The story
Herschwiesen, Oppenhausen and Alken fell to the 357th in spite of strong resistance. In the meantime, the 359th, on Division right, had made its crossings in the vicinity of Hatzenport and Moselkern. No difficulties were encountered until Morshausen was reached. Here elements of the 159th Volksgrenadier Division defended strongly with the aid of several tanks and armored cars.
The unsupported infantry of the 90th fought back with whatever arms were available to them, but it was not until the bridge was completed by the 315th Engineers Battalion that tanks and Tank Destroyers were able to race to the support of the infantry, and the town was taken. Burgen and Macken were taken in quick succession despite determined resistance.
The swift current of the Moselle again proved to be a formidable opponent. Cables were snapped on the footbridges, and the construction of bridges was delayed for precious hours. It became necessary to ferry vehicles and armor across the river late in the afternoon.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.