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R HIVES
CGSC
FT
LEAVENWO
TH
KtiK4
APR
7 953
r
MONO SSIG
MON OG
PHi~
CCESSION
NO
PO
Ri G iSTRY
THE
GERMANS
OPPOSITE
lI
CORPS
IN
SEPTEMBER
1944
Y
LUCIAN
HEICHLER
DISTRIBL
DE
THIS
MONOGRAPH
MAY
NOT
BE
REPRODUCED
EITHER
IN
WHOLE
OR IN PART
WITHOUT
THE
PERMISSION
OF
THE
CHIEF
OF
MILITARY
HISTORY
The German
opposite
VII
Corps
in Sep
44
hi
of
f s
1 1 t
ib>yB
52
CGSC Form
16
3
Mar
5
Army CGSC P3 1966 20
Mar 53 5M
UNqCL SSIFI[Q
p.
r
AXZ
This Document
IS
A
HOLDING
OF
THE
ARCHIVES
SECTION
LIBRARY SERVICES
FORT LEAVENWORTH
KANSAS
DOCUMENT
NO. R 16436.3oB
COPY
NO.
STORY
Nomp
7,
_ a l
1
a
pt
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CHAPTER
III
Tr
GLE1ANS OPPOSITE
VII CORPS
IN SEPTEMBER
1944
Part
of
a
Study
of
the
German
Side Undertaken
in
Support
of
The Siegfried Line by Charles
B MacDonald
OCMH:
In Progress
Based Entirely
on
German Records, This Chapter is Intended
to Complement
Charter of The Siegfried
Line:
VII
Corns
Penetrates
the
Line
by
2VL ~a c~,
Lucian
Heichler
Research Section
Office
of
the Chief
of Military
History
Washington, D
C.
December 952
~~
;SSFED
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U abe
A
Sofon
s
Table of Contents
ntroduction
Defense
of Aachen
and
the Stolberg
orridor
The DXXXI
Corps
Situation
in Mid September
1944
LXXXI
Corps: ounterattack
and
Stalemate
LXXIV Corps:
Defense
of the Lammersdorf
Corridor
and
the West
VIall
Page
1
41
S
8
APPENDIX:
Map
of
the West Wall in the LXXXI
and
LXX V
orps
s tors
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UNCL SSIF
I
Introduction
n the
early
years of World
War the German
Army
amply
demonstrated
its
ability
to
exploit victory to
the
fullest .
After the tide had turned against the
Germans,
it became ap-
parent
that they also possessed the more outstanding
bility
to quickly recover
from
a defeat before
their
opponents
could
thoroughly
exploit their
success.
The
German Seventh
Army exemplified
this faculty
late
in
the
summer
of 1944
Less than
month
after suffering
an
apparently
decisive
defeat
in which
it
was crushed
and battered
beyond
recognition
Seventh
Army
established
a
coherent
front
line
from
the Maas River
to the
Sohnee
Eifel Range
in September
1944.
Committed
in this
wide
are and supported
by
a
motley
conglomeration
of
last-ditch
reserves the
army s
remaining
elements successfully
defended
the approaches
to the Reich.
During
its
withdrawal
from
Falaise
to
the West
Wall,
Seventh
Army passed
through
three
distinct
phases.
n th e
first stage
the
rout
following
narowly averted
annihilation
in the
Falaise Pocket
Seventh
rmy
ceased to exist
as n
independent
organization.
Its
shattered
remnants were
attached
to Fifth Panzer
Army
until
4 September
1944.
n
that date
Seventh
Army was
apparently
reconstituted
under
the
command
of General
der Panzertruppen
Erich Brandenberger.
The army
then
passed
through the
phase
of delaying
action
while
it
~rsa~
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UM
lED
reorganized
its
forces
and re-established
the semblance of
a
front
line. Despite persistent
orders from
above
to defend
every
foot
of ground, General
Brandenberger
realized
that a
fairly rapid
with-
drawal
was
called
for, if his forces
were
to
reach
the West
Wall
ahead
of
American
spearheads.
MS
B-730
(Brandenberger).
The delaying
action
ended
officially on
9
September 1944 when
Seventh
Army was
charged
with the
defense
of the West
Wall in
the
Maastricht
Aachen
Bitburg
sectors. Along
with the
fortifications
the
army took
over
all headquarters
and troops stationed
in this
area.
f
Seventh
Army s three corps,
LXUXI Corps
was assigned the
northern
sector of
the West Wall
from the
Herzogenrath
Dueren
switch
position to
the
Rollesbroich
Huertgen
Forest
sector.
LXXIV Corps
was committed in
the center, from
Roetgen to Ormont,
and
I
SS
Panzer
orps
was
to defend the
West
Wall in the Schnee
Eifel sector,
from
Ormont
to
the
boundary with
First Army
at
Diekirch.
Order,
Seventh Army
to
ll corps,
9
Sep 44,
LXXI Corps
KTB
Anlagen,
Befehle:
Heeresgruppe,
Armee,
usw.
[Orders:
Army
Group,
Army,
etc.],
5.VIII.
21.X.44.
Referred
to hereafter
as LCXXI
Corps
KTB
Befehle:
Heeresgruppe,
Armee, usw.
See
also Appendix,
map
of
the
West
Wall.
With this
transition
from the
second to the
third
phase
of
operations
from
delaying
action
to firm
resistance
based
on
th e
u~~L~s~ INN
~i~e~SYI
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fortified cositions
of
the W est Wall
the
withdrawal
from
France
came
to
an end and
the defense
of
Germany began.
When
U.S.
VII
Corps launched its
reconnaissance
in force
on
12
September 1944 Seventh
rmy
was in
the
mi st
of this process
of
transition. While
some
of ts elements had already
occupied
their
assigned
West Wall
so~tors others were
still fighting
a de-
laying action well forward
of the bunker line.
UN L SSIFIED
h
fit i
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Defense of
Aachen
and
the
Stolberg
Corridor
On 12 September 1944 the forces
of
LJ I
Corps,
under the
command
of
Generalleutnant Friedrich-August
Schack, were committed
from Breust
on the Maas River eastward to Hombourg and Moresnet
thence
south along the
West
Wall
to
the boundary with LXXIV Corps
Eupen - Roetgen - Zuelpich
- Bonn).*
Noon
Sitrep,
LXXXI
Corps,
12 Sep
44, LXXX Corps KTB
Anlagen
Tagesmeldungen [Daily
Sitreps], 6.VIII. 21.X.44.
Referred to
hereafter as
LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
Four
badly
mauled understrength
divisions were committed in
the LXXXI Corps front line.
In the northwestern
sector, between
the
Maas
River
and
the Aachen
area 275th and 49th Infantry Divisions
held
the line against U.S.
XIX
Corps.
In the
southeastern half
For an account
of these two divisions
see
Lucian
Heichler
Chapter IV, The Germans
Facing XIX Corps, OCMH in progress).
the
LUXI Corps
zone, opposite U.S.
VII Corps,
116th
Panzer
Division
and 9th Panzer
Division faced
the
U.S. 1st
Infantry and
3d Armored
Divisions.
The
sector of 116th Panzer
Division
was
defined
in
the northwest
by
the boundary with
49th Infantry Division:
Hombourg Schneeberg
Hill along
the West Wall to Bardenberg.
In
the
southeast
the
boundary with
9th
Panzer
Division extended from Welkenrath
via
Hauset
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5
and
Brand to Stolberg.*
The
organic strength
of
115th Panzer
Division
Order, LTJXI
Corps to all
divs, 2230 on
12
Sep
44, LXXI
Corps
KTB
Anlagen,
Befehle
an
Dive, [Orders
to Divs], 3.VIII.
21.X.44.
Referred
to
here fter
as
LCX=I
Corps
KTB
Befehle
an
Div.
und:r the command
of
Generalleutnant Graf
Gerhard von
Schwerin, was
organized
in two
armored regiments 60th and 156th
Panzer Grenadier
Regiments -- the
116th Panzer
Reconnaissance
Battalion, and the
116th
Panzer
Artillery
Regiment.
