Part I - The Moselle Crossing, 9-19 ITov 44. Part I1 - The Drive To The Saarg 24-30 ?Tov 44. Overlays: Plate I --- Assault & Consolidation. Plate I1 -- The Brealcout. Flate III - Approach to the Saer. rlate IV -- Opns CT 358 w/l~th~md Div. Tlate V --- Assault of 1st Bn 358th Inf on Ft Koenigsmacker, Ltr of Cornlnendation - Third Army & XX Corps. Ltr, CommendRtion, Unit Citation - XX Corps. Plan "Att & PO # 35 thru 41 6c Bield Nsg # 17 thru 20. G-1 After Action Report. G-4 After Action Report. FA'EIT I TK% MOB"XGLE CZOSSING 8-19 November-1944 ---../lt:lin tbc zonc of opeTC.i;iofis of 'tho ;:_:';Co:,lps, s~~~~-~lci" pv-rsilit haG conc 'GO an ~b~uptcn6 si-Lll tho Gc~;;ln;idccisioli to hold i;;jp~ Cormlittcd. to =L broad fI?0ilJ~, all6 -:!i'l;ii i~sufficiclit;iqdscrvc st~cil~tlito ycss l~oncc"i dccisivc 'ulolr: at any ono sso-b, the CoTps i-re~sf o11cc6. !;o zd-opt pol2 of ?.il ng~rcssivcc0ilt2~inillg i'oycc Tor i?_oaPlgti:~o montlis . Thc gat11 ilivision, dis;?osol- on 2. vicl-c ai7c, prcs- suycc -khct loi-tion 03 the ..:~;ln--~C~~:IC~CP fo?til"icat ions :.;icst of the -.>-- 7-, ,,;osz;-,a ILLVA!~, i:~iilo the 5th Inf'?~;-t~;~]ivis ion l;.li^.intziilc 6- 2- s c silt byiGychc26. 2.ciqoss tllz s riv2;- Jc 0 J,hc soi~-i;hoc ci-t7; -i;',ic 5i7iJ - :.> -- Cc-7~~1.1~~G~O~P i~~?ti-311~C:r tl1c :.~~stb?+illc of h?--,blib xCSZi,LE fr oix ii: ICyT.:: :Oi\jT r.,.. --. - -- i2orth ~~.,~.ljfiT,ILL~ Z.~~CI -i;il~il~~ i1oTJGjic~st .LO th~ciiliilcilcc or fiA.~SS3 .... u.(ji<ITka But vkilc thc lincs rcmninzd- ilclF.tivcly st2tic f70m mi6 5cp tcfi1bci7 to thi: first L~JC\:!I: ill ~<o~Jc~;.~'L)c~','Lh~i7~ 1-72s ~.il>~tkiiilgIji-lt idle- ncss in Col-12s. 97 limitod 01~jcc'~ivc?Lt.ta~!;~ aild COII~~S~IZC~ iXt.b?-'ollii~~;lihc contours of tl-;_c:Cicr"~nsiv~ ~.~cn y.r~r0 fl:;cd 2.116 -~lottcd Troo~sncilc thorpughly trzincd 511 nss a~?.lttcct ics . Y~lc iilf S.ll.bi"7, by jitdiciol~.~r~t::tioil policy, wo17c ilcs.ll.~di'rcu-ycntl.~, 1 - pcyz:it-L;;lllg ync 7~3 '2 ilcL--iilg of 2. PCSCPvC: of ;31?11;;s ic2.1 ~t~cngtllf 0%. &he tl-:,:ins cl-~gs to CONC. Su;l;>lics of cquipmcn-b 2ii6 a~.,u;iuilitio;ii:;Oyc ~cc~?i:r~:lc?to6-in cons ic'!i=i3c?blo~i~p-iltity. k1d fin2lly ty~oioPc ~11G..ivis ions ailr ivod ai1d nC2c pl?.cc;c? in i;k~linc for -51, dC:siT?.blc scasoiling i;~i>ioi?to coi;mi,-- mcnt in 2.n offcnsivc action. In f 'L~i*tllci*anc~0l" th\= plm, -kilo 95t1> Inr"?Lili;i-; 3iv.is ioil quic tl.7 ~clicvcfitlic 90S-i lilf~~l~try:,Jivisiofi d?l..ring tl.12 pP..iod 31 0c';;obd. - 2 irovcirlbc;l =I~Gt;;c l~~tt>\bi1 movcd, 0b~t~l;siblgfop trc".inin~,to tilt A '- - -- .,r-,,.. - *- 7- --"-,~~II'~J~~J~~ - i~bi,~il& - ~,~~,~~~~~>T~~41~~~- L,i4;;c.i'-L7:-3Lis qu.,'J~p~~:.t(;~-~,l, c,;-acc : ~~~vio~:.slgB;b;.n occ'il;-~iddb-T 41;jli ;):*i;c~cl.ing tyro, pcscl-~~c: Givis ions . YTall-liri:po ~;~f.snc i;v.zll;(? pi-,>~cyib~fimi: Frliti~.