Operation Queen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Operation Queen

Part of the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine in the Western Front of World War II

The Schwammenauel dam at the Rur - one of the main objectives of Operation Queen

Date	16 November – 16 December 1944
Location	Rur valley and environs, Germany
Result	German defensive victory

Belligerents

United States
Air support

United Kingdom

Germany

Commanders and leaders

Omar Bradley
Courtney Hodges
William Hood Simpson

Gerd von Rundstedt
Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
Erich Brandenberger

Strength

1st Army
9th Army

7th Army
15th Army

Casualties and losses

38,500

39,000

Operation Queen was a major American military operation during World War II. It took place on the Western Front in Germany, near the strong German defenses called the Siegfried Line.

The main goal of Operation Queen was to reach the Rur River. From there, the plan was to cross the river and push deeper into Germany towards the Rhine River. The operation involved the First and Ninth U.S. Armies.

The attack started on November 16, 1944, with one of the biggest Allied air bombings of the war. However, the American advance was much slower than expected. German forces put up very strong resistance, especially in the Hürtgen Forest. This forest was where the main part of the attack happened.

By mid-December, the Allies finally reached the Rur River. They tried to capture important dams on the river. But then, the Germans launched their own big attack, called Wacht am Rhein (which means "Watch on the Rhine"). This led to the famous Battle of the Bulge. Because of this German attack, the Allies had to stop their push into Germany until February 1945.

Why Operation Queen Happened
The Offensive Begins
What Happened Next
See also

Why Operation Queen Happened

In June 1944, the Allied forces invaded northern France. This opened a new battlefront. After breaking out of Normandy, the German army, known as the Wehrmacht, suffered huge losses. They were defeated in battles like the Falaise pocket.

German defenses in France then collapsed, and their forces quickly retreated. The Allies advanced very fast, and the Soviet Red Army was also moving quickly in the east. Allied leaders thought the German army was about to fall apart. They believed the war could end by Christmas 1944.

So, the Allies tried a risky plan called Operation Market Garden. This plan aimed to push directly through the Netherlands into Germany. But this plan failed. The German army managed to reorganize and gather its strength. By mid-September, the Allied advance stopped suddenly. This was because they had problems getting supplies to their front lines. This gave the Germans more time to prepare their defenses. They were able to man the old bunkers of the Westwall, also known as the Siegfried Line.

Early Fights in the Hürtgen Forest

Before Operation Queen, another battle was fought in the Hürtgen Forest. This was to protect the sides of the main attack. The goal was to clear a path to the important road junction at Düren. This would give the Allies a good starting point for Operation Queen.

The 9th Infantry Division had been fighting in the forest since September. So, the Allies expected only light German resistance. On November 2, the 28th Division attacked the town of Schmidt. They faced the German 275th Division. The town was captured, but the Germans quickly sent in more troops. These included the 89th Infantry Division and mobile reserves. They pushed the Allies out of Schmidt. The battle became a very bloody stalemate.

Planning the Attack

American generals (from left to right) Bradley, Gerow, Eisenhower and Collins

Allied commanders planned a large attack. It involved the Ninth U.S. Army, the First U.S. Army, and parts of the British 2nd Army. They aimed to reach the Rur River and set up bridgeheads (safe areas across the river) at Linnich, Jülich, and Düren.

The First Army was already near the Hürtgen Forest. Its main job was to push through the forest towards the Rur River. The Ninth Army was to advance north of the forest, across the Rur plains. The British XXX Corps, with some U.S. troops, had to clear an area called the Geilenkirchen salient. This was part of a different operation called Operation Clipper.

The long-term goal after crossing the Rur was to reach the Rhine River. They wanted to set up bridgeheads at Krefeld and Düsseldorf. This would help future advances into Germany after winter. Many American and British bombers were to attack German supply lines and defenses. This entire plan was named Operation Queen.

