Air Operations, CBI

• 12 14th Air Force B-25s attack Kutkai.

• Despite bad weather, 10th Air Force P-47s sweep the Lungling-Wanling-Loiwing road in eastern Burma and southwestern China.
• 20 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Hengyang.
• 28 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Chuanhsien, Lengshuitang, Pakmushih, and a ferry at Yuangshsho.
• More than 130 14th Air Force fighter-bombers sorties are mounted against numerous targets in the Salween River area and east-central China.
• 5th CACW Fighter Group P-40s down 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters in an engagement near Siansiang at 0900 hours.
• 23rd Fighter Group P-40s fail to score any confirmed victories in an engagement near Shaoyang at 0945 hours.
• 2 3rd CACW Fighter Group P-40s down a Ki-45 'Nick' fighter near Kokow during the morning.
• A 23rd Fighter Group P-51 downs an A6M Zero near Kinhwa at 1100 hours.
• 19 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s transport fuel from India to Liuchow, China.

Air Operations, East Indies

• In their first response to the Allied invasion, Japanese aircraft mount light raids against US ground and naval forces at Morotai.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Ambesia and Kendari airfields on Celebes.
• B-24s and B-25s attack airfields on Ceram, Kamarian, Amboina, and Boeroe.
• B-25s attack a large warehouse at Gorontalo, Celebes.
• A VC-66 FM downs an A6M Zero at sea at 0650 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

• 14 Stirlings and 4 Hudsons are on Resistance operations, and there are 2 Mosquitos on Ranger patrols and 9 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• Bomber Command's main operations on this night are in support of Operation MARKET GARDEN, the landings by British and American airborne troops at Arnhem and Nijmegen which take place the following morning. 200 Lancasters and 23 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups bomb the airfields at Hopsten, Leeuwarden, Steenwijk and Rheine, and 54 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos. 3 and 8 Groups bomb a flak position at Moerdijk. The runways of all the airfields are well cratered but there are only near misses at the flak position, although its approach road is cut. 2 Lancasters are lost on the Moerdijk raid.

• 29 Mosquitos are sent to Brunswick and 4 to Dortmund, and there are 29 Mosquito patrols and 14 RCM sorties.
• 1 Mosquito is lost on the Brunswick raid.

• 295 VIII Figher Command P-47 and P-51 figher-bombers attack the Ahlhorn Airdrome and targets around Kaiserlautern and Mannheim.

• XIX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers help the US 3rd Army repel several German Army counterattacks in northeastern France.

• IX TAC fighter pilots down 12 FW-190s over Aachen between 1630 and 1810 hours.

• 150 9th Bomb Division B-26s and A-20s attack a road and rail embankment at Arnemuiden and a dike at Bath.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack defensive positions and supply dumps around Bologna and Rimini.
• XII Fighter Command fighter-bombers support the US 5th Army's continuing attacks on mountainous positions of the Gothic Line in which German Army forces are still holding out.

Air Operations, Japan

3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack the Kataoka naval base.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack the airfields at Manokwari, Moemi, Sagan, and Waren.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

17 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at Saipan attack Iwo Jima.

CBI

At a conference between Gens Hurley, Sultan, and Stilwell and T. V. Soong, the role of a field commander is discussed. Gen Stilwell finds that his conception is greatly different from that of which Soong believes Chiang Kai-shek holds. President Roosevelt, in a message to Chiang Kai-shek, protests the proposed withdrawal of Y-Force across the Salween. Gen Stilwell reports to the JCS and others that the Japanese successes against the US 14th Air Force bases in China might prevent air support from China of operations against Formosa and the Philippines. This influences the planners in favor of the occupation of Luzon rather than Formosa.

Eastern Front

Guderian counterattacks near the Gulf of Riga with troops brought from far south of the front, spearheaded by a scratch Panzer division under Col-Gen Hyazinth Graf Stachwitz. Contact will be re-established between Army Groups Center and North by September 26.

There is a new large-scale Soviet offensive in the Baltic States by troops of the Leningrad Front and the 3 Baltic Fronts. This offensive will involve principally attacks toward Riga and Tallinn.

In the south in Bulgaria, Sofia is taken by that proportion of 3rd Ukraine Front which has crossed the Danube before turning west to threaten the retreat of the German forces in Greece. The German forces in danger are Army Group F of Maximilian von Weichs and E under Alexander Löhr. In Rumania fighting continues between the South Ukraine Army Group and the 2nd Ukraine Front.

The fighting in the Baltic intensifies as the 3rd Panzer Army launches a new counterattack aimed at strengthening the ling with Army Group North. More than 400 panzers strike the 51st and 5th Guards Tank Armies. Bitter fighting ensues as the Germans advance slowly. To the east, the 22nd Army is hit by a 16th Army counterattack at Dobele.

