The war against Germany: Europe and adjacent areas

Foreword

During World War II the photographers of the United States armed forces created on film a pictorial record of immeasurable value. Thousands of pictures are preserved in the photographic libraries of the armed services but are little seen by the public.

In the narrative volumes of UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II, now being prepared by the Office of the Chief of Military History of the United States Army, it is possible to include only a limited number of pictures. Therefore, a subseries of pictorial volumes, of which this is one, has been planned to supplement the other volumes of the series. The photographs have been especially selected to show important terrain features, types of equipment and weapons, living and weather conditions, military operations, and matters of human interest. These volumes will preserve and make accessible for future reference some of the best pictures of World War II. An appreciation not only of the terrain upon which actions were fought, but also of its influence on the capabilities and limitations of weapons in the hands of both our troops and those of the enemy, can be gained through a careful study of the pictures herein presented. These factors are essential to a clear understanding of military history.

This book deals with the European Theater of Operations, covering the period from the build-up in the United Kingdom through V-E Day. Its seven sections are arranged chronologically. The photographs were selected and the text written by Capt. Kenneth E. Hunter; the editing was done by Miss Mary Ann Bacon. The written text has been kept to a minimum. The appendixes give information as to the abbreviations used and the sources of the photographs.

Washington, D. C. ORLANDO WARD 6 February 1951 Maj. Gen., USA Chief of Military History

I. THE BUILD-UP IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE AIR OFFENSIVE, EUROPE 1

II. NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 73

III. NORTHERN FRANCE CAMPAIGN 147

IV. RHINELAND CAMPAIGN: 15 SEPTEMBER 1944–15 DECEMBER 1944 211

V. ARDENNES-ALSACE CAMPAIGN 261

VI. RHINELAND CAMPAIGN: 26 JANUARY 1945–21 MARCH 1945 325

VII. CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN 379

APPENDIX A: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 439

APPENDIX B: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 440

INDEX 443

SECTION I

The Build-up in the United Kingdom and the Air Offensive, Europe[1]

The build-up of the United States Army in the United Kingdom, from January 1942 until June 1944, with the huge amounts of supplies necessary to equip and maintain the forces and to prepare for the invasion of northern Europe was a tremendous undertaking. It involved the transportation of men and supplies across the Atlantic during a time when the German submarine menace was at its peak. The United States Navy played a vital role in transporting men and supplies and in protecting the convoys while en route. During this period the administrative task was enormous since facilities for quartering and training such large forces and for storing supplies and equipment had to be provided within the limited area of the United Kingdom. In October 1942 some of the units stationed in the United Kingdom were sent to the Mediterranean for the invasion of North Africa. The build-up continued after this, well-trained units arriving from the United States. As the time for the invasion of France approached, battle-tested units from the Mediterranean theater were transferred to England to prepare for their part in the assault. In spite of the limited terrain available, large-scale maneuvers and realistic amphibious operations were conducted. In the early spring of 1944 joint exercises of the ground, sea, and air forces which were to make the attack in Normandy were held along the southern coast of England. The last of these exercises was held in early May, the units then moving to the staging areas and embarkation points for the invasion.

While the ground forces were being equipped and trained the Allied air forces bombed the fortress of Europe. The Royal Air Force Bomber Command carried out the air assault by night and the United States Eighth Air Force by day. The first U. S. participation in the bombing of Europe from British bases was on 4 July 1942, when American crews flew six British bombers. During the fall of 1942 the Eighth Air Force prepared the Twelfth Air Force for the invasion of Africa, and it was not until the beginning of 1943 that U. S. bombers began to attack Europe from England in large-scale raids. From that time on the attacks on Germany continued with increasing intensity and shattering power until, in February 1944, the German Luftwaffe attempted to sweep the U. S. bombers from the skies over Europe. After a battle of one week’s duration over important industrial cities of Germany, the Luftwaffe was beaten and supremacy of the air was in Allied hands where it remained until the end of the war.

NORMANDY CAMPAIGN

SECTION II

Normandy Campaign

On 6 June 1944 the Allied military forces invaded northern France. After long study of the German strength, including coastal defenses and the disposition of enemy troops, the Allied commanders selected the beaches along the Bay of the Seine for the assault landings. The two beaches to be used by troops of the First U. S. Army were given the names of Utah and Omaha. Those on which the British and Canadians of the British Second Army were to land were named GOLD, SWORD, and JUNO. The assault began at 0200 on 6 June when airborne troops were dropped behind the beaches with the mission of securing exits from the beaches. Planes of the Allied air force bombed the coastal defenses and shortly after sunrise the Navy began shelling the beach defenses. At 0630 the first troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. The sea was rough and the assault forces met varying degrees of enemy opposition, but the beachheads were secured and the assault and follow-up troops moved on to accomplish their missions. The U. S. forces landing on Utah Beach moved northwest to clear the northern portion of the Cotentin Peninsula and capture the port of Cherbourg. Those landing on Omaha Beach advanced southward toward Saint-Lô. The troops of the British Second Army were to advance in a southeast direction from Caen.

