1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 426 ]
line, drives toward former, taking Klein Buellesheim,
Esch, and Ludendorff; CCA advances toward
Rheinbach from Euskirchen, capturing Cuchenheim,
Roitzheim, Weidesheim, and Odendorf.
78th Div’s 311th Inf, attacking through 309th,
overruns Obergartzem, Firmenich, Satzvey, Antweiler,
Rheder, Billig, and Stotzheim; upon being
passed through, 309th clears Elsig, Weiskirchen, and
Euenheim. In V Corps area, 102d Cav Gp takes Irnich,
Schwerfen, Gehn, Kommern, Schaven, and
Ober Gartzem as enemy falls back toward the
Rhine. After displacing to Buervenich area, 23d
Inf of 2d Div attacks S and captures Berg, Floisdorf,
and Eicks; TF S is dissolved and 3d Bn, 38th
Inf, continues attack S of Gemund, taking heights
in Nierfeld area before being relieved by 28th Div.
28th and 69th Divs prepare for offensive action. On
corps S flank, 106th Div extends right and left
flanks of 424th Inf to make contact with 69th Div
on N and U.S. Third Army on S; patrols E to determine
extent of enemy’s withdrawal.
In U.S. Third Army’s VII Corps area, 87th Div’s
current mission is concluded as 345th Inf clears
heights E of Reuth. Div organizes TF Muir (Co A
of 345th Inf, 87th Rcn Tr, and supporting weapons)
upon being given new objectives. 4th Div drives NE,
clearing Duppach and Oos; one of two hills N of
Oos is secured at request of 11th Armd Div. CCB,
11th Armd Div, halts after short advance to NE to
await clearance of second hill N of Oos by 4th Div.
90th Div, whose N boundary is extended to include
Gerolstein, advances to the Kyll on broad front and
starts across the river: 357th Inf clears Lissingen,
Hinterhausen, and Birresborn and begins fording
the Kyll in Birresborn area at 2300; 359th, after
reaching river line to S, prepares for attack through
357th 358th starts toward Lissingen. 6th Cav Sq,
6th Cav Gp, moves from S to N flank of corps and
begins relief of elements of 87th Div; 28th Sq continues
clearing S flank of corps until pinched out
by 90th Div and XII Corps. In XII Corps area, 80th
Div zone W of the Kyll is clear, except for small
pocket in Usch–St Thomas area, with capture by
318th Inf of Neidenbach and Malberg. 4th Armd
Div attacks NE through 5th Div bridgehead: 25th
Cav Rcn Sq, screening left flank, clears Kyllburgweiler,
Seinsfeld, and Steinborn; CCB thrusts rapidly
to Salm area, overrunning towns of Meisburg,
Weidenbach, Wallenborn, and Salm; to right, CCA,
though hampered by difficult roads, takes Gindorf
and continues to Oberkail. Bridgeheads of 5th and
76th Divs are joined N of Speicher. 5th Div expands
bridgehead to include Orsfeld, Pickliessem,
and Philippsheim. 304th Inf, 76th Div, mops up
bypassed resistance within its bridgehead; TF Onaway
begins movement into bridgehead; 2d Sq of
2d Cav Gp relieves 385th Inf of screening mission
[ 5 MARCH 1945 ]
W of the Kyll. In XX Corps’ 10th Armd Div zone,
RCT 417 ( — 2d Bn) passes through CCA, to which
it is temporarily attached, in Ruwer R bridgehead
near Eitelsbach and expands the bridgehead 1,500
yards to NE; CCB, reinf by 2d Bn of 417th Inf,
moves another co, of dismounted infantry across the
Kyll near Ehrang. 94th Div, after comparatively
quiet day in which Ollmuth is taken without opposition,
during night 5–6 undergoes strong counterattack,
largely in zone of 302d Inf, that penetrates
positions. 65th Div, assembled in Ennery area, begins
its first combat mission—relief of 26th Div
in Saarlautern bridgehead sector—during night
5–6.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XXI
Corps area, 276th Inf of 10th Div continues to clear
Forbach Forest and woods NW of Marienau; 274th
completes capture of Stiring Wendel. 63d Div, reinforcing
attack on the Hahnbusch with an additional
co, finishes clearing the woods and peak to N,
its objective.
EASTERN EUROPE—First White Russian troops
overrun Stargard, outer bastion of Stettin.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army
area, IV Corps completes second phase of limited
offensive. While 86th Inf mops up on left flank of
10th Mtn Div, 87th reaches final phase line at Castel
d’Aiano and 85th, committed on right flank, pushes
forward to M. della Spe, where it holds fast against
enemy counterattacks, night 5–6. 1st Div of BEF
outflanks Castelnuovo and gains positions beyond
overlooking Vergato.
BURMA—In ALFSEA’s 15 Corps area, 25th Ind
Div, on Arakan coast, takes Tamandu, where forward
supply base for DRACULA is organized before
div moves to Akyab. In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33
Corps area, Ind 19th Div, continuing steadily S toward
Mandalay, crosses Chaungmagyi in Madaya
area.
LUZON—U.S. Sixth Army field order transferring
37th Div from XIV Corps to direct control
of army for garrison duty in Manila and releasing
RCT 158 from army reserve to XIV Corps goes into
effect. In XIV Corps area, 11th A/B Div, reinf by
RCT 158, begins operations to open Balayan and
Batangas Bays, S Luzon. 158th Inf drives E along
Route 17 on Balayan Bay until stopped by opposition
near Langanan. In I Corps area, Philippine Guerrilla
Forces, N Luzon, now control N coast of island
W of Cagayan R mouth; control W coast, except for
Vigan, S to San Fernando area. 33d Div continues
northward toward Baguio and San Fernando,
threatening to close pincers on Japanese between it
and the guerrillas. Elements of 32d Div continue to
battle Salacsac Pass defenses on Villa Verde Trail.
25th Div completes mop-up of Puncan area, open-