Operation Clipper

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Column of British tanks ( Churchill type ) near Geilenkirchen

The Operation Clipper was an Allied offensive on the Western Front of World War II in November 1944. It was led by the British XXX Corps , the US 84th Infantry Division was attached. The offensive took place from November 10 to November 22, 1944. The German frontal projection around Geilenkirchen ( Geilenkirchen salient ), which protruded into the front of the Allies, was removed.

background

Clipper was a prelude to the larger Operation Queen , the aim of which was to gain control of the Rur Valley and the Huertgen Forest . However, it would take some time to achieve these goals, because the winter of 1944/45 was very cold and very wet, see also Hongerwinter . Because of the bad weather and low clouds, the Allies could not use their extensive air superiority. Even tanks could almost only drive on roads and were threatened by booby traps and anti-tank guns .

The Rur and its tributaries

Geilenkirchen is located on the Wurm , a tributary of the Rur, about 20 kilometers north of Aachen and 11 kilometers south of Heinsberg . The Wurm flows from south to north and flows into the Rur north of Heinsberg.

Heinsberg formed the northern end of the west wall . In Geilenkirchen there were bunkers , anti-tank traps , moats and other parts of the west wall. In addition, the border between two Allied front sections ( 2nd British Army and 9th US Army ) was near Geilenkirchen . This also contributed to classifying Geilenkirchen as a potentially dangerous location for the Germans.

Associations involved

Allies

British XXX Corps

214th Infantry Brigade (part of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division )
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (assigned to Niederheid )
1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (assigned to Tripsrath and Rischden )
5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (assigned to Hochheid )
5th Battalion, Dorset Regiment (detached from 130th Brigade) (assigned to Bauchem )
4th / 7th Royal Dragoon Guards
US 84th Infantry Division
333rd Infantry Regiment (assigned to Geilenkirchen and Süggerath )
Sherwood Rangers (British)
334th Infantry Regiment (assigned against Prummer and Beeck )
Drewforce (two squads of demining and flamethrower tanks - British)
a squad of the 357th Searchlight Battery, Royal Artillery (British)
405th Infantry Regiment (detached from 102nd Infantry Division ) (assigned to Beeck)

Wehrmacht

XII. SS Army Corps

176th Infantry Division
Grenadier Regiment 1218
Grenadier Regiment 1219
Grenadier Regiment 1220
183rd People's Grenadier Division
People's Grenadier Regiment 330
People's Grenadier Regiment 343
People's Grenadier Regiment 351
Panzergrenadier Regiment 104 (part of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division )
Panzergrenadier Regiment 10 (part of the 9th Panzer Division )

consequences

Operation Clipper laid the foundations for Operation Blackcock (January 14-26 , 1945), i.e. for the conquest of the Rur triangle between Roermond , Sittard and Heinsberg.

Web links

Commons : Operation Clipper  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ www.worcestershireregiment.com

Coordinates: 50 ° 58 '  N , 6 ° 7'  E