Encirclement of Nancy
The drive of Col. Abrams' 37th Tank Battalion on 13 September reached Fresnes-en-Saulnois (48°51′18″N 06°26′16″E / 48.855°N 6.43778°E / 48.855; 6.43778), a village located 3 mi (4.8 km) west of Château-Salins. The next day, orders were changed though and CCA was to instead capture the high ground at Arracourt (48°43′53″N 06°32′09″E / 48.73139°N 6.53583°E / 48.73139; 6.53583), cutting off German escape routes from Nancy. On arrival in the area, CCA encountered and dispatched forces from the 15. Panzergrenadierdivision with only light casualties, then proceeded to set up a defensive position, oriented towards the east from which they were able to harass German forces on the main road to Nancy and send advance units to meet with patrols from CCB around the Marne-Rhin Canal. The raiding party was very successful, as CCA took over 400 prisoners, destroyed over 160 vehicles, and knocked out ten 88 mm (3.46 in) guns. The following day brought word to CCA of further dire German counter-attacks at Dieulouard, at which point they released a reinforcing infantry battalion as well as a tank company to stabilize the situation.
After CCB crossed the Moselle in the south, the German defenders, finding poor natural defense in the terrain, retreated to the Forêt de Vitrimont (48°34′48″N 06°25′48″E / 48.58°N 6.43°E / 48.58; 6.43) across the Meurthe River. The Germans had little time to prepare their defenses in the area, and were soon driven off after CCB crossed the Meurthe River on 14 September, the bulk of them falling back to Lunéville. The meeting with units from CCA at the Marne-Rhin Canal that night completed the encirclement of Nancy.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Nancy (1944)
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