AUTHORXX CORPS, U.S.

Army

TITLE

T h e G h o s t Corps t h r u h e l l aric1 b'Vgh w a t e r . A s h o r t h i s t o r ; cf t he :X p - ?\o ?, J. - Army.

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THE COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL

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THE GHOST CORPS

THRU HELL
AND HIGH WATER

A Short History of the XX Corps U. S. Army

HEADQUARTERS
THIRD UNITED STATES ARMY
Office of the Commanding General
APO 403
21 May 19.45
SUBJECT: TO Commendation

: Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker

From the landing of the XX Corps in England until the

termination of hostilities in Europe, you and your Corps have been
outstanding for dash, drive, and audacity in pursuit and in ex ploitation.
Your determination and great tactical skill were evinced
in your capture of Metz and subsequent advance to the Saar and cap ture of Saarlautern.
Your reduction of the Moselle-Saar Triangle and the cap ture of Trier was a brilliant feat of arms. The operation starting
March 13 and terminating May 9f during which you turned the Siegfried
Line, destroyed the center of enemy resistance, and crossed the Rhine,
finally terminating your victorious advance in Austria, were in keep ing with your previous exploits and standards.
Of all the Corps I have commanded, yours has always been
the most eager to attack and the most reasonable and cooperative.
You and your Corps are hereby highly commended for your
outstanding achievements.

Copies to: CG, Army Ground Forces CG, Twelfth Army Group

Q. g PATTON Jr ' General. ' "

FOREWORD

This is the saga of a modern battle unit which from its inception was destined for a major role in the destruction of German armed might. It is the story of an organization of officers and men selected from all branches of the United States Army, which put into motion and directed one of the most powerful fighting teams of military history. From the moment of its activation in the Desert Theater of Operations, each officer and enlisted man became imbued with a consciousness of the mission of the Corps that grew more pronounced as the organization began to temper and acquire character. The statistics in connection with the military operations of XX Corps on the continent of Europe are impressive in that this battle unit accomplished so much within a short period of time. Particularly impressive is the fact that this Corps conducted a thoroughly successful, precedent-establishing drive a,gainst a seasoned enemy in its first engagement. The XX Corps promised to be a great deal of trouble for German strategists even before it landed on French soil. jOver 90 percent ofjthej^ersonnel of. XX Corps Headquarters staff at one time, or another had served in an armored unit. If an outfit's esprit de corps can be judged by its combat efficiency, the appearance and military manner of its personnel, its self-pride and confidence, then XX Corps will be satisfied with nothing but top position on the roster of U. S. Army units serving overseas or at home.

General Patton congratulates

General Walker upon his promotion to Lieutenant General

THE GHOST CORPS

ACTIVATION AND TRAINING XX Corps was activated as the IV Armored Corps in the Desert Theater of Operations, California, on 5 September 1942, by Major General Walton H. Walker, who up until July, 1942, had been commanding general of the 3rd Armored Division. Corps Headquarters was established at Camp Young, Indio, California, and on the 8th of September the first of the headquarters personnel, two officers and 186 enlisted men, arrived by train from the 8th Armored Division, Fort Knox, Kentucky, and reported to the Corps Commander for duty. The seven months that Corps Headquarters remained in the desert served to weld the organization into an efficient team capable of operating smoothly under the most trying conditions. Rigorous training, with the temperature ranging up to 125 degrees, in an area greater in size than the state of Pennsyl vania, tempered the men for the hazards and discomforts of warfare. The desert, with its centipedes, scorpions, snakes, sand storms, cacti, and blistering heat served to condition not only fighting men, but also war machines and materials. Included under General Walker's command were the Desert

XX Corps motorcyclists in the desert training center

Warfare Board, IV Air Support. Command, Army Service Units and the Com munications Zone installations which operated under the direction of the Corps Commander to guarantee the highest degree of training and materiel de velopment possible. Reports from observers in North Africa, where tank warfare was playing a stellar role, were studied closely by Corps staff officers. Changes in equipment and tactics were recommended only after long periods of experimentation and testing. High-ranking officials from the War Department and the Armored Force constantly visited the desert theater to note the progress being made in unit training and in infantry, artillery, and tank tactics. On 29 March 1943, General Walker relinquished command of the Desert Training Theater of Operations and with his IV Armored Corps Headquarters proceeded to Camp Campbell. The change was accepted as a step nearer to shipment overseas, and the General and Special Staff Sections, sparked by the Corps Commander's training and operational policy, moved into high gear with long-range plans for extensive training to prepare Corps' divisions and attached units for combat service. All of the divisions assigned to IV Armored Corps at that time later gained enviable records as aggressive fighting units with the highest degree of discipline and morale. The practice of conducting regular field exercises was continued at Camp Campbell. Long overland trips, night work under complete blackout conditions, the digging of slit trenches, water and food rationing. were but a few of the discomforts injected into the training program for XX Corpsmen. In addition to these special conditioning programs, the personnel of the / Corps Headquarters passed the Army's standard Battle Indoctrination course, obstacle courses, and POM (Preparation for Overseas Movement) requirements. Corps tests of subordinate units were designed to probe down to the indi vidual soldier to ascertain the training status of each organization. Among the

Chow time during a Tennessee training exercise

divisions assigned to the IV Armored Corps at the time it was located at Camp Campbell were: 26th Infantry Division 30th Infantry Division 75 th Infantry Division 83rd Infantry Division 98th Infantry Division 12th Armored Division 20th Armored Division That spring General Walker was ordered to the North African Theater of Operations as official observer for the U. S. Army Ground Forces to visit the fighting fronts for first-hand information on the soundness of American training methods, the effectiveness of U. S. Army strategy and tactics, and the efficiency of our weapons and equipment. He was also directed to study German tactics, with special regard to armored warfare and defensive fighting. He arrived in Africa in time to witness the storming of Hill 609 and Djebel-La Anz, and to follow the American action to the final stages of the Battle of Tunisia. General Walker's report to Headquarters, Army Ground Forces reflected his confidence in the quality of American equipment and in the unconquerable spirit of the American soldier. In an address before the American Legion Con vention at Cincinnati he stated that a "strong, well-trained, well-disciplined Ameri can soldier was more than a match for the best the enemy could produce." The IV Armored Corps celebrated the first anniversary of its activation in a great Organization Day fete on 2 September 1943. Although the anniversary fell on the 5th, the date was advanced because of scheduled maneuvers. Main event of the star-studded program was the World Premiere of the Columbia picture "Sahara", a desert epic starring Humphry Bogart. "Sahara" carried a dedication to the IV Armored Corps in recognition of the technical assistance

XX Cores 1st Organization Day at Camp Campbell, Tennessee

given by the Corps in the production of the film in the Desert Theater of Oper ations. Two days after the Organization Day celebration, the IV Armored Corps moved into the Tennessee Maneuver Area for nine weeks of simulated warfare in the Blue Grass region of the Volunteer State. In contrast to the waste land of the desert, the terrain was heavily wooded and wrinkled by deep gorges and high hills. A number of large rivers and streams winding through the area figured prominently in most of the problems conducted. Ideal weather conditions through out almost all the exercises permitted extensive use of aircraft. A great deal of the success of the tactics employed by the Corps Com mander during the maneuvers was attributed to the surprise thrusts of his armor which appeared when and where it was least expected. The Corps struck a new note in the conduct of field maneuvers by the frequent use of task forces which made wide, flanking sweeps to attack the "enemy" from the rear and disrupt his line of communication. The element of surprise was further carried out by dropping paratroopers behind the lines of the opposing forces at night.

