February 1945

Western Europe

Operation GRENADE begins at 0330, following a heavy artillery prepartion that lasts 45 minutes. The XIII and XIX Corps attack across the Roer while the XVI Corps stages a demonstration at jump-off time. The enemy is taken by surprise and the assault troops move forward rapidly against light to moderate resistance, but the engineers putting in bridges are greatly handicapped by the swift current of the river as well as accurate enemy ground fire and aerial attacks on crossing sites that delay the movement of rear elements and supporting armor.

In the XVI Corps area, as a diversion for Operaton GRENADE, the 79th Division's 314th Infantry and the 35th Division's 320th Infantry move forward to positions overlooking the Roer.

In the XIII Corps area, the 84th and 102nd Divisions cross the Roer at Linnich and Roerdorf, respectively. On the left, the 84th Division's 334th Infantry makes excellent progress against unexpectedly light resistance, clearing Koerrenzig, Rurich, and Baal. On the right, the 102nd Division, employing the 407th Infantry on the left and the 405th on the right, takes Blimbach, Gevenich, and Boslar.

The XIX Corps uses the 29th and 30th Divisions in its assault across the Roer with the 29th on the left making the main effort. The 29th Division crosses in the Broich-Jülich area, with the 115th and 175th Regiments on the left and right, respectively. The 115th seizes Broich and the heights northeast and southeast of the town, blocks the Mersch-Pattern road, and patrols toward these towns. The 175th Infantry's crossing at Jülich is delayed becausee of bridging difficulties, but a large portion of Jülich is cleared and a containing force is left at the Citadel. The 3rd Battalion of the 116th Infantry, attached to the 175th to help mop up in Jülich, crosses the Roer in the afternoon. The 330th RCT, 83rd Division, moves to the Schleiden area and is attached to the 29th Division. The 30th Division crosses in the vicinity of Schophoven. The 119th Infantry seizes the villages of Selgersdorf, Altenburg, and Daubenrath, and at 2300 opens an attack for Hambach. To the south, the 120th Infantry clears the villages of Selhausen and Krauthausen and begins an attack on Niederzier.

In the VII Corps area, after 45 minutes of intense preparatory fire, attacks across the Roer at 0330. Two regiments of the 104th Division and two of the 8th Division, each of them initially employing two assault battalions, cross abreast in the vicinity of Düren. On the north, the 104th Division's 415th Infantry takes Huhem and Stammeln while the 413th clears Birkesdorf and that part of Düren north of the railroad. On the south, the 8th Division's 13th Infantry enters Düren south of the railroad. The 28th Infantry, driving on Stockheim, passes through the woods west of the town. The swift current of the river presents a greater obstacle than the Germans, though bridging operations are also slowed by German fire. The 394th Infantry and the 324th Engineer Battalion rejoin the 99th Division in the vicinity of Aubel (Belgium).

In the VIII Corps area, enemy resistance is becoming increasingly disorganized. The 357th Infantry, 90th Division, overruns Kopscheid and pushes to the Prüm River line at Waxweiler, where the Germans blow the bridge, and Manderscheid. The 358th Infantry and TF Spiess clear the Lauperath area and capture Krautscheid, Heilbach, Upperhausen, and Berkoth. The 11th Armored Division, pinched out, consolidates and maintains contact with the 90th Division on the east and the 6th Armored Division on the south, CCB, 6th Armored Division, takes the last of its objectives, Jucken and the heights near that town and Olmscheid. They also make contact with the 6th Cavalry Group at Karlshausen, which it bypasses and contains and heads for Ober Geckler in an effort to contact the XII Corps. CCA mops up within its bridgehead east of the Our. The 15th Tank Battalion crosses at Ober Eisenbach and clears the region southward between the Our and Irsen Rivers.

In the XII Corps area, the 80th Division mops up and clears Ober Geckler. CCB, 4th Armored Division, takes Nieder Geckler and pushes on to Sinspelt, where a bridge is captured intact. The boundary between the 5th and 76th Divisions is moved northward, and the 304th Infantry of the 76th Division relieves elements of the 10th Infantry within its new zone. The 76th Division continues mopping up west of the Prüm.

In the XX Corps' 10th Armored Division's zone, the 376th RCT gains its objectives east of the Saar and clears Ockfen. Against heavy fire, the 94th Division continues crossing troops into the Serrig bridgehead, first by assault boats and later by a footbridge erected near Taben, and completes the capture of Serrig. On the west bank of the Saar, the 94th Reconnaissance Troop clears Krutweiler. The 5th Ranger Battalion and the 3rd Battalion of the 101st Infantry, 26th Division, are attached to the 94th Division. Upon relief in the Orscholz area by the 3rd Battalion of the 101st Infantry, the 5th Rangers cross the Saar. TF Polk, in support of operations to the north, conducts a fire demonstration against enemy positions east of the Saar, particularly in the Merzig area, and patrols actively. The 26th Division continues an aggressive defense of the Saarlautern bridgehead sector and slightly improves its positions in a limited attack.

In the XV Corps area, the 275th and 274th Regiments, 70th Division, improve positions below Saarbrücken while the 276th mops up in Forbach.

In the VI Corps area, the 36th Division begins the relief of the 101st Airborne Division on its left.