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The story of the Century.
Ed. New-york, 1946
100th Infantry Division
On 23 July 1946, in Allendorf,
Germany, General Von Mellenthin, commanding general of the 19th
Germany Army, submitted the following sworn statement relative
to enemy forces and defenses confronting the 100th Division
during the Vosges Mountains campaign and the battle for Bitche.
This sensational, press-time revelation was forwarded to the
editor from Germany by Gen. Withers A. Burress. More than any
commendation by an American general, it extols the fighting
qualities of the soldiers of the Century Division. It is also a
lucid supplement to our own G-2 information.
BREAKTHROUGH OF AMERICAN FORCES OVER BACCARAT TO BADONVILLER,
MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER 1944
While in October 1944, the general attitude of enemy forces in
the larger Metz area can be described as quiet and the units of
the German First Army, which were very much worn out by battles
ensuing the invasion and the subsequent withdrawal through
France, had some time for refreshening, the troops of the
Seventh U. S. Army, committed in the Vosges, left the Nineteenth
Army no time for carrying out the badly needed refreshening in
peace. Thus the 21st Panzer Div. and the 16th Div., committed in
the Rambervillers-Bruyeres sector, were involved in current
defensive battles, which pressed their positions back for
several kilometers, in October 1944. Nevertheless, they were
able to prevent a breakthrough.
On 8 November 1944 an American major attack was launched on the
sector on both sides of Metz. According to an order given by the
Army Group G, the 21st Panzer Div. was to be relieved by the
708th Div. commencing on the night of 9-10 November 1944. The
Panzer Div. was quickly transferred to the Metz battle area in
order to be committed there against the threatening enemy
breakthrough. The 708th Div., now in the course of being brought
up, had been activated in Slovakia about six weeks ago.
By 10 November 1944 a defensive battle, lasting for several days,
commenced in the Baccarat-St. Die-Bruyeres area, in which the
enemy had but little success in the beginning. On 11 November
1944 stronger U. S. forces attacked also further to the North in
the direction of Blamont.
While the 553rd Div., committed here, in a tenacious battle
succeeded in preventing an enemy breakthrough, the situation in
the Herbeviller-Baccarat sector, and south of it where the 708th
Div. was committed, developed in a less satisfactory manner. The
relief of the 21st Panzer Div. by this infantry division was not
completed at that time, so that here the enemy struck on a
sector not yet fully ready for defense. He could, therefore,
make deep penetrations and Baccarat was taken by the 100 U. S.
Div.*
Also, on 13 November 1944 the 553rd Div., in general, was able
to hold its positions west of Blamont. On the contrary, the
situation on the 708th Div. sector became threatening. Exact
reports from the division had not yet arrived at the higher
staffs on that day. Still, it is recognized that the American
leadership quickly grasped the big possibilities offered to them
in the Baccarat area as on that day the U. S. units were
energetically pushing forward in the direction of Ancerviller
and Badonviller. On 15 and 16 November 1944, the remnants of the
708th Div., defeated in the Vortagen, were driven back to the
line Cirey - east of Badonviller-Raon L'Etape. Thereby the
Seventh U. S. Army (100th Div.) had succeeded in penetrating to
a depth of 20 kilometers. The elements, still holding positions
west of Blamont, were thereby threatened on their deep southern
wing and had to be withdrawn into the Blamont area and north of
it. Between 17 and 18 November 1944, the 708th Div. was
completely pressed back to the edge of the Vosges.
Thus the inner wings of the XV and VI U. S. Corps - the 14th U.
S. Armd. Div. and the 100th U. S. Div. - succeeded in smashing
the 708th Div., lacking combat experience, and in a daring
thrust, during a few days, advanced to the line Raon
L'Etape-Badonviller-south of Blamont, while the attack launched
by U. S. units further north in the direction of Blamont, and
north of it, could make headway for a few kilometers only. **
Summing up, from the point of view of the Army Croup G, we can
say that the U. S. units committed on the sector of Baccarat and
north of it had almost completely smashed the 708th Div., caught
the 553rd Div. in its deep wing, creating thereby the
supposition for the breakthrough of the American and French
Armored Forces near Zabern, taking place on 22 November 1944.
DEFENSIVE BATTLES OF THE FIRST ARMY IN THE BITCHE
AREA, BEGINNING OF DECEMBER 1944
The counter-attack launched by the Panzer Lehr Div. on 24 and 26
November 1944, with the object of closing the front gap near
Zabern (Savern) by a thrust from the Sarrunion to the South, had
failed. The forces did not suffice for this purpose. Besides,
the 11th and 25th Panzer Divs., which were still committed in
the sector of the First Army, were required for our major
Ardennes offensive, which was scheduled to begin middle of
December. On the night of 30 November-1 December 1944 the Panzer
Lehr Div. had to be quickly relieved from the Saarunion area.
With a heavy heart, we had to order the 11th Panzer Div. with
subordinate 25th Panzer Gren. Div. still to extend their long
drawn sector in order to relieve forces necessary for relief of
the Panzer Lehr Div. On 1 December 1944, the main body of the
11th Panzer Div. and the 25th Panzer Gren. Div. - the latter
consisted only of one regimental group with about 8 to 10 tanks
- were already taken back into the line Wittring-Aachen-Biningen-(Biming)-Bois
de Heiligenbronn (Maginot Line). On that day stronger U. S.
Armored Forces pushed forward on both sides of the road Lorenzen-Biningen
toward Bitche. We succeeded in intercepting this push by
flanking fire from both sides, inflicting heavy losses on the
enemy. One of these armored flanking groups was assembled in the
woods southeast of Biningen.
The 361st Volks Gren. Div., which was committed on the adjacent
sector of the lower Vosges south of Bitche - one of the best
infantry divisions engaged in the defensive battle in the larger
area of, Metz - had in the beginning of December to withstand a
steadily increasing enemy pressure in forset battles. In these
battles, the 100th U. S. Div., which was known to us from the
Vosges (battles) as being a crack assault division with daring
and flexible leadership, succeeded in taking the village
Mouterhouse, Lemberg and Montbronn. In consequence of this
steady, strong enemy pressure the Army Group G was not able to
withdraw from the Bitche sector the 11th Panzer Div. and the
25th Panzer Gren. Div. so badly needed for the Ardennes
offensive. These forces had to remain on this front in order to
prevent a possible breakthrough of the American forces in the
Bitche area.
(Signed) VON MELLENTHIN
* Baccarat was not taken by the 100th Div. The
Division did debouch from that town for its attack through the
Vosges Mountains.
** In other words, the attack by the 100th Div. was of material
assistance to XV corps in its breakthrough to SAVERN Pass and
the capture of STRASSBOURG. |
