1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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Tank Corps at Wismar at 2100. 8th Div, attacking
with 121st Inf followed by 28th, secures Hagenow
and Schwerin without opposition. Passing 325th Gli
Inf, reinf by CCB of 7th Armd Div, through 505th
Para Inf, 82d A/B Div pushes eastward, clearing
Ludwigslust, Eldena, and Doemitz. At 2130, Lt Gen
von Tippelskirch surrenders German Twenty-first
Army unconditionally to 82d A/B Div. 7th Armd
Div ( — CCB) starts across the Elbe.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army area,
XIII Corps gains its first contact with Red Army:
84th Div patrols meet Russians in vicinity of Balow
and Abbendorft at 1630 and 1730, respectively; at
2130, 29th Div makes patrol contact with Red Army.
In U.S. First Army’s V Corps area, 1st and 97th
Divs improve positions along Czechoslovakian
frontier in limited attacks. 2d Div is transferred to
V Corps from VII Corps and begins relief of 97th
Div and XII Corps’ 90th Div.
In U.S. Third Army’s XII Corps area, CCA of
11th Armd Div drives S from Oepping through Rohrbach
to the Muehl at Neufelden and starts fording
infantry elements mounted on tanks without opposition.
Main body of CCB remains at Lembach; failure
of road net in Krondf area prevents crossing of
the Klein Muehl there. CCR moves forward to Peilstein.
26th Div continues SE along the Danube to
rear of armor, reaching Klein Muehl R in Aus-tria.
To left, RCT 11 of 5th Div clears to the Gross Muehl
in Austria and crosses; RCT 10 gains additional
ground in Czechoslovakia on div left. 359th Inf,
90th Div, pushes toward Vseruby. In XX Corps area,
261st Inf of 65th Div reaches the Inn at Passau on
left and at Neuhaus, opposite Schaerding, on right;
2d Bn clears most of Passau while 1st, with close
fire support, begins assault crossing of the Inn at
Neuhaus. Forward elements of 259th Inf reach the
Inn S of Neuhaus. 13th Armd Div closes along N
bank of the Inn to right and after establishing
small bridgeheads is ordered to assemble N of the
river. CCA negotiates successfully for surrender of
Braunau. 71st Div drives quickly SE toward the Inn,
motorized elements of 66th and 5th Regts seizing
Inn R dams near Egglfing and Ering, respectively,
and establishing shallow infantry bridgeheads over
the dams into Austria. Engineers begin work on the
dams so that vehicles can cross. 80th Div, with 318th
Inf on left and 319th on right, reaches the Inn in
vicinity of Braunau and Winhoering, overtaking
armor. III Corps continues SE toward the Inn until
ordered to refrain from crossing the Inn. Forward
elements of 14th Cav Gp reach the Inn in vicinity of
Neuoetting and make contact with XX Corps to left.
99th Div gets almost to the Inn. CCB, 14th Armd
Div, reaches the river SE of Aschau and takes bridge
intact. To left, CCA reaches the river in vicinity of
Muehldorf and establishes small infantry bridge-
[ 2 MAY 1945 ]
head, withdrawing it upon order. 86th Div, replacing
RCT 343 with RCT 341, drives SE to Haag
with 2 RCT’s abreast; TF Pope reaches outskirts of
Wasserburg before being halted and is then dissolved.
After breaking off attack, corps units begin
assembly in assigned areas N of the Inn.
6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s XV
Corps area, 86th Div is attached to corps. 3d Div
prepares to drive on Salzburg. In XXI Corps area,
CCR of 12th Armd Div, directed to drive on Innsbruck,
closes along the Inn and drives S along it to
Degerndorf area while CCA and CCB remain in
current positions. CCV, Fr 2d Armd Div, which is
to follow CCR, advances from Uffing assembly area
to the Isar at Bad Toelz. 101st Cav Gp moves to
Bad Aibling area to screen N flank of armor. Against
disorganized resistance, 12th Inf, 4th Div, drives to
Tegern See while 22d crosses newly completed
bridge near Unter Schaeftlarn and drives SE to Miesbach-Gusteig
area. RCT 141, 36th Div, finishes clearing
Bad Toelz area, elements crossing the Isar to clear
E part of city. In VI Corps area, RCT 409
of 103d Div continues S toward the Inn, taking Auland
and Reith; other elements of div move to forward
assembly areas and begin negotiations for surrender
of Innsbruck. 71st Inf, 44th Div, clears Fern
Pass in enveloping maneuver: while 3d Bn
attacks frontally from N, 1st Bn, led by party of
Austrian soldiers, move to Fernstein and drives N
along highway to attack from rear, surprising Germans.
Main body of 114th Inf, preceded by 44th
Cav Rcn Tr, continues along Lech R Valley; elements
driving toward Tarrenz reach Boden.
In Fr 1st Army area, 1st Corps reaches Obersdorf
on left and Goetzis (Austria) on right.
EASTERN EUROPE—Soviet forces complete capture
of Berlin.
ITALY—15th Army Group: Hostilities come to
an end as surrender terms become effective.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, NZ 2d Div
receives surrender of Trieste. 10 Corps hq starts to
Naples for movement to the Far East.
BURMA—In ALFSEA’s 15 Corps area, Gp Capt
Grandy lands his plane on Mingaladon airfield and
enters Rangoon, where he confirms information
painted on roof of jail that Japanese have gone.
Aerial bombardment of Rangoon area, which has
been intensive since 26 April, halts. Ind 26th Div
troops land astride Rangoon R from small craft and
move toward Rangoon unopposed. Seaborne phase
of DRACULA is preceded by airdrop of 23d Bn, 50th
Ind Para Brig, in vicinity of Elephant Pt, about 20
miles S of Rangoon. Paratroopers move inland
without difficulty.
In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps area, Ind 20th
Div seizes Prome, cutting last escape route of Japa-