the Nazis from towns bordering on Nancy prior to the fall of that
important French city on 15th, September. (guns firing) After a two hour barrage, infantryman continue their advance. Nancy is on the right flank of Lieutenant General George
S. Patton's drive on Germany. It controls the main road running along the northern slope of
the (indistinct) mountains, to Strasbourg on the Rhine. Some 40 miles southeast of Nancy, French armor moves in for
the cleanup around Epinal, capital of the department of Vosges. On 12th, September, they
approached the town of Vital, a famous French watering place and attack German points of resistance. (engine revving) (gun fires) (bombs exploding) The French troops who
moved up from the south for a junction with allied
northern forces helped to narrow the pocket of Nazi retreat through the Belfort Gap, 30 German tanks were knocked out at the village of (indistinct), American aircraft cooperated with the second French armored division. German prisoners bury their dead after the occupation of
(indistinct), 14th, September (upbeat music) Following the initial crossings
of the right frontier, first army units attack
Siegfried Line fortifications. Infantry troops press forward supported by intensive cover fire. (guns firing) General Hodges advanced patrols move on the west wall in placements. On 16th September, rapid passages made after combat engineers cleared a lane through Dragon's teeth. At the point of deepest penetration, the breach of the line in the Aachen area has widened to about 17 miles. Anti-tank ditches are part of the barriers in front
of the main fortifications. A captured pill box. American firepower has
been able to pierce most of the heavily reinforced in placements encountered along the rim
of the Siegfried Line. (upbeat music) Formations of Dakota
aircraft fly over the town of Gale in northern Belgium after completing missions
near the Dutch frontier, the flights coincide with
the allied airborne invasion. One of the planes has been hit and is gradually losing altitude. (plane swooshing) (plane exploding) The crew bailed out. Other second army troops
passed burning wreckage on route to Eindhoven for the junction with men of the first allied airborne army who landed on the 17th. Eindhoven was captured soon after the first American
paratroops touched Dutch soil, all important bridges in
the area also were secure. Entering Eindhoven where they pick up some of the American troops, the British push on
northward toward Nijmegen. They cover the 33 miles in five hours and reach the outskirts of Nijmegen at 1,200 hours on the 19th. The important bridge across
the Waal River was kept intact. A regimen of the US 82nd airborne division crossed the river and assault boats to overcome the German defenders. Explosives were already in place for the destruction of the span. British engineers removed the charges, seizure of the bridge without mishap constitutes an important
victory for without it, the Waal River would have
been a formidable obstacle. British armor passes over the bridge as the allies continue the drive aimed at cutting around the enemy's defenses before Northwestern Germany, (upbeat music) Vast shipments of supplies are
brought up close to the lines as they are for the new
western front offensive nears. A railhead company sets up
a class one food supply dump with enough provisions to feed
a million men for one week. Here, artillery ammo is buried in caches along roadways pointing toward the front. The hollow U-trenches protect the shells from artillery fire. Advancing units can
replenish their ammo stocks from these roadside
ASPs without undue halt. On the third army front, the drive to the czar has given impetus with the elimination of
the fortress of Metz. In this action, (indistinct) Metz, north of the city is being fired upon from in placements at the
Herman Garing Steel Mill, elements of the 90th
infantry division are ready to enter (indistinct) Metz. Final shelling of the town is directed by the seventh field artillery
observation battalion. (bombs exploding) Inside the battered town, the medics evacuate engineers who were wounded while de-mining the area around one stubborn point of siege. Metz send its outlying forts
constituted a formidable obstacle before which the third army had been held up since mid-September. The gradual collapse of Metz defenses terminates
the French city's long reign as Western Europe's strongest fortress. Infantrymen take cover as
they move through the streets, alert against snipers
who may have been left behind by the retreating Nazis. A typical fort strengthened by
the Germans after its capture from the French, active resistance in
Metz ended 22nd November. (artillery exploding) Renewed first army activity
on the Hurtgen Forest front through which our troops have been fighting since crossing the German frontier in September. Tanks pace the advance
of an infantry division. (bombs exploding) (guns firing) Fighting in this wooded
terrain is southeast of Aachen where a new ally drive
begins on 16th November. The British second tactical
air force prepares barrage balloons which will be floated along the front lines of
the first army sector. They'll form a bomb line
to designate location of our own troops during
the aerial assault preceding the move up of ground forces. 15 balloons will go up for this purpose with a spare inflated on the ground in case one is shot down. Beginning at 11:15 hours on the 16th, bombers of the allied
air air forces escorted by fighters dropped thousands of tons of fragmentation and incendiary bombs on fortified positions east of Aachen. The air attacks continue
for one and a half hours. (planes whizzing) The ground forces begin their drives at 12:45 hours aiming at Duren and Julich on the Roer River line before Cologne, the attacks are launched jointly by the first and ninth US armies. North of these troops are the Tommy's of the British second army. The advancing Americans
