Siegfried Line to Rhine

In the early morning hours of November 7, 1944, the 104th Infantry Division maneuvered through a dense assortment of anti-tank dragon’s teeth and pillboxes known as the Siegfried Line. As they entered Germany on muddy roads, they were ordered to replace the 1st Division’s eight-mile sector southwest of Aachen. In October, the Allied forces prepared for an all-out drive to the Roer. The 104th, tasked with taking the cities of Stolberg, Eschweiler, Durwiz, Inden, Lucherberg, and Weisweiler, was unaware of how heavily defended the objectives were to be. On November 16, 1944, the 104th assaulted Stolberg, a city defended by pillboxes, minefields, and an unyielding foe. Through the use of satchel charges, hand-to-hand combat, and artillery, the city was finally captured. With “unrelenting pressure and the continuing skillful use of nigh maneuver and stubborn assaults,” the remaining cities clear to the Roer River fell in similar fashion. From December 16, 1944, to February 3, 1945, the 104th held a defensive position opposite of the city of Düren. While the Battle of the Bulge raged, the 104th patrolled their position along the river and even crossed the river sixty-three times to obtain valuable information. As the German offensive ended, the 104th pushed towards Cologne. On March 7th, in conjunction with the 3rd Armored Division, the 104th captured the southern end of Cologne. The city fell and the Allied army arrived on the bank of the Rhine. 

Artwork by S/Sgt John A. Lehti in a 1945 booklet titled “The Story of the 104th Infantry Division”. John Stenger 104th Infantry Division WWII materials, 1942 – 1999, bulk 1942 – 1946. Bridgewater College Special Collections.