Under the German mortars

23^rd February 1945 – flood water from the Roer dams recedes and Operation Grenade, the American advance to the Rhine, is able to proceed.  Hitler had not allowed German forces in the Rhineland to withdraw. This stubborn German resistance proved costly with losses of c.400,000 men, including 280,000 prisoners, by the time the Allies had crossed the Rhine.

 

WAR DIARY of 52^nd (Lowland) Recce Regt RAC February 1945

– Lt Col J.B.A. Hankey OBE

Date 23^rd   Place AFFERDEN:                                          Weather – Fine        

‘Still holding line and being mortared and shelled.  ‘A’ Squadron less 1 Scout Troop and Assault Troop with u/c (under command?) 3 Platoons of 6^th Highland Light Infantry took over from ‘B’ Squadron at REMPELD.  ‘B’ Squadron coming into reserve.’

 

Date 24^th   Place AFFERDEN:         1 casualty                          Weather – Fine

Strength - 922 men, 188 tanks/armoured cars/guns       

‘Still spasmodic shelling and mortaring. 7 reinforcements arrived.’

 

Date 25^th to 27^th        Place AFFERDEN:     6 casualties            

Weather – Fine on 25^th, Dull on 26^th, Fair on 27^th.

‘Nothing to report except intermittent enemy mortar fire and own retaliation fire.  Total casualties seven wounded.’

(From the War Diary of the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment held by the Archive and Reference Library, the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.)

 

'A counter-mortar officer working in the area said that German mortar positions on that front outnumbered the total mortars believed to be held by the entire German army.'

(From ‘Time Spent or The History of the 52nd-Lowland-Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment January 1941-October 1945’ by Trevor D.W.Whitfield, published by Mountain 1946.)