90th Infantry Division Pic of the Week: Cattenom, France.

Monday morning, and time for another addition of the 90th Infantry Division Picture of the Week.  This shot comes to us from November 1944, near Cattenom, France.  Members of the 90th Infantry Division crossed the flooded Moselle River to assault the Germans at Fort Koenigsmacker.  Today, Cattenom is probably best known for its sprawling Nuclear Power Plant.

At Cattenom, France, American artillery and vehicles of the 90th Infantry Division prepare to cross the flooded Moselle River via a newly constructed treadway bridge - November 1944. (U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo, Courtesy National Archives)

5 Responses to “90th Infantry Division Pic of the Week: Cattenom, France”

  1. Charles Meyer says:

    Sirs-

    Doing a little research this morning about my dad; who
    was killed in WW II. Part of my many notes read:

    Nov. 14, Crossed Moselle at Cattenom, Meyer, KIA

    He may have been in the convoy showin in your picture. Tks for bringing a part of histroy to life.

  2. mikemccoy says:

    Hi Charles,

    So sorry to hear that your father was killed at Cattenom. Do you know what unit he served with?

  3. Charles Meyer says:

    He was with the 90th Division, 357th Infantry; anti-tank company. His death was not remarkable as seen in
    many action movies about the war; (cause of death: concussion.) A man in the convoy three trucks back remarked that he didn’t have a scratch on him. As a combat infantryman; I was told he was a good soldier; and have little doubt about that.

    Some of my other notes read:

    From Nov 11, 12, 13….

    “Allerted to cross the Moselle again–bridge knocked out several times by enemy artillery. This is where the article “This Fort is Ours” in the Cosmopolitan was taken from. Rain, snow and cold weather.”

    For more details from General Patton’s perspective please see:

    http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/puc/honordenied.htm

  4. Charles Meyer says:

    A note to the information, supplied above.

    The details and original source were from a copy of
    the company’s daily log sheet; provided to me by
    Mr. Ralph Millette of 234 Fifth Ave. S.E. East Grand Forks, Minnessota. Mr. Millette was also with the 357th A.T.

    He wrote:

    “Understand that when I copied this I took down briefly only the things that I was interested in. Hope this information will be of help to you. Best regards.”

  5. Joseph J. Thomas Jr. says:

    This M5 high speed tractor is towing a 155mm howitzer and would have been attached to one of the batteries of the 345th F/A. My father, Capt. (later Major) Joseph J. Thomas, was an artillery officer in that unit and also in charge of its motor pool. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions at the Moselle River crossing…not sure if it was the Division’s first or second crossing of the river. He rarely spoke of his wartime experiences unless with other veterans, but when he did, his conversation usually centered on the Division’s difficult Moselle crossings and experience during The Bulge. He appears in a photo in the Division’s book taken when he and his jeep were surrounded by cattle being rounded up during The Bulge. The soldiers milked some of them to feed the local children, one of whom I met coincidentally during my business career. He asked me to thank my dad and his comrades on behalf of his family and friends, which I did. My father was stunned. Small world.

Leave a Reply

Search this Site

Purchase the Books

Blog

Privacy Policy