Operation Northwind (1944)
Adolf Hitler spoke to division commanders at his Adlerhorst command complex on the 28th of December 1944. He declared that this attack had a very clear objective, namely the destruction of enemy forces. There was no matter of prestige involved here, he stated. It was a matter of destroying and exterminating the enemy forces wherever they were found. By the 21st of December 1944, German momentum during the Battle of the Bulge had begun to dissipate. The high command believed an attack against the U.S. Seventh Army further south could relieve pressure on German forces in the Ardennes. This offensive aimed to break through lines held by the U.S. Seventh Army and the French First Army. They sought to seize Strasbourg, which Himmler promised would be captured by the 30th of January. Achieving these goals would pave the way for Operation Dentist, a planned thrust into the rear of the U.S. Third Army.
German Army Group G launched a major offensive on the 31st of December 1944. Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz commanded this group alongside Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler who led Army Group Upper Rhine. Their target was the thinly stretched front line held by the U.S. 7th Army. Eisenhower had sent troops north to reinforce American armies in the Ardennes. This left the 7th Army in dire straits as the Nordwind operation began. On that same day, the Luftwaffe committed almost 1,000 aircraft in support. This attempt to cripple Allied air forces was known as Operation Bodenplatte. It failed without achieving any key objectives. The initial attack involved three corps of the German 1st Army. By the 9th of January, the XXXIX Panzer Corps was heavily engaged. At least 17 German divisions were fighting by the 15th of January. These included units from the Colmar Pocket and various SS and Panzer divisions. Another smaller attack against French positions south of Strasbourg was finally stopped.
Colonel Hans von Luck led the 125th Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division. He aimed to sever the American supply line to Strasbourg by cutting across eastern foothills of the Vosges. His unit approached the Maginot Line south of Wissembourg on the 7th of January. They targeted the villages of Rittershoffen and Hatten where heavy American fire came from the 79th Infantry Division. Elements of the 42nd Infantry Division also joined the fight alongside the 14th Armored Division. On the 10th of January, Luck reached these villages. Two weeks of heavy fighting followed with Germans and Americans each occupying parts of the villages. Civilians sheltered in cellars during this conflict. Luck later said that the fighting around Rittershoffen had been one of the hardest and most costly battles that ever raged. The Maginot Line running east-west showed what a superb fortification it was for Allied forces.
Eisenhower feared the outright destruction of the U.S. 7th Army. He rushed already battered divisions hurriedly relieved from the Ardennes southeast to reinforce the 7th Army. Their arrival was delayed however. Supplies and ammunition were short by the 21st of January. The Seventh Army ordered the much-depleted 79th Infantry and 14th Armored Divisions to retreat from Rittershoffen. Units fell back on new positions on the south bank of the Moder River. This tactical withdrawal allowed them to regroup despite being under pressure. The German offensive continued its push toward strategic points in Alsace. American units fought on three sides by the 15th of January while trying to hold ground. The situation remained critical as reinforcements struggled to arrive in time to prevent total collapse of the front line defenses.
The German offensive was halted on the 25th of January after the U.S. 222nd Infantry Regiment stopped their advance near Haguenau. That regiment earned the Presidential Unit Citation in the process. The same day reinforcements began to arrive from the Ardennes. Although Strasbourg had been successfully defended, the Colmar Pocket had not yet been eliminated. Operation Northwind ended without achieving its main objectives. It lasted from the 31st of December 1944 until the 25th of January 1945. The operation took place in Rhineland-Palatinate, Alsace and Lorraine regions. It remains classified as an operational failure with no primary goals met. The last major German offensive on the Western Front concluded here.
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Common questions
What was the main objective of Operation Northwind 1944?
The main objective of Operation Northwind 1944 was to destroy and exterminate enemy forces wherever they were found. The attack aimed to break through lines held by the U.S. Seventh Army and the French First Army to seize Strasbourg.
When did Operation Northwind 1944 begin and end?
Operation Northwind 1944 began on the 31st of December 1944 when German Army Group G launched a major offensive. The operation ended on the 25th of January 1945 after the U.S. 222nd Infantry Regiment stopped their advance near Haguenau.
Who commanded the German forces during Operation Northwind 1944?
Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz commanded German Army Group G alongside Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler who led Army Group Upper Rhine. Colonel Hans von Luck led the 125th Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division within this force.
Where did Operation Northwind 1944 take place geographically?
The operation took place in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Alsace and Lorraine regions of France and Germany. Fighting occurred specifically around the Maginot Line south of Wissembourg and villages like Rittershoffen and Hatten.
Why did Operation Northwind 1944 fail to achieve its goals?
Operation Northwind 1944 failed because Eisenhower sent troops north to reinforce American armies in the Ardennes leaving the 7th Army in dire straits. Supplies and ammunition were short by the 21st of January which forced a tactical withdrawal from key positions.