1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 21 JANUARY 1945 ]
Langfroich and relieving elements of 52d Div in
Breberen. 12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s
XVIII Corps (A/B) area, 75th Div clears to SE edge
of Grand Bois. 30th mops up to S edge of Bois de
Born and Bois d’Emmels, last ridge before St Vith.
7th Armd Div attacks S toward St Vith through
Ondenval defile, with Deidenberg and Born as immediate
objectives: CCA drives beyond Deidenberg,
but CCB, held up by mines and deep snow, is unable
to take Born.
In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, CCR of
11th Armd Div, finding that enemy has withdrawn
from area E of Hardigny–Bourcy line, moves forward
2 miles, establishing line through Boeur,
Wandesbourcy, and Bois aux Chênes. 17th A/B
Div advances beyond Tavigny. In III Corps area,
CCA of 6th Armd Div captures Moinet and Hill
510 to E. Elements of 358th Inf, 80th Div, meet
heavy fire as they approach Derenbach and are
forced to withdraw; N of Oberwampach a bn of
359th Inf captures Chifontaine and Allerborn.
328th Inf, 26th Div, establishes bridgehead across
Wiltz R 2 miles S of Oberwampach. In XII Corps
area, 4th Div, committing RCT 12 on left of RCT
8, continues attack N of the Sauer, clearing angle
formed by junction of Sauer and Our Rivers, bypassing
Longsdorf to gain positions just N and
occupying Tandel. 5th Div takes Kippenhof, Brandenburg,
and commanding ground near latter.
318th Inf, 80th Div, secures Burden without opposition.
In XX Corps area, 1st Bn of 301st Inf,
94th Div, attacks toward Orscholz but is halted
short; 302d clears fortifications and repels counterattacks.
95th Div decisively defeats counterattacks
in Saarlautern bridgehead.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army area, VI
Corps starts orderly withdrawal to new defensive
positions along Rothbach Rau–Moder R line at nightfall.
45th Div makes unsuccessful attempt to reach
encircled 3d Bn, 157th Inf, elements of which infiltrate
to main body. Some troops of 2d Bn, 314th Inf,
escape from Drusenheim but rest of bn is reported
missing in action.
Fr 1st Army opens offensive to eliminate Colmar
Pocket, attacking with 1st Corps from the S. 1st
Corps employs 2 divs (4th Moroccan Mtn Div on W
and 2d Moroccan Inf Div on E) reinf by armor of 1st
Armd Div along axis Cernay–Ensisheim. Weather
conditions are poor and progress is so slow that initial
corps objective, Ensisheim, is not reached until
early February. In 2d Corps area, U.S. 28th Div completes
relief of U.S. 3d Div and takes command of
sector from Sigolsheim SW to Le Valtin. Corps prepares
to join in offensive to reduce Colmar Pocket.
EASTERN EUROPE—East Prussia is being enveloped
by Third and Second White Russian Fronts:
[ 379 ]
Third takes Tilsit; Second, thrusting N toward East
Prussia from Poland, gets elements across SW border
near Tannenberg. First White Russian and First
Ukrainian Fronts continue W in Poland toward Germany,
former in general direction of Berlin and latter
toward Silesia. In the Carpathians, Fourth Ukrainian
Front takes Nowy Sacz in Poland and Bardejov,
Presov, and Kosice (Kassa) in Czechoslovakia. Hard
fighting is reported in Szekesfehervar region of Hungary,
SW of Budapest, as Germans attempt to break
through to the Danube.
BURMA–CHINA—While official Allied convoy
from Ledo is waiting at Myitkyina, small truck convoy
led by Lt Hugh A. Pock of Oklahoma reaches
Kunming, China, via Teng-chung cutoff—hastily repaired
but still very rough—completing 16-day trip
from Myitkyina. This secondary route is of little
practical value. Ch 9th Div on Salween front finds
Wanting clear of enemy. Forward elements of Ch
38th Div (CAI) make patrol contact with Chinese
of Y-force near Muse. U.S. 5332d Brig improves
positions near Burma Road.
SWPA—Gen Eichelberger recommends to Gen
MacArthur that 11th A/B Div make a single landing
on Luzon, at Nasugbu Bay, instead of the two
(Nasugbu Bay and Tayabas or Balayan Bays) originally
contemplated. This would solve problems of air and
naval support.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army area, Gen Krueger
asks Allied Air Forces not to bomb bridges S of the
Agno since they are needed to speed drive on Manila.
In XIV Corps area, 160th Inf of 40th Div gets
forward elements to within 4 miles of Tarlac; 8th
begins to follow 160th southward. Forward elements
of 37th Div reach Victoria, which is undefended, and
patrol beyond there. In I Corps area, 25th Div, with
27th Inf on right and 161st on left, opens drives on
Asingan and San Manuel. 169th Inf (less 2d Bn) of
43d Div attacks Mt Alava and gets elements to crest.
103d gains positions on S part of Hill 600.
CAMOTES—7th Div TF is reconnoitering Pacijan
I. without incident.
MINDORO—Bulk of 2d Bn, 19th Inf, moves to
Bulalacao to destroy enemy in that region in patrol
actions.
21 January
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br Second
Army’s 12 Corps area, 52d Div clears villages of
Hontem and Selsent; moves into Braunsrath without
opposition. 43d Div finds Schierwaldenrath
clear.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII
Corps area, 84th Div takes over former 83d Div—3d
Armd Div sector and prepares to attack toward
Gouvy–Beho region, between Houffalize and St