Air Operations, Bonin Islands

30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Haha Jima.

Air Operations, Carolines

• In the XXI Bomber Command’s combat debut 14 of 18 B-29s dispatched from the 73d Very Heavy Bomb Wing’s 497th and 498th Very Heavy Bomb groups attack submarine pens at Truk with mixed results.
• 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Yap Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• More than 80 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack troops, occupied towns, and rail targets throughout eastern Burma.

• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Yangtong, bridges near Kaotienhsu, shipping near Wuchou, and various targets in the Konghow and Mengshu areas.

• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack shipping at Hongay.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-25s and P-38s attack the town area at Amboina.
• During the night, FEAF B-24s attack the Wilhelmina Docks area on Celebes.

Air Operations, Europe

• 733 aircraft including 428 Lancasters, 286 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne. The bombing takes place in 2 separate waves and the local report confirms that enormous damage is caused. The districts of Mülheim and Zollstock, northeast and southwest of the center respectively, become the center of the 2 raids and are both devastated. Much damage is caused to power stations, railways and harbor installations on the Rhine.
• 4 Halifaxes and 3 Lancasters are lost.

A Lancaster passes over the partially obscured city of Cologne during a daylight raid on October 28.

Cologne

This bridge across the Rhine at Cologne was completely destroyed during the daylight attacks of 28 October.

Cologne

• 155 Halifaxes, 86 Lancasters and 36 Mosquitos of Nos. 4 and 8 Groups carry out raids on gun positions at 5 places on the rim of the newly flooded island of Walcheren. Most of the bombing appears to be successful.
• 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster are lost.

• 1 Hudson is on a Resistance operation and there are 4 RCM sorties without a loss.

• 237 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group are sent to hit the U-boat pens at Bergen. It is probable that No. 5 Group has been waiting to attack this important target for several days. The Group had not flown any operations since October 23. Clear conditions were forecast for the target area, although there are some doubts about this. Unfortunately the area is found to be cloud-covered. The Master Bomber tries to bring the force down below 5,000ft but cloud is still encountered and he orders the raid to be abandoned after only 47 Lancasters have bombed.
• 3 Lancasters are lost.

• 30 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne, 4 to Karlsruhe and 3 to Rheine, 14 Lancasters lay mines off Oslo, and there are 5 Mosquito patrols and 8 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Pacific

B-29 bombers based in the Marianas raid the Japanese submarines base on Truk Island in the Carolines.

Air Operations, Philippines

• Despite bad weather, FEAF B-24s are able to attack the Puerto Princesa airfield at Palawam.
• US carrier aircraft from Task Group 38.2 and Task Group 38.4 attack targets in the Visayan Islands and Luzon.
• 12 49th Fighter Group P-38s destroy an ammunition dump at Ormoc, Leyte.
• US carrier-based fighter pilots down 21 Japanese aircraft at sea or over the Leyte area between 0642 and 1340 hours.
• V Fighter Command and 49th Fighter Group P-38s down 4 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over Leyte between 1600 and 1730 hours.

Balkans

German troops begin evacuating Albania.

China

Stilwell is replaced by Maj-Gen Albert C. Wedemeyer.

Diplomatic Relations

The USSR-Bulgaria armistice is signed. Bulgarian troops now come officially under Soviet command. Such arrangements have already been operating. Bulgaria withdraws its troops from Yugoslavian Macedonia and from Greece and puts them under Soviet command so that they can take part in the operations against the German Army Group E. The question of repatriations will be determined later. Bulgaria also agrees to pay reparations and deliver foodstuffs to Greece and Yugoslavia.

Eastern Front

NORWAY

The Germans order the evacuation of the population of Finnmark east of Lyngen. All houses and installations are to be destroyed to deny their use to the Soviets.

Malinovsky is ordered by Stalin to attack with all the forces at his disposal to take Budapest as soon as possible. Malinovsky replies that he only has the 46th Army immediately available and would prefer to wait until he can muster a more substantial force. Stalin orders the 2nd Ukrainian Front to begin its attack on October 29.

France, Policy

The French provisional government dissolves all armed movements which do not belong either to the police or the army.

Occupied Poland

The last transport of Jews to Auschwitz are gassed (2,000 from Theresianstadt).

Pacific

Aircraft from Rear-Adm Ralph E. Davison's task group attack Japanese shipping in the waters off Cebu, in the Philippines, sinking two submarines; I-45 by the destroyer escort Whitehurst (DE-634) and I-54 by destroyers Gridley (DD-380) and Helm (DD-388). The American destroyer escort Eversole (DE-404) is sunk by a Japanese submarine, and the light cruiser Denver (CL-58) is damaged by a kamikaze attack.

Philippines

In the US X Corps sector there is hard fighting at Carigara, on the north coast of the island. The Americans make slow progress in the Leyte Valley. In the XXIV Corps sector the 382nd Regt of the 96th Div takes Tabontabon and pushes on toward Kiling. The 17th Inf, inthe Dagami area, advances slowly and suffers heavy losses.

Western Front

Eisenhower's proposed offensive for the beginning of November with Gen Bradley's 12th Army Group will have 3 objectives: to eliminate every German strongpoint west of the Rhine, to establish bridgeheads east of the river and to penetrate into the heart of Germany.

The American 104th Div, British I Corps, takes Rijsbergen, half-way between Zundert and Breda, Further east, Tilburg also falls into Allied hands, while between Eindhoven and Venlo the American 7th Arm Div tries to retake Meijel, lost the previous day to a German counterattack.

Yugoslavia

Tito's partisans capture Split, chief town of Dalmatia.

Images from October 28, 1944

Churchill tanks of 6th Guards Tank Brigade and troops of the 10th Highland Light Infantry, 15th (Scottish) Division, during the assault on Tilburg, 28 October 1944

Scottish Troops Assault on Tilburg

German prisoners are led past Churchill tanks and Kangaroo infantry carriers near Tilburg, 28 October 1944

German Prisoners Near Tilburg

Carriers and 6-pdr anti-tank guns of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders, 15th (Scottish) Division, during the assault on Tilburg, Holland, 28 October 1944.

The Assault on Tilburg

Personnel of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division examining a captured German dummy aircraft, Huijbergen, Netherlands, 28 October 1944

Examining a Captured German Dummy Aircraft