Tuesday, 9 January 1945 — The Battle of the Bulge

Day twenty-five of Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein. The Allied pincers from north and south continued to compress the Bulge. German forces continued to fall back under pressure on multiple fronts following Hitler’s withdrawal order. In Alsace, a German tank-infantry attack overran Hatten and reached Rittershoffen before being partly driven back.

The Front Line — Tuesday, 9 January 1945

Traced from: U.S. 12th Army Group, Situation Maps, 1200 hrs daily, 16 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, G5701.S5 (LoC ict21195–ict21235). Approximate positions; interpolated between key dates.

The 82nd Airborne Division finished mopping up within its zone. The exhausted survivors of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion were relieved and pulled back to Juslenville. The 84th Infantry Division took commanding ground at Harzé. The 83rd Infantry Division attacked through the 3rd Armored Division, entering Bihain. III Corps launched an attack to trap and destroy the enemy southeast of Bastogne, with the 90th Infantry Division taking Berlé.

Northern Shoulder

Elsenborn Ridge

The defensive line along the Elsenborn Ridge remained stable. The front in the V Corps sector was quiet.

Grand Sart–Trois-Ponts

The 82nd Airborne Division finished mopping up within its zone. The exhausted survivors of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (c. 98 men) were relieved of their combat duty and pulled back to Juslenville to regroup.

Spineux and Wanne

In the 30th Infantry Division sector, the 424th Infantry Regiment (106th Infantry Division) took over the Wanne–Wanneranval region, formerly held by the 112th Infantry Regiment (28th Infantry Division).

Central Sector

St. Vith Area

The VII Corps continued its advance toward Houffalize.

Hotton–Houffalize Axis

The 84th Infantry Division took commanding ground at Harzé. The 83rd Infantry Division attacked through the 3rd Armored Division, gaining a line from Bihain west to a point northeast of Petite Langlir. The 2nd Armored Division continued toward Samrée under heavy artillery fire. CCB of the 3rd Armored Division secured the Cherain sector.

Southern Shoulder

Bastogne Front

III Corps launched an attack to trap and destroy the enemy in the pocket southeast of Bastogne. The 90th Infantry Division took Berlé and the crossroads on the Berlé–Winseler road. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment attacked with armour toward Noville, gaining 1,000 yards. The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment took Recogne.

Allied Command

Bradley’s Press Conference

Bradley held his own press conference two days after Montgomery’s controversial 7 January remarks, making a thoughtful, non-inflammatory statement that seemed to settle the inter-Allied command controversy for the time being. Nevertheless, the British press continued to suggest that Montgomery should be placed in overall charge of the land battle.