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History of the 212th AFA in WWII -- 6th AD Campaign Map

Supplement: Color Map, Campaigns of the Super Sixth Armored Division

[Web editor's notes: This large (roughly 15" x 36") map was distributed in a pocket on the back cover of the Combat Record of the Sixth Armored Division in the E.T.O. 1944 - 1945. It was also folded and attached to the back cover of the History of the 212th AFA Battalion.
Cropped, unfortunately, during the original scanning process and missing from the top of the map is a line of Army and Corps insignia shown below. These insignia are, from left to right: VIII Corps, XV Corps, XX Corps, Seventh Army, Ninth Army, 12th Army Gp, SHAEF, 6th Army GP, 21th [sic] Army Gp, Third Army, First Army, XII Corps, and III Corps.

The five battle stars along the top of the map represent the following campaigns in which the 6th Armored participated, left to right: Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 July 44), Northern France (25 July 44 - 14 Sept 44), Ardennes (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45), Rhineland (15 Sept 44 - 21 March 45), and Central Europe (22 March 45 - 11 May 45).

If you have about 2.5 meg of empty disk space, a fast modem, plenty of time, and a graphics program that can handle huge JPEG files, you are welcome to download the original high resolution scan files of this campaign map. You may want to try downloading panel 5 first (it's the smallest) and see if it's worth your time to try the others.

Panel 1
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~437 kb Panel 2
Panel 2
~461 kb Panel 3
Panel 3
~523 kb Panel 4
Panel 4
~520 kb Panel 5
Panel 5
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The text along the bottom of the map is reproduced below. The numbers correspond to index numbers on the map, which are too small to see at this resolution. The route starts under the left-most gold star, with the Division coming ashore at Utah Beach a few weeks after D-Day [1,2]. They then fight to the west toward Brest [3 - 8, with left-most inset], then race eastward over the course of just a few days [9 - 11]. The drive then comes to a screeching halt, thanks in part to Montgomery's siphoning of resources to support his disastrous Market Garden offensive. The 6th, along with the rest of the Third Army, spends nearly three months fighting around Luneville, Armacourt, the Saar, and the Seille and Maderbach Rivers [12 - 24, with right-most inset].
Patton's famous swing to the north to the Battle of the Bulge is clearly visible near the center of the map [25 - 42, with center inset]. The final thrust into Germany ends at the right [43 - 60], far into what will later become East Germany. (Patton had to pull his Army back to approximately the position of the rightmost star, where the East/West German border would come to be located as we settled things with our "loyal Soviet allies".)]

1. 6th Armrd began landing on Utah Beach 18 July and closed in bivouac
near Les Mesnil 24 July.

2. First troops were committed 27 July. 6th Armrd passed through 79th Inf
Div south of Lessay 29 July, forcing the Sienne River at Pont de la Roche
in its first battle; then captured Brehal 30 July.

3. All resistance in Granville area overcome 31 July.

4. Passed through 4th Armrd Div at Avranches and Pontaubault and
advanced on Pontorson, seizing a bridge there, and another at Antrain
Sur Couesnon after a stiff battle at Bree 1 Aug.

5. At Lanvallay, 2 Aug 6th Armrd struck and forced in the Dinan outpost with
one column which then by-passed the city. One column captured
Broons and another Mauron after sharp fights 3 Aug.

6. Considerable resistance was overcome at Huelgoat and Le Cloitre 5 Aug
after Carhaix was by-passed.

7. Other engagements enroute to Brest were fought at Chateauneuf, east
of Pleyber Christ, and at Lesneven 6 Aug.

8. In the Brest area, met resistance at Plouvien and Bourg Blanc and strong
defenses on the line Gousenou-Guipavas 7 Aug. The German 266th Div
struck the 6th Armrd in rear night of Aug 8 and was completely destroyed
9 Aug in and southwest of Plouvien. Area to north and west cleared
and Brest outpost line developed 10-12 Aug. One combat command
left to contain Brest 13-18 Aug.