General Collier addresses the Staff Officers of XX Corps during the Tennessee maneuvers

The Tennessee maneuvers served to complete the Corps Headquarters train ing program, and the organization received the official nod from the War Depart ment, thus achieving place on the list of units thoroughly qualified and trained for combat service. On 9 October 1943, while it was still in the maneuver area, the IV Armored Corps was redesignated the "XX United States Army Corps. The new shoulder sleeve insignia, adopted after a flying trip to Washington by the Chief of Staff, is described in a War Department letter as "upon a blue shield 3 inches in length and 2-3/8 inches in width, four crampons crossed and interlaced saltirewise within an orle in yellow 1/8 inch with a border 3/16 inch in red". The colors intro duced in this insignia were carried over from the Armored Force patch and are

-main- arms -comprising the Corps, namely,. Infantry,. Artillery,, and Cavalry; while the crampons represent the gripping and tenacious hold the Corps w^uM'display in its missions. Corps JEIeadqAaariejs. The ^ 5 e5uu:ements received immediate attention and check lists $r" recei d i d i t ttti d h k lit were kept on each officer and enlisted man in the organization. As each man's name was checked off the list he was handed his furlough papers and advised to settle his private affairs at home. Alert orders for the Corps' shipment overseas arrived about the middle of January, and on the 26thofthejnQnjy^Co^ A. Collier, XX Corps Chief of Staff, depare^^ithnEfie~advance party. Five days' later, the Corps Headquarters boarded a special train at the Camp Campbell railroad station which, after three days, arrived at New Rochelle, New York. A waiting boat shuttled the group to Fort Slocum. The week following was taken up with lectures, physical examinations, and drawing and checking equipment. Passes were issued for visits to New York City and other towns nearby. On the night of 10 February the outfit boarded a Navy vessel which steamed down the East River, around the Battery and up the Hudson, and dis charged its passengers at the 49th Street pier. Very early the following morning the XX Corpsmen filed aboard the "Queen Mary". Qn^JjiFebruary the ship left New York, sidled past the Statue of Liberty, and set * 1 F The "Queen Mary" had been stripped for war-time service. Most of her luxurious fittings, furniture, and art objects had been removed for preservation and to provide additional shipping space. Steel cots, arranged in tiers, filled the staterooms and compartments occupied by the officers and men. Because of the great number of troops aboard,- only two meals were served daily. The days were grey and cold and the zig-zagging of the great vessel contributed nothing to the comfort of her passengers. Occasional visits to the promenade deck for a smoke, and long periods of reading and conversation made up the days' activities. The ship passe'd a slow-moving convoy a short distance out of New York. Other wise, except for British planes which spotted the "Queen" off the coast of Scot land and sent gun crews scurrying to their stations, the trip was quite uneventful.
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PREPARATION IN ENGLAND On the afternoon of 18 February, 1944, the stately "Queen Mary" dropped anchor in the Firth of Clyde just off the town of Gorrock. From the moment the ship was sighted as it entered the estuary, the shores became alive with flagwaving and heartening gestures of welcome. Overhead, British patrol planes dropped to deck level to signal their enthusiasm by gunning their motors and circling the crowded vessel. Among the first to board the ship was the Chief of Staff, whose advance group had crossed the Atlantic on the "Queen Elizabeth". The Corps Headquarters debarked the next day to board a waiting express train which sped through blacked-out railroad stations and towns to the picturesque hamlet of Marlborough, Wiltshire. Headquarters was established in a group of small buildings~^on^\/rarlborough Commons, located about a half mile from the center of the town. The officers were billeted at the Ailsbury Arms Hotel and in a number of smaller inns. The officers and men of Headquarters Company occupied barracks located within the Headquarters compound. Outside duty hours, Corpsmen were offered many opportunities to get acquainted with the English people, study their architecture and art, visit their homes, and enjoy their countryside. Groups were taken on sight-seeing trips to Oxford University, Bath, London, and other cities of interest. A civic ceremony of welcome was staged by the people of Marlborough for the troops located in the vicinity.

XX Corps soldiers visit Oxford University

On the Commons, the Corps staff went to work with renewed enthusiasm. At least once a week and without prior notice, the Corps Commander ordered the complete evacuation of all personnel and equipment from the buildings on the Commons to establish a command post in the field 10 or 15 miles from Marlborough. The experience and training gained from this practice paid dividends later on. June 6, 1944, D-Day of the Allied invasion of the continent of Europe, and the few days which followed were marked in the memory of the Corpsmen by the sight of hundreds of transport planes towing gliders loaded with American paratroopers which circled over Marlborough the air fleet's rendezvous before winging for France. ofJOanjijth^Goj^JH^ from Marl korojigk^Q^^ George, ^ orough. It was about this time that the men and officers five miles East of MaTlBoroughTTt was about this time that the men and officers, werlTnotifIid~^OnirCorps' assignment to Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's Third United States Army, and final preparations were completed for immediate ship ment across the English Channel. A few weeks before the organization left Ogbourne St. George, General Walker was flown to the small patch of territory wrested from the Germans in*1 Normandy to take an active part in the operations of XIX Corps. He was cited( for bravery in action during an infantry attack across the Vire River and was awarded the Second Oak-Leaf Cluster to his Silver Star by Major General Charles H. Corlett, commander of XIX Corps. XX Corps remained at Ogbourne for a month before it received orders to proceed to a marshalling area in Southampton. With the exception of a few offi cers and men remaining behind to wind up the work in England, the Corpsmen boarded a long column of peeps, staff cars, and trucks which crossed the IP at J J J _ 2 j | L ^ ^ andJieaded south. The tell-tale weight and the dimension-cards g orTth'e windshfeTdsof thevehicles announced to the war-wise people of England that the column was traveling to a port of embarkation. Men, women, and children stopped at their labors arid play to wave the Corps Headquarters a final farewell. Tea and biscuits appeared when the column stopped in small towns. Wo men with tears in their eyes smiled blessings upon the Yanks as they drove by. Before nightfall the last vehicle of the column closed in its section of the marshalling area located in the eastern part of the city of Portsmouth. The officers and men moved into pyramidal tents provided by a service unit. Here the personnel received paper bags containing K-rations, sea-sick pills, waterpurifying tablets, sulpha pills, a French language guide, and a small paper bag to be utilized in the event of sea-sickness. Here, also, English money was con verted into French francs and an extra ration of cigarettes and tobacco was issued. TwxLjiays later,^17_July, the Corps pulled ou.t of the marshalling area and roUed-down to the' "Southampton" docks.^The~"6Ygaliization "remained in column formation thlroli^blaTTneHayrand loading operations did not start until late afternoon. The men bedded down in one of the dock's warehouses and slept undisturbed except for an air-raid alarm which was sounded around midnight. Early the next morning_the Corps_ Headquarters boarded .the Liberty ship y g_ l r ^ r 7 5 O the l left the dock, d its ^ l l "John Carnpbelrr"^r3Cr75O the vessel l f t th d k made it way^ slowly d down to^He^mouth of the river, and dropped its anchor behind the sheltering Isle of Wight. The Tr\rvrr^r^j^_^J^Ja^^J^and-.clear. JThe.. "Jjahn^CampbgH" weighed ancK^^d.letItsIcoiirse for the.,coasts of Normandy across the English Cnahnel which, that day, was as smooth as a mill pond. Rounding the western edge of the Isle of Wight, it joined a convoy of more Liberty ships and assorted English vessels, a few of which were British light destroyers providing protection and guidance. Late that afternoon the column of ships was guided through minecleared channels along the French coast to an anchorage swarming with hundreds

