63rd Infantry "Blood and Fire"
Three regiments of the 63rd Division arrived in Marseille, France, 8 December 1944, trained at Haguenau and, under the designation Task Force Harris, protected the east flank of the Seventh Army along the Rhine River. The task force fought defensively from 22 to 30 December 1944. On 30 December 44, while the 253d Inf Regt was attached to the 44th Inf Division and the 255th Inf Regt was attached to the 100th Inf Division, the 254th Inf Regt was moved to the Colmar area of France where it was attached to the 3d Inf Division which was at the time a part of the First French Army. The infantry regiments remained with their attachments until early February 1945. The rest of the division arrived at Marseilles, 14 January 1945, and moved to Willerwald on 2 February, where it was joined by the advance elements on 6 February. On 7 February, the 63rd conducted local raids and patrols, then pushed forward, crossing the Saar River on 17 February, and mopping up the enemy in the Mühlenwald (Muehlen Woods). After bitter fighting at Güdingen early in March, the division smashed at the Siegfried Line on 15th at Saarbrücken, Germany, taking Ormesheim and finally breaching the line at Sankt Ingbert and Hassel on 20 March. Hard fighting still lay ahead, but the Siegfried Line was Germany's last attempt to defend its prewar boundaries along the western front. Before resting on 23 March, the 63d took Spiesen-Elversberg, Neunkirchen and Erbach. On 28 March, the division crossed the Rhine at Worms, moved to Viernheim and occupied Heidelberg on 30 March, establishing its command post there on 1 April. Continuing the advance, the 63rd crossed the Neckar River near Mosbach and the Jagst River on 3 April. The 253rd Infantry Regiment, received the majority of the German resistance during this time at the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher. Heavy resistance slowed the attack on Bad Wimpfen, Möckmühl, and Adelsheim.
The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion ferrying troops and vehicles of the 63rd Division over the Neckar River at Heidelberg 31 March, 1945
The division switched to the southeast, capturing Lampoldshausen and clearing the Harthäuser Woods on 7 April. A bridgehead was secured over the Kocher River near Weißbach on 8 April, and Schwäbisch Hall fell on 17 April. Advance elements crossed the Rems River and rushed to the Danube. The Danube was crossed on 25 April, and Leipheim fell before the division was withdrawn from the line on 28 April. A final command post was established at Bad Mergentheim on 30 April, 1945, after which the division was assigned security duty from the Rhine to Darmstadt and Würzburg on a line to Stuttgart and Speyer. The 63d began leaving for home on 21 August 1945, and was inactivated on 27 September 1945.
From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, the 63d Division saw constant combat from Sarreguemines through the Siegfried Line to Worms, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Gunzburg, with elements ending in Landsberg at the end of April 1945, pulled from the line for a much needed rest.
War crimes
On 15 April 1945, American soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Division perpetrated the Jungholzhausen massacre, when they killed between 13 and 30 Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht prisoners of war in Braunsbach.
Casualties
Total battle casualties: 4,502
Killed in action: 861
Wounded in action: 3,326
Missing in action: 98
Prisoner of war: 219
Three regiments of the 63rd Division arrived in Marseille, France, 8 December 1944, trained at Haguenau and, under the designation Task Force Harris, protected the east flank of the Seventh Army along the Rhine River. The task force fought defensively from 22 to 30 December 1944. On 30 December 44, while the 253d Inf Regt was attached to the 44th Inf Division and the 255th Inf Regt was attached to the 100th Inf Division, the 254th Inf Regt was moved to the Colmar area of France where it was attached to the 3d Inf Division which was at the time a part of the First French Army. The infantry regiments remained with their attachments until early February 1945. The rest of the division arrived at Marseilles, 14 January 1945, and moved to Willerwald on 2 February, where it was joined by the advance elements on 6 February. On 7 February, the 63rd conducted local raids and patrols, then pushed forward, crossing the Saar River on 17 February, and mopping up the enemy in the Mühlenwald (Muehlen Woods). After bitter fighting at Güdingen early in March, the division smashed at the Siegfried Line on 15th at Saarbrücken, Germany, taking Ormesheim and finally breaching the line at Sankt Ingbert and Hassel on 20 March. Hard fighting still lay ahead, but the Siegfried Line was Germany's last attempt to defend its prewar boundaries along the western front. Before resting on 23 March, the 63d took Spiesen-Elversberg, Neunkirchen and Erbach. On 28 March, the division crossed the Rhine at Worms, moved to Viernheim and occupied Heidelberg on 30 March, establishing its command post there on 1 April. Continuing the advance, the 63rd crossed the Neckar River near Mosbach and the Jagst River on 3 April. The 253rd Infantry Regiment, received the majority of the German resistance during this time at the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher. Heavy resistance slowed the attack on Bad Wimpfen, Möckmühl, and Adelsheim.
