1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 492 ]
2d Div, following armor closely, approaches Saale R
in vicinity of Merseburg. RCT 271, 69th Div, reinf
by reserve TF under command of CO, 777th Tank
Bn, clears portion of Weissenfels W of the Saale
and crosses elements in assault boats; RCT 272 gets
advance elements to Hohenmoelsen.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 6th Armd
Div continues to cross Weisse-Elster R and secures
additional bridges. Using a bridge at Pegau and another
captured at Profen, in First Army zone, CCB
crosses and drives SE to Lucka area. CCA
crosses additional elements at Rossendorf, where ford
and treadway bridge are put in, and rest over bridge
captured at Schkauditz. From Rossendorf, column
drives NE to Breitenbach. In conjunction with RCT
304 of 76th Div, CCR starts across river near Zeitz
under intense fire. RCT 304, 76th Div, forces the
Weisse-Elster and begins assault on Zeitz. Bypassing
Jena, which 80th Div clears, 4th Armd Div races E
from Mulde bridgeheads, crossing Weisse-Elster R
and establishing bridgeheads over Zwick Mulde R
in 70-odd-mile drive. CCB establishes bridgehead
across the Zwick Mulde at Wolkenberg and CCA
another, in vicinity of Ober Winkel and Crumbach.
VIII Corps mops up W of the Saale, over which all
vehicular bridges are destroyed, and establishes
bridgehead on right. 89th Div, with 355th and 353d
Regts abreast, clears Rothenstein–Beutelsdorf sector
W of the Saale and dissolves TF Crater. 87th Div,
with 346th and 347th Regts abreast, clears its sector
to the Saale; crosses elements at Etzelbach,
Schwarza, and Saalfeld by ford and foot bridges and
establishes firm bridgehead. 65th Div starts toward
Arnstadt to mop up stragglers. 6th Cav Gp continues
to defend left flank of corps. In XII Corps area, 11
Armd Div, continuing rapidly SE along muddy,
secondary roads, takes Kulmbach and cuts Kulmbach–Bayreuth
road before it is ordered to halt;
probes toward Bayreuth, next objective of corps. 71st
Div mops up toward Kulmbach. 26th Div reaches
general line Steinbach–Fortschendorf–Steinberg–
Kronach. 90th Div advances to general line Lothra–
Gleima–Rottersdorf; reconnaissance elements seize
Selbitz R bridge SE of Lichtenberg. On right flank
of corps, 42d Sq of 2d Cav Gp reaches Thurnau area,
NW of Bayreuth.
In U.S. Fifteenth Army’s XXII Corps area, 28th
Div is attached to corps and takes responsibility for
Juelich sector.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, elements of 45th and 3d Divs break
into Bamberg and begin clearing it. XXI Corps’
objective line is extended to include Feuchtwangen,
Ansbach, and Fuerth. 42d Div moves elements SE
in preparation for assault on Fuerth, W of Nuremberg,
and releases CCA, 12th Armd Div, to parent
unit. CCB clears toward Aisch R SW of Neustadt;
[ 13 APRIL 1945 ]
CCR eliminates enemy pocket within its zone to
right. 101st Cav Gp, reconnoitering to SE of armor,
finds enemy disposed along line Adelshofen-Steinach–Burgbernheim–Windsheim;
releases 101st Sq to
4th Div. 4th Div, with 12th, 22d, and 324th Regts,
from left to right, in assault, advances to line Freudenbach–Lichtel
Schrozberg–Blaufelden on right flank
of corps. VI Corps advances rapidly all along line as
resistance weakens; is directed to secure line Poppenweiler–Crailsheim,
from which to reconnoiter SE,
and be prepared to attack SE. 100th Div clears region
about Heilbronn and pushes E
and SE. CCA, 10th Armd Div, takes Oehringen
and drives SW and W toward Heilbronn, establishing
contact with 100th Div. 63d Div gains all its
objectives on N flank of corps with ease: 253d Inf
crosses the Kocher and reaches Brettach R in Neuenstadt
Langenbeutingen area; 255th reaches Neuenstein
area; 254th consolidates around Kunzelsau
and clears southward to general line Kupferzell–Rueblingen.
In Fr 1st Army area, Valluy Groupement, reinf
by CC3 of 1st Armd Div, speeds S over Baden
Plain E of the Rhine, overrunning Buehl; left flank
elements push through Black Forest toward Freudenstadt
in conjunction with right flank elements
of 2d Corps.
E ASTERN EUROPE—Soviet forces of Third
Ukrainian Front, supported by those of Second
Ukrainian Front, complete capture of Vienna.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army
again postpones offensive because of unfavorable
weather. 92d Div is unable to advance its left flank
across Carrione Creek but pushes toward Parmignola
Canal in center and to vicinity of M. Pizzaculo
on right.
In Br Eighth Army area, boundary between Pol 2
and Br 5 Corps is altered, narrowing front of Pol
2 Corps, whose axis of advance now extends through
Medicina and Budrio. Pol 2 Corps expands Santerno
bridgehead. In 5 Corps area, NZ 2d Div and 36th
Brig of 78th Div push rapidly W toward Bastia in
conjunction with action of 56th Div to right. 56th
Div’s 24th Gds Brig, reinf by 9th Cdo, makes
amphibious assault on Chiesa del Bando, NE of Argenta,
but is held up by enemy established along
Fosso Marina.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps area,
Ind 20th Div seizes Taungdwingyi.
CHINA—Japanese open full-scale drive on Chihchiang,
making main effort along road from
Paoching.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army area, RCT 158,
less 2d Bn, continues indecisive battle for Cituinan
Hill area for next week. 2d Bn, reinf by AT Co,
attacks toward San Francisco, in Sorsogon Province,
meeting heavy fire from hills around the town.