89th INFANTRY DIVISION - Rolling W

Activated 5 Jul 1942  •  Entered Combat 12 Mar 1945  •  Days of Combat 57  •  Casualties 1,029

DIVISION CHRONICLE

The 89th Infantry Division landed in France at Le Havre, 21 January 1945, and engaged in several weeks of precombat training before moving up to the Sauer River into jump-off positions east of Echternach, 11 March 1945. The neat day, the offensive began, and the 89th plunged across the Sauer in a rapid advance to and across the Moselle, 17 March. The offensive rolled on, and the Division crossed the Rhine, 26 March, between the towns of Kestert and Kaub. In April, the 89th attacked toward Eisenach, taking that town, 6 April. The next objective was Friedrichroda, core of the vaunted Nazi Redoubt in Thuringia. The city was secured by 8 April. The Division continued to move eastward toward the Mulde River, capturing Zwickau by the 17th of the month. The advance was halted, 23 April, and from then until VE-day, the Division saw only limited action, engaging in patrolling and general security. Three towns, Lossnitz, Aue, and Stollberg, were kept under constant pressure, but no attacks were launched.