From D-Day to V-Day
December 1944
December 31, 1944 - D-Day + 208
The 331st Infantry Regiment returned to the 83rd Infantry Division under the US First Army's VII Corps. Subsequently, together with units from the 75th Infantry Division's 290th Infantry Regiment, it took over the operational zone of the 3rd Armored Division.
more informationDecember 30, 1944 - D-Day + 207
The 7th Armored Division, part of the US First Army's XVIII Airborne Corps, released the 424th Infantry Regiment, which returned to its parent 106th Infantry Division.
more informationDecember 29, 1944 - D-Day + 206
Till now under the British Second Army's 2nd Armoured Division, the operational zone on the western flank of the VII Corps started to be taken over by units from the British XXX Corps.
more informationDecember 28, 1944 - D-Day + 205
General Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe, and Field Marshall Montgomery held a meeting in Hasselt to discuss plans for the next offensive.
more informationDecember 27, 1944 - D-Day + 204
Yesterday's major news was that a corridor had been formed in the defense perimeter around the Belgian town of Bastogne.
more informationDecember 26, 1944 - D-Day + 203
After ten days of bitter fighting in the Ardennes, the German tank divisions were finally halted. The arrival of General Patton's tanks also signified a turnaround in the war at Bastogne.
more informationDecember 25, 1944 - D-Day + 202
The British Second Army's XXX Corps gathered its forces along the western bank of the Meuse River from Givet to Liège.
more informationDecember 24, 1944 - D-Day + 201
The British 29th Armoured Brigade from the British Second Army's XXX Corps engaged enemy with front attack points between Dinant and Ciney.
more informationDecember 23, 1944 - D-Day + 200
During the day, the 83rd Infantry Division from the Ninth Army's XIX Corps attacked and advanced to the edge of Winden.
more informationDecember 22, 1944 - D-Day + 199
In the Ardennes there was intense fighting along a broad front. A number of American units got involved in the battle, attempting to halt the flood of German Panthers supported by a large number of self-propelled cannons and even the feared King Tigers.
more informationDecember 21, 1944 - D-Day + 198
For the sixth day now, a ruthless battle has been underway in the Ardennes mountain range of Belgium between Allied units and SS troops fighting together with capable Volksgrenadier divisions.
more informationDecember 20, 1944 - D-Day + 197
Field Marshall Montgomery, the commander of the 21st Army Group, took command of the US forces under the Ninth and First Armies on the northern flank of the German breakthrough.
more informationDecember 19, 1944 - D-Day + 196
At a meeting of Allied commanders in Verdun, the decision was made to halt the offensive that aimed to reach the Rhine River and focus on reducing the German breakthrough in the Ardennes.
more informationDecember 18, 1944 - D-Day + 195
The British Second Army's VIII Corps advanced southwards towards the Meeuewen – Maeseyck line.
more informationDecember 17, 1944 - D-Day + 194
Two divisions from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) reserves were immediately sent out to the Ardennes to support the armies that were facing a determined German attack.
more informationDecember 16, 1944 - D-Day + 193
Throughout the day, the British Second Army’s XXX Corps continued to gather its forces in the Nijmegen area, where it was preparing to advance towards Krefeld. The attack was planned for January 12, 1945.
more informationDecember 15, 1944 - D-Day + 192
The 78th Infantry Division from the US First Army’s V Corps occupied Kesternich, but several enemy units slipped back into the village. As a result, part of the American division found itself surrounded.
more informationDecember 14, 1944 - D-Day + 191
Units from the 30th Infantry Division under the US Ninth Army’s XIX Corps finished mopping up the area between the Inde and Rur Rivers.
more informationDecember 13, 1944 - D-Day + 190
The British Second Army started to regroup its units for an offensive that aimed to mop up the area between the Meuse and Rhine Rivers.
more informationDecember 12, 1944 - D-Day + 189
The 104th Infantry Division from the US First Army’s VII Corps launched an attack with two V-shaped attack formations at the same time, conquering Pier and forcing the enemy to retreat behind the Rur River.
more informationDecember 11, 1944 - D-Day + 188
In the sector under the US First Army’s VII Corps, the enemy continued to successfully defend the towns of Pier and Schophoven – but progress was at least made by units from the 104th Infantry Division’s 415th Infantry Regiment, taking the northern Düren suburb of Merken.
more informationDecember 10, 1944 - D-Day + 187
Units from the 3rd Armored Division’s 104th, 9th and 83rd Infantry Divisions under the US First Army’s VII Corps launched a coordinated attack aimed at mopping up the western bank of the Rur River and the city of Düren.
more informationDecember 9, 1944 - D-Day + 186
On December 9, 1944, the 75th Infantry Division was assigned to the US Ninth Army and, two days later, was reassigned to the XVI Corps. The XIX Corps’ 30th Infantry Division received an order to secure its area between the Inde and Rur Rivers.
more informationDecember 8, 1944 - D-Day + 185
With assistance from self-propelled guns and under cover of a smoke screen, the 115th Infantry Regiment from the XIX Corps’ 29th Infantry Division cut back the enemy footholds in Hasenfeld Gut and at the sports complex near Jülich.
more informationDecember 7, 1944 - D-Day + 184
Col Sidney V. Bingham, commander of the 29th Infantry Division’s 116th Infantry Regiment under the Ninth Army’s XIX Corps, reported to division command that it was impossible to continue the effort to conquer footholds in Jülich.
more informationDecember 6, 1944 - D-Day + 183
In the operational zone of the US First Army’s V Corps, the enemy carried out a strong counterattack against Bergstein. With great deal of effort, in the end the enemy was deflected.
more informationDecember 5, 1944 - D-Day + 182
The enemy launched a determined counterattack against the positions of the 104th Infantry Division under the US First Army’s VII Corps in Luchenberg, but the American troops deflected the attack.
more informationDecember 4, 1944 - D-Day + 181
Except the towns of Wurm and Muellendorf, Units from the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps mopped up its operational sector located west of the Rur River. The Corps’ next offensive was put off until December 18, 1944.
more informationDecember 3, 1944 - D-Day + 180
Units from the British Second Army finished mopping up operations the western bank of the Meuse River in the course of the day, while the British XII Corps occupied Blerick.
more informationDecember 2, 1944 - D-Day + 179
In the sector of the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps, the Germans broke the Lower Rhine dam near Arnhem, thus flooding the entire southwest sector. The Corps was later forced to withdraw from the bridgehead on the Waal River all the way back to the railroad leading to Elst.
more informationDecember 1, 1944 - D-Day + 178
It was now December of 1944. Six months earlier, the Allies landed on the coast of Normandy, France, and started their advance into the French interior. In August of 1944 they attacked from the south and started to grip the German occupants of France in a huge vice.
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