American troops cross the Siegfried line tank traps near Bitburg.
Western Front
Ardennes: US 3rd Army breaks through Siegfried Line, northwest of Echternach.
Russian Front
East Prussia: General Ivan D. ChernyaÂkhovsky, commander of 3rd Belorussian Front, fatally wounded near Königsberg; aged 40. Marshal Vassilevsky takes over command of 3rd Belorussian Front.