March 27, 1945: Gahlen Germany

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Gahlen Germany is half way between the Rhine River and Dorsten Germany. Gahlen was a scene of fierce fighting as Allied forces, particularly the XVICorps advanced across the Rhine River to the west and Lippe river to the north, with troops moving through Gahlen under heavy artillery and air attack, from German Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The German troops put up intense resistance resulting in heavy destruction typical of the final weeks of the war in the region.

On March 28, 1945 the Americans encountered resistance from the remnants of German 116th Panzer-Division and 15th Panzer Grenadier-Division. The XVICorps included the 290th Infantry, of which the 75th Infantry Division was a part along with the 30th Infantry Division and the 8th Armored Division (The Thundering Herd).

On March 28, 1945 the XVICorps attacked East along the Lippe River and Lippe Canal. On the push to Dorsten, the Americans encountered resistance from the remnants of German 116th Panzer-Division and 15th Panzer Grenadier-Division. 30 Mar 1945,

After crossing the Rhine River, the first goal of the XVICorps was to push west towards Berlin Germany. General William H. Simpson was leading the American 9th Army as they pushed east. Prior to this push he had worked under the British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The British forces lacked the fire power to make the push on their own, so the American 9th Army assisted.

The Ruhr Pocket was encircled on April 1, 1945 trapping more than 300,000 German soldiers. Once trapped, they became more desperate as the pocket was tightened from the Americans attacking from the north. Old men and children were given weapons and told to fight for their fatherland.

Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower abandoned the idea of pushing to Berlin Germany on April 2, 1945. He decided to leave that prize to the Soviets since the Potsdam agreement had already established how the conquered German territories would be divided.

After Berlin was abandoned by the Americans, the goal became to sweep south right through the center of the Ruhr and crush the industrial area. This would involve prolonged and intense house to house combat in the industrial cities. Eisenhower thought that pushing to Berlin would have to high a price on American casualties, but the Ruhr Pocket was also a highly defended meat grinder.

The overall; movement of the Corps was from West to East along the Lippe Canal which runs West to East. After reaching Dorsten the XVI Corps then moved south, to seize and hold crossings over Rhein-Herne Canal at the junction with the Lippe River, and then continue south to the Ruhr River.

The Gahlen Memorial that I sketched was inaugurated on September 10, 1922. Six marble plaques are inset into the walls of the memorial containing the names of German soldiers who died in World War II. The massive obelisk in the center contains the names of soldiers who died in World War I. These names became severely weathered making them hard to read. In 2004 the weathered plaques were replaced with bronze plaques. The entire monument underwent a full restoration in 2022.

Ehren Friedhof Duisburg Germany

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I got lost looking for this cemetery and a German woman offered help. I was pleased that I understood her directions that involved pointing and military style hand gestures and was able to thank her in German.

I decided I had to do a sketch that showed some of the hundreds of German soldier headstones in the Ehren Friedhof cemetery in Duisburg Germany. There were three designs of headstone, the stout German cross, a classic tall arch and stones lying flat on the ground. I was again attracted to a sculpture near the entrance to the cemetery. This is a common area where people walk their dogs. I don’t know if they pick up the poop, but I assume so. Dogs are startled to see someone sitting in the cemetery sketching, so they bark frantically but eventually come up to me for a few pets.

The statue is titled Sitzender Jungling (Sitting Youth)  by Von Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881-1919). The original sculpture is in the Lehmbruck Museum (Friedrich-Wilhelm-Strasse 40 47051 Duisburg, Germany). It was recast at the suggestion of the citizens of Duisburg in 2021 for this site.

Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Ruhr area of Germany died in World War II. Estimates are that about 4.2 million German military and civilian deaths occurred in the war with significant losses concentrated in battles that occurred in the Ruhr Pocket. Duisburg was a primary target for Allied bombing raids resulting in heavy civilian losses.

There was a third statue in the cemetery that was a monument to the German 193rd Infantry Regiment. It was erected in 1933. The statue was considered inappropriate by many as it had an inscription that glorified war and nationalism. It was destroyed in 2015.

