Rhineland Offensive

The Rhineland Offensive was a series of allied offensive operations by 21st Army Group commanded by Bernard Montgomery from 8 February 1945 to 25 March 1945, at the end of the Second World War. The operations were aimed at occupying the Rhineland and securing a passage over the Rhine river.

It was part of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's "broad front" strategy to occupy the entire west bank of the Rhine before its crossing. The Rhineland Offensive encompassed Operation Veritable, Operation Grenade, Operation Blockbuster, Operation Plunder and Operation Varsity.

Allies
Forces deployed North to South:

Allied 21st Army Group Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery


 * Flag of Canada (1921–1957).svg Canadian First Army
 * Lieutenant-General Henry D.G. Crerar
 * British XXX Corps (Lt-Gen Brian G. Horrocks)
 * British 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (Maj-Gen Colin Muir Barber)
 * British 43rd (Wessex) Division (Maj-Gen Sir G. Ivor Thomas)
 * British 51st (Highland) Division (Maj-Gen Thomas G. Rennie)
 * British 53rd (Welsh) Division (Maj-Gen Robert Knox Ross)
 * British Guards Armoured Division (Maj-Gen Allan Henry Shafto Adair)
 * Canadian 2nd Infantry Division (Maj-Gen A. Bruce Matthews)
 * Canadian 3rd Infantry Division (Maj-Gen Daniel C. Spry)
 * Canadian II Corps (Lt-Gen Guy G. Simonds)
 * Canadian 4th Armoured Division (Maj-Gen Christopher Vokes)


 * Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg British Second Army
 * Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey
 * 79th Armoured Division (Maj-Gen Sir Percy C.S. Hobart)
 * British I Corps (Lt-Gen John T. Crocker)
 * Polish 1st Armoured Division (Maj. Gen. Stanisław Maczek)
 * 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division (Maj-Gen Gordon H.A. MacMillan)
 * British VIII Corps (Lt-Gen Evelyn H. Barker)
 * 11th Armoured Division (Maj-Gen George P.B. Roberts)
 * 3rd Infantry Division (Maj-Gen Lashmer G. Whistler)
 * British XII Corps (Lt-Gen Neil M. Ritchie)
 * 7th Armoured Division (Maj-Gen Lewis O. Lyne)
 * 52nd (Lowland) Division (Maj-Gen Edmund Hakewill-Smith)


 * Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg US Ninth Army
 * Lieutenant General William H. Simpson
 * 75th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Ray E. Porter)
 * 95th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Harry L. Twaddle)
 * US XVI Corps (Maj. Gen. John B. Anderson)
 * 8th Armored ("Thundering Herd") Division (Maj. Gen. John M. Devine)
 * 35th Infantry ("Santa Fe") Division (Maj. Gen. Paul W. Baade)
 * 79th Infantry ("Cross of Lorraine") Division (Maj. Gen. Ira T. Wyche)
 * US XIII Corps (Maj. Gen. Alvan C. Gillem Jr.)
 * 5th Armored ("Victory") Division (Maj. Gen. Lunsford E. Oliver)
 * 84th Infantry ("Railsplitters") Division (Maj. Gen. Alexander R. Bolling)
 * 102nd Infantry ("Ozark") Division (Maj. Gen. Frank A. Keating)
 * US XIX Corps (Maj. Gen. Raymond S. McLain)
 * 2nd Armored ("Hell on Wheels") Division (Maj. Gen. Isaac D. White)
 * 29th Infantry ("Blue and Gray Division") Division (Maj. Gen. Charles H. Gerhardt)
 * 30th Infantry ("Old Hickory") Division (Maj. Gen. Leland S. Hobbs)
 * 83rd Infantry ("Thunderbolt") Division (Maj. Gen. Robert C. Macon)

Axis
Oberbefehlshaber West Generalfeldmarschal Gerd von Rundstedt

Forces deployed North to South:


 * Heeresgruppe H
 * Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz


 * Twenty-Fifth Army
 * General der Infanterie Günther von Blumentritt
 * XXX Corps (Otto Fretter-Pico)
 * LXXXVIII Corps (Hans-Wolfgang Reinhard)
 * First Parachute Army
 * General der Fallschirmtruppe Alfred Schlemm
 * XLVII Panzer Corps (Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz)
 * II Parachute Corps (Eugen Meindl)
 * LXXXVI Corps (Erich Straube)


 * Heeresgruppe B
 * Generalfeldmarschal Walter Model


 * Fifteenth Army
 * General der Infanterie Gustav-Adolf von Zangen
 * XII SS Corps (Eduard Crasemann)
 * LXXXI Corps (Friedrich Köchling)
 * LVIII Panzer Corps (Walter Krüger)


 * Fifth Panzer Army
 * General der Panzertruppe Hasso von Manteuffel thru 9 Mar, then Generaloberst Josef Harpe
 * LXXIV Corps (Carl Püchler)
 * LXVII Corps (Otto Hitzfeld)
 * LXVI Corps (Walther Lucht)