Communique Number 310 – 12 February 1945
Allied forces have occupied Millingen, on the Dutch-German border east of Nijmegen, and Keeken across the border south of Millingen. Our advance continues despite difficult ground conditions and stiffening resistance. Fighting continues in the devastated town of Kleve. We have made further progress in the Reichswald Forest and have taken the towns of Middelaar, Ottersum and Ven-Zelderheide to the south. Enemy troop concentration northeast of the Reichswald Forest, and focal points for communications at Kevelaer and Sonsbeck north of Geldern were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers.
Our forces have cleared the enemy from the area north and west of the Roer River between the Schwammenauel Dam and Heimbach. West and southwest of Prüm, we have captured Steinmehlen and Weinsfeld and have pushed to the Prüm River in several places from three fourths of a mile to two miles southwest of Prüm. Farther south, our units have cleared the enemy from Biesdorf, one mile northeast of Wallendorf, and have advanced in the area north of Echternach to reach the outskirts of Ferschweiler. Our forces in the Sinz area, southeast of Remich, have repulsed two counterattacks by infantry and tanks.
Southeast of Haguenau a tank supported enemy counterattack was repulsed in Oberhöfen after it had made initial gains. In stiff fighting our forces regained the lost ground and took 150 prisoners including a battalion commander. Hard fighting also continued in the vicinity of nearby Drusenheim. South of Strasbourg, enemy raids from east of the Rhine were repulsed. Northeast of Mulhouse, harassing enemy artillery fire was received in the Chalampe Bantzenheim area. Transportation targets in northwest Germany were hit by fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. Many locomotives and rail cars were destroyed or damaged and barges, tugs and road vehicles were shot up. Medium and light bombers struck at railway yards at Mödrath and Kierberg near Köln, and at Bingen.
Bridges, rolling stock and railway lines mainly west of the Rhine in the areas of Köln, Bonn and Koblenz, and rail traffic in the upper Rhine region northwest and southwest of Mannheim, and at Heilbronn, were the principal targets for other fighter bombers. In Holland, fighter bombers struck at rail supply routes, German units moving in the Rotterdam area and an airfield and barracks at Steenwijk, north of Zwolle. Escorted heavy bombers attacked a motor fuel depot at Dülmen southwest of Münster. One enemy aircraft was destroyed during the day. Eight of our fighters are missing.
Communique Number 311 – 13 February 1945
Allied forces have reached the line of the railway running north from Kleve to the Rhine. Kleve has been cleared except for a few snipers, and to the south of the town, our forces have reached Hau. Further progress has been made through the Reichswald Forest and to the southwest we have occupied Hekkens and Gennep. East of the Belgian-German border the town Prüm has been virtually cleared. Some enemy mortar, artillery and small arms fire is being received in the town. Watzerath, three miles southwest of Prüm, has been captured. Our units have gained one-half mile to a point two miles southeast of Habscheid. Other elements pushed to an area four and one-half miles southwest of Prüm near the prum Prüm River.
Farther southwest, Harspelt has been taken, and we are fighting in Sevenig, four miles east of Weiswampach. Farther south, our forces have entered Vianden where fighting continues. Bollendorf has been cleared and our units are one-fourth mile west of Ferschweiler. Other elements have reached the vicinity of Ernzen, two miles north of Echternach. The enemy forced his way into the factory area of Oberhöfen, near the Rhine River in northern Alsace. Additional small enemy units which infiltrated other parts of the town were dispersed. Hard fighting has been in progress in Oberhöfen for ten days. An explosion damaged the superstructure of the Markt Dam across the east channel of the Rhine near the Swiss border. The river flow was not affected. Allied forces in the west captured 2536 prisoners on February 9. Bad weather yesterday restricted air operations. Stuttgart and targets in western Germany were attacked last night by a force of light bombers.
Communique Number 312 – 14 February 1945
Allied forces east of Nijmegen have occupied Griethausen south of the Rhine River. We have also made progress to the east of Kleve and have cleared most of the Reichswald Forest despite stronger enemy resistance. East of Gennep, our troops have extended their bridgehead across the Niers River. Enemy positions east of the Reichswald Forest and troops concentrations at Kapellen and Sonsbeck to the southeast, were repeatedly attacked by rocket-firing fighters and fighter bombers. Local communications points at Weeze, Uedem, Kevelaer and Xanten were struck at by medium and light bombers. We have cleared the enemy from Prüm, and have repulsed two counterattacks by infantry and tanks, one and one-half miles northeast of the town.
