On 31 August 1944, XX Corps had reached Verdun and was occupying a bridgehead east of the Meuse River. Lieutenant General (then Major General) Walton H. Walker, Commanding General of XX Corps, acting upon orders from General Patton, directed his staff on the morning of 1 September to prepare plans for the next phase of advance. The 7th Armored Division and the 5th Infantry Division each had a combat team across the river and were grouping their troops around Verdun. The 90th Infantry Division was outposting Reims, prepared to move forward on order, and the 3rd Cavalry Group was reconnoitering north and east to Luxembourg and the Moselle River. At the time, XX Corps was leading the eastward advance of Third U.S. Army. Part I: meeting the Metz defense line. Part II: the fortified region of Metz. Part III: plan, deployment and opposing forces. Part IV: pinpointing Metz Uckange. Part V: encirclement and entry. Part VI: action in the north. Part VII: the march to the Saar; appendices; maps; and photographs.

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