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From D-Day to V-Day

October 1944

October 9, 1944 - D-Day + 125

The First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps continued with mopping up operations in the Breskens Pocket. Amphibious assault forces from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landed on the eastern end of the pocket and built a bridgehead. Additional sections of the division expanded the area north of the Leopold Canal in the Maldegem zone. The 4th Canadian Armored Division increased its pressure on the enemy’s positions at the eastern end of the canal. The Germans continued in their fierce resistance at the dike near Zuid Beveland and held the area near Woensdrecht. In the course of the day, the British I Airborne Corps from the British Second Army was posted away from the Continent and back to Great Britain.

General Bradley deployed the command of the Ninth Army to the northern flank of the 12th Army Group, where it would take control over the US First Army’s XIX Corps and leave the US VIII Corps at its current position. The US First Army would be in command of the VIII Corps. This exchange would take place by the deadline of October 22, 1944. The 12th Army Group took command of the Ninth Army’s 94th Infantry Division and held it in reserve.

The 119th Infantry Regiment from the US XIX Corps’ 30th Infantry Division went through Bardenberg northwards to Wuerselen, while its sister 120th Infantry Regiment continued from Euchen a Beek, villages located along the highway to Bardenberg. The 30th Infantry Division’s 117th Infantry Regiment mopped up Schaufenberg and made an unsuccessful attempt to reach Mariadorf. In the end, it was forced to take up defense positions in the Alsdorf – Schaufenberg zone. At night, the enemy was able to penetrate into Bardenberg, occupy the highway and cut part of the 119th Infantry Regiment in the village off from the unit. A reserve formation from the 119th Infantry Regiment attempted to retake Bandenberg from the north, but their attack was halted in the village.

The US VII Corps’ 1st Infantry Division continued in attacks against Aachen. Working together with tanks, the 9th Infantry Division attacked in the attempt to break through from the Huertgen Forest. The 9th Infantry’s 60th Infantry Regiment got to the Richelskaul area, and two platoons from its sister regiment, the 39th, approached Wittscheid. The US V Corps’ planned attack on the Siegfried Line was delayed to October 11, 1944.

The US XX Corps from Patton’s US Third Army issued an order to interrupt the attack against Fort Driant. During the day, inconclusive battles fought by units of the 90th Infantry Division continued inside Maiziéres-lés-Metz. Combat Command A from the US XII Corps’ 6th Armored Division went through the positions of Combat Command B and launched an attack against the plateau west of Létricourt.

One part of Combat Command A mopped up the forests southwest of Létricourt, but the right flank came under heavy fire out of Chenicourt, making it impossible to conquer Létricourt. To reinforce the attack, vanguard units from Combat Command B were sent in. Troops from the 80th Infantry Division operating on the corps’ left flank advanced to nearly the same level as the armored units. In the course of the day, the corps’ advance to the Seille River was halted. The 80th Infantry Division gradually took over and reinforced positions occupied by armored units. The Germans held Létricourt and occasionally carried out unsuccessful counterattacks, but they were able to break into Fossiex, occupied by men from the 35th Infantry Division. For the remainder of the month and in the first days of November, the situation on the front settled down, making it possible to regroup and replace units on the front lines.

The 79th Infantry Division from the Seventh Army’s XV Corps worked hard to clear the rest of the Forét de Parroy of the enemy. In a parallel mission, it occupied the main intersection in the central part of the forest, making it impossible for the enemy to hold its positions. After dusk, the Germans withdrew from the forest.

The Algerian 3rd Infantry Division from the French First Army’s II Corps advanced to the Moselotte River and occupied Trougemont.

In the course of the previous day, Czechoslovak units took up positions on the perimeter near Dunkirk, and the Czechoslovaks were engaged in their first battles as early as on October 9. One of the toughest took place on the western section of the front, where the Germans attempted to take up positions in the factory Filature; in the end, they were successful. Unfortunately, the Brigade suffered its first losses - Private Bohumír Kubina was killed in a machine gun attack. Private Karel Spira from the 4th Platoon of the Motorised Reconnaissance Division also suffered serious injuries and died five days later. The unit also lost two light M5 Stuart tanks that served in the tank battalions’ reconnaissance platoons and in the Motorised Recon Division. The Filature factory was located south of the railroad line in the zone between Devos and Spycker. In mid-April of 1945, a bloody battle would be waged near here in which both adversaries would loose a large number of men. In the second to last month of the war in Europe, General Liška’s brigade suffered 124 casualties at Filature alone; 49 of these soldiers were killed.