Farther to the south, our forces have taken Vianden, on the Our River. Our infantry east of the river has captured Ammeldingen, two miles northwest of Wallendorf, against stiff resistance. North of echternach, we have taken Ferschweiler and have reached a point one-fourth miles west of Ernzen. Across the Sauer River from Echternach the town of Echternacherbrück has been captured, and we have captured a number of pillboxes in the vicinity of the town. Our bridgehead across the Sauer and the Our Rivers is now ten and one-half miles wide and two and one-fourth miles deep. Fighter bombers attacked targets in the battle area east of Vianden and north of Echternach.
Enemy activity increased somewhat in the Hardt Mountains and northern Alsace Plain. The enemy was particularly active north of Pfaffenhofen where our patrols encountered heavy small arms fire at Oberhöfen, southeast of Haguenau, the factory area which German forces penetrated was cleared. Harassing enemy artillery fire was received at several points on the upper Rhine. The enemy’s rail system for the supply and reinforcement of his forces was strongly attacked throughout the day.
Northeast and east of the Ruhr, fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters disabled or damaged a large number of locomotives and hit other rail and road transport. Rail yards and other communications targets mainly west of the Rhine from Düsseldorf to Köln, and rail traffic concentrations at Neuenkirchen, Zweibrücken and Grünstadt, and from Karlsruhe south to the German-Swiss frontier were hit by formations of fighter bombers. Other fighter bombers struck at rail transport and supply routes in Holland. Medium, light and fighter bombers attacked motor vehicle depots at Schwelm and Iserlohn in the Ruhr, railway bridges at Euskirchen, Sinzig, Neuwied-Irlich, and southwest of Neuss, and targets at Wittlich, northeast of Trier, and Bad Sobernheim, north of Kaiserslautern. Last night, heavy bombers in very great strength attacked Dresden and the synthetic oil plant at Böhlen, south of Leipzig. Magdeburg was also bombed. Light bombers continued attacks on rail and road communications north and west of the Ruhr.
Communique Number 313 – 15 February 1945
Allied forces northeast of Kleve, continued to advance despite flooding in the area. Our units have cleared the Reichswald Forest and have repulsed counterattacks to the south of Bedburg. South of Gennep, we made further progress against strong resistance. Troop concentration, transport, gun positions and strong points in the Reichswald Forest area, and at Kevelaer, Geldern, Xanten and east of Wesel were heavily attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers. A strong patrol was dispersed by allied artillery in the vicinity of Hellenthal, southwest of Schleiden. in the northern part of Prüm, our forces repulsed a counterattack made by enemy units which crossed the river from the east.
In the Echternach sector we have reached the area two and one-half miles north of Bollendorf. Other elements pushed northeast of Herschweiler to a point one-half mile from the Prüm River. Ernzen, north of Echternach, has been cleared of the enemy after stiff fighting, and our units are three-fourths of a mile northeast of the town. Southeast of Remich, we continued to make gains in the area northwest of Sinz. The sector west of the Hardt Mountains and in the northern Alsace Plain was quiet. Oberhöfen has been cleared. The estimate of prisoners taken in clearing the Colmar area has increased to approximately 20.000. Allied forces in the west captured 5087 prisoners on February 10, 11, and 12. Throughout yesterday communications and rail and road transport
Behind the enemy front in western Germany from Emmerich in the north to Freiburg in the south, eastward into Germany and along the Rhine River Valley, were struck at by medium, light and fighter bombers in very great strength. A large number of locomotives, railway cars and motor vehicles were destroyed, rail lines were cut in very many places and several bridges were bombed. Trains and transport targets at Dresden, Chemnitz and Magdeburg and a road bridge across the Rhine at Wesel were attacked by 1350 escorted heavy bombers. Locomotives, railway cars and rail lines over a wide area of Germany were strafed by the escorting fighters. Supply dumps, troop barracks and a railway yard at Labach, near Saarbrücken, and a factory near Karlsruhe were attacked by medium bombers. Last night, heavy bombers were out in very great strength. Chemnitz, the main objective, was attacked twice and another strong force attacked the synthetic oil plant at Rositz, south of Leipzig. Berlin also was bombed. Enemy movements in northwest Germany were attacked by light bombers.