encounter extensive fields of ingeniously placed mines which impede the progress
of men and machines. Combat engineers clear
and mark the mined areas. The forward push is a case of half a mile and half a village at a time, flanking movements bring our troops into the backyards of small dwellings where they take advantage of whatever natural
concealment is available. The first and ninth
army lines swing forward on a tight 25 mile front
as many small towns fall in the face of the opening push. (guns firing) The three American armies of the 12th army group have now taken approximately 400,000
prisoners since D Day. In the fighting near
(indistinct), Germany, medium tanks add their 75 millimeter guns to the artillery barrage, their long range coordinated fire against German positions
facing the first army is directed like field artillery
from tank command posts. Ammo is stacked up near the tanks as the crews await the order to open fire. (tanks firing) The city of Aachen was taken
by the first United States army on 21st October, 1944 after a battle that raged for nearly six weeks, out of this heap of rubble, the first army would fashion its base for the next major allied offensive. This was Aachen the day after its fall, the job of rehabilitation
would not be easy. The chief rail station
would have to be repaired. The electric power plant was out of operation as well as
the natural gas facilities. The military government section went to work establishing order,
restoring communications. The telephone system, for example, was salvaged when a former official of the company disclosed the hiding place of the city's telephone diagrams. Another problem for the AMG, food for the local population
was partially solved when hidden staples were discovered and hauled to a refugee camp
outside the city limits. German civilians were pressed into service for this and other tasks. Soon Aachen was so well restored that refugees from the
nearby internment camp were allowed to return to
their homes in the city. This suburb of Aachen
then be came a rest center for the men of the third armor division where they had their first
chance to relax since D Day. A meal like this for men long accustomed to cold fair was a source
of genuine pleasure. All up and down the line, rest centers were established throughout the first army's area, stretching from Aachen to the
southern tip of Luxembourg, at these, the men found relief after their drive across
France and Belgium and gathered the breath needed
for their next offensive. Meanwhile, at the front, local actions characterized
the pre-offensive period, in the south and in the north. Along the German border, while we were attacking
an observation post, the distant church steeple, German mortars hidden nearby
tried to knock out our battery, which continued to fire, making its mark. In the center of the first army front, a local operation was being prepared at this time to precede the main drive. Although the attempt failed temporarily, the orders were to break
out of the Hurtgen Forest and attack toward the Roer river and the Cologne plain beyond. The 28th division was assigned the task. It was to launch a three pronged drive toward fortified towns
controlling key roadways. In preparation for the attack, miles of roads had to be built through the heavily wooded area where the division had
previously been pinned down. This section near Aachen
began late in October, was by the first week in November, carrying American military
traffic to and from the front. In other parts of the forest, another kind of preparation was underway, protection against the cold. (indistinct) whacked close to the front, the men attended to last minute details and took care of personal needs. The preliminary drive was launched on the morning of second November as men of the 28th division, cautious, alert, moved through the woods which
were alive with Germans. In the initial push toward Schmidt, our men fought steadily on
against enemy that was unseen, but ever present. The same morning, another
regiment opened its attack in the center of the drive, directing its fire toward Vossenack. Our air force was up that day in support of the ground forces. The third spearhead meanwhile moved off as planned on the Northern flank of the drive in the
direction of Hurtgen Village. The men continued to advance for two more days in the face
of mounting counter attacks. We took a lot of prisoners. Some of those captured in the
northern push were rounded up for evacuation to the rear. Still, more Germans poured
into an assembly area in the south where they were questioned by one of their number
and segregated according to their former Wehrmacht units. The stream of prisoners continued to mount until early in November, the first army registered the
total captured since D Day. Units of the 28th division
continued their action in the Hurtgen Forest against opposition so stiff as to make advance impossible. We held our ground with light artillery and anti-tank guns. With ready ingenuity, an abandoned tower was strung with telephone
wire and converted into an observation post as we made a second
attempt to take Schmidt. From here, the order
to fire was transmitted to our tanks hidden in the woods below and then came the snow, blanketing the front a week
after the drive had started, adding the final difficulty to those under which the
28th division was fighting. The men had to dig for
protection underground in order to hold their hard one positions in the Hurtgen Forest campaign. They had to struggle not only against a well now impregnable enemy, but against the elements as well. In view of the unfavorable circumstances, Major General Leonard T. Gerow, commander of the fifth core, ordered on ninth November that the preliminary operation in Hurtgen Forest be called off. Guns were cleaned, oiled and covered as the campaign drew to a temporary close. To meet the needs of swelling numbers of allied troops on
