Across The Rhine
Assaulting across the Moselle River at Treis on 14 March 1945, the corps seized Bad Kreuznach on 18 March and Worms on 21 March. On 22 March 1945, XII Corps assaulted across the Rhine River at Oppenheim without involved preparation and caught the Germans in the area off-guard. From 21–27 March, the corps battled for, and seized Mainz. On 25 March, Darmstadt fell to XII Corps. Against the wishes of MG Eddy, General Patton ordered the XII Corps to dispatch a raiding force (Task Force Baum) to liberate the Hammelburg prisoner of war camp on 25 March. TF Baum was trapped and destroyed near Hammelburg on 27 March 1945. On 26 March 1945, the corps assaulted across the Main River into Frankfurt am Main, and fought for three days to capture the city in the face of German resistance characterized by the use of assault guns and a heavy concentration of Flak artillery in the dense urban environment. Moving rapidly northeast, the corps bypassed German troop concentrations and conquered Hanau (28 March), Bad Hersfeld (31 March), and Fulda (2 April). The corps paused between Gotha and Suhl on 3 April 1945. On 4 April 1945 XII Corps troops discovered a Nazi stash of art treasures and gold in a salt mine at Merkers, and then took Meiningen the following day.
Read more about this topic: XII Corps (United States)
Famous quotes containing the word rhine:
“Ah, there should be a young man, ein schone Junge carrying Blumen, a bouquet of roses. There should be cold Rhine wine and Strauss waltzes, and on the long way home kisses in the shadow of an archway, like a Cinderella.”
—Laurence Stallings (1894–1968)