Air Operations, Carolines

22 11th and 30th Heavy Bomb group B-24s attack a fuel dump and the airfield in the Woleai Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

In their ongoing all-out effort to supply forward areas in the Burma and China regions, 10th Air Force transport aircraft complete more than 300 sorties to forward areas, a high so far for a month in which 200-plus sorties per day are commonplace.

• 12 10th Air Force B-25s attack supply dumps at Lashio.
• 56 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army ground troops, supplies, and targets of opportunity at Kawlin, Kutkai, Palaung, Sandaya, Tingkai, and around Kyaukmyaung and Shwebo.
• 12 fighter-bombers support Allied ground troops near Pinwe.
• 4 fighter-bombers attack bridges spanning the Sindaw River.
• 8 14th Air Force B-25s attack Hsenwi and Wanling.
• 15 14th Air Force P-38s and P-40s conducting armed reconnaissance missions over the Burma-China frontier area attack targets of opportunity around Wanling and Mangshih, China.

Air Operations, Europe

• 1 Wellington flies an uneventful signals patrol.

• Throughout the day, XXII TAC P-47s complete just 17 sorties against roads and rail lines north of the battle area.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack the benzol plant at Linz.

Air Operations, New Guinea

FEAF B-25s conduct pre-invasion attacks against Pegun Island.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s attack the Bacolod airfield on Negros.
• V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack shipping on Leyte near Ormoc and buildings and motor vehicles around Linao and Valencia.
• US carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 attack Japanese warships and other vessels, bringing its two-day score to 1 light cruiser, 4 destroyers, and 7 merchant vessels sunk. Also, the carrier aircraft have destroyed an estimated 75 aircraft in the air and on the ground.
• An 8th Fighter Group P-38 downs an A6M Zero near Tacloban, Leyte at 0740 hours. US carrier-based fighters down 10 Japanese fighters over Manila Bay and Manila between 0800 and 1145 hours.
• 8th Fighter Group P-38s down 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters and 5 A6M Zeross over the Alicante airfield on Negros between 1215 and 1220 hours.
• 2 VF-51 F6Fs down 1 B6N 'Jill' torpedo bomber 45 miles from the carriers at 1351 hours.
• A VF-20 F6F downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter over Clark Field on Luzon at 1430 hours.
• 2 VF-20 F6Fs down a C6N 'Myrt' reconnaissance plane 45 miles from the carriers at 1515 hours.

Britain, Home Front

ACM Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Allied C-in-C Southeast Asia (designate), is presumed killed in an air crash. Wreckage of his plane is discovered in the French Alps on June 4, 1945.

CBI

The Chinese 22nd Div occupies Man-tha, blocks the road to Bhamo and advances toward Si-u. 2 regiments of the Chinese 38th Div converge on Bhamo; the one meets stiff resistance from the Japanese in the Momauk area, about 7 miles from Bhamo, the other crosses the Taping River and advances east toward Bhamo.

Eastern Front

The 2nd Ukrainian Front is reinforces prior to the resumption of its attack upon Budapest. The 6th Guards Tank Army is ordered to operate in conjunction with the 7th Guards Army to encircle Budapest from the north. The 46th Army makes another effort to cross the Danube south of Budapest but is again repulsed.

Italy

In the V Corps area, the 4th Division reaches the Montone River in the region north of Highway 9. Advancing along the highway, the 167th Brigade of the 56th Division, crosses the Montone. South of Highway 9, the 46th Division continues toward the Samoggia River.

Norway

The Norwegian government in exile announces that Norwegian troops under the command of Col Arne Dahl have landed in Norway. They will operate against the Germans on the Arctic front, in conjunction with Russian troops of the Karelia Front. Since October 29, the German 20th Mountain Army has been dug in on a line west of Kirkenes and west of Lake Inari.

Pacific

• The Japanese auxiliary ship Kurasaki is damaged by the US submarine Raton (SS-270) in the South China Sea.
• The Japanese coast defense vessel No. 7 is sunk by the US submarine Ray (SS-271) also in the South China Sea.

• The US submarine Jack (SS-259) attacks a Japanese convoy sinking the merchant cargo ship Hinaga Maru and damaging the merchant tanker No.2 Yuzan Maru off French Indochina.
• The US submarines Batfish (SS-310), Raton (SS-270) and Ray (SS-271) attack a Japanese convoy off the northwest coast of Luzon. Raton damages the supply ship Kurasaki north-northwest of Cape Bolinao and sinks the merchant tanker No.5 Unkai Maru (2841t); Ray sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.7 northwest of Cape Bolinao.
• The US submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Gyokuyo Maru (5396t), previously damaged by Barb (SS-220) on November 12.
• The Japanese ship Heiyo is sunk by mine, Adang Bay, Indonesia.

Palau Islands

Troops of the 81st Inf Div re-occupy Ngeregong. They meet no Japanese resistance which has been crushed by air and naval actions.

Philippines

The US 32nd Division, previously under orders to occupy the southern part of Samar Island, next to Leyte, is now sent to relieve the 24th Division, exhausted by the hard fighting on Breakneck Ridge, still not wholly in American hands.

The 1st Cavalry Division, reinforced by the 112th Cavalry, fights in the Mount Badian area, in terrain that is covered with thick-forested hills.

In the XXIV Corps area, the 32nd Infantry of the 7th Division is ordered to start northward to the Damulaan-Caridad area and upon order to advance upon Ormoc.

Western Front

In the British 2nd Army sector, the XII Corps begins attacks to eliminate the German holdings west of the Maas around Nederweert between Venlo and Roermond.

On the right of the Allied line, where the US 3rd Army is operating, units of the 90th Div, XX Corps, enter Oudrenne and Distroff, east of Thionville. East of the Moselle, in the same area, units of the 95th Div reach Haute-Yutz and open the assault on Fort d'Illange. In the XII Corps sector, the units of the 4th Arm Div and 35th Div, advancing on Morhange, capture Destry and Baronville.

On the south of the Allied front the I Corps of the French 1st Army begins the offensive, name Operation INDEPENDENCE, toward Belfort, attacking with the 2nd Moroccan Div supported on the left by the 5th Arm Div and on the right by the 9th Colonial Div.[WE]

Yugoslavia

Bulgarian and Yugoslav troops occupy Skopje, evacuated by the Germans the previous day. The town was th main German strongpoint in Yugoslav Macedonia during the retreat from Greece.

Images from November 14, 1944

Mustangs in Flight

Infantry-Tank Team of French 5th Armored Division

Avro Lancaster Mk 1

B-25 Mitchell