The 2nd Battalion, 378th Infantry, 95th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Autrey J. MAROUN, was in divisional reserve, under XX Corps control, at the beginning of the METZ operation. At 1400 hours on 9 November 1944 Colonel MAROUN received the battalion mission; it was: "The Commanding General, XX Corps, directs that a bridgehead in the vicinity of Thionville be seized by your battalion. Entire battalion will cross the river and keep direct fire off site where main bridge will be installed."

On the night of 10 November the battalion (motorized) moved 11 miles to Thionville, while Colonel MAROUN, his 5-3, and company commanders made a reconnaissance of the crossing site, whose location had been obtained from the 1306th Engineer Group. The terrain west of the MOSELLE River, at the crossing site, was generally rough but the opposite bank was flat and level. The river, generally 300 feet in width, had reached flood-stage proportions, with a fifteen-mile current, due to heavy rains; However, at Thionville the river was deeply channeled and split into two courses to form an elliptical island 200 yards wide and one mile long.

Two fortified groups commanded the crossing site on the eastern bank. Old Fort YUTZ (built in 1857) was situated immediately east of the river and, although useful only as an infantry strongpoint, it had been reinforced by a connecting series of machine-gun pillboxes along the river's edge. Fort D'ILLANGE, one and one-half miles south of Thionville, was an ingeniously constructed group of three forts situated on the dominating terrain in the area. It had a known artillery complement of four 100mm guns.

At 0400 hours, 11 November, Colonel MAROUN assembled his officers, discussed his plans and issued his orders: E Company would make the initial assault at 0830 hours, 11 November, and secure the low ground bordering the MOSELLE as a crossing point west of the river. F Company would pass through E Company, cross the MOSELLE north of the island, in infantry assault boats, and secure Fort YUTZ. G Company would initially be in reserve and then,with E Company on its left, would cross and establish a bridgehead 1,000 yards east of the river. The battalion would be supported in the operation by the 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 1306th Engineer Combat Battalion and medium artillery.

E Company moved up at 0600 hours, 11 November and found the western side of the river unoccupied. F Company then hand carried its boats to the river's edge and under cover of artillery smoke shells launched the first of three assault-platoon waves of infantry across the MOSELLE, bypassing the island. The first wave received no small arms fire. The second and third waves, however, had to cross under severe small arms fire from the island, automatic fire from the three pill boxes along the eastern banks of the river, mortar fire from Fort YUTZ, and artillery fire from Fort D'ILLANGE. E Company then moved across the first 200-Coot water barrier at 1100 hours, and had cleaned out the enemy resistance on the island (6th Company, 74th Infantry Regiment, 19th Grenadier Division). By 1800 hours F Company assembled the first platoon on the far bank and began the reduction of the northern machine-gun pil1box while tank destroyers from across the river fired directly on the other two. Forts YUTZ and D'ILLANGE were simultaneously blanketed with artillery fire. Throughout the day the remainder of the pillboxes were reduced and the balance of F Company, with a heavy machine gun section from I Company closed east of the MOSELLE and on the morning of 12 November moved north to attack Fort YUTZ.

F Company (Captain Robert E. ADAIR) attacked from the northwest at 0700 hours, with two platoons abreast under heavy small arms fire. The company crossed over the moat surrounding Fort YUTZ by way of two in tact bridges and entered the fort at 0825 hours.

G Company had crossed the MOSELLE at O915 hours and two platoons of its riflemen attached to F Company. Captain ADAIR sent (0915 hours) the remaining rifle platoon of F Company and one platoon from G Company east and to the rear of Fort YUTZ to eliminate an enemy 50mm mortar section and force an entry from the south. Another platoon from G Company, plus the heavy machine gun section from H Company, attacked along the line of demolished pillboxes.

At 1215 hours Captain ADAIR had five rifle platoons and a section of heavy machine guns in Fort YUTZ. While F Company (reinforced) engaged in a grenade-throwing, small arms contest with the enemy (5th Company, 74th Infantry Regiment, 19th Grenadier Division). E Company crossed the river, by-passed Fort YUTZ and attacked north, expanding the bridgehead to a depth of 400 yards.

