1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 20 SEPTEMBER 1944 ]
MOROTAI—Work is begun on bomber strip,
dubbed Wama Drome, at Gotalalamo. Pitoe Drome
becomes known as Pitoe Crash Strip.
PALAUS—On Peleliu, enemy on peaks of central
ridge continues to hold up 1st and 7th Marines;
however, elements of 1st, advancing along East Road,
push through Asias village. 5th Marines secures
E arm of the island with little difficulty. On
Angaur, 81st Div commits 321st Inf and 3d Bn of
322d to main effort of clearing S Angaur and splitting
enemy forces there. Little opposition is met as
assault forces establish line across S Angaur from
Garangaoi Cove eastward, but some resistance is
bypassed on SE coast. 322d Inf ( — ) starts N up W
coast from vicinity of the phosphate plant.
20 September
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s 2 Corps area, Pol armor overruns
Hulst and Axel.
In Br Second Army’s 1 A/B Corps area, situation
of Br 1st A/B Div at Arnhem is critical. The
small force holding N end of bridge is forced to
surrender 300 wounded to Germans, reducing its
strength to about 140; other elements of the div still
hold perimeter near Oosterbeek, W of Arnhem, and
N of Heaveadorp Ferry at the Neder Rijn SW of
Oosterbeek, but enemy is steadily gaining ground.
Weather conditions continue to prevent airlift of
Pol 1st Brig. Br and U.S. troops take both bridges
at Nijmegen in daring and costly maneuver. While
elements of Gds Armd Div (30 Corps) and U.S.
82d A/B Div push through Nijmegen to S approaches,
2 bns of 504th Para Inf, 82d A/B Div,
cross the wide, swift Waal in Br assault boats downstream
after air and arty bombardment of N shore
and ineffective efforts to put down smoke screen.
Paratroops seize N end of RR bridge and push
toward highway bridge. Meanwhile, resistance at
S end of the rail bridge collapses and Br tanks from
Gds Armd Div storm across the highway bridge,
where they are joined by U.S. paratroopers. With
capture of these vital bridges, advance is continued
toward Arnhem. German counterattacks on N and
S edges of Nijmegen–Groesbeek ridge are unsuccessful
except where U.S. outposts at Wyler are
forced back. In 30 Corps area, U.S. 101st A/B Div
undergoes another counterattack at Son but with
help of Br tanks forces enemy back. Div then begins
series of limited actions designed to throw enemy
off balance. 12 Corps presses slowly toward Best and
Oirschot. 8 Corps, driving toward Helmond, takes
Someren.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s XIX
Corps area, assault on West Wall is postponed because
of unfavorable flying conditions. Other de-
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terring factors are the very short supply of arty
ammunition and exposed left flank of corps. In VII
Corps area, enemy decides to go on the defensive
instead of counterattacking as planned. CCA, 3d
Armd Div, is methodically clearing Muensterbusch
area; TF Hogan, moving forward stealthily, takes
enemy on Weissenberg Hill by surprise and gains
crest of this much fought over prize; TF Mills, CCB,
secures positions on the Donnerberg, heights commanding
Stolberg from E, under smoke screen but
is hit hard by enemy when smoke disappears. 1st
Bn of 39th Inf, 9th Div, attached to 60th Inf, drives
E from Zweifall to Weisser Weh Creek, near village
of Huertgen. Bn of 60th, to right, attempts to
drive SE from Zweifall in order to cut Lammersdorf–Huertgen
highway at Germeter but makes
little headway. In V Corps area, IX TAC again
assists corps in maintaining positions.
In U.S. Third Army area, boundary between XII
and XV Corps is adjusted to give Forêt de Vitrimont,
Lunéville, and Forêt de Parroy to XV Corps.
In XX Corps area, 10th and 2d Regts, 5th Div, renew
efforts to take Pournoy-la-Chétive and Coin-sur-
Seille despite weather conditions unfavorable for
air support and diminishing supply of arty ammunition;
2d Bn of 10th, reinf, seizes Pournoy-la-Chétive
but is greatly disorganized in the process; 1st Bn
of 2d Inf, against fire from Sillegny, overruns Coinsur-Seille.
CCA, 7th Armd Div, replaces badly
mauled CCR in front of Sillegny and, together with
CCB, attacks toward the Seille; bypassing Sillegny,
CCA reaches the river, where it comes under heavy
fire; CCB also reaches the river but falls back under
fire. In XII Corps area, 80th Div elements push into
Bois de la Rumont. Germans counterattack 134th
Inf troops of 35th Div and recover Agincourt; 137th
Inf attempts in vain to drive through Forêt de
Champenoux to Amance plateau; arty ammunition
supply runs out. CCA, 4th Armd Div, begins attack
NE toward Sarreguemines but, upon reaching Hampont
on left and Dieuze area on right, returns to
Arracourt region because of another enemy tank
attack, this time by only 8 tanks, all of which are
knocked out. The area will be systematically
mopped up before the offensive is continued. Small
tank duels occur as CCA sweeps through Ley and
Moncourt. CCB continues efforts to advance in
Château-Salins area, where secondary routes are
impassable. In XV Corps area, 313th Inf of 79th
Div drives through Lunéville and turns SE in effort
to outflank enemy’s Meurthe R line; 314th reaches
the Meurthe SE of Lunéville, where it comes under
heavy fire. Fr 2d Armd Div patrols from current
positions; CCL moves E to rejoin main body as
45th Div of Seventh Army draws up to the Moselle.
6th Army Group: Completes regrouping.