1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 20 NOVEMBER 1944 ]
Div, enters battle in zone of 26th Div, recapturing
Rodalbe and helping 320th Inf of 35th Div to take
Virming.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 44th Div, pushing toward Sarrebourg,
takes Ibigny and St Georges. German line along the
Vezouse in Blâmont–Cirey area collapses as 79th
Div completes capture of Fremonville and CCR, Fr
2d Armd Div, takes Cirey. To exploit breakthrough,
CCL begins drive to secure Saverne Gap, through
which advance can be continued to Strasbourg. 79th
Div, instead of helping 44th Div take Sarrebourg,
is to exploit success of Fr armor and protect S flank
of corps. VI Corps closes along the Meurthe and prepares
to attack across it. CCA, 14th Armd Div, is
attached to corps. 100th Div, already E of the Meurthe,
continues to advance in Raon area, 398th Inf
pushing S across the Plaine to gain control of road
SE from the town and 397th working on quarry
strongpoint at edge of town. Div Rcn Tr and 117th
Rcn Sq advance to Badonviller without opposition.
In Fr 1st Army’s 1st Corps area, 2d Moroccan
Div, supported by 5th Armd Div, reaches Châlonvillars,
suburb of Belfort. 1st Armd Div tries unsuccessfully
to open route to Dannemarie so that
5th Armd Div may drive on Cernay via Fontaine;
continuing rcn eastward along 3 routes on right
flank, gets elements to the Rhine at Rosenau at 1830.
French are thus first of the Allied forces to reach
the Rhine, but on a narrow front in sector where
road net is too poor to support an advance in
strength. Among villages taken, Seppois is the first
in Alsace to be recovered by the French.
GREECE—Land Forces Greece and Military Liaison
Greece are integrated as Headquarters Land
Forces and Military Liaison Greece, under Gen
Scobie.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 4 Corps
area, Ind 19th Div begins crossing the Chindwin at
Sittaung.
ASIA Is.—In U.S. Eighth Army area, elements
of 31st Div invade Asia Is., 100 nautical miles NW
of Sansapor.
LEYTE—77th Div, en route to Leyte, is ordered
to release detachment of some 1,200, upon landing,
for projected operation against Mindoro.
U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area, 1st Bn of
128th Inf, 32d Div, continues efforts to drive enemy
from Corkscrew Ridge. 1st Bn of 34th Inf, still
under heavy fire on Kilay Ridge, withdraws 100 yards
N, abandoning knoll on S.
20 November
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br
Second Army area, 12 Corps continues toward the
Maas with 49th Div, supported by elements of 4th
[ 331 ]
Separate Armd Brig, and 51st Div. 51st finds villages
on the river SW of Venlo clear of enemy. In
30 Corps area, 334th Inf of 84th Div eliminates
resistance in environs of Prummern with help of
Br flame-throwing tanks, but enemy retains heights
to NE. Strong opposition is slowing other elements
of corps.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army’s XIX
Corps area, 2d Armd Div, assisted by attached Br
tanks, renews all-out drive in heavy rainfall; CCB
employs 3 TF’s against Gereonsweiler and takes
the town; one CCA TF overruns Ederen and another
clears Freialdenhoven. 29th Div, after seizing
village of Niedermerz, makes 2-pronged attack on
Aldenhoven, in second defensive arc of Juelich defenses,
and takes the town. 30th Div consolidates
on right flank of corps; using attached 17th Cav Sq,
maintains contact with 104th Div of VII Corps.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, 104th Div
is fighting in Rohe–Hehlrath–Duerwiss region. In
1st Div sector, 47th Inf is unable to take Hill 187,
on Hamich Ridge; some elements of 18th Inf clear
Wenau early in day and cross Wehe Creek to continue
drive on Langerwehe while others drive into
Heistern and push halfway through the village;
26th Inf seizes Laufenburg Castle and drives along
trail leading E toward Merode. 4th Div, beset with
supply problems, narrows gap within its line somewhat.
During 5 days of fighting in Huertgen Forest,
the div has gained only 1 1 /2 miles, and that at high
cost.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 95th and
5th Divs continue methodically to clear rear-guard
opposition within Metz and contain forts about the
city. Preparations are made for final drive to the
Sarre. CCA, 10th Armd Div, moves up behind 3d
Cav Gp; CCB, continuing toward Merzig, reaches
Hill 378 but pulls back to Hill 383 because of fire
from Merzig area. In XII Corps area, 80th Div conducts
rcn in force on N flank of corps, seizing bridge
at Faulquemont and establishing bridgehead N of
Nied Allemande R. CCA, 6th Armd Div, drives
toward Hellimer crossroads, followed by 137th Inf
of 35th Div. 137th upon emerging from Bois de Freybouse,
is disorganized by enemy counterattack. CCA,
4th Armd Div, followed by 320th Inf, secures Francaltroff.
26th Div advances quickly behind
retreating enemy, elements of 101st Inf reaching
Torcheville, W of Munster. Corps orders CCA, 6th
Armd Div, to attack to gain Sarre R crossings in
35th Div zone and CCB of 4th Armd Div to advance
through Mittersheim in 26th Div zone; CCA
of 4th Armd Div is recalled from Francaltroff area
to assembly area near Conthil.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, Fr 2d Armd Div commits CCD on N
flank of corps in effort to outflank Saverne Gap