The Taking of Spicheren Heights

The climactic action of the "Limited Offensive" as experienced by the 70th (Trailblazer) Division took place during the second half of February 1945, this being the finale of the only campaign in which our division fought as a complete unit and, what's more, performed a memorable feat which our veterans can brag about to their grandchildren and confidently swear to the truthfulness of our story.

At the time, the Division was assigned to the XVth Corps of the U.S. Seventh Army--the left flank infantry component of that army separated from the first Third Army infantry to the northwest by U.S. armored cavalry. To our right flank was another recent arrival from the ZI, the 63rd Division, and our two divisions were separated by the Sarre River, a physical barrier that kept our business with each other limited to visual contact.

Having arrived in the Seventh Army Zone, the various divisional components had become subordinated to our Assistant Division Commander Brig Gen Thomas W. Herren, and the combination was designated as Task Force Herren. Then in February it was reconstituted as a division. In the several weeks interim after arrival in Alsace, the TFH regiments were sometimes broken down to individual Battalions, and some then were attached to some veteran regiment. In oneinstance the veteran regiment had assigned the TFH battalion to digging its foxholes. Another one of our battalions went to a regiment that had come from Italy. On that occasion the commander undertook to rate the battalion's deployment for approaching and entry into a village while under fire. The grade was "fair" of which two witnesses thought it wasn't. The second half of February was spent reassembling all the components and receiving several thousand reinforcements to rebuild rifle and heavy weapons companies and training, gradually increasing the involvement with the enemy until the first week in February when a series of raids against enemy positions were planned, practiced and then run at full speed.

The Final Objective

The build-up leading to the fight for Spicheren Heights began with the XV Corps' issuance of instructions for the Limited Offensive to begin on 17 February. This brought about the issuance of Operations Instruction #4 which ordered the 274th to seize Kreutzberg Ridge, which protected the left flank of Spicheren Heights and itself stood, a forbidding obstacle hard to overcome. Further, the 275th was ordered to be alert to threats to counterattacks emerging from the tangled slopes of the ridge. On the 19th the daytime patrols of the 3rd Battalion found the high ground well defended by enemy of undetermined strength. At noon the 3rd Bn was attached to the 274th Infantry.

The evening before when the 275th's 3rd Bn assembled, Co L led off at 0125 carefully searching for booby traps before the I and K cos moved at daybreak preceded by scouts probing the upper reaches of Brandenbusch. This caution was rewarded when enemy snipers were surprised and flushed back. The Lixing-Grosbliederstroff road was cleared of mines that night.

On 19th 3rd Bn patrols resumed NW advance, till blocked by enemy in positions on high ground north of Etzling. 3rd Bn was notified of attachment to 274th; attacked at 1500 and took Pfaffenberg ht south of Spicheren. Enemy attack NE of Pfaffenberg coming from Spicheren was driven back; Divarty helped.

On 20th 3rd Bn with tank plat attacked Spicheren and Gifertwald. Enemy c-attack fr Sp Hts beaten off with Divarty support. Night brought news 3rd Bn (minus Co I+ « M) reattached to 275. 3rd Bn casualties 9 KIA, I MIA, 28 WIA. Enemy POWs 26.

On February 22 as the 275th 3rd Battalion moved across the open area between the Pfaffenwald and the Gifertwald, provision had been made to conceal the men with smoke while they crossed the treeless expanse between the two woods. This matter was taken up at a battalion staff meeting called at the CP to which the C.O. of the attached 4.2 mortar company was invited and General Herren came too. Lt Ted Heck was at the meeting in one of his battalion staff capacities and relates how the mortar officer was asked to explain details of laying smoke and did so; then asked for questions. A few were asked and answered; then General Herren asked: "Captain, how long can you lay smoke in there?"

"Indefinitely, sir." was the reply.

The General was not going to be put off with a vague response and added mustard into his rejection before repeating: "How long can you keep it up!?"

The captain didn't flinch. He looked General Herren in the eye and repeated: "Indefinitely, sir." The General grunted and the discussion turned to other details.

What follows comes from current wartime documents either printed or from telephone transcriptions; reports were printed; conferences were transcribed; some report formats and heading numbers/letters are shown for immediacy.

70th G-3 Journal 22 Feb shows General Herren visiting regimental CP's and reporting to G-3 (operations) info about progress of the offensive in its fifth day. At 1030 he judges the "attack going well" and thinks "the end is in sight." He's pleased that the 275th's 3rd Bn is moving west from the Pfaffenwald to cross the open meadow and reach the cover of the Gifertwald's woods and underbrush. In the heart of the Gifertwald is the crest of the ridge--Spicheren Heights.

Five hours later the General is disappointed. Again he's calling back to G-3. He says " 275 are not far enough west." There's a 600 yards gap between Companies A and F of the 274th and the 275th's companies L and K--thick woods with heavy undergrowth "full of Krauts." Moreover, the two 275th companies are stymied at an antitank trench covered by pillboxes with MG's. Similar obstacles, taken by 274 earlier, are at the northwest comer of Gifertwald, near the Franco-Prussian War cemetery, later called Hitler's Holy Ground.

2025 Just about 5 hours later K Co has advanced several hundred yards; King, Love, and Item have been following a westward course which took K in the center across the highest elevation of Gifertwald. At 1930 an enemy company-size counterattack with armor support was hit by a Divarty barrage. It had been an hour-long attack which had been largely repulsed. The one remaining Panzer had been knocked out. L Co was not far behind as it pressed to close up. 70th Arty firing data on Gifertwald are now so detailed that corps fire support can be very effective when called.

