World War II Daily: DDay to VEDay

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 9, 1944: It’s Saturday, and on the southern part of France elements of the French 2nd Corps (US 7th Army, as part of the Allied Expeditionary Force) continue their drive liberating Beaune, Le Cresot and Autun while to the north, the Canadian forces of British 21st Army Group free the Belgian city of Bruges.

In liberated France, General de Gaulle appoints a new Cabinet. The principal change is Georges Bidault (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Bidault) as Foreign Minister.

In Italy, the entrenched and fortified defensive line (the Gothic Line) of the Germans is holding strong - while the Allies are keen to break through the German defenses to open up the route to the northeast through the Ljubljana Gap into Austria and Hungary (thus threatening Germany from the rear), Churchill is even more concerned about slowing the Russian advance into central Europe.

In late August, the Bulgarian Fatherland Front began a successful armed rebellion against the government, drove out the German troops by the end of August, and overthrew the Bulgarian pro-Nazi government by September 9th; among the first announcements made by the new government is Bulgaria's declaration of war against Germany.

Pictured: Men of US Army 2nd Infantry Division advancing into Brest, France under German machine gun fire, Sept 9 1944; An M4 Sherman tank covering the advance of men of US 60th Infantry Regiment, Belgium, Sept 9 1944

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 10, 1944: The British 1st Corps (49th West Riding and 51st Highland Divisions) of the Canadian Army commences the siege of Le Havre, the largest port in northern France, which has been earmarked for American use. The approaches to Le Havre are well protected by flooding, mines, anti-tank ditches and huge concrete gun emplacements primarily designed for sea defense. The German garrison of 11,000 (underestimated by Allied Intelligence as being around 8,700) is strongly protected with artillery. The siege opens with Allied aircraft dropping 4,000 tons of bombs on to the defenses (followed by a further 5,500 tons over the two day battle). The 15-inch guns of HMS Erebus and Warspite are dialed in on the largest gun emplacements, although Erebus does receive some damage from return fire from the shore batteries. In addition, two heavy and six medium batteries add their support to the Divisional artillery Regiments during the softening-up process. The German resistance proves less tenacious than expected, resulting in a comparatively light Allied casualty rate (less than 400). Upon capture the docks are found to have been thoroughly damaged - it will be weeks before the port can be used.

Canadian elements of British 21st Army Group attack German-held positions near Zeebrugge, while troops of the US 1st Army (part of US 12th Army Group) liberate Luxembourg. General Eisenhower, commander of the AEF, accepts a proposal by Field Marshal Montgomery to conduct a series of airborne assaults to capture bridges in Holland and allow a rapid advance to the Rhine River (Operation Market Garden). During the meeting, Montgomery criticizes Eisenhower's broad front strategy and demands his army group to be the sole offensive force as current strategy places the other two army groups in poor positions to launch attacks into Germany. Eisenhower responds "teady Monty, you can't talk to me like that. I'm your boss."

Charles D. Hiller and a Belgian passenger (Henri Souvee) drove his jeep into the town of Roetgen, becoming the first Allied soldier under arms to cross the border into Germany.

In Italy, the US II Corps (US 5th Army) launches a new set of attacks against the German Gothic Line near Futa and Il Giogo Passes near Florence.

Heinrich Himmler orders that all deserters are to be shot, along with their families.

Pictured: Driving the Jeep is T/5 Charles D. Hiller, sitting next to him is Henri Souvee, a Belgian patriot (in an American uniform); aerial photograph of the bombing of Le Havre

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 11, 1944: After a heavy bombing raids by the RAF, elements of British 1st Corps (part of Canadian 1st Army) launch an assault on the German garrison that’s been cut-off in Le Harve. Forces of British 2nd Army cross the Dutch border near Bourg Leopold and establish a bridgehead over the Meuse-Escaut canal, while Scottish 15th Division crosses into the Netherlands near Antwerp. A few miles north of Trier (near where the Belgian city of Malmedy is occupied) Patton's US 3rd Army crosses the German border as other elements hook up with US 7th Army forces advancing from the south. Later today, lead forces of US 7th Army (French 1st Division) liberate Dijon and link up with elements of French 2nd Armored Division (part of US 3rd Army) near Sombernon.

The two companies that the US 7th Armored Division had managed to get across the Moselle River in France abandon their positions after a fierce counterattack by German SS troops (which began yesterday). The loss is not too serious as a better crossing has been established further south at Arnaville, but even there bridging operations are still hampered by artillery fire from Fort Driant.

