March 8, 1945: Kaldenkirchen Germany

Posted on by Thor

The 8th Armored Division passing through Kaldenkirchen Germany on March 3rd with little resistance. March 6, 1945 the 75th Infantry was ordered to move to an assembly area south of Kaldenkirchen Germany. That troop movement was completed by March 7, 1945. On March 7th there was small arms fire near the 75th Infantry Command Post. The Headquarters and Service Companies were alerted but no enemy troops were found in the area.

On March 9, 1945, a jeep patrol from the 75th Infantry division hit an anti-tank mine just east of Kaldenkirchen in farm country, resulting in several casualties, including one killed in action. The night of 10 March 1945, the 75th Infantry Division relieved Task Force Murray of the 35th Infantry Division working with the 8th Armored Division. The bridges to Wesel across the Rhine River had been blown by retreating Germans and the movement across the Rhine, halted.

From March 8-11 1945 the 75th Infantry Division was involved in clearing the area around Kaldenkirchen Germany as well as Venlo and Roermund Netherlands. The 35th Infantry Division had accomplished a breakthrough in this area but did not have time to completely eliminate all the enemy installations in the area. It fell to the 75th Infantry Division to take out each installation one at a time. German prisoners were taken, suspected were processed, mine fields were marked to keep troops from injury and for future clearing and large quantities of weapons and ammunition were confiscated.

From March 13 to March 23, the 75th patrolled a sector along the west bank of the Rhine from Wesel to Homburg.

 

Tor to the Rhine

Posted on by Thor

In Orsoy Germany just south of Rhineberg Germany, I was walking back from sketching the ferry across the Rhine  River and decided to sketch the city gate. Orsoy used to be a walled in medieval fortress town. This gate or Tor in German faces west towards the Rhine. Steel doors have been added which can be shut if the river floods and gets to the city gate, or Tor in German.

My Air B&B host told me that the other gates to the city had to be demolished by the American troops because the American Sherman tanks could not fit through them.  This gate is larger than the rest and therefore survived the war. By March 31, 1945 there were 3 Treadway Bridges, 2 Bailey Bridges and a Heavy Pontoon Bridge built across the Rhine. No bridge was build at Orsoy, so I don’t think the 75th Infantry would have crossed there. I also know that the 75th crossed before the first of the bridges was built, they went across with landing craft.

The 79th Infantry Division likely did cross the Rhine on a treadway bridge north or Orsoy Germany  as they invaded Dinslaken Germany. A  Treadway Bridge was built by the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, The M2 Steel Treadway Bridge, is a modular floating bridge system used by the U.S. Army to cross rivers with heavy vehicles, . had over 1152 feet of  steel runway treads and 93 pneumatic floats. The project required just six hours and fifteen minutes to complete, setting a record for the size of the bridge. The Treadway Bridge was the fasted to build. The Bailey Bridges built were much sturdier.

Regardless of the bridge crossing sites, I believe the 75th Infantry Division, C-Company, lead by my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken  would have crossed much further to the north. They would have crossed just south of Wesel Germany and then crossed the Lippe Canal to clear the area between the Canal and the Lippe River. I thought the canal locks likely were used to make their way north across the canal, but the German military destroyed bridges over the Lippe Canal near places like Hunxe as Allied forces pushed into Germany in 1944 and 1945. It only makes sense for the 75th Infantry to cross the Rhine right where the Lippe Canal and the Lippe River empty onto the Rhine. That small strip of land they would mean they crossed at or just south of Buderich Germany. So you can see that knowing exact;y where the troops were is a bit of a guessing game, but new facts help to zone in on the truth.

 

The Rhine Crossing near Rhineberg Germany

Posted on by Thor

After visiting my distant cousins Nini Thorspecken in Koblenz Germany, I drove back up to the Rhineberg Germany area to get a sketch of the Rhine River where my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have crossed the river in March of 1945. I found a parking spot at the trailhead of a long hiking trail that followed the river northwards. The first mile of so of the trail the river wasn’t visible but then the trail went up a steep hill which might be man made to keep the floodwaters from getting to the fields and the town.