the march into Germany, the first army opened a
supply depot in Liege, This was designed to be the largest of its kind in the European
theater of operations. It was only a part of the extensive preparations
being made for the main drive, anticipating the demands
of the coming offensive, signal and communication
facilities also were expanded from rear areas forward. New transmission equipment of
various kinds was received, installed and put in use. Protected against air attack, the (indistinct) steel works
at Differdange, Luxembourg, taken over by the Supreme
Command a month earlier, were providing the first army
with another essential need, heavy steel for construction and repair. The plant was run by the
United States core of engineers who checked the finished beams
before shipment to the front. Lumber too was needed, saw mills in Luxembourg and in Germany were taken
over and run by our engineers. Board planking like that used on the Hurtgen Forest roads was produced at this mill to build the roads that would lead us to Berlin. We had to repair and sometimes
rebuild the bridges destroyed in the battle of Belgium
so that material could be rolled forward over
the network of rivers. One of the bridges over
the Mers was restored so that again, traffic might flow. Special equipment for
our armored vehicles, a new type track connector was installed to better grip the mud under the tread of the
third armor division. A method of coping with Siegfried line
fortifications was devised. Our men found that the
Dragon's teeth could be effectively buried with the help of a tank dozer and some mud. Worn vehicles, which had
already seen heavy duty in earlier campaigns, were being reconditioned
to perform their part in the new offensive, the same snowfall which had halted operations in the Hurtgen Forest campaign
augmented the problems of preparation and supply. Behind the lines, the
tempo was accelerated as truck convoys rolled
eastward in a continuous stream, building up a vast accumulation of food and equipment as the
hour for attack approached. On 16 November, the first army struck to clear the area to the Roer in the direction of the Cologne Plain. The main effort of the
first Army's drive would be born by three divisions
of the seventh core. They would move north of the forest and along the super highway
from Aachen toward Duren, this part of the operation
would be carried out in two parallel drives. The first infantry and
third armor divisions would thrust eastward through Mausbach while the 104th division would push north after clearing Stolberg. The morning of the attack
on the outskirts of Aachen, barrage balloons manned by the
British were floated eastward to mark the line of enemy
positions to be bombed. This was first time that
barrage balloons were used for this purpose. Later that morning, our planes came over, bombers and fighter bombers,
British and American. They softened up the tough road that the first and ninth
armies would follow in their joint attack to the Roer. Our strategic bombers struck
the key city of Duren, straddling the Roer river, Duren had been converted
into a strong point by the German high command to compensate for the loss of Aachen. The civilian population
had been evacuated. The buildings were forts,
storehouses and billets, no advance to the Roer or beyond it was possible without the neutralization of Duren, we dropped a saturation load that day, chiefly fragmentation
bombs and incendiaries. They set huge fires. The smoke from which
was visible for miles, Scanning the skies to note
the end of the air raid, ground forces waited for
the signal to attack. All armor was put in readiness. Camouflage nets were removed. The color plaques mounted
on their vehicles served to identify them to the air forces. This reconnaissance group was scheduled to lead the 104th divisions
drive through Stolberg. Following the briefing shortly
afternoon on 16th, November, the first section moved off to deploy along the road for reconnaissance. The following day, ground troops of the division stood by waiting the order to join the attack on Stolberg. They advanced along a forest trail in a flanking movement designed to relieve pressure on
two of our battalions, which had been pinned
down inside the forest. Assault guns of the third armored division covered their movement from positions bordering
the line of attack. The result of German counter fire, one of our battalion command posts near Stolberg was completely knocked out by a direct artillery hit, several American soldiers were wounded. The debris was so heavy in some places that one of their vehicles was
buried up to the windshield. German townsfolk were
injured by their own guns. This woman and other
civilians received first aid from our medics. On 19th November, the ninth air force
flew through heavy flack in support of the first
as well as the ninth army, 1,600 planes attacked
frontline defenses that day. They strafed the Germans dug in at Stolberg who were
holding up our advance, fortified houses surrounding the town were peppered by our machine gunners. And they were being hit by
heavy guns like this M12 which could be speedily maneuvered
under its own propulsion. Masked third armor division
tanks acted as artillery to pour in volley after volley of fire and this at last cracked
the defenses of Stolberg. The town was left to the remnants
of the civilian population who were beginning to
taste the meaning of war on their own soil, as they
moved their belongings out of the battered city. Stolberg was finally
cleared on 21st November by the 104th division, the town had been strewn
with booby traps and mines. In some cases, it was
necessary to blast structures, which could not otherwise be cleared. Two weeks later, the American
flag flew over the city. While some units were
busy cleaning up Stolberg, others had pushed north to enter Eschweiler on 20th November. This was the largest German
