December 1944

Western Europe

In the XIX Corps area, the 29th Division's 115th Infantry reduces the Hasenfeld Gut and sportplatz strongpoints in the Juelich area with the help of assault guns and smoke.

The VII Corps is ordered to attack on the 10th to clear the region between the Inde and Roer River and the approaches to Dueren, the corps' objective.

In the V Corps area, a battalion of the 13th Infantry relieves the Rangers on Castle Hill. In their 2-day stay there, the Rangers have lost more that 1/4 of the original strength.

In the XX Corps area, the 357th Infantry is again subjected to major counterattacks in the 90th Division's Dillingen bridgehead, but forces the enemy back in hand-to-hand fighting. Local enemy counterattacks keep the 358th Infantry largely on the defensive, although elements push across the railroad tracks to take the Dilligen station. During the night, the 359th Infantry, the reserve regiment, crosses into the bridgehead. The 95th Division is very slowly expanding its Saarlautern bridgehead, fighting from house to house and from pillbox to pillbox. The 2nd Battalion, 378th Infantry, joins its parent regiment in Ensdorf after crossing the river in assault boats. The 6th Cavalry Group takes over the sector on the southern flank of the corps from elements of the 5th Division. After receiving the surrender of Fort Driant, the 2nd Infantry of the 5th Division turns over the Metz sector, where Fort Jeanne d'Arc is still holding out, to the 87th Division of the III Corps.

In the XII Corps area, the 35th Division attacks across the Sarre, the 134th Infantry crossing by a bridge south of Sarreguemines and the 320th by boats in the region to the east. The 134th clears Sarreinsming and pushes northeastward under heavy fire from Sarreguemines. The 320th, whose 3rd Battalion is unable to cross until nightfall, establishes a bridgehead and with the aid of artillery and fighter-bombers halts a counterattack as it is forming. The 26th Division attacks the Maginot Line within its sector after an artillery and air preparation. The 328th Infantry begins an assault on Fort Wittring and Grand Bois, fighting through the night of the 8th. The 104th Infantry, to the right, easily takes 4 mutually supporting forts in the Aachen area.

In the XV Corps area, the 12th Armored Division completes the relief of the 4th Armored Division (XII Corps) in place. The 44th Division pushes into Encherberg and the 100th into Lemberg, but the Germans are defending both towns.

The VI Corps is conducting a deception program to lead the enemy to expect a Rhine crossing in the Strasbourg area or an attack in the vicinity of Bischwiller. The 45th Division begins an attack on Niederbronn. In the 79th Division zone, the 94th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron clears Gambsheim.

The II Corps is still undergoing lively counterattacks. US 36th Division troops are driving on Kayserberg. The I Corps gains a foothold in Thann.