Air Operations, CBI

• 10 10th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at Hsipaw and Namhkai.
• 13 10th Air Force P-47s attack the airfield at Lashio.
• 7 P-47s support Allied ground forces in the Bhamo area.
• 4 P-47s attack 2 bridges at Ho-hko.
• Fighter-bombers attack troops, supplies, and town areas at 6 locations.
• 4 14th Air Force P-38s attack a bridge at Hawng Luk.

• 6 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack stores at Kunlong.

• 5 14th Air Force P-51s attack a bridge and buildings near Huizan.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-25s attack airfields in the Molucca Islands.
• Various FEAF aircraft mount light attacks against airfields on Boeroe and Halmahera, and shipping throughout the region.

Air Operations, Europe

• 138 Lancasters of No. 3 Group set out on a raid to Siegen, but are recalled because bad weather prevents their fighter escorts from taking off.
• 17 Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron attack the E-boat pens at Ijmuiden with 12,000-lb Tallboys, but a smoke-screen hinders the bombing and no results are seen.
• There are no losses.

• 327 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to Ludwigshafen. The target area for this raid is the northern part of Ludwigshafen and the small town of Oppau in which two important I. G. Farben chemical factories are located. Severe damage is caused and fierce fires are started. The Oppau factory ceases production completely. 5 other industrial firms are also badly hit. Some damage is also caused to housing areas around the various factories, but this is not serious. Damage is also caused to installations and ships at the nearby Rhine quays.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.

• 62 Mosquitos are sent to Hannover, 11 to Osnabrück and 3 to Duisburg, 15 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes lay mines off northeastern Denmark, and there are 38 Mosquito patrols and 31 RCM sorties.
• 1 mine-laying Lancaster is lost.

Air Operations, Philippines

• Covered by 5th Air Force bombers and fighter-bombers, Task Group 77.12 TBMs and FMs, and Marine Air Group 12 F4Us, elements of the US 6th Army land near San Jose, Mindoro, without opposition. An airstrip at San Jose (renamed Hill Field) is captured. Airfield construction is begun at once at San Jose and at a new site (Elmore Field) by two USAAF engineer aviation battalions and an RAAF airfield construction squadron.
• Task Group 77.12 TBMs and FM fighter-bombers attack airfields in the central Philippines and provide support for US 6th Army ground forces on Mindoro.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Puerto Princesa airfield on Palawan.
• B-24s and V Bomber Command B-25s attack the San Roque and Sasa airfields on Mindanao.
• V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack a fuel dump at San Fernando, Luzon.
• Japanese aircraft based on Luzon and Mindanao mount several attacks against the Mindoro invasion fleet, beginning at 0812 hours. Despite the best efforts of escort-carrier FM pilots and V Fighter command pilots, 2 LSTs are mortally damaged and several other vessels are damaged, including the escort carrier USS Marcus Island. The 2 LSTs, which sink during the day, are carrying the equipment of the 8th Fighter Group and 418th Night Fighter Squadron to Mindoro.
• A VF(N)-41 F6F downs a Ki-45 'Nick' fighter over Luzon at 0615 hours.
• A VC-21 FM downs an A6M Zero within 10 miles of a friendly convoy at 0710 hours.
• The V Fighter Command’s Maj Richard I. Bong downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' figther over Panubulon Island at 0811 hours.
• VMF(N)-541 F6Fs down 1 D3A 'Val' dive bomber, 2 D4Y 'Judy' dive bombers, and 1 A6M Zero near Negros between 0805 and 0840 hours.
• VMF-211 F4Us down 4 A6M Zeros over San Jose, Mindoro, at 0900 hours.
• Escort-carrier FMs down 3 fighters over friendly ships between 0900 and 0915 hours.
• 49th and 475th Fighter group P-38s down 8 A6M Zeros in several engagements over Mindoro and Panay between 0850 and 1015 hours.
• Fighters from Task Force 38 carriers down 1 E13A 'Jake' reconnaissance plane, 3 A6M Zeros, 1 Ki-61 'Tony' fighter, and 1 D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber over Luzon between 0800 and 1045 hours.
• A VC-21 FM downs a D3A 'Val' dive bomber over the Silay airfield on Negros at 1310 hours.
• When bad weather fouls airfields and prevents the planned relief of Task Group 77.12 by 5th Air Force aircraft based on Leyte, the escort carriers are ordered to remain on station off Mindoro for an extra day.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

13 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Iwo Jima.

Burma

During the night, the Japanese garrison of Bhamo manages to filter across the Chinese lines. The Chinese 38th Div occupies the town. The British 19th and 36th Divs meet at Indaw, and set up a continuous front against the Japanese in northern Burma.