city between Aachen and Duren. Quiet on the exterior, the city was alive with snipers, mopping up began at once
and continued for two days. Prisoners ferreted out of their hiding places
were gathered into the net. In other parts of the city, the
hunt for holdouts continued. Some of our infantry
cruised the city streets on tanks as they searched out the enemy. By the end of the second day, we had virtually cleared Eschweiler of all its defenders and our men were able to look forward to a dry night's sleep. Roadblocks like this, where the enemy had dynamited an overhead
bridge were rapidly cleared by our engineers, as a seal of victory, a
military government unit arrived to take over the city's administration. On the following day, the attack pushed on from
the outskirts of Eschweiler toward the next town to the east, Wiesweiler, which fell to
our troops two days later. As the line of attack pressed forward, we approached France which lay across the (indistinct) River with all roads leading to
the town under German fire and with all bridges blown, our engineers had to bridge the river in order to enable the
division to advance. An hour and a half after
construction had started, the first Jeep raced across
the completed bridge. The attack on France progressed rapidly as heavy artillery was brought up to the line and on 28th,
November, the town was ours. The 104th division hammered at enemy defenses for another five days, fighting its way across the Indy River to take two more towns, thus carving off four fifths
of the way to the Roer. Meanwhile, in the Mausbach
area to the south, rockets launched the third
armored divisions drive to the river. They blasted the opening wedge with this attack that would move eastward in a parallel line. This was the first time that
rockets of this kind were used by the first army, 75 launchers
loosened 600 projectals in a single volley, in the first 30 minutes of the attack, they fired 1,800 rockets Immediately following the barrage, a task force covered
by our tanks moved out from Mausbach toward Grasnik,
their first objective. German guns got the range on the column and knocked out one of our vehicles but the column continued to move ahead under the
protection of our tanks. Lined up in artillery array, they flanked the advancing task force and rained fire on the enemy in Grasnik. The enemy, however, held us outside the town for two days. It was essential to keep a constant stream of armor moving up and forward. While some elements were
struggling to advance, new units were brought up to the line. Every tank, every gun was needed so that the third armor division could operate effectively in the center of the drive supporting
one infantry division on the north and another on the south. Men were needed too, troops of the first infantry
division were moving up through the forest near Aachen to break the enemy defense lines separating us from the Roer. They were on their way to grazing Grasnik. Using a ruined factory
as an observation post, the attack was renewed. From this vantage point, we could shell and hit the Germans
entrenched inside the town. From the edges of the forest, our men moved forward to exploit the work of the artillery units. Continuing to advance until late that day, they finally captured
(indistinct) on 19th, November. Following up the advantage, our armor pressed forward,
opening an attack on Verth, another strongly defended town. During one phase of the operation, some of our tanks had to
move out over the open fields where the tanks themselves were the only cover for our infantry. German counter fire was
strong and accurate, hitting the lead tank and
wounding its commander. Approaching Verth from another direction, men of the first division entered the town which was under enemy mortar fire. We had to fight for
Verth, every inch of it, hugging the buildings for protection, hunting out snipers concealed
in the shells of houses, ducking into ruins for shelter, despite the tough resistance, however, the fanatic (indistinct) last surrendered and by the evening of 19th, November, Verth too had been secured. For the next two weeks, the first army continued to advance, fighting through the
almost impregnable wall of closely spaced German towns, towns which had been skillfully fortified and bitterly defended, towns
like this one, (indistinct), which the first division
captured on 20th November and from which it pressed (indistinct). On the March to the Roer, these troops moved
ahead to punch their way through the next string of towns blocking their path to the Roer. Food and ammunition kept rolling forward despite the handicap of weather. While the main effort
progressed in the Stolberg, Eshweiler area, the fourth and eighth infantry divisions renewed the previous offensive
in the Hurtgen Forest. On the northern fringe,
the fourth division pushed off on 16th November. With field guns supporting the action, this second attempt to clear the Hurtgen Forest got underway. Our men, advancing through the woods, were sometimes scattered by enemy fire, but they kept on going
inching their way forward. Sometimes they were pinned
down but they crawled ahead. Casualties were heavy in
all parts of the forest, but they receive prompt attention from our ever vigilant medical core. Communications and heavy
armor were brought up to support the infantry
further up the hill. The advance continued successfully as the fourth division drove
on towards its objective. The town of (indistinct) where it crushed the
last German resistance on 28th November, with continuous artillery support, this division was able
to fulfill its assignment in the Hurtgen Forest campaign. The eighth division joined the action by attacking objectives in
the heart of the forest, supported by one combat command
of fifth armor division, it launched its drive
on the morning of 26th, November with a rocket barrage, the rockets were firing at