The enormous build-up of men and material began immediately after the assault. This operation was made most difficult because of the lack of port facilities, but before the invasion plans had been made for the construction of artificial harbors. The plans were quickly put into effect and the harbors were almost completed when a summer gale struck the Channel coast destroying most of the construction work. By using amphibian trucks and Rhino ferries, and by drying out LST’s, the build-up over open beaches progressed much faster than was anticipated and men and supplies were poured into France in ever increasing numbers.

While the beachheads were expanded and the build-up continued, the infantry and armored units fought their way through the hedgerow country toward their objectives. The fighting was slow and costly as enemy opposition stiffened in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Allied advance. With the capture of Cherbourg and Saint-Lô the initial missions of the U. S. forces were completed and the forces were then assembled in preparation for the drives south and west from the beachhead toward Avranches and the Brittany Peninsula. The British forces were to push southward from Caen exploiting in the direction of Paris and the Seine Basin. These attacks were scheduled to begin on 19 July 1944 but because of bad weather the supporting aerial assault was delayed and the breakout of Normandy did not get under way until 25 July.

NORTHERN FRANCE CAMPAIGN

SECTION III

Northern France Campaign[2]

On 25 July 1944 the Allied forces fighting in Normandy were able to begin the offensive to break out of Normandy and carry to the German frontier. Preceding the ground attack planes of the Allied air forces dropped more than 3,390 tons of bombs on enemy positions on a narrow front in the vicinity of Saint-Lô. The air attack’s crushing power and its paralyzing effect on the German forces opened the way for a rapid and powerful drive by Allied armored and infantry units. Cities were captured in quick succession and the enemy troops were forced to flee in a disorderly retreat.

The armored spearheads led the way out the Brittany Peninsula which was quickly occupied, with the exception of the fortresses of the port cities which were to continue to fight until after the German borders had been reached. While part of the U. S. forces were overrunning the Brittany Peninsula, the major portion turned toward the east in the direction of Paris, and British and Canadian troops moved southward from Caen along the road to Falaise. The battle of the Falaise-Argentan pocket was a disastrous defeat for the German forces who were trying to prevent the Allies from moving eastward. During the fighting in this area elements of two German armies were so disorganized and destroyed that their effectiveness was greatly impaired.

Paris surrendered on 25 August and by the 27th all enemy resistance ceased there. The advance continued toward the eastern borders of France, where the Allies stopped their rapid drive, and though a few further advances were made, 14 September 1944 found them consolidating their positions along the Moselle River and northward in Belgium and Holland. The major port cities of Le Havre and Antwerp, which were badly needed by the Allies as ports of entry for men and materials, were captured.

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Introduction

During the Northern France Campaign the expanding Allied forces reorganized. The Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, moved to the Continent of Europe. The 21 Army Group was made up of the British Second and the Canadian First Armies. The 12th Army Group, composed of the First and Third U. S. Armies, became operational. In August 1944 Allied forces invaded southern France and moved northward to join those in northern France. This force, made up of the U. S. Seventh and French First Armies, made a junction with the northern group on 11 September. Also during this period the U. S. Ninth Army became operational and took over the reduction of the Brittany fortresses.

RHINELAND CAMPAIGN

15 September 1944–15 December 1944

SECTION IV

Rhineland Campaign

15 September-15 December 1944[3]

On 15 September 1944 the Allied forces that had invaded southern France came under control of the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force. This added the 6th Army Group to the forces opposing the enemy along the German frontier, making a total of forty-eight Allied divisions in the European Theater of Operations. In a little over three months, 6 June-15 September 1944, the Western Allies had carried their offensives from the Normandy beaches to the western borders of Germany. During the next three months little, if any, progress was made. Several factors contributed to this general slowdown. As fall and winter approached, rain, mud, and snow greatly hindered operations and made living conditions extremely trying. The terrain became more difficult since many rivers and streams had to be crossed and rough, wooded, and hilly country was encountered. Enemy resistance stiffened as the Allies reached the German border. But more important than any other single factor was the problem of supplying the large forces which had advanced so rapidly that they had outrun their supplies.

During this period, as the Allies came to the West Wall and the Rhine, severe fighting took place all along the front. Some of the most difficult operations of the war in western Europe occurred during the Rhineland Campaign as battles were fought in the Arnhem area, the Schelde estuary, the Huertgen Forest, the Aachen sector, the Metz and Saar regions, and the Belfort and Saverne Gaps. On 15 December the efforts of the Allies in the Rhineland were interrupted when the enemy broke through the lines in the Ardennes, causing a shift of troops to the Ardennes to reinforce the lines there.