of freighters, all heavily loaded with men and equipment. The "John Campbell" dropped her anchor off "Utah" beach, a barren, windswept stretch of light brown sand ribboned between the water and a reinforced concrete defense wall con structed by the Germans. An arc of sunken ships formed a breakwater for what was serving as a harbor. Scores of small vessels and what looked like floating platforms shuttled troops and equipment from the Liberty ships to a low floating steel pier. The weather turned for the worse the following morning, and not until 23 July, four days later, was XX Corps put ashore.

The Commanding General's car is unloaded at Utah Beach

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DRIVE OF THE "GHOST CORPS" "The secrecy which for weeks has surrounded the mysterious "Ghost"
Corps was lifted today revealing Major General Walton H. Walker's XX
Corps as the spearhead of Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army's great
Eastward drive across France, distinguished by bold tactics of encirclement
which won Prime Minister Churchill's praise in Parliament the other day. /
JOSEPH DRISCOLL in the N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE" v (Sept. 30, 1944)

On the afternoon of 1 September 1944, a platoon of XX Corps' 3rd Cavalry Squadron operating 45 miles behind German lines entered Thionville, France, seized and held the main highway bridge over the Moselle River for several hours to mark the end of a sensational military campaign which for 24 days had thrilled the peoples of the Allied World and struck fear and awe into the hearts of the Axis Nations. The story and chronology of the great 600-mile dash across France by the / XX Corps added a new chapter to military history, stressing the devastating/ power of a well-controlled armored spearhead once it penetrates a line of defense^ and charges into the enemy's lines of communication and rear installations. v/ M A AT 1 Wh,ejn. XX Corps moved into the apple orchard near St. _/ ~ " ^ o^i__23_July_1944^to je_siablish its "ErsT command post on continental Europe, the ^ military situation in Normandy was rapidly approaching the historic climax which \ \ ' .<\/' unleashed General Patton's Third Army through the hole blasted in the German r \ ^ * lines at Avranches. The First U. S. Army was pressing southward to clean out the <y- r j * Cotentin peninsula. The British at Caen were meeting stiff resistance from several ^ ^ i German armored divisions. What remained of the German Luftwaffe was being r*" sent out at night to bomb and strafe troop concentrations and the two parallel highways running southeast out of Normandy. German ground troops facing the Americans were fiercely defending every inch of land in the hope of sealing off the peninsula until powerful reinforcements could be brought in from the east. The breakthrough at Avranches set in motion the VIII Corps which, with two armored divisions and two infantry divisions, swung south and then west into Brittany to capture the peninsula and open the Brittany ports. XV Corps followed as far as Mayenne and then turned east. \ . On_JL August XX Corps was composed of the 5th Infantry Division, the D^ff ?***' Y 3.5th InfantrylDivision and_the 2nd French Armored~Division. The! Command Post l was located _at^ St. Martin^ midway belw^Si^ortain and Avranches, the twotowns. H thin ?uPply corridor of the.. Third Army, which the Germans attacked
" " their attempt to reach the sea. Major General Leclerc's
2nd g p d If Di French Armored Division and Major General Paul W. Baade's 35th Infantry Div ision, both proceeding south over the parallel highways in the corridor, were stopped and alerted for an attack on Mortain and Barenton. Two Regimental Combat teams of the 35th struck the enemy in the left flank and forced him to ^ take up defensive positions east of Mortain. By containing the enemy and driving fyu him out of Mortain, XX Corps helped to formTtnTFaIa1e~pocker ^ f $#/~eA

General Walker meets General Leclerc at Utah Beach

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The Command Post of the Corps on 7J5eptember was located in the vicinity of Vitre, starting point of the organization's great eastward drive to the Lor raine Basin. A Combat Team of Major General S. Leroy Erwin's 5th Infantry Div ision was motorized and sent southeast to take Angers. The capture of the city on 10 August not only denied the Seventh German Army an escape route, but blocked any chance for the Fifteenth German Army to rush to its support. With the German threat at Mortain eliminated and the right flank of XX I Corps secured at Angers, the 3rd Cavalry Group was sent out to probe the areas ' to the east. Major General Horace L. McBride's 80th Infantry Division, which , I passed to XX Corps control on 8 August, fanned out beyond Le Mans and then y V \ turned north to join XV Corps and participate in the closing of the Falaise gap. The trap for the Seventh German Army was closing rapidly and General | Walker swiftly moved the 7th Armored Division, commanded by Major General , Lindsey H. Sylvester, and the 5th Infantry Division to assembly areas in the ^vicinity of Le Ferte Bernard for a power drive toward the northeast to cut off the German escape route along the Seine River west of Paris. The attack jumped off on the morning of 14 August with the armor blasting the way for the infantry. In the evening of the next day the northern edge of Chartres was reached, and after two days of hard fighting within the city, it fell to the Americans on 17 August 1944. The Germans fell back to the Seine River and dug in for a determined stand. On 23 August the 5th Infantry Division opened its drive to seize the river barrier by an attack in force through the forest of Fontainebleau and into the city of Fon tainebleau. Infantrymen raced to the banks of the Seine and the regimental ad vance guard swam and rowed across the river in several abandoned boats. At Melun the attack of the 7th Armored Division ran into a fierce fight and was in danger of being stopped, whereupon General Walker personally took com
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mand and, under heavy small arms and machine-gun fire which wounded his aide ( and two enlisted men of his party, reorganized the assault and succeeded in pushing armored infantry across the river at Ponthierry and Corbeil. For this action he was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. XX Corps artillery blasted Melun, and on the morning of 25 August Combat Command "B" of the 7th Armored Division entered and took the city. The drive across the Seine gained momentum as the remainder of the 7th ^ . rr J "(" r Armored Division and the 5th Infantry Division pushed across the river. T_hg_90th Infantry Division, under the command of Major General Raymond S. McClain, was assigned from the First Army and received orders from General Walker to con /LyC tinue _ea_st until it had crossed the Seine. 7'' Cavalry and armor darted east over an excellent road net, playing havoc with disorganized enemy groups who were far too stunned to offer any serious j) y Jt, / resistance. In the aJte^riooji^oJ^^Au^ust, 7th Armored tanks rolled into Chateau ',, ,-. ft, Thierry. So rapid was the advance that a ~COTn^>any^f~TanKs" and a platoon of . .,, ' armored infantry succeeded in crossing a bridge over the Marne before it was ' " ' / destroyed by the Germans. Another armored column seized a bridge intact a mile C "t< ^-~<[ to the east and entered Chateau Thierry from the rear to surprise and destroy a ' /1 battle group of the 9th Panzer Division which had been trying to drive the stranded tanks and armored infantrymen of the 7th Armored Division into the Marne. Chateau Thierry and the Marne River were in the hands of XX Corps. Reims was the next city to be liberated, after the 7th Armored Division ?^ f forced crossings over the Vesle and Aisne Rivers north of the city to cut it off from p.#-/i reinforcements. A Combat Team of the 5th'Infantry Division entered Reims from fy^t. the southeast and cleared the city on the morning ofJ30 August. The speedof the XX Corps^ drive had outdistanced Army supply dumps. _/ 'Q:ct~ Because of me~lialt^gasolirie shortage the 90th Infantry Division was immobilized }^CJ ( at Reims. Cavalry and armor lunged ahead, kmiajig-JJarxuaghMtae^^ and on to take the main city bildge_jiy_ex_Jh_e Meuse River and^capt^jveTdun^The 5th Infantry Division closed in behind the armor and on 1 Septembef~cfossed the nl'^ Meuse. Urgent calls for gasoline, oil and ammunition to continue the pursuit after ( the Meuse River line had been secured received discouraging response. The great / / speed of XX Corps had so outdistanced communication lines that supplies were not V available in sufficient quantity to meet even the barest requirements, and further J advance became logistically impossible for the time being.