Communique Number 314 – 16 February 1945
Allied forces have captured Warbeyen, northeast of Kleve, and advanced beyond it toward the Rhine. South of the Reichswald Forest we have extended our bridgehead across the Niers River and captured Kessel and Hommersum, despite stiffening enemy resistance. Fortified towns in the Prüm sector were attacked by our fighter bombers. In the area northwest of Echternach, our ground units gained one-half mile northward against strong resistance to reach high ground one mile southeast of Cruchten. A quarter-mile gain was made to the area one and a half miles north of Ferschweiler and one mile west of the Prüm River. Our units just north of Echternach continue to clear enemy pillboxes.
In the area southeast of Remich, we gained three-fourths of a mile against small arms and mortar fire to reach a point one mile southeast of Sinz. A number of pillboxes were cleared in this operation. In northern Alsace, west of Haguenau, an enemy raid across the Moder River following an artillery concentration was repulsed. Strasbourg and Saverne underwent hostile shelling. Allied forces in the west captured 1499 prisoners on February 13. Rail bridges at Sinzig, Mayen and Bremm, rail traffic and other communications targets west of the Rhine from Köln to the southwest of Koblenz were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers.
North of the Alsace and east of the upper Rhine, other medium and fighter bombers in strength attacked six railway yards, including those at Offenburg, which were hit twice during the day. Other targets were road transport, armored vehicles, supply dumps and barracks. Transportation targets in Dresden and Cottbus and a synthetic oil refinery near Magdeburg were attacked by more than 1100 escorted heavy bombers. Rail transport was strafed by some of the escorting fighters. In other areas bad weather restricted air operations. During the day six enemy aircraft were shot down and five others were destroyed on the ground. Fifteen of our heavy bombers, one medium bomber and nine fighters are missing.
Communique Number 315 – 17 February 1945
Allied forces have captured Huisberden east of Kleve. Farther south, heavy fighting continues along the Kleve-Kalkar road, and to the east of the Kleve Forest. Several enemy counterattacks, with strong artillery support, were beaten off. Our bridgeheads over the Niers River have been extended. In the Nijmegen sector communications centers and supply centers at Rees, Wees, Uedem and Wese were attacked by medium, light and a strong force of escorted heavy bombers while rocket-firing fighters and fighter bombers went in immediately ahead of our advancing ground forces to attack blockhouses, earthworks, gun positions and fortified buildings south and southeast of the Reichswald Forest.
Our ground units repulsed an attempt by the enemy to retake the bridge over the Prüm River at Hermespand, northeast of Prüm. North of Echternach, our forces gained one-fourth mile to occupy high ground overlooking the Enz and the Prüm Rivers. Northeast of Echternach, our units astride the Echternach-Irrel road cleared some enemy pillboxes and pushed to a point one-half miles from Irrel. East of Echternach, we gained one-half mile against strong resistance along the Sauer River, and other elements reached a point one-half mile northwest of Minden. Fortified localities in the areas of Prüm, Bitburg and Saarburg were attacked by fighter bombers. Our patrols entered Wasserbillig, at the junction of the Sauer and Moselle Rivers, but were forced to withdraw under enemy pressure.
In the Sinz area, southeast of Remich, enemy infantry and tanks made two counterattacks against our forces and retook several pillboxes. Allied forces in the west captured 1258 prisoners on February 14. Troops barracks and supply areas in the northeastern outskirts of Landau were hit by medium bombers. Fighter bombers attacked fortified buildings northwest of Haguenau. More than 1000 escorted heavy bombers attacked railway yards at Rheine, Osnabrück and Hamm, oil refineries at Salzbergen and near Dortmund and Benzol plants near Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen. Medium, light and fighter bombers, in strength, struck at communications, railway yards and rail and road transport north and east of the Ruhr and along the Rhine Valley from Emmerich in the north to Offenburg in the south. Rail lines were cut in many places and a large number of locomotives, railway cars and motor vehicles were destroyed. An aircraft factory at Solingen, and an ordnance factory at Unna were attacked by a strong force of medium and light bombers and a chemical plant at Leverkusen was hit by fighter bombers.
