Restaurant in Datteln Germany

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On April 4, 1945 the stage was set for an assault crossing of the Dortmind-Ems Canal at Datteln Germany. This would be a tough crossing but important for the advance into the heart of the Ruhr Pocket. Having reached the Dortmund-Ema Canal, the first stage of the Ruhr campaign was complete. The second stage would have the 75th Infantry Division push south, thus dividing the encircled German troops in half.

The attack across the Dortmind-Ems Canal jumped off with the 75th Infantry Division scaling ladders to cross up and over the canal. Bulldozers followed to mound up dirt to create a path for the tanks and tank destroyers. Creating these paths using bulldozers was a slow process since the Vanal was so wide, and the troops had already advanced across the canal and they were without supplies. Cub planes of the division were flown in to the rescue. They landed necessary supples and evacuated the wounded.

The Germans had retreated, however, they left ground mines behind. Martin Freeman Ables and one other soldier were in a Jeep, returning from picking up two wounded men, to take for medical treatment. Leaving the road to go around a tank, they ran over a ground mine and all four men were killed. This happened on April 1, 1945.

Allied air attacks heavily destroyed Datteln’s residential area. The worst attack was on March 9, 1944 by 77 Royal Air Force Halifax Bombers. They destroyed the churches, including St. Amanduskirche, 3 schools, several buildings of the local mine and 12% of the houses. 64% of the remaining homes were gravely damaged. There were a number of dead civilians who were buried in a mass grave. All of the bridges were blown up by Allied troops.

Confluence of the Wesel-Datteln and Dortmund-Ems Canals

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The Wesel-Datteln Canal (Lippe Canal) runs west and east and it joins the Dortmund-Ems Canal which runs north and south. The 75th Infantry Division was moving from west to east following the Wesel-Datteln Canal which is known as the Lippe Canal on the World War II history books I have been referring to. The two canals meet at the city of Dattlen Germany. The troops would have crossed the Lippe Canal to attack Dorsten, Marl and the Die Haard Forest in Germany but they kept moving along the southern bank of the Lippe Canal until they reached this confluence. Every factory, village and crossroad was a potential strongpoint for snipers and anti-tank guns. Each strongpoint had to be reduced. 50 or more bridges had been blown ip by the retreating Germans. American engineers had to repair each bridge to make it passable for huge Quartermaster trucks. Quartermaster (QM) trucks in WWII were the vital supplyline, delivering fuel, ammo, and food to the front lines, often under enemy fire.

The 2nd Battalion of the 75th Infantry Division closed in on Datteln On April 2l 1945. They fought until their ammunition was gone. Germans surrendered in droves. Lieutenant Stephen H. Lax from L-Company reported that, As we closed on the town, two German 40mm guns fired point blank.”

Despite 6 casualties, the 1st and 2nd platoons rushed into the town. Two other platoon were pinned down for over an hour before they could rush in for support. A flushing party scoured the north east section of town for snipers and they rounded up 1200 Germans, all in civilian clothes. The 75th Infantry Division was now 0n the western bank 0f the Dortmund-Ems Canal. which was rhe last water barrier it had to cross in Europe.

Teo days later the stage was set for an assault crossing of the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The 9th and 1st Armies had met ay Lippestadt thus encircling the Germans in the Ruhr. If the Germans learned they were trapped they might try and break through. The area surrounding the 300,000 or so trapped Germans had to be expanded. The push to the west was complete. The next phase would have the 75th Infantry push south to the banks of the Ruhr River and final victory.

Patrols pushed across the Dortmund-Ems Canal to locate possible crossing sights. Staff Sargent Alfred J. William calmly walked to the water’s edge in full view of the Germans on the opposite shore who were sunning themselves. He broke off a branch and stuck it in the water to measure the water’s depth. He then wiped off the stick and repeated the procedure to be sure of his gauge reading. The Germans must have been too surprised to shoot at him.

My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken lead the soldiers of C-Company of the u5th Infantry Division. Solders from C-Company who died at the Dortmund-Ems Canal were…

Private Ernie J. Guiger died at Datteln, Dortmund-Ems Canal

Private Howard Hall, died at Datteln, Dortmund-Ems Canal

Private Chester W. Novinski, age 33, died near the Dortmund-Ems Canal

Private William R. Speaker, died near Dortmund-Ems Canal

Private Clifton H. Veretto, died at Dattelin Dortmund-Ems Cana

Dortmund-Ems Canal

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On April 1, 1945, the  290th infantry Division which includes the 75th Infantry Division attacked with the 289th Infantry Division through the pinned down 8th Armored Group to reach Dortmund-Ems Canal near Datteln Germany. On the same day, the American 9th Army and American 1st Army met at Lippistadt Germany enclosing the Ruhr Pocket. About 350,000 German soldiers were surrounded.

