1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 23 FEBRUARY 1945 ]
Elements of CCA cross the Our and relieve units
of CCB within Dasburg, then drive S along E bank,
taking Preischeid and Afer; W of the Our, 15th
Tank Bn, after supporting the crossings, moves S
and captures Ober Eisenbach, completing reduction
of West Wall positions within div zone. 6th Cav Gp
crosses rest of 28th Sq over the Our at Vianden,
where Bailey bridge is completed, and makes contact
with 80th Div (XII Corps) at Obersgegen. XII
Corps consolidates positions and begins regrouping.
80th Div’s 318th Inf mops up near Mettendorf and
drives toward Nieder Geckler and Sinspelt; 319th
clears Geichlingen. Under command of 80th Div,
CCB of 4th Armd Div begins attack through 319th
Inf about midnight 22–23; 53d Armd Inf Bn reverts
to CCB from attachment to 319th Inf. 5th and
76th Divs regroup for assault across the Pruem. 5th
Div’s 2d Inf relieves elements of 317th, 80th Div, as
5th Div boundary is moved northward. In 76th Div
zone, 304th Inf is relieved of positions along the
Sauer between Steinheim and Girst by 2d Cav Gp;
385th continues to clear its zone W of the Pruem.
2d Cav Gp is to defend line of Sauer and Moselle
Rivers from Steinheim to Grevenmacher. In XX
Corps area, 10th Armd Div clears rest of Saar–
Moselle triangle; attempting to secure bridgehead
across the Saar near Ockfen, attached RCT 376 of
94th Div is prevented from crossing before dawn by
lack of assault boats and in afternoon by heavy
enemy fire, but succeeds in crossing during night
22–23. To the S, 94th Div begins crossing 302d and
301st Regts in assault boats in Staadt (opposite Serrig)–Taben
region in morning and partly clears
Serrig against determined resistance. Elements of
TF Polk and attached 5th Ranger Bn clear region
between old and new N boundaries.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 276th Inf of 10th Div gains control of
two thirds of Forbach while other elements of div
are clearing objective heights below Saarbruecken.
In VI Corps area, new boundary between U.S.
Seventh and Fr 1st Armies becomes effective at
2300 upon relief of RCT 143, 36th Div, by elements
of 3d Algerian Div, Fr 2d Corps. CG Fr 3d Algerian
Div takes responsibility for sector E of 08.2 Easting.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s
IV Corps area, enemy still clings to crest of M.
Torraccia, but all 10th Mtn Div objectives to left
are now clear. Brazilian 1st Div consolidates positions
on M. Castello and extends slightly northward.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 4 Corps area,
2 mechanized brigs of Ind 17th Div and the 255th
Tank Brig are committed to drive on Meiktila from
Nyaungu bridgehead.
CHINA—Gen Chennault learns that Ch forces
under Gen Hsueh Yueh in E China have at last
[ 409 ]
received arms from Chungking, well after fall of
Suichwan.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army area, XIV Corps
continues preparations for final assault on Intramuros
in Manila. In region E of Manila, 6th Div
and 1st Cav Div attack across the Mariquina toward
line Taytay–Antipolo–Montalban, cavalrymen
driving through Taytay. I Corps begins drive toward
Balete Pass. 35th Inf, 25th Div, attacks with 2d Bn
along crude trail leading N from Rizal through
Pantabangan and with 1st Bn toward Pampanga R
valley. 2d Bn, 161st Inf, is ordered to clear final
enemy position, called Bryant Hill, NW of Puncan.
127th Inf of 32d Div, with arty and air support, renews
attack on Villa Verde Trail, taking knoll positions
in the bowl. 33d Div gains Question Mark and
Bench Mark Hills, concluding 4 days of limited
attacks on these objectives; subsequently probes
toward Baguio.
IWO JIMA—VAC continues northward attack
toward phase line O–2—extending generally from
Tachiiwi Pt on E coast to Motoyama village in center
to W coast S of Hiraiwa Bay—after preparatory
bombardment; is virtually pinned down by resistance
from main enemy defenses consisting of mutually
supporting pillboxes on high ground between Airfields
1 and 2. 4th Mar Div, passing RCT 21 of 3d
Mar Div through RCT 23, continues attack with
RCT 25 on right and RCT 21 on left, latter making
frontal attack against Airfield 2. 5th Mar Div,
passing RCT 26 through RCT 27 and reinforcing
it with bn of RCT 27, continues slowly N on left
flank of corps but is forced back to O–1 line when
gap develops on right flank. RCT 28 works slowly
around base of Mt Suribachi, encircling it except
for 400 yards on W coast. Enemy continues local
counterattacks and infiltration attempts under cover
of darkness.
23 February
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In U.S.
Ninth Army area, Operation GRENADE begins at
0330, following heavy arty preparation lasting for
45 minutes. XIII and XIX Corps attack across the
Roer while XVI Corps stages demonstration at
jump-off time. Enemy is taken by surprise and assault
troops move forward rapidly against light to
moderate resistance, but engineers putting in bridges
are greatly handicapped by swift current of river
as well as accurate enemy ground fire and aerial
attacks on crossing sites that delay movement of
rear elements and supporting armor. In XVI Corps
area, as a diversion for Operation GRENADE, 79th
Div’s 314th Inf and 35th Div’s 320th Inf move
forward to positions overlooking the Roer. In XIII
Corps area, 84th and 102d Divs cross the Roer at
Linnich and Roerdorf, respectively. On the left,