69th Infantry Division Campaign Map

The 69th Infantry Division's combat route carried it from the German frontier to one of the major Allied linkups of the war. Arriving in France in January 1945, the Fighting 69th moved into Belgium and relieved the 99th Infantry Division along the West Wall in February. Its first operations involved limited attacks and defensive work in the Hellenthal-Hollerath sector.

In March, the division moved from holding positions to offensive operations. It attacked through Schmidtheim and Dahlem, advanced to the Rhine, and crossed the river late in the month. Once over the Rhine, the campaign accelerated. The 69th moved through the Lahn River towns, relieved armored forces near Naumburg, and advanced across central Germany behind fast-moving columns.

The route's defining final stage came around Leipzig. The division fought through outer defenses near Zwenkau and captured Leipzig after house-to-house fighting in April. It then took positions along the Mulde River, where patrols made contact with Soviet forces near Riesa and Torgau on April 25. For this division, the campaign culminates at the meeting point of Allied armies in central Germany.

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