February 6, 1945 — Phil and men sensed the end of the war was closer that the beginning
February 6, 2025February 11, 1945 — As training to enter Germany intensified, so did Catholic confessions and Protestant baptisms
February 11, 2025February 8, 1945 — After the GIs’ Colmar Pocket victory, the German Nineteenth Army ceased to exist as an effective fighting force
The cost of the Colmar battle was heavy on both sides. The [Allies’] 6th Army Group staff estimated American casualties around 8,000 and French losses about twice that number, but only some 500 American soldiers were killed in action; in both national components, disease and noncombat injuries accounted for almost a third of the losses and probably even more.[1]
The deep snow, freezing temperatures, and numerous water crossings caused a marked increase in trench foot and frostbite, and the mixed Franco-American casualty evacuation flow prevented medical services from keeping a precise tally of the toll taken by the weather.
German casualty records are even more sparse than usual. During the operation, the 6th Army Group recorded 16,438 Germans taken prisoner in the Colmar area and obviously thousands more were killed or wounded, while non-battlefield casualties from the weather may also have been high.
On 10 February the [German] Nineteenth Army recorded over 22,000 permanent (killed or missing) casualties, and [the Nineteenth Army General] Rasp probably saved no more than 10,000 troops of all types. Certainly no more than 400 to 500 combat effectives from each of the eight divisions managed to escape [back] across the Rhine [into Germany from the Allies].
Allied losses of combat vehicles because of enemy action and mechanical breakdown were also high, but most were recoverable, while the German defenders lost most of what they had permanently.
As an effective fighting force the Nineteenth Army had ceased to exist.
The battles of northern Alsace and those in the Colmar Pocket had seriously depleted the fighting capabilities of the German Army.
During the last weeks of February and the first weeks of March, the 6th Army Group made final preparations to exploit this weakness during its forthcoming drive into Germany.[1]
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[1] Clarke, 553-558.
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6 Comments
Dr walt,
Thanks for your father’s sacrifice.
My father Stephen a Underwood fought at selestat.
The 500 Kia figure only takes in the final battles in the Colmar pocket.
The true figure is much higher. Many of the divisions like the 103d, 36th, are not counted as they fought in earlier Colmar pocket battles.
Dad was swa dec 17, 1944.
At selestat France. Thanks, Greg underwood
Greg,
Thanks for the kinds words and the KIA clarification. Recent scholarly works still say this: In terms of casualties, both sides suffered. Estimates for the Americans are about 8,000 total with approximately 500 killed. The French suffered about double those numbers. German losses were much higher: 22,000 total casualties. German high officials estimated about 10,000 men got across the Rhine, but probably no more than 400 or 500 were actually combat soldiers. The 198th Division only evacuated around 500 men, with the 338th only 400. The 719th Division escaped mostly intact, only because they crossed the Rhine on February 3. The Germans abandoned 55 armored vehicles as well as 66 pieces of artillery. Regarding the level of fighting, both the French and the Americans had to deal with many obstacles to clear out the Colmar Pocket. For example, the official history of the 30th Infantry Regiment states, “During the
sixteen-day period, the 3rd Infantry Division, reinforced, had captured 22 towns, more than 4,000 prisoners, and killed an enemy total disproportionately high to the total captured. It virtually destroyed the 708th VG (Volksgrenadier) and 2nd Mountain Divisions, badly mauled the 189th and 16th VG and destroyed great quantities of all types of German materials.”49 The figures for the 3rd Infantry Division are probably representative of what took place in the entire Colmar Pocket. (https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=history_grad). No matter the actual number, it was a brutal and crucial fight in which both of our fathers (along with all of their compatriots) were heroes.
I hope you and yours have a warm-memory-creating, family-filled Thanksgiving and holiday season.
Walt
The scholarly article I linked to below listing 500 KIA in Colmar was 2017. Here it is again: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=history_grad
Walt
Ie the 63d division’s regiment at jebsheim was horrific. None of the armored divisions Kia included in barr France (really a vosges action) and ersteinwere both fought by 14th armored. Erstein was in Colmar pocket.
Lots of Kia as 14th was new learning the hard way.
Many other divisions 42nd and 44th?
The ffi lost 33 Kia outside selestat.
Yes the 500 number was reported in Riviera to the rhine….1994. Dad died in 1993 complications of war wounds.
The disputed figure is from Jan 20th to the closing of the pocket.
The 36th entered selestat dec. 1,1944.
Interesting that mias often becomes Kia.
Dad is pictured on a website I inspired…..the battle of selestat then and now next to a citation from Heinrich himmler. Juerg did a great job!
Minimizing the Kia may have been deliberate….only 1 in 8 replacements going to devers who Eisenhower disdained.
I hope not.
I think it needs scholarly work.
The bulge was on Colmar overlooked. A forgotten battle.
One soldier wrote a book my little corner of a war.
There is a cemetery showing recent dead from selestat from one regiment 409th of 103d division . Google hochfelden France 1944. They were interred after 4 day battle…..then reburied at epinal and Lorraine cemeteries. Only one remains buried at hochfelden.
Germans buried at bergheim cemetery
Actually, the 500 KIA number was most recently reported in a 2017 research paper: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=history_grad
Walt