Air Operations, CBI

• 5 10th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at Kawlin, Namhkai, and Wuntho.
• More than 20 10th Air Force P-47s attack a bridge at Seywa, rail lines in northern Burma, and targets of opportunity around Manyut and Mawhun.

• 12 14th Air Force P-40s and P-51s attack river traffic, motor vehicles, and rail lines around Pengtse and Yuncheng.
• 2 311th Fighter Group P-51s down a Ki-21 'Sally' medium bomber near Yuncheng at 0555 hours.
• A 23rd Fighter Group P-51 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter in an engagement near Wuchou at 1140 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF P-38s attack barge hideouts at Dodinga Bay in the Molucca Islands, and supply dumps and targets of opportunity around Kaoe Bay near Halmahera and Wasile Bay.
• P-47s attack Amahai and Boela on Ceram.

Air Operations, Europe

• 2 Mosquitos fly Ranger patrols over Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark shooting down an Me-109 in Schleswig-Holstein, and 1 Wellington flies a signals patrol.
• There are no losses.

• More than 300 9th Bomb Division B-26s and A-20s and numerous 9th Air Force fighter-bombers attack tactical targets in eastern France and western Germany, especially between Metz, France, and Aachen, Germany.

• The entire 15th Air Force and 12th Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather.
• XII Fighter Command fighter-bombers provide direct support for the US 5th Army.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack the airfields at Efman and Samate, Simora Point, Sorong, and Doom Island.

Britain, Home Front

The new ministries of Social Insurance and Aviation (Civil) are established.

Eastern Front

Finnish troops retake Kemi at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia. This is the last port in Finland that has been held by the Germans.

As the Soviet 14th Army continues to make headway, Gen Rendulic orders the 6th Mountain Div of the XIX Mountain Corps to withdraw to positions alont the Titovka River. The 2nd Mountain Div is also to pull back to positions east of Luostari. Recognizing the peril German units face, front commander Meretskov orders the 14th Army to capture Luostari by late on October 9.

Fierce battles rage in Hungary. Group Pliev has penetrated nearly 70 miles behind the German front and is closing in on Karcag. The 6th Tank Army though is held up by elements of the German 6th Army near Oradea while the 46th Army crosses the Tisza River near Szeged.

The 57th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front attacks across the Morava River to seize Velika Plana. This move severs the railway line between Belgrade and Nis. The 1st Bulgarian Army begins to attack elements of Army Group E at Nis, as did Tito's XIII Corps.

Greece

The Germans have evacuated Corinth which is occupied by British units from Araxos. Samos is also taken by British forces. Part of the British 9th Commando also lands at Nauplion, south of Corinth.

Italy

In the IV Corps area, TF 92 reaches the slopes of Monte Cauala but is forced back by enemy fire.

In the II Corps area, CCA of the 1st Armored Division is attached to the 34th Division. The 34th Division continues its attack on the Monterumici hill mass, the 135th Infantry working slowly forward from the south and the 133rd from the west. The 362nd Infantry, 91st Division, gets elements to the crest of Monte Castelari during the night. The 361st makes substantial progress to the east, clearing villages east of Monte Castellari, cutting Highway 65 at La Fortuna, and pushing to the edge of the Livergnano escarpment, a feature strongly favored by nature for defense. The 338th Infantry, 85th Division, forces the enemy back to Monte delle Formiche. The 337th is still unable to progress appreciably from Hill 566. The 349th Infantry, 88th Division, upon reaching the crest of Hill 587, finds it undefended. Elements seize Il Falchetto Hill.

In the British XIII Corps area, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division gains the summit of Monte Ceco, but the enemy retains the heights nearby. On the right flank of the corps. the 6th Armored Division pushes along Highway 67 to the edge of Portico but cannot force an entrance. Elements probe toward Tredozio.

In the X Corps area, the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division arrives and takes command of corps forces.

In the V Corps area, since the 20th Brigade of the Indian 10th Division is still held up on Monte Farneto, the 10th Brigade is committed to outflank the enemy, with some elements pressing toward Montecodruzzo on the left and others taking San Paola on the right. The Indian 25th Brigade takes San Lorenzo and drives toward Roncofreddo. The 46th Division is working toward Longiano.

Pacific

The US submarine Hoe (SS-258) sinks the Japanese army transport Kohoku Maru (2573t) and damages the Coast Defense Vessel No.8 in the South China Sea east of Hainan. [ | ]

United States, Home Front

The death of Wendell L. Willkie at age 52 is reported.

Western Front

All along the front the attacking Allied troops are held by fierce resistance. An attempt by units of the Canadian II Corps to advance from Hoogerheide to Korteven, on the road from Antwerp to Bergen-op-Zoom, is halted by the swift reaction of the Germans of the 15th Army, who drive the attackers back to their starting point. The counter-attack is withstood only with difficulty.

During the night British-Canadian troops of the 1st Army land behind the German lines on the south bank of the Scheldt River.

Units of the US XIX Corps advance south along the valley of the Wurm and take Herzogenrat. A violent German counter-attack near Mariadorf holds up the American advance in this sector. The units of the 90th Div that had penetrated into Maizières-lès-Metz have to wrest the town from the Germans house by house. The divisions of the American XII Corps, after a short but intensive barrage, begin to advance along the banks of the Seille River, take Moivron, Arraye-et-Han, Luxières and Fossieux.[WE]

Images from October 8, 1944

A 25-pdr of 83/85 Battery

Entertainment in Florence

US Soldier Playing a Piano