Document Source: Supreme Allied Headquarters Archival Document, Original Communiques of the Supreme Commander, European Theater of Operations

Communique Number 176 – 01 October 1944

Calais has been captured. The commander was taken prisoner last midnight and by early morning the main body of defenders had surrendered. Mopping-up of scattered elements continues. The advance northwest of Turnhout continued to make progress. In all sectors in Holland there was steady fighting during yesterday, with the situation generally unchanged. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked railway wagons and other transportation targets. Enemy counter-attacks on the west of our salient continued and northwest of Nijmegen there has been heavy fighting. Communications at Arnhem and near Goch, across the German frontier to the east, were attacked by escorted medium bombers. Trains, barges and motor transport in the Ruhr and northern Holland were attacked by light bombers during last night.

Yesterday, strongly escorted escorted heavy bombers, in very great strength pounded the railway yards at Hamm, Munster, and Bielefeld in western Germany. Along the German frontier bordering southern Holland and Belgium, slight advances were made southeast of Rötgen and southwest of Prüm, where several pillboxes were destroyed and a number of prisoners taken. Several small enemy counter-attacks northeast of Nancy and at Jallaucourt were repulsed. Northeast of Epinal, the town of Rambervillers has been reached by our forces against light resistance. Local gains were made east of the Moselle River in this sector. The enemy has been launching counter-attacks and has intensified artillery fire. Northwest of Belfort a number of violent counter-attacks were repulsed and our positions improved.

Communique Number 177 – 02 October 1944

Allied troops have strengthened the Dutch Salient, by an advance north of Oss which cleared the enemy from the banks of the Meuse River. Northeast of Nijmegen we have repulsed attacks by enemy infantry and armor. To the southwest, our forces making further progress west of Turnhout captured the village of Brecht and are three miles north of Merksplas. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked troop concentrations, guns, and transportation targets in support of our ground forces in Holland. Other fighters flew offensive patrols. Active patrolling was maintained along the German border from Aachen to southeastern Luxembourg.

In the area northeast of Nancy our troops advanced into the Forêt de Gremecey and occupied the high ground around Fresnes-en-Saulnois and Coutures. A strong counter-attack near Jallaucourt was repulsed. Local gains were made in the Epinal sector against strong resistance. Artillery fire was particularly heavy. The town of St-Jean-du-Marché is in our hands. Mopping-up at Calais has been completed.

Communique Number 178 – 03 October 1944

Allied infantry and tanks have launched an attack in the area north of Aachen. Our troops have crossed the Würm River and the attack is meeting strong resistance from pillboxes and enemy artillery and mortar fire. In the area west of Hürtgen, an enemy counter-attack was contained with no ground lost. The attack across the Würm River followed an intensive air bombardment and artillery barrage. Escorted medium and fighter bombers gave gloss support by attacking gun positions, troop concentrations and communications. Other fighter bombers went for transportation targets in the Ruhr and in Holland, and approximately 1200 escorted heavy bombers attacked industrial targets in the Kassel and Koln areas and a rail yard at Hamm. From these operations, 12 bombers and seven fighters are missing.

Last night, light bombers continued attacks on transportation targets in northwestern Germany. our ground forces in the Dutch salient advanced several miles towards Meijel and other units freed Overloon in an advance against heavy resistance. Several enemy tanks and numerous anti-tank guns have been destroyed in the area and we are in contact with strong bodies of enemy. Southeast of Arnhem, escorted medium bombers attacked strong points and fighters and fighter bombers gave close support to ground troops.

On the west of the salient, we have extended our hold on the north bank of the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal west of St-Lenaarts. Progress was also made northwest of Turnhout. In southeastern Luxembourg, our troops have reached the outskirts of Grevenmacher, on the Moselle River. Northeast of Nancy, the Forêt de Gremecey has been cleared. Our troops have pushed ahead at a number of places in the Epinal sector, encountering stiff opposition. Further south, Ronchamp, west of Belfort, was freed. German efforts to move reinforcements to advanced units were checked with heavy losses to the enemy.