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REDUCTION OF FORTRESS METZ At the close of the Allied drive which had liberated most of France, .the Germans in the sector facing the Third United States Army fell back behind strong defensive positions stretching roughly from Luxembourg south to the foot hills of the Vosges mountains. In the center of this defense system, serving as the pivot, was the city of Metz with its powerful ring of 43 inter-communicating forts. For natural barriers, the Germans had the swollen Moselle River and the high hills which cradled the Moselle valley. To the XX_Cqrps was assigned the primary__mission of reducing the Metz Hitler had sent orders to' the Metz comman der to defend the stronghold at all cost. General Walker struck his first blow for the military capital of Loja^iin^pj^7JSepteinber, witii an assault crossing of the Moselle a few miles south of Metz in the vicinity of Pornot. For more than two weeks XX Corps armor and infantry pushed from the narrow bridgehead in the face of heavy artillery and machine-gun fire to inflict more than 10,000 casualties on the enemy and to smash the 17th SS Panzer-Grenadier Division. Heavy rains and a shortage of ammunition postponed the assault on the fortress city. During this time XX Corps staff officers made a detailed study of the Metz defenses. The fortifications of Metz were comprised of an inner ring of fifteen forts, designed and completed before 1870, and an outer perimeter of 28 bastions of steel and concrete finished by the Germans in 1912. In 1941 the Germans called in the Todt organization to improve and modernize the installations. The forts were reinforced with 210mm guns and 105 mm guns placed in revolving steel turrets which could withstand fire from high velocity, direct-firing weapons. Rarely was there more than one entrance to each fort, and only a direct hit on a turret by an aerial bomb of 500 pounds or more caused any damage.

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U. S. tanks at Forf Driant

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Although elements of the XX Corps over-ran positions at Fort Driant, the enemy merely retired to subterranean security while heavy artillery concentrations from adjoining forts made positions won on top of the attacked fort untenable to our troops. About 25 miles north of Metz were Forts Koenigsmacher and Illange which over-looked the Moselle River and commanded the parallel highways on either side of the river. These, too, were heavily fortified with 100mm guns, and were fully manned. In addition to the many disorganized German units which had fallen back/ y ^A on Metz as a rallying point, there were in the city and out-lying defense positions \ ^\*y three infantry divisions and remnants of the 17th SS Panzer Division. Incorporated/ Pf into one of the infantry divisions were the fanatical soldiers of the VI Officer) Candidate School Regiment. The Moselle River under normal conditions is 300-400 feet wide, but at the time of the Corps' final assault on November 9, it had reached a width of almost a mile at some places because of the continuous rains. In addition, there were many swollen tributaries, chiefly the Seille and Neid Rivers, which offered serious obstacles. To bring his forces within striking distance of Metz, General Walker sent the 90th Infantry Division, now commanded by Brigadier General James A. Van Fleet, north to clear Thionville and Hayange. And in the south armor and infantry maintained constant pressure on the German forces along the Seille River. Maizieres-les-Metz, a few miles north of Metz and astride the highway running into the fortress city along the west bank of the Moselle, became the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war. The earth-shaking artillery con centration layed down by Brigadier General Julius E. Slack's XX Corps Artillery all but pulverized the city but failed to dislodge many of the German troops occupying positions in reinforced cellars. The 90th Division moved in behind the barrage and after fierce house-to-house fighting captured the city on 30 October, 1944. On 9 November 1944, the attack on Metz, the Queen city of the Moselle which had withstood all attacks by military force since 451 A. D., was launched. In driving rain and with limited support of aircraft, the "Ghost" Corps struck across the treacherous Moselle at three points. The 5th Infantry Division drove north and east from its Arnaville bridgehead south of Metz; Major General Harry L. Twaddle's 95th Division forced crossings over the river at Thionville and Ukange, and raced south over the parallel highways flanking the Moselle; the 90th Infantry Division captured the forts of Koenigsmacher and Illange, and advanced in a wide arc to approach Metz from the northeast; the newly arrived 10th Armor ed Division, commanded by Major General William H. H. Morris, poured over the bridge at Thionville and the long treadway bridges constructed at Cattenom and Mailing to form a covering armored shell to protect the left flank of the infantry and to make a wide encirclement of the city. Col. James H. Polk's 3rd Cavalry Group went into action in the north along the east bank of the Moselle and ad vanced until it was stopped by a German division holding the Siegfried Line switch position across the Saar-Moselle triangle at Orscholz. One by one the powerful forts crumbled before the advancing Yank columns.
The bulk of one German division serft southeast from Metz to halt the attack of
the XII Corps was caught under the guns of XX Corps tanks and artillery and blasted out of action. The 5th Infantry Division advancing on Metz from the south sent out a column to the northeast t6 form a double pincer with the 90th and 95th Divisions driving down from the north. Task Force Bacon, composed of a regiment of infantry supported by tanks and TD's and commanded by Colonel Robert L. Bacon, charged down the east
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bank of the Moselle in a brilliant advance which left in its wake the debris of a smashed German force which had attempted to stop it. The 95th Infantry Division slugged its way through Woippy on the west bank of the Moselle, crossed the river in assault boats and captured barges under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire from Fort Driant and Fort St. Quentin, and began working towards the heart of the city. The 5th Infantry Division captured the Verdun forts and Fort Queleu, to run into a terrific battle for the airport in the southern part of the city.

infantrymen of the 5th and 95th Infantry Divisions make contact east of Metz

At 1100 on 18 November, in the vicinity of Vallieres, a few miles east of Metz, the 5th and 95th Infantry Divisions joined forces. The defenders of Metz were doomed! Tanks and infantry charged into the streets on the 19th to kill or capture the "die hard" resistors personally headed by General Kittel, commander 'of the Metz garrison. One group of over 300 Germans established themselves on the river islands of Chamberieres and Sauley where they held out until the /afternoon of the 21st when they surrendered, after hand to hand combat, to inf antrymen of the 95th Division. Metz was reported completely cleared at 1435 hours, 22 November. Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., Third U. S. Army Commander, followed the progress of the operation very closely and had this to say to General Walker: "The workmanlike manner in which your Corps accomp lished the capture of the heretofore impregnable city of Metz is an outstanding military achievement. Please accept for yourself and pass on to the officers and men of XX Corps my highest commendation for the superior manner in which you accomplished your difficult mission."

