Air Operations, Bonin Islands

6 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Futamiko while escorting US Navy photo-reconnaissance aircraft over Iwo Jima and the Bonins.

Air Operations, CBI

More than 60 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack shipping, troops, rail targets, and targets of opportunity in southern China, Burma, and Thailand.

• 10th Air Force fighter-bombers mount more than 100 effective sorties against numerous targets across northern Burma.
• 4 14th Air Force B-25s attack Man Pwe.
• 3 B-25s attack warehouses at Wanling.
• A 459th Fighter Squadron P-38 downs a Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter over the Mingaladon airfield at Rangoon around 1130 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command A-20s and FEAF fighter-bombers attack airfields and targets of opportunity on Ceram and Halmahera. A 418th Night Fighter Squadron P-61 crew downs a twin-engine bomber near Miti, Halmahera at 0429 hours.

Air Operations, Europe

• 1 Wellington flies an uneventful signals patrol.

• The 8th Air Force, 9th Air Force, and 15th Air Force are all grounded by bad weather.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers make one attack against a rail bridge at Padua.
• XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets north of the battle area and an oil pipeline crossing the Po River at Ostiglia.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 70 V Bomber Command A-20s mount pre-invasion attacks against Pegun Island.

Air Operations, Philippines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 attack Japanese warships and other vessels. A light cruiser and 4 destroyers are sunk.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Fabrica airfield on Negros.
• V Bomber Command B-25s and V Fighter Command P-38s attack Zamboanga City and the San Roque airfield on Mindanao.
• A small number of fighter-bombers attack the Legaspi airfield on Luzon.
• During the morning, US carrier-based fighter pilots down 1 E13A 'Jake' reconnaissance place and 1 P1Y 'Galaxy' bomber at sea and 15 assorted aircraft over Luzon's Clark Field and the Manila area.
• During the afternoon, US carrier-based fighters down a fighter and a C6N 'Myrt' reconnaissance plane at sea, and 14 fighters over the Luzon's Clark Field area.
• VF-15 F6Fs down anothe C6N 'Myrt' and 2 P1Y 'Galaxys' within 25 miles of the carriers between 1740 and 1755 hours.

CBI

In the British XXXIII Corps sector, the Indian 5th Division and East African 11th Division make contact with each other at Kalemyo, east of Tiddim and south of Kennedy Peak.

Eastern Front

The Germans evacuate Skopje in southern Yugoslavia. The Bulgarian 1st Army is advancing in this sector.

Army Group E is attacked by the 1st Bulgarian Army and is forced out of Skopje. This cuts the railway line between Salonika and the north, but fortunately for the Germans most of their forces have left this axis and are retreating along the coastal axis through Albania.

English Channel

3 Liberty ships are torpedoed by U-978.

Greece

The Greek armed forces are put under the British High Command.

Italy

In the British XIII Corps area, the Indian 8th Division renews its assault on Monte San Bartolo and takes it in hard fighting.

In the V Corps area, the 138th Brigade of the 46th Division expands the Montone bridgehead to the Monte Poggiolo area. The 128th Brigade takes San Varano. A depleted 167th Brigade, 56th Division, is committed on Highway 9, between the 4th and 46th Divisions.

Pacific

• The US Coast Guard Cutter Rockford (PF-48) and the minelayer Ardent (AM-340) sink the Japanese submarine I-38 about 100 miles west-southwest of Los Angeles, California.
• The US submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Gassan Maru (4515t) north-northwest of Etorofu, Kurils.

Palau Islands

The last elements of Japanese resistance on Bloody Ridge are wiped out.

Philippines

Aircraft from 3 squadrons of aircraft carriers commanded by Rear-Adm Frederick Sherman begin a series of attacks lasting 2 days against enemy shipping and installations in the area of Manila and the central strip of Luzon Island. This operation costs the Japanese the light cruiser Kiso and the destroyers Akebono, Akishimo, Hatsuharu and Okinami and auxilliary submarine chaser No. 116.

In the X Corps area, units of the 24th Infantry Division attempts a double envelopment of the Japanese defensive position on Breakneck Ridge. The 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry, and the 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry, reach Kilay Ridge behind the Japanese main line of resistance. However, heavy rain and thick jungle slow the attack on the ridge, and the units must withdraw. The battle for Kilay Ridge and Breakneck Ridge will continue for nearly two more weeks.

Western Front

The 90th Div, XX Corps, 3rd Army, has now crossed the Moselle north of Thionville and built a bridge at Cattenom. On the southern flank of the corps, the 5th Div advances toward Metz from the north.

Southeast of Metz, where forces of the US XII Corps are engaged, units of the 6th Arm Div, assisted by the 317th Regt of the 80th Div, advance towards Falquemont, while still further south elements of the 4th Arm Div, supported by the 35th Div, make for Morhange, and important road junction.

In the 7th Army sector, the XV Corps opens its offensive northeastward toward Sarrebourg with 2 divisions, the 44th and the 79th, one on the left of the advance and the other on the right, with cover on the north flank by the 106th Cav Regt. Faced with the advance by the VI Corps, the Germans prepare to withdraw from St Dié.

Churchill visits French troops in the Vosges.[WE]

Images from November 13, 1944

B-24s Over Burma

An American Patrol in the Hurtgen Forest

Examining German Equipment

442nd Regimental Combat Team

French 2nd Armored Division M10

South Lancashire Regiment In Action