1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 3 APRIL 1945 ]
In U.S. Fifteenth Army’s XXII Corps area, 94th
Div closes in vicinity of Krefeld and relieves 102d
Div along the Rhine. 102d Div is attached to XIII
Corps, Ninth Army. 20th Armd Div is attached to
corps.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, Aschaffenburg surrenders to 157th Inf,
45th Div, concluding stiff battle. Other assault forces
of corps continue quickly NE. CCB, 14th Armd
Div, takes Lohr. In XXI Corps area, 222d Inf of
42d Div (attached to CCA, 12th Armd Div) opens
frontal assault on Wuerzburg; 2d Bn forces the
Main before dawn and establishes bridgehead in W
part of Wuerzburg; 1st Bn crosses later and expands
bridgehead to right. 232d Inf, 42d Div, moves to
Marienburg and prepares to cross the Main; 242d
reaches the Main about 10 miles N of Wuerzburg
and searches for crossing site. 8th Inf, 4th Div, completes
its crossing at Ochsenfurt and CCB, 12th
Armd Div, also crosses after bridge is repaired.
CCR, after closing in Sonderhofen assembly area
and releasing attached elements of 4th Div, drives
rapidly E, forward elements reaching N–S railway
line at edge of Herrnberchtheim. In VI Corps area,
CCR of 10th Armd Div establishes shallow bridgehead
across the Jagst in Griesheim area, N of Heilbronn,
against strong resistance. CCA prepares for
assault crossing of the Neckar in Heilbronn area;
meets intense fire from enemy entrenched along
the river. CCB drives rapidly E on Heilbronn
against moderate resistance, reaching Kirchhausen–
Schluchtern region. 63d Div runs into troublesome
pockets of resistance as it continues clearing region
N of the Jagst on left flank of corps. 397th Inf, 100th
Div, drives E toward Heilbronn; 399th, pinched out
by Fr forces to right, assembles in Sinsheim area;
398th relieves 255th Inf, 63d Div, along the Neckar.
Fr 1st Army is directed to expand bridgehead
to line Lichtenau–Pforzheim–Ludwigsberg and
capture Karlsruhe and Pforzheim; be prepared to
clear the Black Forest. 2d Corps pushes E toward
the Neckar on left and S toward Karlsruhe. Valluy
Groupement drives on Karlsruhe to right of 2d
Corps. DA ALPS opens fight for Mt Cenis pass.
EASTERN EUROPE—Troops of Second Ukrainian
Front continue W toward Vienna on broad front:
those N of the Danube in Czechoslovakia take eastern
suburb of Bratislava and to right rear overrun
Kremnica with aid of Rumanian troops; elements
S of the Danube cross Austro–Hungarian border S
of Bratislava. Troops of Third Ukrainian Front in
Austria overrun important industrial center of
Wiener Neustadt and cut roads and rail lines between
there and Vienna. Left flank elements of
Third Ukrainian Front and Bulgarian troops continue
clearing region SW of Lake Balaton in
[ 471 ]
Hungary; forward units cross Hungarian–Yugoslav
border.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s IV Corps area, 92d Div, less 365th and 371st
Regts, which are exchanged for RCT 442 and 473d
Inf, passes to army control for diversionary attack
along Ligurian coast toward Massa and La Spezia.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army area, RCT 158
makes limited progress against enemy positions on
ridge running southward from Daraga. In XI Corps
area, 169th Inf is detached from 43d Div and, with
112th Cav, forms Baldy Force to protect N flank
of corps and probe toward Ipo, N end of enemy’s
Shimbu line. During night 3–4, 103d Inf of 43d
Div concentrates secretly on slopes of Mt Sembrano
and begins advance to establish contact with 1st
Cav Div. 1st Inf, 6th Div, suspends ground attack
while enemy positions ahead are being pounded by
aircraft, mortars, and arty. 63d Inf is directed to
renew attack against Mt Montalban. On Caballo I.,
tanks are brought forward but cannot reach enemy
positions. In XIV Corps area, 187th Inf of 11th
A/B Div, which now has foothold on saddle between
Mt Macolod and Bukel Hill, moves to Lipa
area, leaving 1st Bn behind to contain and maintain
limited pressure on bypassed Japanese on Mt
Macolod. 188th Inf is joined by its 1st Bn and
releases 3d Bn, 511th Inf, for reserve. Patrol of
188th enters Tiaong without opposition. 2d Bn,
187th Inf, takes responsibility for Lipa–Lipa Hill
area.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area,
185th Inf, fording Guinhalaron R on Negros, advances
through Silay to Imbang R. 40th Rcn Tr
platoon probing along Silay–Guimbalon road meets
heavy fire near latter. 1st Bn, 160th Inf, places fire
on Concepcion area. Gen Eichelberger grants request
for RCT 164 to move to Cebu from Leyte. On
Cebu, 1st Bn of 132d Inf finishes clearing Bolo
Ridge. Positions delaying 3d Bn are pounded by air.
A co, reinf, of 2d Bn, 108th Inf, lands on Masbate at
town of Masbate to help guerrillas gain control of
the island. On Romblon, organized enemy resistance
ceases.
OKINAWA—U.S. Tenth Army spotting planes
start operating on Okinawa. In III Amphib Corps
area, 6th Mar Div extends control over Yontan–Zan
hill mass in 7,000-yard drive; advances its left flank
to base of Ishikawa Isthmus. 1st Mar Div advances
its right flank to E coast; reconnoiters Katchin Peninsula
and along E coast as far N as Hizaonna. F6F
makes successful forced landing on Yontan airfield.
XXIV Corps pivots right to attack due S with 7th
Div on E and 96th on W. 32d Inf, 7th Div, drives
quickly S along E coast to Kuba; 184th Inf starts
passing through left flank elements of 96th Div. 96th
Div, which commits 382d Inf between 381st and