1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 25 SEPTEMBER 1944 ]
ULITHI—RCT 323, 81st Div, secures rest of
Ulithi without opposition. The atoll becomes an
excellent base for Pacific Fleet during operations
against the Philippines.
25 September
WESTERN EUROPE—New boundary between 21
and 12th Army Groups becomes effective.
21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army’s 2 Corps
area, 3d Div, having moved up to Calais from Boulogne,
begins all-out assault after preparatory bombardment.
Pol armor is moving from E flank of 2
Corps to E flank of Br 1 Corps.
In Br Second Army’s 1 A/B Corps area, it is decided
to withdraw bridgehead N of the Neder Rijn
in Arnhem sector under cover of darkness, 25–26.
Leaving wounded behind, Br 1st A/B Div starts
crossing the river, some by ferry and others
swimming. U.S. 101st A/ B and Br 50th Divs partially
envelop enemy’s roadblock near Koevering,
and Germans abandon it after nightfall. 30 Corps
clears Elst and Bemmel. 8 Corps takes Helmond
and Gernert, NE of Eindhoven; makes patrol contact
with 30 Corps in St Antonis area.
12th Army Group: Assigns sector now held by
V Corps to Ninth Army. First Army is to participate
in main drive of 21 Army Group on the
Ruhr by taking Aachen and protecting right flank
of British.
In U.S. First Army area, XIX Corps takes responsibility
for corridor containing Peel Marshes from
the British, who by this time have cleared it as far
as Nederweert–Wessem Canal except for triangular
position about Wessem. Belgian 1st Brig, although
attached to Br 8 Corps, holds outposts S of the canal
within new zone of corps. 7th Armd Div from Third
Army and 29th Div from Brest are to be employed
by corps in clearing new sector. In VII Corps area,
elements of 60th Inf, 9th Div, fighting in forest on
S flank of corps, are by this time so weakened that
they are almost incapable of continuing the battle.
In U.S. Third Army area, Gen Patton lists priorities
for limited attacks. In XX Corps area, 5th Div,
extending southward, completes relief of 7th Armd
Div and withdraws to new MLR, pulling back its
outpost line. Corny and Pournoy-la-Chétive, secured
at great cost, are abandoned in the retrograde movement.
83d Div, with task of clearing rear guards
from N flank of corps W of Sauer and Moselle
Rivers, reaches W bank of the Moselle at Remich.
TF Polk then moves S to Thionville area. In XII
Corps area, 35th Div is relieving 6th Armd Div ( — )
in Forêt de Grémecey sector. In powerful counterattacks
against salient held by CCA, 4th Armd Div,
German Fifth Pz Army column drives through
Marsal and Moyenvic to Vic-sur-Seille where con-
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tact is made with German First Army. Enemy also
thrusts sharply at other points of CCA’s perimeter
and overruns Moncourt; CCB, turning over its positions
W of Château-Salins to 35th Div, moves to
S of CCA, between Rethicourt and the canal.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI
Corps area, 45th Div completes clearing Epinal.
36th Div is attacking toward Bruyères and Tendon.
3d Div takes over St Amé area from 36th Div.
In Fr 1st Army area, the 2d Corps opens limited
offensive with 1st Armd Div, whose third combat
command has now joined it, and 1st Inf Div. Progress
is limited because of firm opposition.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, TF 92 (Brig Gen John S. Wood, 92d Div
ADC), consisting of 370th Inf of 92d Div and CCB
of 1st Armd Div, takes command of zone previously
held by 1st Armd Div. Elements of S African
6th Armd Div move to M. Casciaio, W of M.
Coroncina, and relieve 34th Cav Rcn Tr of task of
screening left flank of II Corps. In II Corps area,
34th Div progresses slowly toward M. Bastione on
left flank of corps. 91st Div takes M. Beni, below
M. Oggioli, on right but makes little headway on
left under fire from M. Bastione. 338th Inf, 85th
Div, attempts to outflank enemy on M. Canda by
attacking first toward Torre Poggiolli to NE, but
is unable to gain this objective; 3d Bn, 339th Inf,
tries to assist attack on Torre Poggiolli but is stopped
by opposition from Montarello. Boundary between
85th and 88th Divs is altered in preparation for
strong effort by 88th Div on 26th to break through
last heights before Imola. 337th Inf of 85th Div
takes responsibility for M. la Fine, releasing 349th
Inf of 88th Div. Br 13 Corps battles for heights
commanding Palazzuolo, Marradi, and S. Benedetto.
Several attempts by 1st Div to take M. Gamberaldi
fail. Ind 8th Div begins attack on M. di
Castelnuovo, where enemy resists strongly. 6th
Armd Div, previously ordered to Eighth Army
front, is directed to remain in place and contain
enemy on right flank of corps.
In Br Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Ind 4th Div
is delayed in crossing the Uso on left flank of corps
by fire from Cornacchiara on far bank, but enemy
withdraws, night 25–26. 46th Div expands its Uso
bridgehead toward Canonica. 1st Armd Div, after
establishing bridgehead across the Uso at S. Arcangelo
and Highway 9, is relieved there by 56th
Div. In Cdn 1 Corps area, 5th Armd Div secures
bridgehead across the Uso.
CBI—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek refuses
to accept Gen Stilwell as commander of Ch forces.
MOROTAI—TF TRADEWIND Is. dissolved. Gen
Hall, as CG XI Corps, is responsible for continuing
base development.