ARDENNES-ALSACE CAMPAIGN

SECTION V

Ardennes-Alsace Campaign

In mid-December 1944 the Allies stopped along the German border, but continued to attack in the Saar and Roer regions, while they concentrated the majority of their strength for an attack in the north. The Germans, taking advantage of their continuous front along the West Wall, planned a counterattack to strike the Allies in one of the weakest portions of the line--the Ardennes sector. The ultimate goals of this German operation were to capture the port city of Antwerp, sever the major Allied supply lines emanating from that port, and destroy the Allied forces north of the Antwerp-Brussels-Bastogne line.

Early on the morning of 16 December the German armies struck the Allied troops located in Belgium and Luxembourg. The Allies holding this portion of the line were too thinly dispersed to offer any great resistance against the powerful enemy attack and were forced to fall back. While the defenders fought the Germans, Allied armies shifted their drives and troops were rushed to the Ardennes to reinforce the hard hit units along the front from Monschau to Echternach. After severe fighting during late December 1944 and early January 1945 the Germans were defeated and by 25 January the Allies were once more ready to move toward Germany through the West Wall defenses. During the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign winter set in and the cold weather and snow-covered terrain made operations and living conditions extremely difficult.

During this period the British forces in the north eliminated the Germans in the Roermond triangle and captured the enemy bridgehead west of the Roer River. The U. S. and French troops of the 6th Army Group fought a determined enemy in Lorraine and Alsace and by 25 January had driven the attacking Germans back across the Moder River.

The Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, which delayed the Rhineland Campaign for six weeks, secured no major terrain objectives for either side. The Germans, who had employed some of their best remaining units, lost nearly 250,000 men, 600 tanks and assault guns, and about 1,600 airplanes. The Allies suffered 72,000 casualties.

On 6 January 1945 the Fifteenth U. S. Army became operational on the Continent and was assigned to the 12th Army Group, taking over many of that army group’s responsibilities in the rear areas.

RHINELAND CAMPAIGN

26 January 1945–21 March 1945

SECTION VI

Rhineland Campaign

26 January-21 March 1945

At the successful conclusion of the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign the Allies again turned their attention to the Rhineland. Between 26 January and 21 March a major objective was achieved: the German troops which tried to halt the advance were cut off and destroyed, thus eliminating future enemy action west of the Rhine.

When the Rhineland Campaign ended the Allied Expeditionary Force numbered over 4,000,000 men organized into a well-balanced military machine, with combat elements ready to strike the final blow against the disintegrating enemy forces. On 21 March 1945 the First U. S. Army held a bridgehead across the Rhine about twenty miles wide and eight miles deep and had six divisions on the eastern bank of the river, while the remaining Allied troops were prepared to cross in their respective zones.

CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN

SECTION VII

Central Europe Campaign

The Central Europe Campaign began on 22 March 1945 with units of the First U. S. Army across the Rhine in the Remagen area. On the night of 22–23 March elements of the Third U. S. Army crossed the river at Oppenheim. As the First and Third Armies crossed the Rhine the Fifteenth U. S. Army took over the area west of the river from Bonn to Neuss. On 26 March the Seventh U. S. Army crossed the Rhine north and south of Worms and, after meeting stiff resistance on the river bank, broke through the enemy and quickly expanded the bridgehead. The Ninth U. S. Army crossed the river south of Wesel while the British Second Army crossed north of the city. Elements of the First Allied Airborne Army dropped east of the Rhine and linked up with the ground troops east of the river. In many respects this was the most successful airborne operation that had been carried out up to this time.

After the Allies were firmly established east of the Rhine the great German industrial area of the Ruhr was encircled and the defending troops captured. The advance through Germany was rapid and met with little opposition except in scattered areas. The Russians drove into Germany from the east and enemy troops in trying to escape capture by the Russians surrendered by the thousands to the western Allies. As the U. S., British, and Canadian troops in the north reached the line where it was expected they would meet the Russian forces, they halted. The Third and Seventh U. S. Armies continued their drives into Czechoslovakia and Austria where a junction was also made with the Russians.

On 2 May 1945 the German forces in Italy surrendered. Two days later elements of the Seventh U. S. Army met those of the Fifth U. S. Army, coming from Italy, at the Brenner Pass. On 9 May 1945 the surrender of all the German forces became effective, marking the end of the war in Europe.

