Communique Number 191 – 16 October 1944
Driving from north and south, allied troops joined up yesterday along the western shore of Savojaard Plaat. Later, the combined force advanced westward to merge with the bridgehead in the Watervliet area. Fighters and fighter bombers gave support to our troops in the Breskens sector and bombed Fort Frederik Hendrik. North of Antwerp, our forces, operating with close air support, took the village of Woensdrecht, other formations of fighter bombers struck at communications deeper in Holland, including Dordrecht, and then areas north and east of Arnhem, where rail tracks were cut at several points. Medium and light bombers hit a railway bridge at Deventer, northeast of Apeldoorn.
In the Dutch salient, our forces made a local advance towards Vierlingsbeek. Bridges, embankments and other rail and road targets east and southeast of the salient at Emmerich, Wesel, Geldern and Rheindahlen and elsewhere in the Rhineland were hit by fighter bombers. Pressure on Aachen continued with house-to-house fighting in the outskirts. To the north of the city, our units advanced against stubborn resistance from mortar fire and dug-in tanks. Würselen, north of Aachen, and fortified positions in the enemy’s defenses southeast of the city were bombed and strafed by fighter bombers. Tank concentrations, entrenchments, gun emplacements and other strong points were hit. There has been no substantial change in the Hürtgen area or in the Moselle River Valley.
In the Vosges foothills, our advances eastward gained momentum. Gains were made against strong resistance along a wide front, and several towns were freed. Northwest of the communications center of Baccarat, the towns of Glonville and Fontenoy-la-Joûte were taken. Further south, our forces have cleared Fremifontaine, the scene of recent heavy fighting. Northwest of Le Thillot, our advance has progressed further over rugged terrain, reaching to within two miles of La Bresse. Attacks by fighter bombers on rail transport and communications were made in the vicinity of Landau, and elsewhere.
More than 1200 heavy bombers, with a strong escort of fighters, attacked military targets at Köln. Other escorted heavy bombers struck at oil refinery plants at Reisholz and Monheim, south and southeast of Düsseldorf. Heavy bombers, without loss, made a daylight attack with 12.000 pound bombs on the Sorpe Dam (Sorpesee), at the eastern end of the Ruhr Valley. Last night other heavy bombers attacked the Kriegsmarine base of Wilhelmshaven. Objectives in Hamburg were also bombed. Four of our aircraft are missing.
Communique Number 192 – 17 October 1944
Steady progress continues north of the St-Leenarts Canal. Gains of up to 1000 yards were made against somewhat decreased enemy opposition. A small counter-attack on Eede was repulsed. Fighter bombers supporting our ground forces concentrated their attack mainly on the village of Oostburg. Many fortified buildings were destroyed. Strong points in Sluis and Schoondijke were also hit. Enemy counter-attacks in the Woensdrecht area were held and military targets at Bergen op Zoom were bombed by fighter bombers. On the east of the Dutch salient, we made gains in the Venray area, an enemy battery of field guns was hit by rocket-firing fighters. Fighters flew offensive patrols over the battle zones in Holland.
In Aachen, our units continue to make slow progress in house-to-house fighting. To the northeast, the vicinity of Würselen, stiff opposition of all types is being met, and near Ofden we are encountering heavy artillery and mortar fire. East of aachen we have repulsed several counter-attacks in the area of Verlautenheide with no loss of ground. Southwest of Germeter, our forces mopped up pillboxes with no substantial changes in the line.
In France, our units have met many counter-attacks in the Vosges foothills, where our gains were mostly slight. Two counter attacks were repulsed in the Lunéville sector. Northeast of Le Thillot, further progress was made east of the Moselotte River. Fighting has been heavy at several points in this sector.
Communique Number 193 – 18 October 1944
In the Scheldt pocket, allied units have reached the area of IJzendijke. North of the town we advanced westward about a mile. Good progress also was made further south. Fighter bombers gave support to our ground forces which repulsed counter-attacks against the neck of the South Beveland Peninsula. Escorted heavy bombers, none of which is missing, attacked the sea dyke at Westkapelle on the island of Walcheren. In the Breskens sector, supply dumps, strong points, and road transport were hit by fighter bombers. Our forces have reached the outskirts of Venray, where heavy fighting continues. In another thrust to the southwest our units have crossed the Venray-Deurne road. Rail targets were hit over a wide area in Holland and western Germany by fighter bombers. Attacks were made in the area of Venlo and Kempen, east of the Dutch salient, at Neuss near Düsseldorf, Bad Kreuznach, Bellheim and Rheinzabern in the Rhineland and at Münster. Our units are mopping-up northeast of Aachen and are maintaining lines completely encircling the city where house-to-house fighting continues. Northwest of Aachen we have mopped-up segments of the Siegfried Line. Light bombers, without loss, attacked a railway bridge at Euskirchen.
