LtCol Wilfrid Haughey and the brave men of the 10th infantry

Hello, I am Russ Haughey. I’m fundraising for a monument in the small French Lorraine commune of Arry, on the Moselle River. This is where the Arnaville Bridgehead battle took place in 1944.

This is where over 900 American GI Casualties were spent to capture and hold the bridgehead on the Moselle long enough for a pontoon bridge to be built under continuing withering fire from Fort Driant. Not until then can American armor cross the Moselle to enable Patton to take the fortress city of Metz.

Patton’s 5th Infantry Division had just swept across France, but had stalled near Verdun because Eisenhauer had given Monty priority of fuel and ammo for Market Garden. Patton’s stall gave the retreating Germans time to reactivate some of the many Maginot forts and bunkers around Metz.

My father, Major Will Haughey, was the Ex Off of first Battalion. At 4PM September 9, 1944, He was called to HQ. There he was promoted to Commanding Officer on the spot, the prior CO was sick and was taken to the hospital.

In the days prior the 11th Regiment began a similar assault downriver at Dornot, near Corny. This assault was bogged down on the floodplain. But were ordered to hold on to distract from the assault to the north, at Arnaville.

Also he was given orders that he was to lead the 1st and 2nd Battalions, under cover of the first use of smoke generators to cover an assault, to cross the Moselle at Arnaville at midnight, and take the two hills overlooking the river from the east. He quickly took staff to reconnoiter the site, and get things in place.

GIs crossed in the dark and at dawn were found by machine guns. Quickly the men made it off the floodplain and took their hills with fixed bayonettes and marching fire.

Then for ten days they repulsed repeated Nazi Armored attacks from Arry, but they didn’t yet have their own tanks yet because the bridge construction was under constant fire. More bazookas were brought across the river. Skilled used of combined arms brought to bear armor and artillery from the west heights, and help from Fighter bombers.

They were relieved after 10 days. Having over 900 casualties in officers and men. But the men held out against overwhelming odds to achieve their mission.

A few weeks later Major Haughey and the 10th were fighting in the tunnels of Fort Driant trying to stop its guns.

The Arnaville assault was the subject of three books that studied successful infantry assaults without armor, against armor. Maj Haughey was given the Distinguished Service Cross for his intrepid leadership in the Arnaville Bridgehead, and a Silver Star for his brave leadership in Fort Driant.

5,000 Euro of These funds will be used to pay for a metal plaque on a monument and placed in the Commune of Arry. 5,000 Euro will pay for family to travel to the commemoration. The plaque will be in French and English.