Communique Number 179 – 04 October 1944

Allied troops advancing north of the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal have reached a point eight miles northeast of Antwerp on the road to Breda. North of Turnhout, we have taken Baarle-Nassau. East of Turnhout, our forces are in the village of Reusel. Between the Meuse and the Waal, the villages of Wamel and Dremnel have been freed. In the area of Overloon, a German counter-attack was repulsed by our troops with an estimated 50 per cent loss to the enemy. Allied forces attacking in the area north of Aachen are advancing slowly against varying resistance from German artillery and small arms, and from pillboxes.

Our troops have penetrated to Ubach (Palenberg) three miles south of Geilenkirchen and have advanced against heavy resistance in the area immediately southwest of Ubach. Gains have been made in the vicinity of Meckstein, north of Kerkrade. Just south of Aachen, intense tank and mortar fire has been directed against our units, and in the area west of Hürtgen small enemy counter-attacks were repulsed at three points. Fighters and fighter bombers supported ground forces and attacked transportation targets in Holland and the Rhineland.

In southeastern Luxembourg, our troops have gained high ground just west of Echternach and Grevenmacher. Farther south, high ground was taken in the vicinity of Maizières-lès-Metz, on the west side of the Moselle River northwest of Metz. Five miles southwest of Metz, our forces have entered Fort Driant after a successful assault. East of Nancy, the enemy has been forced back to the Forêt de Parroy by our advance which has gained more than a mile in some sectors. Our armored elements repulsed a counter-attack by enemy infantry and tanks in the vicinity of Anglemont, five miles southwest of Baccarat.

Northeast of Epinal, our troops, favored by clearing weather, made new gains and occupied several villages. These included Grandvillers, Deycimont and Lepanges-sur-Vologne. Farther south, resistance was more stubborn and enemy counter-attacks have been more frequent. Limited progress was made in one area northwest of Belfort. The sea dyke near Westkapelle on the Dutch island of Walcheren was breached yesterday in a two-hour attack by waves of heavy bombers escorted by fighters. A gap 120 yards wide was made in the dyke and extensive flooding of enemy positions resulted. None of the aircraft is missing from this operation. More than 1000 heavy bombers, with a strong fighter escort, attacked the Daimler-Benz factory at Gaggenau, tank works at Nürnberg and airfields at Lachen-Speyerdorf and Giebelstadt. The escorting fighters also strafed airfields in Germany. Eleven bombers are missing.

Communique Number 180 – 05 October 1944

North of Antwerp, the enemy is being driven from the perimeter forts. Kappellen and Stabroek are in our hands. Further progress has been made north and northwest of Turnhout and we are advancing north of Poppel and Barlé-Nassau. The capture of Hilvarenbeek has brought us to within five miles of Tilburg. South of Arnhem our troops have gained some ground in heavy fighting. On the east of the salient in the area of Overloon, we are moving ahead slowly, hindered by marshy terrain and enemy mines.

Allied infantry, supported by armor, is making slow progress near Ubach-Palenberg, north of Aachen, against heavy opposition from enemy small arms, mortars, anti-tank guns and artillery. A German tank attack was repulsed by our infantry in the vicinity of Herbach. Fighters and fighter bombers supported ground forces during the day and went for transportation targets in western Germany. Night bombers attacked trains and barges in Holland and northwestern Germany.

In France, southwest of Metz, our troops fighting within Fort Driant are meeting stubborn resistance from the enemy, who is defending from dug-in positions and pillboxes. Further south, an enemy counter-attack was repulsed in the vicinity of Sivry, north of Nancy. In the Epinal sector we made slight local gains southeast of St-Amé. Elsewhere, strong enemy resistance was encountered. West of Belfort, a pocket of resistance has been mopped-up in the Ronchamp area where the enemy continued to fight stubbornly. At Dunkerque, a truce has been arranged to allow the evacuation of civilians. Heavy bombers, with fighter cover, attacked submarines and submarine pens under construction at Bergen in Norway yesterday. One bomber is missing.

