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

Communique Number 237 – 01 December 1944

Allied forces, continuing to clear the Meuse River pocket, have occupied enemy strong points in the two castles near Wanssum and Broekhuizen. The village of Broekhuizen was cleared of the enemy. Railway transport and communications in northern and eastern Holland were again under attack by fighter bombers. At Süchteln, factory buildings were hit by fighter bombers. In the area of Linnich, our forces have reached the Roer River north of Koslar. We are fighting in Beeck, Lindern and Flossdorf. Fighters and fighter bombers, closely supporting our ground forces in this sector, attacked enemy troops and mortar positions, and bombed and strafed strong points at Baal, Rurich, Glimbach, Gevenich and Boslar.

Farther south, we have cleared Lammersdorf after hard fighting and have entered the section of Inden west of the Inde River. High ground east of Grosshau was occupied. In Merode heavy fighting continued. Medium, light and fighter bombers destroyed a number of enemy tanks at Pier and Inden, attacked the fortified villages of Stockheim, Vettweiss and Erp, bombed and strafed strong points and gun positions at Brandenberg, Bergstein and Berg, and bombed an armored vehicle repair depot at Gemünd. Other medium and light bombers went for railway yards at Zweibrücken. Eescorted light bombers attacked a benzol plant at Duisburg during the afternoon and two other benzol plants at Oberhausen and Bottrop were the targets for escorted heavy bombers which made concentrated attacks through cloud. Last night, heavy bombers were over Gemany in strength with Duisburg as the main objective.

Fort Saint-Privat, in the Metz defense ring, was taken, and 500 prisoners were captured. In the Saar River Valley, further gains were made. We occupied high ground west of Merzig and are fighting in the Buren area northwest of Saarlautern. In clearing out the Saint Avold area we occupied Carling and L’Hôpital and entered Adamswiller, southeast of Sarreguemines. Limited advances were made by our ground forces east and west of the Vosges Mountains north of the Saverne Gap, and near the Rhine River in the vicinity of Haguenau. Strasbourg was shelled heavily by enemy guns across the Rhine. On the northern Alsace Plain our units reached Gerstheim and Stotzheim, meeting little opposition. The advance in the southern high Vosges continues on a wide front and our forces are within a mile of Urbes and Saint-Amarin. We inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in repulsing a counter-attack at Burbach, just south of Thann. East of Mulhouse, deep penetrations have been made into the Forêt Domaniale de la Hardt. On the channel coast, strong points at Dunkerque were hit by our medium and fighter bombers.

Communique Number 238 – 02 December 1944

Allied forces are encountering stubborn resistance all along the Linnich-Hürtgen sector. In the northern part of the sector, we have cleared Welz and are fighting in Linnich, Flossdorf and Beeck. A counter-attack at Lindern was repulsed and house-to-house fighting continues at Inden. Samll gains were made in the face of stubborn opposition in the attack towards Gey and Brandenberg. Tanks and fortified positions in the Linnich and Jülich areas and troops in the Hambach Forest were attacked by fighter bombers yesterday. Around Düren, other fighter bombers struck at fortified villages, a rail yard, buildings housing armored vehicles, and a supply dump.

In the Saar Valley, we now dominate the west bank of the Saar River north and south of Merzig, and we are in the area two miles west of Saarlouis. Towns taken in the advance include Fitten, Fremersdorf and Oberlimberg. We have entered Buren and Itzbach and have elements in Felsberg. Fighter bombers, supporting our ground forces, went for strong points south of Merzig and fortified positions near Saarlouis and Saarbrücken. Medium bombers attacked fortifications in the Saarlouis area and rail bridges at Rastatt and Bantzenheim. Fighter bombers went for a rail bridge at Germersheim.