In Italy, forces of US 5th Army continue to make modest gains against the Gothic Line defenses, while to the east, South African elements of British 13th Corps (part of British 8th Army) capture Pistoia.

General Spaatz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Andrew_Spaatz) orders a series of raids on German synthetic oil plants, dispatching 1,136 aircraft. During the mission, 36 B-17 bombers of 100th Bomber Group of US 8th Air Force, en route to attack the Schwarzheide synthetic fuel factory in eastern Germany, are intercepted by 60 Fw 190A and Bf 109 fighters of German Jagdgeschwader 4. In the first attack wave, 14 US bombers are shot down, uncontested by the American fighter escort, which has not yet arrived. In the second attack wave, US fighters are able to shoot down 32 German fighters (29 pilots killed). The air battle takes place roughly over the village of Oberwiesenthal in southern Germany. It’s a huge loss for the Luftwaffe, and surviving bombers are able to drop 53 tons of bombs on the Schwarzheide synthetic fuel factory.

Pictured: A US M18 Hellcat of the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion in the streets of Brest; map showing the Allied advances on their way to the German border

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 12, 1944: It’s been 14 weeks since D-Day, and the Allied forces continue to push the Germans back. In Le Havre, the German garrison (over 12,000 men) surrenders to the British 1st Corps (part of Canadian 1st Army, British 21st Army Group) after heavy fighting. Forces of US 1st Army (part of US 12th Army Group) reach the German border between Aachen and Trier. With the US 2nd Armored Division poised at the Albert Canal, General Brooks is relieved as the commanding officer and is placed in charge (on a temporary basis). Later this year General Brooks will assume command of the VI Corps

In the Mediterranean, the German forces on Mytilene, in the Aegean Sea, begin evacuations of the last islands occupied last fall. In Liberated Italy the Greek government in exile (in Cairo) arrives in the city of Caserta in the south in order to be closer to Greece in the anticipation of returning. In the Apennine Mountains, US 5th Army launches a major offensive against the German Gothic Line in Italy. To the east, Canadian 5th Armored Division and British 1st Armored Division attack Coriano, Italy.

One of the four German V-2 rockets launched hit the Chrysler vehicle works on Mortlake Road, in southwestern London. Eight are killed, 14 are wounded, and property damage is significant.

Pictured: Le Havre’s almost total destruction, over 12,000 German soldiers surrendered under the immense Allied firepower; the daunting landscape of the Lucca Valley, part of the German line of defense (the Gothic Line) in Italy

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 13, 1944: General Simpson’s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hood_Simpson) 9th Army, having relieved Patton’s 3rd Army, opens a series of attacks against the German garrison at Brest, hoping to break the German defenses which continue to fight fiercely against the Allies. Having been reassigned, the 3rd Army attacks and liberates Neufchateau.

After much delay and great pressure from the Western Allies, the Soviets finally begin supporting the Polish Home Guard uprising in Warsaw (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising) by air-dropping supplies and attacking German positions around the city. Meanwhile, forces of Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front continue to make progress as the Red Army capture Lomza and Narew, west of Bialystok.

In Italy, fighting on the Gothic Line continues as Canadian forces of the British 8th Army clear the Coriano Ridge and begin attacking and clearing the Gemmano Ridge.

Amon Göth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amon_Goeth) was relieved of his position as the commandant of Plaszów labor camp and was assigned to the SS Office of Economics and Administration.

Pictured: US troops reach the Siegfried Line; A B-26 Marauder bombing supply lines in Italy

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 14, 1944: In the north, General Crerar of the Canadian 1st Army is ordered by Montgomery to attack the area occupied by the Germans north of Antwerp, assisted by the Polish 1st Armored Division. The attack is difficult - on several occasions both the Canadian and Poles are pushed back by fierce German resistance. Despite the resistance, Allied troops capture Maastricht, Gulpen, and Meerssen in the Netherlands. To the south, Operation Dragoon officially comes to an end, as southern France is held entirely by the Allies.

In Italy, the Canadian 5th Armored Division and British 1st Armored Division (both elements of the British 8th Army) complete the seizure of the Gemmano Ridge with the capture of Zollara and Coriano, then continue the advance to the advance to the Marano River.

Soviet troops of 1st Belorussian Front capture the Warsaw suburb of Praga, an important strongpoint in the German defenses on the eastern bank of the Vistula, and began air dropping supplies to the Armia Krajowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Army). The Red Army’s 3rd Baltic Front opens a new set of attacks against the remnants of the German Army Group North. The Soviets attack with nearly a million men, 3000 tanks and are supported by 2600 aircraft. The German defenses quickly crumble under the massive onslaught and retreat toward Riga

Three German V-2 rockets hit Britain. One of them hits the center of Walthamstow, London at 4:55 AM, immediately killing six with another later dying from wounds. The resulting crater is 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

Pictured: Liberation of Maastricht, Netherlands; Russian troops enter the suburbs of Warsaw.