The 8th U.S. Air Force would bomb defenses around Eschweiler and Aldenhoven.
The 9th Air Force would attack the second line of defense around Jülich and Langerwehe.
The RAF Bomber Command would heavily bomb the transport hubs of Jülich and Düren. Smaller towns like Heinsberg, Erkelenz, and Hückelhoven were also targets.

German Field Marshal Rundstedt (middle) and General Model (left) planning the Ardennes Offensive

The attack was first set for November 5, then November 10. But bad weather delayed it until November 16. The ground attack was to start right after the air raids. This would give German defenders no time to rebuild their defenses or communications.

German planning was very different. They were running out of options. The German army secretly planned a huge counterattack in the West. It was called Wacht am Rhein. The first ideas for this plan were ready in October 1944. It aimed at the Ardennes region, just like their successful attack in 1940 against France.

For this plan to work, Germany needed to hold the Rur River line. This would stop the Allies from attacking their side. So, the German plan for November and December was to hold the Rur River line with as few forces as possible. This would buy time for the Ardennes Offensive to begin.

The Germans also had a secret weapon: the Rur dams. If they controlled the dams, they could release water. This would flood the Rur valley all the way to the Meuse River and into the Netherlands. This would cause massive damage and destroy Allied bridges. It would trap any Allied troops east of the river. The Allies did not fully understand how important these dams were until just before the offensive ended.

Who Fought: Opposing Forces

The Allied forces in Operation Queen were the U.S. First and Ninth Armies. They were part of Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group. The First Army had the V and VII Corps. The VII Corps was to make the main push through the Hürtgen Forest. The V Corps would protect its southern side.

Both armies received many reinforcements for the attack. The First Army grew from about 250,000 troops in September to 320,000 before the attack. About 120,000 troops would fight in the main operation. The First Army also had about 700 tanks. In October, the Allies had supply problems, but these were mostly fixed by early November. The Ninth Army was smaller. It had the XIX Corps and some other divisions. The Allies planned their largest tactical bombing of the war, using over 4,500 planes.

After many defeats in the summer of 1944, the Allies thought the German army could not recover. But they were wrong. Germany had lost many soldiers. But they moved men from their reserve army, air force (Luftwaffe), and navy (Kriegsmarine) to rebuild their front-line troops.

Germany's industrial production was even better. Despite more Allied bombings and losing factories, Germany reached its highest wartime production in autumn 1944. This was thanks to reforms by Albert Speer and more forced labor.

For the Ardennes Offensive, the 5th Panzer Army was secretly pulled from the front. It was replaced by the 15th Army. The Allies faced two German armies: the 15th Army in the Hürtgen Forest and the 7th Army in the Rur plains.

Even though the German forces looked equal on paper, they were greatly outnumbered. In some areas, there were 5 Allied attackers for every 1 German defender. This was because Germany had a severe shortage of soldiers. Many German units were very small, with some divisions having only a few thousand men. However, strong defenses and good tank and artillery support helped them. German troops were led by OB West Generalfeldmarshall Gerd von Rundstedt and Generalfeldmarshall Walther Model. Model was known as a skilled defense specialist.

The Offensive Begins

First Air Raids

On November 16, 1944, between 11:13 AM and 12:48 PM, Allied bombers began Operation Queen.

1,204 heavy bombers from the U.S. 8th Air Force dropped 4,120 bombs on Eschweiler, Weisweiler, and Langerwehe.
339 fighter bombers from the U.S. 9th Air Force attacked Hamich, Hürtgen, and Gey with 200 short tons (180 t) of bombs.
At the same time, 467 Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster heavy bombers attacked Düren and Jülich.
180 British bombers hit Heinsberg.

The bombing results were mixed. German towns suffered severe damage. German communications were badly hit, and soldier morale dropped, especially among younger, less experienced troops. However, the direct damage to German front-line troops was low, and few were killed. Allied air commanders admitted the bombing did not meet expectations. Only about 12 aircraft were shot down by weak anti-aircraft fire.