 

 

March 26, 1945: Duisburg Germany

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My notes showed that the 75th Infantry Division was in Duisburg Germany on March 26, 1945. It is 22 miles south of the front lines up at Hunxe Germany. Duisburg is a much larger city than the smaller town the troops were moving through up near the Lippe River and canal. Now that I am sitting down and doing more research, I think that I made a mistake. German troops still had control of Duisburg Germany on March 26. Duisburg is on the Rhine River and now I think that in my early research I must have read that Duisburg was an objective after the Rhine crossings but it is much further south than where the 75th a infantry troops crossed the river. The 75th was assigned to the XVI Corps during OPERATION PLUNDER. I realize now that the XIX Corps would have overtaken Duisburg. That is the advantage of actually traveling to the place. Such mistakes become obvious with boots on the ground.

When in Duisburg I decided to sketch in the Ehren Friedhof German Military Cemetery in Kriesarberg Park . I focused my attention on this statue of a half naked German soldier unsheathing his sword. The sexual innuendo is pretty obvious. There were hundreds of headstones for World War II soldiers but I preferred to focus on how sexy it is to die for your country.The statue is considered controversial by some Germans because it is unclear weather the soldier is unscheathing the sword or putting it away.

Duisburg is considered by some historians to have been the most heavily bombed city by the allies during WWII, with more than 80% of the city buildings destroyed. Between 1939 and 1945 the Royal Air Force flew 299 sorties dropping bombs on Duisburg.  Being in the heart of the Ruhr Industrial area and on the Rhine River, made the city vital for German war production and logistics. The city is also a hub for railroad traffic which I noticed as I hiked into the city center. The city was the location of many chemical, steel and iron industries. To stop the German war effort, the Ruhr had to be defeated. As a major port and industrial center, Duisburg was a crucial target for capture after the initial Rhine River crossings. 

The 79th Infantry Division rather than the 75th Infantry Division played a key role in clearing Duisburg during the final push into Germany in April 1945, crossing the Rhine near the city and participating in the Ruhr Pocket battles alongside other units like the 95th Infantry Division and 8th Armored Division, with elements securing the suburb of Bruckhausen before the main city fell. 

Taking the heavily damaged city of Duisburg meant that the Allies had broken the back of the German resistance and were ready to drive into the heart of Germany.

Late March 1945: Hunxe Germany

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Hunxe Germany was the first German City that my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken and his platoon in had to clear after crossing the Rhine River into Germany. I stayed in an Air B&B in Hunxe. My host shared her family experiences of having the American troops invade the city. On March 26, the 8th Armored Division which the 75th Infantry was attached to, moved across bridges G & H east of Hunxe Germany. These bridges would like have been at Gahlener Strasse and Buhlerstege Pfannhuttenstrasse.

“I can confirm that Americans were here in Hunxe in World War II. They shot my grandfathers barn which caught on fire. My grandmother’s house had a huge hole through the roof caused by an American shell. My grandmother’s house was alone at home with the children during the war because my grandfather was a soldier in Ukraine. He didn’t come back until 1946. There is still a grave of a soldier in our forest. He died in the fighting here. There are still numerous bomb craters on the forest. In Hunxe there is a facility for diffusing old ammunition (duds) from World War II.”

The 75th Infantry Division fought near Hunxe Germany in late March 1945 as part of OPERATION PLUNDER, which crossed the Rhine River with a subsequent push into the industrial Ruhr, The 75th Infantry operated as a covering force with the 8th Armored Division, they engaged in tough house-to-house fighting through villages between the Lippe River and Canal, with soldiers experiencing intense combat and some casualties in the area as they advanced towards Dorsten Germany.

From March 11 to 27, 1945: 8th Armored Division (The Thundering Herd) which the 75th Infantry was assigned to, was not in contact with the enemy. Period spent in screening the XVI Corps area, training, rest, and maintenance. From March 27 to 31, 1945, the German forces between the Lippe Canal and the Rhine-Herne Canal fought a stubborn delaying action while they withdrew to the east. The German 8th Armored Division was opposed by the German 180th Infantry Division and by the German 116 Panzer Division. The American advance towards Dorsten Germany ground to a halt.

March 1945: Lippe River

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From the Lippe Canal I made my way straight north to the Lippe River. The distance is less than half a mile. I took the car but couldn’t find a parking spot near this ferry crossing. The ferry crossing has been closed for a long time. I ended up going back to park the car and then hiked to the Lippe River. It is on long quiet hikes like this that I truly feel like I am walking in the footsteps of my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken. It is a dirt road that leads through fields got me to the Lippe River. There were signs warning that cars were not allowed and that I was proceeding at my own risk.

