1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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feld. 28th Cav Sq clears Eselborn and makes contact
with enemy at Clerf and Drauffelt. Night 23–
24, elements of TF Fickett attempt to take Clerf and
Mecher and gain latter. In XII Corps area, Fuhren
falls to 4th Div. 5th Div elements reach vicinity of
Nachtmanderscheid and Hoscheid but are unable to
secure either of these. On 80th Div front, 317th Inf,
attacking NE toward the Clerf, reaches high
ground just W of Wilwerwiltz and Enscherange;
319th crosses the Wiltz at Merkols and Kautenbach
and clears Merkols. 346th Inf of 87th Div occupies
Wasserbillig, at confluence of Sauer and Moselle
Rivers. In XX Corps area, Germans, mounting
strong tank-infantry counterattacks against 94th
Div, regain Berg, but 302d Inf, employing attached
bn of 376th bolstered by elements of CCA, 8th
Armd Div, recaptures Nennig while 3d Bn, 302d,
holds Wies and helps close gap between there and
Nennig. 3d Cav Gp is given new sector between 94th
and 95th Divs.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI
Corps area, enemy forces left flank of 103d Div
back past Rothbach.
In Fr 1st Army’s 2d Corps area, 1st Moroccan
Div crosses Ill R between Illhaeusern and Illwald,
to N of U.S. crossing site. Supporting vehicles use
bridge at Illhaeusern, though that town is not completely
cleared for several days. U.S. 3d Div continues
S toward Canal de Colmar: 7th Inf clears
Ostheim; 30th crosses Ill R and reaches outskirts of
Holtzwihr, but supporting armor is unable to cross
and infantry is forced back to river line at Maison
Rouge. Elements of 254th Inf, attached to 3d Div,
drive to Weiss R line near Sigolsheim.
EASTERN EUROPE—In NE East Prussia, Third
White Russian Front captures Wehlau, between
Insterburg and Koenigsberg. Second White Russian
Front captures Ortelsburg and progresses toward
Elbing; in N Poland, seizes Brodnica and Lipno.
Polish cities of Bromberg and Kalisz fall to First
White Russian Front. First Ukrainian Front reaches
Oder R line near Breslau (Silesia) on 37-mile front.
Germans fighting toward the Danube in Hungary
force Russians from Szekesfehervar. Second Ukrainian
Front has gone on the offensive N of Miskolc
and in conjunction with Fourth Rumanian Army
takes a number of Czechoslovakian towns and
communities.
BURMA—In NCAC area, convoy from Ledo
starts forward from Myitkyina toward China. Continuing
S along the Irrawaddy, 29th Brig of Br
36th Div reaches Twinnge.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
160th Inf of 40th Div runs into opposition at
Bamban but secures the town, airfield, and crossing
site over Bamban R. Moving to left of 160th, 108th
seizes Concepcion. Rcn elements S of Concepcion
[ 24 JANUARY 1945 ]
drive off enemy force at Magalang. In I Corps area,
2d Bn of 169th Inf, 43d Div, continues to meet
strong resistance on Hill 355. From Hill 600, 3d Bn
of 103d Inf moves back to Pozorrubio; 2d Bn
advances to Bobonan. 172d Inf gains ridge at W
edge of Pugo Valley.
CAMOTES Is.—7th Div TF clearing Poro I. runs
into opposition on Hill 854.
24 January
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br
Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 7th Armd Div overruns
Weerd, Aandenberg, and Montfort. 52d Div
completes capture of Heinsberg; occupies Haaren
without opposition. 43d Div clears Schleiden and
Uetterath.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VII
Corps is pinched out as 84th Div clears rest of its
zone. In XVIII Corps (A/B) area, 75th Div takes
Aldringen, concluding its Salm R drive. 30th Div
improves positions E of Neundorf. CCB, 7th Armd
Div, is clearing region S and SE of St Vith. In V
Corps area, 1st Div, renewing offensive, advances
steadily against moderate resistance: 16th Inf clears
Bambusch woods; 18th captures Moderscheid; 26th
takes Buellingen–Butgenbach–St Vith road junction
at N edge of the Richelsbusch and continues SW
on Buellingen–St Vith road.
In U.S. Third Army area, VIII Corps, instead of
being pinched out as anticipated, receives additional
territory on its right flank as advance elements
approach St Vith. 17th A/B Div takes over the new
region while continuing advance toward Thommen
and Landscheid. In III Corps area, as direction of
corps attack changes from NE to E, CCA of 6th
Armd Div secures area within Trois Vierges–
Wilwerdange–Binsfeld triangle and takes Holler
and Breidfeld. Elements of 26th and 90th Divs become
responsible for sector along W bank of Clerf
R formerly held by TF Fickett. 90th Div repels
predawn attack NE of Binsfeld; supporting armor
crosses river at Trois Vierges and reaches Binsfeld;
359th Inf attacks across river to area N of Urspelt.
26th Div crosses river SE of Weicherdange and
organizes on high ground. In XII Corps area, 4th
Div consolidates along W bank of Our R from Vianden
to confluence of Our and Sauer Rivers.
5th Div clears village NW of Vianden; also clears
Nachtmanderscheid, and Hoscheid. 80th Div completes
capture of Kautenbach and takes Alscheid
and Enscherange. In XX Corps area, 94th Div,
though supported by assault guns of 8th Armd Div,
is unable to clear Berg but gains small bridgehead
through AT obstacles. Scheduled attack through
Berg by CCA, 8th Armd Div, has to be postponed.