Narrative
The 3-AD arrived in Normandy, France, on June 23, 1944, and entered combat against the Villiers – Fossard salient north-east of St Lô on June 29/30. CCB crossed into the Airel Bridgehead on July 7 and the division reached the Haut-Vents crossroads after heavy combat by July 11. CCB passed through the 1-ID to seize Marigny on July 26, and CCA forced a crossing of the Sienne at Gavray on July 30. It then secured a crossing of the Seé River at Brécey on July 31 and on August 1, CCB attacked toward St Pois. The division assembled on August 12 and the next day swung around Domfront toward the Vire – Argentan Road to close the Falaise Gap, capturing Ranes after heavy combat on August 15. It fought through Fromenthal August 16/17, and on August 25, CCB crossed the Seine River below Paris at Tilly. The division crossed the Marne River in the Meux area and continued to pursue against disorganized resistance, crossing the Aisne River east of Soissons on August 29 then entered Belgium.
Advancing east from Namur astride the Meuse, the division seized Huy on September 6, mopped up Liège on September 8, took Verviers on September 9 against rearguard resistance, and reached the West Wall at Schmidthof on September 12. The division breached the West Wall fortifications between Roetgen and Rott with CCB on September 13 as CCA pushed through antitank obstacles to Nutheim. CCB crossed the Vicht River southwest of Stolberg on September 14 as CCA reached Eilendorf, a suburb of Aachen. On September 15, the division encountered the second belt of West Wall defenses where it suffered heavy tank losses in the Battle of Geisberg Hill which commenced that same day, as CCB took but was forced out of Mausbach. The next day CCA was halted in its advance on Stolberg while CCB finally took Geisberg Hill on the 17 before being forced off. The 3-AD then fought the Battle for Weissenberg Hill and Muensterbusch Hill on September 18/20. Stolberg finally fell on September 22, as the division postponed its West Wall offensive and used smoke screens to withdraw CCB task forces from Donnerberg. The division was next committed to clearing the Lousberg Heights and cutting the Aachen-Laurensberg Highway on October 18/28. The division attacked the Stolberg corridor on November 16 and took heavy tank losses at Hastenrath and Scherpenseel which fell November 18.
The 3-AD took Huecheln after battling through a minefield on November 24, then attacked to clear the west bank of the Roer River on December 10. It took Geich the next day. As a result of the German Ardennes counter-offensive, CCA went in defense of Eupen, CCB assisted the 30-ID and assembled in the Hotton – Grand Pré area on December 19. CCB attacked then Stoumont and La Gleize on December 20 while the remainder of the division attacked to secure the Manhay-Houffalize Road. The 3-AD contained a German counter-attack at Hotton but lost a key road junction southeast of Manhay on December 23. The following day its roadblock at Belle Haie was reduced and the division attacked to take Grandménil on December 25-26 while CCA recovered Sadzot after its temporary loss on December 28. After the 83-ID took over this combat zone at the end of the month, the 3-AD attacked toward Houffalize on January 3, 1945, fighting across the Groumont Creek and then the Bois de Groumont, and into Provedroux by January 8.
The next day, the 83-ID attacked through the lines of the 3-AD. The 3-AD then attacked in the direction of Bihain which was captured on the 12, reached the Ourthe River on the 19, and seized the town of Gouvy as well as Beho on the 22. The 3-AD attacked out of the Elle River bridgehead on February 26 and gained two bridgeheads at Giesch and Paffendorf (Germany) the next day over the Erft River. After repulsing counter-attacks, the division attacked on March 3 and took Stommeln with air support. It reached the Rhine River at Roggendorf and Worringen March 4 and fought the Battle for Koln March 5/7 assisted by the 104-ID. After maintaining defensive positions, the division crossed the Rhine River on March 23, 1945, and attacked again on March 25. It reached the Lahn River at Marburg on March 28 and then closed the Ruhr Pocket after the Battle of Paderborn between March 31 and April 1. The division reached the Weser River on April 7 and the Mulde River near Torten on April 15. It fought then the Battle for Dessau on April 21/23 and was relieved along the Mulde on April 25. It withdrew to Sangerhausen for rehabilitation on April 26 and hostilities ended definitely in Europa on May 8, 1945.