First Army's Push Through the Hürtgen Forest

VII Corps Fights in November

The offensive from November until December 9

After the bombings, heavy artillery fired before J. Lawton Collins' VII Corps began its main attack. They faced the weakened German LXXXI Corps, led by Friedrich Köchling. This corps had three divisions: the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division, the 246th Infantry Division, and the 12th Volksgrenadier Division. Another unit, the 47th Volksgrenadier Division, was moving to the front. It was mostly made up of 18- and 19-year-old air force personnel. All German divisions were very small, but they had mobile artillery and tank reserves.

The VII Corps attacked with two main forces. The 1st Infantry Division was on the right, and the 104th Infantry Division was on the left. The 1st Division advanced slowly against the 47th VGD around Hamich. They suffered many casualties. German counterattacks on Hamich and Hill 232 were strong. After four days, Hamich was taken, but the 1st Division had only moved about 3.2 km (2.0 mi). They had already lost over 1,000 men.

Collins then ordered the American 3rd Armored Division to split up. One part, CCA, helped the 104th Division. The other part, CCB, worked alone to capture four villages (Werth, Koettenich, Scherpenseel, and Hastenrath). These villages were on the edge of the Hürtgen Forest and defended by the 12th VGD. This small area was one of the few places good for a tank attack. CCB took the villages in three days. But heavy mud slowed them down, and they lost many tanks. CCB lost 49 out of 69 tanks.

The 1st Division's advance remained slow. German defenders were on higher ground, which gave them a good view of the Allied forces. The Germans fought mostly in the thick woods. Here, American artillery and air support were not very effective. The fighting became bloody trench warfare. Americans had to take hill after hill in heavy battles, and casualties grew. Many German counterattacks slowed the advance even more. They often recaptured ground that had just been taken.

On November 21, Collins used almost all his available artillery to blast a path for the 1st Division. The Allied advance was already slowing down. So, CCA of the 3rd Armored Division was sent to the northern part of the 1st Division's left side. This tank attack captured the castle at Frenzerburg (near Inden). This fight lasted until November 28.

Meanwhile, Field Marshal Rundstedt decided to send reinforcements. But two divisions had to be pulled out for the Ardennes Offensive. So, the 3rd Parachute Division was sent to the front. The worn-out 12th and 47th VGD were removed. Supply problems and the inexperience of the new German troops helped the 1st Division. It finally pushed out of the forest, taking Langerwehe, Jüngersdorf, and Merode by November 28. However, the situation remained tough. A strong counterattack by the 3rd Parachute Division at Merode destroyed two American companies. By early December, the 1st Division was exhausted. It had suffered about 6,000 casualties.

German artillery in the Hürtgen Forest

The 104th Division's advance went a bit better. This unit protected the left side of VII Corps, between the First and Ninth U.S. Armies. Its goal was the industrial area at Eschweiler-Weisweiler and the Eschweiler woods at Stolberg. This part of the front was dominated by the Donnersberg hill. The division faced the German 12th VGD and the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division. Heavy fighting took place at the Donnerberg. But by November 19, the important hill was in American hands.

After that, the division pushed towards Stolberg and Eschweiler at the same time. Stolberg was taken that same day. But German resistance at Eschweiler was strong. So, the Americans tried to surround the town. This worked, and the German command decided to leave the town. The 104th Division then advanced along the west bank of the Inde River. Heavy fighting continued. The 12th VGD fought until it was almost destroyed. It was then replaced by the incoming 3rd Parachute Division. By November 26, Weisweiler was taken after the Germans retreated. Inden fell on November 30. This brought the industrial area into American hands.

The 104th Division now held the west bank of the Inde. They were ready to cross the river and push to the Rur. The river crossing at Lamersdorf began on December 2. It was successful at first. In a quick advance, the real objective, Lucherberg, was taken. The division was still clearing out remaining German forces. Then, the Germans launched a counterattack against the town, supported by heavy tanks. Intense fighting lasted for hours. On December 5, the town was finally secured. Collins ordered a pause because other divisions were advancing slowly.

