1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 11 APRIL 1945 ]
and takes 2 bridges intact; clears Witten, Armen,
Eichlinghofen, and Brechten. 35th Div ( — ) closes
along the Ruhr W of Witten, between 75th and
79th Divs. 79th Div, reversing its course to drive W
with 313th and 315th Regts, reaches the Ruhr SW
of Essen and establishes small bridgehead at Kettwig.
Driving SW with 507th and 513th Para Inf,
17th A/B Div clears scattered opposition from Mulheim–Duisburg
sector of the Ruhr; 507th Para Inf
gains small bridgehead at Mulheim and turns it
over to 79th Div. In sector of TF Twaddle, 8th
Armd Div, passing CCA through CCB, takes Unna;
CCR continues W in region S of Unna. Pushing SW
toward Dortmund, 95th Div’s 378th and 379th Regts
reach line Gahmen–Grevel–Asseln. In Ruhr–Mohne
pocket, TF Faith overruns Neheim and pocket NE
of Arnsberg, leaving only Arnsberg to be cleared.
15th Cav Gp, its front now uncovered by 75th and
95th Divs, releases 17th Sq to TF Faith to replace
194th Gli Inf.
In U.S. First Army’s XVIII Corps (A/B) area,
CCB of 13th Armd Div, bypassing Troisdorf, drives
through Wahnerheide and Urbach, forward elements
reaching initial objective near Dunnwald, W
of Berg Gladbach; to right, one CCA TF advances
along autobahn through Lohmar while another is
clearing opposition in Breidt area; CCR crosses the
Sieg. 97th Div assists armor, mopping up bypassed
resistance. 78th Div continues NW against spotty
delaying resistance to Drabenderhohe–Bielstein area
on left, Gummersbach in center, and Dummling,
near Berg Neustadt on right. 28th Inf passes
through 13th Inf, on 8th Div left, and drives rapidly
NW to Kierspe area while 121st thrusts to
Verse River dam. On right flank of corps, 342d Inf
of 86th Div overruns Attendorn. In III Corps area,
5th Div expands Wenne bridgehead: on right, 5th
Cav Rcn Tr and RCT 10 clear Forst Rumbeck to
general line Rumbeck–Hellefeld; RCT 2 pushes
westward, taking Westerfeld, Weninghausen, Linnepe,
and Grevenstein. 11th Inf is relieved of security
mission in Frankfurt. 7th Armd Div gets into
position to drive W across fronts of 5th and 99th
Divs. On left flank of corps, 99th Div continues NW
in region E of the Lenne to positions near Serkenrode,
Fretter, and Weringhausen. 9th Div, now out
of action, releases RCT 47 to VII Corps. In VII
Corps area, CCB of 3d Armd Div captures Nordhausen
and turns it over to 104th Div troops. To
left, CCA and CCR attack toward Harz Mts: CCA
takes Osterode and Herzberg; CCR secures Bartolfelde,
Osterhagen, Tettenborn, and Neuhof, turns
them over to 104th Div troops, and assembles NW
of Nordhausen. Moving through Nordhausen, 83d
Armd Rcn Bn takes Obersachswerfen, Gudersleben,
and Woffleben. 414th Inf, less 2d Bn, reverts to
104th Div. 1st and 104th Divs move forward rap-
[ 487 ]
idly behind armor. In V Corps area, 9th Armd Div
speeds eastward, followed closely by 2d and 69th
Divs. CCB, 9th Armd Div, reaches N–S line
through Ringleben on left. CCA, in center, reaches
Sachsenburg area, W of Heldrungen. On right,
CCR reaches Rothenberga-Hardisleben region.
In U.S. Third Army area, XX Corps passes armor
through infantry and drives quickly to the Saale.
During day’s advance, Buchenwald concentration
camp near Weimar and Allied prisoner camp in
Bad Sulza area are overrun. Passing through 76th
Div, 6th Armd Div drives E, with CCB and CCA
abreast and CCR following, to the Saale SW of
Naumberg; crosses the river at Koesen, Kleinheringen,
and Camburg. 4th Armd Div, attacking
abreast and to right of 6th Armd, with CCB and
CCA abreast and CCR following, moves E through
80th Div, bypassing Erfurt and Weimar. CCB, on
left, reaches Ulrichshalben–Schwarbsdorf area, a little
short of the Saale. CCA reaches the Saale S of
Jena but finds bridges down and halts for night in
Goeschwitz area. Mopping up to rear of armor, 76th
Div reaches Buttstaedt area. 80th Div closes circle
about Erfurt with 317th and 318th Regts and moves
319th eastward along autobahn behind 4th Armd
Div. 3d Cav Gp takes responsibility for protecting
flanks of corps, 3d Sq on left flank and 43d Sq on
right. In VIII Corps area, 89th Div reaches line Gutendorf–Tonndorf–Kramchfeld–Wizleben;
forms TF Crater (motorized elements of 1st Bn of
3534 Inf, 89th Rcn Tr, and supporting units) for
dash to the Saale on 12th. 87th Div proceeds quickly
toward Stadtilm on left and Bad Blankenburg on
right. 65th Div starts to new assembly area at Waltershausen.
28th Sq, 6th Cav Gp, is given mission of
protecting N flank of corps and closing gap between
89th and 87th Divs. In XII Corps area, Coburg surrenders
to 11th Armd Div, which prepares to drive
to Hasslach R line between Marktzeuln and Kronach;
CCR TF finds Neustadt undefended. RCT 5,
71st Div, is attached to 11th Armd Div to occupy
Coburg and clear woods to W. 71st Div units continue
to mop up behind armor, forward elements
reaching Rottenbach area. 26th Div takes Eisfeld
without opposition and reaches Steinheid–Schalkau
road. 90th Div advances rapidly as organized resistance
collapses on left flank of corps, 359th Inf
thrusting beyond Langenwiesen and Gehren and
358th beyond Gross Breitenbach; reconnaissance
forces push through Konigsee.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army area,
XV Corps opens drive SE of Nuremberg at 1500
with 45th Div on left and 3d Div on right, progressing
rapidly. 106th Cav Gp probes ahead of assault
divs. In XXI Corps area, 42d Div regts converge
on Schweinfurt and clear the city while CCA,
12th Armd Div, blocks enemy escape to E from