1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 25 APRIL 1945 ]
Wehr. Forces of 10th Military Region cross the
Rhine and seize Kembs Dam intact.
EASTERN EUROPE—First White Russian and
First Ukrainian Fronts join forces inside Berlin
and deepen penetration toward heart of city. Elements
are sweeping around the city to cut enemy
escape routes.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army
area, 92d Div, which has reduced Gothic Line positions
on Ligurian coast except at Aulla, is ordered
to drive along coast to Genoa while pushing inland
along Highways 62 and 63 toward Parma and
Reggio. In IV Corps area, elements of 10th Mtn
Div start northward toward Villafranca airport,
SW of Verona. 85th Div establishes bridgehead
across the Po at Quingentole without opposition.
34th Div relieves elements of 1st Armd Div on
Highway 9 and takes Reggio. N of the highway,
elements of 1st Armd Div block enemy escape routes
E of Taro R. In II Corps area, 88th Div crosses 2
regts over the Po. 91st Div reaches the Po near
Sermide and at night crosses 362d Inf. S African 6th
Armd Div reaches the Po at Felonica.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, NZ 2d Div
and 6th Armd Div establish bridgeheads across the
Po, night 24–25, 2d NZ at Gaiaba and 6th Armd
at Stienta. In 5 Corps area, Ind 8th Div leads attack
of corps across the Po, crossing at and to W of Pontelagoscuro,
night 24–25.
BURMA—Japanese Gen Kimura moves his headquarters
to Moulmein. One of the 3 airfields at
Toungoo becomes operational.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area, 3d
Bn of 130th Inf, 33d Div, drives E to within about
2,000 yards of Baguio while 2d Bn of 129th Inf, 37th
Div, clears the cemetery on approaches to Mt Mirador.
1st Bn, 129th, moves about 300 yards along
Highway 9, coming under heavy fire. Rest of 2d
Bn of 27th Inf, 25th Div, joins Co G at base of Lone
Tree Hill; 3d Bn passes through 1st to continue
attack along Mt Myoko.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army area, 24th
Div launches drive on Mindanao toward Digos, on
Davao Gulf. 34th Inf, leading, reaches Saguing, 30
miles E of Digos. 31st Div is directed to drive N
on Sayre Highway to its junction with Kibawe–
Talomo trail, a mission assigned to 124th Inf, which
will shuttle to Kabacan area to begin the drive. On
Bohol, 3d Bn of 164th Inf is systematically searching
the island to destroy disorganized enemy remnants.
RYUKYU Is.—On Ie Shima, systematic mopping
up continues. American casualties through this
date total 172 killed, 902 wounded, and 46 missing
in action.
In U.S. Tenth Army area, XXIV Corps pushes
through first line of enemy’s Shuri defenses on Okinawa
with ease, except on W flank, Japanese having
[ 515 ]
withdrawn southward, night 23–24. TF Bradford
closes the gap between 27th and 96th Divs without
opposition, but Japanese continue to resist in Item
Pocket. 96th Div easily takes all of Nishibaru Ridge,
Tanabaru Escarpment, ridge to S, and Hill 143. 7th
Div eliminates final opposition in Hill 178 area.
25 April
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: Br
Second Army takes operational control of U.S.
XVIII Corps (A/B), which retains command of
U.S. 8th Div, at noon for action in final drive from
the Elbe to the Baltic. 30 Corps enters Bremen and
begins to clear the city.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army area,
XIII Corps ends offensive, except for patrolling
across the Elbe, and begins occupation phase. Elbe
R line is held by 29th, 84th, and 35th Divs, from
left to right. 5th Armd Div moves to rear and CCB
relieves RCT 407 ( — ), 102d Div, of responsibility
for protecting MSR; RCT 407 reverts to 102d Div. In
XVI Corps area, 75th Div takes command of 5th
Div sector S of the Ruhr. 5th Div prepares to move
to Third Army area. 17th A/B Div is transferred
to Fifteenth Army. XVI Corps zone, divided into
five parts, is occupied and governed by 79th Div
with 18th AAA Gp attached; 75th Div; 95th Div;
55th AAA Brig; and XVI Corps Arty with 15th
Cav Gp attached.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, RCT 39
joins 9th Div along the Mulde and completes relief
of 3d Armd Div, to which CCA and CCR revert.
In V Corps area, 69th Div makes patrol contact with
Soviet forces in vicinity of Riesa and Torgau. 1st
Bn, 271st Inf, crosses the Mulde at Eilenburg to clear
Kultzschau, just E of the river. 2d Div maintains
positions along the Mulde and patrols E of the river.
In VIII Corps area, 6th Armd and 76th Inf Divs
complete withdrawal to W bank of the Mulde except
for small detachments that remain E of the river
to facilitate patrolling.
In U.S. Third Army’s XII Corps area, CCB of
11th Armd Div drives SW from Regen to Tittling,
W of Ilz R; crosses the Ilz and seizes Perlesreut and
bridges across Ohe R near Prombach. After advance
elements of CCA find road near Zwiesel cratered and
impassable, CCA follows CCB route SE through
Regen to Kirchdorf, then turns E to Schwarzach
and S to Grafenau; advance elements continue E to
Kreuzberg. 26th Div reaches the Danube near Zeitldorn
on right and Neukirchen–Mitterfels–Steinach
area on left. In 90th Div sector, 359th Inf, reinf by
90th Rcn Tr, attacks through 358th, speeding SE
to positions NW of Waldmuenchen; 357th continues
SE to Schwarzach R in Roetz–Schoenthal area
and sends 1st Bn to Chain to block enemy movement
toward the redoubt region; 358th blocks along