Communique Number 323 – 25 February 1945
Allied forces south of the Reichswald Forest, have made limited advances toward Weeze against strong enemy resistance. Strong points, gun and mortar positions and troop concentrations in wooded country in the areas of Kalkar, Uedem and Goch were attacked by rocket-firing fighters while medium and light bombers bombed targets at Rhede, Rheinberg and Geldern. Artillery posistions near Venlo were atacked with fragmentation bombs and rockets. Our units have extended their bridgeheads across the Roer River, encountering moderate opposition from the enemy who launched several infantry and tank counterattacks, all of which were repulsed.
Northeast of Linnich, we have occupied several villages including Baal and Hompesch. Jülich has been completely cleared and our units have progressed eastward to the outskirts of Stetterkirch. In the area north of Düren, our units have cleared Oberzier and Birkesdorf and are fighting in Arnoldsweiler. Half of Düren is in our hands, and the enemy is resisting in the remaining portion from scattered strong points in houses and other buildings. Fighting is in progress in Wiederau two miles south of Düren. Fortified buildings in many towns between the Rhine and the Roer and particularly in the triangle formed by Münchengladbach, Euskirchen and Köln were struck by fighter bombers.
We have captured Waxweiler, Oberperscheid, Ringhuscheid and Neuerburg, southwest of Prüm. Our units driving from the northwest, have met our elements advancing from the south in the vicinity of Obergeckler. South of Neuerburg, we have taken Sinspelt. Our armored elements driving to the northeast beyond the town have encountered road blocks and mines. Strong points and enemy armor in the Prüm, Waxweiler and Bitburg areas were attacked by fighter bombers. In the lower Saar Valley, our units have captured Ockfen, two miles southeast of Saarburg on the east side of the river. Serrig is now completely in our hands, and we have taken high ground two and one-half miles east of the town.
Railway yards, communication centers and rail and road transport north and northeast of the Ruhr and between the Rhine and the Roer Rivers were attacked by medium, light and fighter bombers. Among the targets were the communications centers of Viersen, Rheindahlen, Blatzheim, Zülpich and Vlatten. A large number of locomotives, railway cars and motor vehicles were destroyed and railway lines were cut in many places.
Fighting continued in Forbach with resistance still stubborn in the western section of the town. Enemy artillery and mortar fire increased considerably in the area. Three counterattacks were repulsed on the high ground south of Saarbrücken with heavy losses to the enemy. Bübingen, on the east bank of the Saar River, was cleared. Farther east, the town of Bliesransbach was captured. Allied forces in the west captured 2330 prisoners on February 22.
The aerial offensive against the enemy’s communications also was continued elsewhere yesterday with heavy and widespread attacks by heavy, medium, and fighter bombers. Railway bridges at Neuweid and Mayen were attacked by medium bombers while railway communications and transport in the areas of Neustadt, Homburg, Freiburg and to the south were struck at by medium and fighter bombers. Railway yards at Bielefeld and rail targets elsewhere in northwestern Germany; oil refineries at Misburg, Hamburg and Harburg; a synthetic oil plant at Kamen and submarine building yards at Hamburg and Bremen were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in very great strength. Some of the escorting fighters flew low to strafe rail, road and canal transport. An oil refiniery northeast of Hanover was hit by fighter bombers which set fire to many storage tanks and three oil trains. Communications and rail, road and water transport in northern Holland were struck at by fighter bombers. Berlin was attacked by light bombers last night.
Communique Number 324 – 26 February 1945
Allied forces are now across the Roer River on a wide front and have continued to make good progress against moderate enemy resistance. North and northeast of Linich we have occupied Doveren, Lövenich and Ralshoven, and east of Jülich our units have cleared the Hambach Forest and have captured Steinstrass. In the Düren area, the towns of Ellen, Merzenich, Binsfeld, Stockheim and Kreuzau have been captured. We repulsed a tank-supported counterattack near Ellen. The castle of Rath, between Ellen and Merzenich was captured and more than 250 prisoners were taken from the castle.