Hq 275 Unit Report No. 58 1600 22 Feb - 1600 23 Feb

3rd Bn has taken its Offensive objective. Contact has been established with the 274th on the left, (our)lst Bn on the right. At 1035 2nd Bn reported positions were secured. At 1135 3rd Bn reported enemy counterattack with armor forming north of the Gifertwald. Air observers spotted vehicles at military cemetery NW corner of Gifertwald and brought them under arty fire. 70th Div G-3 Journal 23 Feb 45

0815 Fr Ln 0 274 to 70th G-3: 1 st Bn 274 established contact with 275 3rd Bn at 0803. They have Jeffies sacked up in a pocket; location and strength of trapped enemy group not yet reported.

2200 Fr XV Corps G-3 to 70th G-3: Query whether 274 and 275 made contact in the woods. 70 G-3: Yes this morning at 0803. XV G-3: Was enemy counterattack stopped? 70 G-3: Yes, they moved us back a hundred yards, but we recovered that. XV G-3: How about 276? 70 G-3: They are at the railroad tracks (in Forbach). Our artillery proved very effective in slowing down enemy attacks.

70 Div G-3 Periodic Report 230001 - 232400 Feb 45

5a. Infantry

(1) 274: Enemy cleared from Sangenwald (4266) and Gifertwald (4467). All enemy counterattacks were repulsed.

(2) 275: Enemy cleared from Gifertwald (4467) and contact with 274 established at 0803. Sporadic enemy counterattacks during day repulsed. Positions in Gifertwald were secured and ground being organized for defense.

Moving into the attack at 0740, the 3rd Bn cleaned out the pocket of resistance to their right by 0825, and had started back to the right to make sure that nothing was there. Company I moved around to the right with two tanks to fill the gap between them and the 1st Bn. They requested stand-by armor be sent up as the enemy was forming for a counterattack north of Gifertwald.

70th Div G-3 Journal 24 Feb 45

1055 Fr 70th G-3 to 274 S-3 (Nurre): Enemy in two woods (Sangenwald and Gifertwald) are unestimated and scattered in small groups, and fighting is confused. One rifle company each from 275 and 276 are now available as reinforcements. Our reinforcements are being moved to north of Etzling. Tanks are available for all authorized missions. Small groups of enemy are being infiltrated during night and early morning. Col Conley has moved in troops to protect from the south.

1145 Fr S-3 275 to 70th G-3: In 1st Bn area an attack by enemy infantry and 4 tanks. One broke through into Co A and raised hell. Now things are quiet. The G-2 commented that 3 tanks had been seen emerging from the northern woods, perhaps in the act of withdrawing.

1445 Fr S-3 274 to 70th G-3 (Townsend): Greenhalgh: What about releasing our (274) people now in 275th area? (Townsend): Will talk to General Barnett about this today. (Greenhalgh): We have one counterattack coming in on E Co to the left of Stiring-Wendel. (Townsend): We are thinking about a daylight relief. (Conley): I'm going to lose that position! I have nothing up there on the highground. (Townsend): How strong is the counterattack? (Conley): They are coming toward the high ground which controls the whole area. They are behind E Co right now. If they don't relieve me over there, I might lose the place over here.

1445 Fr 70 G-3 (Townsend) to 275 (McAleer) Substance: McAleer has pressure in the northeast of the St Amual woods. Townsend indicates his purpose is to get a measure of 275's situation in order to discuss with Gen Barnett the need to get Conley some relief from pressures on both sides of his sector.

1445 Townsend and Morgan (276 C.O.) have discussion about 276 capability to bring relief to Conley. After some thought, Morgan says he'll talk to Conley and tell him Morgan will have the rest of his 2nd Bn ready--E and F plus Townsend's agreement that Morgan will call Conley and tell him 276's E & F to be kept on alert. Morgan: "Don't you think that will be better?" Townsend: "Yes, sir." He also agrees to provide transport for 276 2nd Bn companies.

1445 Col Townsend with 274 Conley: Townsend has sent reinforced rifle company (276) to move at once to Etzling and be attached to 274 upon arrival. Convoy commander to report to Col Conley. Townsend intended 276 company would assist the 274 1 st Bn CP.

1445 Ln 0 274 with 70th G-3: F Co/276 is being held in reserve at 430652 (n-s road sw of Pfaffenberg). One platoon each from 274/1, B, F formed provisional co, jumped off from (427654 east of F/276 position). 2d provisional co named Co J, fon-ned from replacements, posted at 442656--valley east of Pfaffenberg--a contingency.

1445 70th G-3 to 276th S-3: Gen Barnett directs Maj Mataxis and his selected party to reconnoiter gap north of Spicheren (4467), this to familiarize them as another contingency.

Conclusion

As the end of February neared, the enemy increased using this tactic of exploiting the darkness to deploy small infantry groups--occasionally augmented with armor--to be infiltrated back to the rear of our positions seeking to confuse us and regain the initiative. However, their efforts, though worrisome, brought about our countermeasures that frustrated their efforts and drained away their limited reserves. The enemy's diversion by activating such infiltration in the Sangenwald fashioned a second envelopment of 274 and two reinforcing 276 companies, but it fell short. Meanwhile the harvest of POW's siphoned from both ends of the armed and mostly belligerent enemy penned up in the Gifertwald could have forestalled a climactic blood-letting.

Awards || Campaign Awards || Documents || Personal Accounts || Maps || Behren Medal Presentation || Excerpt from letter by Col. Bob Cheves || Reg. Hqs and Battle sites || Spicheren Heights