I was dreading the crossing. I imagined the industrial Ruhr area to be a wasteland of endless factories. When I stopped to  sketch that dread was reinforced. The nuclear facility I had sketched down river was still visible and surrounding it were a vast cluster of smoke stacks and cranes. There were train tracks right near the river’s edge and the cars were covered in graffiti. I noticed on the drive down to Koblenz Germany that graffiti is predominant along the autobahn. Rather than accepting the graffiti as a sign of artistic expression, I saw it as a song of cultural decay.

I am satisfied that this sketch site is straight west of Rheinberg Germany. I could have done another sketch further north along this trail, but there was a huge heard of sheep grazing and I decided I would not scatter the herd so I turned around. This sketch represents what might be the southern most of the three sites that the 75th Infantry Division might have crossed the river at. The middle site would have looked quite similar to this, so I was fine with focusing my attention on reaching the northern most site which was Buderich Germany.

As part of OPERATION PLUNDER, the 75th Infantry crossed the Rhine river between March 26th and March 31, 1945 under the cover of engineering smoke. The 75th was assigned to work along side the 8th Armored Division which was the first armored unit over the Rhine in the 9th Army sector. The crossings were proceeded with a huge artillery bombardment. 1st Lieutenant Dick Sassin said this of the crossing of the Rhine, “We were involved in a major attack across the Rhine, but the bridge at Remagen had been found intact, so troops could move across. It must have been hell to be on the receiving end as the concussion on our side was so great that it would lift the roof tiles  and they would fall back with a clatter of tiles that did not reconnect.”

Koblinz Germany: The Patron Saint of Artillerymen

Posted on by Thor

This sketch marked a deviation from the military route of the 75th Infantry Division. I drove several hour south to Koblenz Germany to visit with my very distant cousin Nini Thorspecken-Friebe. To help cut the weight of my travels at the start, I shipped 6 empty sketchbooks to Nini from America. That saved considerably on the weight I would have to carry when I flew into Europe. Since I decided that a car rental was the only way to accomplish this sketch project, I could pick up the six sketchbooks and keep them in the trunk of the car.

On day one of this trip I had my identity stolen with someone trying to buy a plane ticket to Amsterdam using my credit card information. I had to cut the credit card in half and Seacoast Bank refused to work out a way that I could access the money I had saved for travel expenses. The only way the bank would allow expenses is if I had the new credit card they were sending out. The problem of course was that I was constantly on the move in Europe. I had that card shipped to my brother in Connecticut and then he sent it to Nini where I picked it up on September 28. I had to be clandestine about the process since the bank was treating me as if I was a criminal. That first month of travel was rough, but I always found something to eat. Apples and and pears were plentiful in the Netherlands. I would always throw fruit in my art bag if I saw them roadside.  The first month was certainly a lesson in keeping expenses low. The habit persists. If a breakfast buffet has apples in a bowl, one will always leave with me.

In Koblenz, I stayed in an Air B&B which was in the old city. Built in the 1600s the place was constructed in the traditional style with large wooden beams and stucco. The top floor room I had wasn’t build for someone who is six foot two. I bumped my head a few times and started to walk hunched over. A block away was Mozart’s childhood home. There was so much history in such a small cramped area.

The Barbara Monument is only a block or so from where Nini and her husband Raoul live in Koblenz. The Barbara-Monument features the central figure of Saint Barbara holding a gun barrel and palm branch, flanked by two allegorical figures representing War and Peace. Saint Barbara is the patron saint of artillerymen. I didn’t realize there was a patron saint of artillerymen. Besides being a monument it also functions as a fountain, although the water feature was off when I did the sketch.

Nini and Raul treated me to a very traditional German breakfast. Small breads rolls are called brötchen in German. There were meats and cheeses, jams and Nutella, and locks. The royal touch is a hard boiled egg prepared just right so the yoke is semi solid but a bit runny. The egg top is cut off and a tiny spoon is used to scoop out the egg white and yoke. I made it a point to try and find places that offered such a delicious spread to start the day.

