1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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Mataba. As XIV Corps objective is moved E to line
Lucena–Pagsanjan, 12th Cav of 1st Cav Div continues
eastward, encountering enemy position near
Calauan. 1st Bn of 187th Inf, 11th A/B Div, is unable
to progress in Mt Macolod sector.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area,
185th Inf clears Bacolod with ease as enemy retires
eastward on Negros into mountains in Patog-
Negritos area. 40th Rcn Tr, probing eastward from
Pulupandan, establishes contact with enemy’s secondary
line of defense near Atipuluan. 160th Inf,
less 2d Bn, lands on Negros. On Cebu, 182d Inf
clears rest of Hill 31, destroying 9 pillboxes.
RYUKYU IS.—Activity in Kerama Is. is limited to
patrolling. Rcn and demolition around Okinawa
proceed satisfactorily under protective cover of planes
and naval gunfire. Preinvasion air and naval bombardment
continues.
31 March
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Br Second
Army area, Cdn 2 Corps takes Hoch Elten
feature. In 30 Corps area, Gds Armd Div thrusts
to Haaksbergen, on road to Enschede. In 12 Corps
area, 7th Armd Div, driving on Rheine, reaches
Neuenkirchen. 53d Div advances to Alstatte. In 8
Corps area, 6th A/B and 11th Armd Divs gain
bridgeheads across the Ems.
In U.S. Ninth Army area, XIII Corps starts crossing
the Rhine at Wesel, 5th Armd Div in the lead.
102d Div and 17th A/B Div, with Br 6th Gds Armd
Brig attached, are attached to corps in place. In
XVI Corps area, 75th Div, with 289th and 291st
Regts abreast, passes through 8th Armd Div and
attacks E on N flank of corps after half hour of arty
preparation, gaining about 4 miles. Upon being
passed through by 75th Div, CCA of 8th Armd Div
is withdrawn to assembly area; CCR, attacking at
0300, drives E to positions 1,000 yards E of Langenbochum.
75th Rcn Tr closes gap between 75th Inf
and 8th Armd Divs. On corps S flank, 35th Div
advances 2 miles, clearing a number of towns and
villages.
12th Army Group: U.S. Fifteenth Army takes
command of coastal sector of France and forces disposed
there—reinf 66th Div and Fr troops of FFO,
French Forces of the West—with responsibility for
containing Lorient and St Nazaire pockets. XXII
Corps’ zone is extended N to Homberg as corps takes
control of 102d Div, Ninth Army. 82d A/B Div,
First Allied Airborne Army, is attached to corps
and prepares to move from base camps in France to
the Rhine, where it will relieve 86th Div.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, Brig Gen
Doyle O. Hickey assumes command of 3d Armd
Div; Col Doan is put in charge of former CC
[ 31 MARCH 1945 ]
Hickey; Lt Col Boles becomes head of former TF
Doan. Paderborn defenders firmly oppose 3d Armd
Div columns as they maneuver into position for
final assault on the city. CC Howze, employing
flame throwers, drives enemy from Nordborchen
and Wewer. In CC Boudinot sector, TF Boles (formerly
Doan) of CC Doan (formerly Hickey) destroys
enemy pocket holding up Welborn’s advance
and TF Welborn drives to Haxtergrund; TF Lovelady
withstands pressure in Scherfede area until
104th Div units arrive, then moves NW to Ebbinghausen.
Mopping up to rear of armor, 413th Inf of
104th Div gains 35 miles and blocks enemy escape
route from Rimbeck; 415th halts in Hallenberg–
Medebach area to counter threat of enemy breakout
from Winterberg and Willingen; TF Laundon (Div
Rcn Tr, reinf) blocks main road at Brilon. 1st Div,
with mission of blocking in region SW of Paderborn,
starts to new zone: 16th Inf, upon relief by
8th Div, motors to Bueren without incident and
from there blocks to W and NW and makes contact
with 3d Armd Div on right; 26th Inf follows 4th
Cav Gp N and prepares to block to W from
Ruethen; 18th Inf is relieved by 8th Div during
day. 4th Cav Gp, with 24th Sq on right and 4th on
left, displaces N against stubborn delaying action
to block to left of 1st Div in Ruethen–Brilon region;
right column halts near Hallenberg and left near
Laasphe. 9th Div is attached to corps and starts to
zone between 4th Cav Gp and 8th Div. 8th and
78th Divs maintain defensive positions along the
Sieg on left flank of corps; 8th Div continues to
clear its zone and prepares for assault on Siegen.
In region E of Siegen, 121st Inf of 8th Div clears
Salchendorf, Helgersdorf, Deuz, and Grissenbach;
elements of 13th Inf overrun Kirchen, SW of Siegen.
In III Corps area, 7th Armd Div’s CCR and CCB
defend newly won positions along the Eder and
are passed through by elements of V Corps. 9th
Div is attached to VII Corps. 99th Div starts to Gemuenden
area. 18th and 32d Cav Sqs revert to 14th
Cav Gp, which is assigned defensive sector W of
Lahn R formerly occupied by 9th and 99th Divs.
8th TD Gp relieves 14th Cav Gp of responsibility
for Dill R bridges. 28th Div ( — ) closes in assembly
areas E of the Rhine. In V Corps area, 9th Armd
Div establishes bridgehead across Diemel R in Warburg
area. CCB overcomes lively resistance at
Wethen, then crosses river to take Ossendorf, Rimbeck,
Noerde, and Menne. CCA reaches and clears
Warburg and continues N across Diemel R to Daseburg.
CCR, with mission of protecting corps E flank
from Fritzlar northward, completes mop up within
Fritzlar, relieving elements of CCA, and continues
N behind CCA. 2d Div reaches positions just N of
Ederstau See.