Elements of the 1st Polish Army cross the Vistula at Magnuszew and begins to attack north in an effort to break through to the Home Army. However, the 9th Army puts up a ferocious defense, inflicting heavy casualties. Inside Warsaw the 25th Panzer Division has pushed the Poles back about half a mile in Zoliborz after fierce battles. Progress is also made in Czerniakow as the Poles lose their grip on the Vistula.

The 2nd Hungarian Army and 8th Army attacks east of Cluj, hitting the 7th Guards, 4th Rumanian and 40th Armies hard.

Germany, Planning

Hitler outlines his plans for an offensive in the Ardennes to his generals. He tells Keitel, Jodl, and Guderian: 'I have just made a momentous decision. I shall go over to the counterattack, that is to say, here (pointing to a map) - out ot the Ardennes, with the objective Antwerp.' At the time, Germany has 55 divisions on the Western Front, facing 96 Allied divisions in place and another dozen in Britain.

Greece

British commandos land on Kithira Island, south of the Peloponnese.

Italy

In the US 5th Army's IV Corps area, while TF 45 regroups, the 6th RCT of the BEF seizes Massarosa, north of Lake Massaciuccioli, and takes over that portion of the 1st Armored Division's front previously held by the 2nd Battalion, 370th Infantry. The 1st Armored Division is ordered to withdraw to begin a reconnaissance in force to block the enemy withdrawal. The Germans continue to put up strong opposition on the right flank of the corps, but the South African 6th Armored Division gains Alto Hill and Monte Pozzo del Bagno.

In the II Corps area, the 338th Infantry of the 85th Division reaches positions near the crest of Monte Altuzzo during the night, where it is delayed by friendly shelling. The 339th Infantry is committed on the extreme right, passing through elements of the British XIII Corps on the slopes of Monte Pratone. The 91st Division's 363rd and 361st Regiments are unable to break through the enemy's defenses on Monticelli, west of the Il Giogo Pass. The 362nd Infantry continues its costly efforts to reach Futa Pass with elements reaching an anti-tank ditch below San Lucia. The 34th Division advances northward from Monte Frassino on the right, but is still held up on the left in the vicinity of Torricella Hill.

The British 8th Army issues instructions for pursuit beyond the Rimini Line. The V Corps is to move along Highway 9 toward Bologna while the Canadian I Corps moves along Highway 16 toward Ravenna and Ferrara. Forward progress is sharply checked as the V Corps and the Canadian I Corps reach the enemy's Rimini Line.

In the V Corps area, the 46th Division is unable to advance from Montescuto. The 56th Division joins the 1st Armored Division in the battle for the Mulazzano-La Tomba ridge north of the Marano. During the night the British 4th Division of the Canadian I Corps crosses into the corps zone and by artificial moonlight provided by searchlights clears the Cerasolo ridge.

In the Canadian I Corp area, the Canadian 1st Division attempts in vain to drive the Germans from San Martino and Monte l'Abate. On the right flank, the attached Greek 3rd Mountain Brigade begins the struggle to clear the Rimini airfield.

Moluccas

The US 31st Division extends the depth of its beachhead around Pitoe Drome by an average of 4 miles east to west, and about 3 miles north to south. Gen Hall establishes his CP ashore. The 125th RCT of the 32nd Division, a reserve force, lands and relieves elements of the 124th Infantry still on the Gila Peninsula. The Japanese begin a series of small and largely ineffective air raids.

Occupied Denmark

A general strike begins that will last until September 21.

Occupied Holland

Hendrick Colijn, the ex-Prime Minister of Holland, dies in German custody. He was 75.

Pacific

• The Japanese escort carrier Unyo is sunk by the US submarine Barb (SS-220) in the South China Sea. Although the US surface fleet has no presence in the South China Sea, US submarines are effectively interdicting Japanese supply convoys running between the Dutch East Indies and Japanese forces in Southeast Asia.
• US submarine operate against Japaness shipping south of Formosa: Picuda (SS-382) sinks the army cargo ship Tokushima Maru (5975t) in Bashi Channel; Redfish (SS-395) sinks the fleet tanker No.2 Ogura Maru (7311t).
• The US submarine Sea Devil (SS-400) sinks the Japanese submarine I-364 off Yokosuka, Japan.
• The Japanese cargo vessel Imaji Maru (1986t) is sunk by a mine in Brunei Bay.

Palaus

The Marines consolidate and extend their beachhead on Peleliu. The 7th Marine Regt occupies the south point of the island and begins mopping up. The beachhead reaches a depth of about a mile and a quarter, despite strong fire by the Japanese. The 5th Marines capture a good part of the island's airfield. Gen William H. Rupertus takes over command on land now that the amphibious phase of the operation, under naval command, is completed.

Western Front

[WE]

Images from September 16, 1944

Peleliu - September 1944

Wounded, Waiting for Help

British Moving Up in Belgium

Canadian Engineers Checking for Mines

Knocked-out Jagdpanther in Geel

American Tank Passes Through the Siegfried Line

British Artillery Support

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