Home Raw Archives SHAEF Communiques (ETO) January 1945

SHAEF Communiques (ETO) January 1945

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Communique Number 280 – 13 January 1945

On the northern flank of the Ardennes Salient allied forces made slight progress southeast of Bihain and have taken Langlire. We are meeting strong resistance in this area and have repulsed several local counter-attacks with heavy losses to the enemy. We have advanced about a mile towards the Bois de Wibrin, southeast of Samrée, and also along the road from La Roche to Bertogne. South of La Roche, progress has been made but a number of road blocks and many mines are being encountered. We have occupied Hives and Mièrchamps and have reached the outskirts of Champlon. Our units, which encircled a small enemy pocket southeast of Bastogne, continue to close in from east and west.

The link-up of our forces was made near Bra. Wardin and Bra are now in our hands and we have made gains beyond Doncols. An enemy convoy attempting to leave the pocket was heavily damaged by our artillery. Southeast of Wiltz, we gained more than a mile in the vicinity of Nocher. East of Luxembourg, our units cleared the village of Machtum, on the west bank of the Moselle River, one and one-half miles south of Grevenmacher.

In the lower Vosges Salient, we occupied Althorn and made limited gains north and south of the village despite continued stubborn enemy resistance. Local gains were also made on the southern flank of the enemy bulge. We have frustrated enemy break-through attempts and inflicted heavy losses during hard fighting in the Maginot Line positions north of the Haguenau Forest. The enemy has been cleared from Rittershoffen except for a strong point in the southern outskirts. Fighting continues in Hatten. In the Alsace Plain, south of Strasbourg, hostile attacks in the vicinity of Rossfeld, Herbsheim and Benfeld were repulsed. Weather again severely limited air operations yesterday, but fighter bombers attacked a supply dump near Freckenfeld, east of Wissembourg. During the afternoon escorted heavy bombers attacked the u-boat shelters and enemy shipping at Bergen. three of our bombers are missing.

Communique Number 281 – 14 January 1945

Allied forces in Holland have taken the village of Gebroek in a local attack north of Sittard. In the Ardennes Salient, east of the Salm River, good progress has been made south of Stavelot and Malmedy. Heavy fighting continued south of Langlire where our troops advanced in the direction of Montleban against stiff opposition. East of La Roche-en-Ardenne, we have made limited progress against moderate resistance. An enemy counter-attack by a small number of tanks supported by infantry was repulsed to the southeast of the town. South of La Roche, our units continued to follow up the withdrawing enemy and have occupied Ortho. Other forces pushing northward have cleared the enemy from Lavacherie, Sprimont (Fosset), Amberloup and Fosset, and we have reached Roumont in the woods east of the Bastogne-Marche-en-Famenne highway.

In the genehal area of these villages enemy resistance has been confined largely to minefields, booby traps and sniper activity. Farther east we have reached Gives and our units are just south of Bertogne. Our forces made progress northeast of Bastogne, reaching a point on the railroad three and one-half miles from the city, and Foy, on the road to Houffalize. Fighter bombers struck at rail and road transport in the St Vith area and elsewhere in the Ardennes Salient, destroyed several tanks and armored vehicles, and strafed enemy infantry south of Prüm. Escorted medium and light bombers attacked communications at Manderfeld. During the night light bombers attacked road and rail transport.

Our units kept up pressure against the western and southern flanks of the lower Vosges Salient and were meeting strong resistance. In heavy fighting in the Maginot Line positions north of the Haguenau Forest we made progress in the vicinity of Hatten. The enemy fought stubbornly to maintain his last strong point in Rittershoffen against our attacks. More than 900 escorted havy bombers attacked railway bridges over the Rhine at Mainz, Mannheim, Worms, Germersheim and Karlsruhe, and railway yards at Bischofsheim and Kaiserslautern. Other escorted heavy bombers attacked enemy communications at Saarbrücken.