In the Moselle River Valley, fighting continues in the Maizières-lès-Metz. Military targets at Köln were attacked in daylight by more than 1300 heavy bombers, escorted by 800 fighters. Thirteen bombers and three fighters are missing. In the Vosges foothills, despite stubborn resistance and strong enemy counter-attacks in several areas, our troops made substantial advances just south of the road junction at Bruyères, and northeast of Le Thillot. Hard fighting continues in both of these areas. The village of Laval near Bruyères, was taken. Counter-attacks were repulsed in the Lunéville-Epinal sector.
Communique Number 194 – 19 October 1944
South of the Scheldt, allied forces made progress westward to within 3000 yards of Breskens. We made good gains east of Schoondijke and southwest of IJjzendijke. On the east side of the Dutch salient, we captured Venray yesterday morning, and, to the southwest, our forces are now some two miles south of the Venray-Deurne road. Gains have also been made along the north side of the railway east of Deurne. Fighters and fighter bombers supported our ground forces in Holland. Other fighter bombers, striking at the enemy’s supply routes to Holland, attacked railway targets north and west of the Ruhr.
Our units are continuing the battle in Aachen, meeting stubborn resistance in house-to-house fighting. Fighters and fighter bombers made a concentrated attack in building in the northwest section of the city where enemy forces are holding out. Just to the northwest of Aachen, our forces have destroyed a large number of pillboxes and have made gains against strong opposition. Units which closed the gap northeast of the city repulsed two counter-attacks by infantry and tanks. Railway targets along the Düsseldorf-Düren-Aachen line and elsewhere on lines leading westward to Aachen were attacked by fighter bombers. Northeast of Hürtgen, small counter-attacks were repulsed.
We consolidated and improved our positions at several points in the Vosges foothills where the enemy continued to oppose our advances stubbornly and made more vain counter-attaks. Two hundred enemy prisoners were taken in a series of successful local actions southeast of Cornimont. A strong force of heavy bombers, with fighter escort, attacked industrial targets and railway yards in the Köln and Kassel areas. Other escorted heavy bombers struck at the railway center of Bonn.
Communique Number 195 – 20 October 1944
Good progress was made south of Breskens and our troops are now within two miles of Schoondijke and Oostburg. Other units, advancing from the original bridgehead over the St-Leenarts Canal, took the villages of Middelburg and Aardenburg. Patrols from the two forces made contact in the area south of Oostburg. Fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters, supporting our operations in the Breskens sector attacked communications and strong points and hit supply dumps at Fort Frederik Hendrik. In the area south of Venray, some progress was made against determined resistance west and southwest of Overbroek.
Our units made gains in the fighting inside Aaachen. We continued to mop-up the area north of the city. The enemy reoccupied several pillboxes in the Haaren area, but was later driven out. A fairly strong counter-attack with tanks and infantry north of Haaren was broken up by our artillery during the afternoon. In the Moselle River Valley, fighting continues in Maizières-lès-Metz. East of Luné, a concentration of enemy tanks was attacked by fighter bombers. Other formations, striking across the German frontier to the east, went for rail targets at Kaiserslautern. In the Epinal sector, we made gains near Bruyères and occupied the high ground just north of the town.
Further progress was made in the Vosges foothills. Six enemy counter-attacks were thrown back northeast of Le Thillot and more prisoners were taken. Heavy bombers in very great strength, with strong fighter escort, attacked in daylight military targets at Mainz and in the Ludwigshafen-Manheim area in southwestern Germany. Last night, heavy bombers, again in very great strength, struck at Stuttgart and Nürnberg. A lighter attack was made on Wiesbaden in the Rhineland. Nine of our aircraft are missing.
