The 13th Armored Division landed at Le Havre on January 30, 1945, but its combat service came very late. After initial occupation duty, it moved to Homberg near Kassel on April 5 and was committed against the Ruhr Pocket three days later. The division's first combat came in the Siegburg area, where it crossed the Sieg as the 97th Infantry Division was still fighting through the city. CCA reached Siegburg, while CCB pushed to the Agger and established a bridgehead.

Campaign map image

World War II Campaign Map of the 13th Armored Division. Map courtesy of HistoryShots.

Purchase at HistoryShots →

This was not a sweeping armored debut. Green Book context notes that the division entered the attack after long road marches, with only part of the division in hand and little time for rest or maintenance. Still, it gave XVIII Airborne Corps the armored component it needed for the southern side of the Ruhr reduction. CCB bypassed Troisdorf and reorganized in the Dunnwald area on April 11-12, while CCA cleared Lohmar and Altenrath. On April 13 the division attacked north, and by April 15 it had driven against considerable opposition to the Wupper near Opladen, which CCB cleared. The next day the division crossed the Wupper. CCB made contact with Ninth Army at Duisburg on April 17, and CCA pushed through Ratingen to the Rhine on April 18, completing the division's part in the closing phase of the Ruhr Pocket. It was then relieved by the 8th Infantry Division and assembled at Eschenau.

The division's second and final phase came in Bavaria. Moving to Parsberg on April 26, it attacked the next day and advanced rapidly along the Danube toward the Isar. CCB reached Platting on April 28, and on April 29 crossed the Isar there under artillery fire and smoke while engineers built a bridge for the rest of the division. CCR shifted to use the Platting bridge after unsuccessful attempts near Landau, and CCA reached the Isar at Landshut. On May 1 CCB reached the Inn near Eisenfelden but could not take the Marktl bridge intact; CCA reached the Inn opposite Braunau. The next day CCA accepted Braunau's surrender, and on May 3 the division reassembled north of the Inn, where it remained when hostilities ended.