American paratroopers of the 17th Airborne Division during Operation Varsity, Germany, March 1945

Original WW-2 sketch from the Planning

e. March 28, 1945: (Sketch No. 6)

The British 6th Guards Armored Brigade (reinforced by the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment) entered Dorsten at 0600, and at 1230, March 28, 1945, oral orders were issued by Corps Commander to advance rapidly on the axis Haltern (6249)Dulmen (6859)Munster (9273). Resistance at Lippramsdorf (5546) consisting principally of self-propelled guns held up the brigade until darkness. This resistance was bypassed during the night. The British 6th Airborne Division continued the attack, seizing the town of Erle (4050) by 0800, and pushed on to meet stubborn resistance at Lembeck, which was shelled and also bombed by the RAF. Lembeck was seized during the night of March 28/29, 1945. The British 6th Airborne Division and all the supporting artillery of the British VIII Corps passed to the British VIII Corps control at 2400. The US 17th Airborne Division (less the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment) continued the attack. The US 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment seized Wulfen by 2100; it was then motorized and ordered to advance rapidly to join the Guards Armored Brigade in Haltern where it took responsibility for the security of the town and sent out security to the east perimeter of the Staubecken Lake. The British 1st Commando Brigade was relieved from assignment to the XVIII Corps (Airborne) and reverted to the command of the British VIII Corps upon arrival in ErleERLE. Plan for the future operation was: the British 6th Guards Armored Brigade with the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment attached, was to press advance on the axis forces in Haltern, in Dulmen and in Munster; the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment was to secure Haltern; the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment was to move by motor on Dulmen to garrison and secure that area. The US 17th Airborne Division (less the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment) which pushed rapidly forward by motor to Haltern and Dulmen, was ordered to secure bridgeheads at those places covering exits and defiles, thus insuring openings through which the Guards Armored Brigade and later the US 2nd Armored Division could advance rapidly and exploit far beyond. Corps TAC Command Post opened at 1700, in the vicinity Peddenberg (313415). (Captured today: 527 Prisoners of War)

Kit First Aid Aeronautic (Item  9776500) used by this Glider Pilot. Men from the 32-TCS (414th TCG) take five on LZ N, near Wesel, Germany, March 25, 1945

Original WW-2 sketch from the Planning

f. March 29, 1945: (Sketch No. 6)

The British 6th Guards Armored Brigade, reinforced, was relieved in Haltern by 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment prior to daylight and continued the advance capturing Dulmen by 1000. A further advance was blocked by extensive rubble in streets and marshy ground on the outskirts of the city. Engineer facilities were pushed forward to clear the path. By 1900, plans were complete to continue advancing during the night of March 29/30, 1945, to Buldern (7463), which was occupied at 0505, March 30, 1945. The 194th Glider Infantry Regiment continued to move by motor shuttle to Dulmen. The US 17th Airborne Division Headquarters and the bulk of the division troops assembled in the vicinity of Haltern. The US 2nd Armored Division (US XIX Corps, US Ninth Army), at 1800 on March 29, 1945, advanced on the axis DorstenHaltern and Dulmen, to pass through and relieve the US 17th Airborne Division in Haltern and Dulmen, the US 17th Airborne Division with all attachments upon being passed through to come under the command of the US XIX Corp at 0600, March 30, 1945. All the British units remaining attached to the US 17th Airborne Division and the XVIII Corps (Airborne) to revert to the British VIII Corps at 0600, March 30, 1945. The US XIX Corps to assume responsibility for that part of the US XVIII Corps (Airborne) Zone in the US Ninth Army Zone and the British VIII Corps Corps to assume responsibility for that part of the XVIII Corps (Airborne) Zone in the British Second Army Zone. The XVIII Corps (Airborne) to revert to the Firts (Allied) Airborne Army same date and hour (0600, March 30, 1945). (Captured Prisoners of War today: 1529)

Churchill Tank - March 1945 Germany

Original WW-2 sketch from the Planning

g. March 30, 1945: (Sketch No. 6)

The US XVIII Corps (Airborne) closed the Command Post at 0600 and departed for Epernay, France

(5)SUPPLE AND EVACUATION

a. Supplies for Operation Varsity group themselves in the following categories:
– 1. Basic loads.
– 2. One (1) day of air resupply, two hundred and forty (240) tons per division, to be delivered on D-Day immediately after the airborne landing.
– 3. Two (2) days of air resupply to be delivered on D+1 unless canceled.
– 4. Overland supply is transported across the river by DUKWs from dumps established on the west bank of the river.
– 5. Supplies are pre-loaded on division land tails.
– 6. Normal supply over the bridges from regularly established supply points.

