Operation Solstice (Alsace)

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Operation Solstice (German: Unternehmen Sonnenwende) was a German offensive operation in January 1945 and formed part of Operation Nordwind. The strategic objective of Operation Solstice was an area shaped like a triangle between the rivers Ill and Rhine near the towns of Erstein and Sélestat. The area around Erstein was to serve as a springboard for an advance to Molsheim, which was located about 15 kilometers further north, in the event of an encirclement of Strasbourg. The attack was to be launched from the northernmost point of the Colmar Pocket by a German infantry division reinforced with an Panzer brigade. In the early days, German troops made rapid progress and even surrounded and destroyed a French battalion. However, the French troops in this area managed to prevent the Germans from crossing the Ill, and as a result, the offensive quickly came to a halt. The push toward Molsheim was no longer considered. Shortly after the start of the Battle of the Bulge, the American 3rd Army focused entirely on the Ardennes. The American 7th Army then took over part of the front line from the 3rd Army. Subsequently, the French 1st Army had to stretch its front line in Alsace.