1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 24 FEBRUARY 1945 ]
Inf prepares to attack strong enemy force located by
patrols during the wide movement to E. On Villa
Verde Trail, 127th Inf of 32d Div completes reduction
of enemy positions within the bowl. In XI
Corps area, Rock Force now holds W part of
Corregidor. 40th Div renews attack to clear final
enemy positions in Zambales Mtns of Luzon, employing
108th and 185th Regts.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area,
Americans turn control of Biri over to 1st Filipino
Inf and return to Samar. Japanese have lost 72 killed
and Americans, 3. Verde I. attack force—reinf rifle
co of 1st Bn, 19th Inf—leaves Mindoro for Verde I.
IWO JIMA—Surface vessels, aircraft, and arty
continue to support VAC closely as it attacks toward
O–2 line, making main effort in center against Airfield
2. Limited progress is made on flanks, but enemy
retains re-entrant in center. RCT 24, reinf by
bn of RCT 25, relieves RCT 25 on 4th Mar Div right
flank and gains a little ground, but RCT 21 is unable
to advance except on extreme right. On left flank
of corps, RCT 26 of 5th Mar Div is also slowed by
heavy enemy fire. RCT 28, continuing assault on Mt
Suribachi, gets elements to summit, where American
flag is raised; completes circle about the mountain
and is methodically eliminating enemy on slopes.
4th Mar Div CP opens ashore. 3d Mar Div, less RCT’s
21 and 3, is released to corps from Expeditionary
Troops Reserve but remains afloat. 2d Mar Div is
designated area reserve.
24 February
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn First
Army’s Br 30 Corps area, 53d Div, making main effort
of corps, drives slowly on Weeze from Goch.
In U.S. Ninth Army’s XIII Corps area, after unsuccessful
enemy attempt to regain Rurich, 335th
Inf of 84th Div attacks to enlarge bridgehead, passing
through 334th at Baal and turning NW toward
Doveren, which falls to 1st Bn assisted by newly arrived
armor. 102d Div withstands enemy thrusts
against its right flank early in day, then attacks,
swinging due N to clear villages of Kofferen and
Dingbuchhof on left and Hompesch and Hottorf
on right. Treadway bridge is completed at Linnich,
permitting arty to follow. CCB, 5th Armd Div, is
detached from 102d Div and moves to vicinity of
Baesweiler, reverting to parent unit. In XIX Corps
area, 29th Div’s 175th Inf completes capture of
Juelich and reduces the Citadel with assistance of
flame-throwing tanks. Elements attacking due E
along Juelich-Steinstrass road take Stetternich and
make contact with 30th Div. 3d Bn, 116th Inf, is
detached from 175th Inf. At night, 116th Inf relieves
elements of 175th, and RCT 330 relieves 115th Inf.
[ 411 ]
30th Div completes capture of Hambach by 0130,
gains all of Niederzier by 0630, and clears Grosse
Forst and Lindenberger Wald portions of Staats
Forst Hambach by 2130. 117th Inf crosses the Roer
and attacks NE from Niederzier area toward Steinstrass
at 1630, but encounters mine fields and felled
trees that halt supporting armor; infantry elements
dismount from tanks and continue to within 1,000
yards of Steinstrass. Zone of 30th Div, which would
have been pinched out by 29th at Steinstrass, is
extended, and 30th Div is ordered to continue
toward Neuss.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VII
Corps expands Roer R bridgehead toward corps
bridgehead line E of Elle R and moves additional
units into it. 415th Inf, 104th Div, clears Oberzier
and more than half of Arnoldsweiler; at midnight
24–25, opens drive on Ellen; 413th mops up in Dueren
and takes marshaling yards NE of the city. 8th
Div’s 13th Inf continues to clear S Dueren and suburbs;
28th takes Krauthausen and Niederau but pulls
back slightly NW of Stockheim. In V Corps area,
relief of 2d Div by 28th is completed by 0230 and
28th assumes responsibility for sector, 2d Div retaining
that portion formerly held by 9th Div.
In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 90th Div,
in limited attacks, clears its right flank with capture
of Bellscheid, Ringhuscheid, and Ober and Nieder
Pierscheid. Preparations are made for relief of 90th
Div by 6th Armd Div and 6th Cav Gp. CCA, 11th
Armd Div, is attached to 87th Div; rest of 11th
Armd Div is held in corps reserve. 6th Armd Div
gains its final objectives: CCB takes Leimbach, Neuerburg,
and Muxerath and continues S to make contact
with 80th Div (XII Corps) N of Ober
Geckler; Sevenig falls to combat patrol of CCA.
6th Cav Gp seizes Karlshausen in conjunction with
6th Armd Div and easily overruns Herbstmuhle,
Rodershausen, Koxhausen, Berscheid, Nasingen,
and Bauler. In XII Corps area, elements of 318th Inf,
80th Div, clear high ground N of Ober Geckler,
where contact is made with 6th Armd Div (VIII
Corps). CCB, 4th Armd Div, reaches Outscheid and
Brimingen against moderate resistance. 5th and 76th
Divs begin crossing the Pruem, night 24–25. In XX
Corps area, 10th Armd Div expands RCT 376’s Ockfen
bridgehead toward Schoden and Beurig and
moves 3 armd inf bns, under CCA control, into
it by assault boats since enemy fire prevents bridging.
94th Div’s 301st and 302d Regts expand Serrig–
Taben bridgehead under heavy fire; last bn W of
river crosses into it; 5th Ranger Bn, driving NE behind
enemy lines to cut Irsch-Zerf road, reaches
positions overlooking the road, where it is isolated.
Engineers build treadway bridge at Taben. TF Polk
continues destructive fire demonstration with all
available weapons. 26th Div fails to gain ground in