Communique Number 316 – 18 February 1945
Southeast of Kleve, the allied advance has made good progress against stiff opposition. After capturing Louisendorf, our units cut the main road between Kalkar and Goch, bastion town in the Siegfried Line defense belt. We are converging on Goch from the north and northwest, having taken Hervorst and Asperden. Our bridgehead over the Niers River has been further extended, and after clearing the enemy from numerous concrete strongpoints, we captured Hassum and Afferden. Our forces repulsed a counterattack in the Hermespand area, northeast of Prüm, and our artillery fire broke up a concentration of tanks, vehicles and infantry one mile farther northeast.
Northwest of Echternach, we have entered Rohrbach and Schankweiler, and other elements have reached the high ground northwest of Schankweiler. The bridgehead across the Sauer River at this point is now three and one-half miles in depth. Along the Echternach-Irrel road, we have made a half-mile gain and have occupied the high ground, two and one-fourth miles northeast of Echternach, overlooking the Prüm River. During this push, our units captured a number of pillboxes against heavy machine gun and mortar fire. Two enemy attacks were repulsed in the Sarreguemines area, one south of Forbach and another in the vicinity of Rimlingen. One of them was made by armored forces, the other by infantry in battalion strength. Our forces, aided by accurate artillery fire, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.
Allied forces in the west captured 1090 prisoners on February 15. Weather severely restricted air operations in many areas yesterday. Railroad yards at Frankfurt am Main and Giessen were attacked by heavy bombers. Fighters which provided the escort, and fighter bombers, struck at transportation targets in the region of Frankfurt and Limburg, and in the Munchen and Ulm areas. A railway bridge at Mayen spanning the Nette River was attacked by medium bombers. An enemy troop train near Bitburg, northeast of Echternach was hit by fighter bombers. From these operations two heavy bombers and two fighters are missing.
Communique Number 317 – 19 February 1945
Between the Rhine and the Meuse, allied forces are advancing against stronger enemy opposition. Fierce fighting continues in the outskirts of Moyland, and to the north of Goch, where our troops cleared the Kleve Forest and advanced to a point one mile from the town. Heavy fighting continues in the Afferden area. Communications at Wesel were heavily attacked by heavy bombers. There was some patrol activity by the enemy in the vicinity of Gemünd and east of Hellenthal and allied forces contained a small-scale counterattack by enemy infantry in the area of Udenbreth.
Southwest of Prüm, our elements reached high ground overlooking the Prüm River, four and one-half miles from Prüm. Southeast of Grosskampenberg, our forces cleared Kesfeld, and in the area southwest of Kesfeld, we gained 1000 yards. Other elements crossed the Our River and pushed one-half mile to the high ground three miles north of Vianden. Northwest of Echternach, our elements captured Cruchten, and Rohrbach, and entered Hommerdingen. Farther east, we captured Schankweiler and reached a point one mile north of the town. Other elements pushed one-half mile to the high ground overlooking the Prüm River one mile east of Schankweiler.
Northeast of Echternach, we captured a number of pillboxes in the area between the Prüm and the Sauer Rivers. In the Saarlouis bridgehead, two small counterattacks by enemy infantry were repulsed. A rail bridge at Dottesfeld, north of Koblenz and the communications center at Daun, east of Prüm, were attacked by escorted medium bombers. In the Sarreguemines area, we repulsed two armor supported attacks. North of nearby Auersmacher, our units captured 94 prisoners from three enemy infantry companies which infiltrated a wooded section. Last night, light bombers attacked Mannheim and bombed objectives in Berlin.
Communique Number 318 – 20 February 1945
Between the Rhine and the Meuse Rivers, heavy fighting continues in the Moyland area where allied forces made slight advances toward Kalkar. Goch has been entered and most of the town has been cleared despite strong enemy opposition. The communications center of Wesel again was attacked by heavy bombers. Southwest of Prüm, our forces pushed more than a mile and captured the towns of Üttfeld and Masthorn. Farther west, other elements captured Leidenborn. Northwest of Echternach, we have cleared Nusbaum and Niedersgegen and have entered Stöckigt. North of Echternach, we have pushed to a point one and a fourth miles north of Schankweiler, and to the Prüm River overlooking Holsthum.
Northwest of Bollendorf, we have repulsed counterattacks. East of Echternach, our elements pushed to within a miles of Minden. Gains of up to one mile have been made by our units southeast of Remich in the vicinity of Munzingen. In this operation we took 207 prisoners and 14 pillboxes. Objectives from Prüm south to Saarburg, in the battle zone southeast of Saarbrücken, and in the Karlsruhe area, were attacked by fighter bombers. In the vicinity of Forbach, our forces have occupied Oetingen and Etzlingen. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. We are now on high ground overlooking Forbach. North of Sarreguemines, the enemy was driven from the German town of Auersmacher, where our units crossed the Sauer River.
