September 1944

Western Europe

Gen Eisenhower, conferring with his top commanders at Versailles, gives top priority to the opening of the Schelde approaches to Antwerp, since a deep-water port is needed in order to sustain the main Allied offensive of enveloping the Ruhr from the north. The offensive is to be conducted by the 21st Army Group, assisted by the US 1st Army. The boundary between the 21st and 12th Army Groups is to be adjusted, effective on the 25th, to extend northeastward from Hasselt through Bree, Weert, Deurne, and Venray (all to the 12th Army Group) to the Maas at Maashees and along the river to the original boundary north of Maastricht. This boundary change gives the XIX Corps of the US 1st Army a corridor west of the Maas that containes more than 500 square miles and includes the extensive swampland of the Peel Marshes. To secure this corridor, the XIX Corps is to have 2 new divisions, the 29th Division from Brest and the 7th Armored Division from the Moselle River sector near Metz. Since supply requirements of the Ruhr offensive are to be met fully first, 3rd Army is to limit its action to that permitted by the supply situation.

In the Canadian 1st Army's II Corps area, the 3rd Division receives the surrender of the Boulogne garrison. The 4th Armored Division has cleared as far north as the Leopold Canal and on the right flank has reached the Schelde Estuary. With the capture of Terneuzen by Polish armor, the Germans are confined to the 'Breskens Pocket', a region north of the Leopold Canal and west of Savojaards Plaat.

In the British 2nd Army's I Airborne Corps area, the British 1st Airborne Division is still isolated and under heavy pressure north of the Neder Rijn near Arnhem. Air resupply is impossible because of weather conditions.

Elements of the XXX Corps make contact with the Polish detachment at Driel and bring DUKWs loaded with ammunition and supplies for the 1st Airborne Division. The mud is too deep for the DUDWs, but a group of Poles succeeds in crossing supplies on rafts during the night. The US 82nd Airborne clears the southern bank of the Waal 3 miles east of the highway bridge.

In the XXX Corps area, the 43rd Division, taking over the attack toward Arnhem from the Guards Armored Division, gets elements to Driel, but the main body is held up far to the south by determined opposition. The Germans make a major counterattack against Veghel, with the main effort coming through the village of Erp. The US 101st Airborne Division, to whom reinforcements are rushed, forces the enemy back from Veghel, but the Germans cut the highway between there and Uden.

The XII Corps is slowly improving its positions west of Eindhoven as the VIII Corps, continuing toward Helmond, takes Weert.

The US 1st Army goes on the defensive along most of the line. The XIX Corps postpones its offensive against the West Wall indefinitely.

In the VII Corps area, CCB of the 3rd Armored Division, under a smoke screen, withdraws both TF Lovelady and TF Mills from the Donnerberg area to Stolberg, where TF Hogan has cleared the enemy from the southern part of the town. CCB then goes on the defensive and makes contact with CCA at Muensterbusch. The division comes to a halt within 3 miles of its objective, Eschweiler. The Germans make an all-out counterattack against the 47th Infantry, 9th Division, at Schevenhuette but are driven back with extremely heavy losses. The 60th Infantry breaks off an attack for Huertgen village in order to send reinforcements to Schevenheutte. These are not required there but later attack to ease the pressure on the single 60th Infantry battalion in the Huertgen Forest, where close, indecisive fighting rages for the next 3 days.

The V Corps remains on the defensive.

In the XX Corps area, the Germans evacuate Cheminot, since it has become an untenable pocket between the XX and XII Corps. The 7th Armored Division prepares to attack across the Seille on the 23rd. The 2nd Battalion of the 10th Infantry, 5th Division, withstands further enemy attacks against Pournoy-la-Chétive, this time from southeast of the town.

In the XII Corps area, elements of the 80th Division continue to fight in Bois de la Rumont. CCB, 6th Armored Division, circling west and south from Forêt de Grémecey to take the enemy in the Amance area from the rear, clears the stongly occupied Armaucourt. The 134th Infantry, 35th Division, attacks into Bois de Faulx at noon. The 137th pushes through the rest of Forêt de Champenoux, from which the Germans flee from air and artillery attack, abandoning the Amance plateau. The 6th Armored Division assembles in Forêt de Grémecey to clear this region and screen between the 80th Infantry and the 4th Armored Divisions. CCA, 4th Armored Division, halts a German tank-infantry attack toward Moyenvic in the region west of Juvelize and inflicts heavy losses on the enemy.

In the XV Corps area, the 79th Division progresses slowly. On the left, the Germans make local attacks from Forêt de Parroy toward Lunéville. The 315th Infantry loses and recovers a portion of Lunéville. The 313th, delayed by a counterattack at Moncel, cannot advance into Forêt de Mondon. 4 companies of the 314th Infantry ford the Meurthe but, since they cannot advance without support from tanks and artillery, halt to await bridging. The French 2nd Armored Division crosses the Meurthe between Flin and Vathiménil during the night and patrols through the southern part of Forêt de Mondon to the La Vezouse River at Benaménil but is driven back.

In the VI Corps area, the 157th Infantry of the 45th Division maintains its bridgehead at Igney while the 179th crosses the Moselle at Arches and clears Archettes. The 180th continues to clear Epinal, from which the Germans begin withdrawing. The 36th Division finishes clearing Eloyes and is attacking Remiremont.