Air Operations, Bonin Islands

11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Chichi Jima and Haha Jima.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 10th Air Force B-25s attack a rail bridge at Bawgyo.
• More than 80 10th Air Force P-47s support Allied ground forces around Mawlu, and attack the airfield at Kawlin, artillery batteries at Hsipaw, the town area at Man Hpa, and troops, supplies, and communications facilities at three locations.
• 4 14th Air Force P-51s attack road-building equipment near Muse.

• 15 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 13 P-51s and P-40s attack stores, occupied villages, and targets of opportunity in the Mangshih area.
• 2 B-25s attack a rail line near Lohochai.

• 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a rail line near Duc Tho.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-25s attack the Hate Tokako airfield, the Kaoe airfield on Halmahera, and the Langoan airfield on Celebes, and targets of opportunity on Ceram.
• P-38s attack the Kendari airfield on Celebes and a nickel mine, shipping, and targets of opportunity in the Kendari area.

Air Operations, Europe

Maj Walter Nowotny, Austrian fighter 'ace' with 258 victories, dies in an Me-262 crash over Achmer.

RAF BOMBER COMMAND
Daylight Ops:

• 136 Lancasters of No. 3 Group attack the Meerbeck oil plant at Homberg. The raid opens well and 2 large fires are seen but smoke then conceals the target and later bombing is scattered.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.

• 1 Wellington makes an RCM sortie.

• 59 Mosquitos are sent to Herford and 50 to Hannover, 24 aircraft are on Resistance operations, and there are 4 RCM sorties.
• 2 Stirlings are lost on Resistance operations.

• 183 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg.
• 77 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Rheine.
• 19 heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity.
• 266 3rd Bomb Division B-17s bound for Merseburg are recalled because of bad weather.
• 3 B-17s and 11 of 788 VIII Fighter Command escorts are lost.
• USAAF pilots down 12 Luftwaffe fighters over Germany between 1230 and 1500 hours.

• 9th Bomb Division bombers are grounded or recalled because of bad weather.
• 9th Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges rail targets, factories, and German Army command posts.
• XIX TAC aircraft support the attacks by the US Army at Metz as well as the withdrawal of the US V Corps from the Kall River bridgehead.
• Following numerous weather-related delays, the US 3rd Army and the XIX TAC open Operation MADISON, an effort to break through the German-held Metz forts and close on the Rhine River. Throughout the day, XIX TAC fighter-bombers mount 389 effective sorties against defended buildings, rail lines, motor vehicles, and other road targets, and bridges.
• Two German Army command posts are knocked out by the 405th Fighter Group.
• Thanks is large measure to air support, US 3rd Army Units cross the Seille River in three places.

• 12th Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack rail lines in Brenner Pass and throughout northern Italy.
• XXII TAC P-47s attack communication targets around Bologna and bridges and rail lines in the Parma area.

• 34 15th Air Force B-24s attack German Army troop concentrations at three locations, but 70 others that are dispatched abort in the face of weather.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s attack the Alicante airfield on Negros.
• A 475th Fighter Group P-38 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter over Dulag, Leyte at 0610 hours.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

Of 17 73rd Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s dispatched against Iwo Jima from bases in the Marianas, only 6 are able to drop their bombs through holes in the heavy cloud cover. A Japanese A6M Zero drops a phosphorous bomb on the B-29 formation, damaging 1 B-29. Also, 1 B-29 ditches on the return flight, the XXI Bomber Command’s first operational loss. Only 2 crewmen are eventually rescued.

Britain, Home Front

Goebbels having finally announced the V-2 rocket campaign on the UK, Churchill follows suit. At last the residents of southeast England have an explanation for the mysterious explosions of recent weeks.

Burma

On the British XXXIII Corps front, the 5th Indian Div completes the recapture of the area south of Tiddim, occupying Fort White, an important point on the Imphal-Kalemyo road and previously a Japanese strongpoint, without opposition. The British IV Corps is pushing directly south of Imphal downn the Kabaw Valley out on the western side of the Pondaung Range. Its objective is to reach Pakokku to the southwest of Mandalay, cutting off forces of the Japanese 15th Army as Britain's XXXIII Corps drives down on Mandalay from the north.

Eastern Front

German begins transferring 38,000 Jews from Budapest to concentration camps in Germany.

Italy

In the eastern sector of the front the Polish 3rd, Carpathian, Div of the Polish II Corps, British 8th Army enters Dovadola, while the 5th, Kresowa, Div pushes on toward Castroaro. The British V Corps makes new attacks south of Forlí.

Occupied Hungary

Deportations of Jews from Hungary resume, organized by the Germans and members of the Arrow Cross government. Some 70,000 Jews are marched from Budapest toward the Austrian border.

Pacific

• The US submarine Growler (SS-125) sinks due to unknown causes west of the Philippine Islands.
• The Japanese torpedo boat Sagi is sunk by the US submarine Gunnel (SS-253) in the Philippine Islands area.
• The US submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks the Japanese tanker Manei Maru (5226t) about 90 miles west of Manila.
• The US submarine Queenfish (SS-393) attacks a Japanese convoy off southern Kyushu and sinks the cargo ship Hakko Maru (1948t) and the auxiliary submarine chaser Ryusei Maru near Uji Gunto.
• The US submarine Redfin (SS-272) attacks a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea and sinks the merchant tanker No.2 Nichinan Maru (5226t).
• The US submarine Sea Fox (SS-402) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Keijo Maru (1051t) north of Okinawa.

Philippines

In the X Corps sector, not even the raging of a typhoon puts an end to the fierce fighting. More Japanese land at Ormoc, but the ships pull out before ammunition and supplies can be unloaded and are eventually sunk by US aircraft.

Western Front

The last German resistance on Walcheren is overcome by the Canadian 1st Army and the remainder of the garrison surrenders bringing the number of prisoners taken by the Allies during operations in the Scheldt estuary to 8,000.

The US XII Corps under Gen Alvan C. Gillem goes into the line on the left of the 12th Army Group. It consists of the 102nd Div except for the 406th Regt and the 84th Div.

The US 3rd Army begins an offensive around Metz and to the south. The eventual objective is the Saar. The XX Corps completes its final preparations for the attack in the Metz area with the 90th, 95th and 1st Arm Divs; the XII Corps will attack at dawn toward the Seille River with the 80th, 35th and 26th Divs. South of Metz the Seille is crossed and Nomony is taken.

Images from November 8, 1944

6-pdr Anti-tank Gun

Disembarking at Salonika

8 Commando Buffalo Enters Serooskerke

A Direct Hit on a Vessel Below