Colmar Pocket 65th Anniversary

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The push to the Colmar Canal and the battle for Jebsheim.

 

General John W. O'Daniel's 3rd U.S. Infantry Division attacked to the southeast on 22 January, aiming to cross the Ill River, bypass the city of Colmar to the north, and open a path for the tanks of the French 5th Armored Division to drive on the railway bridge supplying the Germans in the Colmar Pocket at Neuf-Brisach.

 

The capture of Jebsheim was necessary to protect the north flank of the 3rd Division's advance. With the 3rd Division advancing ahead of the French 1 March Infantry Division on the 3rd Division's north flank, General O'Daniel committed the U.S. 254th Infantry Regiment (part of the U.S. 63rd Infantry Division but attached to the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division for the duration of operations in the Colmar Pocket) to capture Jebsheim. During 26 and 27 January troops of the German 136th Mountain Infantry Regiment defended Jebsheim against the allied advance.

On 28–29 January, after two days of bitter house to house fighting, Jebsheim was taken by the 254th Infantry, French tanks of Combat Command 6 (French 5th Armored Division), and a battalion of the French 1st Parachute Regiment.

ntry continued to push east in the direction of the Rhône-Rhine Canal. Meanwhile, the 7th Infantry had moved forward, and along with the 15th Infantry Regiment and French 5th Armored Division tanks, were positioned to drive on the fortified town of Neuf-Brisach,[20] about five miles (8 km) distant from the 3rd Division spearheads.

 

Here is are pictures of reenactors of the French 1st Parchute Regiment in Jebsheim, February 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Squad leader]

Gilles,

 

Thank you for sharing these pictures with us.

This a very nice tribute to the veterans of the Free French Forces involved in the battle of the Colmar pocket.

I do appreciate as one of my grandfathers and one of my great-uncles fought there with the 1st French Army.

 

Dan.

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+1 good work, I do appreciate the 1er RCP reenactors, one of my uncle was officer in that airborne regiment in 1945... :thumbsup:

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Thanks for your comments.

If you are able to get this excellent movie below, it's an episode of the story of the 1st French Parachute Regiment and the

battle of Jebsheim.

 

BTW Jebsheim is the village next to Holtzwihr, where Audie Murphy earned his MOH.

 

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