-tzd, .1.t. tiic >li,vision, f:c i;d itil ;;no..-rloc!.-p tl;:.j; ;.~tc?..rg~ t d ztt; of J~no gpc??..'l;ion co~~ldbr; tit11 c.nd G;i"ini'c;ol;r 1;:o ... :-16bc; not l>tcl? Lllant . ~!IC 9th, ilsd SC?.II~ biT!l~ f oi* ~".llgtllinzhc-;-oad t.hs ;2i)02n2 ?tioil 226 !,ooi.din?.t ion of the iilillt iJ~ilSiinoilsi?i-i.~.~g~~ni;s nti;cilcia:lt .u;lail an >i?~jo~C!<ii*ivcll CilOsSj.il~. .nT.. -- -- Ejom ~iLIO,~..ijll;TJ 1lop2~h~.?stto t:il~G2p;nan. b~ur~d~?~;~yyLlc: j.:i)S" * 2 L.!-,L' " :11V%1-1 flo!:,rs svff t1.j ?.long its y~indi:l,; c ou2sc: t;??.vcPs n c oiili~ni-ativc lg bi-o~.di~iv<~l?~ild . P ivcr it sclf ~nd-CYiio~lilnl c~liditi~iishas :&n avcra,qc- ~r~idtllor fTo1il 300 .LO 350 fcct, 7,;ritli mo<oraJ~clyabiq~~pt to gcntlg slopii.:..; b?.ill~s. Tllc grouilcl coilti-. ?O1-= $0 pivcr is ~rodonillantlglil~rsllg 2nd Gi:riilv ~:$ctpcpiods IS $' subfjcct to slzccting, This lc-ttor c oilclition 1:111llc pas iilg 110 rcstl7ic'cion to 2.ssault boat cross in@, d2,"Pinitcly liiiiitcd tlic dcvclopnnt of bl-idgs sitcs to tlioss points 1;~hcrc civiliz~nbilidgcs had -~~cvio~:.slycxis tccl and tlius tclsgi-nphod. 0x2 plan for floating bi7idkc constr~~c~Lionto thc ciicmg oncc thc cyossing h2.d bccn iiiitiat~d. Solac 2 7311s lioi-th of th~rivor 2 l?.rg~:vood.ccl 3::pc-nsc, '&c FOzxF 32 CAYTEi\jOpl, co~lt~-iiling?..il 2.d~q~1q.t~ ilct, 1~i7~~id6d 2.n c;cccllcnt Divisionzl asscynbly arcn; its solc disc".Gvnntagc lay in tllc f nck t'.li?:L its foy;;~ard slopc 1oc:l.t ioii ncc~ssi-i~~tcd cntry Jii~ci7cin to tl~clloili-s of dz-rknass , Sc; tnocii th~POZZT nil$. tli~r ivcr thc gTouilG- was snooth ?.nc? devoid of covzr and colnplstcly uildcr obsc~vation frolil tlic Iligii ground- L'.C~OSS tilt rivcr; iiloi-c -&Ian that it r-rc?s clif iladcd by cncn1-y positions on tinc bnlcl knob LE S'I'ROE;BX:G, I-rest of tlic E.!QSZLLE nil6 just ou.tsid-c tlic Cori2s lcft bo~lnd-arg. ... halgsis of the tcrre-in north of t??c17ivcr h?.d 3. dcfinitd iiifluclicc on t!~c dcvclopilc~?tof the p12.n 2ncl th~~~2~'i?ti0iz of p~clinina~iistl~crcto, If sccpccg vns to bc ~~GSC~~VC~t'llc 90th Divis ioil nould ..l.lc".vcto s t ngc into . tlilc: FO~L%T3s Ciinnil-TL l.!