Air Operation, Bonin and Volcano Islands

17 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based on Guam attack Iwo Jima and 7 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Haha Jima and Iwo Jima while escorting photo-reconnaissance aircraft over the area.

Air Operation, CBI

• 32 10th Air Force P-47s support Allied ground forces in the Bhamo area.
• More than 30 fighter-bombers attack troops, ammunition and fuel dumps, supplies, and heavy equipment at or near Hopaw, Indaw, Loipao, Man Kat, and Namhpai.
• 18 P-47s attack two road bridges.
• 9 P-47s sweep the rail line between Shwebo and Wuntho.
• 6 P-47s attack several rail bridges.
• 4 P-47s attack a ferry landing at Myitson with delay-fuse bombs.
• During the night, 4 10th Air Force B-25s attack a rail bridge at Tangon.

• 5 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a bridge at Pengpu with delay-fuse bombs.
• 4 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 10 14th Air Force P-51s attack stores at Sintsiang.
• 67 fighter-bombers attack warehouses, rail targets, and shipping in southern China and eastern Burma.

Air Operation, East Indies

• FEAF B-24s mount strong attacks against Mandai and Malimpoeng, Celebes.
• B-25s attack 4 airfields on Halmahera.

Air Operation, Europe

• 183 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups are sent to bomb the small town of Heimbach in the Eifel region. This raid is probably in support of an American ground attack in this area. The Master Bomber and the Pathfinders can not identify the target and the Lancasters are ordered to abandon the raid.
• There are no losses.
• 1 Hudson is involved in a Resistance operations.

• 11 Oboe Mosquitos bomb a steelwork in Hallendorf without a loss.

• 9th Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support US Army ground forces in western Germany.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers are able to attack a bridge near Mantua.
• 350th Fighter Group mounts 60 effective sorties in support of the US 5th Army.

• A total of 85 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack an industrial area in Linz, marshalling yards at Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Villach, and a goods depot at Vienna.

• 14 15th Air Force heavy bombers drop supplies to partisan forces.

Air Operation, Japan

73 of 86 73rd Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s dispatched attack an aircraft factory and targets of opportunity in Tokyo. 6 B-29s are lost to defending ighters.

Air Operation, New Guinea

V Bomber Command A-20s attack Point Noejaw.

Air Operation, Philippines

V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Palompon and airfields in the Masbate area. A 475th Fighter Group P-38 owns a D3A 'Val' dive bomber near Ormoc, Leyte, at 1707 hours.

Atlantic

The US freighter Francis Asbury is mined in the Schelde River losing 9 of her 41-man crew and 6 of her 28 Armed Guard sailors. There are also 46 injured in the 2 groups. The ship drifts aground off Ostend, Belgium, where she is sunk by gunfire as a menace to navigation.

Britain, Home Front

The volunteer defense force, the Home Guard, is 'stood down' from service since it is not now needed to watch for a German invasion.

Burma

In the British XXXIII Corps sector, the 11th East African Div establishes a bridgehead over the Chindwin near Kalewa, and the 20th Indian Div also crosses the Chindwin in the area of Mawlaik.

China

The Japanese 11th Army, short of reinforcements, breaks off its unauthorized advance towards Kweiyang, in Kweichow province, south of Chungking.

Eastern Front

In Hungary, Miskolc, northeast of Budapest and a key position in the German defensive line and an important industrial center, is taken by troops from 2nd Ukraine Front.

Miskolc falls after heavy fighting.

Greece

Police open fire on demonstrations in Athens sponsored by the communist EAM party and the situation degenerates into open fighting. On December 4 martial law is declared as the fighting continues. On Churchill's orders, Gen Ronald Scobie crushes the revolt. During December 5 British tanks are used in the fighting and British warships shell EAM positions near Piraeus. The fighting goes on for most of the month but the former guerillas are no match for the British troops in an open battle. Stalin keeps his agreement with Churchill and does not send any help to the communists.

Italy

8th Army begins a new offensive in the direction of Bologna on a 3 corps frontage with the right flank of the advance resting on the Adriatic coast. The Polish II Corps is on the left, the V Corps is in the center making for Santerno along Highway 9 and the Canadian I Corps is on the Adriatic coast.

Pacific

• The US destroyer Cooper (DD-695) is sunk, possibly by torpedo from escort destroyer Kuwa, but not before Cooper and destroyers Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) and Moale (DD-693) sink Kuwa and damage her sistership Take. PBYs pick up Cooper's survivors that night and the next day.
• The US submarines Pampanito (SS-383), Pipefish (SS-388), Sea Cat (SS-399) and Searaven (SS-196) attack a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea off the coast of French Indochina in heavy seas and poor visibility. Pipefish probably torpedoes and sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.64; Pampanito torpedoes army cargo ship Seishin Maru; Sea cat or Searaven torpedoes the tanker Harima Maru.

Philippines

On Leyte the 1st Cavalry Division attacking south from Carigara clears Japanese defenses and links with the 32n Infantry Division near Highway 2. Logistics problems are limiting the X Corps advance. Roads are nonexistent or marginal and cease to exist when the rains come, which is often. Supplies reaching the front-line soldiers have to be removed by individuals and small groups over treacherous paths and steep jungle mountainsides.

The 128th Infantry Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division passes through the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division and attacks to clear Japanese positions south of the ridge.

United States, Planning

Adm Nimitz requests that the JCS delays the attack on Iwo Jima (Operation DETACHMENT) to February 19 and Okinawa (Operation ICEBER) tp April 1.

Western Front

In the British 2nd Army sector, with the capture of Blerick, on the west bank of the Maas opposite Venlo, by the XII Corps, the whole region west of the river has been cleared of Germans.

The XIII Corps of the American 9th Army reaches the Rur River capturing Flossdorf, while in the US 1st Army sector Task Force 'Hamberg' of the 5th Arm Div reaches Brandenberg. Units of the 95th Div, XX Corps, US 3rd Army, capture the last bridge over the Saar and a large part of the town of Saarlautern, while other elements of the division head for the Saar River. Since the bridge was captured intact, permitting the 379th Regt to break across the river. The unit goes on to capture the first bunkers of the Siegfried Line. As a result Hitler dismisses Gen Otto von Knobelsdorff, commander of the 1st Army, blaming him for the penetration of the West Wall.

While the 44th Div, XV Corps, US 7th Army, is held up near Raaswiller(?) by fire from units of the German 19th Army, the 45th Div takes Zinswiller.

Images from December 3, 1944

Bodies of Unarmed Protestors

Kangaroo Armored Personnel Carrier

Dead or Wounded Unarmed Protesters

Preparing Artillery Barrage