1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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Gau Odernheim–Spiesheim–Woerrstadt region. 4th
Armd Div gets forward elements to the Rhine at
Worms and blocks roads leading to the city. On right
flank of corps, 11th Armd Div continues rapid advance
toward the Rhine and gets CCB within 4
kilometers of the river. 89th Div crosses the Nahe
and moves forward behind 11th Armd Div, clearing
bypassed resistance. In XX Corps area, 94th Div
gains up to 23 miles, advance elements (2d Bn of
302d Inf) reaching Dirmstein, E of Gruenstadt.
CCR, 12th Armd Div, reaches Gruenstadt area;
CCB’s TF Norton reaches the Rhine N of Mannheim,
night 20–21, and TF Field moves to Freinsheim
area to assist 92d Cav Rcn Sq as it drives E
on div right flank. 80th Div’s 319th Inf seizes and
outposts Kaiserslautern; 317th halts at Enkenbach
and Neukirchen, NE of Kaiserslautern. Bypassing
Kaiserslautern to N and S, 10th Armd Div drives E
to Neukirchen–Enkenbach–Hochspeyer area.. 26th
Div mops up around Ottweiler. 65th Div pushes E
to Kirschhof–Dilsburg area. 3d Cav Gp moves from
Trier to Saarlautern to protect S flank of corps and
is attached to 65th Div. Contact is made with
Seventh Army to right.
6th Army Group: U.S. Seventh Army breaks
through West Wall fortifications in zones of XXI
and XV Corps. In XXI Corps area, 70th Div, on
left flank of corps, occupies Saarbruecken without
opposition and makes contact with XX Corps, Third
Army. 63d Div achieves complete breakthrough of
West Wall to right: 254th Inf reaches Ober Wurzbach;
255th moves forward through West Wall into
Hassel and St Ingbert TF Harris, 3d Bn of 254th
Inf, reinf, is created to clear Neukirchen area. CCA,
6th Armd Div, after exploiting through 63d Div to
Homburg against light opposition, reverts to parent
unit. In XV Corps area, 45th and 3d Divs break
through West Wall defenses in their respective
zones. With capture of Homburg, 45th completes
its immediate mission. 3d Div pushes forward into
Zweibrucken and takes bridges intact. 6th Armd
Div ( — CCA) passes through 3d Div to exploit to
the Rhine, advancing rapidly. In VI Corps area, 42d
Div is virtually halted by effective enemy defense of
West Wall positions on left flank of corps. 103d Div
is also slowed by strong opposition but takes Nieder
Schlettenbach. Left flank elements of 36th Div reach
Dorrenbach area. CCA, 14th Armd Div, attacks in
Wissembourg Gap and reaches main defenses of
West Wall at Steinfeld, which it begins clearing.
Groupement Monsabert is slowly clearing the Bien
Wald on right flank of corps. 4th Div is attached to
corps.
EASTERN EUROPE—Troops of First White Russian
Front overrun Alt Damm (Pomerania) and
eliminate last German bridgehead across the Oder,
opposite Stettin. In East Prussia, forces of Third
White Russian Front capture Braunsberg. Red Army
maintains pressure against Baltic ports of Gdynia
and Danzig.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps area,
Ind 19th Div, at Mandalay, breaks into Fort
Dufferin and finds that enemy has withdrawn.
In NCAC area, Br 36th Div reaches Mogok and
turns SE toward Kyaukme.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area,
33d Div TF moves N toward San Fernando from
the Bauang sector in attempt to link up with
guerrilla forces of N Luzon. Japanese withdraw
from San Fernando under cover of darkness. On
Highway 5, Co C of 161st Inf, 25th Div, takes fork
of ridge W of Norton’s Knob while rest of 1st Bn
continues fruitless attack on Norton’s Knob. 3d Bn
relieves Co C. In XI Corps area, 6th Div gains
several hundred yards, reaching heights commanding
Bosoboso R, and pauses to mop up and reconnoiter.
Japanese make determined counterattack
against 172d Inf of 43d Div on Mt Caymayuman,
night 20–21. 3d Bn of 103d Inf suspends attack on
Mt Tanauan while that area is being neutralized
with fire. In XIV Corps area, 3d and 1st Bns of
158th Inf continue attack toward Cuenca and Mt
Macolod. Patrol reports Cuenca undefended.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area, X
Corps is designated as VICTOR V TF to seize
Malabang-Parang-Cotabato area of Mindanao and
clear region E of Zamboanga Peninsula. 24th and
31st Divs are placed under control of X Corps. 41st
Div and Para RCT 505 are to be held in army
reserve. On Mindanao, Co F ( — ) of 162d Inf returns
to Zamboanga from Basilan I. Cos K and L,
121st Guerrilla Regt, and platoon of Co F, 162d Inf,
remain on Basilan to provide security. On Panay,
elements of 185th Inf drive quickly through Molo
to Iloilo, which is secured with ease. Organized
resistance on Panay has collapsed. Japanese groups
withdrawing toward the mountains from Jaro are
intercepted by 40th Rcn Tr and 3d Bn and harassed
by aircraft. Search of the island continues.
IWO JIMA—RCT 26, 5th Mar Div, pushes slowly
NW toward the sea along draw that crosses front
of RCT 28. RCT 28 continues to support attack
with fire and begins gradual withdrawal of elements
from line as attack progresses across its front.
Transports with garrison force—RCT 147—arrive
off island.
21 March
[ 21 MARCH 1945 ]
WESTERN EUROPE—12th Army Group: In U.S.
First Army’s VII Corps area, 78th Div concludes
drive to the Sieg: 311th Inf reaches the river at
Meindorf; 310th takes Hangeler, Niederpleis, Muelldorf–Siegburg,
and Menden. 4th Sq, 4th Cav Gp,