1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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Herrick Force and starts N toward Yakamul, bypassing
enemy block on trail.
CBI—On Salween front, Chinese silence enemy
fire on heights commanding Huei-jen Bridge.
88th and 87th Divs, Ch 71st Army, are converging
on Lung-ling, 88th from Pingka and 87th along
Burma Road. Elements of Ch New 28th Div take
Lameng; others are containing Sung Shan garrison.
ITALY—AAI: U.S. Fifth Army columns, some
motorized, converge on Rome against rear-guard
opposition and are enthusiastically welcomed by
the populace. Elements of 88th Rcn Tr of II Corps
are the first to enter but cannot deepen penetration.
Gen Clark designates garrison of the Eternal City:
3d Div, less one regt that will remain in the city
as Fifth Army reserve; Br 1st Bn, the Duke of
Wellington’s Regt; 1 composite bn of FEC. 3d Div
is to command the garrison forces. In VI Corps
area, 1st Armd Div takes Albano and drives up
Highway 7 into Rome while 36th Div, to E, advances
into E suburbs. 45th and 34th Div task forces
secure crossing sites below Rome. In II Corps area,
1st SSF and 88th Div columns, making main effort,
1st SSF along Highway 6 and 88th Div along Via
Prenestina, are delayed W of Centocelle for about 9
hours but push on through to city. 1st SSF fans out
within Rome to take Tiber bridges N of Ponte
Margherita. 88th Div TF’s, based on 1st Bns of 351st
and 350th Regts, drive through the city and seize
Ponte Milvio and Ponte del Duca d’Aosta. On left
flank of II Corps, one 85th Div force drives through
Frascati and along Via Tuscolana to Rome, taking
Ponte Cavour there; another cuts Highway 7. FEC
completes relief of 3d Div on right flank of II
Corps. Forward elements of 3d Algerian Div reach
Aniene R at Lunghezza. 1st Motorized Div is
committed to right.
Br Eighth Army regroups in order to place 2 fresh
armd divs, Br 6th and S African 6th, in van of pursuit
that 13 Corps is to lead. 13 Corps takes command
of S African 6th Armd Div from Cdn 1
Corps. Cdn 1 Corps is withdrawn into reserve.
U.K.—At SHAEF, Gen Eisenhower postpones
D Day 24 hours, to 6 June, because of unfavorable
weather forecasts.
5 June
SWPA—Gen MacArthur tells Gen Krueger
that ALAMO Force will direct the Noemfoor operation.
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, Gen Krueger urges
TF HURRICANE to intensify efforts to take airfields
quickly. 186th Inf resumes westward attack without
opposition and reaches main ridge, NE of Mokmer
airfield, which 3d Bn scales. In Ibdi area, 162d Inf
succeeds in clearing trail inland and making contact
[ 5 JUNE 1944 ]
with 186th Inf but, despite support of naval vessels
offshore, can make little headway in Parai Defile. In
Hollandia–Aitape area, initial elements of 6th Div
arrive at Toem and begin relief of 158th Inf, TF
TORNADO. TF PERSECUTION’S Herrick Force is withdrawn
from Yakamul to beachhead by water. Bailey
Force completes arduous trek via perimeter of Co
G, 127th Inf, 2 miles W of Yakamul, and is sent
W along coast to the Driniumor, to which Co G
and its supporting arty also retire. During action in
Yakamul area, 1st Bn, 126th Inf, has suffered 18
killed, 75 wounded, and 8 missing and has killed
200–250 Japanese. 1st Bn of 127th Inf, which has
been trying for several days to drive enemy from
ridge N of Afua, makes stronger effort and finds
that Japanese have abandoned the ridge.
CBI—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, conferring
with Gen. Stilwell, asks that B–29 tonnage
be diverted to meet Japanese threat in E China.
Gen Stilwell agrees to request permission if situation
grows worse.
On Salween front, 20,000 troops of Ch 71st Army
have crossed to W bank of the Salween. Drive on
Lung-ling continues.
11 Army Group: In 33 Corps sector of Br Fourteenth
Army area, battle of Kohima is successfully
concluded as Br 2d Div clears Aradura Spur, S of
Kohima, but Kohima–Imphal road must still be
opened by 33 Corps working S and 4 Corps pushing
N.
THAILAND—B–29’s of U.S. XX Bomber Command,
on their first mission, attack Bangkok in
force.
ITALY—AAI: Gen Alexander orders vigorous
pursuit of enemy to line Rimini–Pisa. Fifth Army,
on W, is to seize Viterbo airfield and port of
Civitavecchia, then advance on Leghorn. Br Eighth
Army is to advance astride the Tiber to clear Terni
and Rieti.
U.S. Fifth Army gets most of assault forces across
the Tiber and pursues enemy as rapidly as possible,
VI Corps using Highway 1 and II Corps, Highway
2. Fifth Army takes control of 3d Div for garrison
duty within Rome. In VI Corps area, Br 5th and
1st Divs in coastal sector get advance elements to
lower Tiber, where bridges must be built. 1st Armd
Div’s CCB spearheads advance of 36th Div and
CCA, that of 34th Div. II Corps employs 85th Div
on left and 88th on right as it speeds northward.
91st and 117th Cav Rcn Sqs provide flank protection.
FEC crosses the Aniene and drives to the Tiber,
then suspends forward movement until S African
6th Armd Div of Br Eighth Army can cross its
front.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, S African
6th Armd Div concentrates E of Rome in preparation
for pursuing enemy northward along Route 3