Communique Number 196 – 21 October 1944
In an attack which began yesterday morning north of Antwerp, allied forces advanced more than three miles to the area of Loenhout. West of Kalmthout, we made good gains, and southeast of the village we advanced on both sides of the Antwerp-Roosendaal road. In the Scheldt pocket, more ground was taken south of Schoondijke, and the original bridgehead was merged with the main westward drive. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked fortifications in the Breskens area and continued their close support of our ground forces. Other attacks were carried out in the neighborhood of Bergen-op-Zoom, at Esschen, Giesbeek, Steeg and Maashees. The fighter bombers also attacked transportation targets cutting rail lines and attacking trains and motor transport in Holland and western Germany, in the areas of Zwolle, Zutphen, Amersfoort, Neuss, Krefeld, Hamm and Lissendorf.
Medium bombers, none of which is missing, hit a railroad bridge at Moerdijk, 15 miles southeast of Rotterdam, and a road bridge at Geertruidenberg, ten miles further east. Most of Aachen is in our hands. our forces have fought their way through the main part of the city and are now encountering resistance in its outskirts. In France, fighting continues in Maizières-lès-Metz. Some 25 miles east of Nancy, our fighter bombers successfully attacked the Dieuze Dam (Etang de Lindre). Other formations attacked enemy troop concentrations and rail supply lines along this sector. We have made gains east and north of Bruyères following the capture of that stubbornly defended strong point. Counter-attacks were thrown back. In the Vosges foothills farther south, reinforced enemy units counter-attacked in a vain attempt to halt our advance east of the Moselotte River bend area. The opposition is being cleared rapidly from forests in this sector. During the day, 18 enemy aircraft were shot down and two were destroyed on the ground. Eleven of our aircraft are missing.
Communique Number 197 – 22 October 1944
In the Breskens area, allied troops are fighting in the outskirts of the port. Fighter bombers struck at the port installations there yesterday and attacked Fort Frederik Hendrik and other military buildings west of Breskens. Heavy bombers, one of which is missing, bombed gun batteries near Flushing. Medium bombers hit gun positions at Cadzand. Further good progress was made north of Antwerp. We have driven along the roads from Wuustwezel and Achterbroek to within three miles of Esschen. Enemy forces in the wooded area north of Withof were bypassed and later mopped-up. Fighters and fighter bombers gave close support to our troops.
The enemy’s rail system serving the Dutch battle zone was again under attack. At Terheijden, a bridge carrying the Breda-Dordrecht line over the Mark River was destroyed by fighter bombers. Other fighter bombers ranged over the frontier into Germany to strike at targets near Haldern and Vreden. Last night, light bombers struck at road and rail targets in Holland and Germany. In Aachen, the commander of the German garrison surrendered the remainder of his forces at 1206 yesterday after our troops had fought their way through the city to its western edge. Minor fighting continued in parts of the city for some time after the formal surrender, but by mid-afternoon resistance had ceased.
Fighter bombers, operating in the Aachen sector, attacked fortified villages and bombed and strafed enemy artillery. Other fighter bombers struck at railway targets from points near Aachen to the area east of Nancy and also in the Rhine River Valley. Near Hermeskeil, a bridge was hit. House-to-house fighting is still in progress in Maizières-lès-Metz. East of Epinal, activity increased in the area of Brouvelieures and Bruyères. Our troops made further gains against stiffened resistance. In the Bruyères area, fighters swept over the battle zone and fighter bombers attacked troop concentrations. East of the Moselotte River bend, a lull has followed the heavy fighting of the past few days. Enemy fighters in some strength were encountered yesterday over the Ruhr Valley and in combats, 21 enemy aircraft were shot down for the loss of three fighter bombers.
Communique Number 198 – 23 October 1944
Inside the Scheldt pocket, allied forces have taken Breskens and Fort Fredrik Hendrik. We have also made progress from Aardenburg to the vicinity of Draaiburg. Units from the east have taken Schoondijke. North of Antwerp, the enemy has been cleared from Esschen. We have made gains on both sides of the railway to the southwest and along the roads from Wuustwezel and Achterbroek. Early yesterday morning, an allied attack was launched in the area east of s’Hertogenbosch. The attack is continuing and good progress is being made. Fighters and fighter bombers gave close support to our troops.
