1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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In U.S. Eighth Army area, 511th Para Inf of
11th A/B Div is dropped along Tagaytay Ridge.
Drops are widely scattered, but paratroopers are
unopposed and make contact with 188th Inf at W
end of the ridge and seize road junction at E end.
With the ridge secured, plans are made to employ
511th Inf in northward advance on Manila.
4 February
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES—U.S.-Br-Soviet
conference (MAGNETO) opens at Yalta in the Crimea
to consider Allied strategy and related political issues.
This is second phase of ARGONAUT.
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In U.S.
Ninth Army’s XVI Corps area, 35th Div starts
relief of Br 52d Div. In XIII Corps area, 29th Div,
occupying positions along the Roer before Juelich,
is transferred in place from XIII to XIX Corps.
12th Army Group: Preparations are made for 12th
Army Group to participate with 21 Army Group in
large-scale offensive to the E, scheduled to open on
10 February.
U.S. First Army is instructed to attack in Dueren
area in conjunction with Ninth Army on left and
to assume aggressive defensive on right, halting
drive on Euskirchen. In V Corps area, 311th Inf of
78th Div, attacking E from Kesternich shortly after
midnight 3–4, takes Ruhrberg and high ground
around it as a preliminary to main assault through
West Wall fortifications for approaches to Schwammenauel
Dam. 102d Cav Gp takes over defense of
Dedenborn, Ruhrberg, and Einruhr. On 9th Div
left, 47th Inf seizes Wollseifen and reaches Urft Lake,
where end of Dam 5 is secured; 39th, on right,
repels counterattack against Herhahn and pushes
toward Gemund, taking Morsbach. Elements of 9th
Inf, 2d Div, make limited attack to high ground between
Ettelscheid and Scheuren. In XVIII Corps
(A/B) area, 1st Div continues assault on West Wall.
395th Inf, committed on N, drives NE, past Hill 628
to wooded heights SW of Hellenthal; 26th takes
Hollerath; 18th consolidates in Ramscheid area. 99th
Div begins relief of 82d A/B Div. Para RCT 517,
detached from 82d A/B Div and attached to 78th
Div (V Corps), moves to Bergstein area.
U.S. Third Army units regroup as result of intercorps
boundary changes and new missions. In VIII
Corps area, while units on corps flanks consolidate
and regroup, 4th Div, attacking with 8th Inf on N
and 22d on S, breaches outer defenses of West Wall
along the Schnee Eifel ridge NE of Brandscheid.
90th Div is relieved of positions on S flank of corps
by elements of 6th Armd Div (III Corps) and 11th
Armd Div: 6th Armd Div takes over zone W of
Our R; CCR of 11th Armd Div begins relief of elements
E of the Our at night. 90th Div prepares to
[ 4 FEBRUARY 1945 ]
help 4th in attack on. Brandscheid and to continue
attack SE to Pronsfeld. III Corps completes series of
reliefs made necessary by new boundaries and assumes
responsibility for its enlarged zone. On N,
elements of 90th Div are relieved in place by elements
of 6th Armd Div. 6th Cav Gp, after being
relieved of its zone on former S flank of corps by
elements of 17th A/B Div, displaces S and relieves
elements of 5th Div (XII Corps). Corps retains defensive
mission. In XII Corps area, regrouping is
begun in preparation for offensive across Our and
Sauer Rivers through West Wall. 5th Div, relieved
by 6th Cav Gp (III Corps), takes over new zone
between 80th and 76th Divs and begins relief of
417th Inf, 80th Div, which is attached to it.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI
Corps area, activity subsides on 36th Div front,
where CCB of 14th Armd Div holds all but NW
corner of Oberhoffen and elements of RCT’s 143 and
142 clear Drusenheim woods.
In Fr 1st Army’s U.S. XXI Corps area, 3d and
75th Divs improve positions near Neuf-Brisach, 3d
in region between Rhine R and Rhine–Rhône Canal
and 75th between Rhine–Rhône Canal and Ill R.
GCB, 12th Armd Div, holds bridgeheads across the
Ill until relieved by 109th Inf, 28th Div. CCA captures
Hattstatt, on Colmar–Rouffach road, but CCR
meets strong opposition NE of there and is unable
to progress. 28th Div, assisted by Fr 10th Div, blocks
along Fecht R on corps W flank. Fr 2d Armd Div
is attached to corps with mission of driving S on E
flank upon order. 1st Corps attacks N across flooded
Thur R toward XXI Corps and makes rapid
progress. 4th Moroccan Mtn Div, in the lead, overruns
Guebwiller, on road to Rouffach, and reaches
S edge of Rouffach after nightfall. On Thur R line,
Cernay is found to be free of enemy and preparations
are made for assault on Ensisheim.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s IV Corps area, 92d Div begins limited attack
to improve positions in Serchio Valley, employing.
366th Inf ( — ) W of the river and 365th Inf on E
side. Attack recovers Gallicano, Castelvecchio, and
Albiano from enemy with ease.
BURMA-CHINA—First convoy from Ledo, led by
Gen Pick, makes triumphal entry into Kunming,
China.
On NCAC front, 475th Inf of U.S. 5332d Brig
finishes clearing Loi-kang ridge, from which most
Japanese have withdrawn. Future action of the U.S.
force is limited to patrolling and arty exchanges.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
elements of 1st Cav Div within Manila conduct
local patrolling while awaiting arrival of reinforcements;
attempt unsuccessfully to take Quezon
Bridge across Pasig R. 2d and 3d Bns of 148th Inf,
37th Div, move into N part of Manila and make