~luOlI at night and at the lntcst possiblo till13. Coi;lciclcnt with thi\ 2oi3~~oir,g,a thic!;cniilg of tlic cc.v?.lry ?.long .J- LAIC1 ~ivoi-1::ns i;id.icatcc? to 111nlcc compl-ctcly cffcctivz ths COU~~~C~rcconn~~issnncc scTccn 131ich p~c;io:lsly had bccn un\?.bl~to slit ircl th:-lart Gcrrnan ;?ctPol pciic-brztions. Of cvcn gre~.tcrimportance ho~-rcv~r,::I:-s 'ihc obvious rcquii7ciilclit I'o? 2~ linitccl ~?tt,?clrby other foi-czs to 6i.i.v~ thc G~pi;lc?nfPoril his :::cst banlr j~ositionsin ti.1~BAS33 r:oilTTZ - LE ST:;~S~Z:.~~LG21-cc"~ piar to thc iliiti~.tionof ths ci90sSii~g '~lic~cbg :~3i'~otcct ills tllc 2s s a?-11t tpo ops fyom tllc f l?.lilr 03s cyva-i;.ioilirfilich -1-7.~~~~catcilcc'! tllc ~ZCCCSS of tl3.c 2ss?~ll*t. tic: coin:pk!t2l;: Gi?Cil nn-k'c'~~~ os? i;;ic 'ccprain fi-on1 thil south cc'!si: of $:is nsso1;lhi~r2.pc2 to tk~ r.ivsr iii?..dc ~~iaiidntoryc? ni@lt crossifis 2rossC~-'~cC~1:c.itl.l Z;lli= i.??xpfi1~m speed. and the :?.tmost of siloi~c~to i~~~rnittilt ostablishmciit of thc initial >i7l6g~!-i~c?~~.dpi-iop to dnyrn. 1ici.o~~t:ia rivcp thc oncfii-1 tcl?r?.iii most I"oi7mic?c.blc, For 2 ciopt!l of 1 to 2 1~1stho gilo~l~dj,~osssssod cl~~.~nctcristics sii;lilF.l? to tI?c fl?.ts ncljclccrt to l;aG i2,..F.i1Sanl: ?dl$- 'clidii slopcd l-.br.l..?.ptlyto tilo r iciac's r:.~ni?in:; :>~rpc;~dic;~l~".rto tllc iiivcplinc, a.. in tile right or tl~cOivisioil scc-iio~,oil a hill =~p:l.rt, s too6 tllc : c;RO.~-;~FO-"r. 1 L~ :'----II 11 LA DE I;O~~~~IC;Q~..~PLCI~~.~, a I:IZTZ t;r;~o f oi*'lrc s s ii-;licli c oin.land CCI tl~~cntiiqs ciqossing CiqCZ. .. r1lrl_;c;) it co~ldb;;l by-pnsscd. by llaadiil OlCi;lc~ts,'nut iipon. its s pccdy lici~t~?~liz?.tionand r~ciuct ion c'?c;y~itcd 2-7 LL~& SI-:CCCSS 02 tlld mc".l?cuvor.. 1316- sh.?.dcs of F;-)j'lT j>L;IJ'ci.jT, .i;llis --rns a taslr of .l;i7~;i~~1iC7!0~1sproport iolis ! Sq~c~ClyGonn thc ~licl6.lcof 'cllc . T:ic Division pi?.".n of ?.ttac!c :-:?.s sii;~pl;: ?+nd soi.?.i~dill coi1cc;ltion 2nd:. t~~_10~0~@ll:,i-'!Ji-~~~~7-i~2~~.nLO G-OVC~OP tl10 1.1?.~l~:i~~:1Sti7~:.l:tll ?.~.'LLc cai-li~si;;>i-~.c-tlc.?blc no.->.-> i.,bnt, t11.2 ::.ss?.~lt:-J= 'GO bd iilcd~vith two :-og~:L:fiJcs, cnch ;:ith tl,;fo S2tt?.li0ilc ?,bTc?.st. Y~IYC~~c~I~TP~~ ci30ss iil,rl; CYC ?.s T-:'~p~ ,POS s ibLc, ~?gtilid~:ti12 -LO:XIS OSi;yiTIi>J:L, ,:v -'-. .7'7 .-, ~~!3!~-i.ifli,L~~~~C;'al~d.C-,\TTXI?OM i-2 s.9~c l; ivclg, Tli~;2XTn11EL 2i-c~~;7?.~ discc".l?-cd bc c ausc of it s pj?oxinit~to t11~?L or:lir,c".tin~ gPoi1.nd ?long tlic L;ci3iilc"-ilborclcr cnst .of thc ?.tB?.c1: z.ol?-c, ground to !-~lliciino t17c.ops could bc div~rtccl.