A war memorial commemorates French, German and United States units from WW2 on a pedestal with information from the Battle for France – 10 May 1940 to 25 June 1940 – and the last major German offensive in World War Two, Operation Nordwind from 31 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. The first and last battle of the war on French soil.
Maginot line around Ritterhoffen en Hagenau
The Fortified Sector of Haguenau, which involved Ritterhoffen and Hatten, was a part of the French Maginot Line, located in northeastern France near the German border. It was designed to defend the region north of Strasbourg and consisted of multiple concrete fortifications, bunkers, artillery casemates, and underground facilities. On 21 June 1940, during the German invasion of France (Fall of France), the Haguenau sector came under increasing pressure as German forces advanced rapidly across the country.
Despite the overall collapse of the French front, the fortifications in the Haguenau sector held out longer than surrounding areas. The French troops stationed there, part of the 5th Army under the command of General Bourret, managed to delay German progress through strong defensive positions. However, with the armistice between France and Germany signed on June 22, 1940, the sector’s strategic role became obsolete.
German forces formally occupied the sector in early July without significant further fighting, as French forces surrendered in line with the terms of the armistice. The fortified sector suffered limited damage compared to other parts of the front and was later used by German troops for various purposes during the occupation. The Haguenau sector demonstrated the strength of static defenses but also highlighted their limitations in a mobile war.
Operation Nordwind
Unternehmen Nordwind (Operation North Wind) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II. Launched on the night of 31 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, it was intended to complement the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) and to divert Allied forces away from Belgium. The operation targeted the Alsace and Lorraine regions of northeastern France, specifically the U.S. Seventh Army and the French First Army.
The goal of Nordwind was to break through Allied lines in the Vosges Mountains, destroy the U.S. 7th Army, and recapture the strategic city of Strasbourg. German forces involved included units from Army Group G and Army Group Upper Rhine, with support from experienced SS (the 6th SS Gebirgsjäger Division Nord who just returned from Finland was involved for example) and Wehrmacht divisions. Despite initial gains and fierce fighting, particularly in towns such as Hatten and Rittershoffen, the offensive failed to achieve its strategic objectives. Combattants involved were the U.S. 7th army, the French First Army – together about 230.000 strong v.s. The German 1st army and 19th army (strength unknown).
Poor logistics, overstretched German forces, and strong Allied resistance led to the operation’s failure by late January 1945. Unternehmen Nordwind resulted in heavy casualties on both sides and further weakened German military capability in the West. It marked Germany’s final attempt to seize the initiative in France before the Allies advanced toward the Rhine and into Germany itself.
Visit
Follow the road D243 from Ritterhoffen to Hagenau until you see the memorial on the side, park on the small bypass.
Excellent article, thank you.
Thank you