9. Div less CCA relieved 4th Armrd and contained Lorient 14 Aug - 15 Sept.
Aggressive patrolling and artillery action.

10. CCB moved to Lorris. Div actively contained Brest and Lorient and
patrolled 460 miles from Crozon Peninsula to Auxerre. Contact made
at Autun with patrols of Seventh Army advancing from Souther France.

11. CCB relieved 4 Armrd, cleared Luneville and surrounding areas, and
established outposts 19-20 Sept.

12. CCB cleared stubborn enemy from Armacourt-Leyr area 22-23 Sept.

13. Div counterattacked and restored Corps MLR in vicinity of Foret de
Gremecey 1 Oct.

14. Div cleared west back of Seille River against extremely determined
enemy resistance 8-9 Oct. Caualties were high on both sides.

15. Div shifted north and crossed Seille River, drove through 80th Inf Div
bridgehead, and began bitter battle to the Saar 9-10 Nov.

16. In a rapid thrust two bridges were secured intact over the Nied River
and held against determined counterattacks 11 Nov.

17. 13 strongly defended towns seized in two days as the enemy contested
every foot of muddy ground 12-13 Nov.

18. Landroff held against a viscious enemy counterattack of reinforced regiment
14-15 Nov.

19. A 3-pronged attack up the slippery Cote de Suisse conquered six towns
and high ground overlooking Faulquemont 16 Nov.

20. Enemy anti-tank ditches, road blocks, AT guns, SP guns, and small arms
delayed advance but CCB crushed eight defended towns 19-22 Nov.

21. CCA swung north and CCB punched east to break through enemy-held Maginot
Line 24-26 Nov.

22. West bank of Maderbach River secured in decidedly unfavorable weather
as enemy retreated east toward Siegfried Line 27-28 Nov.

23. 6th Armd crossed Maderbach River and seized La Mont de Cadenbronn
in 3-day attack over difficult terrain and against vigorous resistance
4-6 Dec.  13 defended towns were captured and Div stood on German border.

24. Patrol of CCA were first American troops in Saareguemines 6 Dec.

25. 6th Armrd suddenly ordered to Metz enroute to Belgium to help halt
German Ardennes offensive 24 Dec.

26. Entering "Battle of the Bulge", 6th Armrd initially held a defensive sector
on south flank at Ettelbruck 26 Dec.

27. 6th Armrd shifted to Bastogne and joined in extremely bitter fighting.
CCA attacked to make first offensive thrust into enemy salient 31 December.

28. Intense fighting raged in deep snow and near-zero weather notheast
of Bastogne as enemy attempted to surround and capture town 1-3 Jan.

29.  Three separate counterattacks repulsed when enemy drove savagely into front line
positions Jan 4.

30.  German attacks grew weaker because of severe losses inflicted on enemy
personnel and vehicles 6-8 Jan.

31. Turning point in the "Battle of the Bulge" 9-10 Jan.  6th Armrd struck northeast
from Bastogne over snowclad hills littered with enemy dead and destroyed vehicles 9-12
Jan.

32. Mageret retaken 13 Jan.

33. Longvilly taken and held against a viscious counterattack as enemy attempted to
withdraw to Siegfried Line with all possible equipment 16-17 Jan.

34.  Trois Vierges captured 23 Jan after minefields were cleared and blown bridges
were by-passed or rebuilt.

35. 6th Armrd reached "Skyline Drive" overlooking Our River and Siegfried Line
in Germany 25 Jan.

36. 6th Armrd relieved 26th and 90th Inf Divs along "Skyline Drive" on a
6-mile front 27 Jan.

37. After crossing Our river at flood stage, the Div established a bridgehead
facing the Siegfried Line 6-7 Feb.

38. 17th AB Div relieved by 6th Armrd which took over additional front totalling
20,000 yards 10-12 Feb.

39. 6th Armrd penetrated Siegfried Line, capturing 32 towns, 253 pillboxes, and
over 1,000 prisoners 20-24 Feb.

