World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseWith the natural obstacle of the Rhine River breached, instead of marching for Berlin, Dwight Eisenhower instead chose to secure the industrious Ruhr region to eliminate threats on the British and Canadian armies' right flank. This region was the heart of the German steel and coal production, characterized with the headquarters of the Krupp manufacturing empire.

ww2dbaseIn the last week of Mar 1945, the Allied troops had already formed an envelopment around the region, with the American Ninth Army securing the north bank of the Ruhr, while the American First Army swept northeast from the Remagen bridgehead. George Patton and Courtney Hodges aimed their tank armies at the city of Münster, the headquarters of the German 6th Military District, which had already become shambles after consistent Allied bombings. Münster and surrounding regions were sacred ground to the German Army; it was were the finest Panzer crews were trained in Krupp-made armor. There was little they could do, however, despite their valiant defense efforts. By 1 Apr, the Germans were overwhelmed, and Hamm on the Lippe and Lippstadt on the Ruhr became the locks that completed the envelopment, trapping approximately 350,000 German troops inside.

ww2dbaseThe Allied attack into the surrounded pocket region began on 2 Apr. The German garrison at the Ruhr region was commanded by Field Marshal Walther Model, who attempted to counterattack first to the north then the south; both attempts yielded little success. Omar Bradley continued to call for constant attacks on the enemy lines to assert pressure on this surrounded garrison, and by 14 Apr the German pocket was divided in two. On 16 Apr, the eastern half gave in to the pressure and surrendered, and two days later the western half did the same. 325,000 prisoners of war were taken, 30 of which were high ranking officers, making the fall of the Ruhr a greater disaster in the history of the German Army than Stalingrad in terms of men captured.

Fall of the Ruhr Interactive Map

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Fall of the Ruhr Timeline