1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 10 SEPTEMBER 1944 ]
Highway 65 and 91st assembles E of the highway.
91st Cav Rcn Sq patrols as far N as M. Maggiore
without incident. In Br 13 Corps area, 1st Div,
having accomplished its mission of screening for II
Corps, shifts eastward.
Br Eighth Army issues instructions for major
effort by 5 Corps and Cdn 1 Corps to take S.
Savino–Coriano ridge. Greek 3d Mtn Brig is committed
along coast under command of Cdn 1st Div,
Cdn 1 Corps.
NEW GUINEA—Work on Kamiri airfield,
Noemfoor, is completed.
10 September
WESTERN EUROPE—Conferring with his commanders
in Brussels, Gen Eisenhower decides to
defer operations to open the port of Antwerp until
after Operation MARKET-GARDEN to secure a Rhine
bridgehead. Patrol contact is made between forces
of OVERLORD and DRAGOON.
21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army area, Br 1
Corps, after very strong aerial bombardment during
which almost 5,000 tons of bombs are dropped, and
after naval softening of defenses, launches all-out
assault on Le Havre at 1745 with 49th and 51st Divs,
penetrating enemy defenses.
In Br Second Army’s 30 Corps area, enemy disposed
along Albert Canal continues to offer stiff
opposition to forces holding bridgeheads across it,
but Gds Armd Div reaches Meuse–Escaut Canal
near Overpelt and establishes bridgehead.
12th Army Group: Gen Bradley orders First
Army to break through West Wall and secure crossings
over the Rhine in vicinity of Koblenz, Bonn,
and Cologne; Third Army to secure crossings of
the Rhine at Mannheim. Offensive is scheduled to
open on 14th.
In U.S. Ninth Army area, VIII Corps closes up
to Brest proper and finishes clearing Le Conquet
Peninsula. 94th Div begins arriving in corps zone to
relieve 6th Armd Div ( — CCB) for action with
Third Army. 83d Div is detached from corps and
starts E toward Third Army front.
In U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area, 30th Div,
advancing NE with little difficulty, finds Fort Eben
Emael undefended. 113th Cav Gp crosses the Meuse
at Liége and drives N. VII Corps speeds toward
German frontier against rear-guard opposition, 1st
Div reaching Battice and 3d Armd moving through
Verviers. In V Corps area, 4th Div reaches general
line Regne–Bastogne. 28th, in rapid strides, overruns
Bastogne, Longvilly, Wiltz, Selange, and
Arlon. CCA, 5th Armd Div, takes city of Luxembourg
with ease and probes eastward toward Germany;
CCR drives to within about 8 miles of
German border.
[ 267 ]
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 90th Div
progresses toward Thionville against delaying opposition.
359th Inf takes Aumetz, 357th seizes Hayange,
and 358th overruns Algrange. 2d Inf, 5th Div,
assisted by elements of CCA, 7th Armd Div, continues
almost fruitless attacks against German line
W of Metz. 10th Inf, 5th Div, begins crossing the
Moselle between Noveant and Arnaville about 0200
under smoke screen, the first to be used by Third
Army on large scale, taking enemy by surprise.
Hills 386 and 370 and Bois de Gaumont are
cleared. Enemy rallies and begins strong counterattacks
from Arry, which XIX TAC helps to stem.
From this time on, XIX TAC is to divert some of
its planes from primary targets at Brest to assist
Third Army as it fights for Moselle crossings. Since
the hard-pressed bridgehead forces E of Dornot are
by now completely exhausted and greatly reduced in
strength, they are withdrawn, night 10–11. Engineers
begin difficult task of bridging the Moselle
under fire after nightfall. In XII Corps area, 80th
Div’s 319th Inf occupies Fort de Villey-le-Sec when
enemy withdraws toward Nancy. 35th Div moves
up to the Moselle in Flavigny area in preparation for
assault across it with 134th Inf on left and 137th on
right. 2d Bn, 134th, seizes bridge intact and crosses,
but enemy destroys bridge before TD’s can follow
and sharply counterattacks the isolated infantrymen,
some of whom escape to W bank by swimming or
wading. XV Corps makes patrol contact with
DRAGOON patrol at Sombernon. 79th Div completes
concentration in Joinville area. 106th Cav Gp is moving
through it to screen advance.
S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army area, Fr 2d
Corps reaches Dijon and makes patrol contact with
OVERLORD forces. In VI Corps area, 36th and 3d
Divs are moving against Vesoul. 45th Div, to right,
is driving on Villersexel.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, TF 45 gets additional elements across the
Serchio at Vecchiano. CCA, 1st Armd Div, crosses
elements over the river in order to clear both sides
within its sector; 6th Armd Inf Bn takes Villa
Basilica. S African 6th Armd Div crosses additional
forces over the Arno, using bridges at Florence. II
Corps opens drive toward Gothic Line at 0530 with
2 divs abreast. 34th makes steady progress on left,
forward elements getting beyond M. Maggiore. 91st
Div drives to the Sieve and fords it during night
10–11. Br 13 Corps attacks toward Gothic Line with
3 divs, making main effort on left in support of U.S.
II Corps. 1st Div drives up Highway 6521 to the
Sieve and secures bridgehead W of Berge, San
Lorenzo. Ind 8th Div, handicapped by lack of roads
in center of corps zone, holds current positions in
M. Calvana-M. Giovi area with 2 brigs while an-