September 1944

Western Europe

In the Canadian 1st Army II Corps area, the Canadian 4th Armored Division works eastward toward the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal from the Balgerhoek bridgehead. The Polish 1st Armored Division, on the right flank of the corps, makes limited progress northward toward Hulst.

In the British 2nd Army's XII Corps area, the 7th Armored Division relieves the 53rd Division at Antwerp. In the XXX Corps area, the 50th Division relieves the Guards Armored Division at the Escaut bridgehead. The 43rd Division concentrates northeast of Diest.

The 83rd Division, screening the former 3rd Army sector along the Loire, accepts the surrender of German Group Elster, about 20,000 strong, which has been cut off by the junction of the 3rd and 7th Armies.

The 6th Armored Division (less CCB) is transferred to the 3rd Army, as the 94th Division is completing its relief and taking over its sector. Fort Montbarey falls to the 29th Division, opening the way to Brest proper from the west. While the 116th Infantry advances toward Recouvrance, the 175th drives into Brest via a tunnel beneath a stone wall, and the 115th advances toward the submarine pens. The 2nd Division continues to press in from the north.

In the XIX Corps area, TF Stokes (Lt-Col William M. Stokes, Jr), consisting of the 99th Infantry Battalion, a tank battalion of the 2nd Armored Division, and supporting units, starts northward across a 9-mile gap that has developed between British and American forces because of diverging drives, crossing the Willems Vaart Canal north of Maastricht. The Meerssen bridgehead of CCB, 2nd Armored Division, is under heavy fire. CCA crosses into the 30th Division's bridgehead at Valkenburg, also under fire. The 30th Division renews its attack toward the West Wall north of Aachen from the De Geul bridgeheads with the 119th Infantry on the left and the 120th on the right, with elements of the 120th reaching positions within 3 miles of the German border.

In the VII Corps area, a stubborn defense of the Stolberg corridor nullifies the corps' attacks. CCB, 3rd Armored Division, tries in vain to clear the Weissenberg Hill. CCA is unable to advance on the northern suburbs of Stolberg. To bridge a 4-mile gap between the two combat commands, TF Hogan (Lt-Col Samuel Hogan commanding a small tank force and the attached 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry) is formed and overruns Buesbach. The 47th Infantry, 9th Division, takes Vicht and Schevenhuette, the latter 10 miles inside Germany and the deepest penetration so far. The 39th Infantry continues to batter at the West Wall near Lammersdorf and reduces a strongpoint that has been delaying it for 3 days. The 60th Infantry, assisted by tanks, clears Hoefen on the Hoefen-Alzen ridge.

In the V Corps area, the 12th Infantry of the 4th Division makes fruitless and costly efforts to push northeastward for the next few days. The 8th Infantry enters the center of the line and drives down the eastern slopes of the Schnee Eifel hampered more by terrain than the enemy. The 22nd Infantry is still unable to take Brandscheid but gains a hill on the outskirts, and elements of the regiment take an important hill on the Bleialf-Pruem highway about midway between Meisert and Sellerich. In the 28th Division sector, the 1st Battalion of the 110th Infantry makes a narrow penetration into the West Wall, seizing the lofty Losenseifen Hill as well as Spielmannsholz Hill, within a few thousand yards of its objective, Uttfeld. The 5th Armored Division, awaiting the arrival of its artillery, remains in place on the southern flank of the corps. The 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry, moving through Stockem, secures a small bridgehead across the Pruem at Wettlingen and holds it against a strong counterattack. CCB crosses into the Wallendorf bridgehead to expand it but can make little progress. At 2040, Gen Gerow, CG V Corps, halts the offensive, since operations are too costly to pursue at this time.

In the XX Corps area, limited objective attacks of the 90th Division west of Metz are costly and almost fruitless. CCR, 7th Armored Division, begins an attack to break out of the Arnaville bridghead along the Lorry-Sillegny road but is soon stopped. CCB crossed in the bridgehead early in the morning and joins in the attack at 1400, pushing toward Marieuelles. The 5th Division regroups within the bridgehead. The 2nd Infantry relieves CCB on the right flank as CCB moves to Vittonville. The 11th Infantry crosses another battalion into the bridgehead and defends the northern flank. The 10th Infantry, in the center, patrols toward Fey. Hitler, revoking a previous order, calls for the reinforcement of the Metz salient in order to prevent the encirclement of Metz.

In the XII Corps area, the 80th Division, assisted by air and artillery, decisively defeats another major counterattack against the Dieulouard bridgehead. The 1st Battalion, 318th Infantry, returning to the bridgehead from the east surprises the enemy and captures Ste Geneviève. The 319th Infantry moves into the bridgehead and its 1st Battalion recovers Atton and reaches the isolated troops on Mousson Hill. The retreating Germans are pursued as far as Lesménils. After this action, the 80th Division mops up and reorganizes for a drive to the east. In the Nancy sector, the 35th Division's 134th Infantry pushes northeastward of Nancy to heights north of Essey-lès-Nancy. The 137th forces the Meurthe River and the Rhine-Marne Canal and drives to within 2 miles of Nancy. The 320th, to which the 2nd Battalion reverts from being attached to CCB, 4th Armored Division, takes Buissoncourt. The Germans withdraw from Lunéville as CCR, 4th Armored Division, moves into the northwest part of the city and ther 42dn Squadron of the 2nd Cavalry Group enters from the southeast.

In the XV Corps area, additional elements of the 106th Cavalry Group cross the Moselle and begin to reconnoiter eastward toward the Mortagne River. The French 2nd Armored Division's CCV Moselle bridgehead at Châtel undergoes a determined counterattack by a strong armored force. The enemy is checked after reinforcements are moved up to the French. In order to avoid a major engagement, the French withdraw the bridgehead.

In the VI Corps area, the 36th Division takes Luxeuil and the 3rd Division takes Lure against light opposition.