Our forces are clearing the enemy from areas of Germany, northeast of Aachen. In Aachen, we continued to search for stragglers. Approximately 1600 prisoners were taken when fighting in the city ceased. Transportation targets were attacked by fighters and fighter bombers in the Metz sector in immediate support of operations by our ground forces. West of the Rhine Rver, in this region, fighter bombers cut rail tracks in many places. Fighting is still in progress in Maizières-lès-Metz. Further south, we have made gains in the area of Bezange, Coincourt and Emberménil, northeast and east of Lunéville. Northeast of Epinal, gains were made against heavy resistance. Brouvelieures was taken and Domfaing, Vervezelle and Belmont were entered by our forces.
East of Epinal, a concentration of enemy troops was hit by fighter bombers. Heavy pressure was maintained by our forces against the enemy in the Vosges sector. Industrial targets and communications in the Hamm, Münster, Hanover, and Braunschweig areas were attacked in daylight by more than 1100 heavy bombers escorted by some 750 fighters. Other escorted heavy bombers, none of which is missing, made a heavy attack on the inland port and railway center of Neuss near Düsseldorf.
Communique Number 199 – 24 October 1944
In the area south of Breskens, allied troops continued to make progress in spite of waterlogged country. We are within a mile of the village of Groede. North of Antwerp, gains were made west of the Roosendaal-Antwerp railway, and a fresh advance into Holland was made in this area. West of Woensdrecht, we have again crossed the road and railway leading to Beveland and Walcheren. Weather restricted air operations yesterday, but during the afternoon, heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked gun emplacements on the Walcheren Island. Four bombers are missing. Allied forces have reached the edge of s’Hertogenbosch. South of the town, we have reached Sint-Michielsgestel and are within a mile of Boxtel.
There have been no major changes along our front from Aachen to the upper Moselle River Valley. In Maizières-lès-Metz, house-to-house fighting continues, with the enemy holding approximately one-fourth of the town. Northeast of Lunéville, our forces are consolidating gains made in a push to the immediate vicinity of Moncourt. Several tank-supported counter-attacks were repulsed by our units in the Lunéville sector. Northeast of Brouvelieures, our forward elements forced crossings of the Mortagne River at several points and continued to push eastward. Slight gains were made in the Vosges mountains against stiff resistance. Last night heavy bombers in great strength attacked Essen.
Communique Number 200 – 25 October 1944
South of breskens, the road from Schoondijke to Oostburg is in allied hands, and our troops are on the edge of Oostburg. South of Roosendaal, further gains have brought us to the neighborhood of Pindorp. Some progress was also made north and northeast of Woensdrecht. Our troops are fighting in the outskirts of ‘sHertogenbosch] and have cut the main road and railway both north and a few miles south of the town. Fighters and fighter bombers supported our ground forces in the Zuid Beveland Peninsula and hit military buildings at Dordrecht, other fighter bombers attacked strong points northeast of Nijmegen.
Road and rail transportation targets in Holland and western Germany were attacked by fighter bombers in strength. In the areas of Hanover and Kassel, more than 100 locomotives and many freight cars were destroyed. in the area from north of Aachen to Lunéville, there were no substantial changes. Patrol activity continued throughout the area, and in the Moselle River Valley, our units encountered sporadic artillery and small arms fire. In the Baccarat sector, Menarmont has been freed. Northeast of Epinal, we have made further gains and have taken the villages of Mortagne and Biffontaine after house-to-house fighting. Our forces in the Vosges mountains are improving their positions.
Communique Number 201 – 26 October 1944
Allied forces are fighting in ‘sHertogenbosch where they have driven the enemy from the north and east sections of the town. Boxtel has been freed and gains have taken us several miles to the northwest. On the Oirschot-Tilburg road, we have reached the area of Moergestel. There has been general progress northward in the area east of the Antwerp-Breda road. In the approach of Zuid Beveland, we have taken the village of Rilland and have moved forward three miles further west along the south side of the Isthmus. Further ground has been gaines in the area between Pindorp and Woensdrecht. In the Scheldt pocket, allied forces have made progress in the direction of Poldertje. Fort Frederik Hendrik, from which we withdrew after an initial entry four days ago, has been taken. Further south, we have reached the outskirts of Groede. We have also gained some ground west and northwest of Schoondijke.
In France, northeast of Epinal, our advance was slowed by stiffened resistance. In the Vosges mountains sector farther south, counter-attacks were thrown back with severe losses to the enemy. Fighters and fighter bombers gave support over the battle zones and went for road and rail transport in western Germany. In daylight, heavy bombers in very great strength escorted by fighters, attacked Essen and the synthetic oil plant at Homberg. Four bombers are missing. More than 1200 heavy bombers, escorted by some 500 fighters, again in daylight, attacked the railway yard at Hamm, an oil refinery in the Hamburg area, and other military targets in northwestern Germany.
