Air Operations, Bonin Islands

12 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping off Chichi Jima; and 2 B-24s attack barges off Haha Jima.

Air Operations, CBI

• 30 10th Air Force P-47s attack Japanese Army troops and supplies at Lashio, Naungmo, and Nawngmoloi.
• 16 P-47s sweep the rail line between Kanbalu and Sagaing.
• 16 P-47s strafe the airfields at Hsumhsai and Nawnghkio.
• 11 P-47s support Allied ground forces around Pinwe.
• 4 P-47s attack rail facilities at Meza.

• 23 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Changsha.
• 8 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Lohochai and the Wanling, Burma area.
• More than 70 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets in southeastern China and in the China-Burma frontier area.
• A 51st Fighter Group P-51 downs a Ki-61 'Tony' fighter near Suchow during the noon hour.

• 16 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack four towns.

Air Operations, East Indies

• XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack Japanese warships in Brunei Bay, Borneo.
• FEAF B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack the Kendari airfield on Celebes, the Namlea airfield on Boeroe, and various targets on Halmahera and in northeastern Celebes.
• 3 B-24s are lost over Brunei Bay.
• V Bomber Command B-25s support Allied ground forces in the Mapia Islands.

Air Operations, Europe

In the heaviest aerial attack of the war in support of a ground operation, 10,000 tons of bombs from 1,200 8th Air Force planes and 1,100 Lancasters and Halifaxes obliterate the fortified towns of Düren, Julich and Heinsberg and the defense line west of Düren and east of Aachen. The bombing is a prelude to an offensive by the US 1st and 9th Armies to drive to the Rur River.

• Bomber Command is asked to bomb 3 towns near the German lines which are about to be attacked by the American 1st and 9 Armies in the area between Aachen and the Rhine. 1,188 Bomber Command aircraft attack Düren, Jülich and Heinsburg in order to cut communications behind the German lines. Düren is attacked by 485 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 5 and 8 Groups, Jülich by 413 Halifaxes, 78 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitos of Nos. 4, 6 and 8 Groups and Heinsberg by 182 Lancasters of No. 3 Group. 1,239 American heavy bombers also make raids on targets in the same area, without suffering any losses. More than 9,400 tons of high-explosive bombs are dropped by the combined bomber forces. The American advance is not a success. Wet ground prevent the use of tanks and the American artillery units are short of ammunition because of supply difficulties. The infantry advance is slow and costly.
• For Bomber Command, 3 Lancasters are lost on the Düren raid and 1 Lancaster on the Heinsberg raid.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s, V Bomber Command B-25s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack airfields, harbors, shipping, amd targets of opportunity in the central Philippines and on Mindanao.
• A 421st Night Fighter Squadron P-61 crew downs an A6M Zero near Ormoc Bay at 0920 hours.
• 3 other P-61 crews damage 3 other A6M Zeross at the same time in the same area.
• 49th Fighter Group P-38s down 7 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter in the Leyte area at 1730 hours.

Burma

The British 36th Div is still held up by the firm resistance of the Japanese in the Pinwe area.

Belgium, Politics

Over the next few days there are political quarrels between the Belgian government and representatives of the resistance movement. On November 16 3 ministers resign because of these problems. On the 17th there are meetings between Allied representatives and the ministers in which it is agreed to try to have the resistance surrender their arms. On the 18th the resistance agree to this and it is announced on the 20th.

Eastern Front

Yet again the 46th Army tries to cross the Danube at Csepel Island but fails to gain a foothold.

Philippines

On Leyte fighting continues in the Breakneck Ridge area. The US 24th Div advances from Jaro, in the east of the island, toward Ormoc on the west coast.

Western Front

There are heavy Allied air attacks in preparation for offensives by US 9th and 1st Armies. The US 9th and 1st Armies launch a co-ordinated offensive, called Operation QUEEN to seize the flat country north of Aachen, between the Wurm and Rur Rivers. Units of the XIX Corps, 9th Army, advance north of Aachen toward the Rur, with the 2nd Arm Div on the left making for Jülich, the 29th Div in the center moving on Aldenhoven and the 30th Div on the right in the Würselen sector. The divisions of the VII Corps, US 1st Army, the 104th, 3rd Arm and 4th, move toward Düren, east of Aachen.

In the US 3rd Army sector all the divisions of the XX and XII Corps continue to advance. Units of the 6th Arm Div and two regiments of the 80th Div, XII Corps, launch an offensive against Faulquemont, overrunning units of the German 1st Army and taking 1,200 prisoners.

Images from November 16, 1944

The Center of Düren after the Bombing Attack of 16 November 1944

Signalman from 117th Inf Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, Saint Barthelemy, France

Fleet Air Arm Fitters in Training, RAF Station, Hednesford, Staffordshire, 16 November 1944

Capt. Airosa da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, B.E.F. [Bralizian Expeditionary Force], after being awarded the Bronze Star by Lt. General Mark W. Clark, C.G. Fifth Army. Photo by Thompson. BEF.” Italy. 16 November 1944

Bronze Star Recepient

Group of B.E.F. [Brazilian Expeditionary Force] soldiers gather around shell hole on the porch of the BEF command post building. There were no casualties, 16 November 1944. (Photo by Thompson

Soldiers Gather Around Shell Hole

General Joao Batista Mascarenhas, C.G. B.E.F. [Brazilian Expeditionary Force], pinning the Brazilian Military Order of Merit on Capt. Wilson Dickerman, Gardner, Mass. [Massachusetts], Field Artillery Officer with the B.E.F., for outstanding work with the B.E.F. Photo by Thompson. BEF. Italy. 16 November 1944

Brazilians Being Awarded Military Order of Marit

Members of the 169 Engineers drilling rock in preparation for blasting. This rock is used for road maintenance and construction on the Italian front. Photo by McWhirter. 3131 Signal Service Co. Italy. 16 November 1944

Drilling Rock in Preparation for Blasting

Vertical aerial photograph showing six Handley Page Halifaxes flying over the blazing target area during a daylight attack on a rail center north of the River Rhine

Daylight Attack on a Rail Center