Document Source: Supreme Allied Headquarters Archival Document, Original Communiques of the Supreme Commander, European Theater of Operations
Communique Number 299 – 01 February 1945
Allied forces have completely cleared the enemy from the island of Kapelscheveer in the Meuse River area east of Geertruindenberg after heavy and prolonged fighting. Farther south, our units continued their attacks northeast of Monschau and have captured Eicherscheid and Imgenbroich. Between Monschau and the area northeast of Clervaux, we have made general gains, advancing 5000 yards in some places. In the forest southeast of Hofen, our forces gained up to 4000 yards, and pushed 1000 yards east of Rocherath, through deep snow and occasional minefields. Our infantry elements have crossed the Belgian-German border in a 5000 yard advance to within a mile west of Udenbreth.
Another crossing of the border was made five miles southeast of Büllingen. East and southeast of St Vith, our units have taken Setz, Schlierbach, and Lommersweiler, and have cleared the enemy from Steffeshausen, three miles farther south. In the bridgehead across the Our River, east of Weiswampach, our artillery repulsed an infantry counterattack, and we have advanced to a point one and one-half miles northeast of Welchenhausen, on the east bank of the Our River.
West of the lower Vosges Mountains and in the northern Alsace, activity was confined to patrolling and exchanges of small arms fire. Northeast of Strasbourg, we have occupied Gambsheim and Bettenhofen against light resistance. South of Strasbourg, our forces progressed about four miles to the Rhine-Rhone Canal in the area east of Benfeld. Our bridgehead south of the Colmar Canal was enlarged with the aid of armor to a depth of approximately three miles. Resistance was spotty. On the southern edge of the Colmar sector, the enemy continued to defend Cernay and Wittelsheim stubbornly. Violent street fighting has been in progress in both towns. Weather drastically restricted air operations yesterday.
Communique Number 300 – 02 February 1945
In the area northeast of Monschau, allied forces continued mopping up operations. Southeast of Monschau we have made gains of from 800 to 3000 yards against light resistance from pill boxes in the Monschau Forest. Our units made additional gains in the forest east of Rocherath, and Krinkelt and are within a few hundred yards of the German border. Schönberg, six miles east of St Vith, is in our hands and we have advanced two miles farther east and crossed the Belgian-German border to capture Laudesfeld. Farther south, our elements are within one mile of Winterscheid and we have taken Eigelscheid and Heckhalenfeld east of the Our River.
Down south, in France, southeast of Haguenau near the Rhine River, our forces broke a six day lull in the Northern Alsace plain with an attack which gained up to two miles against strong resistance. We crossed the Moder River in these operations. Hard fighting is in progress at Oberhöfen. Farther south, the Steinwald Forest, north of Gambsheim was cleared. South of Strasbourg the area between the Ill River and the Rhine River has been largely cleared by our infantry and armor. We have reached the Rhine at several points northeast of Colmar.
Gains up to three miles were made in our continuing drive south of the Colmar Canal. In this area, fighter bombers attacked targets at Arztenheim, Baltzenheim and Biesheim, close to the west bank of the Rhine. Our artillery has been firing on the enemy holding the Breisach railway bridge over the Rhine. Enemy resistance continued strong on the southern edge of the Colmar sector where only local gains were made.
Escorted heavy bombers in great strength struck at objectives in Germany, including railway marshalling yards at Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Rhine bridges at Wesel, northwest of the Ruhr. Other escorted heavy bombers attacked the railway junction of Münchengladbach, west of Düsseldorf. Medium and light bombers with figter escort attacked communication centers at Schleiden, Brandscheid and Prüm, rail bridges spanning the Rhine River at Engers, the Lahn River at Nassau and the Moselle River at Eller, road junctions at Blankenheim, southeast of Schleiden and at Wittlich. During th operation, several barges on the Rhine northwest of Koblenz were destroyed.