Farther east, we have occupied Frauenberg and Foplersviller. Barracks and supply dumps at Lahr, southeast of Strasbourg, were hit by waves of escorted medium bombers. Twelve rail centers, including Rheine, Münster, Osnabrück, and Siegen, and industrial targets mainly in the Ruhr, were attacked by heavy bombers in very great strength. Rail and road traffic over an area of central Germany was heavily hit by many of the escorting fighters. A motor depot at Mechernich, southwest of Bonn, an ordnance depot at Wiesbaden, and rail bridges at Neuwied-Irlich and other areas east of the Rhine River, were attacked by medium and light bombers. Fighter bomber targets were rail yards east of Koblenz, north of Saarbrücken and in the region of the upper Rhine. During the day eight enemy aircraft were shot down. One of our heavy bombers, one medium bomber, and nine fighters are missing according to reports so far received. Last night, light bombers attacked targets at Erfurt in Saxony.
Communique Number 319 – 21 February 1945
Allied forces between the Rhine and the Meuse have beaten off infantry and armored counterattacks launched in the area west of Kalkar. Our units in Goch are mopping up the last remaining pockets of resistance in the southern part of the town. East of the Goch-Kalkar highway, we have captured the villages of Halvenboom and Buchholt. Approximately 10.000 prisoners have been taken since the attack in the northern sector began. Tanks and gun positions in the Düren area and fortified buildings at Buir, to the northeast, were attacked by fighter bombers which also struck at rail yards near Koblenz and in the region around Kaiserslautern. Our ground forces have entered Binscheid, about four miles east of the intersection of the Luxembourg-Belgian-German border, where they encountered fire from small arms and self-propelled guns, and resistance from pillboxes on high ground near the town.
To the southwest, our forces reached the Dasburg-Lützkampen road along a two mile stretch north of Dahnen. In the Vianden area, we entered Bivels to the north, and to the southeast we cleared Obersgegen and took Korperich. Our units have captured Stocken, about five miles to the east. Allied elements, after a surprise crossing of the Moselle River north of Remich, occupied Wincheringen, while other units captured Palzem, just north of Remich, and advanced to the vicinity of Rommelfangen, four and a half miles southwest of Saarburg. Farther to the southeast our troops have captured Weiten, and are clearing Freudensberg. Fierce fighting is in progress in Orscholz, two miles south of Weiten. Fighter bombers struck at the fortified towns of Taben-Rodt and Trassem. Our forces in the bridgehead at Saarlouis repulsed a small counterattack without loss of ground.
In the southern outskirts of Forbach, stiff fighting resulted when we surrounded an enemy strong point. South of Saarbrücken, our elements have occupied several towns including Alsting, Zinzing, Hessling and Grossblittersdorf. Farther east, Kleinblittersdorf, on the german bank of the Saar River, has been cleared. Supply dumps near Pirmasens and Landau, and a train loaded with vehicles near Eutingen as well as rail centers at Haslach, Hausach and Villingen were attacked by fighter bombers. During the day, strong forces of escorted heavy bombers attacked the rail center at Nürnberg. The escorting fighters shot down 14 enemy aircraft and strafed airfields and rail targets in southern Germany. They destroyed 39 enemy aircraft on the ground and destroyed or damaged large numbers of locomotives and rail cars. From all yesterday’s operations, 16 bombers and 24 fighters are missing. Last night very strong forces of heavy bombers attacked Dortmund, while light bombers attacked Berlin and road and railways in and to the west of the Ruhr.
Communique Number 320 – 22 February 1945
Between the Rhine and the Meuse, allied forces continue to make good progress. In the Moyland sector, the woods to the south of the town now have been cleared of the enemy. Our forces driving down from the north have reached the line of the Goch-Uedem railway at a point about two and a quarter miles west of Uedem. Goch now is clear of the enemy. Southeast of Hommersum we have made gains of up to two thousand yards. Strong points, gun and mortar positions in wooded country west of Kalkar and near Goch were attacked by rocket-firing fighters and fighter bombers which went in just ahead of our ground forces. The fortified village of Kalkar was subjected to repeated bombing and strafing attacks by other fighter bombers.
