5th Infantry Division Campaign Map

The 5th Infantry Division’s World War II route is defined above all by the long battle for Metz, one of the strongest fortified cities on the western approaches to Germany. The Red Diamond Division landed on Utah Beach in July 1944, took positions near Caumont, and joined the offensive that followed the Saint-Lô breakout. Moving east with Third Army, it captured Angers, crossed the Seine, reached Reims, and pushed toward Verdun.

By September, the division was committed against Metz and its surrounding fortress system. The first attacks across the Moselle met heavy resistance, and the assault on Fort Driant became a costly close fight inside one of the city’s strongest outer works. After a pause to reorganize, the division returned to the attack in November, reducing key forts and helping force the fall of Metz after more than two months of fighting.

The Red Diamond then crossed into Germany, fought against the southern flank of the Ardennes offensive, and returned to the advance in early 1945. It crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim, moved through Frankfurt, helped clear the Ruhr Pocket, and entered Czechoslovakia in the war’s final days. The map shows a campaign shaped by Third Army’s rapid movement, interrupted by the deliberate and difficult reduction of Metz.

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Printed on archival-grade, acid-free matte fine-art paper with a natural surface for crisp detail, accurate color, and lasting display quality.