On 13 November all resistance ended in Fort YUTZ and plans were made for a night attack on HAUTE YUTZ, three-quarters of a mile east of Thionville, with G Company. F and E Companies would thereafter attack through G Company to assault Fort D'ILLANGE on the morning of 14 November.

G Company took HAUTE YUTZ in.a. night attack against limited resistance. F and E Companies, passing through (0830 hours) HAUTE YUTZ attacked (0900 hours) through the woods south and east of the town towards Fort D'ILLANGE. F Company on the right attacked with two platoons abreast. Further reinforced by a light machine gun section and a 60mm mortar section attached to the left platoon and a heavy machine gun section and an 81mm mortar section attached to the right platoon, the company worked its way through a boobytrapped area under heavy artillery and mortar fire from Fort D'ILLANGE and at 1015 hours took the intermediate objective, a wooded hill south and 400 yards east of Fort D'ILLANGE. First Lieutenant BILLINGS of E Company advanced with a white flag and demanded the surrender of the fort. The German captain, (commanding the 3rd Company, 74th Infantry Regiment, 19th Grenadier DiviSIon), admitted being outflanked but would not surrender. The attack was then resumed at 1345 hours after three artillery battalions (medium) had laid a 45-minute concentration on Fort D'ILLANGE. Clearing the woods F Company double-timed in two waves across the open space between the woods and the wooded fringe surrounding the base of the hill upon which Fort D'ILLANGE was situated and here reorganized for the final assault. E Company (First Lieutenant James R. PENDERGRAST) on the left was unable to penetrate the enemy's forward positions along the edge of the woods, and so deployed to give fire support to F Company.

A preparation of 155mm, 240mm, and tank destroyer fire of 30 minutes duration was called for and given. F Company placed its 81 mm mortars on the outside edge of the woods surrounding the fort and its 60mm mortars and light machine guns well forward in defile. With this base of fire, at 1500 hours it attacked up the hill, two platoons abreast, and penetrated the two parane barbed wire defenses, consisting of six double-apron wire entanglements, 66 feet in depth, that completely encircled the hill. The second platoon of F Company followed in a drainage ditch west of the fort and entered from the rear; while the third platoon, in a line of skirmishers, advanced with marching fire and was in the fort by 1614 hours. While working their way through the booby-trapped barbed wire entanglements the two platoons had received sustained mortar fire from the rear of the fort and Captain ADAIR sent his first platoon east of the fort, where it knocked out the mortars and completed the encirclement of the fort. At 1630 hours, G Company which had followed F Company, moved to the base of the hill and two rifle platoons were attached to F Company.

By darkness, one-third of the fort was under control and the remainder was being probed under enemy machine gun and sniper fire. At 0200 hours on 15 November "beehive" charges were carried into the fort and the work of destroying the concrete bunkers began. At 0730 hours, 15 November, half of the fort was in the hands of F Company. The assaulting units now were receiving fire from machine guns placed atop the remaining bunkers and casemates. The 81mm mortars in the woods, directed by field telephone from the fort, soon reduced this fire.

The work of demolishing the bunkers proceeded. Captain ADAIR would send two men forward to a bunker or casemate, one carrying a 10-pound "beehive" which he would place against the steel door while the other threw hand grenades into the machine gun slits. After the "beehive" charge had been detonated, a four-man crew, armed with "thread charges" consisting of three 10-pound TNT packets strung on a primer cord, would then come forward and push the "thread charge" through the hole blown by the initial charge and detonate the explosive.

At 1040 hours the 3rd Company, 74th In fantry Regiment, 19th Grenadier Division, had been eliminated. Sixty-seven prisoners of war were taken and 74 enemy had been killed or wounded.

Source:

THE REDUCTION OF FORTRESS METZ

1 SEPTEMBER -6 DECEMBER 1944

An Operational Report

U.S. Army Military History Institute

XX CORPS

UNITED STATES ARMY

Benjamin Winstead (1921)