Behind the enemy line, communications targets in Weeze, Uedem, Labbeck, Sonsbeck, Geldern and Xanten were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers. In the area southwest of Prüm, our forces have captured the town of Huf and are fighting in Binscheid. Farther southwest, near the Luxembourg-German border, we have captured Dahnen and have entered Dasburg. In the Vianden area, our units have reached the German border one-half mile northest of the town. Just southeast of Vianden, we have taken Roth. In the Mettendorf area, east of Vianden, our forces have repulsed a heavy counterattack. Our units now overlook the Prüm River on a six mile stretch in the area north of Echternach.
In the Saar-Moselle triangle our forces have cleared Temmels, just northeast of Grevenmacher, and our armor has pushed beyon Onsdorf to a point three and one-half miles northwest of Saarburg, which has been entered by other armored elements. Our forces have reached the Saar River south of Saarburg, and have taken Hamm and Taben. The towns of Freudenburg and Orscholz also are in our hands after heavy fighting. Two counter-attacks were repulsed by our units in the Sarrelouis bridgehead area. Fortified towns in the Saarburg area, including Pellingen, Serrig, Taben, Greimerath and Krettnich were attacked by fighter bombers. Our forces are fighting from house to house in Forbach. The enemy is resisting stubbornly and has reinforced the defenders with local members of the Volkssturm.
The nearby village of Spicheren was cleared despite stiff opposition. An armor-supported enemy attack was repulsed in the St Arnual Forest, northeast of Forbach. In the northern Alsace Plain, our artillery dispersed a group of enemy armored vehicles. One thousand eight hundred prisoners have been taken in the past six days in the sector between Saarbrücken and the Rhine. Communications and rail and road transport in western Germany north and northeast of the Ruhr and between the Rhine and the Roer were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers. Targets included the rail bridge at Bad Oeynhausen and Vlotho, Herford and lage and several railway yards in the Düren area and elsewhere.
Locomotives, railway cars, and motor vehicles were destroyed and damaged and rail lines cut in many places. Farther south, medium and fighter bombers attacked railway yards at Zweibrücken, Kaiserslautern, Mannheim and Darmstadt and a rail bridge at Bad Münster. Communications at Freiburg and to the south were bombed by other fighter bombers. Rail and industrial targets at Nürnberg were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in very great strength. Targets included railway yards, locomotive repair shops, a tank factory and a large electrical equipment plant. Some of the escorting fighters strafed railway targets in southern Germany. South of Saarbrücken, fortified buildings were hit by other fighter bombers. Last night the railway center of Worms was heavily attacked by heavy bombers and another strong force bombed Duisburg. Berlin also was bombed twice during the night.
Communique Number 321 – 23 February 1945
Allied forces have entered Moyland, southeast of Kleve. Our troops astride the Goch-Uedem railway have maintained their positions against strong enemy reactions. Strong points, mortar and gun positions south of Kalkar and in the areas of Weeze, Kevelaer and Sonsbeck, and rail lines between Emmerich and Wesel were struck at by fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. An attempt by a large enemy patrol to cross the Roer River in the area east of Schmidt was broken up by our artillery. East of the intersection of the Belgian-Luxembourg-German border we have cleared Binscheid. We have captured Lichtenborn, two miles to the east, and northeast of the town we have made gains eastward to within three-quarters of a mile of the Prüm River.
To the south and southwest, Arzfeld, Irrhausen, Daleiden, and Dasburg have been taken. Forty more enemy pillboxes were knocked out by our forces in the area northeast of Dasburg. We have taken Vianden and thus cleared the enemy entirely from Luxembourg. In the area east of Vianden we have captured Geichlingen and Obergeckler where we met very stiff resistance from enemy forces which employed tanks. In the Mettendorf area, a small enemy counterattack was repulsed. Our elements have now cleared the enemy from the Saar-Moselle triangle, have taken the towns of Fellerich and Tawern and occupied the part of Saarburg west of the Saar River.
Our units have made two crossings of the Saar in the area south of Saarburg. Serrig on the east side of the river, has been entered, and house-to-house fighting is in progress. Our troops east of the river in the vicinity of Taben are encountering enemy small arms and mortar fire. Our troops made steady progress against stubborn resistance toward clearing Forbach. The two-thirds of the town is in our hands. In the vicinity of Stiring-Wendel, we cut the main Forbach-Saarbrücken highway. To the east, gains up to 1000 yards were made north of Spichern. Woods in the area were cleared and we took heights which give us observation of Saarbrücken.
