World War II:  14th Infantry in Germany

From the 14th Infantry Regiment Newspaper, "THE RIGHT OF THE LINE"

published in "ON GUARD" by Gerald McMahon, 1990

Several articles reporting the Regiment's progress in WWII

 

From Le Harve’s Docks to Frankfort-on-the-Main

Men of the Fourteenth Infantry Regiment debarked from the Navy Troopship "General J. R. Brooke" at Le Harve, France, on February 6, 1945, after a quiet 13-day crossing of the Atlantic, filing down the steep gang-plank onto dismal docks in a continuous rain storm.

The troops moved by truck to Camp Old Gold outside Doudeville, France, where the campsite was established in a sea of mud. During the remaining days of February, training was completed and the Regiment made ready to enter the combat areas.

By truck and rail the Fourteenth moved 350 miles southwest across France early in March to an assembly area in the vicinity of Deuze in the rear of the Seventh Army’s lines bordering the Sarre-Mosel Triangle.

On the nights of the 13^th and 14^th of March, the Regiment shifted by night 39 miles into a position guarding the right flank of the Fifteenth Corps. The First Battalion, under the command of Lt. Col. (then Maj.) Samuel E. Hubbard made the Fourteenth’s first contact with the enemy on March 16 as it relieved elements of the Third Battalion 399^th Infantry Regiment, on the right flank of the 100^th Division’s attack on the city of Bitche. The battalion pushed outposts forward 1000 yards and took fourteen prisoners without suffering any casualties.

After helping mop up the Bitche area, the Regiment took part in the breaching of the Siegfried Line. It jumped off at 1200 hours on March 22 to protect the 71^st Infantry Division’s right flank as it attacked. The Division was on the right of the XXI Corps drive on Pirmasens.

During the afternoon and early evening of that day, the Regiment advanced by truck and foot four miles through the Siegfried Line against light resistance. Road obstacles, craters, and demolished bridges slowed the advance.

Two days later the Fourteenth lay on the west bank of the Rhine River near Speyer, Germany. A feigned crossing of the river in strength drew the enemy’s attention from the Seventh Army’s main effort above Mannheim to the north on March 25.

Under cover of smoke, reconnaissance patrols from the Regimental I & R Platoon crossed the river in assault boats returning without casualties. At 0100 hours, March 26, the Second Platoon of "E" Company slipped across the Rhine in four assault boats, took mortar fire while crossing, and exchanged fire with the enemy for fifteen minutes after reaching the east bank. The Platoon withdrew under cover of smoke after suffering seven casualties.

On March 29 and March 30, the Regiment covered 105 miles by motor, crossing the Rhine River on a treadway bridge at Oppenheim on the 30^th. Month’s end found it in position near Frankfurt-on-the-Main.

Thirty battle casualties occurred during the month. One officer and six enlisted men were killed; five enlisted men were severely wounded; one officer and ten enlisted men were lightly wounded; six enlisted men were reported missing; and one man died of wounds received in action.

During its first twenty days in combat, the "Right of the Line" Regiment constantly found its positions on the right of the line. During that period it moved by truck and on foot approximately 180 miles under combat conditions while helping in the clean up of the Sarre-Mosel Triangle and the crossing of the Rhine River.

The Fourteenth served under three armies during the month. It completed its final preparations for battle under the Fifteenth Army at Camp Old Gold, aided in the Sarre-Mosel clean up under the Seventh Army, and jumped the Rhine and continued east under the Third Army.

Colonel Carl E. Lundquist assumed command of the Regiment on the 19^th of March, relieving Colonel Donald T. Beeler.

 

"From Altenstadt to the South Danube Plain"

During the month of April, the Fourteenth fought and marched by foot and motor 371.6 miles in pursuit of withdrawing enemy forces through central and southern Germany.

The 6^th SS Mountain Division was engaged by the Second Battalion and dispersed at Altenstadt on April 1. Elements of that enemy force disintegrated in the next few days as the Regiment continued in fast pursuit northeast through central Germany from the vicinity of Frankfurt, reaching Meiningen on the edge of the Thuringer Forest.

The attack swung to the southeast on April 10 as the Regiment participated in the drive toward Bayreuth. On April 14 the Regiment by-passed the right of the 11^th Armored Division around Kulmbach to clear the approaches to Bayreuth so that the 71^st Infantry Division could turn to the southeast clear of the Armor to advance on the important communications center.

By nightfall elements of the Fourteenth were fighting their way into Bayreuth and by noon the following day had forced capitulation of the city.

From the 17^th of April until the 22^nd the Fourteenth attacked down the Bayreuth-Amberg highway, moving 55 miles in five days against determined delaying actions.

Lt. Col. Paul G. Guthrie fought his Third Battalion thirteen miles on the final day of the drive, engaging in a series of stiff fights to dislodge the enemy from defensive positions astride the highway, and by 2200 hours on the 22^nd had occupied Amberg.

Three assault river crossings followed in rapid succession at the end of the month as the Regiment established bridgeheads across the Regen, Danube, and the swift Isar River. The second crossing was made within thirty-six hours after the first.

The Regiment struck swiftly from Amberg on April 24, moving approximately thirty miles through enemy territory to reach Regenstauf where a key bridge was reported intact across the Regen River.

Heavy resistance and a blown bridge were encountered, and at 1230 the Second Battalion launched the Regiment’s first assault crossing strength across the Regen River on broad front in fifty assault boats. Heavy artillery and chemical mortar preparation preceded the attack.

Five minutes later one company was reported across and heavy fighting in progress. At 2400 hours the enemy had been driven from position and the beachhead secured.

