September 1944

Western Europe

Gen Eisenhower directs the capture of two objectives: the Ruhr and a deep-water port, either Antwerp or Rotterdam.

In the Canadian 1st Army's II Corps area, the Canadian 4th Armored Division crosses a light force over the Canal de Derivation and the Leopold Canal northeast of Bruges during the night of the 13th.

In the British 2nd Army's XII Corps area, the 15th Division takes over the Gheel bridgehead, relieveing the 50th Division of the XXX Corps, and presses on to the Meuse-Escaut Canal, crossing it after nightfall. The 53rd Division is expanding its holdings in the dock area of Antwerp.

In the VIII Corps area, the German garrison of Brest refuses a request to surrender although the garrison is being steadily compressed on all sides. West of Recouvrance, Fort Keranroux falls to the 175th Infantry, 29th Division. The 8th Division has been pinched out, and the 29th and 2nd Divisions hold the area around Brest. As the 94th Division continues the gradual relief of the 6th Armored Division, CCA is released from its task of containing Lorient.

In the XIX Corps area, CCA of the 2nd Armored Division drives eastward toward the Maas (Meuse), on the northern flank of the corps, forcing the enemy back several miles. The 119th and most of the 117th Regiments of the 30th Division drive toward the De Geul River, between Aachen and Maastricht. A battalion of the 117th enters Wijk, a suburb of Maastricht, but finds the bridges leading to the island of Maastricht down.

The VII Corps penetrates the outer defenses of the West Wall at 2 points. CCB, 3rd Armored Division, breaches fortifications between Roetgen and Rott, while CCA, assisted by a battalion of the 26th Infantry, 1st Division, pushes through anti-tank obstacles to the village of Nutheim, which commands the road to Kornelimuenster, and into the Stolberg corridor. To the left, the 16th Infantry, 1st Division, withstands small counterattacks in the Aachen Municipal Forest and gets into position for an assault on the West Wall near Ober Forstbach. The 1st Division is largely engaged in a containing role at Aachen. The 9th Division, to secure the southern flank, occupies Camp d'Elsenborn with elements of the 60th Infantry.

In the V Corps area, forward elements of the 4th Division assemble near the Schnee Eifel at Radscheid and Bleialf. The 28th Division, employing a battalion each of the 109th and 110th Regiments, attack the West Wall. The 109th attempts to reach the heights west of Roscheid but is unable to get as far as Irsen Creek. The 110th advances through Grosskampenberg without opposition but is halted about half way between there and the German line. The 5th Armored Division, reinforced by the 112th RCT of the 28th Division, continues to protect the southern flank and fires on the Wallendorf area.

In the XX Corps area, the 90th Division, planning to cross the Moselle in the Thionville area, is ordered to extend southward to relieve forces still bitterly opposed west and north of Metz. The Arnaville bridgehead forces are holding on despite a critical shortage of artillery ammunition and heavy fire from Fort Driant that destroys a ferrying raft, damages a treadway at the ford, and destroys a pontoon bridge under construction. CCB, 7th Armored Division, crosses into the bridgehead and attacks toward Mardigny but is soon stopped by fire from Arry.

In the XII Corps area, the Germans have decided to abandon Nancy in order to mass forces with which to overwhelm the Dieulouard bridgehead. They begin a determined counterattack against the bridgehead at 0100 with forces already on hand, overruning Ste Gneviève, Loisy, and Bezaumont before being stopped just short of the American-held bridges. A counterattck by the 80th Division, assisted by CCA, 4th Armored Division, which crosses into the bridgehead during the action, restores the original bridgehead perimeter, as the Germans have no immediated reserves to commit to their exploitation. CCA pushes through Ste Geneviève and then rapidly eastward toward Château-Salins, reaching Fresnes-en-Saulnois. From the Lorey bridgehead south of Nancy, the 35th Division, committing the 320th Infantry with the 137th, and CCB, 4th Armored Division, speed toward the Meurthe, which CCB reaches by pushing through a gap in the retreating enemy forces.

In the XV Corps area, the 1st Battalion of the 314th Infantry, 79th Division, maintains its bridgehead opposite Charmes, which the elements of the 106th Cavalry Group are screening. The 313th Infantry breaks into Poussy as the 315th completes the capture of Neufchâteau. CCL, French 2nd Armored Division, discovers enemy columns preparing to drive on Vittel--one at Dompaire and the other near Ville-sur-Illon, then engages them with assistance from the XIX TAC and decisively defeats them destroying some 60 tanks. This is an outstanding example of effective air-ground coordination. CCD overruns Chaumont.