Air Operations, Bismarcks
- V Bomber Command B-25s attack Rein Bay and V Fighter Command P-39s attack barges between Rein Bay and Borgen Bay.
- 32 AirSols F4Us, 26 F6Fs, and 16 P-38s sent to sweep the Rabaul area, all but 16 P-38s and 8 F4Us abort because of bad weather. Nevertheless, P-38s with the 18th Fighter Group’s 44th Fighter Squadron, and the 347th Fighter Group’s commanding officer, down a total of 9 A6M Zeros over the Rabaul area between 1115 and 1145 hours. VMF-211 and VMF-214 F4Us down 2 Zeros near Rabaul between 1150 and noon. 2 P-38s are lost in the day's action.
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]Air Operations, CBI
BURMA- 10th Air Force A-36s and P-51s attack Japanese Army cavalry and dumps at Kamaing and mount ground-support missions at Sumprabum and Taihpa Ga. 12 P-40s attack dumps near Sahmaw and strafe Pahok.
- 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a troop ship on the Yangtze River near Tungting Lake.
| ]Air Operations, Europe
RAF BOMBER COMMANDEvening Ops:
- 16 Mosquitos are sent to Duisburg, 2 to Bristillerie, and 1 each to Dortmund and Solingen. 57 aircraft lay mines off the Biscay ports and there are 10 OTU sorties.
- There are no losses.
ITALY:
- XII Bomber Command B-26s attack an aircraft factory at Piaggio and marshalling yards at two locations.
- XII Air Supporto Command A-36s and P-40s attack gun emplacements, rail lines, and railroads in and around the battle area.
| ]Air Operations, New Guinea
- V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack the Alexishafen and Bogadjim areas, B-25s attack targets of opportunity on the Huon Peninsula, and A-20s attack targets on the Bogadjim-Yaula road.
- The US 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion arrives at Saidor to make improvements to the airfield there.
| ]Air Operations, Solomons
42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s and US Navy PVs attack targets around Choiseul Bay.
[ | ]Allied Preparations
A joint RAF-USAAF statement discloses the hitherto secret development of jet aircraft in Britain and the US. Full details of the Whittle turbojet were given to Gen Arnold in July 1941.
[ | ]Atlantic
The US gunboat St. Augustine (PG-54) is sunk in a collision with the US merchant tanker Camas Meadows 73 miles south-southwest of Cape May, New Jersey.
[ | ]Burma
Brig-Gen Frank Merrill will command a volunteer unit that will become known as 'Merrill's Marauders'.
Since all available landing craft in the sector are to be transferred to the Mediterranean, Adm Lord Mountbatten, Command-in-Chief of Allied forces in Southeast Asia, officially cancels the project for a landing in central Burma across the Bay of Bengal. There is talk of giving up all offensive action in Burma until Germany is defeated. When Gen Stilwell hears this he decides to send a mission to Washington to argue against Mountbatten's decision.
[ | ]Eastern Front
The Soviets capture Rakitino, a few miles over the former Polish frontier.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe 60th Army crosses the old Russo-Polish border, Rokitno falling.
[ | ]Mediterranean
The US freighter William S. Rosecrans drags anchor during a storm south of Naples, Italy and strikes a mine that starts a fire that causes the ship to sink later in the day. There are no casualties; the crew and Armed guard are rescued by British naval vessels.
[ | ]New Britain
The 3/7 Marines moves back to act as the reserve. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines captures Hill 150, but discovers the Japanese strongly entrenched at Aogiri ridge, located roughly in the center of the marine line of advance. Heavy jungle prevents any flanking maneuver.
The Japanese bring in fresh forces near the perimeter of the Arawe bridgehead.
[ | ]New Guinea
American engineer units arrive on Saidor.
[ | ]Pacific
The operational plans for the occupation of the Marshall Islands are set out in more detail, and forces are detailed for the landing on the important atoll of Kwajalein.
Maj-Gen Hubert R. Harmon replaces Brig-Gen Ray L. Owens as commanding general of the 13th Air Force, and Brig-Gen Earl W. Barnes replaces Brig-Gen Dean C. Strother as head of the XIII Fighter Command.
[ | ]Images from January 6, 1944
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