Commanded by Generalmajor
Gerhard
Mueller, 9th Panzer Division
had
only arrived
in
the
LXXXI
ors
zone
on
11 September
1944.
Its
sector extended
from
the
boundary
with 116th
Panzer Division
to th e
boundary with LXXIV Corps
see above).
According to
General
Brandenberger
its first
wave
had
consisted
of but
three
companies
of panzer grenadiers
advance detachment
of either
10th or 11th
Panzer
Grenadier Regiment), an
engineer
company, and
two batteries
of artillery General Schack amalgamated these elements with th e
remaining forces of 105th
Panzer Brigade
Major Volker).
Since
its attachment to LXXXI Corps
on
3 September 1944 this
tank
brigade
had lost most
of its armored inf ntry
b tt lion nd
all
but
ten of
its tanks. Instead of committing the weak elements of 9th Panzer
Division in
the
West Wall, L I Corps
had found
it necessary
to
send these forces
into the front line.
Badly mauled on their
first
day of action
as was to be
expected the
remaining
elements
of Kampfgruppe
9th Panzer
Division
had assembled
in Eynatten during
the
night
from 11
to
I September.
They
were
to
fight
delaying
L i IED
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action
back
to their
West
Wail
sector
while all
other
elements
of
thl
division
still
enroute from
their assembly
area
at Kaiserslautern
were to
be committed
immediately
in the West
all upon
arrival.*
MS
B-730
(Brandenberger).
In
addition
to
the
units
enumerated
above,
IXXDI Corps
also
commanded
353d
Infantry
Division
Generalleutnant
Paul
M-ahlmann).
This
division
was
exhausted
and
possessed
very
few
organic
con-
tingents. Far too
weak
to be committed
in
a
front
line
sector,
its headquarters
and
remaining
elements
were
moved
to the
assigned
W'est
Wall
sectors
of 116th
and
9th
Panzer
Divisions to
establish
liaison with
the
various
headquarters
and local
defense
units
in
the
rear
of
LXXXI
Corps.
On
9
September
944
Seventh
Army
had
attached
to
LXXXI Corps
the
Wfehrmachtbefehlshaber [Military Governor]
for
Belgium and
Nortnern
France
with his
staff
and
troops,
the
Kampfkommandant*
of
Aachen
A
term
whicn
is difficult
to
translate.
Literally
it
means
combat
commander
but
is
used
to
describe
a military
officer
ap-
pointed
to
organize
the
defense
of
a city
or
rear area.
See
iv
T-121
(Zimmermann
et al.),
pp.
1820ff.
(Colonel
von
Osterroth),
the
53d
Grenadier Training Regiment of
526th
Reserve
Division,*
and a
strange
assortment
of
independent
The
other two
regiments
of
526th
Reserve
Division,
4 6th
and
536th
Grenadier
Training
Regiments,
were
attached to
LXXIV Corps
while the
division
headquarters at
Euskirchen remained
directly
subordin ted
to
Seventh
Army.
UriL S
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battalions representing
the
proverbial
bottom
of
the barrel.
Some
of
these
were
Luftwaffe
Fortress
Battalions ;*
others
were
called
Luftwaffe
ground
troops
hastily
organized
in infantry
batta-
lions
usually
without
sufficient
training
poorly
armed,
and of
little
combat
value
according to
German
postwar
accounts
such as
M S
B-730 Brandenberger).
Landesschuetzen
Battalions (the
termra
is
vaguely
equivalent
to
home
guard )
which
were quite inadequately
armed,
without
heavy
weapons,
and composed
of men
as
old as the
hills .*
Order, Seventh
Army
to all
corps,
9 Sep 44,
LXXXI Corps
KTB
Befehle:
Heeresgruppe,
Armee, usw.;
Quotation
from
ETHINT
18
(Schwerin).
Landesschuetzen Battalions
were usually composed
of
men
fifty
to
sixty
years
old.
The
situation
in
the
LXXXI
Corps area
was
canplicated further
by
tne presence
of
police and Hitler Youth detachments
who
attempted
to
make themselves
useful
by
doing such work
on the
West
Vall
fortifications
as they saw
fit, but
refused
to
co-operate
with
the
military.
The various
independent
battalions
described above
were
sub-
ordinated
to 353d
Infantry
Division
prior to
their
commitment
with
the
front line divisions.
By
order
of
Field
Marshal
Model
Commander
in
Chief,
Army Group
B)
the
newly
arrived 8th 12th,
and
19th
Luftwaff
Fortress
Battalions
were
attached
to 353d
Infantry
Division
on con-
dition
that they would
be
employed
only in
defense of
the West
Wall.
The
division
reported
that
by
1800 on
12
September
1944
the
Schill Lin
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eastern and more strongly fortified
bunker belt
of
the
West Wall
--
would be occupied
by
the
19th
Luftwaffe Fortress
Battalion,
com-
mitted
in
the
area
northwest of
Wuerselen (northeast
of Aachen),
3d Landesschuetzen
Battalion
in the
area
northwest
of Stolberg,
12th
Luftwaffe Fortress
Battalion in the vicinity
of Stolberg,
and
2d Landesschuetzen
Battalion south
of
Stolberg.
The
8th Luftwaffe
Fortress
Battalion
was designated 353d Infantry
Division reserve.*
Tel Conv, Seventh
Army to
LXXXI
Corps, 0110 on 12
Sep
44, and
Mng
Sitrep,
353d
Inf
Div,
12
Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Anlagen,
Kampfverlauf
[Operations),
2.VIII.
21.X.44.
Referred
to hereafter
as ULXXI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf;
Tabulation of
Troop
Trains Ar-
rived 9 Sep
31 Oct
44,
Seventh
Army KTB
Anlagen,
Semi-Annual
Report
of
Seventh
Army
Transport
Officer, 1.VII.
- 31.XII.44.
General
Schack
learned on
12
September
that the
first
of three
full strength divisions
12th
Infantry, 183d
and 246th
Volks
Grenadier
Divisions)
destined to reinforce
the
Aachen
area during
September
1944 would arrive
in
the LXXXI Corps
sector
in
a few days. Hitler
had
ordered
12th
Infantry
Division
Colonel
Gerhard Engel , just
rehabilitated in East Prussia after
service
on the Eastern
Front
to
begin entraining for the Aacnen
sector
at
0001 dn 14
September.*
Mng Sitrep, A
Gp B 12 Sep 44, OB VEST
KTB
Text),
1 IX. - 30.
IX.44.
Referred
to
hereafter
as
OB WEST
KTB.
For additional order
of battle data, such as strength
information
see
The LXXXI
Corps
Situation
in
Mid-September
1944,
pp.4lff.
Southwest of
Aacnen the forces of 116th
Panzer
Division enjoyed
an
uneventful night
from 11 to 12
September 1944.
This
enabled
them
UNLA
5
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FI U
at
0800
on 12
September
to occupy positions along the railroad
from ombourg to Moresnet and from
Moresnet along the
Gueule
Creek
via
ergenrath to Hauset.
The object was to
establish
a coherent
ng
Sitrep, 6th Pz
Div 12 Sep
44 and Daily -Sitrep,
116th
Pz
Div
1900
o
12 Sep 44 L X Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
defense
line
which based
on
a railway tunnel
and a creek, would
facilitate antitank
defense. The division committed the
156th
Panzer Grenadier
Regiment o
the right,
between Hombourg and
Moresnet
and the 60th
Panzer Grenadier
Regiment
on the left
along
the
Gueule. The 116th
Panzer
Reconnaissance
Battalion was
dis-
engaged
and recommitted at daybreak north of the Gueule with th e
mission
to
establish contact
with 9th
Panzer Division at Eynatten.
Tel
Cony LXXXI Corps
to
116th
Pz Div
0810 on 12 Sep
44
LXXX
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
The forces of
116th
Panzer
Division found their mobility
greatly
restricted
by
the work of over-eager
German
demolition
engineers
who had destroyed all Gueule
Creek
crossings
from
Moresnet
to north. of Eynatten and had
blocked all roads leading to the West
Wall
with
the
exception
of the
Moresnet
Gemmenich
Aachen road.