Rail traffic north of the Ruhr in the areas of Bocholt, Dülmen, Coesfeld, and Burgesteinfurt and gun positions east of Coesfeld were attacked by fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. Last night heavy bombers in very great strength made heavy attacks on the main railway centers at Mainz, Ludwigshafen and Siegen and light bombers struck at the rail network north of the Ruhr. Berlin also was bombed. One enemy aircraft was shot down during the day and night fighters destroyed another during the night. One of our heavy bombers and three fighters are missing from the daylight operations.
Communique Number 301 – 03 February 1945
Allied infantry gained from 1500 to 2000 yards in the Monschau Forest against light to moderate resistance to points three and one-half miles east of Höfen. Other infantry elements reached the eastern edge of the forest along the main road running southeast from Monschau. Father to the south, we pushed eastward through the dragon’s teeth obstacles of the Siegfried Line against increasing resistance from small arms and machine gun fire, and reached the high ground west of Ramscheid. Five and one-half miles east of Büllingen, the German town of Neuhof has been taken, and heavy fighting is in progress in Udenbreth to the north. Across the German border, east and southeast of St Vith, we have captured Auw, Mützenich, and have reached the vicinity of Bleialf after taking Grosslangenfeld.
Heckhuscheid, three miles southwest of Grosslangenfeld, also is in our hands. At Oberhöfen, southeast of Haguenau, we made slow progress in fighting which continued to be heavy for the second day. Our infantry and tanks drove to the center of Colmar, and we also made gains on the eastern and western sides of the city. To the east, near Kunheim, our units reached the Rhine. We now hold the west bank of the Rhine for about 35 miles south of Strasbourg. Progress was made in the eastern Colmar Forest, while heavy fighting took place at nearby Appenweier and Bliesheim. Local gains were made on the southern side of the Colmar sector against strong resistance.
Continuing the offensive against the enemy’s communications and transport, medium and fighter bombers in strength struck at targets from Groningen, in the north of Holland, to Neuf-Brisach, southeast of Colmar. They operated in the battle areas and eastward into Germany. Railway yards and bridges were bombed, rail lines were cut in many places and large numbers of locomotives and railway cars were destroyed or damaged. A considerable number of motor and armored vehicles also were hit. In the Colmar area fighter bombers bombed and strafed the enemy from dawn to dusk and inflicted heavy losses on his transport.
An oil refinery and fuel dump near Emmerich and targets at Euskirchen, Gemünd, Stadtkyll and Hillesheim were attacked by other medium bombers. During the day’s operations 64 locomotives, 1312 railway cars and 274 motor vehicles, including several armored vehicles and tanks were destroyed or damaged and rail lines were cut in 125 places. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air and several others on the ground. According to reports so far received, two of our bombers and 13 of our fighters are missing. Last night heavy bombers in very great strength, attacked Wiesbaden, Karlsruhe and the synthetic oil plant at Wanne-Eickel. Light bombers struck at rail transport over wide areas in Germany.
Communique Number 302 – 04 February 1945
Allied forces in the Monschau area pushed from one to three miles deeper into Germany to capture the towns of Hammer, Harperscheid and enter Dreiborn. Resistance from small arms and mortar fire was heavy. Udenbreth, about seven miles south of Harperscheid, was cleared after heavy fighting in the town. In the border area, eleven miles northeast of St Vith, we have taken Losheim and Manderfeld. Southeast of St Vith, we captured Bleialf after overcoming strong resistance in the town. Our units which pushed eastward in the area of the Luxembourg – Belgium – German border intersection have reached the vicinity of Grosskampenberg. German positions in this area are strongly defended.
East of Diekirch, we have cleared the enemy from Hoesdorf on the west bank of the Our River. Southeast of Haguenau we have cleared Rohrwiller, and after three days of hard fighting have taken most of Oberhofen. Stiff resistance and flooded terrain resulted in our withdrawal in the vicinity of Herrlisheim and from Offendorf. All of Colmar has been liberated and we have driven some four miles south of the city. We have freed Winzenheim, west of Colmar, and several other towns nearby. To the east, hard fighting continued in the approaches to fortified Neuf-Brisach.
