1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 338 ]
BURMA—In NCAC area, Br 36th Div, replacing
72d Brig with 29th, patrols actively in Pinwe
area.
LEYTE—U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area,
1st Bn of 34th Inf, 24 Div, relieves Co A with Co C
on Kilay Ridge. The bn is highly vulnerable to
enemy attack from different directions and is maintaining
positions with use of arty. In XXIV Corps
area, Japanese make another night attack, 26–27,
on Shoestring Ridge, about 200 enemy troops gaining
positions in bamboo thicket within American
lines, but 400 Japanese dead are counted at conclusion
of the action.
27 November
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: U.S. 101st
A/B Div is relieved in Cdn 2 Corps sector.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army’s XIX
Corps area, CCA of 2d Armd Div finishes clearing
Merzenhausen and hills near there. 29th Div clears
to the Roer except for 2 strongpoints in Juelich:
Kirchberg falls to 115th Inf, which attacks from
Pattern, taking enemy by surprise; elements of 116th
Inf make contact with isolated forces in Koslar.
120th Inf, 30th Div, attacks with attached bn of
119th Inf toward Altkirch but is halted short of
objective.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, 104th Div
mops up in Weisweiler–Frenz sector. Elements of
47th Inf, TF Richardson, at Frenzerburg Castle,
repel enemy counterthrust but are still unable to
gain entrance. 18th Inf of 1st Div extends its positions
on Hill 203 to crest but enemy retains reverse
slopes. 4th Div continues to consolidate and improve
positions in Huertgen Forest; elements of V Corps
relieve 12th Inf near Huertgen. In V Corps area,
8th Div, with increased fire support, continues attack
toward Huertgen and gains hold on NE and
W edges.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 10th Armd
Div breaks off action toward Saarburg after laboriously
clearing enemy infiltrators from Tettingen and
repelling counterattack against Borg. Enemy retains
Oberleuken and Nennig. Gen Walker directs 3d
Cav Gp to relieve CCA and screen N flank of corps;
orders 10th Armd Div to face E. 90th Div, now
well ahead of flanking forces, halts near the Sarre
and prepares for final drive to the river. 95th Div
advances rapidly, 377th Inf reaching positions within
a mile of German border and 378th reaching Falck
and Dalem. Co-ordinated drive by 90th and 95th
Divs is ordered for 29th. Bn of 10th Inf, 5th Div, is
attached to 95th Div and takes responsibility for
Bois de Kerfent, at boundary of XX and XII Corps,
relieving elements of 80th Div. In XII Corps area,
80th Div enters St Avold, from which enemy has
[ 27 NOVEMBER 1944 ]
withdrawn, and regains contact near Seingbouse.
Div’s attack has forced general enemy withdrawal
across the Maderbach, so 6th Armd Div remains in
place. 328th Inf, 26th Div, occupies Honskirch and
101st moves into Altwiller without a fight. CCB
and CCA, 4th Armd Div, attack E of the Sarre,
overrunning Wolfskirchen, Eywiller, and Gungwiller;
CCA tries unsuccessfully to break into
Durstel.
6th Army Group: Boundary between 12th and
6th Army Groups is moved northward through
West Wall defenses, narrowing zone of 12th.
In U.S. Seventh Army area, Gen Eisenhower orders
army to attack N to help Third Army gain
Saar Basin. In XV Corps area, 100th Div arrives in
Sarrebourg sector and relieves elements of 44th Div.
German threat to corps from the N subsides, but
positions are still vulnerable on this wing. Fr 2d
Armd Div passes to operational control of VI
Corps. In VI Corps area, elements of 3d Div relieve
Fr 2d Armd Div at Strasbourg. French prepare to
drive S along the Rhine. CCA, 14th Armd Div, advances
SE through Obernai toward Barr and
Erstein to block exits from the Vosges and help
southward drive of Fr armor. 103d Div presses
toward Barr–Sélestat road, elements taking Le Hohwald.
From Ste Marie, 36th Div is driving E
on Sélestat.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, Br 13
Corps is ordered to go on the offensive as soon as
weather conditions permit. Ind 8th Div loses contact
with enemy.
In Br Eighth Army area, army issues orders for
major winter offensive in early December. In Pol 2
Corps area, enemy resistance E of the Lamone in
region S of Faenza is virtually at an end. In 5 Corps
area, NZ 2d Div replaces 4th Div in line. Canadians
of 1 Corps relieve right flank elements of Ind 10th
Div N of Casa Bettini so that latter can make a
concentrated effort to take bridge at Casa Bettini,
badly needed for deployment of Cdn 1 Corps in
Adriatic coastal sector. In 10 Corps area, Cremona
Gp arrives between 27 November and 3 December.
CHINA—Gen Wedemeyer presents to Chiang
Kai-shek a plan to furnish munitions to Chinese
Communists. The proposal is rejected.
PALAUS—Hostilities on Peleliu end. Approximately
13,600 Japanese have been killed on Angaur,
Peleliu, and small islands off Peleliu; prisoners total
about 400. 81st Div and attached units have suffered
over 3,275 casualties, including 542 killed. Reinf 1st
Mar Div casualties total about 1,250 killed and 5,275
wounded.
LEYTE—Bn of 306th Inf, 77th Div, leaves Leyte
for operation against Mindoro.
U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area, 1st Bn of 34th
Inf, 24th Div, on Kilay Ridge, learns from patrol