TVlX
116th Pz Div
to L=XXI
Corps
0155 on
12
Sep 44 LIX
Corps KTB Anlagen
Meldungen
der Divisionen [Division
Sitreps],
25.VIII. 1.X.44.
Referred to
hereafter as LXXX Corps
KTB
Meldungen
der Div.; Tel Conv
LXXXI Corps to 116th Pz Div
0810 on
12
Sep
44
LXXXI Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
on~ew~ifsL
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IE
10
These
obstacles
seriously interfered
with General
von Schwerin s
intention
to withdraw
to the
West
Wall
on
12
September.
But during
the
morning
General
Schack
ordered
von Schwerin
not
to occupy
his
West all sector
before
receiving special
orders from
IXXXI Corps,
and
to
hold out
in front
of the
West Wall
generally as long
as
possible.
Tel
Cony, LXXXI
Corps to 116th
Pz
Div, 1000
on 12
Sep 44,
LXXXI Corps KTB
Kampfverlauf.
The
lull
enjoyed
by
116th
Panzer
Division was
shattered
at
noon
on
12 September
when
American
tanks probed
German defenses
north
of
Montzen
and
Hombourg.
Shortly
thereafter
the
storm
Rad,
116th
Pz
Div to LXXXI
Corps,
1155 on
12 Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps KTB
Meldungen
der
Div.
broke
over the
heads
of the
Germans.
he
American
reconnaissance
was followed
up by
a tank
attack
toward
Hombourg.
At
the
same
time
American armor
crossed the
railway between
Hombourg
and
Moresnet.
Sitrep,
116th
Pz Div to
LXXXI
Corps,
1200
on 12
Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
American
infantry
pushed
up
the road
from
Hombourg
to
Voelkerich
and
Bleyberg.
While
the
156th
Panzer
Grenadier
Regiment
f ll
back
before
these
attacks
American
troops
crossed
the
Gueule
Creek
be-
tween
Moresnet
and Hergenrath
in
the
early
afternoon
and
infiltrated
a3~: DsE
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UN
A
S
IF
the
lines
of
the
60th Panzer
Grenadier
Regiment.* General
von
Sitrep, 116th
Pz
Div
to
LXXI
Corps, 133 on
12
Sep
44,
LXXX
Corps KTB Kampfverlauf.
Schwerin was
forced
to withdraw
about 1530
n
a northwesterly
direction from
Moresnet
along
the
Gueule Creek.*
The
peculiar
Daily
Sitrep, 116th Pz
Div,
1900
on
12
Sep
44, LT; I
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
direction
of this withdrawal was
probably necessitated by
the
fact
that German engineers
had
blocked
the roads
leading northeast.
While
the U.S.
1st Infantry
Division
launched
ts drive on
Aachen
and
broke
through
the
lines
of
116th
Panzer
Division,
th e
U.S. 3d
Armored
Division
jumped
off from
Eupen
toward Eynatten
and
Roetgen
n the
sector
of 9th
Panzer
Division.
West
of
the
Eupen
Aachen
road
the
Americans
took Lontzen
and Walhorn;
east of
the
road
tney
pushed
into
Raeren.*
From
Walhorn
they
launched
a
tank
attack
Sitrep,
353d
Inf
Div
to LXXXI
Corps,
1200
on
12 Sep
44,
IXXXI
Corps
KTB Kampferlauf.
toward
Eynatten,
which
fell
into
American hands
at 1345.
Elements
of Kampfgruppe
9th
Panzer
Division
tnere
withdrew
northeastward.
TWX 9th Pz
Div 105th
Pz Brig) to LXXXI
Corps,
1417 on
12 Sep
44, LXXXI
Corps
KTB Meldungen
der Div.;
Sitrep,
9th
Pz
Div to
LXXII
Corps,
1425 on
12
Sep
44, LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
I NGLAS I ED
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2
These
elements
and
the
local defense
units under
the
command of
353d Infantry
Division
were
unable
to interfere seriously with
American operations. Later in the
afternoon General Schack was
disturbed
by
a civilian report
that American
forces had occupied
Rott at 1800,
conveying
the impression that they had broken througn
the Wvest Wall
outh
of
Rott.
The
rumor
that the Americans
were
KTB
Entry, 1800 on 12 Sep 44,
TLXI
Corps KTB
Kampfverlauf.
just
south
of Rott
caused
panic
among
the
men
of
a
Luftwaffe
anti-
aircraft
artillery
unit
committed
at
Rott.
The 3d Battery
9th
Regiment
of
the 7th
Flak
Division
smashed
the
optical
equipment
of their
three
20-mm.
antiaircraft
guns,
abandoned
their
positions,
guns, equipment,
and
belongings,
and fled.
The
cause
of
the
false
Tel
Cony,
Seventh
Army
to LXJCI
Corps,
0050
on
22
Sep
44,
UCOXI
Corps KTB Befehle
an Div.
alarm
seems to
have
been
an American armored
reconnaissance
patrol
on
the
Aachen
Monschau
road.*
Tel Cony, LX.KII
Corps
to
353d
Inf
Div,
2150 on 12 Sep 44, L3IXI
Corps
KTB,
Meldunge
n
der
Div.
n the
evening of
12
September
353d Infantry
Division reported
American
armor converging
on
Roetgen from
the west. Elements of
the 253d
Grenadier
Training Regiment
observed
American
tanks and
jeeps, followed
by
strong
infantry
detachments on
personnel
carriers
m
3
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Uu
13
moving
along
the
Raeren
Roetgen road.* Two American
tanks and
Ibid.
four
armored
cars
accompanied
by infantry
pushed into
Roetgen. One
platoon of the security company in
Roetgen
328th Replacement
Training Battalion
of 253d Grenadier
Training
Regiment)
was pushed
into the
southern
part
of the
town.
Intensive infantry
fighting
developed
as American armor advanced
to the
northern periphery
of
Roetgen. Keeping
out
of
the range of German entitank
weapons, th e
tanks fired
into
West Wall bunker embrasures, while American
in
fantry
guns laid down
a
heavy barrage
in
front of
the
obstacle wall.
Low-flying aircraft
attacked
the obstacles and
defense
positions.
By 1900 the volume
of
American
artillery
and
tank
fire began to
dwindle. The Germans
remained in
possession of ll
West Wall
fortifications. An
hour later
German reconnaissance found
that
the
Americans had left Roetgen.*
Sitrep,
328th
Repl
Trng
n to LXXXI
Corps,
12
Sep 44, L~C
Corps
KTB
Meldungen
der Div.;
Daily
Sitrep,
LXXXI Corps, 2230
on
12
Sep 44,
LX X Corps
KTB Tagesmeldungen.
At
2000 on
12
September
American
tanks
and infantry
advancing
between
the Hergenrath
Aachen
and the
Eupen
Aachen
roads
tcward
the
Scharnhorst
Line
the first
western)
band
of
West
W1all
fortifications
captured
Bunker
161
at
Brandenberg
Hill,
two
miles
north
of
Hauset.
Forces
under
the Kampfkommandant
of
Aachen
were
immediately
committed
in a
counterattack
to
wipe
out
this
UN
L
SII[
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American penetration
of the West
Wall. They
failed
in
this
endeavor
but
were able to
stop the American
attack.
temporarily. At the
Eng
Sitrep,
353d
Inf Div,
0445
on
13
Sep
44, and Tel Conv,
Seventn Army
to LXXXI
Corps,
1140
on 13 Sep 44,
LXCXI Corps
KTB
Kaapfverlauf; ihg
Sitrep,
LXXI Corps, 0555 on 13 Sep
44, Lm=I
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
same time
American armored
cars
and
a few
tanks also reached
the
West Wall about half
a mile southeast
of Schmidthof and apparently
decided to
laager there
for the
night.
ng Sitrep, 353d
Inf Div, 0445 on
13
Sep
44,
LXXI Corps
KTB
ampfverlauf
Late
in
the evening of 12
September
General
Schack
issued an
order to his
divisions
which
defined their assigned West
Wall sectors
and
outlined the
further
conduct of
operations.
