Saturday, 13 January 1945 — The Battle of the Bulge

Day twenty-nine of Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein. The British XXX Corps’ Ardennes mission was completed as the 51st Infantry Division reached the Ourthe River line. VII Corps pushed steadily toward Houffalize. XVIII Airborne Corps opened its offensive toward St. Vith. German forces continued their withdrawal, losing multiple positions across the front.

The Front Line — Saturday, 13 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 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment seized Foy on the Bastogne–Houffalize highway. The 90th Infantry Division drove the enemy from Bras. The 106th Infantry Division attacked southeast from the Amblève–Salm junction toward Henumont. The 30th Infantry Division drove south from Malmedy, gaining positions near Hedomont and Thirimont.

Northern Shoulder

Elsenborn Ridge

The defensive line along the Elsenborn Ridge remained stable. The V Corps sector was quiet as XVIII Airborne Corps opened its offensive to the south.

Malmedy–Thirimont

The 30th Infantry Division drove south from the Malmedy area toward the Amblève River, gaining positions near Hedomont, in the Houyire woods, and in the Thirimont area. The I. Bataillon of the 9. Fallschirmjäger-Regiment engaged the 119th Infantry Regiment near Thirimont.

Central Sector

Ourthe River

The British 51st Infantry Division reached the Ourthe River line southward from Laroche, completing the British XXX Corps’ Ardennes mission.

Hotton–Houffalize Axis

The 2nd Armored Division’s CCA reached positions about 1.5 miles north of Wibrin; CCB advanced in Bois de Cedrogne to points five to six miles north of Houffalize. The 3rd Armored Division’s CCR cut the Sommerain–Cherain road; CCB took Lomré at 22:00. The 83rd Infantry Division mopped up and regrouped after clearing a passage through the woods south of Langlir.

Henumont

The 106th Infantry Division, with the 424th Infantry Regiment and 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, attacked southeast from the junction of the Amblève and Salm Rivers, reaching positions near Henumont as XVIII Airborne Corps opened its offensive toward St. Vith.

Southern Shoulder

Bastogne Front

The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment seized Foy on the Bastogne–Houffalize highway. The 11th Armored Division enveloped Bertogne, cutting the Houffalize–St. Hubert highway. The 90th Infantry Division drove the enemy from Bras and gained Hill 530. The 6th Armored Division drove northward with CCB partially clearing Mageret.

Allied Command

British XXX Corps Mission Complete

The British XXX Corps’ Ardennes mission was completed as the 51st Infantry Division reached the Ourthe River line. British forces had successfully contained the northern shoulder of the Bulge and prevented German expansion westward.