Northeast and east of Vianden we have taken Scheuern, Weidingen, Fischbach-Oberraden, Utscheid, Brimingen and Mettendorf. Our forces have crossed the Prüm River in the area seven miles north of Echternach, and have pushed two miles northeast of the crossing point. The towns of Wettlingen and Holsthum have been captured and we are fighting in Peffingen. In the Saarburg area, our units have extended their bridgehead to a width of four miles and a depth of two miles. Two counterattacks in this area have been repulsed. We have cut the main highway out of Saarburg at a point three and one-half miles east of the town.
In the Saarbrücken area, our elements on the east side of the Saar River in Germany cleared the remaining enemy from the hinterwald, just east of Bübingen, after three enemy counterattacks were repulsed. North of nearby Bliesransbach we wiped out a forty-man enemy patrol. At Strasbourg two attempted enemy raids on the Fort of Commerce were turned back. Farther south a group of prisoners were taken from a hostile force which crossed the Rhine at Marckolsheim. Allied forces in the west captured 3149 prisoners on February 23.
Medium and light bombers attacked the comunications centers of Uedem and Xanten. At Weeze, a formation of enemy tanks was successfully attacked and dispersed by rocket-firing fighters which also hit enemy troops and fortified buildings in the Uedem area. Other medium and light bombers struck at targets at Wegberg, north of Erkelenz and just east of Düren. Enemy rail communications were again heavily attacked. Rail lines and rolling stock in Holland, eastward to north central Germany, and as far south as Pforzheim in the upper Rhineland were hit by fighters and fighter bombers. Communications centers in the region of Köln and rail bridges at Ahrweiler, south of Bonn and east of the Rhine at Cölbe and Niederscheid were attacked by medium and light bombers.
Escorted heavy bombers in very great strength struck at rail yards at München, Aschaffenburg and Ulm. Other targets for heavy bombers were tank plants at Friedrichshafen and Aschaffenburg, air bases west of Nürnberg, and an oil storage depot at Neuburg. The synthetic oil plant at Kamen, near Dortmund, was attacked by other escorted heavy bombers for the second consecutive day. A large ammunition dump at Siegelbach, southeast of Heidelberg, and barracks and supply dumps at Donaueschingen were struck at by medium bombers. During the day, 39 enemy aircraft were shot down and 20 others were destroyed on the ground. From incomplete reports, three medium and light bombers and 28 fighters are missing.
Last night, light bomber attacked the important communications center of Erfurt and bombed targets at Berlin. Other light bombers struck at rail targets in Holland and north of the Ruhr and objectives west of the Rhine from Emmerich to Köln.
Communique Number 325 – 27 February 1945
Allied infantry, supported by tanks advanced against strong opposition to Keppeln, southwest of Kalkar, where heavy fighting continues. Enemy gun positions west of Xanten were attacked by medium bombers. East of the Roer, our troops have made further good progress. In the area north of Linnich, we have captured Golkrath, Granterath and Kückhoven. Northeast of Jülich, we have occupied Ameln and Oberembt, and to the east, most of the Hambach Forest is in our hands. In the Jülich-Düren area we have reached the outskirts of Elsdorf, and have entered Blatzheim, Eschweiler and Frauwüllesheim. A number of towns were captured including Buir, Golzheim, Rommersheim, Drove and Boich. Düren has been completely cleared of the enemy.
Resistance in the area was centered mainly in the towns. Armored elements have crossed the Nims River in the vicinity of Bitburg. In this area we have captured Liessem, Oberweis, Bettingen and Messerich, and have entered Wolsfeld. A strong enemy counterattack was repulsed six miles southwest of Bitburg. Northeast of Saarburg, our armored units have cleared Schoden, and we have reached a point five and one-half miles east of Saarburg. We repulsed a strong tank-supported counterattack five miles east of Saarburg. North of Forbach, our forces repulsed two attacks near Stiring-Wendel. Enemy patrols were turned back in the northern Alsace Plain and farther south along the west bank of the Rhine.
