Double Breakthrough
December 1944 (2/2)
December 1944 operations(1/2)
Strenghtening of the German 19th Army :
massive reinforcement by fresh troops from Germany
(9 infantry divisions + 2 armoured brigades)
December the 6th: Reichführer Himmler took the
commandment of all troops present in the Colmar pocket personally.
December the 15th: general Rasp took the commandment of the German 19th Army. French and American soldiers fight side by side to free the Colmar pocket.
In the morning of December 15th the main offensive is launched from the Bonhomme pass to the north of Sigolsheim along a 20 km (12 miles) east/west front.
Orbey is freed on December 16th.
Some vineyard villages are freed: Kientzheim on :
Kientzheim on December 17th,
Kaysersberg and Ammerschwihr on December 18th,
Bennwihr on December 25th.
massive reinforcement by fresh troops from Germany
(9 infantry divisions + 2 armoured brigades)
December the 6th: Reichführer Himmler took the
commandment of all troops present in the Colmar pocket personally.
December the 15th: general Rasp took the commandment of the German 19th Army. French and American soldiers fight side by side to free the Colmar pocket.
In the morning of December 15th the main offensive is launched from the Bonhomme pass to the north of Sigolsheim along a 20 km (12 miles) east/west front.
Orbey is freed on December 16th.
Some vineyard villages are freed: Kientzheim on :
Kientzheim on December 17th,
Kaysersberg and Ammerschwihr on December 18th,
Bennwihr on December 25th.
© Marc Specker