Bridges at Steinbrück and Dasburg and a bridge over the Simmer River at Simmern were attacked by medium and light bombers. Fighter bombers striking at German communications and supplies in the Kaiserslautern and Bitche areas attacked railway yards at Beeden and Neustadt (Weinstrasse); hit rail transport near Langmeil and Otterberg; bombed two tunnels and cut the rail line in a number of places between Kaiserslautern and Neustadt (Weinstrasse); and started fires in an ammunition dump at Durlach. Fighters and fighter bombers flew offensive patrols over Holland and into Germany eastward to Münster. Last night, heavy bombers in strength attacked the synthetic oil plant at Pölitz, near Stettin (Szczecin) and again attacked communications at Saarbrücken.

Communique Number 282 – 15 January 1945

On the northern flank of the Ardennes Salient, south of Stavelot and Malmedy, opposition has stiffened. Allied forces have taken the village of Hénumont, Hédomont, and Thirimont. To the southwest we have cleared Montleban and cut the main Houffalize-Cherain road south of Cherain. in the area west of the La Roche-Bertogne road mopping up operations continue and reconnaissance elements have reached the Ourthe River and contacted allied patrols from the southern flank of the salient. Northwest of Bastogne, allied units, advancing against moderate resistance, captured Givroulle and Bertogne and pushed two miles beyond both towns to a point on the Ourthe River.

Earlier, an enemy counter-attack made by a force of infantry and 25 tanks was repulsed just east of Bertogne. Farther east we advanced to the edge of Compogne and have entered the town of Noville, four and one-half miles northeast of Bastogne. East of Bastogne, our forces pushed one mile past Mageret. We have made additional gains on the high ground just southwest of Wiltz. Southeast of Remich, near the Luxembourg-German border, we have cleared the enemy from Tettingen-Butzdorf. Fighter bombers destroyed fortified buildings in the region of Houffalize and hit road and railway bridges at Prüm and east of Malmedy.

Medium and light bombers attacked communications west and south of St Vith, at Schleiden east of Monschau, and at Bitburg. Other medium, light and fighter bombers attacked bridges at Ahrweiler, Mayen and Bullay and fighter bombers struck at motor vehicles and tank concentrations between Trier and Merzig. Down south, in France, and against stubborn resistance in rugged terrain, we made gains up to one thousand yards at the southern edge of the lower Vosges Salient. Fighting continues in the Maginot Line in upper Alsace and we made headway despite intermittent enemy attacks. Part of Hatten has been cleared, and in Rittershoffen the enemy still holds one strong point.

In saturday’s fighting in this area, 17 tanks and six other enemy armored vehicles were knocked out. Fighter bombers cut railway lines south and southeast of Kaiserslautern, destroyed a bridge at Frankenstein and attacked railway tunnels between Frankenstein and Lambrecht. Medium and light bombers attacked a railway embankment at Rinnthal, west of Landau. Escorted heavy bombers again hit the railway yards at Saarbrücken. South of Strasbourg, fighter bombers struck at enemy positions near Benfeld. Fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters attacked barges off the schouwen Island in Holland; hit railway lines west of Utrecht and in the area of Dordrecht and Amersfoort, and struck across the frontier at railway [railway] targets north of the Ruhr. Fighters flew on offensive sweeps in the Enschede, Rheine and Osnabrück region.

More than 900 heavy bombers with an escort of over 850 fighters attacked the Hemmingstadt oil refinery near Heide in the Danish Penninsula, a synthetic oil plant at Magdeburg, oil storage depots at Derben, northeast of Magdeburg, and at Ehmen, northeast of Braunschweig, a benzol plant and a steel works at Hallendorf. Attacks were also made on three bridges across the Rhine River at Köln. In the day’s air operations 235 enemy aircraft were shot down and eight others were destroyed on the ground. Nineteen of our heavy bombers, one medium bomber and 33 fighters are missing. Early last night, heavy bombers attacked a railway junction at Grevenbroich southwest of Düsseldorf. Later heavy bombers in very great strength were again over Germany with the Leuna synthetic oil plant near Merseburg and a fuel depot at Dülmen as the main objectives. Berlin was also bombed.

