December 1944

Western Europe

Allied commanders conferring at Verdun decide to halt their offensives toward the Rhine and concentrate on reducing the enemy salient in the Ardennes.

Because of the Ardennes counteroffensive, Field Marshal Montgomery abandons the plan to employ XXX Corps, British 2nd Army, in the Nijmegen area and orders it to assemble in the Louvain-St Trond-Hasselt region to hold the Meuse River line.

The US 9th Army is ordered to go on the defensive.

The VII Corps remains generally in place.

In the V Corps area, the 2nd and 99th Divisions repel further attacks and start new defensive positions from which they will defend the Elsenborn ridge. The 9th Division (less the 47th RCT, which is already in the corps zone and the 60th RCT) takes up defensive positions in the 2nd Division zone, relieving elements of the 2nd and 99th Divisions. The 1st Division holds a line east of Malmédy. CCA, 3rd Armored Division, relieves the 18th Infantry, 1st Division, of the defense of Eupen. The 30th Division holds at Stavelot and engineers blow the bridge across the Amblève River there and keeps the Germans from Stoumont in a costly battle. CCB. 3rd Armored Division, is attached to the corps to assist the 30th Division.

The XVIII Corps (Airborne) takes responsibilty for the region generally south of the Amblève River, including Houffalize, a key road center between St Vith and Bastogne, with the mission of holding the northern flank of the enemy. The 82nd Airborne Division, which reverts to the corps, upon closing at Werbomont relieves 30th Division troops in that region. The 3rd Armored Division, less CCA and CCB, passes to corps control and starts toward the Hotton-Le Grand Pré area.

In the VIII Corps area, hope of relieveing the beleaguered 422nd and 423rd Regiments of the 106th Division in the Schnee Eifel fades. The 7th and 9th Armored Divisions are aggressively defending the region just east of St Vith. the 112th Infantry, 28th Division, is attached to the 106th Division. The 28th Division is ordered to abandon Wiltz and return to friendly lines by infiltration, and withdraw from the Diekirch area. The 101st Airborne Divsion arrives at Bastogne, which the Germans have almost encircled. Also employed in the defense of the Bastogne area are CCB of the 10th Armored Division and remnants of CCR, 9th Armored Division, the latter coming under control of the 101st Airborne Division.

The US 3rd Army forms a provisional corps from former 1st Army units south of the Ardennes salient, the 4th Division and the 10th Armored Division (less CCB). The corps is to hold the enemy on the southern flank of the penetration and plug the gap existing between it and elements of the 9th Armored Division and 28th Division near Ettelbruck.

The XX Corps begins a withdrawal from hard-won positions east of the Sarre. The 5th Division maintains a foothold east of the river at Saarlautern, but the 378th Infantry of the 95th Division is ordered to withdraw from Ensdorf.

The III Corps is ordered northward for an attack against the southern flank of the enemy in the 'bulge'.

TF Fickett and the 6th Armored Division pass to the XII Corps control. In the XII Corps area, the 35th Division halts an attack to consolidate in preparation for relief. The 4th Armored Division and 80th Division are being transferred to the III Corps.

The US 7th Army is ordered to go on the defensive.

In the XV Corps area, the 44th Division finds that the enemy has abandoned Fort Simershof and Hottviller. Fort Schiesseck, barring access to Bitche, continues to hold out.