4th AD - 27 March 1945

After Action Report 4th Armored Division

27 March 1945 (Tuesday)

The following troop list went into effect at 19:00 h.

CC “A”                     CC “B”               Reserve Command

   53                           51                     10 (-A, AG, Rcn)

   8                             35                     37 (-C, Plat D)

A/25                         C/25                  D/489

B/704                       C/704                24 (-A & B)

B/24                         A/24                  A/704

C/489                       A/489

A/46                         B/46

A/126                       B/126

Division Troops                                  Supporting Troops

   25 (-A & C)                                        177^th FA Group

   D/704                                                276^th FA Bn

   A/10                                                 179^th FA Bn

   Rcn & AG Platoon 10^th                       191^st FA Bn

   C/37, Plat D/37

   66

   94

   22

The 328^th Inf Regt of the 26^th Inf Div was attached to CC “A” for the purpose of clearing GROSSAUHEIM and HANAU while the 101^st Inf Regt took over the bridgehead positions of CC “A” so the units could prepare for an attack toward GIESSEN the following day. At 08:00 h, an enemy counterattack with infantry supported by artillery fire drove elements of the 26^th Inf Div back to the MAIN River but by 09:15 h the situation was under control and the counterattack had been repulsed. The engineers completed the treadway bridge over the river at 15:00 h after several interruptions due to counterattacks and artillery fired. Elements of the 35^th Tank Bn and 51^st Armd Inf Bn, which had supported CC “A” in bridgehead operations, reverted to battalion control.

Early in the morning, elements of the 26^th Inf Div began relieving CC “B” at the bridgehead south of ASCHAFFENBURG. At 18:00 h, the units of CC “B” moved from positions along the MAIN River south of ASCHAFFENBURG to an assembly area in the vicinity of WEISKIRCHEN. They followed a route through SCHAAFHEIM, BABENHAUSEN, DUDENHOFEN, and JUEGESHEIM. The CP also moved to WEISKIRCHEN. The 51^st Armd Inf Bn, now in CC “B”, moved from ZELLHAUSEN at 10:47 h and closed in HAUSEN at 11:50 h.

The 37^th Tank Bn and 10^th Armd Inf Bn, which were now attached to Reserve Command, moved from the bridgehead south of ASCHAFFENBURG at 18:00 h via GROSSOSTHEIM, SCHAAFHEIM, and closed in BABENHAUSEN at 20:00 h.

Forward Echelon moved from ROSSDORF at 09:00 h and closed in JUEGESHEIM at 11:00 h.

Enemy losses for the day were 648 prisoners.

4^th Armd Div casualties were:

                                   Killed              Wounded               Missing

Officers                        0                    1                            10

Enlisted Men               10                   20                          290

Copy from the US National Archives Washington DC,

Corrections of German place-names and