Fighter bombers struck at targets in the city and enemy communications leading to this sector. Gains on the southern side of the Colmar sector, where we have reached the outskirts of Pulversheim, have narrowed the distance from our forces in the north to those in the south to less than twelve miles. Twenty-five hundred tons of bombs were dropped with good results on military objectives in Berlin yesterday by more than 1000 escorted heavy bombers. Objectives included important military and governmental offices, the Anhalter railway station and the Templehof rail yards. Large fires were stated in the target areas. More than 400 escorted heavy bombers attacked rail yards at Magdeburg, and a synthetic oil plant in the Magdeburg suburb of Rothensee with unobserved results. Escort for these attacks was provided by more than 900 fighters. The escort shot down 21 enemy fighters in the air, destroyed 14 on the ground and strafed ground targets in northwest Germany, destroyed or damaged locomotives, freight cars and other objectives.
Other fighters patrolled airfields in northwest Germany. Thirty-five bombers and five fighters are missing from these operations. The E-boat shelters at Ijmuiden and naval establishments at Portershaven near Maassluis were attacked by other escorted heavy bombers with 12000-pound bombs. Last night, heavy bombers attacked targets in western Germany with the synthetic oil plants at Bottrop and Dortmund as the main objectives. German billets at Dunkerque and the rail bridge at Zwolle were attacked yesterday by medium bombers.
Mortar positions and troops in the neighborhood of Babyloniënbroek], transportation targets in Holland and northwest Germany, particularly to the north and northeast of the Ruhr were attacked by fighter bombers. Locomotives and rolling stock, as well as motor transport and barges were attacked and rail lines were cut in several places. Farther south fighter bombers struck at rail yards in the areas of Zülpich and Euskirchen and also attacked a number of trains, principally in the Euskirchen area, and motor transport to the northwest of Bonn. A motor transport repair and storage depot at Bergisch Gladbach, rail bridges at Ahrweiler and Sinzig and a rail yard at Jünkerath, as well as the communications centers at Dahlem and Wittlich were targets for medium and light bombers. Fourteen fighter bombers are missing from the day’s operations.
Communique Number 303 – 05 February 1945
Allied forces northeast of Monschau gained up to 3000 yards to reach the edge of Rührberg, and our infantry advanced 3500 yards to the south shore of the Urftstausee, the large lake formed by the dam on the Urft River. Southwest and south of the lake, we have cleared the enemy from the towns of Einruhr, Wollseifen and Morsbach, and have pushed one-half mile east of Morsbach. Southeast of Monschau, in the vicinity of Hollerath, we have encountered rifle and machine gun fire from enemy pillboxes, and a number of pillboxes just west of the town have been neutralized. In the area two miles southeast of Udenbreth, a group of enemy infantry forming for a counterattack was dispersed by our artillery.
Roth, 11 miles northeast of St Vith, has been cleared of the enemy, and our infantry elements have advances into the Schneifel Forest east of Buchet. On the eastern edge of the Hardt Mountains we entered Rothbach, inflicted casualties and took prisoners. Then, we withdrew to positions southwest of the town. Near the Rhine in the Haguenau area, fighting continued in Oberhöfen. Farther east, advances were made in the Drusenheim Forest, northeast of Rohrwiller. In the Colmar sector, Wolfgantzen, one mile west of Neuf-Brisach, was cleared after hard fighting, and mopping up was in progress in Biesheim to the north. South and west of Colmar, the towns of Obermorschwihr, Voegtlinshoffen, Turckheim and Labaroche were liberated.
Farther south, Cernay was completely cleared while Steinbach and Uffholtz in the same area were occupied. East of Cernay, we crossed the Thür River near Staffelfelden, which was occupied. The advance here reached Berrwiller, two miles northwest of Staffelfelden. Weather curtailed air operations yesterday, however fighter bombers strafed enemy motor transport and troops in the Colmar area, hit the railway bridge at Breisach and bombed targets in Bremgarten and Grissheim, villages on the German side of the Rhine River southeast of Breisach. Other fighter bombers attacked railway yards at Offenburg, Rottweil, Donaueschingen and Steig. Last night, heavy bombers in strength, were over Germany with Bonn as the main objective. Light bombers attacked road and rail targets over a wide area in western Germany.
