Battle yet unsung : the fighting men of the 14th Armored Division in World War II

While headline writers in the ETO were naturally focused on events in Normandy and the Bulge in the north, equally ferocious combats were taking place in southern France and Germany during 194445, which are now finally getting their due. The US 14th Armored Divisiona late arrival to the theaterwas thrust into intense combat almost the minute it arrived in Europe, as the Germans remained determined to defend their southern flank. Like other US formations, the 14th AD, after advancing through France against intermittent opposition, was hammered to a standstill at the Westwall in the fall of 1944. Nevertheless, it had gained experience, and when the Germans sought to turn the tide, with Operation Northwind, they found a hardened formation against them. This book explores in detail what happened in the month of January 1945 in the snow-covered Vosges Mountains, when the Wehrmacht's attempt to destroy the Sixth Army Group failed. Northwind began in the mountains but was extended onto the plains of Alsace very near the Rhine River. A strategic withdrawal after a hellish ten days of fiery combat allowed the Allies to hold the line until a spring offensive. The dreadful cold and the conflagration of battle took a toll on both sides, but by now the 14th and the other American divisions felt the heat of battle in their hearts and knew what had to be done to defeat a wily enemy. But the Siegfried Line still loomed in front to American forces, and in the sector of the 14th, the divisions literally exploded their way through it in March at Steinfeld, and began to propel the Wehrmacht into a retreat from which it could never recover. Armored columns kept punching their way through roadblock after roadblock in town after town with powerful artillery and air concentrations that never gave the German soldiers a chance to respond. As a result of the rapid advance of Seventh Army and the 14th, German POW camps like the ones at Hammelburg and Moosburg were liberated of over 100,000 prisoners, an achievement which gave the division the nom de guerre "The Liberators." Timothy O'Keeffe, a Professor Emeritus from Southern Connecticut State College, had a brother-in-law who lost a leg while serving with the Liberators, and thus has devoted years of effort to unveiling the crucial, yet heretofore unwritten, role that they played in the ultimate Allied victory. Table of Contents A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION 1. FIRST DAYS OF BATTLE IN THE MARITIME ALPS 2. TRAGEDY AT BARR 3. THE ONSLAUGHT 4. TASK FORCE HUDELSON AND OPERATON NORTHWIND 5. THE HATTEN-RITTERSHOFFEN INFERNO 6. OHLUNGEN GETTING EVEN AND GETTING HURT 7. BREACHING THE SIEGFRIED LINE 8. THE DRIVE FROM THE RHINE 9. FROM COLLAPSE TO LIBERATION 10. FROM ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC? 14TH ARMORED DIVISION DATA ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND SOURCES NOTES "A n incredible job in shedding light about an often neglected but important role this unit played in the defeat of Nazi Germany" ( WWII History ). While headline writers in the European Theater of Operations were naturally focused on events in Normandy and the Bulge in the north, equally ferocious combats were taking place in southern France and Germany during 1944#8211;45, which are now finally getting their due. The US 14th Armored Division#8212;a late arrival to the theater#8212;was thrust into intense combat almost the minute it arrived in Europe, as the Germans remained determined to defend their southern flank. This book explores in detail what happened in the month of January 1945 in the snow-covered Vosges Mountains, when the Wehrmacht's attempt to destroy the Sixth Army Group failed. A strategic withdrawal after ten hellish days of fiery combat allowed the Allies to hold the line until a spring offensive. In March, the division literally exploded its way through the Siegfried Line at Steinfeld and began to propel the Wehrmacht into a retreat from which it could never recover. Armored columns kept punching their way through roadblock after roadblock in town after town with powerful artillery and air concentrations that never gave the German soldiers a chance to respond. As a result of the rapid advance of Seventh Army and the 14th, German POW camps like the ones at Hammelburg and Moosburg were liberated of over 100,000 prisoners, an achievement which gave the division the nom de guerre "The Liberators." "A frontline soldier's view of how green troops became battle-wise and battle-weary veterans." #8212; The Journal of America's Military Past "The US 14th Armored Division was thrust into intense combat quickly after it arrived at the port of Marseilles, as the Germans remained determined to defend their southern flank. Like other American formations, the 14th Armored, after advancing through France against intermittent opposition, was hammered to a standstill as it approached the German border during the fall of 1944 ... Nevertheless, the 14th had gained experience, and when the Germans sought to turn the tide with Operation Northwind, they found a hardened formation standing against them. Northwind began in the Vosges Mountains, but was extended onto the plains of Alsace near the Rhine. This book explores in detail what happened in January 1945 when the Wehrmacht launched its last major offensive in the west. The 14th Armored engaged in point-blank combat as it held off the enemy, until finally a strategic withdrawal after a hellish ten days of fiery combat allowed the Allies to hold the line until a spring offensive"--Jacket