enemy positions in Klinall. It was estimated in the field that one such battery equaled
the light artillery power of five divisions. Air support came the following day, when fighter bombers flew more than a thousand sorties over the area, then the artillery took over, concentrating on the target at close range and two days later, (indistinct) was captured. Hurtgen too was finally cleared and secured late in November. One of the major objectives
of the earlier campaign, Hurtgen presented a shell shattered face to the weary men of the eighth division who had battled for the town. Turning south, the division moved on
to take two more towns, (indistinct) and (indistinct)
and then they proceeded to mop up the remaining German positions between them and the Roer River. At last, these troops
had a chance to relax. They had succeeded in
clearing the Hurtgen Forest and by eighth December
had established one sector of the first army front along
the west bank of the Roer. Troop replacements were affected during the first week in December when the first army paused
before completing the drive, the ninth infantry division, fresh from a rest center
in Belgium, moved up. It was on its way to relieve of the battle worn first infantry division which had been in continuous
action since the drive began, as the convoys passed each other, the ninth moved forward to
take up positions at the front. Relief and relocations were
also taking place in other areas during this brief lull in the fighting as the first army gathered
this strength needed for its leap to the Roer River. One thrust of a new
drive was launched early on 10th December from
this town, (indistinct), which had been hotly contested. Attacking through (indistinct), we began to close in on pier. On 12th after days of stubborn resistance, Pier showed the effects of
the battle for its possession. The 104th division moved on to wipe out German resistance along the west bank of
the Roer north of Duren. At the same time, the third
armored division pushed through another string of
German defending Duren, separating the first army
from the Roer in this area. It opened the attack on 10th December by shelling (indistinct), one of the remaining strong
points west of Duren. Men of the newly arrived
ninth infantry division went into action in close coordination with the third armor division, objectives in (indistinct)
are visible in the distance. Following the artillery barrage, armor and men moved forward
with a new piece of equipment, a rotary mine exploder. While the column pressed doggedly onward, infantryman rounded up some of the enemy whom they found hidden
along the path of advance. Up ahead, our men had to dig for what shelter they could find. The lead tank had been hit. The fire spreading caused
a series of explosions. Meanwhile, gunners at closer
range continued the attack, pouring in a steady stream
of fire until late in the day when the cease fire order was given. Resistance in (indistinct) was quelled. The following day, 11th, December, those defenders who had
survived were assembled for questioning and inspection. The next objective, the
strongly defended town of (indistinct) was already aflame from German and American shell fire when the third armor
division bore down upon it. Men and guns moved out first, a smoke screen was thrown up to cover the movement as the
heavy armor swung into line. As the men entered the town, they found it wrecked
and empty of human life. In other parts of the town,
the fires burned on unchecked. They gave concrete evidence that the third armored
division had cleared the enemy from still one more section
along the first army front. Simultaneously from the
fringes of the Hurtgen Forest, the last of the three
final drives got under way. Armor moved up and forward to strengthen and broaden the attack. Infantry of the 83rd
division recently brought up to the line were marching toward the last objective
in this campaign, a suburb of Duren. By 13th, December, we were
driving the enemy ahead of us, pinning their backs to the river. The attack to clear
the town, (indistinct), began the same day. Our infantry was alert to sniper fire from the enemy hidden and protected. In some parts of the town, resistance was so great that it was necessary to blast the Germans out of concealment and to hunt them out individually, both inside the city and on the outskirts. Among those taken prisoner were a number of women who had been
collaborating with German soldiers. As our men rounded up the remnants of the fanatic forces defending the Roer, they were bringing to a
successful finish the tough campaign launched a month
earlier from Aachen. The first army had won through to its objective and stood
ready to pursue the foe in the next phase of the offensive into the heart of Germany. (guns firing)
(upbeat music) - [Man] By the first
week in October, 1944, allied forces had liberated
most of Western Europe from German occupation and had established a continuous front from the North Sea to Switzerland. The ninth army was
assigned positions north and east of Aachen on
the extreme left flank of the American forces. At this point, the ninth army consisted of the 19th core only, composed of the 29th infantry, second armored and 30th
infantry divisions. After fighting north of Aachen, these divisions began the preparation for the allied offensive to penetrate the Siegfried line in mid-November. A rest camp was established at Kerkrade near the
German border in Holland, approximately five miles
behind the front lines. The 30th division arrived at
this camp during the first week in November to rest before the
start of the new offensive, originally assigned to the first army, this unit landed in Normandy, participated in the drive
across France and Belgium and took part in the
fighting around Aachen. This was their first rest period. A recreation program was provided but the men were free to spend their time in any way they wished, most units were assigned
