During the early morning hours of the 18th, patrols along the western side of the river could see
huge fires raging in Metz. Just before dawn a series of heavy explosions rocked the city. The Free
French Forces of the Interior had failed to reach the control switches and the Germans were blowing the
Moselle bridges, abandoning the troops still garrisoning Fort Driant, Jeanne D'Arc, Plappeville, and San
Quentin on the west side of the river.
The 95th Division began its final assault on Metz on the 19th of November. Using captured
canoes and barges as well as their own assault boats, troops crossed the Moselle to the island formed by
the Moselle River and the Metz Canal and quickly cleared it of the Germans. Driving across the canal,
they pushed on rapidly to clear three city blocks. Under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire from Forts
Driant and San Quentin, another task force struck across the river and began the fight for the
northeastern section of the city where the German garrison was under the personal command of
Generalleutnant Kittel.
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