The Approach to Dorsten Germany

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The 9th army XVICorps which included the 75th Infantry Division were my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was leading C-Company swept around Dorsten Germany on their drive towards Berlin Germany. The 9th Army Group General William H. Simpson wanted to avoid Dorsten in the rush to reach Berlin. After passing Dorsten he got a direct order to take the city of Dorsten. Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower had decided at about this time to abandon the rush towards Berlin. He decided t let the Soviets take Berlin and instead the American troops would get the task of crippling the industrial Ruhr Pocket of Germany.

On the evening March 29, 1945 the 75th Infantry Division was south west of Dorsten Germany. The order came to backtrack and take the city of Dorsten. It is hard to advance through enemy territory in day light, it is even harder to advance at night.  The unit headed straight west until they found the railroad lines that would lead straight up towards the city. At daylight the 75th Infantry moved north towards Dorsten with heavy resistance.

Miscellaneous German artillery battalions, engineer battalions, and Anti Artilery units, in short, every available German soldier who was not manning an Anti Tank gun, or who was not already a part of the 180 Infantry Division or 116 Panzer Division was thrown into the battle line to bolster the weakening enemy forces. During the night of March 28-29 1945, Dorsten was attacked. The Germans used railroad flat cars to transport thru large weapons.

This city offered good bridging sites over the Lippe Canal which were desired by Ninth US Army. By noon ofMarch 29, 1945, Dorsten had been cleared but only after the enemy had defended it in severe house to house fighting, employing, 88mm Flak guns, and “Vengeance Weapons” (V-Waffen), primarily the V-1 flying bomb, a feared, versatile anti-aircraft cannon used as a tank killer, mortar and heavy caliber artillery fire.

After Dorsten was secured, the XVICorps established bridgeheads over the Lippe Canal to protect engineers building a crossing, facing sniper fire and enemy artillery, with some units clearing blocks house-to-house before the division moved on.

 

 

Between the Lippe River and Lippe Canal Germany

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I stayed in this camper in Froliche Nachtigal in Shermbeck Germany. This little camper park is between the Lippe Canal and the Lippe River to the north west of Dorsten Germany. I am not yet able go conform the exact location where the 75th Infantry Division crossed the Lippe Canal heading south east towards Dorsten.

The Lippe Canal ran right next to the camping site. Since the distance between the river and the canal is just about 500 feet, there would he a very good chance that my father and the C-Company men he was leading would have passed right through here 0n their way to  The gap between the Lippe Fiver and the Lippe Canal at this site is just 50 yards. If the 75th Infantry was still clearing the gap between the waterways to this pint then They most certainly walked right through this site that is now set up with campers. I was camping right where they passed or perhaps set ip camp themselves. The Lippe Rover was to the right of thr camper I was staying in just a gew yeards away and there was a sign that let campers know that swimming was encouraged.

American engineer battalions we hard at work creating temporary bridges to make the canal crossing easier. 1st Lieutenant Arhtur Thorspecken was actually an engineer himself in civilian life. Arthur had attended NYU Engineering School but he dropped out af6er 2 years so he could join the army which needed boots on the ground.

Crossing the Lippe Canal left the troops exposed to enemy fire.

March 26, 1945: Gahlen Germany

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After crossing the Rhine River, and expanding the bridgehead on the opposite side of the river, American forces  including the 75th Infantry Division, crossed the Lippe Canal around March 30th, leading to rapid advances eastwards as German defenses crumbled.

Gahlen Germany is between Hünxe and Dorsten Germany on the Lippe Canal. My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken advanced with his C-Company, in the 75th Infantry Division through this small hamlet. German troops were offering stiff resistance to slow the advance into Dorsten.

On the push to Dorsten, , the Americans encountered resistance from the remnants of German 116th Panzer-Division and 15th Panzer Grenadier-Division. The US troops of XVICorps, including the 75th Infantry Division, the 30th Infantry Division and 8th Armored Division forced the units of German 116th Panzer-Division to withdraw to Gahlen, east of Hünxe, on March 26, 1945.

On March 27, 1945 the bridgehead on the opposite side of the Rhine River had been expanded and the crossing site sectors had been united. This site became a safe zone where command posts could plan the advance into Germany and supplies could be moved east for the advancing army.