to the camp for 48 hours. After this brief but welcome relief, the men returned directly to the front. On 10 November, General
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme allied commander in Europe inspected ninth
army troops accompanied by Generals Bradley, Simpson and McLane. General Eisenhower first visited the 29th infantry division at (indistinct) in Holland. With major general Charles
Gearhart, the division commander, General Eisenhower talked to enlisted men from the front lines,
complimenting them on their work. On the same day, General Eisenhower visited the 30th division
at Herzogenrath in Germany, just over the Netherlands border. The division commander, Major General Leland S. Hobbs greets General Eisenhower and Lieutenant General William H. Simpson, commanding general of the ninth army. By eighth November, the 84th and seventh armored
divisions had assembled in the ninth army area and with the 102nd infantry division became a new core, the 13th. on 16 November, the first
and ninth United States army is thrust eastward in a coordinated attack from Aachen to the Roer River. The final objectives
were the Cologne Plain and the industrial area of the Roer. In preparation for the attack, ninth army troops destroyed Siegfried line pill boxes and similar
fortifications captured during the fighting for Aachen. lead wires and an electric detonator were used instead of a fuse. This pill box west of Aachen was blown by the 246th engineers. Other preparations included
converting a muddy field into an alternate route
through the town of Ubach. The road net throughout the area was thus improved for military traffic. A class one supply dump was established in the area at Maastricht, Holland. When completed, it would contain enough rations to feed one million men for a week. Ammunition was carried by train to Heerlen in Holland, a rail head 10 miles northwest of Aachen and unloaded there directly onto army cargo trucks. These transported the ammunition to a forward dump along the Aachen road Captured Dutch collaborationists
unloaded the trucks. In Ubach, a field artillery battalion laid telephone lines from its battery to headquarters. Wire was strung off the ground because of weather and traffic
conditions in forward areas. A German plow drawn by a GI truck provided
an improvised method of digging a ditch in which a multi strand cable was buried. This was used for a more
permanent communication system. The area confronting
the ninth army and over which it could have to
fight was arable farmland with little natural cover, except for scattered clumps of trees. The countryside was dotted
with small towns and villages, frequently not more than a mile or two apart and consisting of old solidly built stone houses. The enemy had evacuated civilians from the area and entrenched
themselves in these villages, which constituted excellent
defensive positions. Field fortifications
included the pill boxes and earthworks found throughout
the depth of the west wall. Knocked out enemy tanks, bomb and shell craters were evidence of the heavy bombing that had
already occurred in this area. During the preparatory period, action on the ninth army front was limited to artillery fire and small scale attacks and counter attack. An observation plane of
the 29th division prepared to take off from Schinveld in Holland. The plane directed fire on targets near (indistinct) in Germany. A battery of 105 millimeter
Howitzers fired is directed by the plane. At Ubach to the south, the
field artillery battalion of the second armor division
softened up the enemy. This barrage included smoke shells which marked the targets for our aircraft. The ninth army's mission was to clear the area in its zone between Aachen and the Roer River and protect the first army's left flank, objectives included first
Aldenhoven and then Juelich. The 30th division reinforced by a regiment of the 84th division advanced in a general southeast
direction to the army border and then became core reserve. The second armored division
supported by a regimen of the 102nd division seized
the Gereunsweiler area with one combat command, the rest of the division advanced to an assembly area northwest of Juelich. Starting at 11:00 hours on 16 November, 12 squadrons of fighter bombers of the ninth tactical air command attacked the initial
objectives of the 19th core, in addition, medium and heavy bombers of the eighth air force
made successful runs over the communication centers of Luerken, Aldenhoven, Linnich and Juelich. Shortly after the cessation of bombing, the three divisions of
the 19th core took off on 16 November on their
drive east toward the Roer. On 15 November, the three divisions of the 19th core began
assembling for the attack. Men of the 29th division supported by the second armored division moved through and out of Ubach toward their rendezvous at Beggendorf, Beggendorf was the jump off point for the general drive to the Roer. Tanks were assembled a
mile west of Beggendorf in a shallow valley to
avoid enemy observation, following the air and
artillery bombardment, they came out of concealment to begin the attack on 16 November, The tanks deployed over open
territory as they advanced. They moved through Beggendorf toward their initial objective, Loverrich. Supporting infantry of the
second armored division followed after the tank although it had been in
our hands for some weeks, Beggendorf was under heavy mortar fire. As tanks and men moved
out from Beggendorf, they had to advance over
bare fields with little cover and under constant artillery
and small arms fire. Early in this attack,
prisoners were taken and marked to a field behind the
lines for examination. The Germans were sent back to Beggendorf, which served as a gathering point for many of the prisoners
taken during this action. The second armored division supported by a regimen of the 102nd
