![]() troops who had pulled back from the road. The German infantry was separated from their tanks by enfilading fire from U.S. tank destroyers knocked out and one Tiger II damaged. The subsequent exchange of fire saw six U.S. In the south, German infantry of the 15th Battalion mounted 15 half-tracks and, supported by about 12 tanks, moved south and surprised elements of the 1st Battalion, 318th Infantry. By the end of the day, western and southern suburbs of Kassel had been occupied by the Americans. The 80th Division's third regiment, the 317th Infantry, was in divisional reserve. 319th Infantry Regiment crossed the Fulda River and moved north along its east bank. 318th Infantry Regiment moved a battalion into the wooded high ground ( Habichtswald) west of Kassel, while the U.S. On April 2, the Americans again responded with heavy artillery fire, destroying the RAD AA battery. 80th Infantry Division approached Kassel from the south, but were forced to halt by fire from the RAD anti-aircraft battery positioned on the Dönche training ground ( 51☁7′21″N 09☂5′56″E / 51.28917°N 9.43222☎ / 51.28917 9.43222), a relatively flat area that allowed the 88mm guns to engage in long range fire. On April 1, leading elements of Major General Horace L. The German tanks, however, were forced to retreat when their unit was subjected to heavy artillery fire. Third Army, resulting in damage or destruction to six U.S. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northeast of Fritzlar, the Tigers fought a meeting engagement with an armored spearhead of the U.S. On March 30, 1945, seven German Tiger II tanks rolled south, heading for Fritzlar. JSTOR ( April 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Battle of Kassel" 1945 – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. In command of the city's defense was Generalmajor Johannes Erxleben, a communications officer with little battle experience. In the event, however, the designation of the city as Festung had little impact on the outcome of the battle. The German high command had designated Kassel a Festung (fortress) with dire orders to "resist to the last round". Besides the tanks and AA-guns, the Germans had several hundred men of the 15th Armored Infantry Replacement and Training Battalion with which to defend the city. Deployed on a military training ground south of the city was a battery of 88 mm anti-aircraft guns manned by Reichsarbeitdienst (RAD) members, a paramilitary labor service of the Nazi Party. ![]() As the Americans approached, the Henschel Works finished work on thirteen Tiger II tanks, which were taken over by two companies of the German 510th and 511th Heavy Tank Battalions. Among the bombing targets in the city was the Henschel factory complex, which produced Tiger II tanks. Much of Kassel's center lay in ruins as the city had been bombed 40 times by the Allied air forces. By March 30, elements of the Third Army were nearing Kassel, having moved some 220 kilometers (140 mi) in eight days. Another corps of the Third Army, the XX, was directed to capture it. After Frankfurt, Kassel was the largest city in Hessen, having had a population of 200,000 in 1939. Moving east from its bridgehead across the Rhine, the Third Army's XII Corps fought through scattered German opposition and reached Frankfurt on March 26. First Army was marching on Paderborn, the Third Army moved on a roughly parallel course further to the east to cover the First Army's right flank and prevent any German attempt to relieve their troops trapped in the Ruhr Pocket. This advance brought General Patton's troops to the Rhine River, which they crossed at Oppenheim, near Mainz, on March 22, 1945. Third Army had pushed east and southeast into Germany, capturing Pruem and Trier. Main article: Western Allied invasion of GermanyĪfter the Ardennes Offensive, the U.S. The defense of Kassel did not materially impede the Allied advance, and, one month after the battle ended, Germany was forced to capitulate. Although the Germans gave battle at Kassel, their army was on the brink of collapse as the Western Allies and the Red Army made deep inroads into Germany. Opposing the Third Army's 80th Infantry Division were an infantry replacement battalion, some heavy tanks, and anti-aircraft guns. The battle opened on Apand ended with an American victory three days later. Third Army pushed northeast from the region of Frankfurt and Mainz. Army and the German Army in April 1945 for Kassel, a medium-sized city 140 kilometers northeast of Frankfurt am Main, which also is the second-largest city in Hesse (after Frankfurt). The Battle of Kassel was a four-day struggle between the U.S.
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