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19
Day 35 of the Offensive

Friday, 19 January 1945

White-out with daily snowfall; below freezing; Allied air operations severely restricted.

Day thirty-five of the Ardennes campaign. German forces continued their orderly withdrawal toward the West Wall. Four Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions were being pulled out for redeployment to Hungary, and the 6. SS-Panzerarmee was in the process of being pulled out of the front. The 5. Panzerarmee was slated to assume command of the 6. SS-Panzerarmee’s sector after 22 January.

The Front Line — Friday, 19 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 3rd Armored Division completed its mission, having contributed decisively to the reduction of the salient west of Houffalize. The 2nd Armored Division was pulled out of the line after the Houffalize link-up. V Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps continued their advances despite severe white-out weather.

Northern Shoulder
Elsenborn Ridge
V Corps continued its counter-offensive drive southward toward St. Vith. The 1st Infantry Division and 2nd Infantry Division were involved in the advance despite severe weather conditions.
Salm River
The 82nd Airborne Division remained in reserve.
Amblève Valley
The 30th Infantry Division continued operations as part of the XVIII Airborne Corps advance. Progress remained slow due to the weather.
Central Sector
St. Vith Area
The counter-offensive continued southward toward St. Vith despite severe weather conditions. The main mission remained the clearance of the German salient and pushing the enemy back toward the West Wall.
Hotton–Houffalize Axis
The 3rd Armored Division completed its mission, having contributed decisively to the reduction of the salient west of Houffalize. Task Force Doan and Lovelady reached their final objectives. Division losses from 16 December 1944 to 19 January 1945 totalled 1,473 casualties, 125 medium tanks, and 38 light tanks lost.
Southern Shoulder
Allied Command
Command Status
The US First Army CP remained at Spa. The 2nd Armored Division was pulled out of the line after the Houffalize link-up, with command passing from Harmon to White.
German Withdrawal
The withdrawal of four Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions was underway, with these divisions being refitted behind the West Wall for deployment to Hungary. The 6. SS-Panzerarmee was in the process of being pulled out of the front, with the 5. Panzerarmee slated to assume command of its sector after 22 January.
3rd Armored Division Campaign Summary
The 3rd Armored Division’s Ardennes campaign resulted in 1,473 casualties and the loss of 125 medium tanks. The division claimed 1,705 enemy killed, 2,150 prisoners, and 93 tanks destroyed including 31 Panthers.