The 75th Infantry Division hiked east in this narrow strip of land between the two water bodies so I definitely was in the spot that they once hiked. German resistance grew heavier as the 75th moved deeper into Germany towards adoration which is right on the Lippe Canal. The Lippe River is much narrower than the canal winding its way west like a snake. The water is muddy and still compared to the canal.

The Lippe River was a crucial obstinate and then a key avenue for the final allied push into Germany in March 1945 as part of OPERATION PLUNDER. The British had to cross the Lippe River as they pushed south into the Rhur Pocket of Germany. The 75th Infantry was already south of the Lippe River but would have to cross the Lippe Canal at some point before getting to Dorsten Germany. After action reports would be helpful in finding out where that crossing took place but I believe they were destroyed in a for at the National Archives.

At noon on March 25, 1945, the 290th Infantry Division recieved a 4 hour alert to move forward with the 8th Armored Division. Troops were sure they were on the road to Berlin Germany. On March 26, 1945 the 290th Infantry Division was attached to the 30th Infantry Division. They got across the Rhine River in landing craft and landed in the narrow strip of land between the Lippe Canal and the Lippe River to clear the area of any enemy troops. The 290th Infantry division worked along side the 8th Armored Division through March 31, 1945.

While overall German resistance crumbled, pockets of fierce house-to-house fighting occurred in towns along the Lippe river and canal. General Simpson of the American 9th Army Group  coordinated with the 17th Airborne Division to seize crossing sites and build bridges over the Lippe River and Lippe Canal near Dorsten. This would allow elements of the 2nd and 8th Armored Divisions to cross to the north of these water obstacles on the March 30, 1045.

On March 30, Simpson’s gamble paid off. XVI Corps armor supported by motorized infantry (Including the 75th Infantry Division) crossed the Lippe Canal and headed east, advancing 80 miles in just 36 hours. Just as the advance hit top speed, Eisenhower decided on April 1, 1945 that getting to Berlin before the Soviets was not his objective. He wanted to leave Berlin to be captured by the Soviets to mitigate the bloodshed. Instead he decided American troops would turn south and cripple the industrial Ruhr Pocket.

March 26, 1945: Lippe Canal

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My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was leading the 75th Infantry Division, 1st Platoon, C-Company after crossing the Rhine River as they cleared the gap between the Lippe Canal and the Lippe River. The Lippe Canal is a made waterway with long straight stretches which is ideal for large barges to transport coal and other war time materials. The more natural winding Lippe River runs just to the north of the canal. I decided my first task should be to sketch the canal. I had already drawn the canal when I drew the Frederichfeld Lock, but I wanted to see what the distance was like between the canal and the river, so I decided to sketch each on the same day.

I am certain that this bridge near Gahlen Germany, southeast of Wesel,  had been destroyed by the retreating Germans. At some point as my father’s Division got closer to Dorsten Germany, moving east between the Lippe C1anal and River they would have appreciated having a bridge to get south across the canal. The water is certainly too deep to fjord across while holding a rifle over your head.

The Lippe Canal, was a significant barrier and objective for the advancing Allied forces in March of 1945. The 9th Army was moving east on the south of the Lippe a river while the British forces were advancing to the north of the Lippe River as part of OPERATION PLUNDER and OPERATION VARSITY.  Swift construction of temporary bridges both Bailey & Tread way by engineers was needed to overcome the destroyed German bridges, allowing a rapid advance into Germany.

Operation Plunder had allied forces including my fathers 75th Infantry Division crossing the  River in landing craft as well as temporary bridges build by engineers. Operation Varsity involved more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it is the largest airborne operation ever conducted on a single day and in one location. The parachute forces dropped north of Wesel on the eastern side of the Rhine River. They attacked south into the demolished city of Wesel and met up with the British forces crossing the Rhine in landing craft and then bridges.

Ninty seven percent of Wesel buildings were destroyed by Alied bombings and artillery fire. Despite this, German forces cut down the paratroopers who were dropped in broad daylight as part of Operation Varsity. The 6th Airborne Division had suffered around 1,400 casualties killed, wounded or missing in action out of the 7,220 personnel who were landed in the operation. The 17th Airborne Division suffered a similar casualty rate, reporting around 1,300 casualties out of 9,650 personnel who took part in the operation between March 24th and 29th. 56 aircraft were lost on March 24, 1945.