Allied forces in the west captured 3500 prisoners on February 24. Three Berlin rail stations, their sidings and traffic handling facilities, were attacked yesterday by more than 1200 heavy bombers, escorted by more than 700 fighters. The targets were the Schlesischer station, which has freight car repair shops and extensive sidings and storage depots; the Berlin north station, a large freight terminal with important facilities; and the Alexander Platz, which serves several lines. More than 3000 tons of bombs were dropped. Some of the escorting fighters strafed ground targets, destroyed two enemy aircraft on the ground and shot up locomotives and trucks.
The Hoesch-Benzin synthetic oil plant at Dortmund was attacked by other escorted heavy bombers. Medium and light bombers struck at junctions of rail and road lines in the Düsseldorf area and south of Euskirchen. Rail lines and other rail targets in the Kaiserslautern and Mannheim areas, a troop train near Würzburg, and a barracks at Rumbach were attacked by fighter bombers, which also struck at an airfield at Rohrdorf, west of Rotterburg, rail yards near Freudenstadt, and objectives in Freiburg. From yesterday’s operations, 16 heavy bombers and 8 fighters are missing. Last night light bombers attacked Berlin and Nürnberg.
Communique Number 326 – 28 February 1945
Allied forces have captured Uedem and have advanced to the western edge of the Hochwald where heavy opposition has been met. Weather limited our air operations in the battle zones yesterday, however targets at Marienbaum and Sonsbeck were bombed in the morning and again in the afternoon by medium and light bombers. Fighter bombers hit targets at Winnekendonk. East of the Roer River we have made good progress. Our units have cleared Erkelenz and advanced to Waldniel and Rheindahlen. Farther east, we have occupied Kuckum and Borschemich, east of Erkelenz and have entered Königshofen on the left bank of the Erft River.
Farther to the southeast, our armored units, after a six-mile advance, entered the town of Sindorf, ten miles west of Köln. Armored and infantry elements cleared the towns of Berrendorf, Wüllenrath and Heppendorf, in the area northwest of Sindorf, and fighting continues in Elsdorf and in the nearby towns of Giesendorf, Angelsdorf and Grouven. South of Sindorf, the towns of Bergerhausen and Blatzheim have been captured. Other elements, in the course of a two-mile push captured Niederbolheim and crossed the Neffel River north of the town. In the area east and southeast of Düren, the towns of Eschweiler, Frauwüllesheim and Jakobwüllesheim have been captured and we are fighting in Vettweiss following a 4000-yard gain. In the area east of Hürtgen, we have cleared Nideggen. We have crossed the Prenther River and cleared Dickersheid, six miles southwest of Schleiden, and are fighting in Giescheid.
The communications centers of Glessen, west of Köln, and Bad Munstereifel to the south were bombed by medium and light bombers while fighter bombers struck at fortified places ahead of our ground forces. North of Bitburg, armored elements have captured the towns of Nattenheim and Matzen and have cleared Fliessem. Infantry and armored elements have entered Bitburg. In the area south of Bitburg, the Bitburg-Trier road has been cut in three places and we have cleared the towns of Oberstedem, Esslingen, and Meckel. Other units have entered Irrel and Gilzem, and have cleared Neiderwies and Kaschenbach.
Targets in the Bitburg area were attacked by fighter bombers. Farther south we have entered Wasserbillig, near the junction of the Moselle and Saar Rivers. Our forces have extended the crossing of the Saar River to a depth of six miles. Beurig has been cleared and armored elements have captured Niederzerf, six and a half miles east of Saarburg. In Forbach, our units were harassed by increased enemy artillery and mortar fire. Activity slackened farther east and along the Rhine. Allied forces in the west captured well over 3000 prisoners February 26. The rail centers of Mainz, Leipzig and Halle were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in very great strength. Another force of escorted heavy bombers attacked a benzol plant near Gelsenkirchen.
Some of the escorting fighters on the Leipzig and Halle missions strafed enemy airfields and rail lines. A considerable number of enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground and locomotives and rail cars were shot up. Rail communication in the areas of Heilbronn, Stuttgart and Pforzheim were struck at by fighter bombers. Among the targets were railway yards at Kochendorf and Ernsbach. Farther south other fighter bombers bombed railway yards at Löffingen, Villiengen, Rottweil and Sigmaringen, and hit rail lines between the upper Rhine and Constance Lake. Berlin was attacked last night by light bombers.
