Meat Grinder

The U.S. Third Army pressed attacks across the Saar river in the late winter of 1945. Heavily fortified German positions made these assaults costly. Despite control of the air and overwhelming artillery support, ínfantry still had to make the crossings; …

1945-02-25

W08

The U.S. Third Army pressed attacks across the Saar river in the late winter of 1945. Heavily fortified German positions made these assaults costly. Despite control of the air and overwhelming artillery support, ínfantry still had to make the crossings; usually on their bellies. The 3rd Infantry Battalion supported by tank destroyers was ordered to establish a bridgehead; opposing the crossing were the German 38th Infantry and 63rd Volksgrenadíer Battalions.

Wadgassen, Germany

The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the Allied invasion of Germany, a series of offensive operations were designed to seize and capture the east and west bank of the Rhine River: Operation Veritable and Operation Grenade in February 1945, and Operation Lumberjack and Operation Undertone in March 1945. The Allied invasion of Germany started with the Western Allies crossing the Rhine on 22 March 1945 before fanning out and overrunning all of western Germany from the Baltic in the north to the Alpine passes in the south, where they linked up with troops of the U.S. Fifth Army in Italy. Combined with the capture of Berchtesgaden, any hope of Nazi leadership continuing to wage war from a so-called "National redoubt" or escape through the Alps was crushed, shortly followed by unconditional German surrender on 8 May 1945. This is known as the "Central Europe campaign" in United States military histories.

Wikipedia: Western Allied invasion of Germany

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