). General .:>ubject s Se ction ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT THE INFANTRY SCHOOL Fort Henning, ueorg i a ·ADVANCED ll\IFA.NTRY GFFICERS COURSE 1 947 - 194 8 / uPERATIONS OF THE 2 ~D BATTALION , 3241H HJFAI~RY R GntJiNT (44TH DIVISI ON) IN THE BATTLE OF BUCHEN BUSCH \iOODS , 15-17 J:EBRUARY 1945 (RHINELAND CAMPAIGN ) (Personal Experi en ce of a Batt ali on Execut ive vfficer) '.IY'pe of op eration described: BATTALIO~ IN LJ1~ITED OBJECTIVE TTACK Maj or J oseph m. Fles ch , lnfant~ff lillV ANCED INFANTRY OFFICERS CLASS NO I \ TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Index .•.....••....•.••..•..•..••••••...•.••...••...••...• .-. • . • . 1 Bibliography .................................................... 2 Introduction .................................................... 3 General 0ituation ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 Pl anning for the Attack ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 The Battalion ~lan of Attack. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 11 'Ihe At t ack • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 The Counterattacks . • . • . • • . • . • . • • • . • • . • • • 16 An~sis and ~rit icism •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 19 Lessons Learned ................................................. 21 Map I - Seventh Army Frent 31 uecember 1944 Map II - G-2, Seventh Ar my , Estimate of the Enemy Situation map III - X:V Cor s ~lan of Attack Map I\T - Terrain Map Buchen Busch Woods Area Map V - Boundary vhanges 44th vivision, 13-15 February 1945 Map VI - 2nd battalion, 324th .Lnfantr y , Plan of Attack Map VII - Enemy t;ounterattack 17 l''ebruary 1945 - 1- BIBLIOGRAPHY A-1 The Seventh United St ates Army Report of 0 erations, Volume li (TIS Library) A-2 Combat History 324th Infantry Regiment, (TIS Library) A-3 Letter, dated 11 .~. •ebruary 1945, ::;ubject: Tentative Plan of Attack, to C. G. 44th Infant~r Division, signed K. s. Anderson, colonel Infantry. (Personal possession) A-4 Field Order Number 12, 44th lnfantry Division, dated 12 February 1945. \Personal possession) A-5 Field Order Number 35, 324th Infantry Regiment, dated 122100 .~.· ebruary 1945. (Perso·nal possession) A-6 Letters, Operations Instructions Number 9, 10, and 11, 324th Infantry Regiment, dated 131300 .rebruary 1945. ~Personal possession) A- 7 Engineer annex to 324th Infantry Regiment Field Order Number 35 , dated 141200 February 1945. \Personal possession) A- 8 Operations l.nstructions, Number 12, neadquarters 324th lnfantry Regiment , dated 141430 February 1945 . (Personal possession) A- 9 Memorandum To: Commanding ofiicers all units 324th J.nfantry Regiment, dated .141130 .l< 'ebruary 1945. \Personal · ossession) A-10 Report of operations, ueadquarters 324th .tnfantry Regiment , dated 14 M&rch 1945. (Personal possession) A-ll Extracts 2nd .battalion 324th Infantry Diary, letter Lt. Col. v. P. ~~ illiams, dated·30 uctober 1947. ~Personal possession) A-12 G-3 Se ction Historical Report, February 1945, Headquarters 44th l.nfantry uivision. (Personal possession) A-13 Personal experience of author. - 2 - OPERATIONS OF THE 2ND BATTALION , 324TH INFANTRY REGll.1ENT (44TH DIVISION) IN THE BATTLE OF BUCHEN BUSCH ', JOODS , 15-17 FEBRUARY 1945 (RHINELAND CAMPAIGN) (Personal Experience of a Battalion Executive Officer) INI'RODUCTION This monograph covers the operations of the 2nd Battalion, J24th Infantry, 44th U. S. Division in the battle of the Buchen Busch Woods, Fr ance, 15-17 .1! ebruary 1945. In order to orient the reader it will be necessary to summarize the actions of the ~eventh Army and review the events leading up to 31 December 1944. Due to the rapid advance of the •.Se;venth Arr:rw from the beaches of southern France and an increas~ in strength from three divisions to eleven divisions by 31 December 1944, the sup p ~ lines were hard pressed and stretched to the limit. The Seventh Arnzy- had•been having hard fighting and covered much ~ore distance than had been anticipated during the planning phase of Operations Dragoon. The army needed rest and regrouping and all factors indicated that the army was going to be forced to defend the territory it had gained. ~1) On 31 De cember 1944 the Seventh Army held a front 84 miles long from the Rhine River to a point a few miles west of Saarbruecken and a flank along the Rhine River north and south of Strasbourg. (2) (See Map I) Two 1nain enemy threats existed in the Seventh Army zone of action; in the north between Lauterbourg and Saarbruecken, and the Colmar pocket in the south. (J) The Colmar pocket threatened the right flank and r ear of the army, while the concentration of enemy troops between Lauterbourg and Saarbruecken constituted a threat which, if successful in an offensive, could split the Seventh Army. If the two enemy forces could break through and meet in the rear the entire army could be destroyed. (See Map II) (1) A-1, p. 529; (2) A-1, p . 