Besides the attacks by the 1st and 104th Divisions, American command decided on another attack route towards Düren. This job went to the 4th Infantry Division. It was positioned on the southern side of VII Corps. It was to take a route between Hürtgen and Schevenhütte. It would also capture the villages of Kleinhau and Grosshau. Here, the division would take over positions from the tired 28th Infantry Division. This division had been badly beaten during the early fighting of Operation Queen at Schmidt. This area was still held by the weakened but experienced German 275th Infantry Division.

The thin German lines could not offer as much resistance as in early November. But the difficult terrain and mines caused many American casualties. After five days of fighting, the division had only moved about 2.5 km (1.6 mi). But it had already suffered 1,500 casualties. At the same time, the German command again changed their forces. The 116th Panzer Division, which had helped with several counterattacks, was pulled out on November 21. It needed to be refitted for the upcoming Ardennes Offensive. The same happened to the small 275th Division. To make up for this, the inexperienced 344th Volksgrenadier Division was sent to the front. The 353rd Volksgrenadier Division was placed behind it as a reserve.

V Corps Joins the Fight

Army engineers repairing a muddy road in the Hürtgen Forest

The first plan did not include General Gerow's V Corps until VII Corps made a big breakthrough. V Corps would then drive with VII Corps towards Bonn. However, after the first few days, American commanders realized VII Corps needed more help. So, V Corps was ordered to join the fighting. The Corps was south of VII Corps.

Gerow's first action was to replace the 28th Division with the 8th Infantry Division. This was to help the 4th Division, which was already fighting. The 8th Division was helped by a CCR (Combat Command Reserve) from the 5th Armored Division. The corps took over Hürtgen and Kleinhau as objectives from the 4th Division. It started its attack on November 21.

The 8th Division's advance was steady but very slow. The 4th Division reached Grosshau on November 25. But it could not capture it due to strong resistance and problems with supporting tanks. At the same time, the CCR tanks tried a direct attack on Hürtgen. This failed completely against German anti-tank positions. In a new attack by infantry only, Hürtgen was taken on November 28. The 4th and 8th divisions attacked Grosshau and Kleinhau together on November 29. Both towns were captured that same day.

This success encouraged the Americans. The 8th Division and the CCR continued their advance eastwards for the next few days. They moved towards the Brandenberg-Bergstein ridge. Brandenberg was taken on December 2. That same day, a rare large German air raid happened with about 60 planes. But it caused only minor damage. On December 5, Bergstein fell. Facing the Allied advance, the Germans launched a massive counterattack into the town. Heavy fighting lasted through the night and the next day. The German forces were pushed back, and Castle Hill, an important hill overlooking Bergstein, was taken. V Corps was now very close to the Rur and reached the river a day later.

Meanwhile, the 4th Division also made some progress. After capturing Grosshau, the division was helped by the CCR's armored forces. The division then headed for Gey. It reached Gey on November 30, but the town was heavily defended. Two days later, the Germans launched a counterattack from Gey. This caused many casualties. The attack was only stopped by intense artillery fire. Since the start of the offensive, the 4th Division had already lost about 6,000 men. It could no longer carry out attacks. Collins then decided to stop its offensive and pulled the division out. It was replaced by the 83rd Infantry Division on December 3.

By early December, the First Army had fought its way through most of the Hürtgen Forest. V Corps had reached the Rur on the very southern side. But VII Corps was still short of its goal of reaching the Rur. Casualties for this campaign were huge. The fighting for the Hürtgen Forest, which had been going on since September, had cost the Americans about 32,000 men.

Ninth Army's Advance Through the Rur Plains

At the same time as the First Army's push through the Hürtgen Forest, the Ninth Army had to advance through the Rur plains. This area was very different from the thick forest. It was flat farmland with small villages. Both sides had different plans for this area. The Germans expected the main Allied attack to come through here. But it was actually through the Hürtgen Forest. One reason for this was the dangerous Geilenkirchen-Salient on the Ninth Army's northern side. This area could have threatened the American advance. This salient was cleared in Operation Clipper, a combined U.S.-British attack, by November 22. The 84th Division of the Ninth Army played a big role in this.

