Spearhead

Issue No. 181 — 2nd Infantry Division, Belgium — Monday, January 15, 1945

2 pages scanned

Issue 181 — still in the thick of the Bulge, four days later, with the attack now heading for St. Vith.

Names

• Burrier, Earl M. (Lt — while investigating military possibilities of a Belgian cellar and keeping an eye peeled for old vintage; felt a tap on his shoulder and heard muffled tones; exploded before turning around saying ‘You sound like a g_d Nazi!’; spinning on his heel found it was a Nazi pleading ‘Kamarad!’ with both hands stretched toward the dusty rafters; First-Hand News About the Second)
• Hodges (General — fresh assault on northern shoulder of the salient continued to make headway in bitter cold weather; Attack Heads for St. Vith article)
• Kongellusso, Joseph A. (Sgt — from 11 Federal St., Pittsburgh, Pa.; jubilantly told reporter about Daisy Mae the cow now giving 10 quarts blue ribbon butter-fat milk daily after being protected from Boche artillery; First-Hand News About the Second)
• Koniev (Marshal — drive in south Poland launched 4 days ago gained another 15 mi. on 40-mi. front; swept thru 200 places; 550 places captured; Soviets now barely 20 mi. from Krakow and 15 mi. SE of Kielce)
• Lohman, James V. (Sgt — infantryman; 325 L. John St., Bedford, Pa.; hearing a noise in front of his guard post early one morning; made out a form moving across moonlit landscape about 400 yards away; squeezed off six shots Cal. 30, M-1 in rapid succession; scored 6 hits despite poor light and long range; next day Company Mess Sergeant served sizzling venison steak for noon chow; First-Hand News About the Second)
• Malinowsky (Marshal — troops took important rail center of Lucenec and 30 other places; another strong push thru central Czechoslovakia coordinated with Koniev’s drive)
• Tolbukhin (Marshal — troops making steady progress clearing Budapest; no new German attempts to relieve their troops in Budapest; indicates abandoned hopes of clearing a path back into Budapest)
• Weissman (cartoonist — signed illustration on back page, together with J.M.)
• Winston (Lt Gen — Army Production Director; formerly with General Motors; reporting to House Military Affairs Committee; favors heavy fines and imprisonment for strikers over induction into Armed Forces; Back Home item)

Locations

• Aix, Belgium/Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Arlon, Belgium/Luxembourg — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Bastogne, Belgium — 101st AB Div. pressing hard for Houffalize and bent back further German flanks NE and NW of Bastogne; other 3rd Army units took Tettingen north of Merzig
• Belgium — publication location; 2nd Infantry Division operating in Belgium; cellar where Lt. Burrier found surrendering Nazi
• Bonn, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Budapest, Hungary — Marshal Tolbukhin’s troops making steady progress clearing Budapest; no new German attempts to relieve troops; Soviet pressure at Komarom, in Czechoslovakia, and in Poland may have taxed German capacity for counterattacks
• Catablán, Philippines — center of Luzon line driving inland nearing Catablan, 5 miles SE of Santa Barbara
• Cologne, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Czechoslovakia — Marshal Malinowsky’s troops in another strong push thru central Czechoslovakia; Koniev’s drive forming great network of roads and railroads fanning south into Czechoslovakia; Soviet pressure in Czechoslovakia taxing German counterattack capacity
• Dinant, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Duren, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Dusseldorf, Germany — RAF had 1,100 planes out attacking rail yards near Dusseldorf
• Elsenborn, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Eupen, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Formosa — raids on Formosa made by separate fleets of 100 B-29s yesterday
• Houffalize, Belgium — road between Houffalize and St. Vith cut 3 miles east of Houffalize; leading troops 7 miles from St. Vith; Houffalize closely threatened from 3 sides; 101st AB Div. pressing hard for Houffalize; 1st and 3rd Armies linking up 10 miles west
• Julick, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map (Julich)
• Kielce, Poland — Soviets 15 miles SE of Kielce on right flank of Koniev drive
• Koblenz, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Komarom, Hungary — Soviet pressure at Komarom (40 miles NW of Budapest) taxing German counterattack capacity
• Krakow, Poland — Soviets barely 20 miles from great city of Krakow; Krakow only 40 miles east of German border
• Leipa (Leipzig area), Germany — Halifaxes hit fuel depots near Munster; Halifaxes hit Leuna oil plant near Leipzig area
• Leuna, Germany — RAF made 2 separate attacks on Leuna oil plant near Leipzig
• Liege, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Lucenec, Czechoslovakia — Marshal Malinowsky’s troops took important rail center of Lucenec and 30 other places
• Luxembourg — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Luzon, Philippines — 6th Army troops across Agno River at least 2 miles beyond south bank; Luzon beachhead expanded 3 times former size; now 45 miles wide
• Malmedy, Belgium — best gains on 7-mile front between Stavelot and Malmedy clearing 3 villages
• Marche, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Merz, France — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Merzig, Germany — other 3rd Army units took Tettingen in Germany north of Merzig
• Munster, Germany — Halifaxes hit fuel depots near Munster
• Nagoya, Japan — raids on Nagoya, Japan’s 3rd largest city, made by separate fleets of 100 B-29s
• Namur, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Poland — Koniev’s drive in south Poland gained 15 miles; Moscow still not admitted the 3rd big attack which Germans report has broken loose in Prussia
• Prum, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Prussia — Germans report 3rd big attack has broken loose in Prussia; Moscow has not admitted it
• Rochefort, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Saar River, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Saarbrucken, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Saarlautern, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Santa Barbara, Philippines — center of Luzon line driving inland nearing Catablan, 5 miles SE of Santa Barbara; entered yesterday
• Sarreguemines, Germany/France — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Sedan, France — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Hubert, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Vith, Belgium — attack headed for St. Vith; road between Houffalize and St. Vith cut 3 miles east of Houffalize; leading troops 7 miles from St. Vith; best gains clearing 3 villages headed generally SE toward St. Vith
• Stavelot, Belgium — best gains on 7-mile front between Stavelot and Malmedy; shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Tettingen, Germany — 3rd Army units took Tettingen in Germany north of Merzig
• Trier, Germany — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Verdun, France — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Verviers, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Vianden, Luxembourg — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map
• Vielsalm, Belgium — shown on Belgium/Germany/France/Luxembourg map

Units

• 101st Airborne Division — together with undisclosed armored and infantry units pressing hard for Houffalize; bent back German flanks NE and NW of Bastogne
• 1st Army (U.S.) — General Hodges’ fresh assault on northern shoulder; linking up with 3rd Army 10 miles west of Houffalize
• 2nd Infantry Division (U.S.) — publishing unit; operating in Belgium during Battle of the Bulge
• 3rd Army (U.S.) — units linking up 10 miles west of Houffalize with 1st Army; took Tettingen north of Merzig; 101st AB Div. pressing hard for Houffalize
• 6th Army (U.S.) — troops across Agno River in Luzon at least 2 miles beyond south bank
• 7th Army (U.S.) — no new developments reported from France in 7th Army sector
• Air Transport Command, European Branch — celebrated 2nd anniversary of continuous expanding service; 12,000-mile routes; pilots flown 13,000,000 air miles; ferried 14,000 combat planes to ETO; flew back 14,000 wounded soldiers
• A.F. — 1,100 planes attacking rail yards near Dusseldorf; Halifaxes hit Leuna oil plant near Leipzig in 2 separate attacks and fuel depots near Munster