Raoul really seemed to appreciate my project. He is in the German military as a medic. He is an anesthesiologist. He showed me his military backpack which I absolutely envied. I asked him about where he thought I might see the dragons teeth which were set up on the western front before World War II to stop an allied advance into Germany. He had plenty of suggestions. When he saw my sketch of the Sherman tank decked out as a mine sweeper, he pulled up YouTube videos that showed the vehicle in action. When Raoul saw sketches of beautiful Belgian cities with historic buildings surrounding a large square, he lamented that Germany once had such beautiful city centers before World War II saw them all destroyed.

He and Nini are world travelers. They have a map in their apartment that shows all the countries they have been to. It is an impressive display. I should set up a color coded map some day. Nini took me up in a lift which went across the Rhein River to the Koblenz Ehrenbreistein, which is a huge fort that acted as a military barracks. I had a-ent many days looking for a route across the Rhine River and now I found myself floating over the river on a lift.

Koblenz is on the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine River so it is importantly militarily. That evening after the sun set, I walked a long path down from the fort, not exactly sure where the path would lead me to. Descending that dark path as the sun set behind the Koblenz skyline on the opposite shore of the Rhine, I felt this really was an adventure. I was hoping to resolve the tech issue with my laptop refusing to power up, and the financial problems of dealing with SeaCoast Bank. I couldn’t solve everything in the one weekend but at least the wheels were in motion. For this one moment, walking in the dark, I felt at peace.

During World War II Koblenz hosted the command of German Army Group B and, like many German cities, was heavily bombed and rebuilt afterwards. From March 16-19, 1945, it was the scene of heavy fighting by the U.S. 87th Infantry Division in support of Operation Lumberjack. The 75th Infantry Division was much further north fighting in the Ruhr pocket of Germany at the time.

The sketch opportunities in Koblenz were endless, but I needed to get back north and on the trail of the 75th Infantry Division’s movements into the heart of Germany.

Crossing the Rhine River

Posted on by Thor

It turned out there was a very simple route to get to the Rhine River from Rheinberg Germany. Just south of Rheinberg is the town of Orsoy which has a ferry that crosses cars over the River. Since this is a narrow crossing site, my Air B&B host was convinced this is where my father would have crossed the Rhine. However I have a detailed military map that shows three crossing sites further north. I am convinced the 75th Infantry division would have crossed at the northern most crossing sites since records show that they were the northern most troops along the western edge of the Rhine. To the north of the 75th Infantry Division, Montgomery’s British Infantry Divisions began.

I stayed at an Air B&B in Alpen Germany and according to the military map I have that town was the division line between the British troops and the American Troops. I actually returned to Alpen Germany a second time when I realized the 75th Infantry had been just south of the town and very likely in the town.

I hiked to the ferry south of Orsoy Germany. A motorcyclist was the first to arrive to wait for the ferry. He waited a while for another motorcyclist and they compared their tricked out bikes.  Several cars lined up and then the ferry arrived from the western shore of the Rhine. The ferry kept sailing back and forth as long as cars lined up at the docking points. I considered sketching on the ferry but realized the trip would not have allowed enough time to get a sketch. The biggest landmark at the crossing site was a huge nuclear reactor on the western shore. That was certainly not at the river’s edge in 1945.

The 75th Infantry Division was in position on the western shore of the Rhine by March 13, 1945 in Rheinberg and Buderich Germany. Since the 75th Infantry Division was tasked with clearing the area between the Lippe River and the Lippe Canal, I decided that the most likely crossing sites would be at Buderich Germany. Buderich is famous for being the site where General Montgomery showed Winston Churchill  how the Rhine River crossings were proceeding. This  happened on March 25, 1945 one day after the 75th Infantry Division had already made the crossing.

On the day that the 75th Infantry Division made their crossing, a pontoon bridge was under construction near Wallach Germany where American heavy artillery was stationed. That bridge was completed at 4pm and it would have been the first bridge across the Rhine but a landing craft got swept up in the river’s current and it crashed into the structure, dismantling it. The 75th didn’t have the luxury of a bridge, they had to make the crossings in small landing craft.