Communique Number 304 – 06 February 1945
Allied armored elements have taken the towns of Strauch and Steckenborn, in the area six miles northeast of Monschau. Our units have cleared the high ground east of Ruhrberg and are on the Roer River below the Urft Dam. Other elements have reached the dam and control it. Our infantry units two miles north of Schleiden have made a 1500 yard gain to the east. Other units are fighting in Hellenthal, two and one half miles southwest of schleiden. Farther south, Brandscheid has been cleared of the enemy and we have made gains in the Schneifel Forest, two miles east of Buchet. The area north of Strasbourg and west of the Rhine was the quietest it has been in recent weeks.
The Colmar sector has been split by juncture of our units from the north and south sides at Rouffach. Near the Rhine, the road from Neuf-Brisach to the Rhine bridges at Vieux-Breisach was cut and the village of Vogelsheim, just south of the road and one mile east of Neuf-Breisach, was reached. The west bank of the Ill River has been almost completely cleared of the enemy. In the high Vosges Mountains, enemy units which were cut off are being pursued through difficult terrain.
Mittlach and Muhlbach-sur-Munster in the upper Fecht River Valley were liberated, and Walbach in the lower valley was cleared. In the south, Guebwiller and a number of nearby towns were liberated. During the four days ending with the 3 february, allied forces in the west captured 6912 prisoners. Bad weather prevented air operations yesterday. Last night, Berlin was bombed by a force of light bombers.
Communique Number 305 – 07 February 1945
Allied forces northeast of Monschau, have pushed 1000 yards south from Bergstein against minefields and defended pillboxes, and to the southwest we have gained 500 yards to a point approximately one mile west of Schmidt. Our infantry elements have pushed another 1000 yards to the east of Steckenborn. South of the Urft Dam, we have reached the area one and one-half miles east of Morsbach. Scheuren, one-half mile northwest of Schleiden, is in our hands and heavy fighting continues in Hellenthal, three miles southwest of Schleiden.
Our forces have captured Schlausenbach, on the edge of the Schneifel Forest and we have made small gains in the forest southeast of Schlausenbach. Southwest of the forest a counterattack in the vicinity of Brandscheid resulted in stiff fighting. Farther southwest, our units have taken Habscheid. Southwest of Habscheid, we have captured Grosskampenberg and Lützkampen. East of the Mosele River in the Remich area, we repulsed a small counterattack in the woods one-half mile southeast of Tettingen-Butzdorf. Between the battle area and the Rhine, medium and light bombers attacked the communications centers of Sötenich, Bad Munstereifel and Wittlich, and an ammunition dump at Rheinbach. Fighter bombers struck at fortified places in the Euskirchen – Mayen area. In the southern Alsace Plain we have occupied Neuf-Brisach.
The western approaches to the Rhine bridges leading to Vieux-Breisach were taken and further progress was made to the south between the Rhine and the Rhine-Rhone Canal. To the southwest, the Ill River was crossed at a number of points and we continued to make gains in the direction of the Rhine-Rhone Canal. The villages of Battenheim, Baldersheim and Sausheim, northeast of Mulhouse were liberated. Enemy troops in the Hardt Forest were strafed and a rail yard at Vieux-Breisach was attacked by fighter bombers. Communication targets in holland and northwest Germany were attacked yesterday by medium and fighter bombers.