On April 3 to 5, 1945 the canal was crossed as infantry scaled up and over ladders. Bulldozers worked slowly to bridge the canal. Thr 75th Infantry crossed 0n April 4, 1945.

I hiked along a section of the canal that was cut off and isolated from the main canal. That is where I found these Historical Barrier Gates.The barrier gates were needed during World War II because the Royal Air Force kept bombing critical German supply routes. These gates offered quick deployment as a safety measue to prevent catastrophic water loss and flooding from the damaged canal structures. These wartime gates, along with permanent lock gates, protected vital railway tunnels and controlled water flow, making them key tactical elements in canal defense and operation. They are no longer in use today.

This isolated section of the canal was about a quarter mile long. One of the hiking paths was completely covered with bright orange leaves which had dropped off the trees. This isolated section of canal might have been cut off  when the Americans used bulldozers to fill in to create a soil bridge for Infantry and tanks.

The 75th Infantry reinforced the 320th Regiment, and the 35th Infantry Division. Two  slave labor camps were liberated in the area with 3,000 inmates. An estimated 30,000 forced laborers were deployed in the city of Dortmund alone. Dealing with so many displaced persons became a logistical problem.

Cub planes flew supplies over to the far side of the canal and brought back wounded.

My father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was in charge of C-Company. C-Company soldiers who were killed in action  at the Dortmund-Elms Canal…

Private Howard Hall. Died April 2, 1945. Age 20. From Lynchburg, Moore County Tennessee.

Private First Class Chester W. Novonski, Age 33, Died April 2, 1945. Toward Dortmund-Ems Canal.

Private  William R. Speaker. Toward Dortmund-Ems_ Canal.

Datteln Germany: War Graves

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On April 3, 1945 the 75th Infantry Division was in Datteln Germany.I decided to sketch in a cemetery where German soldiers from World War II were buried. At this location a German gentleman who was walking his dog stopped to chat. He spoke fluent English. He told me about how important coal mining was in the area although all the coal mines are now closed.

He also told me about the canal system which was used to transport coal and other goods. The canals are named with the city on one end of the canal and also the city at the other end of the canal. The history books I have been referring to only gave the canals one city name. I had just picked up a large paper map from a museum several days before. on this night I opened the map and spread it out on a table and used blue colored pencil to boldly indicate where each canal was that the 75th Infantry Division had to cross. Crossings would happen with assault craft of quickly assembled pontoon bridges. Each crossing was dangerous because a snipper on the opposite bank would have a clear shot at the troops struggling to cross. I am certain that my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have dreaded each crossing.

During WWII, Datteln, Germany, a crucial canal junction, suffered extensive damage from Allied bombing particularly in March of 1945, which crippled the vital waterway traffic on the Dortmund-Ems Canal system. The town experienced the destruction of historic buildings and significant loss of life. Datteln was captured by Allied forces on April 2, 1945, marking the end of the war in the area. 
Before the war, Datteln had 18 Jewish families, none of whom survived or returned after the war, though descendants are now involved in reconciliation efforts with the town. A few of the jewish children in town were rescued from the Nazis by the American based organization known as the German Jewish Children’s Aid. As boycotts of jewish businesses were beginning in the town, patents had to make the agonizing decision to give up custody of their children and send them to America where they entered the foster care system. About One Thousand Children were ultimately saves. while their parents faced deportation to the concentration camps.

April 2, 1945: Rhine-Herne Canal Germany

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During WWII, the Rhine–Herne Canal,a vital industrial waterway in the Ruhr area of Germany, was a strategic target, seeing heavy fighting as Allied forces broke into the region in April 1945; the Germans destroyed bridges to slow the advance, but American troops eventually crossed the canal, securing cities like Herne and Gelsenkirchen, capturing key crossings and disrupting German resistance as part of the final push into Germany’s industrial heartland. 

On April 1, 1945. (Easter Sunday) C-Company spearheaded a drive south, atop of tanks of the 701st Tank Battalion to Rhine-Herne Canal virtually unopposed. By April 2, 1945 C-Company was at the Rhine-Herne Canal the 75th Infantry Division replaced elements of the 134th Infantry Division to secure the area.