On the 1945 Military map there is a place called Milchplatz. It isn’t a town, but rather a gravel mining company that is still in operation today. I found this out the hard way on one of my hikes east from Rhineberg Germany to get to the Ruhr River. I was making good progress when the Milchplatz mining facility blocked my movement east. Closed metal gates blocked the path east. Since it is private property, I abandoned the hike to the Rhine. If I was tenacious, I probably could have hiked around the large mining facility, but I didn’t want to hike off trail to accomplish that task. I just satisfied myself that I got very close to the southern most crossing site of the three in the 75th Infantry Division’s area of operations. I am convince that would have crossed further north.

The 75th on the military map was identified as a covering force. A covering force operates in conjunction with a larger force with the role of providing a strong outpost line, in this case to the north. The covering force is capable of operating independently of the main force. A covering force usually operated forward of the main force in offense or defense.

Rheinberg Germany: Suicide Corner

Posted on by Thor

Before walking to the Rhine River, I had to stop and sketch the downtown architecture of Rhineberg Germany. These buildings likely stood here 80 years ago if they were not destroyed by allied bombings. I was seated in front of a Pizza-Donner shop that was just opening. The proprietor was getting the oven fired up and he came out on occasion to check and see my progress.

On March 5, 1945, just before the 75th Infantry Division arrived, the 36 Tank Battalion, Company D rolled in to capture the town, which was an escape route for the Germans to get across the Rhine River to Wesel Germany.

Every American officer of Company D, was killed or severely wounded in the action at Rheinberg. The company lost one soldier to sniper fire as they moved north of Kamp-Lintford Germany towards Rheinberg. The Germans were well dug in in the woods outside of the town with anti tank guns. They defended the town fiercely. In an open field to the east, there were two German 88’s entirely un camouflaged, and one very well camouflaged began firing. The American tanks backing away while firing desperately at very few visible targets. Besides the 88s there was heavy small arms fire coming from many directions. The American tank Battalion rallied at a factory which offered cover before once again advancing toward Rheinberg.

B Company knocked out four 88s and six 20mm guns protecting the larger weapons. These guns were in addition to a half -track, a tank and a truck also knocked out by the company.

The capture of Rhineberg came at a heavy cost. The 36th Tank Battalion, Company D, which had been ordered to attack from the southwest, left 17 of its 18 tanks in flames along the road and the remaining tank had to be withdrawn. The 49th Armored Infantry Battalion suffered 68 casualties, while the 36th had 131 either wounded or killed in action. From the German ranks, 512 prisoners were taken and 350 killed. The 36th Tank Battalion lost a total of 41 tanks. Company B had lost all but six tanks. Company A fared somewhat better, but a final count showed 11 of its tanks knocked out.

The next day, Rheinberg, though cleared of the enemy, also remained under heavy mortar, tank and artillery fire with the Germans concentrating their fire on the area near the town’s church. This area was soon dubbed “Suicide Corner” and those who were wise, went through it on the double, ready to hit the dirt as soon as they heard the ominous whistle of an inbound shell.

Deins! Rhineberg Germany

Posted on by Thor

I took a second day in Rhineberg Germany to try and figure out exactly where the 75th Infantry Division would have crossed the Rhine River. I treated myself to a nice traditional German breakfast (fruhstuck). I was proud of myself for ordering breakfast in German, although I am sure the waitress knew I was English. I am glad I went here to sketch the dark wood beams and quaint interior. Who doesn’t love a gnome behind the bar?

The owner’s dog sat nervously by the bar waiting for her morning walk. There were mini bread rolls and cheese with ham, tomatoes, lettuce, jams Nutella and here boiled eggs that are served in an upright cup. You cut the top off of the egg shell and then scoop out the egg inside. I have come to like eggs served this traditional German way.

The waitress stopped by a few times to look over my shoulder and when I was done she asked to take a photo for the restaurant Facebook page and I let her. I knew I would be hiking a lot to find a route to the Rhine River from the town, I knew that many routes would be blocked by private farms and businesses. Back in 1945, the troops would have marched right through such obstacles and the civilians population would have evacuated.

The owner of the Air B&B I was staying in knew quite a bit about the World War 2 history of the area. He felt that the troops would have crossed at a spot just south of the town where there is a ferry crossing today. I listened intently, but didn’t quite agree since I saw a war map of the area and it showed 3 distinct crossing sites north and west of Rheinberg. I wanted to hike to each of those sites if it was possible. The 79th Infantry might have taken the southern route my Air B&B host was suggesting.

