22 MARCH 1945 - CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN BEGINS - #WWII
On the night of 22 March 1945, elements of the XII Corps' 5th Infantry Division began the Third Army's assault crossing of the Rhine River.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #MilitaryHistory #WWIIEurope
On the night of 22 March 1945, elements of the XII Corps' 5th Infantry Division began the Third Army's assault crossing of the Rhine River.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #MilitaryHistory #WWIIEurope
The assault troops met no resistance when they reached the east bank at Nierstein. Farther upstream at Oppenheim, however, the first wave of boats came under heavy German automatic weapons fire before they were halfway across.
Despite the heavy opposition for about thirty minutes, the assault boats continued over. Once across, the infantrymen attacked and forced the surrender of scattered enemy strongpoints. By midnight assault units had expanded the bridgehead and attacked villages beyond the river.
Lacking men and heavy equipment to make a determined stand, German resistance throughout the sector proved sporadic, and the few hastily mounted counterattacks quickly lost momentum and faltered.
@USArmy @TRADOC @FORSCOM
@USArmy @TRADOC @FORSCOM
By midafternoon on 23 March all three regiments of the 5th Inf Division were in the bridgehead, and an attached regiment from the 90th Infantry Division was crossing. Tanks and tank destroyers were ferried across all morning, and by evening a treadway bridge was open to traffic.
By midnight, 5th ID units had pushed the boundary of the bridgehead more than 5 miles inland, and the rest of the XII Corps and Third Army crossed the Rhine deeper into the Reich with massive columns of armor and infantry. The Central European Campaign ended on 11 MAY.
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