In the Arakan, the 82nd West African Div captures Buthidaung.

Eastern Front

Units of the Red Army cross the Ipel River, north of Budapest, and establish a bridgehead in Czechoslovakian territory at Sahy.

Philippines

On Mindoro after the usual barrage from naval guns, the US 24th Div, reinforced by a parachute battalion, lands on Mindoro at 7:35a.m. Gen William C. Dunckel is in command. The landing is carried out on the southwest coast of the island, which is immediately south of Luzon, in the area of San Augustin. The Americans advance 8 miles inland without meeting any resistance and they man the perimeter of their beachhead and start at once to construct an airfield.

Japanese aircraft attack the transports and escort ships, sinking two landing ships, LST-472 and LST-738, and damaging the escort carrier Marcus Island (CVE-77), two destroyers, the Paul Hamilton (DD-590) and the Howarth (DD-592) and the motor torpedo-boat PT-223, kamikazes being responsible in every case.

In the waters of the Philippines, American aircraft sink a transport, No. 106, and the coast defense vessel No. 54. A Japanese destroyer, the Momo, is sunk by the submarine Hawkbill (SS-366).

On Leyte the Americans begin liquidating some pockets of resistance in the Ormoc area, but do not pursue their operations against the main body of the enemy, now concentrated north and northwest of Ormoc.

Western Front

The 90th Div, XX Corps, 3rd Army, moves in to capture Dillingen and the bridge over the Prims River on the road linking Dillingen with Saarlautern. There is then a lull in operations in the sector, and the 90th Div suspends its attack. The 95th Div continues to advance in the Saarlautern bridgehead. Units of the 35th Div capture Habkirchen.

In the southern sector of the front, the French 1st Army attacks the positions of the German 19th Army west of the Rhine in the Colmar area. 7th Army enters Germany from Alsace.

Images from December 15, 1944

7th Army soldiers view bunker 13 of the Maginot line 'Ouvrage Hochwold' near Climbach, France. 15 December 1944. 2nd Platoon, Company ‘ F’., 2nd Battalion. 411th Infantry Regiment, 103rd Infantry Division

Maginot Line Bunker

German Soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge (December - 1944

On the morning of December 15, 1944, aircraft from the USS Hornet again attacked the Oryoku Maru as it was moving across Subic Bay toward Olongapo Point. This time one bomb made a direct hit on the hatch of the aft cargo hold killing about 250 POWs. Later that morning the surviving POWs were allowed to jump off and swim to shore

Another Attack on the Oryoku Maru

Detail from the picture above showing the splashes in the water as the POWs were swimming to shore.

POWs Swimming to Shore

Lt-Gen Montagu Stopford commanded 33rd (XXXIII) Corps during the Battles of Imphal and Kohima (7 March-18 July 1944). For his services he was knighted by the viceroy of India Lord Wavell at a ceremony at Imphal

Gen Stopford Being Knighted

Two young, startled Germans captured in Zimmerat, Germany by the U.S. 78th Infantry Division (December 15, 1944)

Captured Germans

Tiger II, sPzAbt506, Captured - 15 December 1944

A barrage of rockets is unleashed against enemy beach defenses as the first wave of US assault units heads for Mindoro Island in the Philippines

Rocket Attack on Beach Defenses

LST-738 burning after she was hit by a kamikaze off the Mindoro landing beaches, 15 December 1944. USS Moal (DD-693) is nearby. Note the hole in LST-738’s starboard side, just forward of the large '738' painted there. Smoke in the left distance may be from LST-472, which was also hit by the kamikaze attack.

LSTs Hit by Kamikazes

6th South African Armored Division move with mules through La Quercia, Italy on 15 December 1944

Moving with Mules through La Quercia

Members of the Coldstream Guards after battle for Monte Sole. 5/MM-44-32426. Fifth Army, La Quercia Area, Italy. Tired and sleepy members of the Coldstream Guards attached to the 6th South African Armored Division, reach La Quercia on their way back to the rear for a few days rest. These men fought several days taking, losing and retaking a hill just under Monte Sole, South of Bologna on Route 6620. (Photo by Baker. 3131 Signal Service Co.) Near Madonna della Quercia, Italy. 15 December 1944

Members of the Coldstream Guards after Battle for Monte Sole

80-G-294574: USS LST-472, left burning after being hit by Japanese suicide plane during operations off Mindoro, Philippines, 15 December 1944. USS PCE-R 851 and USS Hopewell (DD-681) answer the call for help and assist in fighting the fire and picking-up survivors from the water.

USS LST-472 Burning after the Attack