The rental car was often a problem since there was no parking available on those small country roads. I would leave the car in a town and then hike through the farm country towards the river. There were biking and walking trails along the river so once I got to those I should be golden. I knew the three crossing sites encircled a large curve in the river. With a full belly from a big breakfast, I set off to hike my way to the Rhine crossing sites.

American intelligence had identified the remnants of 21 German divisions lined up across the Rhine, but all were believed to be exhausted, seriously understrength, and incapable of putting up a sustained fight. Hitler’s hope of drawing a firm line at the Rhine was dashed on March 7, 1945 when elements of the 9th U.S. Armored Division captured the still-standing Ludendorff railroad bridge over the 980-foot-wide Rhine at the town of Remagen, between Cologne and Koblenz Germany. The allies had a clear path into Germany8 from that one crossing site. Every other span across the river had been destroyed. A massive mobilization began with engineers, soldiers, equipment and supplies being prepared for one of the most important river crossings of WWII.

March 10-13 1945: Kamp-Lintfort Germany

Posted on by Thor

On March 10, 1945 the 75th Infantry Division Command Post was at Kamp-Lintford Germany. The 75th Infantry troops were also moved to an assembly area near Kamp-Lintford to replace elements of the 35th Infantry Division. The replacemts happened under the cover of darkness, because the Germans were so close on the opposite side of the Rhine River. The 75th then took up positions on the western side of the Rhine River waiting for the opportunity to cross. They were positioned along the Rhine River from Buderich in the north to Rheinberg Germany in the south. Positions were established by March 13, 1945. The Canadian 156th Brigade occupied a position just to the left of the 75th Infantry Division.

After sketching and studying maps of the area, I decided that C-Company likely would have been in a position to cross the Rhine at Buderich Germany. Outposts were established and patrols sent out to secure the West Bank of the Rhine. Engineers and mine platoons set about defusing the many mines buried by the retreating German Army.

An 11 man 75th Infantry patrol crossed the Rhine River on March 16, 1945 but encountered enemy resistance and had to retreat, gaining no  information about the far shore. Another 11 man patrol from the 75th Infantry 2nd battalion crossed the same night and they succeeded to advance some distance into the enemy territory. They found several abandoned enemy positions.

1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was leading C-Company which was part of the 1st Battalion. I do not know yet if they were on one of these dangerous recon Rhine River crossing missions.

Another objective of the 75th Infantry was to veil American operations and objective’s of XVI Corps. As far as is known no German assault boat squad was successful in gaining information about the American positions. The planned Rhine crossing near Wesel Germany, on the northern part of the Rhine, was to be the largest amphibious and airborne operation mounted since D-Day. It’s success depended on absolute secrecy.

Positions remained static with occasional rounds of artillery fire. “On March 10, 1945, the XVI Corps successfully completed its mission in Ninth Army’s Operation “Grenade.” From 23 February until the completion of this operation, this Corps has undergone many types of combat, including a river crossing, rapid pursuit of the fleeing enemy, and tough, slow fighting against a determined enemy who, by every form of defensive fighting, was attempting to protect his last escape routes across the Rhine in the Wesel Area.’” – JOHN B. ANDERSON
Major General, U. S. Army, Commanding

The Rheinberg War Cemetery which I sketched is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The majority of the servicemen who died are buried in the countries where they fell. There are 3335 English and American casualties buried in this cemetery. The cemetery was first opened in 1946. Most of the casualties are air men who died in air raids over Germany. Their bodies were often buried where the planes crashed, by a roadside, riverbank or in a forest. There are also 400 soldiers buried here who died on the advance from the Rhine River into Germany,

Echt Netherlands: RAF Short Stirling

Posted on by Thor

Echt Germany was the 75th Infantry Division Command Post after Pannegen Netherlands. Troops were preparing for the move east towards the Rhine River. This was likely the command post as the 75th Infantry advanced from the Roer River to the Rhine River in OPERATION GRENADE. The Roer River had been flooded by the enemy causing a delay in getting across the Roer and advancing to the Rhine River. Operation grenade began February 8th through 5 March, 1945.

