1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 23 OCTOBER 1944 ]
EAST PRUSSIA—Soviet forces, after penetrating
outer defense lines along NE frontier of East Prussia,
are brought to a halt short of Insterburg. Activity
in this area soon subsides and positions remain about
the same until January 1945
YUGOSLAVIA—With the fall of Sombor, SW of
Subotica, Allied forces control most of E bank of
the Danube as far N as Hungarian town of Baja.
MEDITERRANEAN—Lt Gen Joseph T. McNarney
replaces Gen Devers as head of NATOUSA.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, S African
6th Armd Div continues toward crest of M.
Salvaro in drenching rain. II Corps receives verbal
orders to continue offensive on right flank to line
Ribano Hill–M. Castelazzo, then to Highway 9.
Accordingly, 88th and 85th Divs jump off, night
22–23, and get about a mile beyond M. Grande by
dawn, taking Hill 568, M. Castellaro, and Hill 459.
Rest of corps regroups to provide reserve force. 91st
Div is reinf by 135th Inf of 34th Div; 362d and 363d
Regts are withdrawn from line and Div zone is
narrowed. 34th Div is gradually to extend its front,
under cover of darkness, to include part of that
formerly held by 91st Div. Br 13 Corps is ordered to
take M. Spadura and continue northward between
Imola and Castel San Pietro roads. 78th Div places
fire on M. Spadura. Enemy withdrawal to E permits
other units of corps to advance. 21st Brig, Ind 8th
Div, takes M. Romano without opposition.
In Br Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Ind 10th Div
expands its Savio bridgeheads westward, 20th Brig
pushing almost to crest of M. Cavallo. 4th Div is
unable to progress from its bridgehead until heavy
equipment can be crossed to it. In Cdn 1 Corps area,
Cdn 1st Div is handicapped by the swollen Savio
and is unable to cross supporting weapons into
bridgehead. Cdn 5th Armd Div relieves NZ 2d Div
in line and resumes command of 5th Armd Brig,
previously known as Cumberland Force; elements
moving up coast take Cervia and Pisignano.
LEYTE—U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area,
7th Cav of 2d Brig, 1st Cav Div, mops up Tacloban
and takes rest of hill to SW. 8th Cav is placed under
control of 2d Brig and takes up positions W of 7th
Cav, except for Tr C, which moves to Anibong Pt.
5th Cav of 1st Brig, after laborious effort to advance
over difficult terrain W of Caibaan, is ordered to
halt and maintain current positions. 34th Inf, 24th
Div, assisted by arty fire and naval aircraft, secures
Pawing area with capture of hill to W. 19th Inf
repels counterattacks against Palo, killing 91 Japanese,
and mops up. In XXIV Corps area, after nightlong
shelling of Labiranan Head, 1st Bn of 383d
Inf, 96th Div, recaptures it while other elements of
regt seize San Roque on Highway 1. 382d Inf takes
Tigbao and Canmangui and sets up 3 night perim-
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eters: one at Mati, one 800 yards E of Bolongtohan,
and one 500 yards SE of Tigbao. 32d Inf, 7th Div,
gets about halfway to Burauen against sporadic resistance.
184th, assisted by aircraft of Seventh Fleet,
advances more rapidly, gaining 2,800 yards before
being ordered to halt until 32d Inf can come abreast.
17th Inf, less 3d Bn, assembles in Dulag airfield
area.
23 October
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s Br I Corps area, U.S. 104th Div, inexperienced
in combat, begins moving into line
along Antwerp–Breda highway between 49th Div
and Pol 1st Armd Div. On left flank of corps, Cdn
4th Armd Div swings W from Esschen toward
Bergen-op–Zoom to seal off Beveland Isthmus, along
which Cdn 2d Div of 2 Corps is preparing to drive.
12th Army Group: Front is generally quiet as
preparations for offensive in November continue.
6th Army Group: Gen Eisenhower, in personal
letter to Gen Devers, orders Sixth Army Group to
protect S flank of 12th Army Group in coming
offensive toward the Rhine.
In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV Corps area, 44th Div
commits 71st Inf to action, relieving elements of
79th Div of newly won positions E of Forêt de
Parroy. In VI Corps area, 3d Div is meeting stronger
resistance as it approaches Les Rouges Eaux, on road
to St Dié. To left, 180th Inf of 45th Div succeeds
in establishing bridgehead across Mortagne R E of
Fremifontaine, from which to push NE toward
Raon-l’Etape. On right flank, 36th Div extends
positions E of Bruyères to Biffontaine; 1st Bn of
141st, attempting to secure heights N of La Houssière,
becomes isolated in Forêt Domaniale de
Champ.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, S African
6th Div, attacking in force toward M. Salvaro,
drives to summit; elements to right begin assault
on M. Termine. In IV Corps area, TF 92, after unsuccessful
attempt to push NE from M. Cauala,
goes on the defensive in coastal sector. In II Corps
area, enemy counterattacks and recovers Hill 459
from 85th Div. Elsewhere on right flank of corps,
counterattacks are repulsed and bypassed pockets
cleared. At night, 2d Bn of 351st Inf, 88th Div, attacks
toward Vedriano and Co G takes Vedriano
by dawn of 24th. 133d Inf, 34th Div, seizes M.
Belmonte. In Br 13 Corps area, 78th Div, renewing
assault on M. Spadura with 11th and 38th Brigs,
clears this feature. 1st Div takes M. Cornazzano
without opposition; gains ground N of M. Ceco.
21st Brig, Ind 8th Div, seizes M. Giro and pushes
on toward M. Colombo; 17th takes M. Casalino.