The 116th
Panzer Division was
charged with defending
the city
of Aachen. The
Kampfkiommandant
of Aachen
with attached
troops
was
subordinated
to
116th Panzer
Division,
as were
ll
elements
of
353d
Infantry and
526th
Reserve Divisions
in
the
sector: 8th, 12th,
19th
Luftwaffe
Battalions
and
the
453d
Grenadier Training
Battalion
253d
Grenadier
Training
Regiment).*
The
armored
elements
of
116th
TWX A
Gp
B
to
OB
WEST
2350 on
22
Sep
44,
A
Gp B
KTB
Anlagen3
Operations-Befehle
[Operational
Orders],
1.IX.
30.IX.44.
Referred
to
hereafter
as A
Gp
B KTB
Operations-Befehle;
Daily
Sitrep,
116th
Pz Div,
1925
on 21 Sep 44,
LI~XI
Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
U
3
FIE
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lG
S[
Panzer Division were to
fall
back
to
the West Wall only
in
the face
of superior
American
pressure while the
attached
forces
would
move
into
the
fortifications ahead of
the
main body in order to complete
the improvement
of
the positions.
Order, LXX Corps to all divs, 2230 on
12 Sep
44,
LXXI
Corps
KTB
Befehle
an
Div.
The 9th Panzer
Division,
with attached
remaining
elements of
105th Panzer
Brigade,
was
assigned
to
the defense
of
the-sector
between
116th Panzer Division
and
the boundary with LXXIV
Corps
the
Stolberg
Corridor
and northern
Wenau Forest.
All
elements
of
353d Infantry
and
526th
Reserve
Divisions
in
this
sector of
the
West
Wall
were
attached to 9th
Panzer
Division.
These
were
eadquart
253d
Grenadier
Training Regiment
Colonel Feind)
ana
the
328th
and
473d Replacement
Training
Battalions.*
The
division
was authorized
Tel
Conv, LXXXI
Corps
to 9th Pz Div,
1500 on 15
Sep 44, LXXI
Corps KTB Kampfverlauf;
Sitrep, 9th Pz
Div to IXXXI
Corps, 16
Sep 44,
LXXX Corps
KTB
Meldungen
der Div.
The geographic
location
of the 9th Panzer
Division
sector
fated
this
division
to
bear
the
brunt
of the
Battle of the Stolberg
Corridor.
ever
possessed of organic elements sufficient
for an
adequate defense,
the division
also sustained very heavy
losses
in
this
action. Thus
it had to
be shored
up regularly
by all
kinds
of reinforcements,
sometimes
of a
very
dubious value.
The designation
9th
Panzer
Division
became
a
collective
term
for
a
veritable
hodgepodge
of
unrelated
armor, antitank,
infantry,
and artillery
units.
to
withdraw ts
organic
elements
to
the
West Wall
only
in the
face
of
overwhelming
American
attacks.
In
the West Wall
the
main effort
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CL SSIFIED
6
of resistance
would
center
around the
roads leading toward
the
fortifications
from the south
and
south est.
The divisions were ordered
to station strong outposts forward
of
the MLR
equipped
with
heavy
infantry
weapons and
antitank
guns,
who were
to
do all
in
their power to delay the American advance.
In
the
sectors of 116th
and
9th Panzer Divisions this outpost line
was
to extend from
west
of
Germenich west of Hauset east
of
Raeren
to
west
of
Roetgen.
The 353d Infantry
Division received orders to
relinquish con-
trol
of the Scharnhorst Line
and all elements
committed
tnere
to
116th
and 9th Panzer Divisions.
Three
Landesschuetzen Battalions
(1/9,
11/6,
and III/6)
remained temporarily
attached to
353d Infantry
Division for
special
assignments.*
Landesschuetzen
Battalions I/9 and III/6 were
attached to 9th
Panzer Division two
days
later.
Following
its arrival
in
the
LXXI Corps
zone the anxiously
awaited 394th Assault
Gun Brigade (six
or seven assault
guns)
was
to
ssemble
in
the
vicinity
of Brand. n
corps
reserve this assault
gun
brigade
would
be ready to
participate on snort
notice in counter-
attacks with
both 116th
and
9th
Panzer Divisions.
Artillery
Group Aachen, composed
of the artillery regiments
of
116th Panzer
and
353d Infantry Divisions
and
the Flak
Gruppe
Aachen*
Antiaircraft Artillery Group Aachen a
reserve
antiaircraft
regimental
headquarters.
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IN L
SSFIE
7
was
placed
under
the
command
of
Colonel
ean
Commander, 116th
Panzer Artil lery Regiment
and received
orders
to collaborate
closely
witn
49th Infantry 116th and 9th Panzer
Divisions in
co-ordinating
ts
fire with the
main effort
of
defense.*
Order, LX
Corps to all
divs
2230 on
12
Sep
44,
LX3XI Corps
KTB
Befehle
an
Div.
The
night
from
12 to 13 September
passed
quietly.
During the
small hours of the morning the 8th
12th, and 19th Luftwaffe Fortress
Battalions
were
attached
to
the Kampfkommandant
of Aachen
in order
to
be committed
at daybreak in
a counterattack
against
the
American
penetration
of the
Scharnhorst
Line
at Brandenberg
Hill south
of Aach
Mng Sitrep
353d
Inf Div,
0445 on 13 Sep
44, D~UXI Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
At
0600 on 13
September 116th and 9th
Panzer
Divisions
assumed
comm nd
of
their
new
West
Wall sectors.
With
ome local
defense
units in the
front line
General von
Schwerin disengaged
the
organic
forces
of 116th Panzer Division
badly in
need
of regrouping
and
some
rest in order to assemble them in
the
Richterich
u rs l n
area northeast
of Aachen. That move
made
it impossible
to commit
these forces
against
the penetraticn at
Brandenberg Hill
before
afternoon.
In addition if
the
enemy continued to advance and
exploit his
success
which had
to
be
expected
in any
event
he could
not
be
prevented
from entering
the
town [of Aachen]
from
tne
south
U
t
iUt
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18
by
noon.
*
ETHINT 18
Schwerin);
Daily
Sitrep,
116th Pz Div, 13
Sep 44,
LXXXI Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
During
the
night
from 12
to 13
September the city
of Aachen
had been in
the
grip
of chaos.
Since General von
Schwerin
was to
assume control
on 13 September, he
drove into
Aachen
the evening
before on
the
way to
his
command post
at Laurensberg.
He
found
the population in panic.
It was the
picture
Hitler
h d made all
too
familiar
in
Europe
but
now,
for the first
time,
the
shoe was
on
the
other
foot.
Women,
with
small children
and
babies,
had
loaded
their
last possessions
on
small
hand
carts and prams
and
w lked
into
the
night without
h ving
ahy
idea where
to
go;
they
were driven
only
by fear
and the threats
of
the Party that
every
person who
did
not leave
the
town would
be shot
as
traitor.... *
EThINT 18
Schwerin).
Stirred by
humane motivations
and worried
about
the effect
of
the
panic
and
the jammed
roads
on the
morale and
mobility of his
troops, von
Schwerin
decided to
put an
immediate
stop
to the dis-
organized
flight.
When he
sent his
officers
out
to
contact
th e
police with
orders
to halt
the
evacuation,
they returned
to him
with
the
shocking
news that
the
entire
police force
and
ll govern-
ment
and
Party
officials
had left
Aachen;
not
one police
station
SGL SS I~ED
ra~
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9
was occupied.* Thereupon
General von Schwerin took
matters into
Ibid.;
Report MIodel to B3 VST
2230
on
15 Sep 44
Gp
B
KTB
Operations-Befehle; Ltr,
Gen
Mattenklott
to Reichsfuehrer
SS
Heinrich
Himmler
15
Sep 44 LX II Corps
KTB
Meldungen der Div.
General der Infanterie Franz TMattenklott
commanded Wehrkreis VI
the
military
district
which included the
Aachen area.
his
own
hands. He
sent his officers out once more to persuade th e
frantic populace to return
to
their
homes.
In so
doing he exposed
himself to
the
grave charge of
having countermanded a Fuehrer order
commanding
the
evacuation
of
Aachen.
In
the morning
of
13
September
the
city was nearly calm
again; for the time being all signs
of
panic had
disappeared. All
buildings
housing the
Party and municipal
administration were
deserted.