division took Loverich in the first two hours of
the action on 16 November, the town was still under heavy mortar and artillery fire the day after its capture as troops
and equipment passed through. Beyond Loverich lay more open fields and more difficult fighting, troops of the 29th division brought up to Loverich for an attack on (indistinct), about two and a half
miles to the southeast, moved out toward their
objective on 18 November. Meanwhile to the south, the main strength of the 29th division was battling for the town of Baesweiler, which had to be cleared
before Setterich could be attacked from that direction. The troops used small arms and mortars in house to house fighting. Wounded men were given first aid before being evacuated to the rear. Breaking from the cover of houses on the fringe of Baesweiler, a Battalion of the 29th division deployed for its attack on
Setterich to the northeast, a barrage consisting of white phosphorus and smokescreen shells
was laid down by mortars to cover the advance
launched shortly afternoon on 16 November. Heavy artillery fire was encountered by troops that had almost no cover. First aid men moved out
to pick up the wounded and bring them into
Baesweiler for treatment. Tanks of the second armor supported the 29th infantry division as they moved out of
Baesweiler towards Setterich. More prisoners were taken
during this new action and were brought into
Baesweiler as soon as possible. After examination, the prisoners were hurtled into trucks and transported farther to the rear. Enemy mines delayed our armor on the Baesweiler, Setterich road. Setterich had been severely damaged by artillery fire and air bombardment. Infantry and vehicles moved
ahead towards Setterich. On 18 November, our
troops entered Setterich and by the end of the day had cleared two thirds of the town. Units from all three divisions of the 19th core were in
Setterich at the same time, in addition to the 29th
and second armored division who had fought for the town, men of the 30th division
moved through Setterich to assist the second armored in its attack on Freialdenhoven, next town to the east. These troops left
Setterich on 19 November, They advanced over open
fields toward Freialdenhoven, the outskirts of which
they reached the same day. Freialdenhoven shown here from the air was overrun and occupied by our troops on 20 November. Meanwhile, due south of Setterich, the 29th division launched
a parallel drive eastward, infantry utilized captured enemy trenches in their advance toward Bettendorf. Bettendorf was entered by our troops on 18 November and the
town fell the same day. It immediately became a base of fire against strong enemy resistance. Prisoners taken in and around Bettendorf seemed
stunned by the ninth army drive. 1,034 prisoners were taken during the first three days of attack. Seubersdorf, for about a mile Northeast of Bettendorf was captured on 18 November. These air views of Seubersdorf
suggest the damage suffered by the town. Aldenhoven, taken 21,
November was equally hard hit. Aldenhoven was the first
important objective reached by the 29th division
marking the halfway point on the road to Jülich. Here, two medics of the 29th division look over the remains of a church, in front of which men of
the 81st tank destroyers set up a three inch anti tank gun. A wire liaison team
laid communication lines along the street in Aldenhoven. While the second armored and the 29th infantry division
were battling eastward, the 30th division reinforced by a regimen of the 84th division, cleared (indistinct), a town
to the rear on 19 November. (indistinct) had been the
scene of bitter street fighting in a local engagement several weeks prior to the ninth Army's general attack. Men of the 84th division followed during a mine clearing detail to eat their noon meal. Every object suspected
of concealing a mine had to be carefully checked before the area was considered clear. Medics gave first aid and plasma to a German civilian who's
leg had been blown off by a mine left by the Nazis in a backyard. While probing the ground
where the civilian was hit, one of our engineers
stepped on a second mine. The engineer who set off
the mine, lost his foot. By 18 November, a regimen
of the 84th division and the British 43rd division was poised for a joint attack from two directions against the German city of Geilenkirchen, led by flail tanks, the British bore down on
Geilenkirchen from the northwest through an area evacuated by
enemy troops and civilians. The British division was equipped with both American and English armor. Sherman tanks manned by
British personnel participated in the attack. The 43rd division passed
through the German town of (indistinct) just across
the Netherlands border. Outside (indistinct), the tanks and accompanying infantry deployed to continue the advance
over more open terrain. The British action developed into an encircling movement. Troops fanned out to
cut off the approaches to Geilenkirchen and to gain the advantage of high ground to the north. Both vehicles and men took advantage of what scattered cover
the terrain afforded. Beyond (indistinct), only slightly more than a
mile from their objective, Geilenkirchen, self propelled artillery and mass Sherman tanks
laid down a barrage. Men of the eighth battalion
of the Middlesex regimen through an harassing fire to support American infantry
attacking from a southeast. Men of the 84th division under British command and covered by British fire closed
in on Geilenkirchen. In this area, some 700
yards southeast of the town, about 300 enemy mines were found. Infantry advanced past deactivated mines. The Americans fought their way forward to the approaches of the town. Having overcome initial enemy resistance, they marched on Geilenkirchen. Meanwhile, British units
had resumed their progress toward Geilenkirchen from the northwest. They passed through the
