February 1945

Western Europe

In the British XXX Corps area, their rapid amphibious advance continues. The Canadian 3rd Division clears Mehr, Niel, Keeken, and Milligen and patrols to the Rhine. The 15th Division overruns the West Wall defenses at Nuetterden and reaches the heights near Materborn and patrols to the outskirts of Cleve. From Nijmegen, the 43rd Division begins to drive through the 15th Division toward Goch, reaching Nuetterden. Moving eastward through the northern part of the Reichswald, the 53rd Division clears the Stuppelburg feature and the high ground southwest of Materborn. The 51st Division drives through the southern part of the Reichswald toward the Hekkens road center and cuts the Mook-Gennep road.

In the V Corps area, the 9th Division, passing through the 78th Division and assisted by it, makes a final drive on the Schwammenauel Dam. To protect the northern flank of the 9th Division, the 78th Division's 310th Infantry, reinforced by a battalion of the 311th, clears the region north of the Schmidt-Hasenfelde road and blocks the Harscheid-Nideggen road. The 9th Division's 60th Infantry clears to the Roer within its zone and secures most of Hasenfelde. The 311th Infantry, after driving southeastward and clearing the northern bank of Urft Lake to within a few hundred yards of The Schwammenauel Dam, is passed through by the 309th, elements of which reach the northern end of the dam and capture the control house. Relieved by the 508th Parachute Infantry near Bergstein, the 517th Parachute Infantry assembles near Huertgen. The 505th Parachute Infantry moves eastward toward the Roer in the region west of Abenden. The 106th Division assumes responsibility for the sector held by the 424th RCT on the corps' southern flank. The 424th RCT reverts to the 106th.

In the VIII Corps area, the 3rd Battalion of the 345th Infantry, 87th Division, captures Neuendorf, but efforts of the division's Reconnaissance Troop to make contact with the 4th Division's Reconnaissance Troop at Willwerath are frustrated by enemy in that town. On the 4th Division's northern flank, the 8th Infantry completes the capture of Gondenbrett, clears Hermespand, and crosses elements over the Pruem. The 22nd Infantry seizes Nieder Mahlen while the 12th partly clears Steinmehlen. The 90th Division makes substantial progress through West Wall fortifications. On the north, where the enemy is falling back, the 358th Infantry takes Hill 519 and advances 2,000 yards. The Germans' stubborn defense of the region between the 90th Division and the 11th Armored Division is unabated, but contact is established between the two divisions.

In the III Corps area, CCR of the 6th Armored Division expands and consolidates the bridgehead east of the Our. A junction is made between the division's north and south bridgeheads, and contact is made with the 17th Airborne Division to the south. Armor crosses the river over the newly completed Bailey bridge. The 17th Airborne Division prepares for relief by the 6th Armored Division.

In the XII Corps area, bridgeheads across the Our and the Sauer Rivers are further strengthened and expanded by the 80th and 5th Divisions. In the 80th Division's zone, the 3rd Battalion of the 319th Infantry is unable to cross into the Wallendorf bridgehead, but the rest of the 318th Infantry crosses near Dillingen. By the end of the day the 5th Division has the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Infantry, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 11th, and 3 battalions of the 417th across the Sauer in the Weiterbach-Echternach region.

In the XX Corps area, the Germans repel efforts of the 301st Infantry, 94th Division, to clear the Bannholz woods east of Sinz. The 5th Ranger Battalion is transferred from the 26th to the 94th Division control and relieves elements of the 302nd Infantry on the 94th Division's right flank. In the Saarlautern bridgehead, the 104th Infantry of the 26th Division takes a number of buildings.

In the XV Corps area, the 101st Cavalry Group begins the relief of the 106th Cavalry Group. CCB, 10th Armored Division, reverts to its parent unit from corps control. The 254th Infantry, 63rd Division, is attached to the 100th Division and relieves the 274th Infantry, 70th Division. The 274th reverts to 70th Division control.

The VI Corps has little contact with the enemy except in Oberhoffen, where the 1st Battalion of the 142nd RCT, 36th Division, engages in house-to-house fighting.

The French 1st Army completes the reduction of the Colmar Pocket, leaving the German 19th Army virtually destroyed as an effective fighting force. The unremitting efrorts of the planes of the US XII TAC and the French 1st Air Corps contribute greatly to the success of this operation.

In the US XXI Corps area, the 254th Infantry reverts to the 63rd Division from its attachment to the 3rd Division.

The French I Corps elminates the small bridgehead in the Chalampé area and the Germans blow the bridge at Chalampé, concluding operations on the Alsatian plain of France.