South
of the
city Kampfkommandant
Colonel von
Osterroth launched
another
counterattack against
the
American
penetration
at
Brandenberg.
Osterroth s
attempt
of
the
night
before
to
restore
the
situation
had
failed.
The
Americans
were
now in
possession
of Bunkers
160
and
161
and were feeding additionalforces
into their
salient. All
morning attempts
by the weak
forces under the
command of
Colonel
von
Osterroth to
seal off the
penetration remained
inconclusive.*
ETHITT 18
(Schwerin);
Tel
Cony
Seventh
Army to
LJ=I
Corps
1140
on
13 Sep 44
LXX I Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf;
Daily
Sitrep,
116th
Pz Div 13
Sep 44 LEXXI
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
As
mentione
above,
General
von
Schwerin s organic forces
were
executing
a maneuver which prevented them
from participating
~LhI
ILDa
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UN L SSIFIE
20
in
the
fighting
southwest
of Aachen
before
late
afternoon.
He be-
lieved
that the
American
penetration
at Brandenberg
Hill
would
develop into
a main
effort
attack
against
the
city,
and
he
knew
that
the Luftwaffe
battalions
would
be
no
match
for
their opponents.
Convinced
that the Americans
would have
Aachen
occupied
in
a
matter
of hours,
von Schwerin
privately thought
this the
best solution
for
the old
city.* After
much
searching through
empty public
buildings,
ETmTT
18
Schwerin).
In desiring
to spare
Aachen
the terrors
of becoming
a
battleground, von Schwerin
deviated
sharply
from
H itler s
avowed
determination
to
turn the
city of Charlemagne
into
a
fortified
stronghold where
each
house
would
be fanatically
de-
fended
to
give
the Allies
a
foretaste
of what to
expect
inside
Germany.
von Schwerin
finally
found
one
man
still
at his
post,
an
official
of the
telephone
service.
To
him
General Schwerin
entrusted
a letter,
written
in
Ehglish,
which the
official
promised
to take
to the
com
manding
officer
of
the
American
forces
as
soon
as
they
had
occupied
Aachen. The
letter
read as
follows:
I
stopped
the absurd
evacuation of this
town;
therefore, I
am responsible
for
the fate of its inhabitants
and I ask
you, in
the case
cf an
occupation
by
your
troops,
to take
care
of
th e
unfortunate
population
in a humane way.
I an the
last German
Commanding
Officer in
the sector
of Aachen.
Signed: SC.F7BRIN
Ibid.;
Rpt,
Model
to
03
IEST,
233
on
15
Sep 44,
A
Gp
B
KT
Operations-Befehle.
Consequences
to Count von Schwerin
arising from
his interference
with
the
evacuation
of Aachen and
the
discovery
of this
letter
by
the
Nazis will be discussed
later in this study.
rtean.vhile,
however,
the tactical
situation had changed.
Gradually
it dawned
on
the
Germans
that the
Americans
were
not
going
UtLA~ffl
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U CLASSFIEP
1
2
to exploit their opportunity to walk into
achen
but
that they
intended,
rather, to envelop the
city by driving
up
the
Stolberg
Corridor
in
the
direction
of
Esdaweiler.
By noon on 13
September
von Osterroth s
men had
finally
succeeded
in
sealing
off the American
salient south
of
Aachen. Colonel von
Osterroth thought he could
hold the
line
against the
American
tanks if the assault guns of
394th Assault Gun Brigade just detrained at
the
Aacnen-Nord Railway
Station could
be
committed
against
them.*
LXXXI
Corps
ordered
T17X
Col von Osterroth
to
116th
Pz Div, 1315 on 13
Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps KTB
Meidungen
der
Div.; Daily
Sitrep 116th Pz
Div
13 Sep 44,
LIXXI
Corps
KTB,Tagesmeldungen.
116th Panzer
Division to
wipe out the American penetration
at
Brandenberg
Hill
at all
cost.* Unwillingly
von Schwerin
ordered
Rad,
LeXXI
Corps to 116th
Pz Div, 1230
on
13
Sep 44, LXXI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
his division,
which
had just arrived
in the
Richterich Wuerseien
assembly area,
to turn around,
march
back to the
other
end
of
Aachen
and
assemble
there
for the counterattacc,.
Although
some
re-
placements had arrived
in
the
morning, and
the battalions had an
average strength
of
about three hundred men
the
fighting power of
the
division was stiil low.
Only about thirty tanks and assault
guns
were
operationally
fit and the troops were tired and battleweary
ETHINT
18 Schwerin).
UNCL SSIF
E
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U9t N
''
-
Von
Schwerin ordered the 156th Panzer Grenadier Regiment to march
through the city while the
60th Panzer Grenadier
Regiment
bypassed
Aachen on ts
soutnern
periphery.
At
1600 the division
jumped off
against
the American
salient at
Brandenberg
Hill. It made some
Ibid.;
Daily Sitrep,
116th
Pz
Div 13
Sep 44 LXXI
Corps KTB,
Kamnfverlauf.
headway against
American
armored
reconnaissance
which
had advanced
to
the
outskirts
of
the
city. The armor
withdrew
to
the break
in
the German MLR
and 116th Panzer
Division
was able
to
close
the
gap
without
attempting
to recapture the American-held
pillboxes
after darkness had
set
in.
Ibid.;
Rad 116th
Pz
Div
to IXXI Corps,
2235
on
13 Sep
44,
MLXX
Corps KTB Meldungen der
Div.;
Daily
Sitrep, A p B
0100
on
14
Sep 44 A Gp
KTB
Anlagen
Tagesmeldungen 1.IX.
- 15.X.44.
Referred to hereafter as A Gp KTB Tagesmeldungen.
Shortly after noon on 13
September
U.S.
3d Armored Division
resumed ts drive up the
Stolberg
Corridor. South of
Rott
the
Americans
cracked a number of bunkers
and
at
1225
achieved
a
penetration in the MLR American
armor advanced up the road toward
Rott,
filling
in
the antitank
craters
in its
path.
Less
than
an
Sitrep,
9th Pz
Div
to
LIXeI
Corps 1225 on_13 Sep
44
LDOXI
Corps KTB
Kampfverlauf
hour
later U.S.
forces were within one mile
of
Rott, and
9th Panzer
jMCL
I P
22
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Division
mustered
all
ts
available
forces for a
counterattack
to
be launched
from
Kornelimuenster. General
Mueller
asked
th e
LXXXI
Corps
Operations Officer
to move all available
corps
reserves
to
Xornelimuenster.
Realizing
that
the
Stolberg
Corridor,
rather
Tel Conv Gen ueller
to
LXXXI
Corps 1340
on
3
Sep
44 LXXXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
than the Aachener Stadtforst [Aachen Municipal
Forest
south
of
Aachen]
was the
scene
of the
VII
Corps main effort
in his sector,
General
Schack ordered 116th Panzer Division
to transfer half
th e
assault
guns of 394th Assault Gun
Brigade
to 9th
Panzer
Division
at
Kornelimuenster.
Tel Convs LXXXI
Corps
to 9th
Pz Div
1420
on
13
Sep 44 and
LXXXI
Corps to
116th
Pz
Div
1430
on 13
Sep 44 LXXCI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
The
3d
Armored Division drive
up
the
Stolberg
Corridor
was
n
two-pronged with
one
group
attacking/the
direction
Schleclheim
Kornelimuenster,
the other toward
Rott
and
Mulartshuette. At 1630
ten American tanks
appeared before R ott while other U.S. forces
had already bypassed
the village
and
were
located
east thereof.
Tel Conv LXXXI
Corps
to
9th
Pz Div 1630
on
13
Sep
44 LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
Headquarters
and headquarters
company
of
9th
Panzer
Division
sped
y^^^^^S ^ ~tt^
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unc
to Rott
in an
effort
to hold
the line
there.
