| Original caption: “I drew an assault boat to cross in – just my luck. We all tried to crawl under each other because the lead was flying around like hail.” Crossing the Rhine under enemy fire.” Original caption: “United States Third Army Troops Lie Low in the Barge While Crossing the Rhine at Oberwesel.” United States Army soldiers of the 89th Infantry Division seek cover as small arms fire is directed at their General Motors Cooporation DUKW amphibious 6-by-6-wheel drive “Duck” truck during crossing at Oberwesel. The 354th Infantry Regiment attacked across the Rhine River, with the 1st Battalion attacking in the direction of Wellmich and the 2nd Battalion towards Sankt Goarshausen from Sankt Goar. Both attacks met strong resistance. At the time of the Rhine Gorge crossing, the 89th Infantry Division was 1 of the most highly trained units in the United States Army, despite lacking extensive combat experience. General George S. Patton Junior (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) recorded in his diary, “It was rather prophetic, I thought, that we should cross at Sankt Goar, near the legendary site of the Lorelei Twelve — one of the sacred spots of German mythology.” To support their crossing, the 354th Infantry Regiment had a Tank Destroyer Company and a Medical Company attached. In direct support, they had a company of engineers, supplemented by additional engineers from a 2nd element, as well as 2 155 millimeter (6.1 inch) and 1 105 millimeter (4.13 inch) Field Artillery Battalions. Also, all artillery assigned to the division had a “be prepared to” support mission for the 354th Infantry Regiment. Finally, 30 paddled boats and 10 motorized boats were assigned for Sankt Goarshausen, while 55 paddled boats and 10 motorized boats were assigned for Wellmich. Over a company and a half of 1st Battalion (A Company and C Company) reached the east bank on the 1st wave. There was little resistance while crossing, but the men came under intense fire from the hillside behind Wellmich after getting ashore. Machine gun and 20 millimeter (0.78 caliber) fire, together with the swift current, blocked their assault boats from returning to the west side – or any reinforcement. Prisoners taken here stated they had let the 1st wave get across easily, and then deliberately isolated it. Only after daylight could more infantry be transported across in strength. Throughout the morning, an intense effort by direct fire weapons – tank destroyers and machine guns against identified German machine gun and 20 millimeter gun positions – and a powerful, continuing concentration of artillery fire by 8 Division and Corps battalions, made it possible to work more troops across. Additionally, heavy smoke concentrations on the east bank were employed to reduce visibility of the periodic waves of crossing assault craft. By 1400 Hours, all of the 1st Battalion was across. It moved on its initial objectives, the hill masses behind the Rhine. By darkness, it had seized them, and gone well inland to take Weyer and Auel. The problem was worse for the 2nd Battalion, 354th Regiment, just to the north. At Sankt Goarshausen, E Company and F Company were tasked with establishing a foothold on the other side of the Rhine Gorge, taking the high ground north of town as well as the town itself. The 1st wave consisted of about a quarter of F Company and nearly all of E Company. The 1st wave attacked across the river from Sankt Goar at 0200, directly at the town of Sankt Goarshausen, a natural fortification. The river is about 300 yards (275 meters) wide here. On the trip across, the Americans met point-blank, grazing fire just above the water from machine guns and 20-millimeter antiaircraft weapons. The defenders had ignited several river barges on the Sankt Goarshausen side, thereby illuminating the river clearly and exposing the vulnerable assault boats on it. Also, German artillery, mortar, and 88 millimeter (3.14 inch) fire fell on the west shore. There were no friendly artillery preparations for the attack, which was planned as a surprise. To this day, survivors recall this scene as 1 from hell. The 2nd Battalion took casualties. Assault boats were smashed and sunk, and several men were killed, wounded, or missing. More than a few were lost in the turbulent current. Survivors were fortunate: many swam ashore or were rescued by other boats. The surprise is that so many men made it, getting ashore with their helmets, rifles, and ammunition. Troops waiting to cross were driven behind walls and houses at Sankt Goar by the fire as they tried to deploy on