1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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35th Inf, 25th Div, finds Pantalbangan clear. In
XI Corps area, South Force contacts East Force at
Limay on Bataan. Rock Force continues clearing
Corregidor.
U.S. Eighth Army conducts offshore rcn of Capul,
Dalupiri, and Biri Islands, N of Luzon.
IWO JIMA—Preinvasion bombardment continues,
with special attention to landing beach area.
JAPAN—TF 58 sails from Japan area for Iwo to
assist in invasion when weather conditions prevent
further attacks on Japan.
19 February
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army area, Br 30 Corps continues battle of
Goch, where enemy is resisting from street to street.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s V Corps
area, 99th Div reverts to First Army control from
attachment to corps.
In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 358th Inf
of 90th Div seizes Masthorn and a hill W of Pronsfeld;
359th takes Ober and Nieder Uttfeld and heads
for hill N of Houf; TF Gassman (90th Rcn Tr and
tanks) is organized to cover right flank of 357th Inf
and moves toward Binscheid. CCR, 11th Armd Div,
captures Herzfeld and mops up in Leidenborn area.
Many more pillboxes are reduced. 6th Cav Gp
crosses platoon of 28th Sq over the Our just N of
Vianden and constructs footbridge at crossing site;
6th Sq reinforces its bridgehead between Gemund
and Biewels. In XII Corps area, 80th Div, continuing
NE toward the Pruem with 318th and 317th Regts,
clears Hommerdingen, Freidlingerhohe, and Nusbaum.
319th begins envelopment of enemy remaining
within West Wall positions; elements capture
Niedergegen. 5th Div, employing 2d Bn of 2d Inf,
clears Stockem; 11th Inf is withdrawn to reserve
upon relief by elements of 385th Inf, 76th Div, and
10th Inf. Boundary between 5th and 76th Divs is
adjusted. On S flank of corps, TF of 2d Cav Gp
crosses the Moselle at Ehnen under cover of darkness
and captures road center of Wincheringen. XX
Corps opens attack to clear Saar–Moselle triangle.
After intense arty preparation, 94th Div attacks with
3 regts abreast (376th, 301st, and 302d with 5th
Ranger Bn attached, from left to right) at 0400 to
clear initial objective, Borg–Munzingen highway
and ridge. Attack, closely supported by air and arty,
goes well, breaching West Wall switch line defenses
on broad front on left and overrunning towns of
Oberleuken, Keblingen, Faha, and Munzingen. At
1800, RCT 376 is attached to 10th Armd Div, which
is assembling in Perl–Basch area to attack through
94th Div. 26th Div and TF Polk continue aggressive
defense of current positions.
[ 19 FEBRUARY 1945 ]
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 276th Inf of 70th Div breaks into Forbach
and begins street fighting there. 253d Inf, 63d
Div, recovers Auersmacher and takes Kleinblittersdorf.
In VI Corps area, 14th Armd Div relieves right
flank elements of 103d Div.
EASTERN EUROPE—Vigorous fighting is reported
on Samland Peninsula (Prussia) as Germans attempt
to escape westward from Koenigsberg. In NW Poland,
Red Army troops are pressing northward toward
Danzig and have encircled Grudziadz. Soviet forces
in Silesia continue attacks against Breslau garrison
and in region NW of Breslau.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s
IV Corps area, 10th Mtn Div maintains positions
on Sarasiccia–Campania ridge against counterattacks
and at 2300 begins main attack on Belvedere-
Gorgolesco mass with 87th and 85th Regts, omitting
arty preparation in effort to surprise enemy.
Substantial progress is made during night against
sporadic resistance.
BURMA—In ALFSEA’s 15 Corps area, Japanese
begin determined operations against Ind 25th Div’s
bridgehead at Ru-ywa.
In NCAC area, 30th Div of Ch New First Army
takes Hsenwi.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
intensive bombardment of Intramuros continues.
With capture of Object Hill by 160th Inf, 40th Div’s
current mission on right flank ends. RCT 1 rejoins
6th Div. In I Corps area, 33d Div begins limited
attacks to clear Bench Mark and Question Mark
Hills, NE of Sison. 1st Bn of 161st Inf, 25th Div,
assisted by aircraft and arty and mortar fire, begins
operations against enemy positions NW of Lumboy,
clearing the first of a series of 4. In XI Corps area,
East Force suspends drive across Bataan Peninsula
while 149th Inf searches for enemy positions. Rock
Force repels Japanese counterattack on Corregidor.
Probing of Ternate area on S coast of Manila Bay
is begun.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area, X
Corps begins series of amphibious operations to
clear shipping route through San Bernardino Strait
to port of Manila. Prov Task Force of Americal Div
lands elements at Allen, on NW tip of Samar, and
1st Bn of 182d Inf on Capul I., at W entrance to
San Bernardino Strait. The landing parties begin
search for enemy.
LEYTE—Americal Div units are eliminating enemy
pocket in Villaba area.
IWO JIMA—V Amphibious Corps (VAC): After
intense preparatory bombardment by warships and
carrier-based and land-based planes, VAC Landing
Force (TG 56.1, commanded by Gen Schmidt,
USMC) goes ashore on SE coast, beginning at 0900.