November 1944

Western Europe

The port of Antwerp is opened to traffic.

The XIX Corps virtually finishes clearing its zone to the Roer. CCA, 2nd Armored Division, takes Barmen and reaches the river near there. In the 29th Division's zone, Koslar is found free of Germans but the 2 strongpoints in the Juelich area must still be cleared. The 30th Division commits a battalion of the 120th Infantry in the battle for Altkirch, which is cleared, but the Germans retain a small triangle between the Inde and Roer Rivers. The offensive halts temporarily.

In the VII Corps area, the 104th Division reaches Inden and Lammersorf and takes the bridge at Inden intact. It is discovered that the Germans have abandoned Frenzerburg Castle. The 1st Division secures Langerwehe and Juengersdorf. On the southern flank of the corps, the 12th Infantry of the 4th Division begins an attack to close the gap between the 8th and 22nd Regiments in the Huertgen Forest.

In the V Corps area, the 8th Division, attacking from 3 sides, at last secures Huertgen. Maj-Gen Donald A. Stroh, the division commander, is replaced by Brig-Gen William G. Weaver. Aircraft and artillery join in the attacks against Kleinhau, the next objective, which the armor is to attack. Gen Hodges directs the corps to continue the offensive.

In the XX Corps area, the 95th Division gains positions roughly abreast with the 90th Division to the north. The 377th Infantry pushes into Germany. The 378th is slowed by opposition from the woods east of Falck but makes some progress.

In the XII Corps area, the 317th Infantry of the 80th Division fights hard for Farebersviller as elements enter and clear part of the town. About 2000, Germans with tanks attempt unsuccessfully to drive the Americans from Farebersviller. The 328th Infantry, 26th Division, mops up west of the Canal des Houilléres de la Sarre. The 101st is sent to Burbach to support the 4th Armored Division's drive east of the Sarre in the drive on Sarre-Union scheduled for 1 December. The 26th Division is to extend northward to take over most of the zone held by the 35th Division. The 4th Armored Division, in preparation for the Sarre-Union attack, is laboriously clearing villages east of the Drulingen-Sarre-Union highway. CCB takes Berg.

In the VI Corps area, the French 2nd Armored Division starts southward from Strasbourg in 2 columns, reaching the Erstein area, where the Germans are resisting strongly. CCA, 14th Armored Division, also meets firm resistance in the vicinity of Erstein as well as at Barr. Elements of the 36th Division find Liepvre, on the Ste Mare-Sélestat road, and the Koenigsbourg Château, southeast of Liepvre, undefended.

The II And I Corps converge at Burnhaupt at 1430 and pocket enemy forces in Alsace. A junction is made by CC4 of the 5th Armored Division, I Corps, and CC6, under command of the Moroccan 2nd Division of the II Corps. The Germans soon attempt to break out of the encirclement. In the Alps sector, the 100th Battalion of the 442nd RCT relieves the 1st SSF on the Franco-Italian frontier.