Our ground forces continued to advance in the Alsace Plain. Schweighausen, west of Haguenau, was freed after stiff fighting, and gains were also made to the northwest. South of Strasbourg, armored forces reached Kogenheim and Boofzheim in a gain of approximately four miles against enemy delaying tactics. Two villages immediately west of Selestat were cleared. Fighter bombers silenced german gun positions in the Alsace and struck behind the enemy lines at transportation targets. The rail yards at Offenburg were strafed and locomotives and rolling stock destroyed. on the Upper Rhine River below the Swiss frontier, Rosenau was occupied, and further slight advances were made in the southern Vosges heights. In the course of the day’s operations, which also included a fighter bomber attack on a strong point in the Dunkerque area, four enemy aircraft were shot down. Eight of ours are missing. Last night, light bombers attacked the rail center and supply base of Karlsruhe.

Communique Number 239 – 03 December 1944

Allied forces which entered Linnich were mopping up in the town yesterday. To the south, we have cleared Rurdorf, and fighting continued at Flossdorf and in Inden where the action was fierce. Fighter bombers went for road, river and railway targets over a wide area in the Rhineland. They destroyed or disabled a large quantity of enemy rolling stock and cut railway lines in many places. Fortified towns immediately behind the enemy lines in the Düren-Linnich areas, and troop concentrations near Düren, were attacked, and a railway bridge 20 miles east of Euskirchen was destroyed.

Our ground forces enlarged their control of the Saar River bank above and below Merzig and entered the town of Rehlingen. Other forces were in the outskirts of Saarlouis on the west side of the river. Farther south, moderate gains were made and mopping up is in progress in Sarre-Union. Medium, light and fighter bombers struck at enemy positions and other targets in the Saarbrücken region, destroyed a railway bridge near Sarreguemines and set on fire an oil and ammunition dump at Pirmasens. Southeast of Sarre-Union, our forces made gains of approximately two miles and reached the vicinity of Mackweiler. Two enemy counter-attacks were repulsed. The enemy was forced from an area on the west bank of the Rhine River near Strasbourg. In his retreat he blew up three bridges across the Rhine. Fighter bombers attacked railway yards at Rastatt and Offenburg.

On the Alsace Plain, we have reached Selestat where house-to-house fighting continues. In the southern high Vosges, our forces pushed into the upper Thur River valley and occupied several villages. Units which crossed to the north bank of the Doller River near Mulhouse repulsed a strong counter-attack. During the day’s air operations, which included an attack by rocket-firing fighters on an enemy strong point in the Venlo area of Holland, four enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air and seven on the ground. According to reports so far received, we lost one light bomber and 13 fighter bombers. Yesterday afternoon a force of escorted heavy bombers attacked a benzol plant in the outskirts of Dortmund. Last night, heavy bombers were over Germany in strength with Hagen as the main objective.

Communique Number 240 – 04 December 1944

Allied forces have made good progress in an attack on the last remaining enemy bridgehead over the Meuse River, west of Venlo. We reached the river in the area of the bridge and have mopped up all but a few small pockets. Enemy strong points in the Wanssum area have also been cleared. In this sector, road intersections at Straelen and Kaldenkirchen were bombed by medium and light bombers. Farther north, rocket-firing fighters hit machine gun and mortar positions north and east of Nijmegen. Fighter bombers struck at enemy communications at Arnhem and Amersfoort and elsewhere in Holland. They also flew into Germany to attack rail transport at Stadtlohn, Dülmen and Krefeld, and railway yards at Grevenbroich.

Our ground forces in the Roer River Valley have cleared the village of Leiffart, and have repulsed a counter-attack in the Lindern area. Roerdorf and Flossdorf, on the Roer River, are in our hands. South of Jülich, we have crossed the Inde River at Inden and have cleared the eastern portion of the town. The spearhead of the force which crossed the river advanced 1500 yards southeast of Inden and captured Lucherberg after heavy fighting. Troops driving north from Langerwehe have captured Luchem and advanced beyond to reach the autobahn which connects Aachen and Köln. In this sector, fighter bomber attacked enemy troops and fortifications north of Jülich, and hit artillery positions north of Düren. Southeast of Hürtgen, our forces have taken Brandenberg, and are threatening Bergstein, about a mile to the east, where targets were attacked by fighter bombers.