Appendix A

List of Abbreviations

BAR Browning automatic rifle cm. Centimeter DD Duplex drive DUKW 2½-ton 6 × 6 amphibian truck E-boat Small torpedo boat (German) Flak Fliegerabwehrkanone (antiaircraft artillery gun) Jaeg. Jaegdtiger (tank-destroyer) K. Kanone (gun) Kar. Karabiner (carbine) Kw. Kraftwagen (motor vehicle) Kw. K. Kampfwagenkanone (tank gun) LBK Landing barge, kitchen LBV Landing barge, vehicle LCI Landing craft, infantry LCR(S) Landing craft, rubber (small) LCT Landing craft, tank LCT(R) Landing craft, tank (rocket) LCVP Landing craft, vehicle-personnel LST Landing ship, tank M. G. Maschinengewehr (machine gun) mm. Millimeter OCS Officer Candidate School Pak. Panzer abwehrkanone (antitank gun) Pz. Panzer Pz. Kpfw. Panzerkampfwagen (tank) SCR Signal Corps Radio SHAEL Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force Stu. G. Sturmgeschuetz (self-propelled assault gun) Stu. K. Sturmkanone (self-propelled assault gun) U-boat Submarine WAAC Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps WAC Women’s Army Corps

Appendix B

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgment is made to the Keystone Press Agency, Ltd., London, England, for the first photograph in this volume. All other photographs came from the Department of Defense and were taken from the U. S. Army files, except for those accredited below to the U. S. Navy, U. S. Air Force, and U. S. Coast Guard. (At the time these photographs were taken, the Coast Guard was operating as a part of the Navy.)

U. S. Navy: pp. 24, 77, 94b, 96, 110b, 122

U. S. Air Force: pp. 8, 9, 12, 18, 19, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 38, 39, 48, 49, 76, 78–79, 86–87, 94a, 95, 98, 99, 100–101, 104, 112–13, 116, 118, 126, 129a, 130–31, 140–41, 155, 158–59, 176, 177, 180–81, 188–89, 202, 203, 218–19, 226–27, 236–37, 266–67, 280–81, 296–97, 318–19, 330–31, 334–35, 336–37, 339, 341, 358–59

U. S. Coast Guard: pp. 80, 88a, 92

UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II

The following volumes have been published:

The War Department

Chief of Staff: Prewar Plans and Preparations Washington Command Post: The Operations Division Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare: 1941–1942 Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare: 1943–1944 Global Logistics and Strategy: 1940–1943 Global Logistics and Strategy: 1943–1945 The Army and Economic Mobilization The Army and Industrial Manpower

The Army Ground Forces

The Organization of Ground Combat Troops The Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops

The Army Service Forces

The Organization and Role of the Army Service Forces

The Western Hemisphere

The Framework of Hemisphere Defense Guarding the United States and Its Outposts

The War in the Pacific

The Fall of the Philippines Guadalcanal: The First Offensive Victory in Papua CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul Seizure of the Gilberts and Marshalls Campaign in the Marianas The Approach to the Philippines Leyte: The Return to the Philippines Triumph in the Philippines Okinawa: The Last Battle Strategy and Command: The First Two Years

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations

Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative in the West Sicily and the Surrender of Italy Salerno to Cassino Cassino to the Alps

The European Theater of Operations

Cross-Channel Attack Breakout and Pursuit The Lorraine Campaign The Siegfried Line Campaign The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge The Last Offensive The Supreme Command Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume II

The Middle East Theater

The Persian Corridor and Aid to Russia

The China-Burma-India Theater

Stilwell’s Mission to China Stilwell’s Command Problems Time Runs Out in CBI

The Technical Services

The Chemical Warfare Service: Organizing for War The Chemical Warfare Service: From Laboratory to Field The Chemical Warfare Service: Chemicals in Combat The Corps of Engineers: Troops and Equipment The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Japan The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany The Corps of Engineers: Military Construction in the United States The Medical Department: Hospitalization and Evacuation; Zone of Interior The Medical Department: Medical Service in the Mediterranean and Minor Theaters The Ordnance Department: Planning Munitions for War The Ordnance Department: Procurement and Supply The Ordnance Department: On Beachhead and Battlefront The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services, Volume I The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services, Volume II The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Japan The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Germany The Signal Corps: The Emergency The Signal Corps: The Test The Signal Corps: The Outcome The Transportation Corps: Responsibilities, Organization, and Operations The Transportation Corps: Movements, Training, and Supply The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas

Special Studies

Chronology: 1941–1945 Military Relations Between the United States and Canada: 1939–1945 Rearming the French Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt The Women’s Army Corps Civil Affairs: Soldiers Become Governors Buying Aircraft: Materiel Procurement for the Army Air Forces The Employment of Negro Troops Manhattan: The U. S. Army and the Atomic Bomb

Pictorial Record

The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas The War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacent Areas The War Against Japan

Index

Aachen, Germany, 217, 218–19

Aerial bombardment. See Bombardment, aerial.

