Operation Clipper

Operation Clipper was an Allied offensive in November 1944. It was led by the British XXX Corps ( to her was the 84th U.S. Infantry Division ). The offensive took place between January 31, 1945 November 10, 1944. Their goal was to eliminate the " Geilenkirchen Salient "; a front projection projecting into the front of the Allies.

Clipper was a part of the larger operation Queen, whose aim was to obtain the control of the valley of the Rur and the Hurtgenwald. Up to achieving these goals, it should still take some time: the winter 1944/45 was very cold and very wet. The weather was mostly bad and the clouds hung low, so that the Allies could not use their extensive air superiority. Also tanks could almost drive only on roads and there were threatened by booby traps and PAHs.

In addition, the Wehrmacht began on 16 December 1944, the Battle of the Bulge and on 31 December, the company Nordwind. To combat this, the Allied troops from other sectors of the front covered - including those from demFrontabschnitt from around Aachen.

The battle in Hurtgenwald (October 6, 1944 to February 10, 1945 ) was a disaster for the U.S. troops.

Geilenkirchen is located on the worm, a tributary of the Rur, about 20 km north of Aachen and 11 km south of Heinberg. The worm flows from south to north and empties north of Heinberg in the Rur ( see map). Aachen capitulated on 21 October at the end of the Battle of Aachen.

Heinberg was the northern end of the Western Wall; in Geilenkirchen, there were bunkers, anti-tank obstacles, ditches and other parts of the West Wall. In addition, at Geilenkirchen the boundary lay between two allied sectors of the front ( 2nd Army ( UK) and the U.S. 9th Army ). This also contributed to classify Geilenkirchen as a potentially dangerous location of the Germans.

Participating organizations

Ally

British XXX Corps

Wehrmacht

XII. SS Corps

Follow

'Operation Clipper' laid the foundations for the operation Blackcock ( 14 to 26 January 1945), so for the conquest of ' Roer Triangle ' (German: Rur - delta) between Roermond, Sittard and Heinberg.