In the Saar Valley, our troops have crossed the river at Saarlouis and are fighting in the eastern part of the town. A bridge across the Saar was taken intact, but is under enemy artillery fire. Farther south, we have reached Wilhelmsbornn and two miles southeast of the town we have crossed the German border. Saare-Union has been cleared of the enemy. Fighter bombers operating across the German frontier, struck at targets in Zweibrücken. Gains of two miles were made east of Sarre-Union and several villages were taken including Wingen, on the Tieffenbach-Ingweiler Pass. To the southeast, our units are approaching the outskirts of Haguenau. In the Strasbourg area, fighters and medium and fighter bombers, silenced gun positions, and attacked rail transport deep behind the enemy lines. In the southerm high Vosges, our units pushed eastward north of the Col de la Schlucht. After violent fighting, the high ground dominating the lower Thur Valley was taken. Our artillery set afire an armored train in this area.

Communique Number 241 – 05 December 1944

Allied forces in Holland have now cleared the enemy from the entire area west of the Meuse River. Transport in eastern Holland and western Germany and targets in the battle areas were attacked yesterday by fighter bombers. Rail lines were cut northeast of Amersfoort, and north and northwest of the Ruhr, in the Dorsten area, at Varseveld, at Xanten and northwest of Borken. Attacks were also made on a troop train northeast of Ahaus, locomotives, east of Geldern, rail tank cars at Haltern, railway station buildings at Münster, and barges, locomotives and trains between Münster and Meppen.

On the west bank of the Roer River, our ground forces are meeting stubborn resistance in the outskirts of Jülich. East of the Inde River, we have consolidated our positions in Lucherberg and Luchem. In the Brandenberg area, southeast of Hürtgen, slight progress has been made. Fighter bombers attacked fortified villages in the area of Düren, the towns of Euskirchen and Uxheim, rail yards at Lövenich and Zülpich and factories at Kierdorf.

In the Saar Valley we now hold the entire west bank of the river from the Merzig area south to Saarlouis. The town of Wallerfangen has been cleared, and our troops across the river in Saarlouis are meeting strong enemy opposition. Farther south, we have reached the towns of Thendingen and Dieblingen and have advanced beyond Pütlingen. Northeast of Saare-Union, our troops are meeting stubborn opposition in the vicinity of Voellerdingen and Domfessel in the Saar area fortified villages were attacked by fighter bombers.

Locomotives and rail cars behind the enemy lines were destroyed and rail lines cut in many places. Fighter bombers also struck at railway yards at Reichshoffen and east of Stuttgart. Several villages were cleared east and west of the lower Vosges, in our northward advance. on the Alsace Plain, slight gains were made. Fighting was in progress for the third day in Selestat. The methodical advance continued in the southern high Vosges. During yesterday afternoon heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, continued the offensive against the railways of the Ruhr district with a concentrated attack on Oberhausen. Last night, heavy bombers, in very great strength attacked the railway and industrial centers of Karlsruhe and Heilbronn.

Communique Number 242 – 06 December 1944

There have been no substantial changes along the Roer River in the Jülich-Linnich areas where allied forces have been under moderate enemy artillery fire. Stubborn resistance continues at the outskirts of Jülich. A German counter-attack with infantry and tanks against Lucherberg, east of the Inde River, was broken up by our artillery. Farther south, we made gains against strong opposition and captured Bergstein, southeast of Hürtgen. In the Saar Valley, our forces east of the river repulsed an enemy counter-attack northwest of Saarlouis. We have crossed the Saar River at a second point in this area. Our armored elements have freed Rouhling and reached Hundling, west of Sarreguemines.

Other forces have occupied Wustweiler. Northeast of Sarre-Union, we are advancing in the vicinity of Oermingen and Dehlingen. Northwest of Haguenau, our forces entered Mertzweiler against strong resistance. The garrison of an enemy Fort which held out for more than a week at Mutzig, west of Strasbourg, surrendered after the walls had been breached. In the high Vosges, gains of several miles were made. The Hohneck height and the Col de la Schlucht were cleared of the enemy. Heavy, medium and fighter bombers made attacks yesterday on the enemy’s railway system in western Germany over a wide area from Ströhen and points between Onabrück and Detmold north of the Ruhr to the region of Darmstadt and Mannheim in the southern Rhineland. In the afternoon, escorted heavy bombers, one of which is missing, attacked the railway marshalling yards at Hamm.