Communique Number 181 – 06 October 1944

Allied troops have crossed the Dutch frontier north of Antwerp in the neighborhood of Putte. we have continued to make progress north of Baarlé-Nassau and Poppel. Gains made along the Hilvarenbeek road have brought us within three miles of Tilburg. Stubborn German resistance from strong points in impeding our forces in the area of Overloon. Two enemy counter-attacks southwest of the town were contained. Fighters and fighter bombers and a small force of medium bombers, operating in close support of our ground forces in Holland attacked enemy troops and strong points and destroyed a number of locomotives, railway trucks and barges in Holland and Germany. According to reports so far received, six enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air.

North of Aachen, patrol activity continues along the front, and considerable enemy artillery fire has been falling in and around Monschau. Our troop fighting in Fort Driant have been mortared and shelled by the enemy. Fighting has been in progress near Sivry, north of Nancy, where earlier, an enemy counter-attack was repulsed. In support of our troops near Nancy, fighter bombers attacked troops and fortified buildings. Other fighter bombers hit the railway station at Sarrebourg, destroyed a number of motor vehicles in the same area and struck at barges and canal installations on the Marne-Rhine Canal east of Nancy.

Heavy bombers in very great strength, strongly escorted by fighters, bombed railway yards at Koln and Rheine and German Luftwaffe installations at Handorf, Lippstadt, Paderborn and Münster-Loddenheide. The escorting fighters destroyed 15 enemy aircraft on the ground and one in the air, and strafed locomotives and goods trucks. Thirteen bombers and five fighters are missing. Wilhelmshaven was attacked by a strong force of heavy bombers, with fighter cover. one bomber is missing. nineteen thousand civilians have been evacuated from Dunkerque under a truce arranged for that purpose.

Communique Number 182 – 07 October 1944

Allied troops have crossed the St-Lenaarts Canal in spite of heavy mortar and machine gun fire. North of Antwerp, our troops continued to advance into Holland. Progress has also been made north of Poppel and Hilvarenbeek. northwest of Nijmegen, there has been heavy local fighting between the Lower Rhine and the Waal River. Our forces in the Ubach area, north of Aachen, have gained ground to the north and northwest reaching a point a half mile north of Beggendorf. We have also advanced one and a half miles along the road running southeast from Ubach.

A counter-attack in strength by enemy infantry and tanks was repulsed during the morning near Herbach, with no material change in the line. Out of nearly 50 enemy planes over the Ubach area, an estimated 25 were destroyed by our anti-aircraft artillery. Our troops within Fort Driant continue to meet stubborn resistance, and have been subjected to heavy artillery fire. Near Sivry, north of Nancy, the enemy regained some ground in a counter-attack. To the east of Nancy, sporadic artillery fire has been directed against our forces. Allied troops have advanced more than half way through the Forêt de Parroy, east of Lunéville, against stubborn resistance. A counter-attack by enemy infantry with some armored support was repulsed in the southeastern part of the Forest. Anglemont, southwest of Baccarat, has been freed after bitter fighting. Southeast of Epinal, in the vicinity of Cleurie, the enemy has been driven from a heavily fortified stone quarry which was delaying our advance. Elsewhere resistance to our progress is stiff.

In the Vosges foothills our troops are now on three sides of the town of Le Thillot. West of Belfort, further progress has been made through wooded terrain. A fuel dump at Amersfoort, railway targets at Hengelo and Düren, an airfield and barracks at Düren, and communications at Arnhem were attacked by medium and light bombers yesterday. Fighters and fighter bombers also attacked locomotives, barges and motor transport in Holland and western Germany. After dark light bombers attacked railway yards at Amersfoort and trains and barges in northern Holland and western Germany. Very strong forces of escorted heavy bombers in daylight yesterday attacked oil plants at Scholven-Buer, Sterkrade and Harburg; an aircraft engine plant and an ordnance depot and an aircraft engine plant in Berlin; airfields at stargard and Wenzendorf and a fighter assembly plant at Neubrandenburg.

In the course of these operations, 20 enemy aircraft were shot down. Thirty-six seaplanes were destroyed at Baltic stations and three enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground by fighters which had provided a part of the escort. Twenty eight bombers and ten fighters are missing. Last night, heavy bombers in great strength attacked Dortmund and Bremen. Berlin was also bombed.

