1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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and clears part of N Uerdingen; efforts of 379th
Inf, on S, to reduce pocket near Adolf Hitler bridge
are only partially successful as German rear guards
put up determined resistance. 2d Armd Div concludes
its Cologne Plain operations, capturing Kaldenhausen
and mopping up Uerdingen, Kaldenhausen,
and Viertelsheide areas.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII
Corps area, 99th Div, employing 3 regts, speeds NE
along the Erft on broad front, overrunning more
than 30 towns and villages and halting a little short
of Erft–Rhine junction, on line Derikum–Uekerath.
Finding Roggendorf strongly held, 83d Armd Rcn
Bn of 3d Armd Div bypasses it to take Hackhausen
and patrol to the Rhine near Worringen before
dawn; then, in conjunction with TF Lovelady of
CC Boudinot, temporarily under its command, captures
Roggendorf and Worringen and holds them
against counterattacks. 4th Cav Gp, attacking toward
the Rhine in left part of 3d Armd Div sector,
seizes Hackenbroich, Delhoven, and Shaberg. 104th
Div pierces outer defenses of Cologne in fighting
that starts at midnight 3–4 and continues into night
4–5. Brauweiler, Loevenich, Freimersdorf, and Widdersdorf
fall to 415th Inf and Koenigsdorf, Buschbell,
and Weiden to 414th. 413th Inf relieves 3d
Armd Div forces in Busdorf, Sinthern, and Geyen.
28th Inf, 8th Div, captures Frechen and is passed
through, night 4–5, by 121st Inf. In III Corps area,
14th Cav Gp completes relief of 18th Inf, 1st Div,
and organizes defensive positions along Erft Canal.
1st Div’s 26th Inf clears Bliesheim and Ober Liblar
and secures bridgehead across the Erft while 16th
Inf mops up Weilerswist. Continuing operations E
of the Erft, 39th Inf of 9th Div takes Derikum and
Hausweiler; bn of 47th overruns Frauenberg early
in day. CCB of 9th Armd Div, under 9th Div
command, drives S from Lommersum to Bodenheim;
during night 4–5 secures bridgehead across
the Erft, clearing Wuescheim and Gross Buellesheim.
9th Armd Div attacks E at 1400: CCR, on N,
drives to Erft R line N of Euskirchen; CCA captures
Euskirchen. In 78th Div zone, 309th Inf clears Uelpenich,
Duerscheven, and Enzen; 311th Inf assembles
in Langendorf–Buervenich–Merzenich area for attack
SE. In V Corps area, 102d Cav Gp, with mission
of protecting corps N flank, secures line Vlatten–Hergarten–Duttling
SW to 2d Div zone
near Gemund. 2d Div’s TF S captures Gemund and
overcomes stubborn pillbox resistance along N bank
of the Urft; passing through TF S, 9th Inf drives
rapidly NE about 4,500 yards; co of 23d Inf meets
determined resistance upon crossing Olef R just S
of Gemund and withdraws. 28th Div seizes
Schleiden and begins relief of elements of 2d Div S
of Gemund. 69th Div extends northward and relieves
110th Inf, 28th Div.
[ 4 MARCH 1945 ]
In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 87th Div
reduces some 110 pillboxes on N flank of corps:
347th and 346th Regts clear to Kyll R line, taking
Scheid, Hallschlag, Kronenburgerheutte, and Kerschenbach;
on right, 345th seizes Schoenfeld and
Reuth. 4th Div presses eastward all along line, overrunning
Gondelsheim and Schwirzheim and mopping
up resistance bypassed by 11th Armd Div at
Buedesheim and Wallersheim. CCB drives rapidly
E past Buedesheim and Wallersheim until halted
near the Kyll in vicinity of Lissingen by fire from
E bank of river. CCA reverts to 11th Armd Div
from attachment to 87th Div and assembles W of
the Pruem. 90th Div attacks E through 6th Armd
Div toward Kyll R against light resistance: 357th
Inf, on left, clears Nieder and Ober Hersdorf and
continues toward Kopp; 359th takes Seiwerath and
Neustrassburg, making contact with 6th Cav Gp at
Neustrassburg; 358th, in reserve, assembles E of
the Pruem. 6th Armd Div assembles in Arzfeld
area in SHAEF reserve. 6th Cav Gp advances rapidly
E of the Nims, clearing rest of Lasel, Wawern,
Huscheid, Barbach, Balesfeld, and Neuheilenbach;
makes contact with XII Corps on right. In XII
Corps area, 80th Div’s 318th Inf and Rcn Tr reconnoiter
N toward corps boundary, gaining contact
with VIII Corps. 5th Div expands Kyll R bridgehead
to include Erdorf, Badem, Dudeldorf, and Ordorf.
76th Div’s 304th Inf completes its crossing of
the Kyll and captures Hosten, Auw, Preist, Orenhofen,
and Speicher; RCT 417 is attached to 10th
Armd Div (XX Corps); 2d Sq of 2d Cav Gp completes
screening along the Moselle and assists 385th
Inf in screening Kyll R line. Scheduled attack of
4th Armd Div through 5th Div bridgehead is postponed
to await further expansion of the bridgehead.
In XX Corps area, CCA of 10th Armd Div begins
drive on Sweich bridge; crossing Ruwer R near Eitelsbach,
where bridge is later put in, the column
pushes 1,500 yards NE against firm opposition.
CCB takes commanding ground near Ehrang;
crosses a dismounted infantry co over the Kyll.
RCT 417 of 76th Div (XII Corps) is attached to
10th Armd Div as it prepares for breakout assault
toward Wittlich. 94th Div regroups while continuing
to defend and consolidate bridgehead.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XXI
Corps area, 276th Inf of 10th Div pushes from Forbach
into Forbach Forest; elements clear Mari-enau,
W of Forbach; 274th Inf gets additional elements into
Stiring Wendel, where street fighting continues.
63d Div’s 253d Inf partially clears the Hahnbusch
and takes Birnberg hill nearby.
EASTERN EUROPE—Red Army troops break
through to Baltic coast, splitting enemy forces remaining
in Pomerania and severing communication
lines between Danzig and Stettin. Second White