The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion ferrying troops and vehicles of the 63rd Division over the Neckar River at Heidelberg 31 March, 1945
The division switched to the southeast, capturing Lampoldshausen and clearing the Harthäuser Woods on 7 April. A bridgehead was secured over the Kocher River near Weißbach on 8 April, and Schwäbisch Hall fell on 17 April. Advance elements crossed the Rems River and rushed to the Danube. The Danube was crossed on 25 April, and Leipheim fell before the division was withdrawn from the line on 28 April. A final command post was established at Bad Mergentheim on 30 April, 1945, after which the division was assigned security duty from the Rhine to Darmstadt and Würzburg on a line to Stuttgart and Speyer. The 63d began leaving for home on 21 August 1945, and was inactivated on 27 September 1945.
From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, the 63d Division saw constant combat from Sarreguemines through the Siegfried Line to Worms, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Gunzburg, with elements ending in Landsberg at the end of April 1945, pulled from the line for a much needed rest.
War crimes
On 15 April 1945, American soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Division perpetrated the Jungholzhausen massacre, when they killed between 13 and 30 Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht prisoners of war in Braunsbach.
Casualties
Total battle casualties: 4,502
Killed in action: 861
Wounded in action: 3,326
Missing in action: 98
Prisoner of war: 219
Three regiments of the 63rd Division arrived in Marseille, France, 8 December 1944, trained at Haguenau and, under the designation Task Force Harris, protected the east flank of the Seventh Army along the Rhine River. The task force fought defensively from 22 to 30 December 1944. On 30 December 44, while the 253d Inf Regt was attached to the 44th Inf Division and the 255th Inf Regt was attached to the 100th Inf Division, the 254th Inf Regt was moved to the Colmar area of France where it was attached to the 3d Inf Division which was at the time a part of the First French Army. The infantry regiments remained with their attachments until early February 1945. The rest of the division arrived at Marseilles, 14 January 1945, and moved to Willerwald on 2 February, where it was joined by the advance elements on 6 February. On 7 February, the 63rd conducted local raids and patrols, then pushed forward, crossing the Saar River on 17 February, and mopping up the enemy in the Mühlenwald (Muehlen Woods). After bitter fighting at Güdingen early in March, the division smashed at the Siegfried Line on 15th at Saarbrücken, Germany, taking Ormesheim and finally breaching the line at Sankt Ingbert and Hassel on 20 March. Hard fighting still lay ahead, but the Siegfried Line was Germany's last attempt to defend its prewar boundaries along the western front. Before resting on 23 March, the 63d took Spiesen-Elversberg, Neunkirchen and Erbach. On 28 March, the division crossed the Rhine at Worms, moved to Viernheim and occupied Heidelberg on 30 March, establishing its command post there on 1 April. Continuing the advance, the 63rd crossed the Neckar River near Mosbach and the Jagst River on 3 April. The 253rd Infantry Regiment, received the majority of the German resistance during this time at the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher. Heavy resistance slowed the attack on Bad Wimpfen, Möckmühl, and Adelsheim.
The 289th Engineer Combat Battalion ferrying troops and vehicles of the 63rd Division over the Neckar River at Heidelberg 31 March, 1945
The division switched to the southeast, capturing Lampoldshausen and clearing the Harthäuser Woods on 7 April. A bridgehead was secured over the Kocher River near Weißbach on 8 April, and Schwäbisch Hall fell on 17 April. Advance elements crossed the Rems River and rushed to the Danube. The Danube was crossed on 25 April, and Leipheim fell before the division was withdrawn from the line on 28 April. A final command post was established at Bad Mergentheim on 30 April, 1945, after which the division was assigned security duty from the Rhine to Darmstadt and Würzburg on a line to Stuttgart and Speyer. The 63d began leaving for home on 21 August 1945, and was inactivated on 27 September 1945.
From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, the 63d Division saw constant combat from Sarreguemines through the Siegfried Line to Worms, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Gunzburg, with elements ending in Landsberg at the end of April 1945, pulled from the line for a much needed rest.
War crimes
On 15 April 1945, American soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Division perpetrated the Jungholzhausen massacre, when they killed between 13 and 30 Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht prisoners of war in Braunsbach.
Casualties
Total battle casualties: 4,502
Killed in action: 861
Wounded in action: 3,326
Missing in action: 98
Prisoner of war: 219