Siegfried Line: Order of Battle, 26 Jan '45 Blackcock First US Effort Roer River Dams Seventh Army
Feb '45 Third Army "probing attacks" - VIII Corps to Prüm XII Corps to Bitburg XX Corps to Trier
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Feb '45 Third Army "probing attacks" - VIII Corps to Prüm XII Corps to Bitburg XX Corps to Trier
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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The ETO > Siegfried Line ,1945 > XX Corps to Trier, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 24 Jun 2025
In late February 1945, Patton's XX Corps crossed the Saar River, penetrated the Siegfried Line, occupied Trier, and seized a bridge across the Moselle River.
In late February 1945, Patton's XX Corps crossed the Saar River, penetrated the Siegfried Line, occupied Trier, and seized a bridge across the Moselle River.
Part 1 - Clearing the Saar-Moselle Triangle
The Saar-Moselle Triangle, the region in Germany between the Saar and Moselle Rivers in the extreme southwestern Rhineland-Palatinate, is shown on the accompanying map. A timeline follows.
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Part 2 - Crossing the Saar River and advancing to Zerf
A timeline:
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Part 3 - Capture of Trier
As shown on the right-hand side of the accompanying map, all three of the 10th Armored Division's combat commands headed north from the Niederzerf area on 27 February. On 1 March, two of the commands captured Trier.
Fortuitously, Trier's second century Roman Bridge across the Moselle River to the north was captured intact. During the next two weeks, the 94th Infantry Division established screening positions in the area, some of which were subject to nighttime infiltration. |
.Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Germany > The ETO > Siegfried Line, 1945 > XX Corps to Trier webpage:
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The ETO > Siegfried Line, 1945 > XX Corps to Trier webpage:
† Barrett, Henry Joseph Jr., SN 37-699-275, US Army, Pott. Co.
- The page header photo, "Roman Bridge, Trier", is courtesy of wikipedia,org.
- The Last Offensive, Chapter VII, The Saar-Moselle Triangle (the United States Army in World War II, European Theater of Operations series, Charles B. MacDonald, 1973) - http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Last/USA-E-Last-7.html.
- Clearing the Saar-Moselle Triangle -
- The Advance to Zerf -
- The Capture of Trier - 1 March 1945 - Map #V from The Last Offensive - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Last/maps/USA-E-Last-V.jpg.
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Germany > The ETO > Siegfried Line, 1945 > XX Corps to Trier webpage:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
† Barrett, Henry Joseph Jr., SN 37-699-275, US Army, Pott. Co.
- Co. I, 301st Inf. Regt., 94th Inf. Div., XX Corps, Third Army; KIA 6 Mar 1945 near Zerf, south of Trier, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany.
- WWII Germany > The ETO > Siegfried Line, 1945 > XX Corps to Trier