Operation Northwind (1944) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Nordwind
Part of the Western Front of World War II
Date 31 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 (1944-12-31 – 1945-01-25) Location Alsace and Lorraine, France and Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Result German operational failure
Belligerents
United States  France	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Jacob L. Devers Alexander Patch Jean d.L. de Tassigny Edward H. Brooks Joseph de Monsabert	Johannes Blaskowitz Hans von Obstfelder Heinrich Himmler Siegfried Rasp
Units involved
Seventh Army VI Corps 42nd Infantry Division 45th Infantry Division 70th Infantry Division 79th Infantry Division XV Corps 103rd Infantry Division 44th Infantry Division 100th Infantry Division 63rd Infantry Division XXI Corps 36th Infantry Division 12th Armored Division 14th Armored Division First Army I Corps 1st Infantry Division 2nd Armored Division 3rd Algerian Division II Corps 1st Armored Division 1st Colonial Division 3rd Moroccan Division 4th Moroccan Division 5th Armored Division 10th Infantry Division	1st Army 25th Panzergrenadier Division 21st Panzer Division 6th SS Mountain Division XIII SS Corps 19th Volksgrenadier Division 36th Volksgrenadier Division 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division XC Corps 559th Volksgrenadier Division 257th Volksgrenadier Division LXXXIX Corps 361st Volksgrenadier Division 245th Infantry Division 256th Volksgrenadier Division 19th Army 10th SS Panzer Division LXIV Corps 189th Infantry Division 198th Infantry Division 708th Volksgrenadier Division LXIII Corps 159th Infantry Division 716th Infantry Division 269th Infantry Division 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS XIV SS Corps 553rd Volksgrenadier Division 10th SS Panzer Division
Strength
230,000 (average strength)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
United States: 11,609 killed and wounded, captured or missing  France: 7,000 killed and wounded	23,000 killed, wounded, or captured

Operation Nordwind (which means "Northwind" in German) was the last big attack by Germany during World War II on the Western Front. It was launched to help the German attack in the Battle of the Bulge, which was not going well for Germany by December 1944.

The operation started on December 31, 1944, in parts of southwestern Germany and northeastern France. It ended on January 25, 1945. The German attack did not achieve its main goals and was considered a failure.

Why Did Germany Launch This Attack?

By December 21, 1944, the German forces were losing momentum in the Battle of the Bulge. It became clear that their attack was failing. German leaders believed that attacking the U.S. Seventh Army further south could help. This army had spread out its forces to cover an area left by the United States Third Army, which had moved north to help in the Battle of the Bulge.

On December 28, 1944, Adolf Hitler spoke to his commanders. He said the attack's goal was to defeat the enemy forces. He emphasized that it was about destroying the enemy wherever they were found.

The main aim of Operation Nordwind was to break through the lines of the U.S. Seventh Army and the French 1st Army. These armies were in the Upper Vosges Mountains and the Alsatian Plain. Germany also wanted to capture the city of Strasbourg. If successful, this would open the way for another planned attack, called Operation Dentist, to strike behind the U.S. Third Army.

The Battle Begins

On December 31, 1944, two German army groups, Army Group G and Army Group Oberrhein, launched a major attack. They targeted the U.S. 7th Army, which had a very long front line, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) long. The U.S. 7th Army was already in a tough spot. It had sent many of its soldiers, equipment, and supplies north to help the American armies fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. This made its own lines very thin.

On the same day, the German Air Force, called the Luftwaffe, sent almost 1,000 planes into the sky. This was part of an effort called Operation Bodenplatte. Its goal was to damage the Allied air forces in northwestern Europe. However, this air attack failed and did not achieve its main objectives.

Fighting on the Front Lines

The first attack of Operation Nordwind involved three corps from the German 1st Army. By January 9, the 39th Panzer Corps also joined the heavy fighting. By January 15, at least 17 German divisions were involved. These included special units like the 6th SS Mountain, 17th SS Panzergrenadier, 21st Panzer, and 25th Panzergrenadier Divisions.

Another smaller attack happened south of Strasbourg against French forces, but it was eventually stopped. The U.S. VI Corps faced the strongest German attacks and was fighting on three sides by January 15.

Fierce Battles in Villages

The 125th Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division, led by Colonel Hans von Luck, tried to cut off the American supply route to Strasbourg. They aimed to cross the eastern foothills of the Vosges mountains. Here, the Maginot Line, a strong French defense line, was used by Allied forces and proved to be a very effective fortification.

On January 7, Colonel Luck's forces reached the villages of Rittershoffen and Hatten, south of Wissembourg. The American forces, including the 79th Infantry Division, 14th Armoured Division, and parts of the 42nd Infantry Division, fought back fiercely. For two weeks, intense fighting took place in these villages. German and American soldiers occupied different parts of the villages, while civilians hid in cellars. Colonel Luck later described the battle around Rittershoffen as "one of the hardest and most costly battles that ever raged."

American Retreat and German Halt

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, fearing that the U.S. 7th Army might be completely destroyed, quickly sent divisions that had just finished fighting in the Ardennes. These divisions were moved over 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast to help the 7th Army. However, their arrival was delayed.

By January 21, with low supplies and ammunition, the Seventh Army ordered the tired 79th Infantry and 14th Armored Divisions to pull back. They moved to new positions on the south bank of the Moder River.

The German attack finally stopped on January 25. The U.S. 222nd Infantry Regiment halted their advance near Haguenau. For their bravery, they received the Presidential Unit Citation. This was the same day that the reinforcements from the Ardennes began to arrive. Strasbourg was saved, but another dangerous situation, the Colmar Pocket, still needed to be dealt with.

See also

• Operation Spring Awakening