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From D-Day to V-Day

January 1945

January 9, 1945 - D-Day + 217

The 84th Infantry Division from the US First Army’s VII Corps cleared the area around Consy of remaining enemy troops, occupied the dominant hills near Harz and fought in the forests south of the highway intersection located to the southeast of Manhay. In the meantime, the 2nd Armored Division continued to advance on Samré, which it conquered only after heavy artillery fire. The 83rd Infantry Division went through the positions of the 3rd Armored Division and spread out in the section from Bihain all the way to the point northeast of Petite Langlir. The division was unable to conquer Bihain itself, however. The XVII Corps’ 82nd Airborne Division finished moppint up its operational zones in the course of the day. In the 30th Infantry Division’s sector, the 106th Infantry Division’s 424th Infantry Regiment under Col Alexander D. Reid took up positions in the Wanne – Wanneranval area that had originally been held by the 28th Infantry Division’s 112th Infantry Regiment.

The VIII Corps’ 87th Infantry Division under Patton’s Third Army launched an attack in the sector near Tillet. Part of its units mopped up the Haies-de-Tillet forest. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment under Col Robert F. Sink from the 101st Airborne Division advanced on Noville together with tank columns from the 4th and the 10th Armored Divisions’ two B Combat Commands. At the same time, the 101st Airborne Division’s 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment under the command of Col Robert A. Ballard conquered the village of Recogne. During the day, the III Corps launched an attack that attempted to trap the enemy and destroy the “pocket” so the southeast of Bastogne, where the Germans were fiercely defending. The 99th Infantry Division went through the sector of the 26th Infantry Division towards the hills northeast of Bras, occupied Berle and the intersection on the highway from Berle to Winseler. The 26th Infantry Division conquered the hills to the northwest of Bavigne. Working together with the men from the 35th Infantry Division’s 134th Infantry Regiment, the 6th Armored Division advanced to the hills southeast of Marvie and launched a false attack in the direction of Wardin. At the same time, the 35th Infantry Division’s 137th Infantry Regment advanced on Villers-la-Bonne-Eau.

Assault battalions from the 100th Infantry Division under the US Seventh Army’s XV Corps conquered Hill No. 370 in the area south of Rimling. In the end, the division was forced to withdraw to Guising on its left flank, where it made contact with units from the 44th Infantry Division. The VI Corps made just little progress in its battle against the enemy salient near Bitche. Task Force Herren conquered Obermuhlthal. On the northeastern flank of the 79th Infantry Division, the Germans launched a strong tank and infantry attack against the positions of the 42nd Infantry Division’s 242nd Infantry Regiment under Col Norman C. Caum and Task Force Linden. The Germans conquered Hatten and advanced to Rittershoffen, but in the end a determined counterattack pushed them back out of part of Hatten. Combat Command B from the 12th Armored Division entered Herrlisheim, but units from the 79th Infantry Duvusuib renaubed behind in Drusenheim and to te southeast of Rohrweiler. Part of the 42nd Infantry Division’s 232nd Infantry Regiment under Col Alfred McNamee which was in positions along the canal east of Weyersheim was ordered to build up defenses of the village.

The German anti-aircraft defense of the French port of Dunkirk hit an Allied DC-3 Dakota, causing the two-engine aircraft to crash in the Bray Dunes Plage area. Just one day earlier, another Dakota had been shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire near Dunkirk.