Okay boys, this should bring back some memories for some of you. Please respond with any personal recollections. This is taken from HQ of the 2832nd Bn of the 540th Engineers. I will have more for you as I go. Thank GOD I can type fast. WHEW!!!! Please excuse any errors. I will correct as I see...

Subject: Rhine River Crossing

To: Commanding Officer, 2832nd Engineer © Battalion APO #758.

At about 1930 hours on 25th March 1945, river crossing storm and assault boats started moving from the town of Frankenthal to the river crossing site on the West bank of the Rhine by truck.

The weather was very good. Skies were clear and there was a bright moon.

Initially no smoke was used to cover engineer operations.

No fire from the enemy was encountered until approximately 2200 hours when enemy CP's discovered our movement on the West Bank. From 2200 hours on; until our artillery preparation at 0152 on 26 March 1945, we received harrassing artillery fire which landed in our boat assembly area, causing some casualties among the engineer troops and boats.

Immediately after our artillery preparation began, we started to receive heavy shell and mortar fire which lasted throughout the night.

H Hour was met at 0230 when the first of the storm boats were placed in the water and started across. At this time machine gun fire had started on the far bank and there was some small arms fire coming across.

By H + 1 hour, artillery fire from the West bank was so continuous that it was impossible to start raft or cable construction as previously scheduled.

By dawn the first D-D tank had started across the river. Two of these tanks were sunk while attempting to get out on the far shore. One D-D tank did not attempt to cross due to the fact that it had received holes in its canvass(sic) prior to reaching the river on the friendly side.

The first DUKWs that crossed, were successfully put on the far shore without the aid of cables.

Later on during the day all DUKWs that crossed by use of DUKW cables.

The Heavy Ponton raft was put into operation and the first armor started crossing at approximately 0930 hours. Shortly after this an infantry support raft was put into operation and vehicles started to cross.

The heavy ponton raft was knocked out by enemy artillery fire during the night of 26th-27th but was replaced in about one hour.

Artillery and mortar fire was received throughout D Day and D+1 from upstream of the sites.

Smoke was started during the hours of morning on D Day which greatly reduced the accuracy of enemy fire on the engineer operations.

By noon on D + 1 a total of 98 wheeled, 22 tracked and 62 trailers supporting the operation had been crossed on ferries and approximately 70 DUKWs containing ammo and artillery had crossed by free ferry and cable.

Communications were continually in need of repair due to artillery and mortar fire throughout the operation.

Practically no difficulty was experienced initially in starting of the motors for the storm and assault waves. Almost all of the losses of boats and motors was due to enemy action.

The upstream defense did not get any mine barriers into the water until the evening of D + 1 due to the fact that the far shore and the town of Mannheim some 1000 yards downstream had not been entered and mortar and shell fire was continuous and their positions were under direct observation by the enemy.

Frederick C Woods

Captain, C.E.

Executive

Yes, remember it well I'm afraid. While crossing the Rhine River was bad it got worse

after getting across. No armored support for quite a while although it was expected and

planned for. High casualties in our Inf. company. Thats my recollection as a 7th Reg.

Inf. rifleman .