Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (October 21, 1944)
FROM
(A) SHAEF FORWARD
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
211100A October
TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR (Pass to WND)
TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(2) FIRST US ARMY GP
(3) ADV HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) FWD ECH (MAIN) 12 ARMY GP
(5) AEAF
(6) ANCXF
(7) EXFOR MAIN
(8) EXFOR REAR
(9) DEFENSOR, OTTAWA
(10) CANADIAN C/S, OTTAWA
(11) WAR OFFICE
(12) ADMIRALTY
(13) AIR MINISTRY
(14) ETOUSA
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM Z APO 871
(18) SHAEF MAIN
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 196
In an attack which began yesterday morning north of Antwerp, Allied forces advanced more than three miles to the area of Loenhout.
West of Kalmthout, we made good gains, and southeast of the village we advanced on both sides of the Antwerp–Roosendaal road. In the Scheldt pocket, more ground was taken south of Schoondijke, and the original bridgehead was merged with the main westward drive.
Fighters and fighter-bombers attacked fortifications in the Breskens area and continued their close support of our ground forces. Other attacks were carried out in the neighborhood of Bergen-op-Zoom, at Esschen, Giesbeek, Steeg and Maashees. The fighter-bombers also attacked transportation targets cutting rail lines and attacking trains and motor transport in Holland and western Germany, in the areas of Zwolle, Zutphen, Amersfoort, Neuss, Krefeld, Hamm and Lissendorf.
Medium bombers, none of which is missing, hit a railroad bridge at Moerdijk, 15 miles southeast of Rotterdam, and a road bridge at Geertruidenberg, ten miles further east. Most of Aachen is in our hands. our forces have fought their way through the main part of the city and are now encountering resistance in its outskirts. In France, fighting continues in Maizières-lès-Metz. Some 25 miles east of Nancy, our fighter-bombers successfully attacked the Dieuze Dam (Étang de Lindre). Other formations attacked enemy troop concentrations and rail supply lines along this sector. We have made gains east and north of Bruyères following the capture of that stubbornly defended strongpoint. Counterattacks were thrown back. In the Vosges foothills farther south, reinforced enemy units counterattacked in a vain attempt to halt our advance east of the Moselotte River bend area. The opposition is being cleared rapidly from forests in this sector. During the day, 18 enemy aircraft were shot down and two were destroyed on the ground. Eleven of our aircraft are missing.
COORDINATED WITH: G-2, G-3 to C/S
THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY MEANS
/s/
Precedence
“OP” - AGWAR
“P” - Others
ORIGINATING DIVISION
PRD, Communique Section
NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO.
D. R. JORDAN, Lt Col FA Ext. 9
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/
U.S. Navy Department (October 21, 1944)
CINCPAC Communiqué No. 162
Carrier aircraft of the Pacific Fleet on October 20 (West Longitude Date) continued to attack enemy aircraft and shipping targets in the Philippines. At Coron Bay, southwest of Mindoro Strait, a cargo ship, previously damaged, a small coastal cargo ship and a small escort vessel were sunk. Four enemy PT boats, three at Batangas Bay and one at Cebu Harbor, were also sunk. Several ammunition barges were destroyed in Masbate Harbor, while two medium cargo ships and two luggers were damaged. At Bulan, ground installations and a hangar near the airfield were bombed.
During the day, 13 enemy planes were shot down and 37 destroyed on the ground, some of which previously had been reported damaged. Our losses were three planes, one pilot and one aircrewman.
In the month‑long operations against the Philippines, Ryukyus and Formosa which commenced on September 21, and have continued until the present, the carrier aircraft employed have consisted of Hellcat fighters, Avenger torpedo planes and Helldiver dive bombers.