Frederichfeld Cemetery

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The Friedrichfeld Cemetery in Hunxe Germany was one of the creepiest places I sketched. In front of the monument I drew was a field of tiny headstones lying in the grass all  of which were for children who were less than 1 year old. I didn’t know the story behind these children until I got home and did some research.

In World War I Frederichfeld was the site of a prisoner of war camp run by the Germans. What I sketched was a memorial for the 246 French prisoners who died in the War of 1870–71. In 1916 a memorial was erected for the prisoners of war from the German Frederichfeld POW camp. French, British, Italian, Russian, Spanish Serbian, and Portuguese prisoners who died in the camp were all buried here. Memorial plaques in the cemetery were mutilated by vandals. One plaque said, “To their comrades who, after fighting bravely, lie in exile, their comrades erected this memorial with the greatest reverence, in remembrance in the year 1916.”

During World War II all the forced laborers from the present day city of Voerde Germany were buried in the cemetery. Men and women were forced to work in the armaments industry in Krupp and Essen Germany. The forced laborers camp was build in Voerde in 1944. Most were from the Ukraine and were buried here. There are 99 graves for  children who died in the Camp. They died mainly of malnutrition and infectious diseases in the winter of 1944-45.

The Voerde camp served as a collection center for babies born to Eastern European (primarily Polish and Soviet) forced laborers employed in the German war industry. German pure blood doctrine considered Soviets and Polish to be inferior races. The camp was designed  to ensure the children of “racially inferior” forced laborers would not survive, reconciling the Nazi need for labor with their goals of racial cleansing. The makeshift nurseries guaranteed the infants’ death if “race experts” determined the child was not capable of “Germanization”.  Some women tried to sneak into the camp to steel back their children. An unsuccessful attempt would mean certain death. It would be a rare miracle for a mother and her baby to be reunited.

Women in Nazi forced laborer camps were also systematically subjected to forced sterilization, both as part of the broader eugenics program and through brutal medical experimentation.

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Friedrichfeld Germany: Haus Kretchmer

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Friedrichfeld is the first city in Germany that my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken who was leading C-Company of the 75th Infantry Division, would have passed through. The troops were in the thin strip of land between the Lippe River and the Lippe Canal. The canal had been destroyed by allied artillery fire and I have no doubt that Friedrichfeld was equally leveled. The allied had fired an intense volley of artillery fire before crossing the Rhine River and Friedrichfeld was in the line of fire.

For the first month of this trip, Seacoast Bank had cut me off from the money I had saved in my checking account because a hacker had attempted to buy a plane ticket to Amsterdam using my card information. A new card was shipped to my distant cousin in Koblenz Germany and I had just picked the card up from her. Since I now had some control over expenses, I decided to treat myself to a good lunch. This was a small victory celebration in my war with the bank.

Another reason for the binge was that it was raining outside so a sketch outdoors would be impossible. I was shocked at how crowded it was in Haus Kretchmer. A very large group was occupying three tables. The conversations in German were lively. I was proud that I was starting to pick up snippets of what was being said. I even managed to order my lunch in German, although, I used my Google translate camera to scan the menu.

I ordered a Schnitzel which was good but on the dry side. I asked for a water to drink but it came in a small bottle and it was seltzer water which I found odd. I was thirsty, so the water was gone long before I finished eating. Folks who ordered beer had huge mugs full of beer. I realized I might have to start ordering beer if I was to avoid going thirsty when I eat out.

In March of 1945, the Americans established a POW camp in, Friedrichsfeld for all the German soldiers who were surrendering. The camp could hold up to 35,000 men.

March 26, 1945: Expansion of the Rhine Bridgehead

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After crossing the Rhine River, on the evening of March 26, 1945, my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken and the men of C-Company of the 75th Infantry Division would have passed the Friedrickfeld Lock as they cleared the strip of land between the Lippe River and the Lippe Canal (the actual name today is the Wesel-Datteln Canal). The Lippe Canal empties into the Rhine River and just to the north of the canal is the winding Lippe River. The lock first began operating on 1930.

Large steel panels can be lowered into place and the lock filled so the water level rises and then the barges can rise to the upper water level and sail onward. Getting through the canal takes 30 minutes. I watched the gates rise and fall several times as I sketched.