A bridge at Deventer was the target for escorted medium bombers, while fighter bombers struck at bridges, locomotives and rolling stock and cut rail lines, particularly in central Holland and to the north and northeast of the Ruhr. A fuel dump at Emmerich was attacked by medium bombers, and fighter bombers attacked an ammunition dump at Amersfoort and an oil storage plant north of Lingen. A vehicle depot at Bergisch-Gladbach was attacked by medium and light bombers. Fighter bombers struck at motor transport, rail yards and rolling stock in the Düsseldorf area; rail yards in the region of Würzburg, landau and trier; and rolling stock and motor transport in the Trier and Karlsruhe areas.
Rail yards at Rastatt and Offenburg, and a rail bridge at Rastatt were targets for fighter bombers, which also attacked rolling stock near Rastatt and Mahlberg. More than 1300 heavy bombers escorted by more than 850 fighters attacked rail yards and industrial targets at Magdeburg and Chemnitz and other points over a wide area of central Germany. Many of the escort strafed ground targets in western germany, destroying three enemy aircraft on the ground and destroying or damaging locomotives, freight cars and military vehicles.
Communique Number 306 – 08 February 1945
Allied forces in the area northeast of Monschau have encountered heavily defended minefields between Bergstein and the Kall River. Our infantry elements have advanced more than 1000 yards to the edge of Kommerscheidt, one-half mile northwest of Schmidt, and our armor has pushed to within 500 yards of Schmidt, west of the town, in this area we have taken 159 enemy pillboxes during the past three days. Southwest of Schleiden our forces have cleared the enemy from Hellenthal after several days of fighting in the town against stubborn resistance.
In the area north and northwest of Prüm, our infantry has reached Wascheid, and the towns of Hontheim and Sellerich are in our hands. Southwest of Prüm we have taken Hollnich. Our forces have launched attacks across the Our and the Sauer Rivers at several places on a front extending from the area northeast of Clervaux to the vicinity of Echternach. The crossings were impeded by high water and enemy obstacles on the eastern bank. We have made gains over the our near Dasburg, four miles east of Clervaux, and in the area of Wallendorf, six miles east of Diekirch. Other infantry elements crossed in the vicinity of Echternach and made gains of more than 800 yards in the area northeast of the town. Southeast of Remich, our forces have captured Sinz.
East of Saareguemines, an enemy attack by an estimated 100 infantry was repulsed without loss of ground. Our forces raided Buchholz, east of the Hardt Mountains, inflicted casualties and took prisoners. Our efforts to clear the northern part of Oberhöfen, near Haguenau, were stubbornly resisted. Farther east, our forward elements received considerable fire from Drusenheim. In the lower Alsace Plain the advance down the corridor between the Rhine and the Rhine-Rhone Canal reached points seven miles south of Neuf-Brisach. The villages of Heiteren, Balgau, and Fessenheim were liberated. The west bank of the Rhine-Rhone Canal has been entirely cleared of the enemy.
Crossings were made near the Ile Napoleon at the junction of the Rhine-Rhone and Huningue Canals. In the Vosges Mountains organized enemy resistance has been broken. Mopping up of isolated enemy groups continues, allied forces in the west captured 2905 prisoners on February 5. Bad weather severely restricted air operations yesterday. An enemy railhead at Lipp, 16 miles west of Köln, was attacked without loss by a small force of medium bombers. Escorted heavy bombers struck at objectives in western Germany. Last night enemy troops and equipment in Kleve and Goch between the Meuse and the Rhine Rivers were attacked by heavy bombers operating in great strength. Targets at Magdeburg, Kassel, Mainz, Koblenz, Bonn, Hanover, Düsseldorf and Duisburg were struck at by light bombers.
Communique Number 307 – 09 February 1945
Allied forces have launched an attack in the area southeast of Nijmegen. Heavy air support was provided during the night preceding the attack when Goch and Kleve were bombed. Good initial progress has been made and our forward elements have reached the western edges of the Reichswald Forest. Fighting is in progress in the outer defenses of the Siegfired Line. The enemy’s supply lines, strong points, gun positions, troop concentrations, armor and transport in the Nijmegen battle area were attacked yesterday by medium, light and fighter bombers, in considerable strength. Fighters provided protection overhead and patrolled the enemy’s airfields.