The Ninth Army's push was mainly by XIX Corps under General Gillem. It faced Köchling's LXXXI Corps and reserve forces from the XLVII Panzer Corps. The plan was for a quick advance to Jülich with its three divisions. The 2nd Armored Division was to advance in a narrow line towards Linnich and then towards the Rur. In the center, the 29th Infantry Division was to take the direct path towards Jülich. In the south, the 30th Infantry Division was to take Würselen and then continue to the Rur.

Just like in the First Army's area, Operation Queen began with a massive air bombardment on German towns and positions on November 16. After the air strike, the American attack began. The 30th Division started a direct attack against its first goal – Würselen. After four days of slow advance, the town was taken. The German resistance from the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division was weakened because it had to cover a large area.

In the center, the 29th Division also began its attack. The plan was to advance between towns and then deal with strong enemy positions after surrounding them. However, this plan had problems. The 29th Division soon got stuck and made no more progress. With help from the 2nd Armored Division, its push restarted on November 18. They attacked the German 246th VGD, taking Setterich, Bettendorf, and the areas around Siersdorf. The small 246th VGD was greatly reduced. By November 21, the Americans were just 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Rur.

A captured Tiger II tank with Allied markings

Meanwhile, in the north, the 2nd Armored Division also began its attack on Gereonsweiler and Linnich. The advance was very steady. The next day, the towns of Puffendorf and Immendorf were taken. This worried the German command. Rundstedt allowed the 9th Panzer Division to launch a strong tank counterattack against the two towns. This unit included the 506th Heavy Panzer Battalion with about 36 King Tiger tanks.

At Immendorf, the Germans broke into the town. But they were pushed back in close-quarters fighting by dawn. The main battle, however, was at Puffendorf. The 2nd Armored Division wanted to continue its advance towards Gereonsweiler. So, the division was caught in the open when about 30 German tanks approached. In the battle, the Americans were pushed back into Puffendorf with heavy losses. Fighting then continued around the towns. German losses that day were 11 tanks. The 2nd Armored Division lost about 57 tanks.

However, the stalemate did not last long. The Americans slowly pushed forward with combined heavy artillery and air support. On November 20/21, heavy fighting happened in and around Gereonsweiler. Finally, the Germans retreated, and the town was in American hands.

By November 22, all three divisions of XIX Corps were close to the Rur. At this point, the German command decided to send another division, the 340th Volksgrenadier Division, to the front. The threat to Jülich was clear. The 340th Division moved in to take over positions from the badly beaten 246th VGD. Because of this reinforcement, the advance of the 29th and 30th Infantry Divisions stopped after they were forced out of Bourheim. The last German defense line before Jülich was now between Bourheim, Koslar, and Kirchberg (Jülich). The same happened to the 2nd Armored Division, which was pushed back from Merzenhausen.

Over the next few days, fighting at the defense line was very intense. It mostly involved heavy artillery exchanges. Bourheim was taken on November 23 but remained under constant German shelling. Two days later, American troops entered Koslar. A German counterattack managed to break into Bourheim and Koslar but was soon pushed back. On November 26, a general offensive began to finally push to the Rur. Koslar, Kirchberg, and Merzenburg were taken on November 27. By November 28, XIX Corps had reached the Rur on a wide front. Only two small German bridgeheads remained on the western side of the river. These were not taken until December 9.

North of XIX Corps, Geilenkirchen had been captured during Operation Clipper. But the Allied advance had stopped at Wurm, a few kilometers short of the Rur. This created a stalemate in this area. The Ninth Army's casualties for Operation Queen were 1,133 killed, 6,864 wounded, and 2,059 missing.

VII Corps Reaches the Rur

While the Ninth Army's advance was successful, by early December, VII Corps had just left the Hürtgen Forest. It was still short of the Rur and had suffered many casualties. For the final part of the offensive, the 1st Infantry Division was replaced by the 9th Infantry Division. The 4th Infantry Division was replaced by the 83rd Infantry Division.

