1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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5th Inf Divs through it; 11th Armd, on left, makes
main effort toward Luebeck. 15th Div drives NW
along the Elbe to Geesthacht, about 16 miles from
Hamburg. 6th A/B Div passes to control of U.S.
XVIII Corps (A/B) in place. U.S. XVIII Corps
(A/B) expands Elbe bridgehead up to 9 miles
against light resistance. On left flank, Br 6th A/B
Div completes its crossing and expands bridgehead
to include Zweedorf, Nostorf, and Boizenburg. 8th
Div regains control of elements previously attached
to 82d A /B Div and attacks with them between Br
6th A/B and 82d A/B Divs, seizing Zahrensdorf.
82d A/B Div, committing 504th Para Inf to right
of 505th, thrusts to Forst Carrenzien. CCB, 7th
Armd Div, is attached to 82d A/B Div and will
operate in conjunction with 325th Gli Inf.
12th Army Group: U.S. Ninth Army, its offensive
operations ended, maintains positions along the
Elbe with XIII Corps on left and XIX Corps on
right and continues occupation mission in zone of
XVI Corps to rear. Mass surrender of Germans,
particularly in XIII Corps zone, continues until
end of the war. Boundaries are gradually adjusted
to conform with German political boundaries. XVI
Corps, occupying Westphalia, Lippe, and Schaueburg
Lippe, is adjusting internal boundaries to facilitate
military government. 378th Inf, 95th Div,
moves to Bremen Enclave Military District, where
it passes to control of 21 Army Group and is attached
to 30 Corps, Br Second Army.
U.S. First Army, holding a 160-mile front from
junction of the Elbe and Mulde Rivers at Dessau on
the N to Ronsperk (Czechoslovakia) on the S, faces
a disorganized enemy incapable of preventing Red
Army from closing up on a solid front. In V Corps
area, 97th Div, disposed along German-Czechoslovakian
border on right flank of corps and army, improves
positions in limited attacks.
In U.S. Third Army’s XII Corps area, 11th Armd
Div drives SE from the Austrian border to Klein
Muehl R and secures crossings. CCA, on left, seizes
bridge E of Peilstein and gets forward elements to
Oepping. Main body of CCB halts at Lembach while
elements search for crossings to E and NE, taking
bridge at Krondf and establishing small bridgehead.
CCR, after opening lateral communications between
CCA and CCB, moves to Kasberg. 41st Cav follows
CCB to Wildenranna and patrols to the Danube in
search of crossing sites. 26th Div, with 104th and
328th Regts in assault and 101st screening right
flank of corps and div, advances SE behind armor
in right half of corps sector: 104th Inf crosses Austrian
border in vicinity of Messnerschlag; 328th,
to right, eliminates bypassed resistance N of Passau.
5th Div completes assembling in corps zone and,
with RCT’s 10 and 11 abreast, RCT 10 on left, advances
to left rear of armor, forward elements cross-
[ 1 MAY 1945 ]
ing Czechoslovakian border on left and Austrian
border on right. 2d Cav Gp, screening German-
Czechoslovakian border between 5th and 90th Divs,
seizes Eisenstein pass into Czechoslovakia. Left
flank elements of 90th Div are passed through on
left flank of corps by 97th Div (V Corps). Div continues
limited attacks, emerging from woods between
Waldmuenchen (Germany) and Domazlice
(Czechoslovakia). 4th Armd Div is attached to
corps. In XX Corps area, 13th Armd Div finishes
crossing the Isar at Platting and drives to the Inn.
CCB reaches the Inn in Eisenfelden area and tries
in vain to take Marktl bridge. CCA thrusts to the
Inn opposite Braunau and searches for crossing site.
CCR reaches Unt Tuerken, between Marktl and
Braunau. Moving forward from Regensburg area,
65th Div follows armor across the Isar at Platting:
261st Inf drives SE along the Danube to Sandbach
on left and Aldersbach on right; 259th passes
through 261st to take up assigned sector to its right;
among towns cleared by div are Osterhofen, Pleinting,
Aldersbach, and Vilshofen. 71st Div, attacking
with 3 regts abreast, expands Isar bridgehead SE of
Landau to Eichendorf, Arnstorf, and Simbach.
Floating treadway bridge is put in at Landau for
use of heavy transport and arty. On right flank of
corps, 318th Inf of 80th Div clears Dingolfing and
from there and Mamming drives SE across Vils
R, clearing Reisbach; 319th crosses the Isar in Nieder
Viebach area and drives SE, forward elements reaching
the Vils. III Corps gets all elements across the
Isar and speeds SE toward the Inn in effort to take
bridges before enemy can destroy them. 99th Div
completes its crossing of the Isar at Landshut and
with RCT’s 393 and 394 abreast, 393 on left, drives
to line Vilsbiburg–Velden. 14th Cav Gp crosses at
Landshut, night 1–2. Upon completing crossing at
Moosburg, 14th Armd Div drives SE with CCA
on left and CCB on right, passing elements through
99th Div and continuing advance during night 1–2.
On right flank of corps, 86th Div organizes TF
Pope (bn of 342d Inf (reinf and motorized) and
23d Cav Rcn Sq of 16th Armd Div), which heads
for Wasserburg, where Inn R bridge is reported
intact. Div, with RCT 342 on left and RCT 343 on
right, pushes SE from vicinity of Mittl Isar Kanal
to Erding.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army area,
XV Corps mops up Munich sector. In XXI Corps
area, CCR of 12th Armd Div drives SE from Starnberg
across Isar R in 4th Div zone to Holzkirchen,
thence along autobahn, forward elements reaching
the Inn. CCA follows CCR to Holzkirchen. CCB,
Fr 2d Armd Div, assembles in vicinity of Uffing.
12th Inf, 4th Div, drives SE to Thankirchen and
Hechenberg; 22d Inf gets 2 cos across the Isar in
Unter Schaeftlarn area; 8th Inf ( — ) shuttles for-