Medium bombers attacked the railway yards at Kempen and fighter bombers went for railway yards at Liblar, southwest of Köln and railway station at Mayen-Kottenheim. Railway lines were cut in some 80 places during the day. Last night, a strong force of heavy bombers struck at the railway marshalling yards at Soest. Fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters went for targets in northern and eastern Holland. Fighter bombers destroyed a bridge near Gouda and bombed and strafed an enemy troop train near Hilversum and another between Apeldoorn and Amersfoort. Rocket-firing fighters hit gun positions near ‘s-Gravendeel and an enemy strong point and an observation post east of Nijmegen. Medium, light and fighter bombers made attacks against targets in western Germany. Fighter bombers bombed and strafed gun positions, hangars, barracks, and factories in the Rheine-Münster area, and medium bombers attacked a fuel storage dump and a road junction near Dülmen.

Medium and light bombers hit enemy troops quarters and a bomb dump at Dremmen, north of Geilenkirchen, the village of Huchem-Stammeln north of Düren, and Kall, a fortified industrial town, southwest of Euskirchen. Fighter bombers strafed and bombed gun positions southeast of Geldern. they also attacked troop concentrations at Ahrweiler and Mayen, a factory at Wickrathberg, south of München, a fuel dump at Düsseldorf and storage tanks at Monheim. In the area of Düppenweiler, north of Saarlouis, medium bombers attacked enemy positions. Fighter bombers struck at targets in Saarbrücken and other defended areas in this sector, and further south hit an ammunition dump near Senheim, northwest of Mulhouse.

Communique Number 243 – 07 December 1944

Allied forces in the Hürtgen sector have repulsed attempts by enemy infantry and armor to retake the village of Bergstein. German tanks, east of Bergstein, were bombed and strafed by fighter bombers yesterday. The fortified town of Nideggen, two miles to the east, was attacked by medium and fighter bombers which also struck at gun positions, troops and strong points in Jülich; targets in Broich, Erkelenz and Bad Münstereifel; five bridges in the area of Fuchshofen; and the railway junction of Daun.

In the Saar Valley, our forces have made a third crossing of the Saar River and are fighting in Dillingen. We are attacking enemy strong points in Saarlouis and south of the town we have reached the river near Wehrden. Allied units have entered Rosbruck and Welferding and are engaged in house to house fighting against stiff resistance in Sarreguemines. Farther southeast, we have entered Le Grand Bois, five miles from Sarreguemines and armored elements have reached Bining. East of the Saar, gun positions at Bettingen, Aussen and elsewhere were hit by fighter bombers.

Other fighter bombers, striking deeper into Germany attacked rail transport near Lebach and Bad Kreuznach and four railway yards near Speyer. In an advance of more than three miles against scattered resistance, our forces occupied eight villages on the western slope of the lower Vosges east of Sarre-Union. The enemy is resisting our advance stubbornly northwest of Haguenau and has heavily shelled Merzweiler where fighting continues. In the Alsace Plain, further gains were made and Ostheim, five miles north of Colmar, was freed. Last night, heavy bombers, in very great strength, attacked the railway centers of Osnabrück and Giessen and a synthetic oil plant at Merseburg. Berlin was also bombed.

Communique Number 244 – 08 December 1944

In Holland, ground activity yesterday was confined to a number of patrol clashes. Weather severely curtailed air operations, but fighter bombers cut rail lines in Holland and successfully attacked two goods trains, one northeast of Zwolle and the other between Zwolle and Amersfoort. Farther south, our forces in the Roer Vally, from Linnich to Jülich, encountered moderate enemy artillery and mortar fire. Southeast of Hürtgen, we have made small gains to the east, south, and southwest of Bergstein. Our units north of the town made little progress against stiff resistance.