Communique Number 183 – 08 October 1944

Allied troops moving towards the southern bank of the Scheldt Estuary from our bridgehead over the St-Lenaarts Canal, are engaged in heavy fighting. North of Antwerp further progress has been made towards the road leading to the island of Walcheren where the sea dykes at Flushing were attacked yesterday without loss, by a strong force of heavy bombers. North of Nijmegen, we have freed the village of Malderen. Fighting continues in the area of Opheusden. Fighters and fighter bombers closely supported our ground forces in Holland and attacked transportation targets in Holland and western Germany. Rocket-firing fighters sank a medium-sized coastal vessel near the hook of Holland. Medium bombers struck at bridges in the Arnhem area and a railway yard at Hengelo. Heavy bombers, in very great strength with fighter escort, struck at enemy supplies and communications at Emmerich and Cleve. Five bombers are missing.

In the Aachen sector, our troops have captured Beggendorf and Baesweiler east and southeast of Ubach. Forces which advanced to the outskirts of Alsdorf encountered decreasing resistance and lessening artillery fire. On the northern fringe of this advance, we have occupied Waldenrath. good progress in the Hürtgen Forest has taken our troops to less than two miles of the village of Hürtgen. In Luxembourg, we have cleared the enemy from Echternach and Wormeldange.

North of Metz, our troops have entered Maizières-lès-Metz. Heavy fighting continued in Fort Driant where we hold the northwest and southwest corners of the Fort. Along the whole front from Aachen to Nancy, fighter bombers in strength supported our troops and attacked transportation targets behind the enemy lines. Medium bombers hit railway targets at Euskirchen, Trier and Dillingen. In the Vosges foothills, our troops captured two villages but lost ground to a strong enemy counter-attack northeast of Epinal. Further south, newly-won positions in the Le Thillot area were consolidated and numerous counter-attacks were repulsed. More than 1400 heavy bombers, escorted by 900 fighters, hit one synthetic oil plants at Pölitz, Ruhland, Böhlen, Merseburg and Lutzkendorf; tank plants at Magdeburg and Kassel; aero-engine, locomotive and chemical works at Kassel and Clausthal-Zellerfeld; an aircraft repair depot and motor transport plant at Zwickau; and an airfield at Nordhausen. In the course of these operations 33 enemy aircraft were shot down and 16 destroyed on the ground. Fifty-six bombers and 15 fighters are missing.

Communique Number 184 – 09 October 1944

In the advance around the Scheldt Estuary, our troops north of Antwerp have freed Hoogerheide and Kalmthout. To the south of the estuary there has been very heavy fighting in the bridgehead over the St Leenarts Canal. On the west side of our Dutch salient there was some local fighting east of ‘s-hertogenbosch. Allied forces have closed the gap northeast of Aachen to about four miles. Troops moving from the north have gained about a mile southwest and southeast of Ofden, and units which attacked northward on sunday morning, after a preliminary bombardment, have advanced 3000 yards to Verlautenheide, three miles northeast of Aachen, and to a hill half a mile east of Haaren. Just north of this area, our forces have overcome stubborn enemy resistance to seize Oidtweiler, one and one-half miles northwest of Alsdorf, which was captured earlier.

Throughout the Aachen sector, we are encountering considerable enemy artillery, small arms and machine gun fire. Southwest of Hürtgen, we have renewed our advance in rugged terrain, meeting stubborn opposition from German field defenses. An enemy counter-attack was repulsed. In the Metz sector, we have cleared the enemy from the northern half of Maizières-lès-Metz. Hard fighting continues at Fort Driant. Our forces have attacked north and northeast of Nancy and have liberated the towns of Moivrons, Ajoncourt, Jeandelaincourt and Chenicourt.

In the Vosges foothills, we have taken prisoners and gained more ground against stubborn resistance around Le Thillot. The village of Ramonchamp was taken after hard fighting. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked enemy troops and gun positions yesterday. In addition, locomotives, rail cars and airfields were strafed and rail tracks cut in western Germany. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Medium and light bombers attacked railway bridges at Bad Münster, Euskirchen and Ahrweiler; a railway junction at nohfelden and enemy strong points at Metz, Jülich and Baal.

