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    “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions
    “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions
    “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions
    Ebook102 pages50 minutes

    “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions

    By Lt. Houcek

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    About this ebook

    The crossing of the Elbe River was to prove a mortal blow to the hopes of the Nazi Command to continuing resistance to Allied forces in the West. The 2d Armored “Hell on Wheels” Division and 83d “Thunderbolt Division were the spearheads of the Ninth US army and they were the units who were first to seize the crossing of the Elbe. However the units were halted on orders from above and their advance was to be the furthest east the Allies reached during the hostilities and mark the point at which American and Russian Forces met for the first time. This short monograph produced by the European Theater of Operation historian Lt. Houcek was based on the oral testimony collected from the men involved.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLucknow Books
    Release dateNov 6, 2015
    ISBN9781786255679
    “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions
    Author

    Lt. Houcek

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      Book preview

      “Elbe Operation” - With 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions - Lt. Houcek

      This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

      To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – picklepublishing@gmail.com

      Or on Facebook

      Text originally published in 1945 under the same title.

      © Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

      Publisher’s Note

      Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

      We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

      Elbe Operation with 2d Armored Division & 83d Infantry Divisions

      by

      Lt. Houcek

      Historical Division, U. S. Army, European Theater

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Contents

      TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

      FOREWORD 5

      CHAPTER I — INTRODUCTION 5

      CHAPTER II — WESTERHUSEN CROSSING 12 - 13 April 9

      CHAPTER III — SOUTHERN SWITCH 13-14 April 18

      CHAPTER IV — ATTACK OF BARBY 27

      CHAPTER V — 83d DIVISION CROSSES 33

      13 April 33

      14 April 35

      15 April 38

      16 April 41

      17 April 43

      CHAPTER VI — SAALE-ELBE POCKET 46

      15 April 46

      16 April 49

      17 April 52

      18 April 53

      REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 55

      Elbe Operation with 2d Armored Division 83d Infantry Division

      FOREWORD

      A clear picture of a tactical situation cannot be produced without first reviewing the events leading to it. Such a review permits one to come abreast more rapidly and understand more thoroughly why tactical plans were made and executed.

      With this in mind, let us summarize developments of the two days prior to the time elements of the 2d Armored Division crossed the Elbe River. By this means, the general situation, of not only XIX Corps but subordinate units as well, will become clear.

      CHAPTER I — INTRODUCTION

      XIX Corps received orders on 10 April to continue the attack to the east from the no advance line, which was in the vicinity of Hildesheim. The actual reason for this line being established is not known, although it was thought that the rapid advance had carried our forces into Russian territory. Major General Raymond S. McLain, XIX Corps Commander, was quoted as saying, "I do not know why General Simpson{1} established that line, but I presume it was because of political reasons among the allies in Europe."{2}

      To this point, XIX Corps had been attacking on a semi-narrow frontage and had had the 2d Armored Division in the left sector, followed by the 30th Division; while the 83d Division remained abreast of the 2d Armored’s right flank. However, with the widening of the corps zone, switching the 30th Division from the rear to the left flank of the 2d Armored was made necessary. At the same time, the 113th Cavalry Squadron was attached to the 83d Division and the 125th Cavalry Squadron to the 30th Division for the purpose of screening the advances of the respective divisions.{3} With this arrangement, XIX Corps advanced toward the Elbe River. According to Corps Letter of Instructions #142, the 2d Armored was to seize a bridgehead across the Elbe and were then to assist the passage of the 30th and 83d Divisions through it.{4} That that plan would not even begin to materialize will be seen later.

      The 2d Armored Division made an 18 mile advance against the best coordinated effort exhibited by the Germans since the defense of the Teutorburger Wald. Combat Command A met considerable direct fire from dual-purpose 88mm guns and small arms fire in the factory area around Immendorf. CC B fighting a series of road block battles had by 1400, its forward elements within 6,000 yards of Hornburg.{5}

      The enemy was forced to abandon the Herman Göring Works at Immendorf and the entire heavily built-up factory area southwest of Braunschweig. More than 60 88mm guns were destroyed as were Railroad guns and artillery of all calibers. Elements of CCA were forced to remain in the area after the enemy’s evacuation on 11 April to prevent rioting, looting and traffic obstacles by the thousands of former forced laborers and freed Allied prisoners.{6}

      Miscellaneous units bore the entire weight of the advance. One significant fact emerging from this polyglot collection was the predominance of unite whose home stations ware in Wehrkreis VI{7}, in which this fighting was taking place. This was the first instance when sizeable tactical units failed to appear from distant parts to help defend at successive points. Each locality was thus forced to rely on troops originally a part of that area, whether Volksturm, Service and Supply troops, or AA units.{8}

      The trucks, formerly utilized to motorize the 83d Division, had been returned to supply dumps, the day proceeding the issuance of this order, to replenish a now well depleted stock. The advance order came when trucks were not available, thus any and all transportation was gathered together.

      Ahead lay the Harz Mountain area, which was known to be extremely rugged country. Not only was the natural growth and contours of the country an obstacle, but snow further made fighting conditions rough. The only effective enemy units were encountered in the northern approach to the Harz area south of Goslar, where our forces had to contend with elements of the 116th Panzer Division and 3d Panzer Grenadier Division that had managed to extricate themselves from the Ruhr Pocket. In addition, a newly formed division, the Potsdam, and a scratch division of Wehrkreis II, C. T. Greibig, made up the enemy forces.{9}

      As the 329th Regimental Combat Team, in the left half of the division sector and the 330th RCT in the right half, followed by the 331st RCT, surged ahead, resistance stiffened slightly along the edge of the woods northeast and southeast of Seesen, immediately in front of the 330th Combat Team. However, the 329th Combat Team continued driving around the northern edge of this area with very little difficulty and as the drive progressed, the 331st RCT was ordered to follow later swinging slightly south to take over the right half of the division sector. This was shortly done and both Combat Teams emerged on the slightly rolling but open country leading to their objective, the Elbe River. The 330th Combat Team was left with the responsibility of not only containing but eliminating the enemy in the northern Harz area.{10}

      ***

      On 11 April the 2d Armored made the longest advance in one day that has probably been made in the European Theater. Elements of Combat Command B, having captured crossings of the Oker River intact, advance to the east in two columns meeting moderate resistance. The north column reached the outskirts of southern Magdeburg while the southern CLM raced approximately 67 miles and entered the town of Schonebeck that evening. Street fighting

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