1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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area, 1st Div captures Ondenval and rest of Faymonville,
but progress in woods S of Butgenbach is negligible.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army’s VIII
Corps area, CCA of 11th Armd Div takes Vellereux
and pursues enemy through Mabompré; CCB, after
advancing NE through Wicourt, secures high ground
S of Houffalize. Attack of 502d Para Inf, 101st A/B
Div, is halted near Bourcy, but 506th Para Inf captures
Vaux and. Rachamps. In III Corps area, 6th
Armd Div continues NE toward Moinet: 320th Inf,
attached, takes Michamps; TF Lagrew, CCA, advances
through Longvilly. 90th Div clears heights E
of Longvilly and seizes Oberwampach and Shimpach.
Lt Gen Leonard T. Gerow assumes command of
U.S. Fifteenth Army.
6th Army Group: 28th Div is attached to U.S.
Seventh Army but will operate under control of Fr
1st Army.
In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, 45th Div,
on E flank of Bitche salient, withstands pressure near
Obermuhlthal. CCA of 14th Armd Div is halted in
Rittershoffen and CCR loses ground in Hatten. In
79th Div sector, elements of 232d Inf intercept German
force at Dengolsheim and drive it back to Dahlhunden.
12th Armd Div attacks to reduce Gambsheim
bridgehead: infantry elements of CCB cross
river SE of Rohrweiler but fall back to Rohrweiler
when enemy fire prevents construction of bridge for
armor; CCA, attacking from Weyersheim toward
Offendorf, makes better progress but fails to reach
objective.
EASTERN EUROPE—Radom (Poland) falls to First
White Russian Front; First Ukrainian Front is driving
on Czestochowa and Cracow.
BURMA—In NCAC area, U.S. 5332d Brig gets
into position for attack on Burma Road in
Namhpakka area, between Hsenwi and Wanting.
114th Regt, Ch 38th Div, continues toward Namhkam–Namhpakka
trail, reaching Ta-kawn.
CHINA—China Theater is notified that B–29’s
will be moved to the Marianas.
SOUTH CHINA SEA—TF 38 planes attack shipping,
airfields, and ground installations along Chinese
coast from Swatow to Luichow Peninsula and at
Hainan I. Main effort is against Hong Kong, where
good concentration of shipping is found. Results
against shipping and aircraft are disappointing but
important ground installations are hit. Enemy air
strength proves surprisingly weak.
LUZON—Airstrip in Lingayen Gulf area becomes
operational.
In U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps’ zone is extended
to cover region from Bayambang W into Zambales
Mtns. Bridges are to be constructed over the
Agno for use of heavy equipment. Regrouping
[ 17 JANUARY 1945 ]
and widespread patrolling ensue. In I Corps area,
25th Div is attached to corps from army reserve to
secure line Binalonan–Urdaneta and enters line between
6th and 43d Divs, whereupon 6th prepares to
move on Urdaneta and the Cabaruan Hills. 43d Div
attempts to take Rosario and junction of Routes 3
and 11 but makes little headway. 103d Inf, assisted
by tanks, virtually finishes clearing Hill 200 area; elements
move into Pozorrubio. During night 16–17,
Japanese make local counterattacks but are driven
back with heavy losses.
MINDORO—19th Inf, upon establishing outpost
at Bulalacao, finds that the area is infested with
Japanese.
17 January
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br Second
Army’s 12 Corps area, some elements of 7th
Armd Div advance NE from Dieteren and seize Echt
while others move S and take Susteren.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, 3d Armd
Div mops up and improves positions near Cherain
and Sterpigny. 331st Inf, 83d Div, starts to clear
high ground SW of Courtil. In XVIII Corps (A/B)
area, 75th Div seizes Petit Thier, Vielsalm, and
neighboring villages, 106th Div is pinched out by
75th and 30th Divs. 30th Div is unable to reduce
roadblock at junction of Recht–Born and Malmédy–
St Vith roads. In V Corps area, 1st Div, making
main effort on right, fights to clear defile S of Ondenval
through which 7th Armd Div will pass in
attack on St Vith. 23d Inf attacks toward high
ground N and NW of Iveldingen, pocketing enemy
in N part of the Wolfsbusch and moving slowly
through the Rohrbusch.
U.S. First Army reverts to U.S. 12th Army Group
at midnight 17–18.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army’s VIII
Corps area, Bourcy and Hardigny fall to 101st A/B
Div. Having cleared enemy from area between Bastogne
and Ourthe R, corps goes on the defensive. In
III Corps area, 6th Armd Div meets heavy resistance
near Bourcy–Longvilly road. 90th Div resists enemy
efforts to regain Oberwampach and clears wooded
area S of RR track. XII Corps completes preparations
for attack: 87th Div takes over 4th Div zone along
the Sauer from Echternach to Wasserbillig, with 4th
Div now on left and 2d Cav Gp on right; 4th Div
takes responsibility for portion of 5th Div zone.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XXI
Corps area, TF Herren ( — 274th Inf) takes command
of 103d Div sector. In VI Corps area, 103d
Div takes over TF Herren’s sector and 274th Inf in
position. 1st Bn of 315th Inf, attached to 14th Armd
Div, attacks toward Rittershoffen, where CCA is still
engaged, but cannot reach the town; CCR with-