b. By the afternoon of D-Day, it became apparent:
– 1. That the basic load and the D-Day air resupply had arrived in good order.
– 2. That the resupply by DUKWS was going rather slowly over the regularly established DUKW ferries, but the bridges were being installed with so rapidity that it would make it possible to route DUKWS across the bridges.
– 3. That sufficient of the division roadtail could be moved across the river on D-Day so that by the morning of D+1 each airborne division would have a total of all classes of supply from all the aforementioned sources to give them a reserve of at least two (2) days in addition to what was coming in through the normal flow.

c. Based on the above estimate, resupply by air, scheduled for D+1 was canceled.

d. The flow of traffic over the bridges thereafter proceeded at such a rate that by the morning of D+4, each airborne division had under its control on the east bank of the river all of its organic and attached transportation and a minimum of five (5) days of supply. This, in effect, marked the end of the build-up, and thereafter supply proceeded in the normal fashion.

e. Casualties may be classified as follows:

– 1. Those casualties held by divisions.
– 2. Those casualties held by holding units established on the east bank of the river.
– 3. Those casualties held by field and evacuation hospitals established about five (5) miles to the west of the river.

f. The holding unit on the east bank of the river, including a few ambulances, was established on D-Day. Evacuation from this point to an ambulance collecting point on the west side of the river was made by DUKWS and from there to the field or evacuation hospital by ambulance. Evacuation from the divisions to the holding unit was by Jeep ambulances belonging to the divisions supplemented by the ambulances of the holding unit. Loaded ambulances were given priority across bridges, and as sufficient bridges were installed, the evacuation was made directly from the east bank holding unit to the hospitals, and later, directly from the divisions to the hospitals.

Crossing the Rhine River

(6) AIR INCLUDING TRANSPORT AND RESSUPLY

a. The air plan for Varsity was divided in into phases which covered the neutralization of certain installations, interdiction of traffic by the bombardment of road nets and bridges, the protection of the Troop Carrier Command aircraft during the delivery of the airborne forces, against both hostile aircraft and flak, and close cooperation by the 2nd tactical Army Air Force with the British 6th Airborne Division and the US 17th Airborne Division.

b. On D-3, all enemy airdromes which were within the effective range of the Varsity area were bombed with particular attention being paid to those used by jet-propelled aircraft (ME-262). On the morning of D-Day, at first light, these fields were swept by fighter aircraft of the 8-AAF and the 9-AAF, and the effectiveness of these attacks was indicated by the non-appearance of the Luftwaffe.

c. From D-3 to D-1 road nets in the entire Plunder/Varsity Area were kept under almost continuous attack by medium bombers and fighter-bombers of both, the USAAF and the British RAF.

d. On D-1, at 1730 Hours, RAF heavy aircraft attacked the city of Wesel. At 2230 Hours to 2245 on D-1, the RAF again bombed Wesel at the request of the British 1st Commando Brigade. At the time of the bombing, the Commandoes were within 500 yards of the target and no report was received of any injury to the personnel of that unit.

e. At 1000 Hours on D-Day the British 6th Airborne Division and the US 17th Airborne Division started simultaneous parachute drop and glider landings in the area north of Wesel. Parachute drops and glider landings were completed by 1245 Hours. The forces involved in this part of the operation were the IX Troop carrier Command and the 38th Group and the 46th Group of the RAF. The IX Troop Carrier Command dropped six hundred and sixty-seven (667) loads of paratroopers which included seventy-two (72) C-46 type aircraft (Curtiss Commando). This was the entire parachute commitment of the British 6th Airborne Division and the US 17th Airborne Division. The 38th and’46th RAF Groups towed four hundred and forty (440) Horsa Gliders to the landing zones of the British 6th Airborne Division. The IX Troop Carrier Command towed nine hundred and six (906)- CG4A Gliders, five hundred and ninety-two (592) of which were double-towed by C-47 aircraft (Skytrain). Seventeen (17) airfields were used by the IX Troop Carrier Command and eight by the RAF 38th Group and the RAF 46th Group in launching this operation. Three (3) airfields were used by the US 8AAF B-20s for resupply.

British Horsa Glider landing during Operation Plunder-Varsity, March 1945



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