Air Operations, Bonin Islands

30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping near Chichi Jima and at Haha Jima.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 10th Air Force B-25s attack the airfield at Kawlin.
• 42 10th Air Force P-47s attack troops, supplies, motor vehicles, and targets of opportunity.
• 20 P-47s support Allied ground forces around Pinwe.
• 16 P-47s attack bypass bridges at Kawnghka and Namhkai.
• 12 P-47s attack targets of opportunity along the Burma Road in northern Burma.
• 8 P-47s attack the airfield at Anisakan.
• 8 P-47s attack rail facilities at Kyaikthin.
• 14th Air Force B-25s and fighter-bombers attack Man Pwe and Wanling.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 14th Air Force figther-bombers attack Mangshih and Tingka.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 51st Fighter Group fighter-bombers attack Nam Dinh, Quang Yen, and Thanh Hoa.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-24s attack Tanamon, Celebes.
• B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity on Celebes and Halmahera.

Air Operations, Europe

• 177 Lancasters of No. 3 Group carry out a G-H attack on the oil plant at Dortmund. The raid, through thick cloud, is believed to have been accurate.
• 2 Lancasters are lost.

• There are 2 Ranger patrols in the Copenhagen area and there are 5 RCM sorties.

• 36 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 6 each to Gotha and Wanne-Eickel, 5 to Karlsruhe and 4 to Scholven/Buer, and there are 30 Mosquito patrols and 29 RCM sorties.
• 1 Mosquito is lost on the Berlin raid.

• Bad weather again prevents operations by the 8th Air Force, the 9th Air Force, the 12th Air Force, and most of the 15th Air Force.

• 15th Air Force B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Innsbruck and a synthetic-fuel plant at Linz.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack German Army troop concentrations around Novi Pazar.

Air Operations, New Guinea

FEAF B-25s and fighter-bombers support Allied amphibious landings in the Mapia Islands 150 miles north of Noemfoor Island. Opposition is very light.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s attack three airfields on Mindanao.
• B-24s and V Fighter Command P-38s attack the La Carlota airfield on Negros.
• V Bomber Command B-25s attack the Lahug airfield on Cebu.
• B-25s and fighter-bombers attack shipping off western Leyte and targets of opportunity on Cebu.
• FEAF P-38s attack targets of opportunity on Cebu.
• 8th Fighter Group P-38s down 3 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over Negros between 1215 and 1220 hours.

Burma

The Chinese 38th Div blocks all access roads to Bhamo. The Chinese 22nd Div, its manpower increased by the attachment of the US 475th Inf, advances on Si-u.

In the western sector, where the british XXXIII Corps is operating, the 5th Indian Div occupies Kalemyo, evacuated by the Japanese.

Eastern Front

Jasberény, 30 miles east of Budapest, is taken by the Russians.

The 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts penetrate into Army Group South's defenses, Jaszbereny falling to the 6th Guards Tank Army. South of Budapest, another attempt to cross the Danube fails.

Italy

Patrols from the 8th Indian Div, XIII Corps, 5th Army, enter Modigliana, where they make contact with units of the Polish II Corps, British 8th Army.

A general strike paralyzes the city of Turin, taking the German occupying forces by surprise.

Mapia Island

This small island 160 miles north of the west end of New Guinea is occupied by a regt of the US 31st Div, 8th Army, supported by gunfire from a British and American squadron commanded by Adm Lord Ashbourne. The small Japanese garrison, long since isolated, is overcome with little difficulty.

Pacific

• The US submarine Barbel (SS-316) attacks a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea about 250 miles east of Tourane, French Indochina, and sinks the transports Misaki Maru (4422t) and Sugiyama Maru (4379t).
• The US submarine Guavina (SS-362) sinks the abandoned Japanese cargo ship Yutaka Maru (2704t) damaged the day before by Navy carrier-based aircraft off Mindoro.
• The US submarine Jack (SS-259), operating in the South China Sea, sinks the Japanese transports Nichiei Maru (5396t) and No.2 Yuzan Maru (6839t).
• The US submarine Queenfish (SS-393) attacks a Japanese convoy at the southern entrance of Tsushima Strait and sinks the army cargo ship/aircraft transport Akitsu Maru (9185t).
• The Japanese supply ship Kurasaki sinks as the result of damage inflicted by US submarine Raton (SS-270) the day before north-northwest of Cape Bolinao, Luzon.

Philippines

The 6th Army Commander, Lt-Gen Walter Krueger, presents his approved concept for the invasion of Luzon to his subordinate commanders. The 6th Army is to land and secure beachheads at Lingayen and Damortis, seize the central plains and capture the capital city of Manila, then establish bases for further operations against the Japanese empire.

The 6th Army is organized into two corps, I Corps under command of Maj-Gen Innis P. Swift (6th, 43rd, 32nd, and 33rd Infantry Divisions) and XIV Corps under command of Maj-Gen Oscar W. Griswold (40th and 37th Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Divisino, and 112th Cavalry RCT). The units in reserve are the 6th Ranger Battalion, the 13th Armored Group, the 25th Infantry Division and the 138th RCT. Naval forces totaling 850 ships are under command of Vice-Adm Thomas C. Kinkaid and divided into three groups: the Luzon Attack Force (Task Group 77) under Vice-Adm Kinkaid, the San Fabian Task Group (Task Group 78) under Adm Barbey, and the Lingayen Task Group (Task Group 79) under Adm Wilkinson. Vice-Adm Kinkaid's task group provides naval and air bombardment of the landing beaches. The 6th Army will land with two corps abreast with four assault divisions (6th, 43rd, 37th, and 40th Infantry Divisions), and the 25th Infantry Division, the 158th RCt, the 13th Armored Group, and the 6th Ranger Battalion in reserve. The landing, designated as S-day is scheduled for January 9. The XIV Corps will make the main effort to Manila, while I Corps holds Japanese forces in northern Luzon near the Caraballo Mountains. The 158th RCT will reinforce I Corps at San Fabian, and the rest of the 6th Army reserve forces will be ready to land at S+2.

United States, Home Front

The senior commanders of the armed forces are promoted en masse to new ranks of 'General of the Army' and 'Admiral of the Fleet'. Each will be identified by a '5-star' insignia.

Western Front

Troops of the 95th Div, XX Corps, 3rd Army, on the east of the Moselle, are assigned to Col Robert L. Bacon's task force moving south in the direction of Metz.

Further north the 5th Div reinforces its positions and prepares for the final attack against Metz.

In the US XII Corps sector units of the 4th Arm Div reach the Metz-Sarrebourg railway at the same time as the 35th Div, which has arrived by way of Morhange, which has been abandoned by the Germans. In the US 7th Army sector, the 44th Div, XV Corps, advances toward Avricourt and the 79th Div reaches Halloville. The 100th Div, VI Corps, penetrates into the enemy's positions in the region north of Raon-l'Etape, some 6 miles northwest of St Dié, against which the 103rd Div is preparing to advance from the southwest. The French 1st Army under Gen Jean de Lattre de Tassigny continues to advance toward Belfort.

Images from November 15, 1944

South African Soldiers in Italy

Moving into the Veggio Area

German Anti-aircraft Position

Drying Socks and Blankets

Men of 6th South African Armored Division

Two King Tiger Tanks

Fifth Army, Veggio Area

Members of the 477th Anti-aircraft Artillery