We have taken the town of Kommerscheidt, and are fighting in Schmidt and Harscheidt, in the area northeast of Monschau. Farther to the south, our infantry elements have captured Obermehlen, two miles northwest of Prüm. In the area northeast of Clervaux, our armored elements have made gains to a point about one and one-half miles from Dahnen, and other forces have reached Dasburg. Wallendorf, at the junction of the Our and Sauer Rivers, is in our hands. We repulsed a counterattack by enemy infantry and tanks one and one-half miles north of Echternach.
Fighter bombers attacks rail communications, railway yards and rolling stock between Koln and Mayen and in the Koln plain, and hit the railway bridge at Limburg. In the Luxembourg sector other fighter bombers hit fortified positions, tanks and armored vehicles, and attacked targets at Ferschweiler and Ernzen. Eeast of the Hardt Mountains our ground forces raided Kindweiler, inflicted casualties and took prisoners. The enemy was driven from several of his strong points in Oberhöfen, southeast of Haguenau. Near the Rhine in this sector, Herrlisheim and Offendorf were found to have been evacuated by the enemy.
In the lower Alsace Plain the enemy was driven back to a narrow strip along the Rhine between the Hardt Mountains and the river. Advance elements reached Chalampe in the center of this strip. The villages of Munchhouse, Roggenhouse, Nambsheim, Blodelsheim and Rumersheim, northwest and north of Chalampe, and Homburg to the southwest were liberated. Allied forces in the west captured 4083 prisoners 6 february.
Medium and fighter bombers struck at communications in the upper rhine valley and eastward. Railway bridges at Rastatt, Hornburg, Löffingen and Neuenburg, and marshalling yards at Freiburg were bombed, and communications, transport and troop barracks in the Colmar area were attacked. Targets at Stauffen, southwest of Freiburg were also hit. Escorted heavy bombers attacked with 12.000 pound bombs the E-boat shelters at Ijmuiden. During the night heavy bombers were over Germany in very great strength. The synthetic oil plants at Pölitz and other targets were attacked. Light bombers attacked Berlin. Other light bombers attacked German movements from Nijmegen to Düren and eastward.
Communique Number 308 – 10 February 1945
The allied offensive in the area southeast of Nijmegen continues to make good progress. In spite of stiff enemy resistance from his prepared positions, difficult terrain, numerous minefields and anti-tank obstacles our units have captured Zyfflich, Neil, Kranenberg, Frasselt and Bredeweg and are fighting in the western fringe of the Reichswald Forest. Southeast of the battle area enemy troops and equipment just east of the Reichswald Forest and at Goch, Geldern and Rheinberg were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers.
East of Wesel a road bridge spanning the railway line was destroyed by rocket-firing fighters which also hit Rhine River traffic in the area. Our forces have cleared the towns of Harscheidt and Schmidt in the area northeast of Monschau, against stiff resistance and have advanced to Hasenfeld, two miles southeast of Schmidt. Farther south, in the area north of Prüm, our infantry captured Olzheim and entered the town of Neuendorf. Other elements have captured the towns of Gondenbrett, Hermespand and Niedermehlen. West of Prüm, our forces are three-fourths of a mile from the town.
Across the Our River in the area five and one-half miles northeast of Clervaux, our units have gained one-half miles. Other elements farther southeast have pushed 1000 yards in the area and one-half miles southeast of Wallendorf. North of the Our River, one and one-half miles northeast of Wallendorf, two infantry counterattacks were repulsed. The Bannholz Forest, one-half mile northeast of Sinz, has been cleared by our troops. A counterattack by tanks and infantry in this area was repulsed. Enemy artillery activity was increased along the sector east of the Hardt Mountains.