Communique Number 283 – 16 January 1945

In the Stavelot-Malmedy sector on the northern flank of the Ardennes Salient the allied attack has been extended to the area of Faymonville, southeast of Malmedy, and Ligneuville (Engelsdorf) has been occupied by our forces. Bitter fighting has taken place in this area, particularly in the vicinity of Thirimont. Numerous counter-attacks by enemy tanks and infantry have been repelled. Farther to the southwest, our forces are now fighting on the outskirts of Bovigny, about four miles south of Veilsalm. To the south we have strengthened our hold on the Bovigny-Cherain road. Just northwest of Houffalize, the village of Wibrin has been cleared and we have advanced southeast beyond Achouffe, two miles northwest of Houffalize.

North of Bastogne, we have pushed north of the Bertogne-Compogne road and have taken Vellereux, one mile northeast of Compogne. Southeast of Compogne, the villages of Cobru and Noville have been taken and our units have advanced one-half mile farther north despite heavy resistance from enemy tanks and infantry. East of Bastogne, our armor has reached a point one and one-half miles east of Mageret, and we are making slow progress against very stubborn enemy resistance one and one-half miles east of Wardin.

Southeast of Remich, our units east of the Moselle River have taken the German town of Nennig. Enemy transport and communications in the Ardennes Salient, and to the east and southeast, were attacked by fighter bombers and a small force of light bombers. Targets included railway bridges near Bitburg, Bad Kreuznach, Lebach, and Kaiserslautern, and several railway yards. Fighter bombers attacked rail and road transport north of Bitche.

Bitter fighting continued at Hatten following an enemy attack supported by artillery and armor. Two other hostile attacks within the same 24 hour period were beaten off. Enemy losses for the first two weeks of the Alsace-Lorraine Offensive are estimated at more than 10.000 killed and wounded, 4000 prisoners, and 100 tanks knocked out. Other losses have been inflicted in the central Alsace Plain. More than 600 heavy bombers escorted by 675 fighters attacked railway yards at Freiburg, Reutlingen, Augsburg, and Ingolstadt. Other escorted heavy bombers bombed benzol plants near Bochum and Recklinghausen.

Communique Number 284 – 17 January 1945

Allied forces in southern Holland have launched an attack in the area north of Sittard, near the Dutch-German border. fighters and fighter bombers, flying patrols ahead of our ground units, struck at enemy positions. Escorted medium and light bombers attacked the communications centers of Erkelenz and Hallschlag, road and railway bridges at Sinzig, Neuwied, and Bullay, and a motor repair depot at Keiberg. In the Ardennes Salient, heavy fighting continues south of Malmedy. Faymonville has been cleared of the enemy and we have taken Ondenval to the south. Farther southwest, our units are engaged in heavy fighting on the outskirts of Bovigny which is still held by the enemy. Cherain, south of Bovigny, is in our hands.

Our units which entered Houffalize are engaged in mopping-up operations. Contact has been made at Houffalize and at a point two miles to the west by elements of our forces from the northern and southern flanks of the salient. South of Houffalize our units pushed one mile north of Noville, on the Bastogne-Houffalze road. In the area northeast of Bastogne, our armored units have taken Michamps and have advanced about a miles beyond the town. Considerable enemy anti-tank fire has been encountered in this sector. East of Bastogne, we have taken Longvilly, Oberwampach, and Niederwampach. In and behind the salient, fighter bombers hit enemy armor, gun positions, road and rail transport. Other fighter bombers struck at road transport from Trier south to Saarbrücken, and road and rail traffic eastward to the Rhineland.

In the Bitche Salient, a small enemy attack in the Reipertswiller area was repulsed. Our troops made progress in Hatten and now hold three-fourths of the town as a result of heavy fighting. We also made gains of a mile or more in the enemy’s Rhine River bridgehead in the vicinity of Herrlisheim. The commander of the 17.SS-Panzer Grenadier Division is among the prisoners we have taken in the Alsace-Lorraine action. Medium bombers attacked marshalling yards and a railway bridge at Rastatt. Fighter bombers struck at enemy positions north of Strasbourg and communications east of the Rhine River. More than 600 heavy bombers escorted by over 650 fighters attacked a synthetic oil plant at Ruhland northeast of Dresden, a tank plant at Magdeburg and railway marshalling yards at Dresden and Dessau north of Leipzig.

