Crossing the Sauer - The Matrix Games version of West Front

Crossing The Sauer v 1.01 18 January, 1945 As the Germans were slowly driven from the Bulge in the second half of january 1945, corps order on the southern shoulder was to let the 5th Infantry Division cross the Sauer between Ettelbrück and Bettendorf as a surprise move, and push forward to Hoscheid-Dickt. The movement was supposed to drive a wedge 15 kilometers deep into the German frontline for the purpose of breaking the enemy's southern defense line. The division planned to carry out this attack with two regiments, these being the 2nd Infantry Regiment on the left and the 10th Regiment on the right, with the 11th Regiment as a mobile reserve. After the shore had been scouted carefully for crossing points, the hour of attack was set at 3:00 AM on January 18. East of Bettendorf the 8th Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division was to cross the Sauer likewise and push for the line of hills, the Gentingen-Ammeldingen-Hoesdorf heights, extending to shortly before the confluence of the Our in the Sauer near Wallendorf . Early in the morning of January the crossing started in very foggy weather conditions, completely surprising the battered German remnants of the 352. VGD. The Germans quickly recovered from the initial surprise though and days of heavy fighting followed. Eventually the Americans reached Hoscheiderdickt on 26 January 1945.