East of Haguenau, in the Rhine River Valley, Oberhöfen was cleared except for a few houses in the northwestern section of the town. Patrols in the Drusenheim region farther east drew strong hostile reactions. In southern Alsace all organized enemy resistance on the west bank of the Rhine has ceased. Allied forces in the west captured 1049 prisoners on February 7. The communications center of Kempen, and railway yards at Viersen, Rheydt, and Grevenbroich were struck at by medium and light bombers. Fighter bombers attacked railway yards at Euskirchen, Koblenz, Trier Kaiserslautern and Würzburg, and a rail junction at Wengerohr, northeast of Trier.
Rail bridges at Sinzig and Neuwied, northwest of Koblenz, were attacked by small formations of medium and light bombers. Rail traffic over a wide area ranging from Mannheim south to the German-Swiss Frontier, rail bridges at Rastatt, Hornberg and Offenburg, enemy barracks at Donaueschingen and road traffic near Oberkirch were targets for medium and fighter bombers. Escorted heavy bombers in very great strength attacked the synthetic oil plant at Lützen, south of Halle; an ordnance and motor transport factory at Weimar; oil installations and railroad marshalling yards at Magdeburg and other communications targets in Germany. Escorting fighters shot down 23 enemy aircraft, destroyed 41 others on the ground and strafed rail transport. From all operations, according to reports so far received, 19 heavy bombers and five fighters are missing. Last night bombers attacked road and rail movement in Holland and western Germany.
Communique Number 309 – 11 February 1945
The allied offensive southeast of Nijmegen continues over very difficult terrain. South of Wyler, the town of Heikant has been captured and our units have penetrated the Reichswald Forest and captured Schottheide. More than 3000 prisoners have been counted to date. In the Nijmegen sector dumps, gun positions and enemy troops and transport south and southeast of the Reichswald Forest and between Goch and Geldern were attacked by fighter bombers. Farther to the rear of the enemy lines factory buildings near Wesel and Bocholt were hit by rocket-firing fighters while medium and fighter bombers struck at communications at Xanten and Borken and attacked rail and road transport in the Gütersloh and Bielefeld areas.
Allied forces have reached the northern end of the Schwammenauel Dam despite heavy artillery and mortar fire. All floodgates have been blown by the enemy, but the dam itself remains intact. Conduits leading from the backed-up waters of the Urft Dam to a point downstream from the Schwammenauel Dam have been blown open, causing a rise of three feet in the Roer River. The town of Hasenfeld, 1200 yards east of the Schwammenauel Dam, has been captured, and patrols have pushed to the Roer River east and northeast of the town.
In the area north of Prüm we have captured Neuendorf, and have reached Willwerath. Other units made gains up to three-quarters of a mile and are a little more than one-half mile northwest of Prüm, and have also reached the high ground two and one-half miles northeast of the town. In the Niedermehlen area two enemy counterattacks, each made by two to three infantry companies and led by five tanks, were repulsed. Four of the ten tanks were knocked out. Allied elements across the Sauer River, in the area two and one-half miles northwest of Bollendorf, have gained three-quarters of a mile to the northeast.
Communications and rail and road transport from Kempen to Trier and eastward to the Rhine were attacked by medium, light, and fighter bombers. Motor repair depots at Bergish-Gladbach and Bad Munstereifel were bombed by other medium and light bombers. The fortified towns of Mettendorf, Kruchten, Bettingen and Peffingen were hit by fighter bombers. Southeast of Haguenau near the Rhine, our forces crossed the Moder River and captured a railway station northwest of Oberhöfen. Further progress was made toward clearing Oberhöfen.
Our attack on nearby Drusenheim was met by determined resistance and a strong tank supported counterattack which forced us to withdraw. Several groups of prisoners were taken in mopping up operations in the Colmar area. Communications in northern Holland were attacked by fighter bombers. A fuel depot at Dülmen and submarine pens at Ijmuiden were targets for escorted heavy bombers. Railway yards at Kaiserslautern, Zweibrücken and Freiburg were bombed by fighter bombers. Hanover was attacked during the night by light bombers. Other light bombers struck from dusk to dawn at enemy movements in the quadrilateral area formed by Kleve, Rheine, Hamm and Köln.