The locks are very important in transporting coal and other war time supplies so this was an important military target. In March 1945, as American troops advanced, German soldiers were taken prisoner near the village of Friedrichsfeld and held in a temporary enclosure.

The Friedrichfeld Lock was destroyed by Allied bombings during World War II. Wesel Germany which is a short distance to the north was absolutely flattened by the Allies. Allied bombing campaigns targeting German industry and infrastructure. The Wesel town center and industrial targets in similar nearby areas were subject to heavy high-explosive and incendiary bombs, leading to widespread destruction.

I drove into Wesel Germany hoping to renew my car rental agreement. There were no old historic buildings. There was non of the old world charm I had seen west of the Ruhr River. Wesel resembles the boring and sprawling strip malls of Florida. There was a Subway Sandwich Shop next to the car rental place, so I ordered a good old American sub for lunch.

The guy in the car rental shop said he could not renew the rental and I would have to drive back to France to re-rent the car. He just didn’t want to do his job, because I ultimately did renew the rental in the next city as I pressed deeper into Germany. This happens often where I am told things just can’t be done, I pressed on and got it done anyway.

The 75th Infantry Division passed through this area along with the 8th Armored Division. The three battalions of the 75th Infantry Division fought with the armored division through March 31, 1945. They moved towards Dorsten Germany as their objective.

Attached to the XVI Corps, the ultimate goal of the 75th Infantry Division was to destroy the important Ruhr Industrial area which supplied coal, steel, iron, synthetic rubber and chemicals for the German war machine. With the Ruhr crippled the German war effort would grind to a halt.

Major General Ray E. Porter said of the 75th, “Crossing the Rhine you attacked successfully for fourteen successive days against the determined resistance of four German divisions, two of them being among the enemy’s best remaining divisions.” After crossing the Rhine River the 75th engaged with remnants of German resistance after the 79th and 30th Divisions had broken through the German lines. Battles happened from city to city as the 75th Infantry Division moved east between the Lippe River and Lippe Canal. They pushed in the direction of Dorsten which is just south of the Lippe Canal.

By March 27, 1945 , the 75th Infantry and 8th Armored Divisions had advanced as far as an assembly area near Hunxe Germany.

 

March 24, 1945, Milchplatz Germany: Crossing the Rhine

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I wanted to hike to each of the three Rhine River crossing sites. Milchplatz was on the World War II Rhine Crossing battle map. Milchplatz isn’t a town but a business which mines gravel. I got this far and decided to sketch. I realized That the mining operation was between my position and the Rhine River. I am sure the troops hiked straight through the private property but I wasn’t willing to take the chance.

My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken crossed the Rhine River on March 26, 1945. Orders were received which had the 75th infantry Division as part of the 290th Infantry to move with the 8th Armored Division. They crossed the ro[ver in landing craft. Days later pontoon bridges were built to get heavy vehicles and equipment across the river.

Rumors circulated that the men would ride with the tanks half way to Berlin. However the supreme commander Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to let the Russians take Berlin from the east. Americans troops would instead work to cripple the Ruhr Pocket which contained the heart of the industrial German war machine.primarily coal was mined which was being converted into a cheap diesel  fuel for the tanks and half tracks.

My father’s C-Company was tasked with clearing out the narrow strip of land between the Lippe a river and the Lippe canal. rather than a fast dash to Berlin the troops would face grueling house to house combat while moving through small hamlets where snipers could easily hide.

Just three days after the Rhine crossings, the isolated bridgeheads at Wesel, Bislich, Rees, Dinslaken and Spellen Germany had been combined into on large bridgehead east of the Rhine.

The following 75th Infantry Division, C-Company soldiers under the command of 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken, from were killed in action at the Rhine River bridgehead…

Staff Sargent James Lowell Steele from Multnomah County, Oregon was killed in action on March 29, 1945 in Hunxe Germany.

Sargent Alexander Stephany from Los Angeles County, California was killed in action on March 29, 1945. At the Rhine River bridgehead. He was 27 years old.

“On the 24th of March we crossed the Rhine in small boats operated by the Navy without incident and this put us in combat against the vaunted Siegfrid Line. It, like most fixed defenses from Hadrian’s Wall on, it was rendered obsolete by flanking movement only pockets of resistance were encountered.” – 1st Lieutenant Joe Colcord of the 75th Infantry Division.