Other
forces
of
Tel Cony
LXXXI
Corps to
9th Pz
Div
1730
on 13 Sep
44
LXI I
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
the
division
attempted
to
screen
off
at ziulartshuette
by
means
of
obstacles
and demolitions.
n
the early
afternoon
American
tanks
and infantry
penetrated
a German
strongpoint
south
of Schleokheim
and continued
/their
ad-
vance
toward
that village. A
race
was
now on between
U.S. armor
Tel
Cony
LXXXI
Corps to
9th Pz Div 1420
on 13 Sep
44
LXKXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
and
three assault guns of
394th Assault
Gun Brigade
driving
on
Kornelimuenster
from
different
directions.
At
1600
eight American
tanks were
observed
on the
road
from
Nuetheim to Kornelimuenster.
The German
assault
guns were expected
in
Kornelimuenster
at
1800.
Ibid.
They arrived on
schedule,
and a
battalion
of 9th Panzer
Division,
reinforced
by
these
three
assault
guns and
a few
75-mm.
antitank
guns
which
the
division
had
picked
up
began
to
establish
a
line
of resistance
from
the
northern periphery
of Schleckheim
via the
northern
edge of
Nuetheim
to the southern periphery
of Kornelimuenster
Of
the first
eight U.S.
tanks,
four were knocked out
by
Panzerfaust,
Hand-operated
antitank
grenades.
l lNC SSHIED
24
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25
but fifteen
more
tanks wheeled off to right and left in an effort
to
roll
up
the
9th
Panzer Division line.*
Tel
Conv, LIXXI
Corps
to
9th
Pz
Div, 1830
on 13
Sep
44,
LXIKI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf;
Daily Sitrep, 9th Pz
Div,
13 Sep
44,
L XI
Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
At
1845 fifteen
U.S. tanks
broke
through
the line of
bunkers
and dragons
teeth at Oberforstbach,
while
American
infantry advanced
along the road
north
of the
Aachen
Reservoir (Langfeld Nuetheim
Kornelimuenster .
Five merican
tanks attacked
Bunker
109 on
this
road about halfway between the
reservoir
and Nuetheim.* Somewhat
Tel Conv, LXXI
Corps to 9th
Pz
Div,
1915
on
13 Sep 44, IX0XI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
later the
Germans
reported
American
forces before
Kornelimuenster,
near
Mulartshuette,
and in Hahn.
At Rott Headquarters Company of
9th
Panzer Division
and
105th Panzer Brigade
launched a counter-
attack in an effort to halt the American
drive on
Mulartshuette.*
Daily
Sitrep, 9th Pz Div, 13
Sep
44,
LXXI Corps
KTB Tages-
meldungen
German
engineers hastily began to
demolish all crossings over th e
Vicht River between
Stolberg
and Zweifall.
Tel
Cony, LXCrXI Corps
to 9th
Pz Div, 2030 on 13 Sep
44,
LIXXI
Corps
KTB,
Kampfverlauf .
At
LXXXI Corps headquarters American intentions emerged
more
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26
clearly.
The
corps operations
officer
called
General Mahlmann of
353d Infantry
Division
to
inform
him
that ...
the
enemy
will
probably
launch a drive bypassing
Aachen from
the
penetration area near
Kornelimuenster and Hahn
toward the second
band
of defenses
[Schill
Line].
The
three
Landesschuetzen
battalions
under the
command
of
353d Infantry
Division were alerted
to stand by
for
action.*
I=KXI
Corps also ordered 116th Panzer Division
to
transfer
Tel Cony,
LXXI
Corps to Gen Mahlmann, 2040 on
13
Sep 44,
L XX
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
the 8th Luftwaffe Fortress
Battalion
and
one
battery
of artillery
to 9th
Panzer
Division.*
Tel Conv, L XXI Corps
to
116th
Pz
Div
2320 on 13 Sep 44,
UXOXI Corps KTB
Kampfverlauf.
As 13 September 1944 drew to
a
close,
the
American
advance
against
the
LXXCI
Corps
sector
had been checked
temporarily.
The
salient
north of Hauset was
wiped out. The penetrations on
both
sides
of
Walheim
had
been sealed off in
the
line
Kornelimuenster
Hahn. The southern
prong of
the
3d Armored Division
attad
which
had advanced across
Rott, had been checked
at
Iulartshuette.*
Daily
Sitrep, A
Gp
B
0100
on 14 Sep 44,
A Gp B KTB, Tagesmeldun
The
night from
13
to
14
September
1944
passed quietly
in the
entire LXXXI Corps sector.
The Germans observed strong American
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UN
ED
infantry and
armored forces
assembling
in
the Schleckheim
Walheim
area
but
found Oberforstbach unoccupied.*
Lag
Sitrep,
LXI I
Corps, 0650 on
14 Sep 44 LXXXI Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
In the southern outskirts of Aachen
American reconnaissance
in the
morning of 14 September
probed the 116th Panzer
Division
front
line
at Bildcnen
toward
Bunker 189 and
Grenzhof. Then
American
infantry with strong
artillery
support
jumped
off
against
the
entire division front and
broke through
the bunker
line
in many
places.
The bunkers were bypassed
singly
and fought
down from
flank
and rear by
U.S.
infantry
while
American
tanks
followed up
the attack.*
After
noon
the bunkers
at Bildchen
and Koepfchen
Daily Sitrep, 116th Pz -Diy, C14Sep 44, X Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
southwest
and south
of
Aachen
respectively)
were
in American hands.
The
116tn Panzer Division
forces were now
defending a semicircle
around Aacnen, from
Vaelser
Quartier
west of Aacnen to
the boundary
with
9th Panzer Division southeast
of the city.
Their intentions
were
to
defend
this line
and
to
counterattack
southward
whenever
possible.
Rad,
116th
Pz
Div
to
LXXXI
Corps,
1255 on 14
Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Meldungen
der
Div.
Iy
4A1 HEi
N
a n^^
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A
short
time later
the division
was
forced to admit
that all
attempts
to regain the
belt
of
bunkers
had
failed because
the
densely
wooded terrain
(Aachen
Municipal
Forest)
made
adequate
tank support and artillery
observation
impossible.*
Rad, 116th Pz Div to LeXXI
Corps, 1340
on
4
Sep
44, LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Meldungen
der
Div.
As American
forces
drew
closer to the city
the
panic in Aachen
reached
a
new
high.
According
to General
von Schwerin conditions
were
catastrophic.
No police
or civil
authorities
had yet re-
turned to
Aachen
The old museum
director
of Aachen,
accompanied
by
a few city officials
who had stayed
at
their posts,
came
to
see
von Schwerin
to
tell
him that a
group
of leading
citizens
had chosen
him the museum director,
to
form
a
provisional
city
government.
The general
gave
orders for the evacuation
to
proceed,
provided rail
and motor
transport
were
available,
but emphasized
that it would
only
result in
clogging
up
vital thoroughfares.
In
addition to having
to cope
with
the frantic
civilian
population,
116th
Panzer Division, which on 14
September
assumed
direct
command
of
all German elements in
its sector,
also
had
trouble with
the
Luftwaffe.
In
totaldisregard of the
division
commander's
orders the
Luftwaffe
attempted
to
pull
its
~iatiaircraft
batteries
out of
Aachen. Field
Marshal Gerd
von
Rtndstedt
(Commander
in
Chief
West himself
had
to interfere
reminding
Luftwaffe
anti-
aircraft
troops that
they
were to
take
orders like
everybody
else
iaLu iH[D
wi ~ly
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Sae
from
the superior headquarters to which
they
were
attached.
General
von
Sonwerin
also
complained that
his
Luftwaffe
fortress
batta-
lions had a
tendency to desert their positions
in the face of
even
minor attacks.*
Tel
Cony, LXXI
Corps to Gen
von
Schwerin,
0930
on 14 Sep 44,
LXXI Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf; Rpt,
A
Gp
B
to OB
WEST
1200 on
14
Sep 44, OB VW ST KTB;
Rad, 116th
Pz Div to
LXXXI Corps, 1310 on
14
ep '44, L XK
Corps
KTB Meldungen
der Div.; ETBINT 18
(Schwerin);
M S B-058 Voigtsberger).