Air attacks Allied, 8, 24, 26, 33 briefing for, 39 German, 34

Air bases. See Airfields.

Aircraft, Allied, 35 bombers, heavy, 8, 13, 19, 26, 32, 33, 59, 202, 399 bombers, light, 104, 116 bombers, medium, 76, 203 burning, 26 damaged, 399 fighters, 9, 48, 49, 59, 105, 338, 399 gliders, 29, 94, 95, 214, 390, 391, 393 identification of, 76, 95 liaison planes, 42, 248, 294 naval, 24 on fire, 105 transport planes, 94, 214, 345, 404, 435 wrecked, 393

Aircraft, German, 400

Airfields construction of, 18, 105 France, 391 Germany, 404

“Alligators,” 22. See also Landing craft.

Ambulances, 317 converted jeep, 204

American Red Cross, 25

Ammunition .30-caliber, 160 .50-caliber, 338 240-mm. howitzer shells, 316 German, 263 mortar shells, 182, 245, 310

Ammunition dump, 160

Amphibian trucks, DUKW’s, 68, 257

Amphibious landings. See Landing operations.

Andernach, Germany, 350

Antiaircraft guns 40-mm., 60 90-mm., 61, 102, 243 German, 343, 366

Antitank guns 3-inch, 102 57-mm., 151, 217 British, 6, 115 damaged, 154 German, 154, 168, 348, 397

Ardennes Forest, 269, 270, 284

Argentan, France, 177

Armored vehicles, 198, 200. See also Vehicles. German, 350

Army Post Office, England, 41

Artificial harbor, OMAHA Beach, 118

Artillery 8-inch guns, 192, 206, 371 8-inch howitzer, 192 75-mm. howitzer (pack), 292 105-mm. howitzers, 23, 42, 43, 114, 186, 232, 250, 327, 363 155-mm. guns, 42, 43, 193, 299 155-mm. howitzers, 103, 125, 270, 293 240-mm. howitzer, 186 German, 366 mortars. See Mortars. observation planes, 42, 248, 294

Artillery barrage, 364

Assault boats, 7, 428. See also Landing craft.

Assault guns, German, 215, 397

Autobahn, 384

Avranches, France, 156, 158–59

Azimuth instrument, 353

Bailey bridges, 193, 369

Ball-bearing factory, on fire, 31

Bangalore torpedo, 28

Barbed wire, 28, 110, 191, 207, 278, 302

Barrage balloons, 77, 92, 97, 107, 123

Bastogne, Belgium, 280–81, 308

“Bazookas,” 53, 185. See also Rocket launchers.

Beaches British sector, 76 OMAHA, 78–79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 106, 118, 119 UTAH, 86–87, 88, 89, 97

Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3, 4

Beurig, Germany, 330–31

Big Ben, V-E night, 436

Bingen, Germany, 364

Bitche, France, 372, 318–19

Bivouac area, 288

Bois du Mont du Roc, France, 126

Bomb, robot, 35

Bomb damage, 139, 151, 154, 156, 217, 344. See also War damage. fortifications, 127 France, 125, 178 Germany, 339, 340, 354 railroad bridge, 98

Bomb strike, Schweinfurt, Germany, 30

Bombardment. See also Air attacks. aerial, 8, 31, 33, 116, 202 artillery, 333

Bombers heavy, B-17, 8, 13, 19, 32, 33, 59, 202 heavy, B-24, 8, 26, 32, 399 light, A-20, 104, 116 medium, B-26, 76, 203

Bombs, 1,000-pound, 21

Boppard, Germany, 382

Breisach, Germany, 333

Bremen, Germany, 33

Bremen harbor, Germany, 421

Brest, France, 188–89, 207

Bridges Bailey, 193, 369 damaged, 98, 355, 356, 402 footbridges, 369, 417 ponton, construction of, 60 ponton, heavy, 387 railroad, 401 treadway, 161, 208, 240, 340, 357, 382

British troops, 4

Broderkons Berg, Germany, 358–59

Bulldozers, 129, 161. See also Tractors.

Cameras moving picture, 349 still picture, 349

Camouflage, 103, 125, 314 8-inch gun, 305 antiaircraft gun, 61 armored car, 285 German, 91, 117, 124 gun motor carriage, 285 helmet, 108 howitzer, 277 suits, 151 tanks, 150, 204

Canals Rhône-Rhine, France, 334–35 Vauban, France, 334–35 Vire-Taute, France, 112–13 Widensohlen, France, 334–35

Carbine M1, 184. See also Small arms.

Carentan, France, 112–13, 114, 115

Cargo planes. See Transport planes.