In the Metz area, we have captured the Fort Saint Quentin and the Fort de Plappeville, west and northwest of the city. In the Saar Valley, allied forces east of the river have penetrated into the Pachtener Buchwald Forest. Southeast of Saarlouis, we have taken Hostenbach and reached Fürstenhausen and Grossrosseln. House-to-house fighting continues in Sarreguemines. Our forces to the southeast have taken Ettingen. Other units have entered Enchenberg, and occupied several nearby villages against stiffened resistance. Heavy fighting took place in Merzweiler, farther east, where part of the town was lost to a counter-attack. North of Colmar in the Alsace Plain, we made a slight advance despite vigorous enemy resistance and counter-attacks. In the southern high Vosges, the Thur River Valley is being cleared and our units have reached Thann where fighting continues. Early last night, light bombers attacked Köln.

Communique Number 245 – 09 December 1944

Allied forces in the Jülich-Linnich area continued to encounter moderate artillery fire along the Roer River. In the immediate vicinity of Jülich, the enemy holds two small pockets west of the river. Fighter bombers strafed targets in the Jülich-Linnich area and in the region of Düren. Farther south, our units have gained high ground about one mile east of Grosshau, and have repulsed a small counter attack southeast of Bergstein.

In the Metz area, our forces have captured the Fort Driant. In the Saar Valley, we are fighting in the forward defenses of the Siegfried Line in the Dillingen area and in Saarlouis, where enemy artillery fire is extremely heavy. Targets north of Saarlouis and east of Merzig were hit by fighter bombers. We have crossed the Saar River at Sarreguemines and are fighting house to house in the city east of the river. Another crossing has been made in the vicinity of Writtring. Our forces have reached Achen and a point slightly to the east of Dieding. Slight progress continued to be made in the region of Lemberg and near the Rhine Rver northeast of Strasbourg.

Our units edged forward northwest of Colmar and made progress in the high Vosges. Fighting continued in the vicinity of Thann where the Thur Valley is being cleared. Fighter bombers maintained attacks on transportation targets in Holland and deep into Germany yesterday cutting rail lines in many places. Among the targets inside Germany were a factory at Burgsteinfurt, and railway yards northeast of Kaiserslautern, at Hanau, In the region of Karlsruhe-Landau and near Offenburg. During the day, escorted heavy bombers attacked a marshalling yard at Duisburg. a synthetic oil plant in the Meiderich District of Duisburg was also attacked. In yesterday’s air operations, 12 enemy aircraft were shot down for the loss of six of our fighters.

Communique Number 246 – 10 December 1944

Organized resistance has ceased west of the Roer River in the Jülich area with the clearing of the Sportplatz at Gut Hasenfeld. Allied units in this area are encountering light artillery and mortar fire. Enemy attempts to regain Hill 400, east of Bergstein, have been repulsed. Defensive positions at Zülpich and bridges crossing the Erft River at Euskirchen were attacked by fighter bombers yesterday. In the Saar Valley, our units are strengthening their bridgeheads across the Saar River in the Dilling and Saarlouis areas. We have cleared Sarreinsming, and patrols have reached the village of Neunkirchen just east of Sarreguemines.

Other units have reached Weisweiler and Wolelingen. Supporting our ground forces in the Saar Valley, medium and light bombers struck at fortified positions at Losheim, Oberthal, Tholey, Lebach, Wiesbach and Saarwellingen, and attacked military barracks at Baumholder. Tank concentrations and gun positions southeast of Sarreguemines, targets at Zweibrücken and the supply center of Pirmasens were the objectives for other medium and fighter bombers. Our ground forces made gains on both sides of the lower Vosges. Niederbronn-les-Bains was cleared, and the main bridge over the Zinsel River at Bischweiler was seized intact when we entered the city. Most of Thann has been cleared after two days’ fighting and further progress has been made in this area of the southern high Vosges. The enemy is resisting stubbornly our efforts to extend the bridgehead over the Doller River at Mulhouse. Fighter bombers struck at rail communications west of Freiburg. Berlin was attacked by a force of light bombers last night.

