1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 16 JANUARY 1945 ]
Buellingen and Amblève and to protect left flank
of XVIII Corps. 1st Div, reinf by RCT 23 of 2d Div,
attacks SE with 23d Inf on right, 16th in center,
and 18th on left; gains Steinbach, neighboring village
of Remonval, and N half of Faymonville, but is
held up S of Butgenbach by heavy fire.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army’s VIII
Corps area, CCA of 11th Armd Div takes Compogne
and Rastadt and reaches Vellereux; falls back
W of Vellereux under counterattack in Rau de Vaux
defile. CCB bypasses Neville and clears woods to
E. 506th Para Inf, 101st A/B Div, occupies Neville.
In III Corps area, 6th Armd Div, employing 320th
Inf of 35th Div, overcomes house-to-house resistance
in Oubourcy; CCB takes Arloncourt; CCA clears
heights SW of Longvilly. 358th Inf of 80th Div
meets unexpectedly strong resistance as it resumes
NE attack; 1st Bn makes forced march into 6th
Armd Div sector to attack Niederwampach from
Benonchamps area and gains town after arty barrage
by 14 FA bns. 357th Inf battles strongpoints in
and around RR tunnels along Wiltz R valley while
359th starts to Wardin. In XX Corps’ 94th Div zone,
1st Bn of 376th holds Tettingen and Butzdorf
against counterattack while 3d Bn takes Nennig,
Wies, and Berg.
6th Army Group: Issues preliminary instructions
for attack against Colmar Pocket by Fr First Army,
which for some time has been engaged in aggressive
defense of the Vosges.
In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, local actions
occur around Bitche salient perimeter. 14th
Armd Div continues fight for Rittershoffen and Hatten.
EASTERN EUROPE—Red Army offensive is extended
southward in Poland as Fourth Ukrainian
Front begins drive in Carpathian Mts from vicinity
of Sanok, SW of Cracow. To the N, First Ukrainian
Front takes Kielce.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army
area, S African 6th Armd Div, which has been under
army command, is placed under control of II Corps
in current positions.
BURMA—At conference in Myitkyina, Gens
Wedemeyer, Stratemeyer, and Sultan agree that an
AAF hq should be set up in China to command U.S.
Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces.
In NCAC area, inaugural convoy from Ledo
reaches Myitkyina, where it halts to await clearance
of enemy ahead. Ch 30th Div takes Namhkam with
ease, gaining control of lower end of Shweli Valley.
In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps area, Ind 19th
Div secures another bridgehead across the Irrawaddy,
at Kyaukmyaung.
CHINA—Japanese begin offensive for Suichwan
airfields, driving along Chaling–Lienhwa road.
[ 375 ]
SOUTH CHINA SEA—TF 38, severely handicapped
by weather conditions, launches air strikes against
shipping, airfields, and ground installations at Formosa
and along coast of China from Hong Kong to
Amoy. Because of deteriorating weather conditions,
some of the planes are diverted to Mako Ko in the
Pescadores and others to Prates Reef.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
elements of 40th Div begin probing in Dasol Bay
Balinao Peninsula area, where action is insignificant
through 18th. 2d Bn of 160th Inf takes San
Clemente, forcing enemy party back toward Camiling.
Elements of 129th Inf and 37th Rcn Tr, 37th
Div, intercept the enemy party near Camiling and
disperse it. In I Corps area, 6th Div, while continuing
holding action, extends left flank to Cabanbanan,
between Manoag and Urdaneta. Patrols find
enemy in possession of Urdaneta and Cabaruan
Hills. In 43d Div zone, 158th Inf, assisted by arty,
naval gunfire, and aircraft, begins clearing the defile
near Amlang, on road to Rosario; 63d Inf drives
N in effort to make contact with 158th but stops
for night well S of Amlang; 172d Inf clears Hill 665
and reaches Damortis-Rosario road within 1 1/2
miles of Rosario; 169th, unable to take Hill 355
from W and S, prepares to strike from E; 103d gains
most of Hill 200 area.
CAMOTES—Protected by Fifth Air Force planes
and PT boats, 7th Div TF lands unopposed on N
and S tips of Ponson I.
MINDORO—2d Bn of 21st Inf, driving on Calapan,
meets delaying opposition along Gusay Creek.
503d Para Inf, which has been assisting guerrilla
forces, terminates operations on Mindoro.
16 January
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br Second
Army area, 12 Corps opens Operation BLACK-
COCK, 7th Armd Div driving NE and seizing Dieteren
(Holland).
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, VII Corps
of First Army and VIII Corps of Third Army establish
contact near Houffalize. 2d Armd Div occupies
that part of Houffalize N of Ourthe R. Enemy resistance
continues on left flank of corps. 3d Armd
Div captures Sommerain, Cherain, and Sterpigny
but is unable to take Brisy. Attempt to get tank force
from Cherain to Rettigny fails. 83d Div consolidates
along E edge of Bois de Ronce. In XVIII Corps
(A/B) area, 75th Div makes slow progress E of the
Salm. After gaining objective line, 106th Div mops
up, 424th Inf along 75th Div boundary and 517th
Para Inf on high ground NW of Petit Thier. 30th
Div clears rest of Thirimont and pushes S toward
junction of Recht–Born road with Malmédy–St
Vith road, which enemy is blocking. In V Corps