Swift fighting toward the Danube followed the next day, and by nightfall the Regiment was again preparing for an assault boat crossing of the river.

The Second and Third Battalions launched the first waves of boats across the Danube at 0400 hours on the morning of April 26 following heavy artillery preparation.

Heavy fighting raged that day on the southern bank of the Danube. By nightfall the bridgehead was secured and enemy positions destroyed.

A German Major General surrendered the city of Regensburg to the Fourteenth Infantry on the morning of April 27. Unconditional surrender terms were signed at 1020.

Other units actually occupied the city as the Regiment withdrew to its original position in preparation to attack to the east along the Danube.

On April 30 the Regiment made a quick thrust towards the Isar River, advancing by motor and marching approximately fifteen miles while clearing towns and woods in the Regimental zone, and by 1700 hours had pulled into position to launch its third assault river crossing in six days.

The turbulent Isar River was crossed with three Battalions abreast; the First and Second fighting their way across demolished railroad bridges while the Third crossed in storm boats.

By 2000 hours all three battalions were across and had consolidated a narrow bridgehead near Landau one and one-half by six kilometers.

The end of the month found the Regiment fighting on the south Danube plain and advancing toward the Austria border and the Linz gap to the east.

The Regiment suffered 113 casualties during the month’s fighting; and fifty-four Bronze Stars and two Silver Stars were awarded members of the Regiment on orders.

 

"Over the Isar! On to the Enns – and V-E Day!"

The Fourteenth completed a 400-mle drive in the final 40 days’ pursuit of the defeated German Army through southern Germany and Austria until contact was made with the Russian Army on the Enns River in the vicinity of Steyer, Austria.

War’s end on May 8 found the Regiment in the middle Danube plain at Droissendorf, Austria, faced with the problems of handling thousands of displaced persons and prisoners of war.

Temporary military government was established in the area with key control points at Bad Hall, Kremsmunster, Kemater, and Neuhofen. Strict military control was thus established, the area completely screened, and arrangements made for the feeding and processing of the thousands of displaced persons and prisoners of war.

Contact was established between the Fourteenth and the 1^st Airborne Infantry, 5^th Guards Division, of the Soviet Army located across the Enns River. Colonel Carl E. Lundquist was officially made an honorary member of the 1^st Airborne Infantry, and Colonel John Kuni, commanding that unit, was made an honorary member of the 14^th Infantry and awarded the Combat Infantryman’s badge. Both commanding officers exchanged pistols according to the Russian custom. The Russian First Airborne Infantry thus became the Fourteenth’s sister Regiment of the Soviet Army.

Light casualties were suffered in the last eight days of combat from May 1 to May 8, with the Regiment losing only seven men wounded and none killed in action.

Moving 115 miles from the bridgehead at Landau on the Isar River through the shattered elements of the withdrawing enemy forces in five days, the Regiment was on the tip of General Patton’s southeastern spearhead that had been thrust across the Danube River near Regensburg in the closing days of April, until the Enns River was reached at Steyer, Austria, on May 5.

On May 1 the Regiment attacked south along the Landau-Braunau highway to expand the bridgehead over the Isar River. Fighting against sporadic resistance, the Regiment moved forward rapidly. The 5^th and 66^th Regiments crossed the river during the morning and attacked on the north flank of the Fourteenth.

The drive gained momentum on May 2 as the Regiment’s battalion’s leap-frogged 18 miles against light resistance to reach positions in the vicinity of Walburgskirchen.

Masses of Hungarian troops were encountered during the day as towns and woods were swept. These enemy elements offered no resistance, cheerfully assisting the Regiment in freeing its vehicles when they bogged down on the poor roads encountered in that part of the country.

The Regiment made a covered movement by motors and marching east to Ering on the third, to cross the Inn River on a dam captured by the 5^th Infantry southeast of the town. Movement of foot elements over the dam started at noon, the battalions closing into assembly areas in the vicinity of Altheim that night.

Combat Team 14, completely motorized, struck swiftly down the Braunau-Lambach highway on May 4 to cut the Linz-Salzbach highway, only remaining escape route from central Germany to the Redoubt area in the Bavarian Alps; and to seize crossings of the Traun River north of Lambach.

Strong enemy delaying positions astride the highway were encountered at Horbach at noon and heavy fighting continued throughout the day as the Regiment smashed all resistance in cutting the escape route and securing crossing of the Traun.

By 0005 hours on May 5 two bridges in the vicinity of Graben had been secured by the Second Battalion, but were found to be too weak for heavy traffic.

The Third Battalion advanced on foot across the bridges followed by its vehicles less loads, and attacked northeast to cut Wels-Kremsmuster highway, and pushed east to Matzelsdors against sporadic resistance.

The First Battalion, moving north, crossed the Traun at Wels, and attacked southeast toward Sipbachzell where determined enemy resistance from SS units was broken and a large number of prisoners taken.

The Regiment moved into assembly areas in the vicinity of Droissendorf at 2000 hours. The motorized battalions, hampered by 1600 prisoners taken during the day’s advance, plowed through narrow, muddy roads filled with columns of abandoned enemy vehicles as the daylight faded.

Orders were received to remain in positions the following morning as the Division reached the restraining line on the Enns River. On May 7 the Regiment was officially notified that all hostilities between Germany and the United Nations would cease at 0001 hours, May 9.

The Fourteenth remained in the vicinity of Droissendorf the remainder of the month.

Acknowledgements:
World War II:  14th Infantry in Germany
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Last modified: July 13, 2021