Air Operations, Bonin Islands

15 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack port facilities and the town area at Okimura, and shipping throughout the Bonins.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 10th Air Force B-25s attack several bridges at Lashio.
• 33 P-47s attack troops, motor vehicles, and supplies at four locations.
• 16 P-47s strafe airfields at Anisakan, Nawnghkio, and Onbauk.
• 16 P-47s sweep the rail line between Hsipaw and Sedaw.
• 10 P-47s support Allied ground forces near Meza.

• 3 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the port area at Kowloon.
• 15 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s organized into flights of 2 or 3 aircraft attack a bridge at Tingka and towns on both sides of the China-Burma frontier.
• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers mount more than 100 effective sorties against numerous targets in southeastern and southwestern China, especially around Changsha and Mangshih.
• 311th Fighter Group P-51s down 3 Ki-27 'Nate' fighters near Chengting at 1155 hours.
• Japanese Army ground forces strike in the vicinity of Kweilin and Liuchow and advance toward Kweiyang, from which they will be able to pose a serious threat to the Hump ferry terminals at Kunming and Chungking.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-24s and B-25s conduct heckling missions against various targets in northeastern Celebes.
• V Bomber Command B-25s support Allied ground forces in the Mapia Islands.

Air Operations, Japan

4 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack the Suribachi airfield. 1 B-24s is forced to land in the USSR.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s, including the VII Bomber Command’s 494th Heavy Bomb Group, attack the Legaspi airfield on Luzon, the Likanan airfield on Mindanao, and the Sasa airfield on Mindanao.
• B-25s and V Bomber Command B-25s conduct heckling missions against various targets in the central Philippines.

China

The Japanese begin to advance from the area of Kweilin and Liuchow toward Kweiyang. If they can conquer Kweiyang, the road will be open to Kunming, the Chinese 'terminus' of the Burma Road, and to the Nationalist capital, Chungking.

Eastern Front

German resistance ends in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Pacific

• The Japanese escort carrier Jinyo is sunk by the US submarine Spadefish (SS-411) in the Yellow Sea. The first torpedo out of 4 hit the stern, instantly disabling the turbo-electric motors and stopping the carrier. The impact detonated the poorly protected fuel tanks and caused a tremendous explosion and fire. Other hits follow, and Jinyo becomes a blazing inferno, begins to list rapidly to starboard and settle aft. More than 700 of her crew of 900 are killed.
• At this stage of the Pacific campaign, the US submarine war has been boosted by increasing numbers of British submarines being deployed from the Atlantic and Mediterranean to the Pacific. An admiralty statement on Nov 15 reveals that British submarines have sunk 69 Japanese vessels in 5 days.
• The Japanese submarine I-26 is sunk by aircraft from the US escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) and the destroyer escort Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415) in the Philippine Sea.
• The Japanese torpedo boat Hiyodori is sunk by the US submarine Gunnel (SS-253) in the South China Sea.

Western Front

Operation QUEEN continues. In the southern sector of the XIX Corps, the 30th Div reaches Würselen, 6 miles north of Aachen.

In the southern sector of the front the offensive by Gen Patton's 3rd Army is developing: the 10th Arm Div, XX Corps, fans out to pursue the Germans across the Saar while the 95th and 5th Divs continue to advance toward Metz. The units of the XII Corps prepare for the final assault toward the Saar. During the night the Germans begin a general withdrawal.

Southeast of Lunéville, the 100th Div, XV Corps, 6th Army, prepares to attack Raon from the north, while during the night patrols from the 103rd Div penetrate into St Dié. The divisions of the French 1st Army, advancing on Belfort, reach Héricourt, Montbéliard and Hérimoncourt.

Images from November 17, 1944

German Prisoners Captured by 53rd (Welsh) Division in Holland, 17 November 1944

Soldiers of 4th Corps rest with their mules after crossing the Chindwin River near Sittaung before pushing east to link up with the 36th Division, 17 November 1944

Soldiers of 4th Corps Rest

Men of the 378th Infantry, 95th Division Enter Metz, 17 November 1944

Squadron OA-10A 'Cat' SerNo 44-33876 and crew on their way to affect a rescue (Courtesy Mary Wientjes)

Heading for a Rescue

2nd Emergency’s (Rescue Squadron) OA-10A 'Cat' Serial Number 44-33876 on her take-off run after rescuing a downed pilot (Courtesy Mary Wientjes)

Rescuing a Downed Pilot

An M4 Sherman of Company I, 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division has amassed quite a pile of shell packing tubes while providing fire support near Vicht, Germany, 17 November 1944

An M4 Sherman

Citizens of Vacqueville, France survey a burnt out Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.J from 1./Pz.Rgt.22/21 Panzer Division, 17 November 1944. The armor over the driver’s visor has a scar and much of the Zimmerit is missing, which is a testament to the ferocity of city fighting for tank crews

Surveying a Burnt Out Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.J

B-17 Flying Fortress 'K' 42-107034 of the 457th Bomb Group 751st Bomb Squadron, 'Rampant Pansy' crash landing November 1944

B-17 Crash Landing