This sculpture was created in remembrance of the crash of a Short Stirling Bomber, registration W7630, of 7th Squadron, near the monastery at Echt, Limburg, Netherlands, on September 10, 1942. The plane went down in a boggy marsh near the Monistary. The plane was on its way to bomb targets in Düsseldorf Germany. Tow of the airmen were killed in the crash. One was captured and  another escaped, but was later killed in action when his plane was shot down over Luxembourg.

The aircraft was part of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was engaged in combat operations at the time of the incident. The crash sites does not relate directly to the movements of the 75th Infantry but it shows the overall loss as so many units and divisions advanced on the European campaign.

Echt Susteren was situated under the flight routes of allied bombers heading from Great Britain to wards targets in Germany.The Maas River was a very important landmark for navigators on those flights. There  are six crash sites in Echt. Three of the six aircraft were shot down by anti aircraft artillery (FLAQ). 11 of the 63 downed airmen survived the war as prisoners of war.

I parked in the monastery parking lot and walked towards the memorial. A large bus was parked near the memorial but the students were on their way inside the monastery. They were a boisterous crowd. It was a cold fall morning. The sculpture was at the corner edge of a large field. Woods surrounded the field creating a very strong wood funnel that blew hard into the corner opening where the sculpture stood. I picked my location not based on aesthetics, but based on the fact that a sign for the memorial blocked me from being in the worst of the cold winds. The angle worked out well since I love the way the bent propeller is thrust against the light sky.

Besides the propeller, the sculpture had a V sign that holds the propeller up symbolizing victory.

Margraten Netherlands: Prelude to the Rhine Crossing

Posted on by Thor

Margraten Netherlands is the burial site for all the American soldiers who died crossing the Rhine River and encircling the Ruhr Industrial Pocket. Margraten is the only American cemetery in the Netherlands.  8,301 American soldiers are buried here. This is where the soldiers who died under the command of 1st Lieutenant  Arthur Thorspecken would be buried. So Margraten was not on the route of the 75th Infantry as they pressed forward into Germany but it became the final resting place for many. The names of 1722 Americans whose remains were never recovered or not identified are listed 0n two long walls on either side of the Court of Honor. There are 106 graves marked “unknown”.

At the entrance to the cemetery are two large stone murals that depict the movements of all the allied troops as they attacked Germany in 1945. The maps were protected by waste high glass partitions that discouraged visitors from touching the wall. I was surprised at how many people visit this cemetery even on a cold morning in September.

There was one very large map that depicted the entire history of all the troop movements. Then there was the second tall mural which depicted the movement to cross the Rhine River into a Germany. On this map, I could find the movements of the 75th Infantry Division. The 75th wasn’t specifically identified, but they had been assigned to the US XVI Corps as part of the 9th Army and that division was on the map. I recognized the cities I had already sketched and the cities I was about to sketch.

Depicted on the cemetery map was OPERATION GRENADE in which the 75th infantry as part of the 9th Army advanced from the Ruhr River to the Rhine River which was the final water barrier before advancing towards Berlin Germany. I only drew the movements of the 75th infantry and ignored everything else. Operation Grenade began February 5, 1945 and went through March 5, 1945. The Germans had blown up a dam up river which flooded the entire Roer River valley which delayed the beginning of the campaign. The German General Field Marshall Gerd von Rinstedt wanted to withdraw behind the Rhine, but Hitler would not allow him, saying that it would only delay the inevitable fight.

Engraved in the granite walls was the description of the Allied advance. “In the early morning hours of 23 February, following an intense artillery bombardment, the leading units of the 9th Army lowered their boats into the swirling waters of the still flooded Roer River. The swift currents and enemy artillery fire at the crossing sites made passage across the river hazardous. Once across the river the US 9th Army offensive rapidly gathered momentum. On 25  February, the XVI Corps crossed on the left flank. Armored units were committed as the direction of the advance turned northward and broke through enemy lines.”

The 75th Infantry Division, C-Company would cross the Rhine on March 24, 1945 late in the afternoon.