Communique Number 185 – 10 October 1944

Heavy fighting continues in the allied bridgehead over the St-Leenarts Canal. Enemy attempts to eliminate the bridgehead were repulsed. Our troops which made a landing early on Monday morning on the south shore of the Scheldt Estuary have made good progress. North of Antwerp, local gains were made. There has been little change in position in the Aachen area. In the vicinity of Ofden, north of Aachen, we made an advance of about 600 yards and later contained a counter-attack by enemy tanks. Our forces advancing from the south, in the area east of Aachen, held their positions against several counter-attacks near Verlautenheide. In the Hürtgen area, we made slight gains southwest of the town against very heavy resistance.

Weather curtailed air operations over the battle area. A small force of medium bombers attacked a railway bridge at Euskirchen. Armed reconnaissance was flown by fighters and fighter bombers. North of Metz, an enemy counter attack was repulsed at Maizières. Advances in the area north of Nancy have reached Létricourt. The Bois de la Fourasse, two miles of Létricourt, is being cleared of the enemy. Several more towns in this sector including Sivry, Lixières and Serrières, have been liberated. In the Vosges foothills, our advance has freed more villages. Hard fighting continues particularly in the Le Thillot sector where a number of strong points were overcome. Heavy losses were inflicted and several hundred prisoners taken.

East of Epinal, the enemy was forced from Laveline and Herpelmont. More than 1100 heavy bombers, escorted by very strong forces of fighters, yesterday, attacked military targets in southwest Germany. Most of the bombing was concentrated in the Frankfurt, Koblenz and Mainz regions. Bombing was by instrument, through heavy clouds. In the course of these operations, two enemy aircraft were destroyed. Five bombers and three fighters are missing. Last night, Bochum, in the Ruhr, was strongly attacked by heavy bombers. Objectives in Wilhelmshaven were also bombed.

Communique Number 186 – 11 October 1944

The allied force which landed on the south bank of the Scheldt Estuary has improved its positions east of Breskens. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked enemy strong points in the area yesterday. Elsewhere, air operations were restricted by weather. Heavy fighting continues in the area of the St-Leenarts Canal bridgehead. North of Antwerp, we have cut the main road leading from the mainland to Zuid Beveland. A sharp enemy attack near Dodewaard, in the Waal River area, was repulsed yesterday morning. A 24-hour ultimatum to surrender was served on the German forces in Aachen at 1015 hours Tuesday.

Earlier, units in the northern arm of our encircling movement had captured Scharfenberg and advanced to Würselen. Other units moving up from the south and east had reached Haaren and had cut the main Aachen-Köln highway. By noon, the enemy was being mopped-up in the northern part of Haaren. German counter-attacks were repulsed at the Crucifix Hill, southeast of Haaren, and the area of Bardenberg. Hard fighting is in progress southwest of Hürtgen, and our troops have made gains. Patrol activity and sporadic artillery fire are reported along the frontier in the area of Monschau.

In France, house-to-house fighting is in progress in Maizières-lès-Metz. East of Lunéville, our troops in the Forêt de Parroy have advanced about 1500 yards. East of Epinal, our positions were improved despite increased enemy artillery fire. After hard fighting in the Le Thillot sector, our troops established a substantial bridgehead across the Moselotte River. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. Several strong points near Le Thillot have been taken against stiff resistance. The Forêt de Longegoutte and Gehan have been largely mopped-up. Progress has been made in the Champagney region west of Belfort.

Communique Number 187 – 12 October 1944

The allied bridgehead over the St-Leenarts Canal was held firmly yesterday and our landings on the south shore of the Scheldt River reinforced. Fighters and fighter bombers continued their support of our troops in the Breskens area. Fortified positions at Oostburg, Sluis and Schoondijke were hit with rockets and bombs. Heavy bombers with fighter cover attacked a dyke near Veere and gun emplacements on the island of Walcheren and on the Dutch mainland opposite flushing. One bomber is missing.