Generalmajor
Heinrich Voigtsberger
commanded
the
60th
Panzer
Grenadier Regiment. When Count
von Schwerin
was
relieved of the
command
of
6th anzer
Division
on
15
September 1944, General
Voigtsberger became
acting
division
oommander until
the
new
com-
manding officer, Generalmajor Siegfried
von
Waldenburg,
arrived on
19
September.
Early in the afternoon of 14 September strong
American infantry
and
armored forces
rolled
up
the
bunker line from tne
direction
of Brand,
Niederforstbach
and
Oberforstbach.
By
1500
they
had
gained
a
line
extending
from
Beverbach Creek
via
Linzenshaeuschen
(on
tne
Eupen
-
Aachen Road)
to Friedrichsberg
Hill. The
116th
Panzer Division,
attempting to hold
the
line
from the
West
Wall
to
south of
Vaelser Quartier, from
there
to
north of Friedrichsberg
Hill
- Linzenshaeuschen
-
Beverbach
Creek,
had
lost
contact with
9th Panzer
Division on its
left southeast
of
Aachen.
he
Germans
noted
that their
opponents
were employing
new
tactics
to
crack
West
Wall
bunkers: the
Americans would launch
strong infantry
attacks covered
by
smoke screens while the tanks followed
to back
up the
attack and
to
support the infantry
in
knocking
out the bunkers
u
'y i
l ^^j^
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30
one
by one. The Americans made
heavy use
of
rtillery
and smoke
screens.
Tel
Conv,
LXXXI
Corps to 116th Pz Div,
1500 on
14 Sep
44, LXXXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf;
Daily
Sitrep, 116th Pz Div,
14
Sep 44,
LXXXI Corps
KTB Tagesmeldungen.
Southeast
of
Aachen in the sector
of
9th Panzer Division the
American combat
commands resumed
their drive up the Stolberg
Corridor
in
the morning
of 14
September.
Having
taken Oberforstbach
and
Niederforstbach,
they
captured
Kornelimuenster
at
1030
and
Breinig
at
1100.
merican tanks were
observed
shortly
after
noon con-
Daily
Sitrep,
LXXXI
Corps, 2100
on 14 Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
tinuing northeastward
from Kornelimuenster toward
Buesbach.* About
TWX
116th Pz Div to
LEXxI
Corps,
1250
bn
14 Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Meldungen
der
Div.
th
same time
the
Germans reported
an
American tank
driving
from
Mulartshuette
northeastward
toward
Zweifall.
A
few
hours
later
Rad,
116th
Pz
Div
to
LXXXI
Corps,
1420
on 14
Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Meldungen
der
Div.
at 1715
American infantry,
tanks, and
armored
cars
entered
Zweifall.
After fifteen
minutes
the
infantry
had
captured th e
irst four bunkers Bunkers
330, 334,
335
and 336)
in
the
second
NN
sfl E
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UM
rFIE
band
of West
Wail fortifications,
and
the
task force
continued
eastward
through
the breach
in
the
direction
of
Vicht
and
Mausbach.*
Tel
Convs,
LXXI Corps
to 353d Inf
Div, 1715
and
1720 on
14
Sep
44,
and
LXXXI Corps
to 9th
Pz
Div, 2000 on 14
Sep 44, XXX
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf;
Daily
Sitrep,
LXXXI Corps,
2100
on 14 Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Tagesmeldungen.
In
view
of the
American
breakthrough
at
Zweifall LXXX
Corps
ordered
9th Panzer
Division
to
take command
of the
second band
of the West
Wall
along
with the Landesschuetzen
battalions
III/6
and
1/9 com-
mitted
there.
Headquarters
353d
Infantry
Division
would be
dis-
engaged
to receive
another
assignment.*
Reinforced
by
the
three
Tel
Convs,
LXXXI Corps
to
9th
Pz Div
and
353d Inf Div,
1740
on
14 Sep
44,
IXXXI Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
assault
guns of
394th
Assault Gun Brigade, 9th
Panzer
Division married
these
assault
guns
to a company
of motorized
infantry
and committed
these
forces
in a counterattack
against
the
American
tasK force
driving
on
Mausbacn.*
LXXXI Corps
issued
strict orders to
9th
Tel Convs,
LXXXI Corps to
9th Pz Div,
1745 and
1810 on
14
Sep
44,
LXXXI Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
Panzer
Division
to
throw
back
the
Americans
before
the
end of th e
day
and
to regain
full
controlof
the second
belt
of
West Wall
bunkers.*
Tel
Cony,
LEXI
Corps
to
9th Pz
Div,
2000
on
14 Sep
44,
LXXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
ier
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The front
line of
9th Panzer
Division
ow exten e from the
southern
edge of Brand southern
edge of
Buesbach
east of Zweifall
to.
he
West Wall east
of Roetgen. At 1800 the Germans reported
Evg Sitrep,
A
Gp B 1930
on
14
Sep
44,
A
Gp B
KTB
Anlagen,
Letzte Meldung [Final Sitreps],
10.VIII. 30. IX.44.
Referred
to
hereafter as
A Gp
B KTB
Letzte Meldung.
that at least
two hundred American tanks
had assembled
in
Kornelimuenster.
Additional columns
were seen moving
north fron
Walheim. Up
front
the
American
spearhead
reached the
southern
outskirts of
Stolberg at 2000. Apparently
the Americans then
de-
cided
not
to continue
their advance toward
Stolberg
and Eschweiler
that evening.
Instead,
they
worked on their encirclement of Aachen
Sitrep,
9th Pz Div,
2030
on 14 Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps KTB
KanpFverlauf.
in the
area between
Aachen
and Stolberg.
Late
in the afternoon American
forces
broke
through
the
116th
Panzer Division
line between
Beverbach Creek
and Lindert,
two miles
west-southwest
of Brand, and stabbed
into the flank of the
60th
Panzer
Grenadier Regiment. The
116th
Panzer
Reconnaissance Battalion
was
committed
in
support
of
the
division s
flank southeast of
th e
Aachen Municipal Forest.*
Daily Sitrep,
116th
Pz Div, 14 Sep 44, LX Corps KTB
Tagesmeldun
gen.
as
L
~
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American tanks
and armored cars driving
north from the
Walheim Oberforstbach
Niederforstbach area pushed
through
Brand
at
1830.*
Less
than
an
hour
later at 1915
American
Sitrep,
9th Pz Div
to LX Corps, 2030 on 14 Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB,
Kampfverlauf.
tanks captured Eilendorf
and
the
steel plant at Rothe Erde [ Red
Earth ]
east of Aachen.* The city was
now ringed
on
three sides.
Daily
Sitrep, LXXXI
Corps,
2100
on 14
Sep
44, I I Corps KTB,
Tagesmeldungen.
LWXXI
Corps
received reports
that sizeable elements of
116th Panzer
Division, Antiaircraft
Group
Aachen. nd
the Kampfkommandant were
withdrawing
to the northeast,
supposedly
in line
with an
order
issued
by Colonel von
Osterroth. General Schack
immediately
ordered
that all withdrawing elements
be rallied
and committed
in a counter-
attack
from the u''erselen area
southward toward Rothe Erde.
Contact between
116th and
9th
Panzer
Divisions
was to
be re-establish
at
all
cost through the efforts
of all
able
officers
of the
116th
Panzer Division
Headquarters. A
rear
area fortress
engineer head
quarters
received
orders to block the Autobahn to
Cologne.*
Rpt on
Situation
in
Aachen
area,
Gen
Schack,
2145 on 14 Sep
44
LXXI
Corps KTB
Kamnpfverlauf
By
special
repeat order from
Hitler Aachen was to be evacuated
if necessary by force
The
116th Panzer
Division
was ordered to
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S34
support the
evacuation measures by
regulating
traffic. The
police
would
also be
available after 0100
on
15
September.
They were
finally returning to Aachen.*
Tel Conv,
L~ Corps to
116th Pz
Div, 2345
on
14
Sep 44,
LXXXI Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf.
