1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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N of Maastricht. This boundary change gives XIX
Corps of U.S. First Army a corridor W of the Maas
that contains more than 500 square miles and includes
the extensive swampland of the Peel Marshes.
To secure this corridor, XIX Corps is to have 2 new
divs, 29th Div from Brest and 7th Armd Div from
Moselle R sector near Metz. Since supply requirements
of the Ruhr offensive are to be met fully
first, Third Army is to limit its action to that permitted
by the supply situation.
21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army’s 2 Corps
area, 3d Div receives surrender of Boulogne garrison.
4th Armd Div has cleared as far N as Leopold
Canal and on right flank has reached Schelde Estuary.
With capture of Terneuzen by Pol armor, enemy
is confined to “Breskens Pocket,” region N of
Leopold Canal and W of Savojaards Plaat.
In Br Second Army’s 1 A/B Corps area, Br 1st
A/B Div is still isolated and under heavy pressure
N of the Neder Rijn near Arnhem. Air resupply
is impossible because of weather conditions. Elements
of 30 Corps make contact with the Pol detachment
at Driel and bring DUKW’s loaded with
ammunition and supplies for 1st A/B Div. Mud is
too deep for the DUKW’s, but group of Poles succeeds
in crossing supplies on rafts, night 22–23.
U.S. 82d A/B Div clears S bank of the Waal 3 miles
E of highway bridge. In 30 Corps area, 43d Div,
taking over attack toward Arnhem from Gds Armd
Div, gets elements to Driel, but main body is held
up far to S by determined opposition. Germans
make major counterattack against Veghel, main
effort coming through village of Erp. U.S. 101st
A/B Div, to whom reinforcements are rushed, forces
enemy back from Veghel, but Germans cut highway
between there and Uden. 12 Corps is slowly improving
positions W of Eindhoven. 8 Corps, continuing
toward Helmond, takes Weert.
12th Army Group: U.S. First Army goes on the
defensive along most of its line. XIX Corps postpones
offensive against West Wall indefinitely. In
VII Corps area, CCB of 3d Armd Div, under smoke
screen, withdraws both TF Lovelady and TF Mills
from Donnerberg area to Stolberg, where TF
Hogan has cleared enemy from S part of town;
CCB then goes on the defensive and makes contact
with CCA at Muensterbusch; the div comes to a
halt within 3 miles of its objective, Eschweiler. Germans
make all-out counterattack against 47th Inf,
9th Div, at Schevenhuette but are driven back with
extremely heavy losses; 60th Inf breaks off attack
for Huertgen village in order to send reinforcements
to Schevenhuette; these are not required there but
later attack to ease pressure on the single 60th Inf
bn in Huertgen Forest, where close, indecisive fighting
rages for next 3 days. V Corps remains on the
defensive.
[ 22 SEPTEMBER 1944 ]
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, enemy
evacuates Cheminot, since it has become an untenable
pocket between XX and XII Corps. 7th
Armd Div prepares to attack across the Seille on
23d. 2d bn of 10th Inf, 5th Div, withstands further
enemy attacks against Pournoy-la-Chétive, this time
from SE of the town. In XII Corps area, elements
of 80th Div continue to fight in Bois de la Rumont.
CCB, 6th Armd Div, circling W and S from Forêt
de Grémecey to take enemy in Amance area from
rear, clears strongly occupied Armaucourt. 134th
Inf, 35th Div, attacks into Bois de Faulx at noon;
137th pushes through rest of Fort de Champenoux,
from which enemy flees under air and arty attack,
abandoning Amance plateau. 6th Armd Div ( — )
assembles in Fort de Grémecey to clear this region
and screen between 80th Inf and 4th Armd Divs.
CCA, 4th Armd Div, halts German tank-infantry
attack toward Moyenvic in region W of Juvelize and
inflicts heavy losses on enemy. In XV Corps area,
79th Div progresses slowly: on left, Germans make
local attacks from Forêt de Parroy toward Lunéville;
315th Inf loses and recovers a portion of Lunéville;
313th, delayed by counterattack at Moncel, cannot
advance into Forêt de Mondon; 4 cos of 314th Inf
ford the Meurthe but, since they cannot advance
without support from tanks and arty, halt to await
bridging. Fr 2d Armd Div crosses the Meurthe between
Flin and Vathiménil, night 22–23; patrols
through S part of Forêt de Mondon to La Vezouse
R at Benamenil but is driven back.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI
Corps area, 157th Inf of 45th Div maintains bridgehead
at Igney while 179th crosses the Moselle at
Arches and clears Archettes; 180th continues to clear
Epinal, from which enemy begins withdrawing.
36th Div finishes clearing Eloyes and is attacking
Remiremont.
ESTONIA—Soviet forces seize Baltic prize of
Tallinn.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, S African 6th Armd Div is ordered forward
in pursuit since enemy appears to be withdrawing
from positions above Pistoia. II Corps virtually completes
operations against the Gothic Line and is
ready for drive N to Radicosa Pass and NE to Imola.
362d Inf, 91st Div, completes reduction of Futa
Pass defenses; other elements of 91st Div establish
outposts across the Santerno. On left flank of corps,
enemy opposition to 34th Div is weakening: 135th
Inf takes M. Citerna, NW of Santa Lucia; 168th
seizes Hill 1134, E of Montepiano. 91st Cav Rcn Sq,
screening left flank, finds Vernio abandoned by
enemy. 85th Div pushes toward M. la Fine on right
to assist 88th Div and toward M. Canda on left in
support of 91st Div’s attack for Radicosa Pass. On
right flank of corps, 88th Div continues rapidly along