West of Arnhem, the enemy has withdrawn from one area on the south bank of the Lower Rhine. Strong points, troop concentrations and tanks in the Arnhem area were attacked by fighters and fighter bombers in support of our ground forces. Our troops encircling Aachen renewed their attack on the city following the refusal of the German garrison to surrender. The city was bombarded for five hours by medium bombers. Fighter bombers attacked enemy troops southeast of the city. North of Aachen, enemy infantry and tanks were engaged in Bardenberg. Counter-attacks were beaten off in the Haaren area and heavy losses were inflicted by our infantry, with close artillery support. Southeast of Aachen, our troops have advanced against stubborn resistance to cut the Monschau-Düren road about one mile southeast of Hürtgen.

In France, hard fighting continues in Maizières-lès-Metz. The enemy is using the basements of houses as anti-tank positions. We repulsed a strong counter-attack in the vicinity of Létricourt, north of Nancy. in the Vosges foothills limited advances were made northeast of Epinal and in the Le Thillot area where, in hard fighting, enemy counter-attacks have been repulsed. The village of Sapois is in our hands. The bridgehead over the Moselotte River has been extended. Transportation targets in the Rhineland were hit by fighter bombers. Canal locks and railway bridges in the Saarbrucken area were also attacked. Heavy escorted bombers struck at military targets in the region of Köln Koblenz. Five bomber and one fighter are missing.

Communique Number 188 – 13 October 1944

Further reinforcements have been landed on the south shore of the Scheldt Estuary east of Breskens. In the St-Leenarts Canal bridgehead, the village of Biezen was cleared of the enemy. Heavy fighting continues in both areas. Near Antwerp, and enemy counter-attack was repulsed. Fighters and fighter bombers continued to support our ground forces in the Breskens area. Troops and strong points were hit. Fortified positions at Oostburg, Sluis and Schoondijke were again attacked by rocket-firing fighters. Heavy bombers struck at gun emplacements at Fort Frederik Hendrik. Batteries north of Knokke were bombed, without loss, by medium bombers.

Other fighters and fighter bombers provided support for our troops near Arnhem and Nijmegen and attacked transportation targets in the Amersfoort and Apeldoorn areas and elsewhere in Holland. On the east side of the Dutch salient, allied troops have retaken Overloon. Medium and light bombers hit road junctions at Venray, south of Overloon. In Germany, Aachen was dive-bombed and strafed yesterday by hundreds of fighter bombers. Other fighter bombers attacked tanks east of Aachen. Enemy fighters came up to give battle over the city. Twelve were shot down and others damaged for the loss of four of our aircraft. Northeast of Aachen, a heavy enemy counter-attack, with infantry and tanks, has been launched in the Bardenberg area. earlier, counter-attacks from the east in the vicinity of Verlautenheide and Haaren were repulsed by our artillery. Fighting is still in progress at Haaren and Wurselen, where an enemy pocket has been cleaned up. Air attacks were made during Wednesday night on our troops in the areas of Schaufenberg and Siersdorf, east of Alsdorf, and increased artillery fire has been encountered in the area southeast of Geilenkirchen. Four miles east of Stolberg, our forces have advanced slightly against heavy enemy resistance.

Further south, in the Hürtgen sector, we reached Vossenack, but were pushed back slightly by a counter-attack. Striking at communications in the Aachen sector, medium and light bombers, with fighter escort, bombed a railway bridge across the Erft River at Grevenbroich and the towns of Aldenhoven and Langerwehe. At Ahrweiler also, a rail bridge was bombed. South of Monschau, patrol activity continues and our troops are encountering sporadic artillery and mortar fire.

Down south, near Nancy, fighter bombers, in advance our infantry, dropped fragmentation bombs in wooded country. East of Lunéville, our patrols have advanced to the eastern edge of the Forêt de Parroy and the town of Parroy has been cleared of enemy. Local counter-attacks have been met near Coincourt. In the Epinal-Belfort sector, our troops have made substantial gains over rugged country in the bend of the Moselotte River, north of Le Thillot. Several villages have been taken. Heavy enemy counter-attacks were repulsed in this area as well as in the vicinity of Le Thillot where our positions were improved. Elsewhere in the Vosges foothills activity was limited mostly to artillery exchanges and patrolling. Strong forces of heavy bombers, with fighter escort, attacked an aircraft component factory at Bremen and other targets in northwest Germany. Other escorted heavy bombers struck at the synthetic oil plant at Wanne-Eickel. Medium and light bombers attacked also targets in Henningen.

