Air Operations, CBIBURMA
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, East Indies
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, EuropeThe Americans bomb rail targets at Coblenz and Bingen. RAF BOMBER COMMANDDaylight Ops: Minor Ops:
GERMANY:
GERMANY:
ITALY:
GERMANY:
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, Philippines
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Battle of the AtlanticThe US freighter Dan Beard is torpedoed and sun by U-1202 off the coast of Wales losing 17 of her 40-man crew and 12 of the 22 Armed Guard sailors in the attack. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() BurmaBritish 36th Div patrols advance into Indaw and Katha in Burma. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ChinaGen Albert C. Wedemeyer asks Chiang Kai-shek to order the Yunnan Force to capture Wanting, northeast of the Shweli valley, where the new Burma Road coming from Ledo is to link up with the route of the old Burma Road. The ICHI-GO offensive brings the Japanese victories not experienced elsewhere in the Far East. Throughout November, Japanese forces have occupied southern China up to the borders of French Indochina. When Japanese forces in China link up with their garrisons in Indo-China, Japan reaches the highest point of its expansion into the continent of Asia. It also provides a new supply route for the offensive through the Indochina to China rail link, which stretches across the entire length of China up into Mongolia. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Diplomatic RelationsFollowing the recent visit of Gen de Gaulle, Georges Bidault, the Foreign Minister and Gen Alphonse Juin to Moscow, a 20-year treaty of alliance is signed by French and Soviet representatives. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Occupied NorwayNorwegian paratroops, flown from Britain, destroy hundreds of rails and the Koppand Bridge, to prevent the withdrawal of German troops from northern Norway. This operation will last until January 5, 1945. [![]() ![]() ![]() PhilippinesOn Leyte the US 77th Division, with support from naval gunfire, clears Japanese defenders from Camp Downes and enters Ormoc City. Ormoc has been the main Japanese base on the island of Leyte. Over 1,500 Japanese are killed. US casualties are 136 killed, wounded, and missing. Japanese units attack Burauen airfield, temporarily forcing the garrison from the US 5th Air Force to withdraw. A counterattack restores the position. In the waters off Leyte kamikazes damage the American destroyer Hughes (DD-410) and sink the motor torpedo-boat PT-323. The US action on Leyte has followed three broad lines of advance: through the north of Leyte up the Leyte Valley; across the center toward Ormoc then northwest up the Ormoc Valley; and directly southward following the coastlines. Fighting is heavy, but the US soldiers are making steady progress. The plight of Gen Sosaku Suzuki's 35th Army on Leyte is desperate, especially now the fall of Ormoc has cut his troops off from naval supply. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Western FrontThe VII Corps, US 1st Army, mounts a co-ordinated offensive to liberate the west bank of the Rur River and the town of Düren, using 3 divisions of infantry, the 9th, 83rd and 104th, and 1 armored division, the 3rd. A powerful German counteroffensive aims at destroying the Dillingen bridgehead, and is held only with great difficulty. In the Saarlautern sector units of the 95th Div try to step up their attacks to get through to Fraulautern, but a surprise enemy counterattack frustrates their efforts. The 2nd Moroccan Div, I Corps, French 1st Army, completes the capture of Thann, and the 9th Colonial Div eliminates the last German bridgehead west of the Rhine between Kembs and the Swiss frontier. The VII Corps from 1st Army starts a powerful attack west of Aachen in an attempt to take Düren. 3rd Army's battles on the Saar continue. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Images from December 10, 1944
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
[December 9th - December 11th] |