After a planned break for reorganization, the attack restarted on December 10. It aimed towards the Rur and the key city of Düren. German manpower was very low at this point. Their defense relied mostly on artillery. In the north, the 104th and 9th Divisions, helped by the 3rd Armored Division, did not face much resistance. The 3rd Parachute Division and the worn-out 246th VGD could not offer strong resistance. After four days, the 104th Division was at the Rur. The same was true for the 9th Division. During the fighting, the 3rd Parachute Division was replaced by the quickly assembled 47th Volksgrenadier Division.

In the south, the 83rd Division faced bigger problems. It had to advance through the towns of Strass and Gey. Gey had just been the site of a heavy battle that had made the 4th Division unable to fight further. Nevertheless, the fresh 83rd Division, helped by the 5th Armored Division, took most of Strass and reached Gey the same day. They faced the tired 353rd VGD. However, the muddy roads and mines stopped the Americans from bringing their tanks into both towns to support the infantry.

As a result, after some strong German counterattacks on Schafberg, the American units in Strass were cut off. They had to be supplied by aircraft. The Germans launched several attacks on the town. Schafberg was retaken on December 12. Tanks reached Gey and Strass, making the situation easier. Still, casualties had been heavy, with about 1,000 men for the division in just three days.

North of Gey, the division's advance went better. The division took the towns Gürzenich and Birgel. On December 14, a new tank-led attack began. After facing strong resistance east of Strass, the advance in other parts of the front forced the Germans to retreat. By December 16, VII Corps finally reached the Rur. Only a few small German areas west of the river remained. Casualties for this campaign were huge, with VII Corps having about 27,000 casualties in one month.

The Rur Dams: A Key Target

As the Allies got closer to the Rur, the Rur dams became very important. The dams were a strategic target. If the Germans controlled them, they could flood the Rur valley. This would affect everything downstream, all the way to the Meuse River and into the Netherlands. This would delay the Allied push into Germany. It could also cause many casualties and trap Allied units east of the flooded river.

It took a long time for Allied commanders to realize how important these dams were. Only days before the offensive ended did they start specific actions to capture them. The first attempt was by the RAF, which was told to bomb the dams. Bombing started in early December. Hundreds of aircraft attacked the dams in waves, but the damage was very small.

On December 13, V Corps, already at the Rur, was ordered to attack and seize the dams from different directions. This included the Ardennes area. The attack surprised the Germans. But as the Allies ran directly into German forces preparing for the Ardennes Offensive, resistance quickly became very strong. On December 16, the Germans launched their final big attack on their western front, Wacht am Rhein. This immediately stopped all Allied attacks in this area.

What Happened Next

Operation Queen did not achieve its big goals. At the start, Allied planners thought it would be just a stepping stone for a deep push over the Rur into Germany, all the way to the Rhine. After one month of heavy fighting, the Americans had barely reached the Rur. No bridgeheads were made across the river. The Germans still held some areas west of the river. And the important Rur dams were still in German hands, threatening any future attacks. Even without knowing about the upcoming German offensive, Allied planners thought the earliest a large push into Germany could happen was mid-January.

The German army successfully delayed the American advance towards the Rur. They held the Rur River line, which was necessary for their Ardennes Offensive plan. The preparation for the Ardennes Offensive was mostly successful. Germany was able to secretly gather enough troops for a strong attack. On December 16, the Allies were completely surprised, and the Germans quickly broke through their lines.

Later, from January 14 to 26, 1945, the Roer triangle area was cleared during Operation Blackcock. Only in February 1945 were the Allies finally able to cross the Rur. By then, the path to the Rhine was clear.

However, the Ardennes offensive also showed that Germany had no long-term plan to win. The Allies had far more soldiers and equipment. Germany could not overcome this. Holding the Rur River line only made the war last longer, causing more destruction and loss of life.