Aegean

The Germans evacuate Mytilene.

The exiled Greek government moves from Cairo to Caserta in southern Italy to be nearer to home when the time comes for the return.

Air Operations, Carolines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Group 38.4 and a force of 4 3rd Fleet escort carriers covers a US surface force as it arrives to begin a final bombardment of invasion objectives in the Palau Islands. Aircraft and warships open a coordinated bombardment, especially of Peleliu Island.
• During the night, 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s attack airfields and Japanese defenses in the Palau Islands.

Air Operations, CBI

• 4 10th Air Force B-24s attack the Katha area.
• 8 10th Air Force P-47s conduct a sweep along the Irrawaddy River from Bhamo to Katha.
• 3 P-47s strafe buildings in Katha.
• 16 P-47s attack the airfield at Loiwing and targets of opportunity along the Burma Road from Lungling (China) to Wanling and Namhkam.

• 15 14th Air Force P-40s attack coastal and river shipping in southern China, the South China Sea, and the Red River in French Indochina.
• 22 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Kaochishih and Tunghsiangchiao, and the Kiyang area.
• 14 B-25s attack the town area and bridges in and around Sungpai.
• 10 B-25s and 6 14th Air Force P-40s attack Lungling.
• 27 P-40s and P-51s attack targets across a wide area of east-cental China.
• 23rd and 5th CACW Fighter group P-40s and P-51s down 1 D3A 'Val' dive bomber and 3 Japanese fighters in a series of engagements from Chuanhsien to near Changsha between 1500 and 1530 hours.
• 25 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s transport fuel from India to Kunming.

Air Operations, East Indies

• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Lautem, Timor.
• FEAF B-24s attack three airfields on Celebes.
• B-24s attack the Galela and Kaoe airfields on Halmahera.
• 38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack radar facilities on Morotai at extremely low level.
• V Fighter Command P-38s dive-bomb the Namlea airfield on Boeroe.
• P-47s attack the Boela airfield on Ceram.

Air Operations, Europe

• 412 aircraft of Nos. 4, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to bomb synthetic oil plants at Dortmund, Scholven/Buer and Wanne-Eickel. Included in the aircraft total are 315 Halifaxes, 75 Lancasters and 22 Mosquitos. The Dortmund raid is particularly successful, but smoke screens prevent results from being observed at the other targets.
• 3 Lancasters and 1 Halifax are lost on the Wanne-Eickel raid and 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster on the Scholven/Buer raid.
• 119 Halifaxes of No. 4 Group and 5 Pathfinder Lancasters carry out the first raid by RAF heavy bombers on Münster since June 1943. Many fires are seen but smoke prevented an accurate assessment of the bomb damage. A brief report from Münster describes a 'sea of fire' in the southern part of the town which could not be entered for several hours and tells of water mains destroyed by high-explosive bombs so that 'the firemen could only stand helpless in front of the flames'.
• 2 Halifaxes are lost.

The railway station in the heart of the city was one of the targets hit by Bomber Command during the 12 September.

Münster Damage

• 2 aircraft are on Resistance operations and there are 9 RCM sorties.

• 378 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 3 and 8 Groups are sent to Frankfurt, the last major raid on this city by the RAF. The bombers drop 400,000 incendiaries on the city. The local report says that the raid occurred when many of the city's firemen and rescue workers were away working in Darmstadt. The bombing caused severe destruction in the western districts of the city, which contained many industrial premises. Property damage was extensive. A troop train was hit at the West Station.
• 17 Lancasters are lost.
• 204 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 5 Groups are sent to Stuttgart. The attack is successful and local reports say a firestorm was created.
• 4 Lancasters are lost.

A week after the raid on Stuttgart, this recce picture shows enormous damage to the Daimler-Benz factory at Sindelfingen.

Daimler-Benz factory, Stuttgart

• Support and 138 training aircraft make a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 29 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin and 6 to Steenwijk, 12 Halifaxes lay mines in Oslo harbor, and there are 81 Mosquito patrols and 31 RCM sorties.
• 1 Halifax is lost on the diversionary sweep and 1 from mine-laying.

Air Operations, Japan

3 28th Composite Bomb Group bombers attack Suribachi airfield and nearby shipping in the Kurile Islands.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack the airfields at Babo, Manokwari, Moemi, Mongosah, Sagan, and Samate and anti-aircraft batteries.

Air Operations, Philippines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 open an ad hoc offensive against airfields and other targets in the central Philippines. Japanese air opposition from Leyte is so much weaker than expected that US carriers station themselves within sight of land.
• 2 VF(N)-41 F6Fs down 1 G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea at 0755 hours.
• Carrier-based F6Fs (and a VB-19 dive-bomber crew) down 1 Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane, 1 P1Y 'Galaxy' bomber, 1 D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber, and 77 Japanese fighters in almost continuous action over Cebu and Negros between 0900 and 1345 hours.
• 2 VF(N)-41 F6Fs down 1 Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane at sea at 1846 hours.