Crossing the canal would require assault boats and pontoon bridges to be built by engineers. Each canal that the 75th Infantry Division had to cross was a dangerous natural barrier to the advance into the heart of Germany.

Having sat at the West bank to sketch I can say that the crossing would involve bridging about 100 yards while possibly under enemy fire. I sketched a crane as unloading several barges. The company tower was for Rolland Mills West which mills flour for baked goods.

Herzogswall Recklinghausen Germany

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Recklinghausen Germany was known as the fortress city. It also had the nickname of the waffle because of the shape of the city walls as seen from the sky. Recklinghausen’s oil facilities made it a key target for Allied bombing, particularly by the Royal Air Force. The Allies launched a major bomb attack on the city on March 23, 1945 killing 173 people.

On April 1, 1945 (Easter Sunday) the 134th US Infantry Division American troops captured the city which was strongly fortified by Germans. The Germans knew that this fortified city was needed to stop Americans from crossing Rhine-Herne Canal. My father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken with his C-Company troops were moving south with the goal of cutting the trapped German troops in the Ruhr Pocket in half.

By the end of the day on April 2, 1945, the 134th Infantry Division had cleared Recklinghausen and was being relieved by elements of the 290th Infantry, 75th Infantry Division, and elements were heading to an assembly area in the vicinity of Westerholt Germany. Remaining elements of the 134th Infantry in positions along the Zweig Canal were relieved by the 290th Infantry. The 75th Infantry Division assumed responsibility for the sector.

The German flanks were  secured by Lippe Canal to the north and Rhine-Hern Canal to the south.  The final artillery battle was fought in the Recklinghausen Market square.

After Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, an Interment camp was stablished in Recklinhausen for German civilians in a former forced labor camp in the Hillerheide district. This Civilian Interment Enclosure 91 held 20,000 prisoners. It was used by the Allies to question German prisoners about war crimes and mistreatment of forced laborers. The 44th Infantry Division was involved in  involved in investigating potential war crimes around May 3, 1945, where local people were forced to bury bodies from mass graves near Recklinghausen (Suttrop). The camp closed on April 15, 1948.

I decided to sketch a remnant of the medieval city wall. Only a few short sections remain of this wall.

Old Town, Westerholt Germany

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The 75th Infantry Division went to an assembly area near Westerholt Germany after clearing Die Haard Forest. They might not have been in the city center but I decided I should explore regardless. Westerholt was impacted by World War II  because of its industrial importance, the presence of key military figures, and its experience as part of occupied Germany after the war. Though much of the city experienced significant damage from Allied bombing, somehow the Altes Dorf (Old City) managed to be spared. By sketching here I felt I was seeing what the city looked like before World War II. My German Great HGreat Great grandfather left Arolsen Germany in 1830 which was a city that looks very similar to theWesterholt old city.

Westerholt, Germany, fell during the final months of World War II as Allied forces pushed into Germany, likely around in late March or early April of 1945, with American forces capturing areas near the Rhine River and puching south to the Ruhr River, leading to mass surrenders of German soldiers and the end of fighting in the region by May 1945, coinciding with Germany’s overall surrender on May 8th. 

I was seated on my artist stool in front of an artist gallery. There was a bench in front of the gallery and I had considered sitting there but the bench faced straight a ross the street. I wanted a view down the old city street. The gallery owner noticed me at work and started taking to be in German. I have been studying German on Duolingo which gave me enough vocabulary to order food and check in to hotels but fast conversation always would leave me like a dear staring at headlights.

I always assume people who approach are scolding me for creating art in public. In Winter Park Florida it is illegal to create art in public. Through our broken conversation I figured out that she was offering her bench for me to sit on. I was already adding color to my sketch, so changing location wasn’t an option. After my sketch was done, I looked at the display on the gallery window. The artist’s work was bold and abstract. She offers printing workshops in the downstairs gallery. What a beautiful way to make a living.

The tiny building across the street was new but it was being build using the old beam and stucco techniques. It used to be a storage shed but it was being rebuilt to blend in better with the whole neighborhood. The whole time I was sketching the neighborhood were chatting in German on the street or walking their dogs. I felt at peace. If only I could find such a beautiful historic place to set down roots.

