Manton Eddy's XII Corps of the United States Army: February 6, 1945--March 23, 1945

This is a study, analyzed to the level of battalions, of the operations of an American corps during the final months of World War II. From February 6, 1945 to March 23, 1945 Major General Manton S. Eddy's XII Corps achieved decisive victories against the Germans, advancing through the Eifel to the Rhine River near Koblenz, then crossing the Mosel River to capture the west bank of the Rhine as far south as Worms. The climax occurred on the night of March 22--23 when the 5th Infantry Division crossed the 800 foot-wide Rhine at Oppenheim and Neirstein.;During this time when the German military situation was hopeless the operations of XII Corps seem to have been overshadowed by dramatic events at Remagen, the Reichswald, or Yalta. Yet a focus on XII Corps reveals assaults against some of the toughest defensive positions of the war, two blitzkrieg-like armored advances, the first complete envelopment achieved by American forces against a German army, and the culmination of strategic debates regarding Eisenhower's broad-front strategy.;An accurate account of the fighting required the synthesis of after-action reports from corps, division, and regimental levels. Anecdotes from divisional histories and General Orders have been incorporated into the narrative when possible. The important role of artillery in the offensive system of the United States Army is an underlying theme of the study.