1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 30–31 OCTOBER 1944 ]
30 October
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s 2 Corps area, Cdn 2d Div completes
drive across S Beveland, reaching E end of Walcheren
causeway. Cdn 3d Div is nearing end of action
to reduce Breskens Pocket. In Br 1 Corps area, 415th
Inf, spearheading for U.S. 104th Div, reaches the
Mark and attempts to take bridge near Standdaarbuiten,
but Germans blow it.
In Br Second Army area, 12 Corps makes patrol
contact with 1 Corps. 7th Armd Div drives W to
Oosterhout and makes contact with Pol 1st Armd
Div of 1 Corps there. In 8 Corps area, enemy makes
final effort to advance in Peel Marshes but is
brought to a halt.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, V
Corps outlines further action to be taken by 28th
Div after it seizes its first objective, line Vossenack–
Schmidt.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 357th Inf
of 90th Div completes capture of Maizières-lès-
Metz, thus opening route to Metz from the N.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI
Corps area, elements of 45th Div seize St Benoit,
on Rambervillers–Raon-l’Etape road. 3d Div now
holds broad salient W of St Dié and the Meurthe
from vicinity of Nompatelize on N to Traintrux on
S. In 36th Div zone, 442d Inf at last makes contact
with and relieves 1st Bn of 141st Inf.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, Germans
begin series of counterattacks toward Palazzo
that last for several days, but CCB of S African 6th
Armd Div holds firm. In IV Corps area, RCT 6 of
BEF seizes Lama hill mass, N of Barga. During
October corps has conducted a training program
for inexperienced 1st Div, BEF, and 92d Div as the
units arrived.
In Br Eighth Army’s Pol 2 Corps area, Germans
withdraw from Caminata region. In 5 Corps area,
10th Div takes Meldola, from which enemy has
withdrawn, but runs into strong opposition as it
pushes on toward Rabbi R. 4th Div tries in vain
to get patrols across the Ronco on N flank of corps.
P.I.—AAF SWPA issues instruction for air support
of the Mindoro operation by Gen Kenney’s U.S.
Far East Air Force, comprising Fifth and Thirteenth
Air Forces. Fifth Air Force is to be the “assault air
force” but Thirteenth Air Force, RAAF, carrierbased
planes of U.S. Third and Seventh Fleets, and
land-based planes of Seventh Fleet are also to assist
as are B–29’s of U.S. Twentieth Air Force.
LEYTE—U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area, 3d
Bn of 34th Inf, 24th Div, starts toward Carigara
along road from Jaro but is halted almost at once
by Japanese. 2d and 1st Bns are given supporting
roles as 3d Bn renews efforts to advance up the
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road without getting beyond outskirts of Jaro. Co K,
19th Inf, makes contact with elements of XXIV
Corps at Lopdak. Co C skirmishes with enemy at
Rizal. Gen Krueger orders relief of 21st Inf, 24th
Div, in the quiet Panaon Strait area by a bn of 32d
Inf. In XXIV Corps area, 2d and 3d Bns of 383d
Inf, 96th Div, attack San Vicente from Guinarona
R and find the barrio and hill of the same name undefended.
17th Inf, 7th Div, completes capture of
Dagami in morning and spends rest of day mopping
up. Contact is made with X Corps units across
Binahaan R north of Dagami by means of message
dropped by air and with 96th Div on E by patrols,
concluding current mission of 17th Inf. 7th Div, on
its beachhead line, is ordered to move elements from
Abuyog to Baybay and be prepared to move to W
coast.
31 October
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s 2 Corps area, Cdn 2d Div starts W
across Walcheren causeway from S Beveland but
is halted by enemy fire. Amphibious assault forces
at Breskens and Ostend prepare to land on Walcheren.
In the Breskens Pocket, only small enemy
groups remain in coastal area. Cadzand and Knocks
are free of enemy. In Br 1 Corps area, while main
body of corps is closing along the Mark, advance
elements attempt unsuccessfully to establish bridgeheads.
1st Bn of 415th Inf, U.S. 104th Div, crosses
NE of Standdaarbuiten in assault boats early in day
but is encircled by enemy counterattacking force and
withdraws after nightfall. Elements of Pol 1st
Armd Div cross the river E of Zevenbergen, but
they too are forced back to S bank. Enemy fire prevents
bridging.
In Br Second Army area, 12 Corps overcomes opposition
at Raamsdonk; releases 53d Div, which has
completed its current mission with corps, to 8 Corps
for action in Peel Marshes. In 8 Corps area, Maj
Gen Lindsay McD. Silvester is replaced as commander
of U.S. 7th Armd Div by Maj Gen Robert
W. Hasbrouck, former CCB commander. Div front
is confined to Nederweert area as Belgian 1st Brig,
along Nederweert–Wessem Canal, is detached. The
Belgian force is augmented by a Br armored brig.
15th Div regains Liesel.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, Fr 2d Armd Div, with CCV on left
and CCD on right, drives SE from Forêt de Mondon,
taking enemy by surprise and overwhelming
his forward positions Montigny, Merviller, and N
part of Baccarat are cleared; other elements of div
provide diversion on S flank, taking Menarmont
and Nossoncourt, SW of Baccarat. In VI Corps area,
15th Inf of 3d Div attacks at night, turning northward
in region W of the Meurthe.