Battle of Metz 75th Anniversary Commemoration at the WWII Memorial

On Friday, September 27th at 2:00 p.m., the Friends of the National World War II Memorial will hold a brief ceremony and wreath presentation at the National World War II Memorial to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Metz, a difficult and costly siege, led by Patton's Third Army, which brought the Allies ever-closer to Germany’s western defenses.

On September 27, 1944, as part of the nascent Lorraine Campaign, Patton’s Third Army launched a new attack to capture the fortified city of Metz. The campaign against Metz proved a difficult and costly siege, yet its completion brought the Allies ever-closer to Germany’s western defenses. After decisive Allied victories in France, the retreating Germans dug in behind their fortifications along the Siegfried Line, determined to keep the Allies off German soil. Allied planners hoped to penetrate these defenses through the resource-rich region of Lorraine. In early September, despite some hiccups, George S. Patton’s Third Army captured the urban center of Nancy, thus opening the Lorraine Campaign. Meanwhile, other elements of the Third Army in the north closed in on the crossroads city of Metz. The historic town was surrounded by many forts and defenses from previous wars, which had been reinforced and occupied by a hodgepodge of German units ordered to hold at all costs. Through September, Patton’s men slowly advanced towards the town, yet enemy resistance initially kept the Americans at bay. On September 27, 1944, Patton’s Third Army renewed its attack in an organized assault against Metz and its surrounding fortresses. Fort Driant, a high, formidable position overlooking Metz to its southwest, was a primary objective, given its location and vantage point. Enemy resistance was fierce, however, and the fanatical Metz defenders inflicted heavy casualties. The 5th Infantry Division, fighting through Fort Driant’s elaborate defenses, bunkers, and tunnel systems, was forced to halt their advance after taking heavy casualties from close-quarters combat. Vicious fighting elsewhere continued through October with only marginal success at a steep cost, save for the industrial suburb of Maizieres-les-Metz, which was secured by the 90th Infantry Division after a month of bitter house-to-house fighting. In early November, the Third Army chose to bypass some fortifications, including Fort Driant, and assault Metz directly. Within days, they succeeded in surrounding Metz, cutting off any German escape. The 95th Infantry Division, later dubbed the “Iron Men of Metz,” and several other units pushed through the city, forcing the last of its German troops to surrender by the end of the month. Yet German troops continued to defend some of the surrounding forts through December, with Fort Driant only capitulating on December 8.

With the last of the enemy’s defenses around the town broken, the slow-moving, brutal, and bloody battle was over. With the city of Metz under American control, Patton felt ready to turn his efforts towards the Siegfried Line at long last. However, the Germans had other plans, and their counterattack into the Ardennes Forest in Belgium would require the Third Army’s attention first.

During the September 27th ceremony at the World War II Memorial, WWII veterans will present a wreath at the Atlantic Arch of the Memorial in honor of all who served and in remembrance of all those killed or wounded during the Battle of Metz.

If you are a World War II veteran, or know of one, who would like to participate in the Battle of Metz 75th Anniversary Commemoration at the Memorial, please email hrotondi@wwiimemorialfriends.org!

We hope you'll join us on September 27th at the WWII Memorial!

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial's WWII 75th Anniversary Commemoration is generously sponsored by AT&T.

Generous support has also been provided by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation and Worthington Industries.