14

And in a radiogram to the Army Commander, General Marshall stated: "Congratulations on the capture of Metz and the splen did advance your Corps are making in spite of floods and mud and bitter enemy resistance. My very personal congratulations to Eddy and Walker on the grand show their troops are putting on toward bringing this war to a triumphant conclusion." The people of the city hailed the Corps Commander as the "Conqueror of Metz", placed upon the Corps flag the commemorative battle streamer of Metz, and renamed one of the principal streets, "Rue du XX Corps Americain". In another impressive ceremony, Major General Andre Dody, Military Governor of Metz, awarded General Walker the Legion of Honor, Degree of Officer, General Collier and General Slack received the Legion of Honor, Degree of Chevalier. With the fall of Metz, the "Ghost" Corps moved swiftly eastward, driving^ the Nazis across the Saar River and out of France. A bridge was taken intact at \ Saarlautern and a bridgehead established, but then the advance was halted with the ( news of Von Rundstedt's attack into Belgium and Luxembourg. / Consolidating its position in the south, the Corps turned its attention vto the triangle~lornieg^by~ tihe "junction of the Saar and Moselle Rivers northeast - of '4JiiQj^iIIeT^"The^German break-through in the Ardennes brought the Triangle into* the strategic picture as the area through which the enemy might thrust another powerful drive to encircle the Third Army's divisions attacking Runstedt's forces from the south. The 10th Armored Division, the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions, and many XX Corps artillery battalions were sent almost overnight to the "Bulge" fight.

General Walker is awarded the "Legion of Honor" by General Dody at Metz

15

' ''b

* A

<} <}>
f v)/ 1

"

') *

CAPTURE OF THE SAAR-MOSELLE TRIANGLE

TjKOJnfantry divisions and.the 11th Panzer Division held the enemy's .,,/ switch line defense position which was anchored on the Moselle at Thorn. The 0 V'' city of Trier at the northern tip of the triangle had long served the Wehrmacht as I \ an important communications center. With an eye on the Triangle, limited objective attacks by Major General y /^ v* /} V - [ Harry J. Malony's 94th Infantry Division, newly arrived from the Brest peninsula, and ^O i>'/' \* \ elements of the 8th Armored Division commanded by Brigadier General John M. Devine forced the enemy to commit all his strength, including a number of ~\v "', ^ r > ? > ,,$ ' I heterogeneous fortress and machine-gun battalions. " '
,HS- < * \ I, i' 'f" ^ ^ ' " / A,, f p) ^ . }\y The_collapse of the German offensive in t h e Ardennes signaled t h e X X Corps' drive info the" Triangle. G e n e r a l W a l k e r ' s p l a n called for a clean b r e a k t h r o u g h before committing his armor. *" *" " " J u s t before d a w n of t h e m o r n i n g of 19 F e b r u a r y 1945, t h e 94th l a u n c h e d its attack. Inital successes m a d e it a p p a r e n t t h a t a complete b r e a c h in t h e switch-line a n d t h e seizure of t h e high ground a t t h e base of t h e Triangle could b e accomplished ( b y late afternoon. T h e attack o r d e r w a s sent to t h e 10th A r m o r e d Division to j u m p

f (v &

\, \ ;v ' V'\\ V"

/off the following morning. It caught the Germans with complete surprise! Ad/vancing in two columns that ran the length of the ridges forming the backbone of the Triangle, one armored prong drove straight for Tawern, at the junction of the two rivers, while the other struck north along the east bank of the Moselle. The enemy resisted stubbornly from pillboxes in the Siegfried Line. They had erected numerous road blocks which they covered with heavy artillery and anti tank fire, but the speed and power of the "Ghost" Corps'advance quickly crumpled his defenses. The high ground in the vicinity of Tawern was gained and the cathedral spire in Trier could be seen in the distance. Taking advantage of the confused state of the enemy, General Walker ordered the 10th Armored to attack east to sieze intact bridges over the Saar River in the vicinity of Kazem and Wiltingen. On the morning of the 21st of February the 10th Armored discovered that the retreating Germans had blown the only two remaining bridges over the Saar River. ' By the time the 94th Division and the 10th Armored reached the west bank of the Saar, the two enemy infantry divisions were virtually destroyed and the 11th Panzer Division had withdrawn. In addition to the many thousands killed and wounded, the operation resulted in the capture of 11,754 prisoners. A crossing of the Saar, up to that time, had not been contemplated, but } fast staff work and engineer procurement made assault boats and bridging equip 7 ment available to both the 10th Armored and the 94th Infantry Divisions in order ) to capitalize on the enemy's weakness. The armored infantry attacked east across the Saar below Saarburg and established a bridgehead. The 94th's crossing south of Saarburg likewise proceeded very satisfactorily. The expansion of the bridgeheads was aided by Lt Colonel Richard P. Sullivan's 5th Ranger Battalion which blocked enemy reinforcements attempting

16

to reach the river. The Rangers crossed the Saar River, infiltrated through the enemy lines, and cut the Irsch-Zerf highway over which the Germans might have rushed troops. The speed and daring of the Ranger attack can best be described by the words of a German medical officer who was captured in his white vehicle: "This is 4,000 yards behind the lines No, No! you can't be here!" During its nine days of action, the 5th Rangers captured 700 prisoners and killed or wounded an additional several hundred. They wiped out practically the entire 136th Regiment of the German 2nd Mountain Division which, along with the 6th Mountain Division, had been rushed into the action in an unsuccessful effort to block XX Corps' drive.

Ti

Generals Patton, Walker, and Morris discuss plans for the capture of Trier

Bridges were built at Saarburg. The armor then raced north and seizedf a bridge intact over the Moselle River at Trier. The city fell to the "Ghost" Corps) on 2 March 1945, after heavy fighting with Mountain divisions and "stop gap" units.) Major General O. P. Weyland, commanding the XIX Tactical Air Command, sent this message to General Walker: "Please accept my sincerest congratulations and admiration for the recent outstanding successes of the XX Corps. Cracking the Siegfried Line and the capture of Trier not only provided a springboard for your later action, but gave the XIX TAC an important air base essential for future operations."