Up north, in Holland, railway lines west of Utrecht at Vleuten and east of Utrecht at Vechten and Groep were hit by fighters bombers. Fifteen enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. Fighters which attacked an airfield south of Berlin destroyed at least 25 enemy aircraft on the ground. Last night, heavy bombers were out in very great strength. The main objectives were the industrial and railway center of Magdeburg, and synthetic oil plants at Most in Czechoslovakia, Zeitz near Leipzig, and Wanne-Eickel.

Communique NUmber 285 – 18 January 1945

In Holland, in the area north of Sittard, the village of Dieteren has been captured and allied forces made limited progress against heavy enemy opposition and in poor visibility. During the night, light bombers operating from dusk to dawn in the Sittard battle area bombed fortified buildings in Heinsberg, Wegberg and Erkelenz in Germany and attacked enemy movement. In the Ardennes, heavy fighting continues south of Faymonville and Ondenval. Thirimont is now firmly in our hands, and enemy counter-attacks in the area have been repulsed. In the Salm River sector, we have occupied Vielsalm, and the high ground to the east against lighter resistance, south of Bovigny and Cherain heavy fighting continues.

East of Bastogne, our forces have taken Bourcy and cut the Bourcy-Longvilly road about one mile north of Longvilly. Strong enemy counter-attacks were repulsed north of Oberwampach which is just southeast of Longvilly. Southeast of Remich near the Luxembourg-German border, our units are clearing up an enemy force cut off just south of Nennig. In the Bitche Salient, we made limited gains near Reipertswiller, but our progress was halted by counter-attacks. The enemy put reinforcements into the battle in the Hatten area in a renewed attempt to break through our Maginot Line positions. Our troops stood firm and inflicted severe losses including more than 200 dead. A hostile thrust in the forest south of Hatten was checked. In tank supported attacks the enemy fought aggressively to enlarge his Rhine River bridgehead. Our forces lost the villages of Stattmatten and Dengolsheim, and during a seesaw engagement Sessenheim which we now control, changed hands several times. There was heavy street fighting at Herrlisheim.

Weather over the battle areas yesterday was bad. Fighter bomber missions were flown against enemy positions and a fortified village in northern Holland. Other fighter bombers attacked enemy transport from Utrecht to Hengelo. Seven hundred escorted heavy bombers attacked a large oil refinery at Harburg, oil refineries and submarine building yards at Hamburg, and transportation targets in northwest Germany including marshalling yards and railway repair facilities at Paderborn. Some of the escorting fighters strafed railway targets.

Communique Number 286 – 19 January 1945

Along the Meuse River front north of Nijmegen, there has been a renewal of activity by both allied and enemy forces. North of Sittard, our units have made further progress. Echt, north of Sittard, has been captured and we are attacking eastward across the main Roermond-Sittard road. Susteren, south of Echt, has been taken, and our attack has been extended by a thrust northeast from Sittard in the direction of Höngen. Vigorous enemy opposition is being encountered. In the Faymonville area, our units holding high ground just south of Ondenval defeated enemy attempts to advance northward. Southwest of Ondenval we have made further progress against moderate resistance to about two miles east of Recht. South of Vielsalm, our forces are clearing the woods northeast of the village of Sterpigny and our armor has reached a point less than a miles northwest of Rettigny.

East of Bastogne, more counter-attacks by enemy tanks and infantry have been repulsed in the Oberwampach area. Just southeast of Wiltz, we are mopping up in Nocher. Our units have launched an attack across the Sauer River in the Diekirch-Bettendorf area, against moderate resistance. Erpeldange to the west of Diekirch, is being cleared, and we have pushed to the town. Farther east our units have reached points north and northeast of Bettendorf. East of Echternach the town of Rosport has been cleared of the enemy. Southeast of Remich, our forces in the Tettingen-Butzdorf area have repulsed a counter-attack by enemy tanks.

