Air Operations, Bismarcks
- 16 AirSols TBFs and 23 SBDs based at Torokina Field on Bougainville attack the Tobera airfield at Rabaul with such accuracy that the base is temporarily closed due to the damage.
- When as many as 40 Japanese fighters attempt to intercept the light bombers, VMF-211, VMF-212, VMF-215 and VMF-321 F4Us and VF-33 F6Fs down 18 A6M Zeros and Ki-61 'Tony' fighers in the Rabaul area, especially around the Tobera airfield at Rabaul, between noon and 1345 hours. 1 F6F and 2 RNZAF Kittyhawks are lost, and 1 battle-damaged TBF ditches off the Torokina airfield at Bougainville.
- XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Vunakanau airfield at Rabaul. 6 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Taharai airfield and targets of opportunity on New Ireland.
- V Fighter Command P-40s attack Cape Beechey.
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]Air Operations, CBI
BURMA- 21 10 Air Force A-36s and P-51s attack a barracks, bridge, and supply dump in the Loilaw area. 8 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Sadon.
- 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a ship near Swatow. 9 14th Air Force P-40s and P-51s strafe Yangtze River traffic at Puchi.
- 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Lao Kay.
- 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack rail facilities at Atson.
- During the night, 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s sow mines in the Menam River estuary near Bangkok.
| ]Air Operations, Europe
US 12th AIR FORCEITALY:
- XII Bomber Command B-25s attack a marshalling yard and docking facilities at Ancona.
- XII Air Support Command A-36s and P-40s attack tanks, trucks, and troop positions in and around the battle area.
ITALY:
- 15th Air Force B-17s attack the aircraft factory and a marshalling yard at Reggio Emilia.
- 15th Air Force B-24s attack the Mostar Airdrome.
| ]Air Operations, New Guinea
- 5th Air Force bombers and fighters attack Alexishafen, Bogadjim, and Madang, defensive targets in the Saidor area, and Uligan Harbor.
- Col Neel E. Kearby, the V Fighter Command commanding officer, downs 2 Ki-61 Tony fighters in the Wewak area at about 1215 hours.
| ]Air Operations, Solomons
42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack supply dumps at Kahili and the seaplane base at Buka. AirSols fighters attack numerous targets.
[ | ]Burma
2 regiments of the Chinese 38th Div converge on the small town of Taihpa Ga, in the Hukawng valley, while other units of the division try to eliminate some Japanese infiltrations. On the Arakan front the XV Corps of the British 11th Army takes Maungdaw having advanced 20 miles from around Bawli Bazar near the Indian border. The offensive is part of a renewed Allied attempt to take Akyab, and Maungdaw is an important supply port for the Japanese. Despite the success, the Allied troops have an exposed left flank, against which huge Japanese forces are massing.
[ | ]Diplomatic Relations
Churchill and de Gaulle meet in Marrakech, Morocco. The main issues are the role of the Free French forces in the forthcoming invasion of the continent and the degree of authority to be assumed by the French Committee in civil affairs inside France after the invasion.
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Eastern Front
Vatutin's forces take Polonnoye, midway between Berdichev and Rovno, and farther south Konev's troops take Aleksandrovka.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe headquarters of the XLVII Panzer Corps is attacked, losing many men in the fighting and throwing the corps into confusion. Aleksandrovka falls to the 4th Guards Army.
[ | ]Italy
The 10th and 34th Divs from US II Corps attack Cervaro and Monte Trochio, just east of the Cassino position. The last units of the American 45th Div are relieved by the Algerian 3rd Div of the French Expeditionary Corps.
[ | ]Mediterranean
US Army aircraft sink the German submarine U-81 off the coast of Pola, Italy.
| Class | Type VIIC |
| CO | Oberleutnant zur See Johann Krieg |
| Location | N Adriatic, Pola |
| Cause | Air attacke |
| Casualties | 2 |
| Survivors | 44 |
| ]New Britain
After 3 days of heavy fighting US troops take the Aogiri ridge in their advance to the Aogiri River.
[ | ]Solomons
On Bougainville the US engineers complete a second airfield at Piva, inland from the coast, which will help to strengthen the air offensive against targets in New Britain.
[ | ]United States, Command
Maj-Gen Bedell Smith is appointed to be Chief of Staff to Gen Eisenhower.
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United States, Home Front
Antanas Smetona, ex-dictator of Lithuania, is killed in a fire in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 69.
[ | ]Images from January 9, 1944
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