The
mission
of 116th
Panzer
Division
on
15
September
was to
hold the Schill Line
at all cost
and to
make
an effort
to wipe
out
the American
penetrations
at Rothe
Erde and Eilendorf.
n spite
of
General
Schack s orders
the
projected
counterattack
against
this
salient
had not
yet been launched
at
daybreak.*
NLg Sitrep,
LXXXI Corps,
0550 on 15 Sep
44,
LXX
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
The semicircular
front around
Aachen remained
intact
from
Vaelser
Quartier
to Steinebruect
in
tne
morning
of 15
September
but buckled
just
east
of Steinebrueck
when American
infantry
and
armor
pushed
the
116th
Panzer
Reconnaissance
Battalion
back to
the railroad
leading
out
of
Aachen
northeast
of
Burtscheid.
Re-
inforced
by
the
34th
Machine
Gun
Battalion,
which
had
been
rallied
after
an earlier
attempt
to withdraw,
the
reconnaissance
battalion
established
a defense
line
along
this
railway
embankment.
The
Tel Conv,
LXXXI
Corps
to
116th Pz Div,
0100,
0840 and 1130
on 15 Sep
44,
LXXI
Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
U~gtL rI
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U
ED
35
attackers
did not
immediately attempt
to
breai
through this
line.
The
Americans devoted a large
part
of
the day to the concentration
of
strong forces
in the
area
south
of
Burtscheid.
Judging from
the
movements
they
observed
and from merican
artillery
fire, the
Germans
estimated that
at least one infantry division
was assembling
south of Aachen.
Daily
Sitrep 116th
Pz
Div,
2100 on
15 Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Tagesmeldungen.
East
of
the
city in
and
south
of Eilendorf American tanks
and
motor transport
also continued to assemble until
according
to
German estimate U.S.
forces
there
had
been brought
up to
the
strength of about
one armored division. n view
of the
American
build-up the Germans expected
that VII
Corps would
launch its all-
out
attack
against
Aachen on
16
September. Although ground operation
Ibid.
seem
to have
been limited
to
reconnaissance
while this build-up south
and
east of Aachen
was in
progress
American artillery
subjected
Aachen and suburbs
to heavy fire.
The West
Wall bunkers
north and
t
south
of/Aachen
Stolberg
road
in
particular
re eived
strong rocket
projector
fire.
Tel
Conv, LXXXI Corps to 116th
Pz Div,
0915
on 15
Sep
44,
LXXXI Corps
KTB Kampfverlauf.
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U NCLASSIF
6
At
1530 on
15
September
American
infantry began
to
infiltrate
the
bunker
line south
of Rothe Erde
in the direction of Geisberg
Hill. The
Landesschuetzen
battalion
there abandoned
its positions,
but
seven German assault
guns held the
line
behind the
pillboxes.*
Tel Cony
LXXXI Corps
to 9th Pz Div,
154
on 15
Sep
44 XX
Corps KTB Kampfverlauf;
Evg Sitrep, LXXX
Corps, 1700 on 15
Sep
44, LIXXI Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
At 1700 American forces jumped
off
in
simultaneous
attacks
from
the
Buschhaus
toward
Burtscheid,
and
from
Eilendorf
north
and
northeast in
the
direction
of Verlautenheide and Geisberg
Hill.
The defenders were
able to
repulse both attacks.
Thirty American
tanks rolling northward from
Eilendorf were forced
towithdraw in
the face of
concentrated German
rtillery
fire;
the
Germans
claimed
the destruction of two U.S.
tanks.*
Tel
Cony,
LXXXI
Corps to 116th
Pz Div,
1718 on
15
Sep 44,
iXXI Corps KTB Kampfverlauf;
Daily Sitrep, 116th Pz Div, 2100
on 15
Sep 44,
LXIXI
Corps
KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
In turning
back
the American drive
on
the Aachen
suburb of
Burtscheid,
the Germans
had narrowly prevented the invader
from
venturing
into the streets of tne old
Imperial
City for the
first
time.
To 116th Panzer Division
General
Schack relayed the
Hitler
order demanding
the fanatic defense of Fortress
Aachen :
In
the
event of an enemy penetration of Aachen, each and every
house
will
be
defended.
A
strategic withdrawal from
the
southern
to the
northern
periphery of tne
city
is
out
of the
question. *
ddL JRN
lE
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TWX
LXXXI
Corps to
116th Pz Div,
1718 on 15 Sep
44,
XXX
Corps
KTB
Befehle
an
Div.
Shortly
after midnight
on
15
September General
Schack had re-
peated
his order to 9th
Panzer Division that the
Americans
must
be
forced
out
of the
second
band
of
West
Wall
bunkers near Iausbach
at all cost.
During
the remaining hours of darkness 9th Panzer
Division made ~such preparations
for
the counterattack as it was
capable
of.
One replacement
battalion was en
route to the division;
in addition
t n tanks w r moving
up to the
front.
In
the small
hours
of the morning the
Landesschuetzen
battalion committed
on
the division s southern
wing
(probably
1/9 abandoned
its
positions;
it was
necessary
to
move
up
another battalion
(probably 328th
Re-
placement
Training
Battalion
from
Scheveriuette
in
order to plug
the gap.*
Tel
Cony,
IXOXI Corps
to 9th Pz
Div, 0015 on
15 Sep 44, L XII
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf;
Rad, 9th
Pz
Div to
LXXXI Corps,
0353 on
15 Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB,Meldungen
der Div.
The
division launched
ts attack
against
the American salient
at
dawn
and
was able to
drive away
U.S.
armor
south of Mausbach.
Some
bunkers
were
apparently
recaptured
in the irst
assault;
two
bunkers
remained in American
hands. Two
hours later the
division
TWX
9th
Pz
Div
to
LXXXI Corps, 0534
on 15
Sep
44,
LXXXI
Corps
KTB Meldungen
der
Div.
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CLASSIFI ED
headquarters had
no
news
on the outcome
of the
counterthrust toward
Vicht and
Zweifall
otner
than
the
report
that the two
bunkers
south of
Mausbach
had
not
been
captured yet.*
For
the third time
Tel
Cony LXXXI
Corps to
9th
Pz Div 0740 on
1 5
Sep
44
LXXXI
Corps KTB Kampfverlauf.
LXXXI
Corps
ordered: 9th Panzer
Division
armor
will attac
the
enemy
and
throw
him back behind the West Wall.
There is no
time
to lose' *
Tel Cony LXXXI Corps
to
9th
Pz
Div
0925
on 15
Sep
44 LXXI
Corps KTB Kampfverlauf.
In
the
early afternoon
the
division was able
to
report
that
as a result of ts counterattack all
bunkers
of the M R
from
northeast
of
Buesbach to Zweifall
were once more
in
German hands. An
American
attack on
Buesbach had
been
repulsed by
four tanks
of 105th Panzer
Brigade
and
four
assault
guns of the division's
antitan cmnpany
committed
there
earlier in
the day.* The German
success, however
Tel
Conv
LXXXI Corps
to
9th
Pz Div
0015
on
15 Sep 44
LXXXI
Corps
KTB
Kampfverlauf;
Noon
Sitrep,
A Gp B 1400
on 15
Sep
44
A
Gp
KTB
Letzte
Meldung.
was
very shortlived.
Throughout
the day 9th
Panzer Division
had
watched
the American build-up with growing apprehension. In th e
e rly morning
the division h d expressed
concern
about
the
assembly
of
two hundred U.S. tanks in Kornelimuenster
to which more
were
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steadily
being added.
At 1500 a
German runner
reported a
con-
centration of eighty
U.S. tanks in Breinig.
Tel Convs,
LXXI Corps
to 9th
Pz
Div,
0015 and
1500 on 15 Sep 44,
LXXXI
Corps
K B, Kampfverlauf.
n the early afternoon
the German
attack
bogged
down
in the
face of
the
American rtillery preparation. Under the heavy
American
artillery,
tank, and mortar fire
the
division
sustained serious
losses
and was
unable to execute any movements. The Germans sensed
that the
American
attack
was imminent.*
Tel Cony, LXXXI
Corps
to
9th
Pz
Div,
1655 on
15
Sep 44, LXXXI
Corps KTB
Kampfverlauf;
Daily Sitrep, 9th
Pz
Div,
1910
on
15
Sep
44, LXXXI
Corps KTB
Tagesmeldungen.
At 1550
on 15 September
American tanks and infantry
jumped
off
from
their
assembly
area
at
Breinig
and
he