In the Bitche Salient, the enemy renewed attempts to infiltrate our forward positions near Reipwertswiller and stiff fighting followed. We made slight gains in Rittershoffen where the enemy is clinging to a strong point. Fighting continued in Hatten. Near the junction of the Maginot Lines and the Rhine River, our troops occupied the village of Auenheim and Leutenheim, but have withdrawn from Sessenheim and Herrlisheim after hard fighting. escorted heavy bombers attacked railway yards at Kaiserslautern yesterday. Some of the escorting fighters strafed railway transport in the area of Heidelberg. Bad weather prevented air operations elsewhere.

Communique Number 287 – 20 January 1945

In holland, northwest of Nijmegen, the enemy continued to attack allied forward positions in the area of Zetten, and made a slight local gain. the situation was later restored and fighting continues. In the Sittard area, our forces continue to make progress. An enemy counter-attack at Schilberg, southeast of Echt, was beaten off and the village is in our hands. Over the German border, our units have occupied the villages of Schalbruch, Havert, Heilder, and have made gains beyond Höngen. Southeast of Malmedy, we are clearing Schoppen and have advanced to a point more than two miles south of Ondenval against light resistance. Recht is in our hands and we have pushed on to a point one and one-half miles east of the town on the Ligneuville-St Vith road.

East of Vielsalm, we are clearing the wooded area of the Grand-Bois and have reached a point just south of Poteau on the Vielsalm-St Vith road. South of Vielsalm, our units are in Bovigny, and we have made gains in the area south of the town. Rettigny and Brisy northeast of Houffalize, have been occupied by our armored units and we have reached the high ground half a mile south of Rettigny against light resistance. We have cleared Nocher southeast of Wiltz. Diekirch and Bettendorf, on the Sauer River, have been cleared, and we have reached points about one mile north of both towns. In the Tettingen-Butzdorf area, southeast of Remich, our forces have repulsed numerous counter-attacks by enemy tanks and infantry. We repulsed strong enemy attacks in the Bitche Salient northeast of Reipertswiller without loss of ground.

At Hatten, following a lull, the enemy attempted again to break through our Maginot Line positions with a tank-supported assault from three directions, and again was turned back. Enemy efforts to advance in his Rhine River bridgehead north of Strasbourg were also checked. Our forces reached Sessenheim in an attack but were unable to hold their gain and retired. Weather curtailed air operations yesterday. Targets northeast of St Vith and south of Trier were bombed by small formations of fighter bombers. Other fighter bombers, operating from Bitche to the south of Strasbourg attacked road and rail transport and communications and destroyed a number of fortified buildings. A small number of fighter bombers hit several locomotives near Münster.

Communique Number 288 – 21 January 1945

The Zetten area, northwest of Nijmegen, is quiet and allied forward elements have reoccupied their positions following recent enemy attacks. North of Echt our units have occupied the town of Stevensweert without opposition. In the area between Stevensweet and Sittard we continued to make gains to the eastward and have occupied more villages, including Peij, two miles east of Echt. Breberen, two miles east of Höngen, also is in our hands. The area west of the line Echt-Breberen is clear of the enemy except for small pockets of resistance which are being mopped-up.

Fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters attacked enemy gun positions in the Sittard battle area. Fighter bombers also bombed a road bridge near Körrenzig, north of Linnich. Southeast of Malmedy, our forces have cleared Schoppen and have made slight gains south of the town. Deidenberg, four miles north of St Vith, has been taken by our armored units. Northwest of St Vith, we have made small gains against light resistance in the wooded area one and one-half miles east of Poteau. Farther to the southwest, Courtil, one-half mile south of Bovigny, is in our hands, and a small enemy pocket one mile southeast of the town has been mopped up. In the area east of Bastogne, our units gained 1200 yards east and north of Oberwampach. North and northeast of Diekirch, we have reached the edge of Bastendorf and are in the vicinity of Longsdorf.