Casualties, 83, 84, 108 evacuation of, 138, 204, 253 German, 409

Causeway, floating, 119 damaged, 120

Celebration, V-E Day, 433

Champs Elysées, 191

Cherbourg, France, 128, 129, 130–31 enemy fortifications, 127

Civilians French, 191 German, 396, 401, 405, 414, 432

Clothing camouflaged, 151, 265, 284 decontamination suits, 11 German, 265 paratroop, 16 pilot, 12 repair of, 307 shoepacs, 283 winter, 11, 284, 292

Colmar, France, 332

Cologne, Germany, 354

Communications, 40, 166 equipment, 56 hand generator GN 45, 85 repair of, 375, 405 SCR 284, 85 SCR 536, 85, 352 short wave aerial kite, 27 switchboard BD71, 175 telephone lines, repair of, 303

Construction airfields, 18, 105 bridges, 369, 381 pipeline, 196 ponton bridge, 60

Convoy, motor, 155, 170, 308, 317, 357, 394, 424

Crane, truck-mounted, 161

Cub plane, 42

Dachau, Germany, 429

Danube River, 417

Debarkation of troops, Northern Ireland, 3

Depot Engineer, 44 Ordnance, 20, 22, 43

Distribution point, gasoline, 255

Domfront, France, 178

Dreux, France, 168

Duesseldorf, Germany, 401

DUKW’s, 68, 97

Enclosure, prisoner of war, 408

Evacuation of casualties, 138, 204, 361 of pilots, 96

Exercise fabius, 66, 67. See also Training.

Falaise, France, 176

Ferry, Rhino, 122

Fighter planes P-38, 9 P-47, 9, 59, 338 P-47, damaged, 399 P-47, on fire, 105 P-51, 9, 48, 49 British, 35 German, 400

Fire fighters, British, 34

First aid. See Medical operations.

Flak, 8, 202

Flooded area, 229, 248

Footbridges, 369, 417

Fort de Queuleu, France, 226–27

Fort du Roule, France, 130–31

Fort Saint Julien, France, 226–27

Fort Sebastian, France, 318–19

Fortifications, 216, 347 dragon’s teeth, 373 German, 91, 315, 332 German, damaged, 127

Foxholes, 142, 228, 328

Frankfurt, Germany, 384, 385

French Forces of the Interior, 190

Fuel tank, 48

Gas masks, wearing of, 4, 11

Glider pilots, evacuation of, 96

Gliders, 29, 94, 95, 214, 390, 391 British, 29, 94 wrecked, 94, 393

Gun crews antiaircraft, 102 naval, 77

Gun motor carriages, 200, 225, 233, 234, 285, 344, 374

Guns 8-inch, 192, 206, 304, 305, 371 155-mm., 193, 299 antiaircraft, 90-mm., 102 antitank, 3-inch, 102 antitank, British, 115 German, 91, 124, 221

Half-tracks, 65, 217, 253, 414 on fire, 264

Hand grenades, 6, 142, 274

Harbors artificial, 118, 120 Antwerp, 256 Bremen, 421 Brest, 188–89 Cherbourg, 130–31, 132, 172 damaged, 120 Saint-Malo, 180–81 Saint-Nazaire, 422

Headquarters, ETO, London, 45

Hedgerow cutter, 133

Hedgerows, 134, 144, 149, 150, 165

Helmets, 163 camouflaged, 108 World War I, 4, 6 World War II, 16

Hill, Germany, 358–59

Hospitals England, 50 evacuation, 109

Howitzers. See also Artillery. 105-mm., 114, 232, 250, 327, 363 155-mm., 103, 125, 270, 293

Howitzer motor carriages, 23, 251, 277, 370

Huertgen Forest, Germany, 234, 235, 241

Infantrymen, 128, 129, 144, 152, 162, 163, 165, 179, 182, 187, 201, 205, 228, 238, 269, 274, 282, 376 aboard ship, 92 column of, 81, 89, 97, 167, 216, 249, 312, 372 German, 197, 263, 264, 265 in glider, 29 wounded, 197

Invasion. See Landing operations.

Invasion beaches. See Beaches.

Invasion operations, 96

Invasion preparations, 70, 75. See also Training.

Jeeps, 29, 244, 326 with wire cutter, 143

Juelich, Germany, 336–37

Kommerscheidt, Germany, 236–37

Landing craft assault boat, 7, 428 converted to rocket launcher, 63 LBK, 77 LBV, 77 LCI, 64, 92 LCR, 82 LCT, 55, 64, 65, 77, 81, 96 LGVP, 66, 69, 70, 80, 81, 380, 381 LST, 55, 70, 121 LST, deck loaded, 67 LVT, 22

Landing operations, 76, 78–79, 80, 81, 86–87, 88. See also Beaches.

