Ickern Germany

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n Ickern Germany I decided to sketch former coal miner’s homes. This was the week leading up to Halloween, and I was surprised that Germans celebrate the holiday very much the way we do in America, with commercial inflatables and plastic spiders. The addition of a human wrapped up and hanging upside down was new to me.

A neighbor noticed me sketching, and he had to knock on the front door of the home to let the owner know that his display was being immortalized in a sketch. The owner eventually came out. He explained in German that his wife had created the display and she would be pleased that it was beings sketched.

He asked me about American politics and I apologized saying I didn’t vote for the present administration. He let je know that he liked the hard ball policy on immigration. He explained that Germany has quite a problem with immigrants and he wouldn’t mind ICE taking a few away. We clearly stood on two different sides of the fence. He kept explaining his views but my ability to listed and try and understand had faded.

The XVICorps which included the 75th Infantry Division, attacked to the south to the Ruhr River from its position north o f the Lippe Canal. Troops moved across the Dortmund-Ems Canal which ran parallel to the Rhine River to the west. German opposition consisted of the 116th Panzer Division, composed of the 116th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and the 116th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, as well as reported elements of the 180th Division and none other miscellaneous units.

During WWII, Ickern, Germany, near Castrop-Rauxel, was the site of intense fighting in early April 1945 as the U.S. 75th Infantry Division pushed into the Ruhr Pocket, with American soldiers famously painting signs like “You are in Ickern, courtesy of the 289th Infantry. Another sign read, “Roses is Red, Violets is Blue, the 289th took Ickern for you.”

The 75th Infantry Division liberated Ickern on April 4, 1945. Hundreds of Catholic German prisoners attended mass given by Lieutenant Colonel John D. Duggen the 75th Infantry’s Chaplin. This was their first service in 3 years.Along the way the 75th freed thousands of slave laborers and POWs from Nazi camps. 

 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.