1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 17 APRIL 1945 ]
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army
area, IV Corps makes substantial gains as enemy
begins to fall back. 10th Mtn Div, still spearheading,
takes Tole, M. Mosco, and Monzuno. 1st Armd
Div secures M. Pero and finishes clearing Vergato.
1st Div of BEF begins relief of left flank elements
of 10th Mtn Div. In II Corps area, enemy continues
vigorous defense of its positions facing corps. S African
6th Armd Div takes M. Caprara and M.
Abelle. 88th Div seizes Furcoli but is unable to
reach crest of M. Monterumici. 91st Div, attacking
toward M. Adone, M. Posigliano, Pianoro, and M.
Arnigo, makes slow progress astride Highway 65.
34th Div, directed toward Sevizzano Ridge on right
flank of corps, reduces fortified position on Gorgognano
Ridge.
In Br Eighth Army’s Pol 2 Corps area, Ind 43d
Brig seizes Medicina, on road to Budrio. In 5 Corps
area, enemy is at last forced to yield Bastia, and
lively battle for Argenta Gap begins.
BURMA—In Br Fourteenth Army’s 4 Corps
area, advance elements of Ind 5th Div occupy
Shwemyo against light resistance but are under
enemy fire from Shwemyo Bluff.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army area, 2d Bn of
RCT 158, after repulsing determined counterattack
on San Francisco, attacks and clears entire area.
With S tip of Bicol Peninsula clear, northern exits
of San Bernardino Strait are safe for Allied shipping.
In I Corps area, elements of 148th Inf, 37th
Div, overcome strong opposition on heights E of
Highway 9 near Yagyagan. In XI Corps area, 1st
Inf of 6th Div begins attack on ridge called “Woodpecker”
near junction of Bosoboso and Mariquina
Rivers. After 2 days of preparatory air and naval
bombardment, 1st Bn of 151st Inf, reinf, lands on
Carabao I., final objective in Manila Bay, and
secures it without opposition. In XIV Corps area,
11th A/B Div’s 511th Inf captures Mt Malepunyo
and Mt Dalaga. Elements of 8th and 7th Cav, 1st
Cav Div, have pocketed enemy N and NW of Mt
Mataasna Bundoc.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area,
Americal Div forces on Cebu make slow progress
against heights commanding Cebu City. Enemy
begins planned withdrawal after nightfall. On
Negros, torrential rains ground aircraft but arty
continues bombardment of enemy positions. In
Sulu Archipelago, RCT 163 of 41st Div mops up
scattered resistance on Jolo.
RYUKYU Is.—Japanese make major air effort
against Okinawa and TF 58, despite further attacks
by planes of TF 58 on Kyushu airfields.
Suicide planes sink the DD Pringle and damage a
number of other ships, among them the carrier
Intrepid. After preparatory bombardment by warships
and aircraft, 77th Div, less 307th Inf, begins
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landing on S and SW coast of Ie Shima about 0800,
305th Inf on right and 306th on left. Assault forces
move rapidly inland, hampered more by numerous
mines than by enemy opposition; take the airfield
and clear about two thirds of the island. 305th Inf
repels enemy counterattacks after nightfall in brisk
fighting. Permission is requested and granted to
use 307th Inf on le. On Okinawa, III Amphib
Corps’ 6th Mar Div employs 7 bns in final, all-out
assault on Yae-Take ridges. 4th Marines, attacking
with its 3 bns and attached 3d Bn of 29th Marines,
moves forward on southern and western ridges
while 29th Marines probes from NE. 1st Bn, 22d
Marines, closes gap between 4th and 29th Marines.
XXIV Corps regroups and moves up supplies in
preparation for full-scale attack on 19th.
17 April
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS—United States
and USSR sign Fourth Protocol for aid to Soviet
Union, granting 2,700,000 tons via the Pacific and
3,000,000 via the Atlantic.
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army’s Cdn I Corps area, Apeldoorn falls to
Cdn 1st Div. Thrusting toward Zuider Zee through
Barneveld, Cdn 5th Armd Div cuts Amersfoort–
Apeldoorn highway.
In Br Second Army area, 30 Corps continues to
meet strong opposition at outskirts of Bremen. 12
Corps, now reinf by Gds Armd Div, is approaching
Soltau on right and speeding toward Harburg
on left. In 8 Corps area, 15th Div continues battle
for Uelzen. To left, 11th Armd Div drives toward
Lueneburg. 6th A/B Div crosses the Ilmenau SE of
Uelzen.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army’s XIII
Corps area, 29th Div is attached to corps to assist
5th Armd Div in pushing left flank of corps northward
to the Elbe, since gap exists between U. S. and
British forces. CCA, 5th Armd Div, prepares to
clear Forst Knesebeck, S of Wittingen, and is reinf
by elements of 102d and 84th Divs. CCB blocks
roads E of the forest. CCR mops up its sector S
of Salzwedel. In XIX Corps area, after preparatory
aerial bombardment, 30th Div and CCA of 2d
Armd Div open assault on Magdeburg about 1500.
30th Div pushes into N and NW part of city and
CCA into S and SW part, clearing about two thirds
of objective. CCB, 2d Armd Div, maintains defensive
positions along the Elbe. 83d Div improves
positions in Elbe bridgehead E of Barby. 320th Inf
continues to clear between Saale and Elbe Rivers.
CCA, 8th Armd Div, closes in Seehausen area and
is held in reserve. In XVI Corps area, 75th Div
completes assembling near Brambauer.