UNCOVERING THE SIEGFRIED LINE The capture of Trier set the stage for the XX Corps' fourth, and probably) most important, operational phase the uncovering of the Siegfried Line. During the Triangle-Trier operation, the XX Corpsismashed the bulk of three German divisions to secure the northern anchor of the Siegfried defenses in that sector, and deny the enemy strongly fortified corridors through which he might launch a large-scale counter attack. Corps armor and infantry had cleared an area three miles deep and 26 miles in length along the north bank of the Moselle River, east of Trier to Alf. In spite of determined counter attacks, the 94th Divis ion expanded the bridgehead across the Saar River in the vicinity of Saarburg. For ten days ending 17 March, XX Corps armor and infantry were en gaged in furious fighting east of the Saarburg bridgehead where the enemy launched determined counter attacks in a frenzied effort to push the Americans back across the Saar. Enemy action was particulary fierce in the vicinity of Zerf and Pellingen where the 6th SS Moutain Division had been thrown into the fight. The main Siegfried defenses in the area extended from Trier to Saarlautern and the Germans had elected to attempt to retake the last barrier west of the Rhine River with all the strength they could muster. On the 13th of March, General Walker issued the attack order which set in motion the 94th, the 26th and the 80th Infantry Divisions eastward against strong enemy forces entrenched behind natural and man-made obstacles. The 26th Divis ion, commanded by Major General Willard S. Paul, had fought in the Saarlautern area before turning it over to the_6^th_^nfantrx_PJyision. This latter division, commanjedJby^Majoi^General Stanley E. Reinhart staged a diversionary attack there

Destroyed enemy guns and vehicles east of Kaiserslautern

18

which provided coyer_for the main effort in thajiorth. For three days the infantry hammered incessanHyligamst stubborn'resistance/and on the 16th of March the German wall collapsed. The 10th Armored Division was thereupon committed and exploited the break-through to seize St. Wendel by the following day. The back of the German Army in the Palatinate was broken. The 65th Di vision pressed its attack to completely over-run Saarlautern and then drove east. 20 March, the 80th Infantry Division had captured and cleared Kaiserslautern, an the 10th Armored Division and low flying fighter bombers of XIX TAC were cutting retreating enemy columns to ribbons. The XX Corps was on its way the Valley of the Rhine! As the enemy situation in front of the "Ghost" Corps rapidly disintegrated, the _ h A d commanded by Major General Roderick Allen, was attached making XX Corps the strongest corps of any commanded by General Patton. The 12th Armored Division was committed on the north flank of the Corps through elements of the 94th Division following the Autobahn north of Kaiserslautern to reach the Rhine River. The motorized 94th and 80th Divisions moved through the Palatinate, capturing spectacular amounts of enemy stores, important instal lations, supplies and equipment. On 21 March, the 12th Armored Division reached the west bank of the Rhine. The 94th Division with a Combat Command of the 12th Armored Division, entered Ludwigshafen, 22 March, and cleared the city of fanatical defenders on March 24. To complete the enemy rout in the Palatinate the XII Corps, in a surprise move across the Moselle River in the north, lanced deep into enemy territory in( coordination with the XX Corps drive. During this operation XX Corps captured a total of 43,000 prisoners, bringing its total number of enemy captured to more than 81,000.

.r>

19

CROSSING THE RHINE

Remnants of the badly mauled German Armies which managed to escape the Third Army onslaught between the Saar and Rhine Rivers hastily organized their defenses for a stand on the east bank of the Rhine, their last remaining important river barrier. Before the enemy had time to make any large-scale defensive preparations, Gejiej^JWa^kej^nishe^^ Mainz and gave the order for an assault crossing at one o'clock on the morning of~2lTMarch 1945. Simultaneously, an attack was launched across the Main River, tributary of the Rhine on the eastern shore, to establish a bridgehead in the icinity of the town of Hocheim. The enemy poured heavy artillery and small arms fire on the XX Corps infantrymen in a frantic but vain effort to break up the attack. After about two hours of heavy fighting, the "Ghost" Corps won a bridgehead in the heartland of Germany and consolidated its forces for the drive deeper into enemy territory. The assault crossing of the Main River met with equal success and XX Corps infantry in this zone quickly maneuvered to engage the enemy defending the city of Hocheim. The city was captured and cleared by 0915 that morning. Although resistance was disorganized and scattered, heavy enemy artillery fire was laid on the bridgeheads throughout the day as Naval assault-landing craft and ponton ferries plied back and forth.

Final construction on the Rhine river at Mainz

20

At noon XX Corps Engineers started construction of the 1896 ft. "Sunday Punch" treadway bridge across the historic Rhine River at Mainz. Within a short time XX Corps armor was pouring across the longest treadway bridge in the ETO! The Corps advanced from the Rhine to capture the important city of Weis baden by 7 o'clock that night.
into On the following day. General Walkpr__rnovg^ hi g _ _ d ll di h^ Weigbaden so as to personally digggtJthe^jQgeraticjq&from the east side^ojLJtJie

Jjhine. He ordered the 8DLlTtnIantry Division to pass through THe~bH3gehead. Third

Army added to XX Corps the 5th Infantry Division, which was engaged in clearing
Frankfurt, and the 6th Armored Division, commanded by Major General Robert
W. Grow, which was advancing astride the North-South Autobahn out of Frank furt. In one day the 6th Armored pushed north more than 50 miles. The 80th Division advancing on Kassel was busy battling German tanks which rolled directly from the factories in the city to the front. After heavy fighting Kassel fell to the 80th Division on 4 April.

XX Corps infantrymen pass through Kassel

21

POWER DRIVE ACROSS GERMANY

In one of the outstanding examples of team work between armor and infantry, the XX Corps launched a power drive from the important German city of Kassel on 11 April 1945, which raced eastward to capture scores of towns and cities and place the Corps at the outskirts of the city of Chemnitz. The 4th Armored Division, commanded by Major General Hoge, was as signed to the Corps and teamed with the 80th Infantry Division to form the southern force of the drive. In the northern half of the Corps zone, the 6th Armored Division and Major General William Schmidt's 76th Infantry Division were poised to launch a parallel thrust to the east. On the morning of 11 April, the twin armored attack was launched through screening infantry. The south column over ran all resistance to reach Erfurt where the Germans had set up strong, organized defenses. The armor by-passed the city while the infantry closed in for the attack. An ultimatum demanding the surrender of Erfurt was turned down, and after a heavy artillery barrage, the city fell to the 80th Division. Before Weimar, the birthplace of the German Weimar Republic, the burgo meister of neighboring Troistedt was sent into the city on a bicycle with a sur render ultimatum and instructions to return with a reply within two and half hours or the Americans would attack. Just as the artillerymen were preparing to release their barrage the white flag of surrender appeared from the top of Weimar's tallest building.