563; (3) A-1, p. 503 . - 3 - -Due to these threats, the wide front and knovm enemy information, the entire .::;eventh Army was forced to assume the defense. \4) By New ~ear's Eve reserve ?attle positions, counterattack plans to reduce penetrations, and plans for withdrawal in some sectors had been prepared. 1he army was defending the line with VI Corps on the right, the AV Carps on the left, two task forces along the rthine River, and a very l~nited reserve. \5) (See Map I) On .31 vecember 1944, the uerman Army launched its offensive and within a period of a few hours entire divisions were engaged in fierce fighting. l6) The attack was repelled in some sectors, the defending troops were forced back in other sectors, and withdrawal plans were executed in still other sectors. ,?) Due to the excellent u-2 infor- mation and foresight of the high command in the .:>eventh Army the enemy attack was ground to a halt before serious damage was done . \8) (See Map II) On 8 January 1945 the AXI Corps was released to the .::>eventh .army from ~HAEF reserve which enabled the regrouping of forces and shifting of boundaries to strengthen the thin~ held defensive line against further enell\Y attacks. \9) During the month of January 1945 .::>eventh RI'Iey", occupying a defensive position was busy relieving and shifting units in the line while aggressive patrol action and raids were carried out against the en~~. c..lO) GEI~AL SITUATION About 1 February 1945 the high command conceived the idea of a grand scale, limited objective attack to straighten and thus shorten the present f ront line in the western sector of the .::>eventh Arll\Y front. ,11) Shortening of the line would make for economy of forces, as fewer men would be required to man the defenses. ,12) In addition, the objec- \4) A-1, p. 559-56.3 ; (5) A- 1, p. 560-561; (6-7) A-1, p . 56.3-624; \8) A- 1, p. 50.3-624; \9) A-1, p. 58.3-585; c..lO) A-1, p. 659- 665 ; ~11-12) A-1, p . 665 . - 4- · tives to be gained represented terrain from which the launching of a future great offensive would be more favorable. ~18) This sector was held by the XY Corps with divisions in line from left to right as follows: lOlst vavalry Group, 7oth, 63rd, 44th, and lOoth .Lnfantry lJivisions. ~14) (See Map III) '1\m great reentrants were prominent in the XY Corps sector: the uros Rederching reentrant in the 44th Division sector and the ~ ~ e lferding reentrant in the 63rd vivision sector; these two reentrants would have to be eliminated if the lines were to be stra~ghtened and shortened . ,See Map III) To reduce these r eentrants it would be necessary for the h4th and 63rd lnfantry IJivisions to execute l M1ited objective attacks while the 7oth lJivision on the left would have to advance to keep abreast of the 63rd uivision. ,15) (See Map I I I) On l February 1945, the 32.4th .Lnfantry Reg:iment r e lieved the 7lst lnfantry neg:i.ment on position. ~he lst Datta lion relieved the 7lst Lnfantry ts lst oattalion on the left and the 2nd ~attalion relieved the 7lst lnfantry's 3rd ~att a lion on t he right. \16) (See Map V) During the period l-14 February 1945 t he 3 24th .Lnfantry rtegiment was busy at aggressive patrolling. memy positions, mine fields, and strength had to be fixed. maps and aerial photos were brought up to date by extensive patrolling and raiding parties from all units. ,17) Freezing and thawing during tne period of l-14 ... ebruary 1945 made the fox hole a poor sort of 11 homen, wi t h trench-foot a s erious tJiDreat which had to be fought daily by constant inspections. utrict disciplin- ary measures were taken a gainst off icers a nd non-conn issioned officers who failed to enforce t he n ecessary safeguards to prevent trench-foot. \18) (13) A-1, p . 665; \14) A-1, p . 564-565; ~15) . -1, p . 664-666; \16) A-2, p . 70-72; \17) A-2, P • 70-74, n-10; \18) -13. - 5 - The objective assigned to the 44th Infantry Division ; as a general east-west line from a point s outh of Eppingen-Urbach west to the north­ ern fringes of the eastern third of the Bliesbrucken Woods. (See Map III) When the 324th Infantry Regiment moved into the Buchen Busch Vioods sector on 1 February 1945 the troops and officers of the regiment felt that an attack on the woods would soon be forthcoming. Although the attack was not ordered until 13 .r·ebruary 1945, division, reg:iment and battalions were busy planning. The regiment obtained detailed information of the enemy by employ- ing numerous patrols, questioning prisoners of war, by aerial reconnaissance, studies of aerial photographs and fro~m higher and adjacent units. ~he 324th Infantry Regiment was opposed by the 37th (Panzer Grenadier) Regi- ment of the 17th German SS Division, an outstanding combat w1it.