1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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attacks to reduce Umurbrogol Pocket; progress during
the next few days is very slow.
1 October
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s 2 Corps area, mop-up of Calais is completed
during morning. In Br I Corps area, Cdn 2d
Div begins drive W across Antwerp–Turnhout
Canal toward Beveland Peninsula through N suburbs
of Antwerp. 49th Div is engaging enemy N of
St Leonard. Pol armor crosses Dutch frontier on
right flank of corps.
In Br Second Army area, Germans make another
strong but futile attempt to reach Nijmegen bridges,
pushing S from Arnhem.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army area,
XXIX TAC of U.S. Ninth Air Force, which is to
support Ninth Army, is detached from IX TAC and
becomes an independent body. VIII Corps, consisting
of 2d and 8th Divs and supporting units, prepares
to take over sector of V Corps, First Army.
U.S. First Army spends most of its time during
October encircling and reducing Aachen, from
which drive on Cologne is to begin. In XIX Corps
area, two-pronged attack to clear Peel Marshes continues
to gain little ground. Main offensive of corps,
attack on West Wall between Aachen and Geilenkirchen,
cannot be undertaken as planned on this
date because of poor weather conditions.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, elements
of 83d Div (Co C of 329th Inf) reach outskirts of
Grevenmacher, on W bank of the Moselle N of
Remich. In XII Corps area, 35th Div is clearing
enemy from Forêt de Grémecey, thrusting to edge
of woods at some points. CCR of 6th Armd Div
moves S from Pettoncourt and clears Chambrey,
where it is relieved by 137th Inf, and CCA moves
around W edge of the forest through Jallaucourt
to seize Lemoncourt–Fresnes ridge, which it turns
over to 134th Inf. This about ends battle of Forêt de
Grémecey. On N flank of corps, 80th Div begins
limited attacks to improve positions W of Seille R;
CO of 318th Inf attempts unsuccessfully to take farm
strongpoint that controls Pont Mousson–Nomeny
road.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 79th Div commits 314th Regt in Forêt
de Parroy: moving forward from Croismare, 314th
gradually pinches out 313th and continues attack
to right of 315th. Progress within the forest is still
very slow. Elements of Fr 2d Armd Div, in conjunction
with attack of 45th Div (VI Corps), cut Rambervillers–Baccarat
road.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, troops of S African 6th Armd Div on M.
Catarelto are forced to give ground under strong
[ 1–2 OCTOBER 1944 ]
enemy counterattacks. TF 45 and RCT 6 of BEF
are joined under operational command of Maj Gen
Enrice Gaspar Dutra, Brazilian Minister of War.
II Corps begins offensive toward Bologna at 0600
after arty preparation. Enemy resists stubbornly from
improvised strongpoints. On left flank of the 34th
Div, 168th Inf drive down Sambro Valley until
stopped by strongpoint on Hill 789; 133d attempts
to take M. del Gallete but is halted short of crest and
cannot clear village of Cedrecchia. 91st Div attacks
toward Loiano with 363d Inf on left and 362d on
right but is soon held up in Monghidoro area. 339th
Inf, 85th Div, heading for M. Bibele, takes La
Martina and begins clearing ridge to E; on right,
337th Inf dears the ridge as far as Spedaletto. 88th
Div, although still heavily engaged on right flank at
M. Battaglia, attacks with 349th Inf to protect right
flank of 85th Div in region E of Sillaro R, taking
Belvedere. In Br 13 Corps area, work continues on
Palazzuolo–Marradi road in 1st Div zone. 19th Brig,
Ind 8th Div, begins assault on M. Cavallara.
In Br Eighth Army area, Gen McCreery, formerly
10 Corps commander, takes command of Eighth
Army, relieving Gen Sir Oliver Leese, who will head
Allied Land Forces in Asia. In 5 Corps area, Ind
4th Div, whose scheduled relief by Ind 10th Div
must be delayed because of flooding conditions, advances
left flank of corps toward the Fiumicino,
pushing toward S. Martino and taking Montecchio
without opposition. Activity on rest of corps front
comes to a standstill along the Fiumicino. In Cdn 1
Corps area, stalemate continues along the Fiumicino.
Plans to attack are made and canceled from
time to time because of rain.
GREECE—From Kithira I., British Advance
Coastal Forces base and 9th Commandos move by
sea to Poros Bay to reconnoiter, leaving elements of
Greek Sacred Regt on Kithira. Greek Naval Port
parties land on Mytilene (Lesbos), Lemnos, and
Levita.
2 October
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: Field
Marshal Montgomery decides to drive SE against
the Ruhr from Nijmegen rather than continue northward.
Gen Eisenhower asks that the 2 U.S. divs
with Br Second Army be returned as soon as
possible.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s XIX
Corps area, after aerial preparation that is none too
successful and arty bombardment that virtually
eliminates enemy flak, 30th Div begins corps’ assault
on West Wall, attacking across the shallow Wurm
R between Aachen and Geilenkirchen. 117th Inf of
30th Div, crossing at Marienberg, reduces band of
pillboxes within its sector and takes Palenberg;