1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 10 MARCH 1945 ]
relieves elements of 3d Cav Gp within its sector.
At 2400, 3d Cav Gp is detached from 94th Div and
reinf by attachment of 16th Cav Gp, which becomes
operational at this time; the 2 cav gps combine
to form 316th Prov Cav Brig. 65th Div relieves final
elements of 26th Div before dawn and aggressively
defends Saarlautern bridgehead sector.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army area,
71st Div is attached to XV Corps.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s IV Corps area, elements of 10th Mtn Div
improve positions N of Castelnuovo with unopposed
capture of M. Valbura and M. Belvedere.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps
area, Ind 19th Div breaks into Mandalay, where
lively fighting ensues.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XIV Corps area,
6th Div and 1st Cav Div continue eastward attacks.
12th Cav of latter reaches slopes of Hill Bench Mark
9. Elements of 187th Inf, 11th A/B Div, begin assault
on Hill 660 but are unable to take it. In I
Corps area, 136th Inf of 33d Div is ordered to maintain
pressure against enemy with patrols on Kennon
Road; 123d is to patrol N and E of Pugo; 1st Bn of
130th is to patrol N and E of Mt Magabang. 3d Bn
of 127th Inf, 32d Div, completes march to Villa
Verde Trail to eliminate opposition blocking progress
there. 161st Inf column, 25th Div, drives
through Anabat to positions within 1,000 yards of
Putlan, on Highway 5. 1st Bn, 35th Inf, remains at
Putlan bridge site under heavy fire.
S PHILIPPINES—In Eighth Army area, naval
bombardment of Zamboanga area, Mindanao, is
begun in preparation for offensive. Final elements
of Americal Div leave Samar, where 1st Filipino Inf
is to complete search for enemy. On Lubang, Co E
of 19th Inf relieves 1st Bn of 21st. By end of month
the island is turned over to guerrilla forces. For
American losses of 8 killed, Japanese suffer 250 killed
by mid-March.
IWO JIMA—VAC continues efforts to clear rest
of Iwo Jima- 3d Mar Div breaks through to coast in
corps center, splitting enemy forces remaining on
the island; continues reduction of bypassed pockets
in div rear. On right flank of corps, 4th Mar Div
gains ground along boundary of RCT’s 23 and 24
but is unable to advance its flanks. 5th Mar Div, on
corps left flank, is still checked on right and in center
but pushes slowly forward along W coast. Adm
Turner (CTF, Joint Expeditionary Force) departs
for Guam after turning over command to Adm Hill,
who is redesignated Senior Officer Present Afloat
Iwo Jima.
JAPAN—XXI BC begins powerful fire raids on
Japanese cities, night 9–10. This marks a radical
change in previous tactics of precision bombardment
attacks against industrial targets. From this time un-
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til end of the war, XXI BC—and from time to time
carrier planes of fast carrier force—concentrates on
wearing down Japanese will to resist in preparation
for invasion of Japan.
10 March
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s Cdn 2 Corps area, battle of the Rhineland
(Operations VERITABLE and BLOCKBUSTER) is
successfully ended. Cdn 2d Div is almost unopposed
as it pushes SE along Xanten–Rheinberg road. Cdn
4th Armd Div makes flank contact with friendly
forces. Br 52d Div easily clears to the Rhine and
makes contact with Cdn and U.S. forces on flanks.
In U.S. Ninth Army’s XVI Corps area, RCT 134
continues 35th Div’s drive toward Wesel, overrunning
Buederich. TF Byrne is dissolved and 320th
Inf proceeds to Sevelen as reserve. TF Murray is
pinched out and releases CCB of 8th Armd Div to
parent unit. 75th Div regains command of RCT’s
291 and 289 from 35th Div and Br 8 Corps, respectively,
and establishes CP in Germany to left of
84th Div (XIII Corps).
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII
Corps area, shift in boundary between Ninth and
First Armies places 4th Cav Gp sector within Ninth
Army zone and the gp is relieved in place by 113th
Cav Gp of XIX Corps. Corps maintains defensive
positions along the Rhine with 3d Armd Div, 104th
Div, and 1st Div in line; 8th Div and 4th Cav Gp
remain in assembly areas. In III Corps area, 9th Div
further expands Remagen bridgehead against stubborn
resistance. 9th and 78th Divs complete movement
into bridgehead and 99th Div starts crossing
the Rhine. N flank of bridgehead is expanded beyond
Honnef, though enemy retains strong hold on
Honnef, and S flank is enlarged to include Dattenberg;
progress in center is slower, but line is pushed
forward to Hills 244 and 411. Sharp counterattacks
continue, forcing 47th Inf, in center, to fall back
slightly. Germans continue persistent air and arty
attacks against Ludendorff bridge and make similar
attacks on newly constructed treadway bridge.
Elements of 7th Armd Div occupy the westernmost
of two small islands in the Rhine W of Honnef.
In V Corps area, elements of 23d Inf, 2d Div, move
S along the Rhine and clear half on Nieder Breisig;
3d Bn of 9th Inf reaches the Rhine near Rheinbeck.
Patrolling S and SE to destroy enemy pocket to its
right, 102d Cav Gp reaches Dedenbach, Nieder Zissen,
Waldorf, and Gonnersdorf, all S of the Ahr.
102d Gp, less 102d Sq, is alerted for movement to
new zone on short notice; 102d Sq continues
mopping-up mission under command of 2d Div.
106th Div is transferred to U.S. Fifteenth Army,