Southeast of Remich, a number of enemy pill boxes south of Nennig have been reduced, while farther to the east our units are in the vicinity of Orscholz, after an advance of half a mile. Enemy artillery was active against our forces in the Sarrelouis bridgehead area. In the Bitche Salient, our forces and hostile elements were active. There were infantry engagements and patrol clashes northeast of Reipertswiller which the enemy shelled. Heavy fighting ceased in the Hatten-Rittershoffen section of the Maginot Line but allied and enemy patrolling was aggressive. Enemy pressure in his Rhine River bridgehead continued to be heavy. Our forces still hold a major portion of Drusenheim.

A strong allied attack, supported by artillery, was launched between the Rhine River and Saint-Amarin in the Vosges, and we have made gains up to three miles in some sectors. Fighter bombers, flying in weather which restricted their operations in all areas yesterday, attacked transportation targets in Holland, the Rhineland and elsewhere. They cut railway lines at many places in the Utrecht and Amersfoort areas, struck at railway transport across the frontier beyond Münster, hit enemy materiel moving by road and rail mainly around Euskirchen, bombed trains near Koblenz and Trier and struck at railway yards at Aalen, some 30 miles east of Stuttgart.

Railway traffic centers at Rheine, north of Münster, and at Heilbronn, north of Stuttgart, and a rail and highway bridge across the Rhine at Mannheim were attacked by more than 750 escorted heavy bombers. Some of the fighter escort also strafed transportation targets near Osnabrück. During the day, seven enemy aircraft were shot down.

Communique Number 289 – 22 January 1945

Allied mortar fire dispersed a small enemy force which was forming up at Middelaar on the right bank of the Meuse River south of Nijmegen. The area between the Juliana Canal and the Meuse River in the vicinity of Stevensweert and Echt has been cleared following a link up of our forces in that sector. Northeast of Echt our units have met determined resistance in the area of St Joost and fighting continues. Bocket and Waldfeucht to the southeast have been taken after our forces gained more than two miles. An enemy counter-attack with infantry supported by self-propelled guns was beaten off at Waldfeucht. A german observation post near Hank, southeast of Dordrecht was hit by rocket-firing fighters.

In the Sittard battle area, medium, light and fighter bombers bombed targets at Montfort and enemy heavy guns in wooded country at Wildenrath; during the night light and heavy bombers struck at two fortified villages and attacked enemy transport and communications. Our armored units are fighting in Born, three and one-half miles north of St Vith, and have seized the high ground just east of the town. Minor gains have been made in the wooded area two and one-half to three miles west and northwest of St Vith, where operations are hampered by difficult terrain, snow and icy roads. Cierreux, one mile north of Bovigny, is in our hands. East and southeast of Houffalize our forces have taken the towns of Vissoule, Tavigny, Cetturu, and Buret. Northeast of Bastogne, our armored elements have taken Moinet, Troine, Lullange and Hoffelt.

Our forces have reached the Wiltz River in the area three miles west of the town of Wiltz. Northwest of Diekirch, the towns of Bourscheid and Burden, on the west side of the Sauer River, have been cleared of the enemy. North of Diekirch, we have cleared Bastendorf and advanced to Landscheid. Fighter bombers, in some strength, struck at road and rail transport, communications, tanks and armored vehicles, east of the Ardennes Salient. Medium and light bombers attacked railway bridges at Euskrichen and Mayen and a railway junction west of Euskirchen. Southeast of Remich, an enemy counter-attack with tanks and infantry made slight progress just north of Nennig, and another tank-infantry attack in the vicinity of Tettingen was repulsed.

A counter-attack by a force of approximately 450 enemy infantry in the Saarlouis area was repulsed by our troops. In the Bitsche Salient, recent enemy aggressiveness subsided to normal patrol clashes. Our forces repulsed an attack in the enemy’s Rhine bridgehead north of Strasbourg and knocked out four of 18 supporting tanks. Targets at Herrlisheim were bombed by a small number of fighter bombers. On the southern flank of the Colmar sector, our forces pressed their attack vigorously despite stubborn opposition and heavy snow. Several hundred prisoners have been taken. Nine hundred escorted heavy bombers attacked railway yards at Mannheim, Aschaffenburg, and Heilbronn. Some of the escorting fighters strafed railway targets and aircraft on the ground. Fighter bombers attacked locomotives and railway cars in the areas of Dorsten, Haltern, and Osnabrück.

