1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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burg, 7th Inf reaching Werk Kanal and driving S
along it on the city and 15th continuing SE to W
outskirts. 4th Div’s 8th and 12th Regts continue to
follow armor SE; 8th Inf secures bridgehead across
the Lech at Schwabstadl with 2 cos. 63d Div, continuing
leapfrog tactics, also follows armor closely.
36th Div, which is concentrating in corps zone, begins
relieving 63d Div. VI Corps pursues enemy,
which is in full retreat, toward Austria and the
vaunted but mythical National Redoubt. CCR, 10th
Armd Div, drives to Landsberg area, making contact
with elements of 12th Armd Div (XXI Corps),
then turns S. From Mindelheim, CCA drives SE to
Lech R at Schongau. From Memmingen area, CCB
pursues enemy toward Fuessen, one column reaching
Markt Oberdorf and another taking Kempten
without a struggle. 71st and 114th Regts, 44th Div,
continue southward on heels of armored columns.
103d Div also follows armor closely: 411th Inf follows
CCR to Landsberg area and begins clearing
this city where Hitler was imprisoned in 1923;
409th heads for Schongau, intercepting and destroying
enemy columns of horse-drawn vehicles; 410th
gets forward elements to Kaufbeuren. Advance elements
of 101st A/B Div close in Memmingen area.
Fr 1st Army virtually finishes clearing its zone.
EASTERN EUROPE—Troops of Second White
Russian Front drive rapidly W on broad front
along the Baltic in Pomerania, forward elements
taking Prenzlau and Angermuende. Fighting continues
in Berlin, where Soviet troops have cleared
about three fourths of the city. Elements of First
White Russian Front overrun Spandau, NW suburb
of Berlin, Potsdam, and Rathenow.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army
continues to pursue disorganized enemy. 92d Div
reaches Genoa, on Ligurian coast. In IV Corps area,
resistance by enemy div trapped S of the Po below
Cremona comes to an end; 2 more divs are being
eliminated in region S of Highway 9. CCB follows
CCA, 1st Armd Div, across the Po and turns W
also to block enemy escape routes.
CHINA—Chinese, materially assisted by air, are
maintaining defensive positions before Ankang and
Sian air bases and gradually taking the offensive.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area, battle
for Baguio ends as columns of 37th and 33d
Divs converge on the summer capital and overrun
it. 2d Bn of 27th Inf, 25th Div, reinf by Co B of
35th Inf, starts S along Kapintalan Ridge, where
Japanese are firmly entrenched, in effort to make
contact with 1st Bn of 35th Inf, which is working
N along it. 3d Bn, 27th Inf, continues to clear Mt
Myoko. 2d Bn, 35th Inf, gains ridge 600 yards N of
Fishhook. In XI Corps area, RCT 145 (attached to
6th Div), assisted by air and arty, gains crest of
Mt Pacawagan. In XIV Corps area, 1st and 3d Bns,
RCT 158, make contact on main ridge of Cituinan
hill mass. 11th A/B Div, with close air and fire support,
launches co-ordinated assault on Mt Mataasna
Bundoc, final organized enemy position in S Luzon,
frustrating enemy plans to withdraw. Some ground
is gained against firm opposition.
S PHILIPPINES—In U.S. Eighth Army’s X Corps
area, Gen Eichelberger draws up plan of attack to
clear rest of Mindanao. Japanese apparently intend
to make a final stand in hills NW of Davao City.
162d Inf, 41st Div, will move up from Zamboanga
to guard communication lines and thus free X Corps
to press attack. RCT 108, 40th Div, is to land at
Macajalar Bay and move S along Sayre Highway
to establish contact with 31st Div forces moving N,
thus splitting the island. In order to make a double
envelopment of Davao area, elements of 24th Div
are to drive N along Davao Gulf from Digos and
units of 31st Div are to press SE from Kibawe area
on Sayre Highway. Forward elements of 34th Inf,
24th Div, reach crossroads at Digos and are held up
by enemy. Aircraft and arty pound the strongpoint.
2d Bn of 124th Inf, 31st Div, starts up Sayre Highway
toward its junction with Kibawe–Talomo Trail;
at 2200 clashes with enemy force of bn size moving
forward to attack and virtually destroys it by dawn
of 28th. On Negros, forward elements of 2d Bn,
164th Inf, reach ridge leading to Palimpinon. 1st
Bn scouts region W of Dumaguete City.
RYUKYU Is.—Japanese begin 2-day series of
strong air attacks against shipping in Okinawa area.
In U.S. Tenth Army area, XXIV Corps takes control
of 77th Div. Some 27th Div elements fight
vigorously for limited gains in Yafusu area while
others virtually eliminate Item Pocket. 96th Div,
although assisted by tanks and armored flame throwers,
makes slow progress in center of corps, especially
on right, where Japanese continue tenacious defense
of Maeda Escarpment; some elements gain saddle
between 2 hills on the escarpment and others work
forward through Maeda village. 17th Inf, 7th Div, is
still held up at Kochi Ridge strongpoint and assault
bns—1st and 2d—are unable to gain contact.
28 April
[ 28 APRIL 1945 ]
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Cdn
First Army area, Cdn 2 Corps, with task of clearing
Wilhelmshaven–Emden peninsula and the two
cities, is reinf by Br 3d Div.
In Br Second Army area, 8 Corps prepares for
assault crossing of the Elbe in Lauenburg area before
dawn of 29th. In U.S. XVIII Corps (A/B) area, 8th
Div completes assembling in Lueneburg area and
releases 13th Inf to 82d A/B Div’s 505th Para Inf,
which is to establish bridgehead across the Elbe in
Bleckede area, night 29–30.