On the southside of the road at a small pull-off.

The memorial includes a large inscribed local red stone wall with an image of US and German tanks tanks; an information sign and, an inscribed bench.

The memorial remembers the 79th and 42nd Infantry Divisions  that fought here during enemy offensive, "Operation Norwind" in January 1945.

The memorial was dedicated on the 40th Anniversary of the battle in 1985; the information sign was added in 2024.

The inscription on the memorial wall under the tanks (A US and German tank) is in inscribed in French.  The English translation is:

IN MEMORY OF THE BATTLE OF HATTEN-RITTERSHOFFEN

JANUARY 1945

1945-1985

The inscription on the right bench reads:

IN MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES AND CIVILIAN DEAD

242ND INFANTRY REGIMENT, 42ND RAINBOW DIVISION:

The information sign is written in French and Enlish.,  The English reads:

BATAILLE DE
HATTEN-RITTERSHOFFEN
-09 au 20 janvier 1945

THE BATTLE OF
HATTEN-RITTERSHOFFEN
January 9th-20th 1945

In acknowledgement of the valiant warriors of the
79th U.S. Infantry Division who wrote a new heroic chapter of their Division's history on this very spot over the 
the course of ten days in January 1945

Holding on to small areas of the villages of Hatten and
Rittershoffen, surrounded and facing shortage of food, ammunition and medical supplies, these gallant men succeeded at the cost of heavy losses in holding off the repeated assaults of the enemy tanks and the numerically superior infantry, thus preventing the Germans from making a decisive breakthrough towards Haguenau.

The 79th Division's fighting spirit was-also praised by the enemy: In Hatten on January 19, paratroopers, supported by a few tanks, attacked the courageous 79th Infantry Division once more.
The Americans fought back, house by house, so that the attack had to be broken off (Hans von Luck, 21st Panzer Division).

Alsace doesn't forget their sacrifice.
They deserve all our gratitude.
09/16/2024