Communique Number 189 – 14 October 1944

North of the St Leenarts Canal, allied troops have made some progress southwards from the Biervliet area. The bridgehead over the canal has been slightly extended. Fighters and fighter bombers renewed their attacks on gun emplacements and strong points in the Breskens area. In the neck of the South Beveland Peninsula, the enemy continues to counter-attack fiercely. In the Dutch salient, a local enemy counter-attack, southeast of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was repulsed. North of the salient, medium bombers struck at rail targets at Utrecht and Amersfoort. Allied troops, south of Overloon, have advanced some 1500 yards through difficult wooded country in the face of stiff opposition. In support of our troops in this sector, light bombers cut the railway line leading to a bridge at Venlo and destroyed the western end of the Meuse River bridge at Roermond.

Our troops are advancing slowly in house-to-house fighting in the northeast section of Aachen. Fighter bombers continued the air attack on Aachen and also struck at rail communications in this sector. Enemy aircraft were sent up and our fighters shot down 18 of them for the loss of eight. North of the city, in the region of Bardenberg, the Germans, reinforced by armor, have increased their pressure, but several counter- attacks have been dispersed by our planes and artillery. Just south of Kohlscheid and Würselen, our forces are moving forward slowly against stubborn resistance from both mobile and dug-in tanks.

In the Hürtgen Forest, near Germeter, we are making slow progress against stiff opposition to regain ground lost earlier in a strong enemy counter-attack. Two miles southwest of Germeter, slight advances have been made and pillboxes are being mopped-up. Medium and light bombers hit Langerwehe, on the Aachen-Düren road. The bridges at Mayen, west of Koblenz, and at Euskirchen were also attacked. One medium bomber is missing from these operations. Fighter-bombers struck at rail communications at a number of points in western Germany.

East of Nancy, our patrols have penetrated the Forêt de Parroy and three-quarters of the forest has now been cleared of enemy. Our forces have made further progress against heavy resistance in the Moselotte River bend southeast of Epinal and have advanced over rugged terrain, to the vicinity of Cornimont. Pressure has been maintained near Le Thillot. Elsewhere, in the Vosges foothills, activity was limited chiefly to artillery exchanges and vigorous patrolling.

Communique Number 190 – 15 October 1944

A further crossing of the St-Leenarts Canal was made yesterday near Watervliet and our troops north of the canal have been reinforced. Further east, we have advanced northwesterly around the southern end of the Savojaards Plaat towards other allied units which have continued to move southwards from the Biervliet area. Our hold on the neck of the South Beveland Peninsula remained firm. Strong points, gun emplacements and communications in the Breskens area and in the South Beveland Peninsula were attacked by fighters and fighter bombers. Railway facilities at Woensdrecht were bombed by fighter bombers. Fighters and fighter bombers supported our ground forces in the Arnhem-Nijmegen areas. Northeast of Arnhem, medium and light bombers hit the railway bridge crossing the Ijssel River at Zutphen.

Southeast of Overloon, our forces advanced about 1000 yards over a front of several miles against stiff opposition. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked artillery positions northeast of Aachen where our troops were subjected to heavy fire in the vicinity of Alsdorf. Nearer Aachen, we continued to advance slowly against fierce resistance from pillboxes, dug-in tanks and artillery fire and have reached points about one-half mile south of Kohlscheid and Würselen. Our troops within the northeastern edge of Aachen have made some progress in house-to-house fighting. In the Hürtgen area we have made gains against very heavy resistance.

Northeast of Le Thillot, our units continued to advance over rugged country and took the village of Cornimont. There was sharp fighting over the height just north of the town. The Forêt du Gehan, south of Cornimont, also is in our hands.

Gun batteries in the Köln area and rail and river transportation targets at Düsseldorf and elsewhere in the Rhineland were hit by fighter bombers. Industrial targets at Prüm were also attacked. More than 1000 heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, dropped over 4500 tons of high explosives and incendiaries on the inland port and industries of Duisburg. Fourteen bombers are missing. Another force of over 1000 heavy bombers with strong fighter escort struck at Duisburg and attacked Braunschweig. Objectives in Berlin and Hamburg were also bombed.



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