Liaison plane, 42 equipped with skis, 294

Life preservers, 7, 12, 82

Life raft, 27

Living conditions, 228, 288, 322, 363

London, 34, 45

Lousberg, Germany, 218–19

Ludendorf Bridge, 355, 356

Lunéville, France, 221

Machine guns .30-caliber Browning, 11, 134, 179, 217 .45-caliber, 6 .50-caliber Browning, 389 .50-caliber Browning, aircraft, 13 German, 52

Magdeburg, Germany, 411, 412

Mail call, 152

Main River, Germany, 30, 385

Maneuvers, 29, 47, 64. See also Training.

Manhay, Belgium, 296–97

Map making equipment, 36, 37

Maps Central Europe, 378 Normandy, 72 Northern France, 146 Rhineland, 210, 324

Marshalling area, England, 69

Masks gas, 11 oxygen, 12

Medical aid, administering of, 19, 83, 108

Medical aid men, 19, 83, 108, 138, 197, 204, 253, 309, 360

Medical operations, 309, 360 immunization, 252 surgery, 109

Mess, 129, 238, 288, 295, 347

Metz, France, 224, 226–27

Military police, 171, 357

Mine detectors, 88, 93, 375

Mine exploder, 240

Mine field, German, 93

Mines antipersonnel, 93 antitank, 279

Montebourg, France, 125

Mortars 60-mm., 6, 53, 183 81-mm., 6, 65, 182, 310 chemical, 4.2-inch, 245

Moselle River, 201, 204, 208, 220, 226–27, 244, 364

Motor carriages gun, 46, 64, 103, 135, 185, 194, 199, 207, 233, 234, 285, 344, 374, 412 howitzer, 150, 169, 199, 251, 277, 370

Mud, 213, 222, 231, 234, 345

Muenchen-Gladbach, Germany, 341

Neckar River, 402

Negro troops, 10, 103, 107

Neuf Brisach, France, 334–35

Niederleuken, Germany, 330–31

Night firing, 316

Nuernberg, Germany, 416

Observation posts, 166, 353, 362

Obstacle, tank, 216, 373

Officer Candidates School, 11

OMAHA Beach, 78–79, 118

Optical equipment, repair of, 14

Our River, 346

Oxygen mask, 12

Oxygen tank, 13

Pack howitzer, 292. See also Artillery.

Parachute jump suit, 16, 75

Parachutes, 58

Parade, Paris, 191

Paratroopers, 58, 306

Paris, 190

Pillbox, German, 332

Pipeline, gasoline, 132, 196, 254

Pistol, automatic, .45-caliber, 6

Plasma, administrating of, 19, 83

“Priest,” 23

Prisoners of war Allied, 268, 435 German, 84, 110, 128, 153, 239, 276, 300, 346, 383, 384, 386, 389, 408, 425, 429

Propaganda leaflets, German, 152

Pruem, Germany, 344

Queen Elizabeth, 25

Quonset huts, 50

Railroad bridge, 98, 401 destroyed, 173 equipment, 44, 54, 172, 173 French, 173 yards, 218–19, 405

Railroads Belgium, 256, 258 damaged, 339 France, 99, 112–13, 226–27 Germany, 339 Recreation, 184

Red Ball Highway, 170, 171. See also Roads.

Remagen Bridge, Germany, 355, 356

Repair shop, Ordnance, 14

Rescue launch, British, 27

Rescue operations, 82

Rheine, Germany, 339

Rhine River, 354, 356, 357, 380, 381, 382, 387

Rhino ferry, 122

Rhône-Rhine Canal, 334–35

Rifles. See also Small arms. .30-caliber M1, 6, 7, 29, 144, 162 .30-caliber M1903, 6 .30-caliber M1903A3, 29 .30-caliber M1918A2, 6, 29 .30-caliber M1919A4, 6 M1 with rifle grenade, 271 German, 52

River crossings, 201, 244, 346, 364, 369, 380, 381, 387, 402, 409, 427

Rivers France, 98, 140–41, 161, 201, 204, 208, 220, 226–27, 244 Germany, 30, 330–31, 336–37, 340, 354, 356, 357, 364, 380, 381, 382, 385, 387, 402, 411, 417 Luxembourg, 346

Road signs, 286, 424

Roads Ardennes, 266–67, 271 Austria, 424, 426, 427 Belgium, 198, 280–81, 296–97, 312 France, 78–79, 86–87, 126, 136, 138, 150, 155, 157, 158–59, 167, 170, 185, 195, 226–27, 229, 247, 320 Germany, 216, 234, 235, 236–37, 264, 394, 398, 425

Rocket launcher site, German, 117

Rocket launchers. See also Small arms. 2.36-inch, 29, 53, 185, 306 4.5-inch, 241, 403 German, 174