Marl Germany: Memorial at Saint Georges Church

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Marl, Germany, was a key industrial town centered around the Chemiche Werk Huls, a massive chemical plant built by IG Farben to produce a synthetic ribber and fuel for the Nazi war machine. Mark therefor became a major target for Allied bombing raids, especially in 1943, leading to heavy damage. The chemical plant used forced labor. The Allies captured Marl on March 31, 1945.

In Marl Germany, I went to the Saint George Church to sketch. On the back side of the church, I found this memorial for World War I, and World War II. A knight is seen stabbing the throat of a dragon.

After the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Infantry Division took Dorsten Germany on March 31, 1945, the 75th Infantry pushed east towards Marl Germany. Private Dean Bergeron of C-Company of the 75th Infantry Division was killed in action on that advance to Marl. Dean Bergeron died on March 29, 1945. Dean was the third soldier my father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken lost from his command of C-Company.

On April 1, 1945, the 290th Infantry Division was ordered to relieve the 8th Armored Division and attack through their lines toward the 75th Infantry objectives to the East. With the enemy in sight, two division objectives were taken in a few hours. Marl is about 7 miles East of Dorsten.

Throughout the entire action the German 116th Panzer Division employed its tanks piecemeal in support of infantry elements. By so doing, the 116 Panzer Division lost the ability to launch a formidable counter-attack, while the small groups of platoon size that were committed could hope to slow down the Allied advance only temporarily.

On April 1, 1945, the 290th Infantry Division was ordered to relieve the 8th Armored Division and attack through their lines toward the 75th Infantry objectives to the East. With the enemy in sight, two division objectives were taken in a few hours. Marl is about 7 miles East of Dorsten Germany.

March 29, 1945: Dorsten Germany

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I spent several days in Dorsten Germany since this city was so critical for my father’s C-Company of the 75th Infantry Division as they pushed east into the Ruhr pocket after they crossed the Rhine River. The most obvious landmark in each German city  I sketched would be the church steeple. I would locate a church steeple and that would be what I used to orient myself as I explored the city streets.

The medieval core of the city of Dorsten was significantly damaged by allied bombing. This sketch shows the oldest building in the Dorsten Market Square built in 1567, known as the City Weigh House. In 1935 the Local Dorsten Historical Society opened a museum in the former town hall rooms. In 1945 the building was miraculously only partially destroyed from allied air raids. After the war, the building served for a short time as a tavern.

The Saint Agatha’s Church was first built on the 13th century. The first church on the site was expanded into an opulent gothic hall church. A fire on 1719 severely damaged that church. The bells for the church were first cast this year. In 1945, that church was completely destroyed by allied bombs. The pews and the parish archives went up in flames. The rubble of the old church is now incorporated into the new concrete building which has a smaller and less opulent steeple.

As I was doing this sketch, a gentleman spoke to me for some time about cities in the area, he wondered why I was in Dorsten Germany, because there were far more popular cities for tourists to visit. One thing he said stuck with me. He said, “In America you don’t have much history. 200 years is nothing compared to the history you find in European cities.” Of course America hasn’t invaded neighboring countries sparking off a World War or sent citizens to concentration camps to be exterminated…..yet.

In March of 1945, the XVICorps which included the 75th and 30th Infantry Divisions along with a battalion of the 8th Armored Division had crossed the Rhine River on landing craft the day before. On route to Dorsten Germany the American combat group unexpectedly encountered resistance from the remnants of the German 116th Panzer-Division and the 15th Panzer Grenadier-Division.

The 9th Army Group General Willaim Simson originally planned to bypass Dorsten on his drive towards Berlin Germany. But then orders were received on the night of March 28, 1945 that Dorsten would be taken by 0800 hours the next morning. A new task force was created, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Harris, the 2nd Battalion Commander, 290th Infantry Division and consisting of the 2nd Battalion minus G Company. Another division moved into position 3 kilometers east of Dorsten. Task Force Pointer was told to hold in place at the forward advancing position because the main effort against the town would come from the east instead of the west.

The 75th Infantry Division had already by passed Dorsten to the south but were ordered to backtrack and help take the city which was needed to get allied supplies from the north to the south across the Lippe Canal. The division backtracked at night until they reached the railroad tracks that run south out of Dorsten. The tracks were an obvious place to stop and approach the city from the south. The infantry jumped off at 0600 hours on the morning of March  29, 1945 following a 15 minute artillery preparation by 15 battalions of artillery.

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.