Air Operations, Bonin Islands

17 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the town area at Okimura and shipping off Chichi Jima and Haha Jima.

Air Operations, CBI

• 10 10th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at Tangon, Tantabin, and Thegyaung.
• More than 50 10th Air Force P-47s support Allied ground forces around Bhamo and Pinwe.
• 21 P-51s attack rail facilities at Kanbalu and sweep roads around Ye-U.
• 16 P-47s attack the airfields at Anisakan and Nawnghkio and targets of opportunity.
• 3 P-47s attack an ammunition dump at Man Naung.
• 12 14th Air Force B-25s attack stores near Lashio.
• 8 B-25s attack Kutkai and Wanling.

• 2 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the port area at Kowloon.
• 32 14th Air Force fighter-bombers support Chinese Army ground forces near Chefang.
• Fighter-bombers mount more than 120 effective sorties against targets of opportunity in southeastern and southwestern China.

Air Operations, Europe

• 168 Lancasters of No 3. Group carry out a G-H raid through cloud on the Nordstern oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. The bombing appears to be accurate.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.

• 1 Hudson is on a Resistance operation and 4 Mosquitos are on Ranger patrols in the Heligoland area.
• There are no losses.

• 61 Mosquitos are sent to Hannover, 9 to Eisenach, and 6 each to Gottingen and Hagen, and 43 aircraft of No. 100 Group are on Mosquito patrols and RCM sorties.
• 1 Mosquito is lost on the Hannover raid.

• 134 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack a synthetic-okl plant at Gelsenkirchen.
• 1 of 83 VIII Fighter Command escorts is lost.

• Despite bad weather, 12th Air Force B-25s are able to provide limited support for the British 8th Army.
• Only 16 XXII TAC P-47s are able to cut the rail lines south of Bologna in six places.

• 81 15th Air Force B-24s attack several road and rail bridges.
• 13 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s drop supplies to Yugoslav partisans.
• 23 15th Air Force P-38s attack several road and rail bridges.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s attack the Matina airfield on Mindanao.
• A 35th Fighter Group P-47 downs an A6M Zero over Negros at noon.
• An 18th Fighter Group P-38 downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance over Negros at 1300 hours.

Battle of the Atlantic

The US freighter William D. Burnham is torpedoed by U-978 about 5 miles off Barfleur, France with the loss of 10 of the 26-man Armed Guard and 8 of the 41-man crew. The British escort drifter Fidget rescues survivors transferring most to the motor torpedo boat PT-461 and the wounded to the British destroyer Vesper. The salvage tug ATR-3 tows the freighter fo Cherbourg where she is beached and ultimately declared a total loss.

Canada, Home Front

Canada's Parliament, in special session, approve sending 15,000 draftees overseas to fill the depleted ranks of the Canadian army. Until now, only volunteers are abroad, and the French Canadians particularly oppose being drafted for combat service.

Eastern Front

In Hungary the railway center of Csap is finally captured by the Russians after several weeks of exceptionally bitter fighting. In the northern sector, the forces of the Leningrad Front crush the last German resistance on Saaremaa Island, so gaining control of the access to the Gulf of Riga. Macedonia in Greece is evacuated by the Germans.

The Soviet attacks around and toward Budapest are becoming bogged down as forward units outrun their supplies. North of the city there is heavy fighting in the Matra hills.

Italy

The Polish II Corps secures Monte Ricci. The V Corps consolidates bridgeheads across the Cosina. The Germans begin a withdrawal toward the next water barrier, the Lamone. The Indian 10th Division is strongly opposed, however, on the right flank of the corps along the Montone north of Highway 9.

Pacific

• The British Eastern Fleet is abolished. The older ships plus escort carriers will form the British East Indies Fleet. The modern ships are detached for service as the British Pacific Fleet.
• The US submarines Bang (SS-385) and Redfish (SS-395) attack a Japanese convoy in the Formosa Strait. Bang sinks the merchant cargo ship Sakae Maru (2878t) and transport Amakusa Maru (2340t); Redfish sinks the merchant cargo ship Hozan Maru (2345t).
• The US submarine Picuda (SS-382) attacks a Japanese convoy in Tsushima Strait sinking the merchant cargo ship Fukuju Maru (5291t).

Philippines

In the X Corps area, the 128th Infantry of the 32nd Division improves and consolidates positions south of Limon and for the next few days patrols actively. The 112th Cavalry, which has been patrolling the Monte Minoro area, is ordered southwestward toward Highway 2 to relieve the pressure on the 32nd Division. The Kilay Ridge sector is relatively quiet.

In the XXIV Corps area, the 77th Division begins unloading on Leyte and is assigned to the corps. The Battle of Shoestring Ridge opens as the Japanese attack a sector of the thinly spread 32nd Infantry, 7th Division, along the Palanas River, forcing a limited withdrawal.

Western Front

Gen Kurt Student, commanding Army Group H on the right of the German front, withdraws Gen Gustav-Adolf von Zangen's 15th Army toward central Holland in view of the rapid Allied advance.

The advance of the 2nd Armored Division, XIX Corps, 9th Army, toward Merzenhausen and Bournheim by the 29th Division provokes instant reaction by the divisions of the German 7th Army, whose counterattack continues for 3 days.

In the US 3rd Army sector, both the 90th Division, XX Corps, and the 6th Armored Division, XII Corps, are preparing to advance against the Saar.

The armor of the French 2nd Armored Division, XV Corps, US 7th Army, enters Strasbourg. The 3rd Division of the VI Corps reaches Saulxures and Saales and, supported by the 100th Division, attacks St Blaise. With the Rhine now occupied this far in the north and the French in control from Mulhouse to the Swiss border, a large area known as the Colmar pocket of Alsace is the only area in this part of France still held by the Germans.[WE]

Images from November 23, 1944

Tanks Enter Strasbourg

Thanksgiving Aboard the New Jersey

Thanksgiving in Waurichen, Germany

Thanksgiving in Waurichen, Germany

Air Raid in London

Liberation of Strasbourg

Liberation of Strasbourg

Passing Through Strasbourg