September 1944

Western Europe

In the Canadian 1st Army's II Corps area, the 2nd Division invests Dunkerque. The 4th Armored Division reaches the outskirts of Bruges. Polish armor reaches Thielt and elements enter Dixmude.

In the British 2nd Army's XXX Corps area, the Guards Armored Division crosses the Albert Canal at Beeringen. The 50th Division establishes a small bridgehead over the canal southwest of Gheel. Both crossings meet lively opposition.

In the US 9th Army area, the VIII Corps begins an all-out assault on Brest at 1000 after a preparatory bombardment, employing the 2nd, 8th, and 29th Divisions.

In the US 1st Army's XIX Corps area, the 113th Cavalry Group drives almost to Maastricht (Holland) and patrols the Albert Canal. The 2nd Armored Division reaches positions in the Hasselt-St Trond area. The 30th Division is moving up to attack on the right flank of the corps. In the VII Corps area, the 3rd Armored Division, which is reinforced by the 47th Infantry of the 9th Division, mops up in Liége. The 9th Division continues eastward on the southern flank of the corps and the 1st Division displaces to the Huy-Faimes area on the northern flank. The V Corps, with the 4th Division on the north and the 28th on the south, meets stronger rear-guard opposition as it continues eastward to positions generally between Jemelle and Margut. The Corps Field Order 26 calls for the capture of Koblenz, beyond the West Wall.

In the US 3rd Army's XX Corps area, the German 106th Panzer Brigade, having moved forward between the 359th and 358th Regiments of the 90th Division from Aumetz, counterattacks the 90th Division command post between Landres and Mairy early in the morning, but becomes disorganized and is virtually destroyed. In this action the German lose 39 tanks, 60 half-tracks, and almost 100 other vehicles. On the southern flank of the division, the enemy force pocketed in Briey capitulates. CCA, 7th Armored Division, disposed along the Moselle south of Talange, is containing the enemy in the northern part of the Metz bridgehead with exchanges of fire. Because of diverging attacks of corps units, Gen Walker attaches the 2nd Infantry of the 5th Division to the 7th Armored Division and CCB of the 7th Armored Division to the 5th Division, although missions remain unchanged. The 2nd Infantry continues to batter at the outer fortifications of Metz against determined opposition, taking Verneville and reaching the edge of Amanvillers. The 5th Division gains a precarious foothold on the eastern bank of the Moselle east of Dornot. 4 companies of the 11th Infantry and elements of the 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, the latter under the command of the 5th Division, cross under heavy fire and are pinned down in a shallow bridgehead. Efforts of the 11th Infantry to push on to Fort Blaise are futile and costly. In the XII Corp area, the Germans begin a series of counterattacks against the 80th Division, recovering Marbache. In the XV Corps area, the French 2nd Armored Division joins the corps and takes over the sector between Montargis and the Marne. The 79th Division is assembling in the Joinville area.