To: Colonel Robert P. Bell, commander Tenth RCT, Fifth Infantry Division, U.S. Third Army From: Major General S. LeRoy Irwin, commander Fifth Infantry Division, U.S. Third Army Date: 8 september, 1944 Situation As you all know, in the Allied drive across France the U.S. Third Army's crossing of the Moselle presents a key element in encricling and taking the "fortress" city of Metz. The original plan of attack on Mertz was to have our Fifth Infantry Division Eleventh Regimental Combat Team force a crossing in the vicinity of the village of Dornot just south of Metz while the Second RCT made a frontal attack on the city from the west. The crossing had little success and proven costly in terms of men and material. The German defenses at Dornot is well established. The situation is very serious and may call for imminent evacutation of the battered Eleventh Infantry bridgehead. A deceision has been taken to establish a new bridgehead more to the south, at Arnaville, before the defense at the Dornot bridge- head collapse. A bridgehead will be exposed to german artillery fire. A a result a new support technique in our Third Army will be put into practice: large area forward smoke screen. This operation will be performed by 84th Chemical Company (Smoke Generators). The 84th is placed under the 1103d Engineer Combat Group. The 1103d will construct a bridge at Arnaville ASAP. Assault boats will be available in numbers capable of shipping a company-sized outfit to the far shore in an hour. No pre-bombardment or any kind of preparing artillery activity will be performed, but may be requested. Orders Your mission is to ASAP, and no later than 10 september, establish a new bridgehead more to the south, crossing the Moselle at Arnaville. You must secure the high ground north of the town of Arry on the east bank. The forces available to you will be the Tenth RCT, consisting of 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division 46d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm), 5th Infantry Division Company B, Seventh Engineer Combat Battalion, 5th Infantry Division Company B, 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion with a platoon of the Recon Company, 818th, attached Company B, 735th Tank Battalion Company B, 5th Medical Battalion A large number of GHQ artillery units will be available to the division, and will support the 10th RCTs efforts at most times. Intelligence It is belived that the German troops in this area principally consist of two regiments of German officers' school personell as well as elements of Panzergenadier Division "Gross- Deutschland". The school personell is considered to be elite units. The german troops will receive fire support from various fortified gun positions in and surrounding Metz. All activity on the enemy side of the Mosolle will be exposed to enemy heavy artillery for some time.