Germans view pieces of tatooed'human skin at Buchenwald

22

Many important documents were discovered in Weimar at the palatial estate of the notorious Nazi leader, Fritz Sauckel, who, in addition to being Gauleiter of the political district of Thuringia, held the post of Commissioner General of labor supply. A vain, unscrupulous man, he is reported to have been responsible for sending 300,000 workers from France into Germany within three months. In a forest a few miles northwest of Weimar, the XX Corps overran one of the most infamous "National Monuments" within the German Reich, the Con centration Camp of Buchenwald. Here was discovered the horrible evidence of unbelievable terror and brutality which the Nazis inflicted upon their helpless victims. The accounts of men of many nationalities pieced together a gruesome pic ture of the starvation, murder, cremation' and dissection of helpless humans by the Germans, all of which was accentuated by the cold, methodical scheme of the Nazi crimes and depravities. Two thousand citizens of Weimar were ordered to Buchenwald for an inspection tour of the camp where they could see the whole sale suffering and torture that had been taking place only a few miles from the serenity of their homes. Of the remaining 21,000 prisoners, they saw that almost half of them were nothing more than living skeletons. They saw the death cells, the incinerators which consumed as many as 600 bodies per day, the bodies of hundreds who had died during the night from disease and starvation, the children deliberately infected with typhus, and the vermin-infested barracks in which their victims were forced to live. They also saw the lamp shades and book covers made from tattooed human skin to please the fancy of the wife of a former camp com mander! With the surrender of Weimar, the powerful columns continued east against the weakening opposition until they reached Jena, home of the famous Carl Zeiss lens and camera works. When the surrender ultimatum was turned down, the infantry followed a heavy artillery barrage in the city where they engaged in fierce houseto-house fighting until the city was reduced on 12 April.

16th Armored vehicles of XX Corps roll east toward Chemnitz

23

The armor-tipped XX Corps advanced eastward to the Weisse River where the 76 th Infantry Division established a bridgehead in the vicinity of Zeitz. The infantry attacked with the 6th Armored Division at 9 o'clock on the morning of 15 April, in the face of heavy fire from anti-aircraft and 88mm guns. By mid night the city was occupied by the Americans. On the right flank the 4th Armored Division thrust swiftly from Kunitz to capture a bridge intact over the Mulde River where it established a bridgehead within artillery range of Chemnitz. Another column of the 4th Armored racing 40 miles in a day swept further east to seize three more intact bridges over the river, and powerful armored and infantry units rolled across in preparation for the assault on the prize city of Chemnitz. On 16 April, the surrender ultimatum to the German commander of troops within the city was returned unopened, but shortly before the scheduled jump off, the "Ghost" Corps received orders to swing south and drive across the Danube and into Austria. In the seven days of this central Germany campaign, the XX Corps drove 150 miles into the heartland of Germany to capture 47,000 prisoners, and to destroy or capture great quantities of enemy guns, vehicles and valuable supplies.

24

INTO AUSTRIA On April 18, 1945, the Corps Commander, who had just received the third star of a Lieutenant General, poised his forces to deliver the "Sunday Punch" which was to put an inglorious end to all German resistance in the XX Corps zone of oper ations and established contact with Russian forces advancing west from Vienna. Fresh from a triumphant thrust into the heartland of Germany which brought the "Ghost" Corps to the very suburbs of the city of Chemnitz, and expetations of meeting at any time the Russian forces advancing from the east, General Walker's armor and infantry assembled for a drive southeast from Nuremberg, which was captured by the XV Corps after heavy fighting. Divisions assigned to XX Corps for the drive across the Danube and into Austria, included: the 71st Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Willard G. Wyman; the 13th Ar mored Division, commanded by Major General John Millikin; which had been in the Theatre but a short time before joining the Corps. The 65th Infantry Division rejoined the Corps and the 80th Infantry Division moved into Nuremberg as Corps Reserve. A powerful task force composed of the 3rd Cavalry Group and the 5th Ranger Battalion, pierced enemy lines east of Nuremberg, and advanced rapidly south towards Regensburg on the Danube. The enemy at Neumarkt met the XX Corps advance with heavy fire from tanks and self-propelled guns. The battle de veloped into" intense house-to-house fighting before it fell to the 65th Infantry Di vision on April 25. At Etterhauzen the Germans attempted to halt the Corps columns

The treadway bridge over the Danube River

25

with heavy artillery and bazooka fire, and fought fiercely until they were forced to withdraw across the Danube. A surprise assault crossing of the Danube by * two - f a n t ^ v i o n s re sulted in the disorganization of the enemy teoops uth of the nver. i

S g h o ssrsssrs.* ssf^A **- S

the 65th Division. trian frontier!

Russian Corps driving from the east.

KAPITTn^TrONSBSDLHOUBGEN PUB DIE UBERGABB
DER DEUT3CHEN STREITKRAFTE DEH HEERESGRUPPE 3UD.
AL3 KOMMA1TDANT DER DEUTSCHEN STREITKRAFTE DER HEERESGRUPPE SUD
BEHME ICH HIEMIT DIE FOLGENDEN BEDINGUNGEN DEH OBERGABE AN, WIE SIE
VOM KQMMAKDIKRENDEN GENERAL DSR DRITTEN ARMEE DEH VEREINIGTEN
STAATEN VO1T AMERIKA AUFERLEGT WURDBN, UND ZWARi
I. ALLE STREITKRAPTE UNTER MEINER KONTROLLE ERGEBEN SICH HIEMIT
BBDINGDNGSLOS.
II. ALLE FEIHDSELIGKEITBN SIND JETZT BEENDET.
III. AM 8 MAY J9#5 UM OOO1 UHR BRITISCHER SOMMERZEIT WERDEN ALLE
STREITKRAPTE UNTER MEINEH KONTROLLE IHRE WAPFEN NIEDERLEGEN UND ALLEN
BEPEHLEN GEHORCHEN, DIE IHNEN VOM KOMMANDIERBNDEN GENERAL DEH DRITTEN
AMERIKANISCHEN ARMEE AUPER1E0T WERDEN.
IV. BIS ZUM ERLASS WEITERER VERFUGUNGEN VON SEITEN DE3 KOMMANDIE RENDEN GENERALS DER DRITTBN AMERIKANISCHEN ARMEE WERDEN ALLE FLUG ZEUGE UNTER MEINER KONTROLLB-AUF DEM BODEN VERBLBIBEN.
V. WEDER KRIEGSMATERIAL NOCH ANDERES EIGENTUM WIRD WEGGESCHAPPT,
ZERSTORT ODER ANDERWEITIG BESCHADIGT WERDEN, NOCH WIRD HIERUBER
DURCH MICH ODER DURCH ANDERE PERSONEN UNTER MEINEH KONTROLLE VERFUGT
WERDEN.
VI. ALLE OEFANGENEN UND INTERNIERTEN, DIE ANGEHORIGE DER VEREINTEN
NATIONEN SIND, WERDHN UNVERLETZT IN DIE KONTROLLE DER DRITTEN AMERI KANISCHEN ARMEE ftBERGEBEN.
VII. DIE LAGE ALLER HINDERNISSE, DIE DIE BEWEGUNGEN ZU LANDE ODER IN
DER LUFT BEEINTRACHTIGEN KONNTEN, WERDEN UNVERZUGLICH BEKANNTGEGEBEN.
VIII. ALLE VERBINDUNGEN DURCH RUNDFUNK, TELEPHON-ODER DURCH ANDERE
NACHRICHTENMITTEL WEHDEN UNVERZUGLICH AUSSER BETRIEB GE3ETZT.
IX. WEITERE ANWEISUNGEN UND BEPEHLE WERDEN' VOM KOMMANDIERENDEN
GENERAL DER DRITTEN AMERIKANISCHEN ARMEE AUSGEGEBEN UND DEMENTSPRE CHEND BEFOLGT WERDEN.
X. DIE NfCHTBEFOLGUNG DER- BEFEHLE ODER DIE NICHTERFULLUNG DERSELBEN
' V R GEMASS DEN GESBTZEN UND GEBRAUCHEN DES KRIEGES GEAHNJET WERDEN.
.ID ICH HABE ZUR KENNTNIS GEN0MMEN.DA33 DIESES UBEREINKOMMEN BLOSS EIN
30LCHES EINER ORTLICHEN KAPITULATION IWD OHNE VORURTEIL 1ST, UND
DURCH IRGENDEIN ALLGEMEINE3 UBERGABE-UBEREDIKOMMKN ER3ETZT WERDEN
WIRD,'DAS VON DEN VEREINIGTEN STAATEN VON AMERIKA, DEM VEREINIGTEN
BRITISCHSN KONIGREICH UND DER UNION DER SOZIALISTISCHEN SOWJETREPU BLIKEN ERLA3SEN WERDENWIRD.
BESTATIGT DURCH MEINE EIGENHANDIGE UNTERSCHRIFT UND DURCH MEIN
SIEGEL AM 7 MAI 194-5, UM 1800 UHR.
(SIEGEL)
ZEUGEN

