“Rühr: Two American armies with Rühr industrial heartland in their grip have been rounding up some 20,000 prisoners daily. With the figure already touching 100,000, they reckon the final total will be well over 300,000 when the final pockets of resistance from Field Marshal Walter Model’s Army Group B have been eliminated.
Simpson’s US Ninth Army came down from the north to join up with Hodge’s First at Lippstadt, east of the Rühr valley. In this area, Warburg was captured after German civilians armed with bazookas, put up token resistance to the First Army. The Ninth is now clearing up Hamm, a railway centre and industrial town on the northern edge of the Rühr and a regular RAF target over the years.
Some German units lodged in the many wooded areas in this region are apparently unaware of Allied movements. When fatigue parties came out to collect ammunition from a dump near Marburg they found Allied troops awaiting them.
Allied aircraft have dropped five million leaflets on the German forces trapped in the Rühr, giving news of the British, American and Canadian advances deep into the heart of the Third Reich.”
The above info and the Marshal — Eisenhower correspondence re the Ruhr encirclement answered my question of a few days ago.
Seems some Jerrys don’t even know they are encircled. Eisenhower is taking the right tact. Eliminate the soldiers (ability to fight) but don’t destroy the economy.
Side note: I thought the Ninth Army was in the south end of the line. How did they get above the First Army ala, “Simpson’s US Ninth Army came down from the north to join up with Hodge’s First at Lippstadt, east of the Rühr valley.”
Steve:
Only American 7th Army and French 1st Armies staged through Marseilles. I think you are confusing 7th with 9th. If you look back at this German map from July 9, 1944, you can see where they identified the HQ of 9th Army still in England near Oxford.
Ninth Army entered the continent and was activated after 3rd Army had raced off to the east south of Paris. Since 3rd Army VIII Corps had been tasked with the reduction of the French port of Brest, and most of it's lead elements were racing toward Lorraine hundreds of miles away, 9th Army was activated, and took over command of VII Corps for the task of the reduction of Brest.
After that port fell, 9th Army was inserted between US 1st Army and British 2nd Army in October. It first starts showing up on German intelligence maps in early November, but they think it is in the Ardennes.
When 12th Army Group launches Operation Queen to clear the area between Aachen and the Rhine, and on their map of November 21, the Germans do know where it is.
