Chronology of World War II

October 1944

Sunday, October 8

Air Operations, CBI

BURMA

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.

CHINA

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.

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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.

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Air Operations, Europe

RAF BOMBER COMMAND
Daylight Ops:
Minor Ops:

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.

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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.

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Britain, Home Front

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

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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.

FINLAND

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.

SOUTHERN SECTOR

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.

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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.

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United States, Home Front

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

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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.

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