Gahlen was heavily bombed and suffered greatly from the heavy fighting at the end of March 1945. An air raid siren sounded and all the residents of Gahlen rushed to bomb shelters. School children ran from their school to join their parents in the shelters.

While I was sketching, school children were wandering the street in groups. I think they were searching for items in a scavenger hunt. There was plenty of laughter as they searched. One boy shouted for joy when he found me sketching. I don’t know everything he said. But I said “Danke” and gave him a thumbs up. He shouted to his teacher to take a look. At another moment, a little girl and her mom wanted to see what I was doing. The little girl said something in German and I said “Danke.” As she was leaning forward, she dropped a small glass bead into my art bag by mistake. She was afraid to take it out. I reached in and found it and gave it back. Her mom smiled, and they walked away, happy to have seen an artist at work.

In 1945 the residents of a Gahlen huddled in the dark listening to the explosions above. Then it grew quiet. The air raid siren cut off and people slowly emerged from their shelter. Many of the children wandered back to school. They found an UXB (unexploded American artillery shell) stuck in the ground in front of the school. Curious, the children slowly got closer to see the dud. It glinted in the sun. One student backed away and then ran. At that moment, the shell blew up killing several of the children.

Opera Orlando: All is Calm the Christmas Truce of 1914

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Opera Orlando is presenting two free performances of All is Calm, the Christmas Truce of 1914, written by Peter Rothstein, with Vocal Arrangements by Erick Lichte, and Timothy C. Takach. It is a moving story of the 1914 Christmas Truce during World War I.

I have focused all my attention on the movements of the 75th Infantry Division in World War II so when I saw their production of All is Calm I felt I needed to sketch a rehearsal. This was the first one the cast were in costume. It was also the first time I got to see the Orlando Opera rehearsal space near Metro West.

Living out of a backpack for three months and dealing with rain and increasingly cold days as I sketched, I felt an affinity for the soldiers who had to wear two pairs of pants to keep warm. Time spent in the elements hardens a man. My understanding of the Herman language slowly developed.

The songs in the show started off with folk songs celebrating the enlistments of the men into war. Getting a steady soldiers pay check would help for many experiencing hard times. That initial excitement turned dark as the herd realities of war became all too real. A soldier sand about the loss of his dear friend and never wanting to be close to anyone ever again.

Out of the violence, a silence as the artillery stopped, and then a song from the German trenches. A German soldier stepped into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.” The British troops didn’t shoot because the soldier was unarmed and he sang beautifully. This started a spontaneous cease fire. Ultimately a British and German soldier stood in no man’s land and shook hands. Soon all the soldiers put down their weapons and stood while joking and laughing with one another. Thus began an extraordinary night of camaraderie, and music, while sharing a message of peace and humanity while setting aside the conflict. When the generals heard of the truce they were furious and soon the gins once again spit forth their chaos.

There are two free performances…

Key Details for Free Shows:
  • What: All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 (a cappella musical about WWI).
  • Where (Free): Orlando Family Stage (1001 E. Princeton St.).
  • When (Free): Dec. 12 (7:30 PM), Dec. 13 (2 & 7:30 PM), Dec. 14 (2 PM).
  • Cost: Free, but reservations are required and spaces are limited.
  • How to Get Tickets: Visit operaorlando.org/trenches2025-26. 
Paid Shows:
  • Rosen JCC: Arts at the J is presenting the show on Dec. 18 (7:30 PM). Tickets are $29 for standard seating and $5 for students and seniors.
  •  
  • Garden Theatre (Winter Garden): Dec. 20 (7:30 PM), Dec. 21 (2 PM). The show is being presented at the historic Garden Theatre on Plant Street, by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and Opera Orlando. The performances are on Saturday, December 20th and Sunday, December 21st only. Reservations are required.

Tickets… VIP Premium Plus ($99 per ticket) includes exclusive seating, pre-show reception in Heller Hall (Saturday’s reception starts at 6 PM, Sunday’s reception starts at 12:30 PM), post-show meet and greet with the cast, and photo-op.

VIP Premium ($79 per ticket) includes exclusive seating, post-show meet and greet with the cast, and photo-op.

Standard seats are $69 per ticket.

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.