the riverbank. Radio communications failed with the 1st wave on the east side and were only restored, albeit with E Company, around 0430 Hours that morning. The 1st wave of the 2nd Battalion was cut off until well into the morning. After daylight, as with 1st Battalion, visibility enabled direct fire weapons such as tank destroyers and artillery to identify German gun positions in Sankt Goarshausen and on the hillside behind, and knocked many of them out. 2nd Battalion crossings were resumed under powerful artillery support, together with the use of much smoke, as in the 1st Battalion Zone. However, losses of men and equipment were unavoidable in the face of such a staunch defense. The 2nd Battalion was across the Rhine intact by 1400 hours, providing the strength to clear Sankt Goarshausen during the afternoon. A growing number of prisoners accumulated at the water’s edge, awaiting transportation to move them to the west bank. As darkness came down, the 2nd Battalion had secured the steep hill mass east of Sankt Goarshausen. That night, the 354th Regimental Reserve, 3rd Battalion, crossed the River under cover of darkness. The Regiment was together on the east shore, and progress had been made inland. Both landings were secure. The crust had been broken at Wellmich and Sankt Goarshausen. At 020026 March at Oberwesel, the 353rd Infantry Regiment began crossing the Rhine. Although the defense was a determined 1, including automatic weapons, mortars, and considerable artillery fire against the crossing site, it was not as fierce as further north, and waves of assault craft were never interrupted. The 3 battalions reached the east bank and began moving inland. The 1st Battalion, leading on the left, soon captured Dorscheid and, by evening, occupied Wesel. The 3rd Battalion crossed next, swung to the right (north) on the river road, and attacked the defenses of Kaub. Assault craft ferried supplies and men directly from Oberwesel to landings near Kaub. The town fell after strong resistance. The advance north continued, and by evening, the 3rd Battalion stood near Lorch. The 2nd Battalion, 353rd Infantry Regiment, crossed 3rd and attacked north of the 1st Battalion. It took Bornich, Loreley, and they went on to make contact with the 354th Regiment near Sankt Goarshausen. The 3rd Battalion, 355th Regiment, the 89th Infantry Division Reserve, was needed to close a widening gap in the center of the 353rd Regimental zone. Division attached this battalion to the 353rd Regiment at 1300 Hours. It crossed the Rhine at Oberwesel at 1500 Hours and was inserted between the 1st and 3rd battalions’ zones of advance. From Bornich, it drove northeast to capture Rittershain that night. Like her sister regiment to the north, the 353rd Regiment had broken the Rhine positioning. However, resistance continued strong and persisted longer among the Rhine towns from Kaub toward Wiesbaden than elsewhere in the Division zone. On March 25, the day before the crossing, a mobile force was organized from a battalion of infantry from the Division’s reserve, the 1st Battalion of the 355th Regiment, 2 tank companies, 2 tank destroyer companies, a cannon company, a platoon of engineers, and other small units. This mobile armored infantry force was intended for commitment to any feasible opportunity that might arise. On March 26, the Division commander, aware that the 87th Infantry Division’s crossing just to the north at Boppard was successful and that a pontoon bridge had already been completed, committed Task Force Johnson at 1100 Hours. It crossed the Rhine at Boppard at 1400 Hours, then turned right and moved north on the east shore road. Early on March 27, it fought an action at Kestern, gaining some 100 prisoners. The task force then passed through Sankt Goar, turned east through Reichenburg, and entered the interior country. Early on March 28, it was in Struth. By 1200 Hours on March 29, Task Force Johnson had entered Bad Schwalbach. Occupational authority of Sankt Goar was transferred to the French in early July. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0996.jpg |
| Image Size | 846.66 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2920 x 2364 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Office of War Information |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | March 25, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Nuremberg |
| State or Province | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-208-YE-132 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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