The surrender document signed by General Walker and the commander of Army Group South

26

On 9 May 1945, on a bridge over the Enns River, Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker, commander of the XX Corps of the Third U. S. Army, clasped hands with the commander of the Russian 20th Guards Infantry Budapest Corps whose troops faced those of the "Ghost" Corps. The military operations of these two famous Allied Army's Corps which formed a powerful vise to crush German resistance in Austria, reached a dramatic climax when the two victorious commanders marked the successful completion of their respective missions in this historic meeting.

General Walker and General Birokoff meet at the Enns River bridge

A guard of honor composed of veterans of some of the greatest battles ever fought formed the background for the event which took place the day hostilities officially ceased in Europe. An exchange of personal and Corps' flags by the com manders highlighted a formal ceremony which included the presentation of mili tary decorations in the names of the American and Soviet Governments. General Walker was presented with the Order of the War for the Fatherland, 1st Class, and Brigadier General William A. Collier, Chief of Staff of the XX Corps, received the same Order, 2nd Class. Thus, from the hedgerows of Normandy to the meeting with the Russians in Austria, XX Corps blazed a brilliant path of victory which will be indelibly enscribed on the pages of military achievement!

General Walker describes XX Corps operations to Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, and Patton

YOUR SUNDAY PUNCH In a speech to the officers and enlisted men months before D-Day, at Og burne-St. George, England, Brigadier General William A. Collier, Chief of Staff, said that the XX Corps was destined to deliver a "Sunday Punch" in the European war. Actually,- the "Ghost" Corps inspired by brilliant leadership, delivered a number of knock-out punches to the enemy before the final bell. General Walker, in his farewell address, eloquently summarizes the Corps' achievements as follows: "Fighting across 18 major rivers and scores of smaller streams you have accomplished some of the longest sustained marches in the history of warfare. You have liberated or conquered more than 31,000 square miles of territory, including 600 cities and towns and 4,000 inhabited places. You have captured 540,000 enemy soldiers and killed or wounded at least 89,000 others. ANGERS, CHARTRES, FONTAINEBLEAU, MELUN, MONTEREAU, CHATEAU-THIERRY, EPERNAY, REIMS, VERDUN, METZ, TRIER, SAARLAUTERN, KAISERS LAUTERN, WIESBADEN, KASSEL, WEIMAR, JENA, RE GENSBURG, BRAUNAU, LINZ and STEYR were but milestones in your zone of advance."

28

ITINERARY OF XX CORPS HEADQUARTERS

ENGLAND 1. Maryborough 2. Ogburne St. George 3. Southampton Feb 20 June 13-1944 Jun 13 Jul 15 Jul 15 Jul 17

FRANCE 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. St. Jacques de Nehou Fleury St. Martin de Londolet Vitre Soulge de Briant La Ferte Bernard Courville Ovsonville Milly Fontainebleau Donnamarie Montmirail Louvois Ste. Menehould Verdun Mars la Tour Jarny Thionville Jul 23 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 7 Aug 10 Aug 13 Aug 15 Aug 22 Aug 23 Aug 25 Aug 27 Aug 28 Aug 29 Sep 1 Sep 2 Sep 8 Sep 24 Nov 20Aug 4 -Aug 5 -Aug 7 -Aug 10 -Aug 13 -Aug 15 -Aug 22 -Aug 23 -Aug 25 -Aug 27 -Aug 28 -Aug 29 Sep 1 Sep 2
Sep 8 Sep 24 Nov 20 Mar 18-1945

GERMANY 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. Saarburg St. Wendel Weirhof Wiesbaden Alsfeld Falkenburg Treffurt Gotha Weimar Pommersfelden Reichenschwand Burglengenfeld Regensburg Adldorf St. Martin, Austria Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr May May 18 20 22 30 31 3 10 11 13 18 22 26 28 2 4 Mar Mar Mar -Mar Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr May May Jun 20 22 30 31 3 10 11 13 18 22 26 28 2 4 10

29

LONDON

LAND

ANGERS

NORMANDY NORTHERN RHINELAND FRANCE

CENTRAL EUROPE

GHOST CORPS

DIVISIONS COMMANDED BY XX CORPS

1 AUGUST ' 1944 TO 9 M A Y 1945

5th INF DIV

26th INF DIV

35th INF DIV

65th INF DIV

71st INF DIV

76th INF DIV

A
4
80th INF DIV 83d INF DIV 90th INF DIV 94th INF DIV

95th INF DIV

2d FRENCH ARMD

4th ARMD DIV

6th ARMD DIV

7th ARMD DIV

8th ARMD DIV

9th ARMD DIV

10th ARMD DIV

11th ARMD DIV

12th ARMD DIV

13th ARMD DIV

D I V I S I O N S

TEMPORARILY

UNDER

XXCORPS

C O M M A N D

BUT W H I C H

DID

NOT

PARTICIPATE

I N PRINCIPAL

COMBAT

O P E R A T I O N S

K.MNI
AND

OF

ALL

THE

CORPS HAS

HAVE

COMMANDED, BEEN ATTACK THE

YOURS

ALWAYS TO

M O S T

EAGER

....

G. S. P A T T O N , JR. GENERAL

-^- V ;-;5SEJRCH , , , , p J f t

COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL

DATE DUE(DA Pamp 12-25)

199

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PAMPHlJ
MSH RIDE

DA FORM 1881, 1 JAN 57

This is No.
TWCKHESS

1528
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1934 IS

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