An enemy railway gun, estimated to be firing from a distance of 25 miles shelled Saverne. The enemy’s communications system was under very heavy and widespread air attack throughout yesterday, during which some 8000 sorties were flown. Medium, light and fighter bombers struck at marshalling yards, rail junctions and other communications targets in northern Holland and from north to south over western Germany. Escorted heavy bombers attacked communications over a wide area of central Germany and in southern Germany, Austria and northern Italy. Targets included viaducts at Bielefeld and Altenbeken near Badeborn and Benzol plants at Schloven and Osterfeld in the Ruhr. Last night Berlin was bombed by light bombers. During the day, 39 enemy aircraft were shot down and 24 others were destroyed on the ground. Eight of our heavy bombers, five medium bombers, 21 light bombers and 40 fighters are missing according to reports so far received.
Communique Number 322 – 24 February 1945
Between the Rhine and the Meuse, allied forces have occupied Moyland while other units have made further progress south of the Goch-Uedem railway. We have resumed the offensive across the Roer River and have captured Rurich, Glimbach, Gevenich and Boslar in the Linnich area. Our elements have cleared Jülich except for the citadel and northern part of the town and have occupied Selgersdorf. North of Düren, we have cleared Huchem-Stammeln, and are fighting in Birkesdorf and Düren against increasing resistance. The attack was preceded by a heavy artillery preparation. River crossings were made in assault boats, storm boats, and by ferry. Opposition to the crossing was in the form of small arms and mortar fire.
Mersch and Stetternich, fortified towns at junctions on the main roads leading to the northeast and east of Jülich were attacked several times by fighter bombers. Many other targets west of the Rhine between Krefeld and Andernach were bombed by other fighter bombers. Our elements, in gains of a mile and one-half on a six-mile front southwest of Prüm, have captured Kopscheid, Lauperath, Hölzchen, Krautscheid, Heilbach and Ammeldingen. Enemy armored vehicles, principally in the area between Prüm and Bitburg, were attacked by fighter bombers. More than 170 vehicles were destroyed and many others were damaged. Armored elements have captured the town of Jucken, four miles east of Dasburg on the Luxembourg-German border and have pushed three-fourths of a mile beyond the town. Our armor also has made gains of up to two and one-half miles on a four-mile front, capturing the towns of Preischeid and Affler, in the area south of Dasburg.
We have reached the wooded area two and a half miles northeast of Vianden. Farther northeast, our units captured Obergeckler and Sinspelt. There is house-to-house fighting in Ockfen, on the east bank of the Saar River, north of Saarburg. In this area we have crossed the river, and an enemy counterattack by tanks and infantry has been repulsed. Serrig, on the east bank of the Saar River, south of Saarburg, has been cleared with the exception of four houses.
The communications center and industrial town of Essen and the Alma-Pluto benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen were attacked by escorted heavy bombers. West of the Rhine, bridges near Krefeld and Münchengladbach were targets for medium bombers. Road facilities in several towns ranging from Erkelenz and Grevenbroich in the north to Zülpich and Meckenheim in the south, were heavily bombed by medium and light bombers. Rail targets, principally on the Köln plain and along the Rhine Valley from Krefeld to Andernach, were successfully attacked by fighter bombers in great strength.
In the course of these attacks nearly 1500 rail cars as well as a number of locomotives, were destroyed and rail lines were cut in many places. Road transport in the same general area also was bombed and strafed. Our forces clearing Forbach made further progress in hard fighting. The remaining enemy troops have been pushed into the eastern section of the town. Four enemy attacks, two of which were supported by armor, were repulsed farther east. We have occupied Schönbach on the west bank of the Saar River.
On the east bank, three miles south of Saarbrücken, stiff fighting continued in the southern outskirts of Bübingen. Allied forces in the west captured 2700 prisoners on February 21. Bridges, locomotives, rail cars and other communications targets were attacked by fighter bombers in the Kaiserslautern area. Escorted heavy bombers in very great strength carried out widespread attacks on rail yards and other communications targets in south, central and southeast Germany, while many of the escorting fighters strafed transportation targets and airfields, destroying 14 enemy aircraft on the ground. Last night heavy bombers attacked the communications and industrial center of Pforzheim in the upper Rhineland. Light bombers attacked Berlin.