40. Crossing was forced over Prum River at night against heavy and determined
enemy resistance 27 Feb.

41. Attacking across the Nims River, 6th Armrd advanced eastward to capture
Schonecken 2-3 Mar.

42. 6th Armrd relieved by 90th Inf Div and passed to SHAEF reserve near Arzfeld.
After 221 consecutive days in action, the entire Div was out of contact 4 Mar.

43. 6th Armrd was loaned to Seventh Army and returned to its old battle grounds
in Lorraine 9-11 Mar. Prepared to pass through Siegfried Line for the second time.

44. Div moved to advanced assembly at Oermingen 18 Mar.

45. 6th Armrd passed through the 3rd, 45th, and 63rd Divs to penetrate the Siegfried
Line near Zweibrucken 20 Mar.

46. After racing 60 miles in 18 hours to reach the Rhine River, 6th Armrd made contact
with 4th Armrd at Worms. Rhein-Durkheim -- only town on Rhine to be taken by XV Corps --
was captured by 6th Armrd 21 Mar.

47. Crossed Rhine at Oppenheim and captured Morfelden, Wixhausen,
Russelsheim, and Raunheim 25 Mar.

48. 6th Armrd converged on Frankfurt, capturing Sachsenhausen, Offenbach, Niederrad,
Sprendlingen, and Neu-Isenburg. Partially destroyed bridge was captured against bitter
opposition 26 Mar, and shallow bridgehead into city of Frankfurt established
and turned over to 5th Div.

49. Div crossed Main River at Dornigheim, drove north across Nidder River at Nieder
Dorfelden and Vilbel to Friedberg 28 Mar.

50. Spearheaded with 4 columns abreast astride the Reichsautobahn through Friedberg,
capturing Bad Nauheim and reaching Romrod 29 Mar.

51. After racing 50 miles Div drove through Alsfeld, Homberg, and Harte to cross Eder
River. 8,000 prisoners were taken 30 Mar.

52. 6th Armrd attacked toward Kassel against stiff resistance. Crossed Fulda
River at Malsfeld 31 Mar.

53. 6th Armrd advanced with Combat Commands abreast and crossed Wehre River at
Reichensachsen. Resistance was spotty but stubborn. Spangenberg, Adelhausen, Hess
Lichtenau, Waldkappel as well as many other towns were captured 2 Apr.

54. Div captured Eschwege, crossed the Werra River at Gross Burschia, and advanced
16 miles east 3 Apr.

55. 6th Armrd surrounded and captured Mulhausen in perfectly executed double envelopment
4-5 Apr.

56. Besides holding 38-mile front in First and Third Army zones, the Div captured
Langensalza 6 Apr. Advance east halted on order.

57. German counterattack was repulsed at Struth and area east of Bad Soden was cleared.
Enemy force of about 1500 troops reinforced with tanks and self-propelled guns was
completely detroyed 7-9 Apr.

58. 6th Armrd passed through 76th Div in four columns and advanced 60 miles to cross
the Saale River. An Allied POW camp at Bad Sulza and the concentration camp at
Buchenwald, 3 miles NW of Weimar, were freed 11 Apr.

59. Div advanced 28 miles to secure crossings over Weisse-Elster River at Pegau and
Rosendorf. Heavy AA defenses of Zeitz-Leipzig line were overcome 12-13 Apr.

60. After crossing Mulde River at Rochlitz and Zachopau River at Mittweida the 6th Armrd
stopped at Corps limiting line 15 Apr, pending arrival of Russian Army.

Links:

bullet 6th Armored Division Assoc. Home Page.

bullet 212th Field Artillery Home Page.

bullet Table of Contents, History of the 212th FA

bullet Visit the black and white version of this map in the 212th History.

bullet Information about the 212th FA and 6th Armored Division veterans' associations.

bullet Links to related sites.

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Last updated: August 9, 1997. Invisible gif