Communique Number 247 – 11 December 1944

Allied forces moved forward yesterday in the area east of Aachen. Units pushing beyond Inden made a 2500 yard gain toward Schophoven and are fighting in Pier. Gains have been made one mile east of Luchem, and fighting is in progress in Obergeich, east of Langerwehe. Medium bombers attacked the fortified villages of Birkedorf and Huchem-Stammeln near Düren, and fighter bombers supported our ground forces in this sector. Three miles northeast of Hürtgen, our units are fighting house-to-house in Gey, and in the village of Strass. Schafberg, in the same area, has been cleared.

In the Saar Valley, where fighter bombers have supported our ground forces, two counter-attacks by enemy infantry and tanks have been repulsed in the Dilling area. At Saarlouis, our forces are still fighting in the town and improving their positions east of the Saar River in that area. Another crossing of the Saar River has been made in Sarreguemines, and house-to-house fighting is in progress in the town east of the river. Two enemy counter-attacks with infantry and armor were repulsed near Saareinsming, and our troops have advanced through Le Grand Bois Forest. We have reached Gros-Réderching, seven miles southeast of Sarreguemines. Our troops have entered Haguenau against stiff resistance and the fighting continues.

Gains also were made north and south of Sarreguemines. Limited progress was made at the foot of the Vosges Mountains northwest of Colmar. Farther south, Thann has been cleared. Medium bombers attacked a railway bridge at Breisach. Transportation targets in northern and eastern Holland and in Germany were objectives yesterday for fighter bombers. Among the targets hit were railway yards at Wierden and Borken. Medium bombers attacked a canal lock at Zutphen.

Communique Number 248 – 12 December 1944

Allied forces driving towards the Roer River southeast of Jülich, are fighting house-to-house in Pier. Elements, driving 2000 yards east from Lucherberg, have reached Merken. In the area east and southeast of Langerwehe, the villages of Echtz, Obergeich, Schlich and Merode have been cleared of the enemy. Fighting continues in Gey, and we have taken Strass. Troop concentrations in wooded country south of Düren were attacked by fighter bombers supporting the ground forces. Other fighter bombers hit bridges at Nideggen> and southwest of Düren, and struck at gun positions and strong points at Erkelenz, Boslar, chophoven, Stockheim, Weilerswist and Euskirchen.

Numerous local counter-attacks against our bridgeheads over the Saar River have been repulsed in the area of Dilling and Saarlouis. Mopping up is proceeding in Sarreguemines, and our forces east of the town have reached Bliesbruck. Southeast of Saareguemines, we have advanced to within one mile of Rimlingen. Snipers are being mopped up in Haguenau which is in our hands. In coordinated attacks beyond the city we have reached Walbourg to the north, and the southern outskirts of Soufflenheim to the east. Further progress was made in the Vosges Mountains, and in the vicinity of Thann toward reducing the enemy-held area west of the Rhine River.

The enemy’s rail transport and communications in eastern Holland and western Germany were again under attack yesterday by fighter bombers which ranged over the Dutch frontier eastward to Osnabrück and southward to stadt Meckenheim. Locomotives and freight cars were destroyed and tracks cut at a number of places. Heavy and light bombers with fighter escort attacked marshalling yards and a benzol plant at Osterfeld, and benzol plants at Meiderich and Bruckhausen.

Communique Number 249 – 13 December 1944

Allied forces advancing towards the Roer River in the Jülich-Düren sector have captured Pier, Merken, and Hoven. We are meeting stubborn resistance in Mariaweiler, and are fighting house-to-house in Derichsweiler. Farther south, fighting continues in Gey, and in the area just to the southeast. Targets in Jülich, Düren, Vettweiss, and Euskirchen and in the vicinity of the Roer River, south of Düren, were hit by fighter bombers yesterday. Our units across the Saar River have repulsed numerous counter-attacks in the vicinity of Dilling, and are engaged in fierce fighting in Fraulautern, on the eastern edge of Sarlouis. Four miles northeast of Sarreguemines, our forces have crossed the Blies River which here forms the Franco-German border and have entered Habkirchen.

