Air Operations, Bismarcks

• 40 V Bomber Command B-24s attack Cape Gloucester.
• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack small craft near New Britain.

Air Operations, CBI

• During the night, 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s sow mines in the Rangoon and Salween rivers. RAF Wellingtons attack the airfield at Heho.

• 14th Air Force P-40s attack supply craft in the Changte area.
• During the morning, an estimated 20 Japanese fighters attack 75th Fighter Squadron P-40s engaged in supporting Chinese Army ground forces near Changte. 1 P-40s is set afire and must crash-land, but 74th Fighter Squadron P-40s down a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter and a Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter.

• Japanese bombers mount a daring strategic daylight attack against the dock area at Calcutta inflicting heavy damage. 350 people are killed.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

As Task Force 50 departs the Marshall Islands area, US Navy F6Fs down a G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea at 1114 hours, and a B5N 'Kate' torpedo bomber at sea at 1210 hours. Many other Japanese Navy bombers fail to locate the US ships.

Air Operations, Europe

The US 9th Air Force opens Operation CROSSBOW against the bases where the Germans are experimenting with secret weapons, namely V-1 launching sites in the Pas de Calais.

• The VIII Bomber Command mounts its first Operation CROSSBOW mission against NOBALL V-weapons sited in France, but there is bad weather, and only 3 of the 548 VIII Bomber Command heavy bombers dispatched actually release their bombs.
• 9 bombers are lost through various accidents

• More than 200 IX Bomber Command B-26s taking part in the 9th Air Force's inaugural CROSSBOW mission are force to turn for home in the face of bad weather, but a total of 52 B-26s are able to attack NOBALL V-weapons sites at three locations.

• Despite bad weather, a number of XII Air Support Command B-25s attack a bridged at Pescara.
• NATAF fighters and fighter-bombers attack the Aviano and Piombino Airdromes, gun emplacements, trains, motor vehicles, and several bridges in and around the battle area.

• XII Air Support Command B-25s attack a marshalling yard and shipyards at Split.
• NATAF fighters attack a ship in the harbor at Poljud.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s and B-26s, and V Fighter Command P-40s attack targets on the Bogadjim road.
• 3nd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack Japanese Army ground troops in the Finschhafen area.

Air Operations, Solomons

More than 20 AirSols SBDs, 23 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, and numerous AirSols fighters attack ground targets on Bougainville.

Allied Planning

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill thatn Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower will be the Supreme Allied Comander for Operation OVERLORD, the cross-Channel invasion of Europe.

The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) issues a directive creating the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF), consolidating British and US forces of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) and Northwest African Air Force (NAAF).

The CCS describes the intent for ANVIL to support OVERLORD. The Mediterranean theater is notified to plan to commit two divisions to the landings in southern France.

Italy

In the US 5th Army's British X Corps area, the enemy withdraws from Monastery Hill since the position is threatened by 56th Division units, which have moved up from Colle, west of the hill. The II Corps retains its current positions on Monte la Difensa and Monte Maggiore, but they are being supplied only with great difficulty. The VI Corps remains in place, consolidating and patrolling.

Monte Camino is the scene of more fierce fighting as both sides dispute possession of its summit. In the British 8th Army sector the V Corps pushes on to Ortona, where there is a harbor that can be used for supplies. The Indian 8th Div crosses the Moro River.

Pacific

The US submarine Narwhal (SS-167) sinks the Japanese cargo ship Himeno Maru (834t) off Camiquin Island.

Solomons

An American destroyer force shells enemy installations in Choiseul Bay on Choiseul Island.

Images from December 5, 1943

The Remains of a Bomber Fire

New Zealand Artillery Personnel