1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 466 ]
1 April
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: Takes
direct command of Br I Corps from Cdn First
Army.
Br Second Army continues from the Rhine toward
Hamburg–Wittenberg sector of the Elbe and
has forward elements across Dortmund–Ems Canal,
immediate objective and enemy’s first line of organized
resistance. Cdn 2 Corps, on left flank of Br
Second Army, expands and strengthens Emmerich
bridgehead. 30 Corps presses toward Dortmund–
Ems Canal at Rheine. 8 Corps expands bridgeheads
of 6th A/B and 11th Armd Divs over Dortmund–
Ems Canal toward Osnabrueck.
U.S. Ninth Army effects junction with U.S.
First Army at Lippstadt, sealing off the rich industrial
Ruhr and trapping the whole of Army
Group B and two corps of Army Group H. In XIII
Corps area, 5th Armd Div spearheads drive toward
the Weser, bypassing Muenster, which 17th A/B
Div prepares to assault. While CCR, 5th Armd,
drives to the Ems at Greffen, CCB moves to Warendorf
and reconnoiters to Telgte. 84th Div begins
assembly E of the Rhine. 11th Cav Gp also crosses
to screen N flank of corps from Coesfeld eastward.
In XIX Corps area, CCB, 2d Armd Div, drives SE
to Lippstadt and makes contact with 3d Armd Div
of VII Corps, First Army, closing noose about
the Ruhr. CCA takes Cologne–Berlin Autobahn
pass through Teutoburger Wald but cannot gain
passages near Oerlinghausen and Augustdorf. 83d
Div and 15th Cav Gp, driving E across Muenster
Plain, mop up bypassed resistance and protect right
.flank of corps along Lippe R. 8th Armd Div is
attached to corps for drive on Paderborn. 30th Div
assembles in Drensteinfurt area, between Muenster
and Hamm; 113th Cav Gp is attached to it at 2400
to protect left flank. XVI Corps continues clearing
region S of Haltern. 75th Div, reinf by 116th Inf
of 29th Div, attacks with 3 regts abreast on left
flank of corps, elements passing through 8th Armd
Div zone. 134th Inf presses toward Zweig Canal,
overrunning Recklinghausen; 137th completes
drive to Rhein–Herne Canal; 320th mops up along
Rhein–Herne Canal. 79th Div, defending right
flank of corps, extends a little eastward to relieve
elements of 35th Div. 29th Div completes assembling
E of the Rhine.
12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII
Corps area, TF Kane of 3d Armd Div moves quickly
to Lippstadt and establishes contact with XIX Corps.
Paderborn falls to 3d Armd Div in concerted assault
from SW, S, and SE. 1st Div ( — ) moves to region
SW of Paderborn to block enemy movement from
the Ruhr (ROSE) pocket. 104th Div, less 414th Inf,
continues to fight on two fronts and is reinf on left
[ 1 APRIL 1945 ]
by 4th Cav Gp. 413th Inf improves positions W of
Rimbeck while 415th, far to left rear, defeats enemy
attempt to break out of the Ruhr in Winterberg–
Medebach area. 9th Div is also employed to block
enemy escape from the Ruhr and attacks N, NW,
and W with 3 regts. 8th and 78th Divs continue active
along Sieg R line. 8th Div clears its sector S of
the Sieg and begins assault on Siegen and commanding
ground N of the river. XVIII Corps
(A/B), transferred from First Allied Airborne
Army to First Army command to operate against
Ruhr pocket, establishes CP at Dillenburg. III Corps
mops up while awaiting further orders. 99th Div
closes in Gemuenden area. In V Corps area, 9th
Armd Div expands Diemel R bridgehead N of Warburg
and makes contact with 104th Div (VII Corps)
at Rimbeck. CCR, protecting right flank, is relieved
on right by 102d Cav Gp, which has just returned
from VI Corps zone. 2d Div (less 38th Inf, attached
to 9th Armd Div) completes concentration in Sachsenhausen
area and establishes contact with 104th
Div. 69th Div is in the process of moving from Weilburg–Wetzlar
region to new assembly area in general
vicinity of Naumburg.
In U.S. Fifteenth Army’s XXII Corps area, 97th
Div takes over zone of 95th Div in vicinity of Neuss.
95th Div, upon relief, is attached to XIX Corps,
Ninth Army, and starts assembling E of the Rhine.
101st A/B Div is attached to corps to relieve 97th
Div and starts from base camp to corps zone.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army area, XV
Corps meets effective opposition only around
Aschaffenburg. While 2d and 3d Bns of 157th Inf,
45th Div, continue frontal assault from the S, fighting
from house to house within the city, 1st Bn gains
heights NE of the city. Other elements of 45th Div,
as well as 106th Cav Gp to left and 3d Div to right,
are pushing NE against scattered resistance. 14th
Armd Div is attached to corps. XXI Corps continues
E and NE with 12th Armd Div spearheading, 42d
Div following on left, and 4th Div on right. Against
determined opposition, armored columns close in on
Wuerzburg on left and Koenigshofen on right, beginning
assault on latter. 101st Cav Gp, screening
right flank of corps, is attached to 4th Div. VI Corps
drives SE astride the Neckar against disorganized
resistance and makes contact with French forces on
right flank. 10th Armd Div spearheads advance,
followed on left by 63d Div and on right by 100th
Div. CCR, on left flank, thrusts SE along E side of
the Neckar toward Jagst R, reaching positions beyond
Alfeld. CCA reaches general line from W bank
of the Neckar through Hueffenhardt and Hoffenheim
to Dielheim, SE of Wiesloch. CCB, on right
flank, drives S to Bruchsal and then turns E to
Stettfeld–Ubstadt area.