East of Sarreguemines, we have advanced to within a mile of Obergailbach. Northeast of Haguenau, our forces overcame enemy delaying efforts, and drove forward through the Rhine Valley as much as eight miles. The Maginot Line defenses were penetrated and Selz was reached before any determined resistance was met. At several points our units are within five miles of the Franco-German border. Fighter bombers, striking into Germany, blew up a fuel dump at Zweibrücken and attacked railway targets between Landau and Karlsruhe, and at Monsheim, west of Worms. Yesterday afternoon, escorted heavy bombers attacked Witten, an industrial and railway town in the Ruhr area. Last night, a strong force of heavy bombers attacked Essen and light bombers struck at Osnabrück. In all air operations yesterday 21 enemy aircraft were shot down.

Communique Number 250 – 14 December 1944

In the Jülich-Düren sector, allied troops after overcoming heavy resistance, have cleared Schophoven. The villages of Mariaweiler and Derichsweiler, west of Düren, and Gey, further south, are also in our hands. Gains have been made in the areas north and south of Monschau. East and southeast of Rötgen, our troops have taken Rollesbroich and Simmerath. Progress has been made in the forest area about four miles southeast of Monschau. Supporting our ground forces, medium, light and fighter bombers attacked fortified positions at Schöneseiffen, Hellenthal, Blumenthal, Schleiden and Kall.

Medium and fighter bombers struck at targets in the Zülpich area and a railway yard at Euskirchen. In the Saar Valley, our ground forces in the Dilling bridgehead are being subjected to considerable enemy artillery fire. We have crossed the Blies River between Habkirchen and Bliesbruck in the area northeast of Sarreguemines. House-to-house fighting continues in Habkirchen. Fort Jeanne d’Arc, the last of the Metz Forts held by the enemy, has been captured. In northern Alsace, just west of the lower Vosges, gains up to three miles were made. Northwest of Bitsch our forces went through the Maginot Line to Kapellenhof. In the drive north of the Haguenau Forest, Sulz and several nearby villages were freed, and to the east fighting continued at Selz near the Rhine River. The attack on the enemy’s rail transport and communications in Holland and western Germany was continued yesterday by fighter bombers.

Communique Number 251 – 15 December 1944

Allied forces now hold the left bank of the Roer River from its junction with the Inde River, to a point just northwest of Düren, except for two small pockets of resistance in a castle near Schophoven, and a factory southeast of Mariaweiler. Units which cleared the area south of the junction of the two rivers captured the village of Viehoven. Southwest of Düren, we have reached Gürzenich, and have pushed approximately half a mile east of Gey. Fighting is in progress in the town of Kesternich. Slow progress against stubborn resistance is being made by our forces southeast of Monschau.

Fighter bombers cut rail lines in the Bocholt and Coesfeld areas and attacked rail bridges at several places behind the enemy lines from Düsseldorf to the Euskirchen area. Rocket-firing fighters struck at gun positions at Roermond. In the Saar Valley, bitter fighting continues in our bridgeheads across the Saar River in the areas of Dilling and Saarlouis. Near Sarreguemines, our forces east of Habkirchen made gains across the Blies River into Germany.

Fighter bombers operating in the Saar Region attacked troop concentrations in the area of Dilling and rail yards at Homburg, Vogelbach, and Neunkirchen. In northern Alsace, our units pushed north as much as six miles and reached Riedseltz, two miles from the border town of Wissembourg. In this area, and eastward toward the Rhine River, more than twelve villages were taken against scattered resistance. Our forces moved down the Rhine River to less than a mile from the Franco-German frontier in the vicinity of Lauterburg. Medium bombers attacked defenses in the Siegfried Line north of Wissembourg, and fighter bombers struck at rail yards at Landau and locomotives and rolling stock in the upper Rhine Valley.

On the Alsace plain south of Strasbourg, we gained approximately two miles near the Rhine River. In yesterday’s air operations seven enemy aircraft were shot down. Three of ours are missing.

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