Rocket projector, German, 343

Roer River, 336–37, 340

Saale River, 411

Saare River, 330–31

Saarrbourg, Germany, 330–31

Saint-Lô, France, 139, 140–41

Saint-Malo, France, 179, 180–81

Saint-Nazaire harbor, France, 422

Schweinfurt, Germany, 30, 31

Seatrain, 172

Seine River, 98

Serrig, Germany, 362

Shell fire, German, 90

Small arms, 6, 29 carbine, 184 German, 52 machine guns, 134, 179, 217, 291 rifles, 162, 271 rocket launcher, 2.36-inch, 53 Thompson submachine gun, 75

Smoke screens, 68, 242

Street fighting, 205, 217, 224, 407 Cherbourg, 128

Submachine guns, .45-caliber, 29, 75. See also Small arms.

Submarine pens, German, 422

Submarines, German, 421 bombing of, 24

Supply operations, 122, 132, 170, 171, 256, 257, 258, 308, 404 aerial, 95, 345 German, 99 Normandy, 123 UTAH Beach, 97

Tank destroyer, 412

Tanks damaged, 136, 137 French, 157 German, 136, 137, 268, 301 light, 47, 133, 150, 247, 289, 314, 367 medium, 15, 22, 47, 62, 137, 149, 156, 160, 164, 168, 195, 204, 221, 230, 231, 233, 244, 307, 332, 342, 351, 367, 388, 398, 403, 414, 419, 423 on fire, 351 waterproofed, 62, 388 with hedgerow cutter, 133, 149 with rocket launcher, 403 with track extensions, 230, 231

Tanks, containers fuel, 48 oxygen, 13 water, 50

10 Downing Street, London, 45

Tents, 50, 109

Terrain Ardennes, 266–67 Austria, 426, 430, 431 Belgium, 280–81, 296–97 England, 35 flooded, 229 France, 78–79, 86–87, 95, 98, 100–101, 126, 140–41, 158–59, 176, 177, 220, 226–27, 318–19, 330–31, 334–35 Germany, 236–37, 336–37, 358–59, 362, 373, 409

Thanksgiving Day dinner, 228

The Stars and Stripes, V-E edition, 433

Tractors diesel, 161 high-speed, 18-ton M4, 192

Train, German, wrecked, 99

Training England, 6, 23, 28, 29, 42, 46, 53, 58, 60, 65, 66, 68, 69 Northern Ireland, 5, 17, 52 Officer Candidate School, 11 Scotland, 7

Transport planes, C-47, 94, 345, 404, 435

Transport ship, British, 25

Treadway bridges, 208, 240, 340, 357, 382 construction of, 161

Trench, 251

Trévières, France, 100–101

Troops. See also Infantrymen. German, 420 Russian, 418

20 Grosvenor Square, London, 45

UTAH Beach, 86–87, 88

Vauban Canal, France, 334–35

V-bomb, German, 400

Vehicles ambulances, 19, 109, 317, 326 amphibian trucks, 68, 97, 123 armored car, 156, 157, 198, 200, 285 bulldozers, 44, 129, 161 burning, 407 cargo carrier, 253 damaged, 395 French, 190 German, 115, 195, 420, 426 gun motor carriages, 46, 103, 135, 185, 200, 207, 225 half-tracks, 46, 65, 217, 414 horse-drawn, 420, 426 howitzer motor carriages, 150, 169, 199 jeeps, 29, 326 on fire, 195 semitrailer, 258, 404 tank recovery, 65, 216 tractor, 20, 21, 44, 192 trailer, 170 trucks, 18, 121, 123, 170 weapons carrier, 122

Vire River, France, 161

Vire-Taute Canal, France, 112–13

Waldenburg, Germany, 415

War damage, 129, 155, 364, 385, 389, 411, 412, 415, 416

Water tanks, 50

“Weasel,” 253

Weather conditions, 5, 228, 229, 249, 250, 253, 255, 266–67, 288, 295, 320, 326, 430

Weather forecasting equipment, 38

Widensohlen Canal, France, 334–35

Women American Red Cross, 25 Army Auxiliary Corps, 25 Army Corps, 40 Army nurse, 51

Wuerzburg, Germany, 413

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PIN: 039019-000

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See Gordon A. Harrison, Cross-Channel Attack, Washington, D. C., 1951.

[2] See Martin Blumenson, Break-Out and Pursuit.

[3] See H. M. Cole, The Lorraine Campaign, Washington, D. C., 1950; and Gordon A. Harrison and Forest C. Pogue, Jr., The Rhineland and Central Germany, now in preparation for the series U. S. ARMY IN WORLD WAR II.

Transcriber’s Notes:

Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected silently.

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