Air Operations, CBI

• 4 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s equipped with a total of 28 Azon guided bombs destroy 2 bridges on the Prome-Taungap road with 16 direct hits, a bridge at Okshitpin with 8 direct Azon hits, and still another bridge with 4 direct hits.
• 17 10th Air Force B-25s attack troops and supplies at Kyatpyin.
• 28 10th Air Force P-47s attack troops and supplies at 7 locations.
• 12 P-47s attack 4 bridges at 3 locations.
• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in eastern Burma.

• 4 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge near Kengtung.
• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in the Ka-chun, Ichang, Shanhsien, and Shayang area.

• 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge, rail cars, and tracks near Thanh Moi.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-25s attack barges and supplies at Haroekoe, Ceram.
• Fighter-bombers mount punishing attacks against airfields on Celebes and northern Borneo.
• FEAF bombers and fighter-bombers attack oil installations, shipping, and targets of opportunity across the East Indies.

Air Operations, Europe

• 13 Lancasters of No. 617 Squadron set out to bomb the U-boat pens at Ijmuiden, but the raid is abandoned because of bad weather.

• 356 Halifaxes, 93 Lancasters and 21 Mosquitos of Nos. 4, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to Cologne to attack the area in which the Kalk-Nord railway yards are located. The presence of cloud causes difficulties for the Pathfinders and the outcome of the raid could not be observed. The local report, however, shows that the Kalk-Nord yards, as well as the 2 passenger stations nearby, are severely damaged. At least 2 ammunition trains blow up. Nearby Autobahns are also badly damaged, all adding to the effect upon the German transportation system.
• 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster are lost.
• 154 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group attack a German supply bottleneck in a narrow valley at Houffalize. The results of the raid are not known.
• 1 Lancaster crashes in France.

• 68 Mosquitos are sent to Hannover, 9 to Bochum and to Duisburg, 11 Lancasters lay mines off Heligoland, 21 aircraft are on Resistance operations, and there are 36 Mosquito patrols and 32 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• 393 1st Bomb Division B-17s, 354 2nd Bomb Division B-24s, and 504 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack rail bridges and marshalling yards throughout western Germany.
• 4 B-17s and 2 of 528 VIII Fighter Command escorts are lost.

• All 9th Bomb Division bombers and IX TAC aircraft are grounded due to bad weather, but several hundred XIX TAC and XXIX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers are able to attack ground targets and support US Army ground forces in western Germany, eastern Belgium, eastern France, and Luxembourg.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack lines of communication in and around Brenner Pass, bridges, and an ammo dump.
• XII TAC P-47s support the US 5th Army and attack bridges.
• During the night, XXII TAC A-20s attack numerous targets in the Po River valley.

Air Operations, Philippines

• The Mindoro-bound convoy that was under attack throughout December 28 and 29 reaches its objective under the protection of numerous V Fighter Command and Marine Air Group 12 fighters. In 72 hours since entering the Surigao Strait, the convoy has been attacked 49 times by individual and groups of Japanese land-based bombers and fighters. Despite the air cover during unloading operations, 5 D3A 'Val' dive bombers mount a successful attack on the ships at 1540 hours. 2 destroyers, an aviation gasoline tanker, and the PT-boat tender serving as the convoy flagship are hit by bombs or 'Vals' themselves. 59 men are killed aboard the tender, which is eventually saved, and 8 are killed aboard the tanker, which burns to the waterline. During the night, another cargo ship is sunk off Mindoro by aerial bombs.
• 22nd Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Clark Field on Luzon.
• FEAF B-24s, V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack shipping, airfields, and targets of opportunity throughout the Philippines.
• 418th and 419th Night Fighter squadron P-61 crews down 1 G4M 'Betty' bomber, 2 A6M2-N 'Rufe' float planes, and 1 Ki-84 'Frank' fighter in the Mindoro area between 0034 and 0707 hours.
• 8th Fighter Group P-38s down 2 Japanese fighters over Mindoro at 1535 and 1730, respectively.
• A VMF-211 F4U downs an A6M Zero over Luzon at 1620 hours. During the night, 9 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Tuguegarao airfield on Luzon at low level.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

14 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Iwo Jima.

Atomic Research

Gen Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, reports that the first 2 atomic bombs should be ready by August 1, 1945.

Burma

In the British XXXIII Corps sector, the British and Indian forces take Kaduma.

Eastern Front

The fighting in and around Budapest continues. Russian units from both 2nd and 3rd Ukraine Fronts are involved.

Red Army artillery (100 guns) commences a massive barrage against Pest, accompanied by infantry assaults of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.

English Channel

U-772 was operating in the English Channel and on December 29 she attack Convoy TBC-1 sinking one merchant ship and damaging another. While withdrawing from this attack her periscope and snorkel are spotted by Wellington 'U' of No 407 Squadron RCAF. Six depth charges are dropped after illuminating the U-boat's masts with the Leigh Light. There were no further ASV contacts.

U-772

Pacific

The US submarine Razorback (SS-394) attacks a Japanese Manila-to-Takao convoy about 60 miles southeast of Formosa sinking the destroyer Kuretake and damaging cargo ships Brazil Maru and Oi Maru.

Philippines

On Mindoro a second American supply convoy reaches the island; it has been heavily attacked on the way by Japanese aircraft, damaging 3 merchant ships, 3 tank landing craft, 2 vehicle landing craft and 2 destroyers including the Pringle (DD-477) and the Gansevoort (DD-608). The auxiliary vessel Porcupine (IX-126) is hit so badly it must be sunk by US forces. Once again, it is the death-defying kamikazes who do the damage.

On Leyte the Americans attack in force in the Palompon area, and during the night the Japanese withdraw most of their forces from the sector.

Western Front

The VIII Corps from Patton's 3rd Army begins a new attack northwest from a line between Bastogne and St Hubert. Houffalize, a small Belgian town 3 miles from the border with Luxembourg, is the objective. Trying to cut the road south from Bastogne to Arlon, the Germans reach Lutrbois and surround Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, cutting off some units of the US 35th Div.

Images from December 30, 1944

Opening Christmas Presents

The Battle of Pearl Ridge

Road Repair near Lizzano, Italy

Clearing a Road

M1917 .30 Cal US Machine Gunners

Japanese Float Plane, the Aichi E13A 'Jake'

Task Group 38.2 underway from Ulithi

Scouting Mission in Luxembourg