broken town of Balkham, a suburb of Geilenkirchen. American infantry and tanks of the British division
entered Geilenkirchen at dawn on 19 November. Moving through the town, the advancing troops
experienced sporadic enemy fire. The use of loud speakers to
urge enemy troops to surrender, one form of psychological warfare was used by the ninth army for the
first time at Geilenkirchen. Some 300 Germans surrendered in response to the broadcast message. The prisoners attended
to their own wounded. Many other Germans were ferreted out of buildings and taken prisoner. Geilenkirchen was captured by 12:00 hours and finally secured by
14:00 hours on 19 November. In cleaning up activities, engineers deactivated an
enemy demolition charge placed under a bridge by the
Germans before withdrawal. Communications were established as soon as the town was secured. After some of the most severe bombing and artillery attacks of the war, Geilenkirchen presented a scene of devastation that followed
the pattern of Aachen. An allied military
government was established and notices posted in English and German. The weather deteriorated on the 20th, the day after Geilenkirchen fell. This bad was continued
for the next five days and hampered operations
all along the front. Despite the weather, British troops and armor moved out of Geilenkirchen on 21 November and advanced northeast
towards (indistinct). The British used flail
tanks with much success to discover and detonate
mines in this area. The column included tanks of
the British 79th armored core. On 19 November American troops of the 84th division also moving northeast entered (indistinct), jumping off place for
the joint attack on Vurm. By the 28th, however, all towns west of the Roer and in the rivers with the exception of western
Juelich had been captured. On the 29, with the southern two thirds of the ninth army front
parallel and close to the Roer, the 13th core attacked in the direction of Lindern, Beeck and Vurm
were in the line of attack. On 29, November, United States troops of
the 84th division moved out (indistinct) to take up
positions facing Vurm. They established a line
of mortars 100 yards behind the front, armament, ammunition and supplies were all carried forward
by hand through the mud. Slings were used to
pack the mortar shells. Sniping was common and
troops advanced cautiously. Mortars were in place
(indistinct) position. The mud made evacuation of the wounded even more
hazardous than usual. Jeeps rigged to carry
litters proved helpful. Meanwhile, in the advance on Beeck from (indistinct),the mud
was equally treacherous. Maintenance of communications
because came a major problem. Water, rations and mail
were carried by hand to men of the 84th division entrenched north of (indistinct). These men were an a advanced element in the drive on Beeck. This sector was under artillery fire, making it difficult to
get the wounded back to a point where proper medical attention could be given them. Just south of Beeck, a
field artillery battalion of the 84th division
utilized large concrete pipes found in the area to improvise shelters. These afforded protection
against German shelling of the reverse side of hills. The 102nd division
pressed on toward Linnich, Roerdorf and Flossdorf. The seventh armored division supported the advancing troops as needed. To support the 102nd
division attack on Lennic, tanks of the seventh
armored division moved out from the vicinity of (indistinct). The 102nd division and the
seventh armored division entered Linnich late on one December and by 24:00 hours held
two thirds of the town. The following day, the
entire town was cleared with the exception of a
small number of snipers. Men of the a 102nd division moved on the double away from a church steeple that was drawing enemy fire. Moving through Lennich,
troops of the 102nd division on two December captured
and cleared Roerdorf, south of Linnich on the Roer River. On the same day, Flossdorf, another River town further
south was also entered. The capture of Roerdorf and Flossdorf allowed the 13th core to
capture the Roer river and to achieve its objective of clearing the west bank of enemy troops. Heading east from (indistinct), the 29th division and tanks of the second armored division
struck out for (indistinct). (indistinct), lay a mile north of Julich, which can be seen in the
distance being shelled by our artillery. The fighting for the (indistinct) was so prolonged that the
infantry regimen assigned to capture it had to be
relieved after six days of constant effort without
obtaining its objective. This man lay in a field for more than five days after
being wounded by artillery before he was found by our first aid men. When the isolated buildings of the (indistinct) were cleared, the defenders proved
to be of mixed quality. Many of the German casualties
and prisoners were mere boys. The 115th regimen of the 29th division finally cleared the territory
the 8th of December. While resistance at the (indistinct) was being neutralized, a parallel and equally bitter campaign was waged for the Julich sports
(indistinct) on eighth December. This also fell to the 115th regimen. On the day after it's capture, the sports plots consisting
of two football fields and a nearby swimming pool was inspected by officers of the 29th division. In crossing the broad
expanse of the sports plots, our men had not only faced
the defending garrison, but heavy enemy artillery fire from locations across the river. By 14 December, the 30th
division coordinating with the first army cleaned out the (indistinct) Roer Triangle. Swollen to three times
its normal width by rains, the Roer presented a formidable barrier to both men and equipment
of the ninth army. However, on 15 December,
all territory west of the roar was under allied control, thus completing another
phase in their drive to the final objective,
the defeat of Germany. (upbeat music)