Diplomatic Relations

The armistice between Rumania and the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States is signed in Moscow. Rumania will take part in the war against Germany and Hungary supplying 12 divisions and will pay reparations for damage inflicted on Soviet territory. The frontier between the USSR and Rumania will be that fixed by the Rumanian-Soviet agreement of June 28, 1940. The USSR promises that Transylvania will be restored to Rumania.

During fighting in Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany, the Rumanian army is to lose a further 170,000 men killed, wounded and missing by April 1945.

Eastern Front

A lull on the various fronts while the Russians consolidate, and overhaul their supply system. Red Army forces break through the Negotin gap in Yugoslavia, opening the way to the Dalmatian coast.

In Warsaw the 25th Panzer Division attacks in Zoliborz.

The 6th Tank Army has redeployed at Maros in order to attack the German and Hungarian forces around Cluj. The Stavka elevates the 6th Tank to Guards status.

Italy

At 11:00p.m. the second battle for the capture of the Coriano hill-top begins.

Pacific

• The 16 aircraft carriers of the Mitscher group begin a 3-day attack against the central Philippines, meeting very little resistance from the Japanese air force and navy. No resistance forthcoming from Leyte, one of the objectives of the next landing. More than 200 Japanese planes are destroyed in the 2,400 missions flown.
• The US submarine Growler sinks two Japanese ships in the South China Sea: the destroyer Shikinami and the frigate Hirato.

Palau Islands

The US battleships, cruisers and aircraft carriers under the command of Rear-Adms Oldendorf and Ford begin an intensive bombardment of the Palaus in advance of the landing. The Americans undertake the necessary mine-lifting and the destruction of under-water obstacles protecting the beaches.

The US high-speed transport Noa (APD-24) sinks after a collision with the destroyer Fullam (DD-474) in operations off the Palau Islands.

Western Front

The 12,000-strong German garrison of Le Havre surrenders to the attacks of British I Corps. More units of the US 1st Army reach the German border between Aachen and Trier and advance up to 5 miles. Units of the 3rd Div push to within 1,000 yards of the Siegfried Line. Bridgeheads across the Moselle are established by the US XII Corps north and south of Nancy.

A German force of 20,000 men under Maj Gen Erich Elster formally surrenders to the US 83rd Inf Div at the Beaugency bridge on the Loire. Elster originally suggested a face-saving mock battle which the Americans would 'win'. The US commander, Robert C. Macon, turned him down, and the Germans laid down their arms without incident.

Images from September 12, 1944

This picture was taken on the Belgian/Dutch border on September 12, 1944. The spot is called Withuis between Moelingen (Mouland in French) and Eisden, Holland. The 117th was the first regiment in Holland. I suppose this is the 2nd battalion off the 117th with a light medium Stuart tank of the 113th Cavalry group.

Belgian/Dutch Border

This photo was taken in the area of Noorbeek, Holland on September 12th, 1944, 17:00. Noorbeek is the first Dutch village after Altembroeck (see 1st photo on this page) where Mr. Heggen's father lived during the war. It's the area the 119th liberated.

Area of Noorbeek, Holland

The Rakuyo Maru was part of Convoy HI-72 and transporting 1317 Australian and British prisoners of war (POWs) from Singapore, when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Luzon Strait by USS Sealion on 12 September 1944. A total of 1159 POWs died as a result of the sinking

The Rakuyo Maru

China Sea. Oil-soaked British and Australian prisoners of war who survived the sinking of the Japanese transport Rakuyo Maru by the submarine USS Sealion, being picked up three days later by that submarine. (AWM 305634)

Survivors of the Sinking of the Rakuyo Maru

Troops of HQ Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Inf, just after crossing into Germany near Aachen on 12 September 1944. They celebrated by breaking out the American flag

Crossing into Germany

Liberated Belgian Villagers Hang an Effigy of Hitler, 12 September 1944

Guards Armoured Division Sherman tanks pass an abandoned German 88mm anti-tank gun in the village of Heusden, 12 September 1944.

British Tanks in Heusden

B-24s of the 15th Air Force bombing the railway yards at Salzburg, Austria (September 12, 1944)

Bombing of Salzburg

M4A1 Sherman Dozer of the 16th Engineers, Italy Gothic Line 12 September 1944

M10 Tank Destroyer, at the Our River near Hammeras, the border between Germany and Luxembourg, 12 September 1944.

M10 Tank Destroyer

A 7.2-inch howitzer of 75th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery being towed through Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy, 12 September 1944. The behemoth and the truck pulling it are both the wrong size for narrow medieval Italian small town streets. But apparently the British flair for innovation has found a solution in this instance.

A 7.2-inch Howitzer in Borgo San Lorenzo

Residents of the Marlot area in The Hague, The Netherlands are forced to leave their homes. The area is to be used as a launch area for Germans new weapon, the V-2 (11/12 September 1944).

The Hague Residents Force to Leave