Communique Number 290 – 23 January 1945

North of Zetten allied forces have driven the enemy across the de Linge Canal. Northeast of Echt, heavy fighting continues in the area of Sint-Joost where the enemy has reinforced his units with local reserves. We have repulsed counter-attacks against Waldfeucht, and farther to the southeast, our units have occupied the villages of Hontem and Selsten. Fighter bombers attacked a factory at Alblasserdam, southeast of Rotterdam, enemy barracks at Wageningen and in the Nijmegen area, and targets at Bocholt, yesterday. northeast of Sittard, fighter bombers struck at fortified buildings at Heinsberg, and targets at Montfort, while escorted medium bombers bombed a road junction at Wassenberg.

Rail targets north and northeast of the Ruhr also were bombed by fighter bombers. Our forces have cleared Born, and against light resistance have pushed to a point two miles north of St Vith. We have entered Hinderhausen, three and a half miles west of St Vith, and our troops, meeting slightly stiffening opposition, have taken the high ground southwest of Hinderhausen. We have gained up to 1500 yards east of a line Hinderhausen-Rogery, and our elements east and southeast of Bovigny have driven 3000 yards eastward, meeting little resistance. Along the Houffalize-St Vith road, our units have cleared Gouvy, three miles east of Cherain. Other elements moving northeast from the Bastogne area took Hachivile and advanced one and a half miles to the northeast. Our units on the Bastogne-St Vith road are less than a mile southwest of Troisvierges. Boevange, three miles west of Clervaux, has been taken.

Wiltz has been cleared of the enemy and our troops have taken Noertrange, two miles to the northwest. Northeast of Bourscheid, our forces east of the Sauer River have taken Lipperscheid and have gained more than a mile farther north. the rail yards at Neuss, on the route from the Ruhr to Düren, where there was a heavy concentration of rail cars, were attacked by fighter bombers. In the course of this and other attacks more than 650 rail cars were destroyed, and many others damaged. Enemy motor transport, in two dense concentrations heading from the Adennes salient, was bombed and strafed by fighter bombers operating in great strength. Approximately 1600 vehicles were destroyed, and many others were damaged.

Following an attack by medium bombers on a bridge across the our river at Dasburg, one concentration was attacked on the west bank of the river on the roads leading to the bridge. while the other concentration was attacked in an area some 10 miles southwest of Prüm. Fighter bombers also successfully went for tanks, armored fighting vehicles, gun positions, locomotives and strong points in and behind the salient, and cut rail lines in many places. In the area southeast of Remich, more enemy counter-attacks have been repulsed in the vicinity of Tettingen-Butzdorf. In the Bitsche Salient the enemy made aggressive attempts to infiltrate.

Our forces mopped up hostile elements which had penetrated our forward positions. Patrols were active on the Rhine west bank north of Strasbourg but no major fighting developed. Late reports disclose that 12 rather than four tanks were knocked out in sunday’s actions. On the south side of the Colmar sector the principal suburbs of Mulhouse have been cleared in our attacks of the last three days and gains have been made in the vicinity of Cernay. This progress was made against stiff enemy resistance, through snow storms and over icy roads. The forest of Nonnen Bruch south of Cernay has been cleared. More than 1000 prisoners have been counted.

Medium and light bombers attacked the rail head of Blankenheim, rail bridges at Sinzig, Simmern, and Bullay, and rail yards and a supply depot at Gerolstein. Farther south fighter bombers struck at rail yards at Homburg, Elmstein, Bad Bergzabern and Neustadt, and fuel dumps near Kaiserslautern and Bad Bergzabern. Escorted heavy bombers attacked the syntheitc oil plant at Sterkrade in the Ruhr. Some of the escorting fighters also strafed an airfield and rail targets in the Hanover area. During the day seven enemy aircraft were shot down and eight destroyed on the ground. From the day’s operations, nine heavy bombers, two medium bombers, and 21 fighters are missing. Last night a strong force of heavy bombers attacked targets in western Germany, with a synthetic oil plant at Duisburg as the main objective.

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