Communique Number 202 – 27 October 1944
Most of ‘s-Hertogenbosch is in allied hands and progress has been general in the whole sector from there to the sea. The enemy defenses between ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg have been deeply penetrated. After hard fighting, our troops are within 4000 yards of Roosendaal and the enemy has been forced to withdraw all along the line from there to Tilburg. Our units are in the eastern and southern outskirts of Tilburg. Further gains have been made in the neck of the Beveland Peninsula. In the St-Leenarts Canal area, our troops are fighting in Oostburg. We have by-passed Groede on the north and south.
In the area north of Aachen, our units have made minor gains against stubborn resistance. South of Monschau, patrol activity continues. In the Moselle River Valley, we encountered sporadic enemy artillery fire. Northeast of Lunéville, we cleared the Germans from the Forêt de Moncourt and the high ground north of the forest. Several counter-attacks were repulsed in the Lunéville sector. Northeast of Epinal, we made gains against strong resistance. Further slight progress was made in the Vosges sector and counter-attacks were repulsed.
Yesterday, more than 1200 heavy bombers escorted by over 650 fighters, attacked industrial targets at Bielefeld, Münster, Hanover and elsewhere in Germany. Other heavy bombers, also escorted by fighters, attacked the I.G. Farbenindustries chemical works at Leverkusen. Fighter bombers hit rail targets in the Rhineland and in the Metz area. A rail bridge at Rheinbach, a railway yard at Mönchengladbach, west of Düsseldorf, and a round-house and locomotives in the Metz area were attacked. Rail tracks were cut in many places west of the Rhine. Two enemy aircraft were shot down and six of ours are missing.
Communique Number 203 – 28 October 1944
In Zuid Beveland, allied forces now hold the south side of the Isthmus as far as the canal west of Kruiningen. Our bridgeheads on the southern coast of the peninsula has been reinforced and expanded. Groede, in the Scheldt pocket, is in our hands and we are on the coast to the northwest of the village. Northeast of the Zuid Beveland, we have taken Bergen-op-Zoom. North of Essen, our units are within two miles of Roosendaal. On the Antwerp-Breda road, we have progressed to the area of Zundert. We are in the eastern outskirts of Tilburg and north of the town, our troops have reached the vicinity of Loon op Zand.
To the south, we have made good gains, and on the west, forward elements have cut the Tilburg-Breda road. The enemy has been cleared from ‘s-Hertogenbosch and we have made some progress farther west. On the east side of the Dutch salient we checked a counter-attack in the vicinity of Meijel, where fighting is still in progress. Light artillery fire was directed against our units in the Aachen area and along the Belgian-German frontier in the sector east of St Vith. Near Rambervillers, we made local gains at several points. The village of Housseras has been taken. Farther south, limited progress was made between Bruyères and Le Tholy. In the Vosges mountains, attempts to infiltrate our positions were frustrated and losses were inflicted on the enemy. Adverse weather restricted air operations yesterday.
Communique Number 204 – 29 October 1944
In Zuid Beveland, the allied bridgehead over the Beveland Canal has been extended. Fighters and fighter bombers bombed and strafed gun positions and troops near Kapelle and supported our ground operations on the peninsula. South of the Scheldt, we have reached the outskirts of Zuidzande. Near Cadzand, our fighter bombers hit gun positions and fortified buildings housing enemy troops. Escorted heavy bombers attacked gun emplacements on the Island of Walcheren. Two bombers are missing. Fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters went for similar targets on the island.
On the east of the Dutch salient, our forces repulsed counter-attacks north and west of Meijel. The enemy’s communication system in Holland and the Rhineland was under air attack throughout the day. Medium and light bombers hit the rail bridge over the Ijssel River at Deventer, a bridge carrying the road and railway over the Meuse River at Venlo, and destroyed the central span of a road bridge over the river at Roermond.
From Aachen to the Forêt de Parroy, there were no important changes. Our patrols were active in the Aachen and Monschau areas. Fighter bombers in strength attacked railways and bridges in the Rhineland from Wesel in the north to Karlsruhe in the south. Over 40 locomotives and a large number of rail trucks were destroyed or damaged and rail tracks west of the Rhine were cut in some 60 places. Medium and light bombers struck at railway bridges at Ahrweiler and Sinzig. One light bomber is missing. During the day, fighter bombers shot down 13 enemy aircraft.