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 15, 1944: The last of the V-1 launch sites is captured in Holland, causing the Germans to increase their efforts to launch the weapons from aircraft.

The western Allies attack the Siegfried Line and the US 3rd Army liberates Nancy and Epinal in France. The British 2nd Army secure a second bridgehead and crosses the Meuse-Escaut canal, while the US 7th Army (Patch) and newly activated French 1st Army (de Lattre) move north from southern France and close on the German border and come under command of Eisenhower and SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Headquarters_Allied_Expeditionary_Force).

In liberated France, Francois de Menthon (Justice Commissioner in de Gaulle's administration) orders the arrest of Marshal Petain and all members of the Vichy French cabinet for their collaboration with the Nazis.

The British 8th Army continues its advance in Italy as a bridgehead over the Marano River is established.

In occupied Norway, Operation Paravane is underway - a force of 28 British Lancaster bombers (from a Soviet airbase) attack the German battleship Tirpitz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz), anchored in Altafiord. Special 12,000-pound ‘Tallboy’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallboy_(bomb)) earthquake bombs are used. Only one bomb hits the target (on the bow) due to a German smoke screen which obscures the target, but it is enough - the Tirpitz is so damaged (the shock caused by the explosion of the Tallboy, or possibly from other Tallboys that were near misses, also damaged the battleship's engines) that it is towed south to Tromsø for repairs - where it is sunk a few weeks later during Operation Catechism.

Pictured: German smoke screens make targeting the Tirpitz difficult - they were effective, only one Tallbout earthquake bomb is a direct hit; Lt. General Hodges (L) with Lt. Gen Dempsey (R) - Hodges was a ‘mustang’, having enlisted as a private and eventually rising to the rank of four-star general.

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

Drove to Chattanooga this weekend to see the USS LST-325, the only fully-operational LST (Landing Ship, Tank) of 1,051 built. USS LST-325 landed at Omaha Beach for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.



Nice crowd - we waited in line for about 1.5 hours to tour it and one crew ember said expected over 4,000 people to tour it Saturday alone. Really pleased so many folks still understand the importance of this historical beast.



Powerful...

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

Tidewater said:

Pretty cool. Is the ship going to be there long?

Click to expand...

Yah, it was amazing. It docked last Thursday and is there through this Wednesday.

Here's the website - I think it docks at two or three 'away ports' per year: http://www.lstmemorial.org

Re: Normandy daily - 1944

September 16, 1944: In the north, the US 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion capture Simpelveld in the Netherlands, while in the south, British forces land unopposed on Kythera island off Greece. The battle for Metz, France rages on, as Patton’s 3rd Army continues to battle General Knobelsdorff’s 1st Army for control of the French city located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.

On the Eastern Front, Soviet forces launch an offensive toward Riga and Tallinn, in the Baltics. In the Balkans, in accordance with the terms of the Bulgarian armistice, elements of 3rd Ukrainian Front occupy Sofia in Bulgaria, then turn west in an attempt to cut off the retreat of German forces still in Yugoslavia and Greece. Soviet troops, Bulgarian troops, and Yugoslavian partisans defeated Chetnik fighters and Serbian Frontier Guards and captured Vlasotince, Yugoslavia.

In a speech by Goebbels (Hitler’s ‘Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda’), he calls for resistance by all Germans with utmost fanaticism, adding,
“Rarely in history has a brave people struggling for its life faced such terrible tests as the German people have in this war.... The misery that results for us all, the never ending chain of sorrows, fears, and spiritual torture does not need to be described in detail. We are bearing a heavy fate because we are fighting for a good cause, and are called to bravely endure the battle to achieve greatness.”

In Quebec, the Second Quebec Conference (codenamed "OCTAGON”) comes to a close. Attended by Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Combined Chiefs of Staff, OCTAGON was a conference to determine Allied occupation zones in defeated Germany, the Morgenthau Plan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgenthau_Plan) to demilitarize Germany, continued U.S. Lend Lease aid to Britain, and the role of the Royal Navy in the war against Japan.

Pictured: Infantry of British 50th (Northumbrian) Division move past a knocked-out German 88mm gun near 'Joe's Bridge' over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Belgium; Montgomery addressing men of the British 15th (Scottish) Division during an investiture ceremony