The Siegfried Line & Roer River Offensive, October-November 1944

Western Front

On 2 October 1944 the U.S. Army crossed the Westwall (Siegfried Line) into Germany as part of an operation to encircle Aachen and then reach the Roer River, the last obstacle before the Rhine. Elements of the 30th Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions --the 116th, 117th, 119th and 120th infantry regiments and two armor Combat Commands, CCA and CCB -- attacked defenses between the border towns of Übach-Palenberg and Rimburg. In that area, by 7 October they had achieved a seven-kilometer-deep bridgehead at Waurichen, Beggendorf and Baesweiler. From there, on 16 November, the second offensive was launched to the Roer River, (Map).

Both offensives were imaged by USAAF reconnaissance sorties in October and November. Bad weather over the Roer plain, particularly in November, impacted reconnaissance and created muddy, nearly impassable fields and limiting air support. Because of this, the imagery was of marginal quality, but was sufficient to show force disposition, battle sites and attacks in progress.

Map of the Roer River Pain Where the U.S. Army Breeched the Siegfried Line (Westwall) and Launched the Roer River Offensive

In the north sector of the operation a total of 73 tanks belonging to CCB Task Force 2 were identified north and east of Übach-Palenberg (Graphics). Fifteen of the vehicles were administratively parked in three groups southeast of Geilenkirchen, having crossed the second layer of fixed defenses; 10 more --including one in a revetment-- were deployed east of Waurichen.

Elements of CCA TF1 were deployed between the towns of Baesweiler and Alsdorf on the southeastern side of the bridgehead (Graphic). Eight tanks had crossed the tank ditch southwest of Baesweiler, while 31 others remained on the other side.

Roer River Offensive

The 30th Infantry and 2nd Armored Division resumed the offensive on 16 November. In the north sector on 18 November, tanks from CCB TF1 and TF2 plus a new Task Force, TF X (formed from the 66th Armored Regiment), could be seen in the vicinity of Apweiler, Gereonsweiler and Setterich. TF 1 was tasked with tasked against Gereonsweiler while the other two were to take Apweiler, 1.5 km to the west-southwest.

German defenses were organized around village strongpoints connected by a network of trenching and tank ditches. The strongest defenses were found at Gereonsweiler, where a small number of tanks of the 9th Panzer Division covered approaches from the west and south (Graphic).

Elements of CCB TF 1 (including some possibly from CCA) with about 30 tanks parked inside Puffendorf (Graphic). On the 17th, TF 1 was forced back to the village after a German counterattack.

In the battle, German tanks caught TF 1 unprepared 1 in a field 600 north of Puffendorf, with a cost of about 35 medium tanks destroyed or damaged, plus a similar number of light tanks. At least six destroyed tanks (five shown) remained at the battle site (Graphic).

On 17 November elements of CCA attempted to bypass Gereonsweiler by moving northeast from Puffendorf to Ederen, but the attack quickly failed. An analysis of tracks originating from Ederen along and through the ditch indicates several German tanks responded to the latter attack (Graphic). Two probable German tanks remained in the field. Tanks belonging to CCA could be seen deployed south of Puffendorf (Graphic).

From Puffendorf and Lovertich, other elements of CCA were tasked against Setterich. Probable elements of the two armored units were identified between Puffendorf and Loverich (Graphics). A total of 40 tanks were observed: 15 parked along the Loverich-Puffendorf road; 15 parked in Loverich; and 10 more in possible defensive formation 300 meters north of Setterich (Graphics). Fighting probably continued in Setterich, where an explosion could be seen in the center of the village (Graphic).

In the southern sector, the 29th Infantry Division’s 115th and 175th Infantry Regiments and elements of the 747th Tank Battalion attacked Siersdorf on 18 November. Coverage during the attack revealed U.S. tanks had reached the village, but German defensive positions west of the village were still occupied by three armored vehicles. One of the vehicles was caught moving forward indicating they were all probably still operational (Graphic).

On 19 November, the offensive continued into the neighboring villages of Dürboslar and Schleiden, where fires were burning (Graphic). Evidence of activity could be seen around a coal mine north of Siersdorf where German defenders made a stand on the 18th.

German Rear Areas
The 18 November imagery also covered the Roer River from the vicinity of Linnich to the village of Krauthausen, six kilometers southeast of Jülich where 15 vehicles --most headed southwest-- were passing over an intact road bridge. The main road bridge at Jülich had been destroyed by pre-offensive bombing but had possibly been repaired; another light road bridge was intact.

Information in this article comes from The European Theater of Operations: The Siegfried Line Campaign, Chapter XXII; The Roer River Offensive (pages 516-540); published by the U.S Department of Defense (1963).