Köln was attacked in daylight by a strong force of heavy bombers escorted by fighters. Heavy caliber German artillery shelled the city of Luxembourg early yesterday. Sporadic artillery and small arms fire were encountered by our units in the Moselle River Valley. In the Epinal sector, we made limited gains east of Bruyères. The village of Jussarupt was taken against strong opposition. Enemy artillery fire was strong at several points in this area and also in the Vosges mountains.
Communique Number 205 – 30 October 1944
Cadzand and Zuidzande, south of the Scheldt, have been taken by allied troops. In Zuid Beveland, our troops freed Goes and linked up with our seaborne force in the area of Hoedekenskerke. The seaborne bridgehead was also enlarged to the westward. Defenses on the Island of Walcheren were attacked yesterday by heavy bombers, one of which is missing, and by fighter bombers. Fighters which escorted the heavy bombers made low-level attackes on flak positions. Allied forces continued their advance along the whole front south of the Meuse River. Breda was freed by troops advancing from the east. Other forces driving from the south cut the road between Breda and Roosendaal.
Fighter bombers strafed road transport north of these two towns and medium bombers attacked a bridge at Moerdijk. In the area north of Tilburg, our forces are some miles north and west of Loon-op-Zand. Fighter bombers cut railway lines between Amersfoort and Zwolle in the Venlo area, and elsewhere behind the battle areas in Holland. In southeastern Holland, medium bombers also attacked communications at Venlo and a bridge at Roermond. Our ground forces help further enemy attacks in the Meijel area.
Bridges at Konz – Karthaus, Euskirchen, Mayen and Elier were the targets for medium bombers, and fighter bombers destroyed three bridges and damaged a fourth across the Ahr River, south of Bonn, and sealed two nearby railway tunnels. Fighter bombers hit highways radiating northward from Düren, a railway yard at Kerpen, and cut rail lines in many places between Münster and the Dutch-German frontier and in the areas of Bonn and Koblenz. They also attacked locomotives, rail cars and barges over a wide area and silences gun positions.
Our units made slight gains in the Lunéville sector. East of Rambervillers, we took Fraipertuis and held the village against strong counter-attacks. Other counter-attacks against our positions in the Vosges mountains were repulsed. Yesterday morning, heavy bombers, one of which is missing, attacked the battleship Tirpitz near Tromso. According to reports so far received, 28 enemy aircraft were shot down during yesterday. One medium bomber and nine fighter bombers are missing.
Communique Number 206 – 31 October 1944
Zuid Beveland is in allied hands. Early yesterday, Goes was taken and later, our forces pushing westward, along the railway, reached the causeway leading to Walcheren. By evening, the enemy had been driven from the country north and south of the railway. Gun emplacements, strong points and ammunition dumps on the Island of Walcheren were attacked by heavy and fighter bombers. In the Scheldt pocket, retranchement was freed. There was heavy fighting in the area of Sluis, where out troops have reached the outskirts of the village. Fighters and fighter bombers supported the ground forces west of Breskens and rocket-firing fighters hit fortified buildings and pillboxes at Knokke.
In the Bergen-op-Zoom-Roosendaal sector, good gains were made in spite of enemy mines and booby traps. Our troops are within three miles of Steenbergen. Roosendaal was taken, and we reached the area of Oud Gastel. There has been some progress northwest of Breda and we are across the whole of the road between Bergen-op-Zoom and Breda. Transportation targets in the Breda area and a road bridge at Terheijden were hit by fighter bombers. Northwest of Tilburg, our advance continued on a broad front. We have reached the outskirts of Oosterhout and further east we are in the vicinity of Capelle. Further east, the enemy counter-attack in the Meijel area made no headway during the day.
The synthetic oil plant at Wesseling, near Köln, was the target for heavy bombers with fighter escort. Maizières-lès-Metz has been cleared of the enemy. In other regions, from Aachen to Lunéville, patrolling continued. Slight gains were made east of Rambervillers and the villages of Jeanménil and Brû were freed. Activity from Lunéville to the Swiss border otherwise consisted largely of patrolling. A number of counter-attacks were repulsed without difficulty.
