History

8th Armored Division
27 March 1945 thru 20 April 1945

The 8th Armored Division crossed the Rhine River on the night of 26-27 March and was in an assembly area vicinity of Hunxe by 1200 hours 27 March. The plan for the division to pass through the 30th Infantry Division and attack east with Combat Command A and Combat Command R abreast and Combat Command B in reserve. The mission of the division was to secure crossings over the ZWeig Kanal and then proceed on to secure their final objective which was to seize and secure the road from Hamm (B0642) to Soest (B2530).

The attack jumped off as planned on the morning of 28 March. As the attack develop, it could be seen that there was no breakthrough situation. The area was heavily defended by the enemy. Their dual purpose antiaircraft gun emplacements were well dug-in, well defended, and numerous. Each emplacement had to be reduced by infantry action because they were so situated that artillery or air support were practically ineffective in putting them out of action. It was a tank infantry action and progress was measured not in miles, but in yards.

Initially, it had been planned to bypass Dorsten. However, at the very last minute on the night of the 28th, orders were received from XVI Corps that Dorsten would be taken by next morning. Corps also directed that should the division need any assistance in the taking of Dorsten, it could call on the 30th Infantry Division. If a joint effort was made, the commanding general of the 30th Infantry Division would be in command.

Combat Command A was given the mission of taken Dorsten and Combat Command R was to assist by rolling up the enemy's southern flank. The attack was launched as planned at 0630 hours on the morning of 29 March. At 0730 hours, the infantry was in the town and by 1200 hours, the town had been secured.

In order to allow CCA to continue on its original mission, CCB relieved them in Dorsten. CCA, together with CCR, continued to the east but progress was slow. On the 31st of March, XVI Corps directed that the 8th Armored Division turn over responsibility for their zone to the 75th Infantry Division and then move north across the Lippe Canal where the division would pass to the control of the XIX Corps.

The move was completed by 2 April. The first mission given to the division was to seize Paderborn. After accomplishing this mission, the division was to be prepared to move east to the Elbe River (later this was extended to Berlin itself). CCB which had been given the order to take Paderborn got as far as Neuhaus (B6749) when the 83d Infantry Division passed through them to continue the attack. The division mission had been changed.

According to G-2 reports, elements of the 116th Panzer Granadier Division entrapped in the Ruhr Pocket were expected to make an attempt to break out and leas out some of the entrapped units. Such a move would threaten the flanks of the unitsthat were racing to the Elbe River and might possibly cut them off. In order to avert this threat, the 8th Armored Division was given the mission of attacking south to the Ruhr River and then attack to the west.

According to Capt. Donaldson, Assistant G-2, 8th Armored Division, the enemy began assembling in the area between Lippstadt and Soest about 2 April in preparation for their attack which was to be made the morning of 4 April. The 8th Armored Division launched its attack to the southwest on the morning of 3 April and pushed the enemy back to Soest. The enemy then planned to launch its attack from Soest but the pressure exerted by the 8th Armored and the 95th Infantry Division was too great fore them. They were forced to fall back to the west. In falling back, the enemy fought a delaying action. During the day, point of resistance would be heavily defended. Then at night, the enemy would withdraw and set up new defenses.

The 8th Armored Division continued to attack to the west keeping north of the Mohne and Ruhr Rivers, clearing and mopping up their zone as they moved forward. Since XIX Corps was fighting on two fronts, Task Force Twaddle composed of the 95th Infantry Division and the 8th Armored Division was formed and was placed under the command of General Twaddle, Commanding general of the 95th Infantry Division, to work to the west and reduce the Ruhr pocket in conjunction with the XVI Corps.

The division mission was accomplished by 12 April, just shortly after Unna had been taken. The division was then placed in army reserve and told to assemble in the vicinity of Brunswick. One combat command (CCA) was placed under operational control of the XIX Corps for security of the Corps' rear area.

On 19 April, CCA and CCB were returned to the control of the 8th Armored Division and the division was directed to relieve the 330th Regimental Combat Team in the Harz Mountains and attack to reduce the Blankenburg pocket north of the temporary XIX-VII Corps boundary. An air strike was made to get the defenders of the town to surrender. After much discussion and getting nowhere, it was decided to attack the town. The enemy put up only token resistance and the town was quickly taken.

This action brought to a close the combat action of the division. Their next mission was to occupy and govern an assigned zone in the Harz Mountains.

Task Forces

CCA
Task Force Poiner (7th Armored Infantry Battalion)
7th AIB(-)
A CO 18th Tk Bn
Tp A 88th Rcn (-)
Co A 53d Armd Engr Bn (-)
Co A 809th TD Bn (-)

Task Force Goodrich (18th Tank Battalion)
18th Tk Bn (-)
A Co 7th AIB
3d Plt A Co 53d Engr Bn
3d Plt A Co 809th TD Bn
3d Plt A Tp 88th Cav Rcn Sqdn

CCB
Task Force Roseborough (49th Armored Infantry Battalion)
49th AIB (-)
1 Plt Co B 53d Armd Engr Bn
Co B 36th Tk Bn
Co B 53d Engr Bn (- 2 Plt)
Tp B 88th Cav Rcn Sqdn

Task Force Van Houton (36th Tank Battalion)
36th Tk Bn (-)
1 Plt Co B 53d Armd Engr Bn
Co C 49th AIB

CCR
Task Force Walker (80th Tank Battalion) until 091145 April when it became Task Force Connel and later on 11 April it became Task Force Crittendon.
80th Tk Bn (-)
Co A 58th AIB
1 Rife Co Inf Bn (290)
1 Plt Tp C 88th Cav Rcn Sqdn
1 Plt Co C 809th TD
Co C 53d Armd Engr Bn (-)
1 sect Btry C 473d AAA Aw Bn

Task Force Artman (58th Armored Infantry Battalion)
58th AIB (-)
Co A 80th Tk Bn
Tp C 88th Cav Rcn (-)
Co C 809th TD
1 Plt Co C 53d Armored Engr Bn
1 sect Btry C 473d AAA AW Bn
1 Plt Co C 739th Tk Bn

Temporary Task Forces
Task Force Umanoff (290th Infantry Regiment)
Inf Bn (-) 290th Inf Regt
Co C 80th Tk Bn
1 Plt Tp C 88th Cav Rcn Sqdn
1 Plt Co C 809th Tk Destroyer Bn
1 Plt Co C 53d Armd Engr Bn
1 sect Btry C 473d AAA AW Bn

Task Force Harrington (88th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron)
88th Cav Rcn Sqdn (-)
1 Plt 18th Tk Bn
1 Det Engrs