US NAVY
PACIFIC—Mine sinks infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-459
off west side of Peleliu reef.
Motor
torpedo boat PT-371, damaged by grounding off northwest coast of
Halmahera, 02°05'N, 127°51'E, is sunk by demolition charges.
Submarine Bang
(SS-385) attacks Japanese shipping off east coast of Formosa, sinking
tanker No.2 Toosei Maru and damaging Coast Defense Vessel No.30, 24°54'N,
122°23'E.
Submarine Redfin
(SS-395) sinks Japanese fishing vessel Nanko Maru, 05°36'N,
122°16'E.
Submarine Scabbardfish
(SS-397) damages Japanese submarine tender Jingei, 80 miles
northwest of Okinawa,27°45'N, 127°00'E.
Submarine Shad
(SS-235) sinks coast defense ship Ioshima (ex-Chinese cruiser Ning
Hai) 85 miles off Hachijo Jima,33°40'N, 138°20'E.
Saipan-based
USAAF B-24s pound Japanese shipping off Chichi Jima, damaging landing ship T.153
and small cargo vessel Tsukiura Maru.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
EIGHTH AF—Nearly 800 B-17’s are dispatched against targets
in NW Germany. Weather prevents about half from bombing primary targets but
most manage to bomb secondaries or targets of opportunity. Over 650 B-17’s bomb
10 marshalling yards and several bridges, railroads, factories, barges, storage
areas, city areas and numerous scattered targets of opportunity in NW Germany.
6 fighter groups furnish support. 4 P-51 groups supporting First Allied
Airborne Army in the Netherlands engage well over 100 fighters, downing 23. 9
P-51’s are lost. As UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle mission continues, over 90 B-17’s
and their fighter group take off from USSR, bomb marshalling yard at Szolnok,
and fly to Fifteenth AF bases in Italy.
NINTH AF—Bombers hit marshalling yards in Duren area to
prevent reinforcements from reaching Aachen area by rail. IX TAC supports US V
Corps in repelling counterattack at Wallendorf bridgehead, supports Operation
MARKET- GARDEN and flies armed reconnaissance in W Germany. XIX TAC escorts light
bombers and medium bombers, flies cover both for MARKET-GARDEN and in Brest and
Nancy areas, and armed reconnaissance over Metz area.
TWELFTH AF—Bad weather grounds medium bombers. Fighter
bombers hit guns and defensive positions along Gothic Line and attack roads and
bridges in Bologna area.
FIFTEENTH AF—96 B-24’s attack railroad bridges at Kraljevo
and Mitrovica. 70 P-38’s provide target area cover.
TENTH AF—18 B-24’s fly fuel to Liuchow and Chengkuing. Troop
carrier transports fly over 100 sorties carrying men and supplies to several
CBI locations.
FOURTEENTH AF—28 B-25’s bomb Lingling, Lengshuitang,
Chuanhsien, Sinning, and Shanhsien. 150-plus P-40’s and P- 51’s pound numerous targets
of opportunity during armed reconnaissance flights from Tungting Lake-C Yangtze
R area to the S China Sea. The fighter bombers particularly concentrate on road
transport in Changsha area and supply dumps, buildings, and trucks near
Sintsiang.
FEAF—Striking all principal targets in NE Celebes, B-24’s,
B-25’s, and P-38’s hit Amoerang port area, Menado fuel tanks and shipping
personnel areas and AA guns at Mapanget and Sidate, bivouac, supply areas, and
lookout towers along Lembeh Strait, Langoan airfield, and Kakas rest camp.
SEVENTH AF—29 Saipan-based B-24’s blast shipping at Chichi
Jima. 24 P-47’s bomb and strafe AA positions and storage areas on Pagan. 3
B-24’s on snooper and armed reconnaissance missions bomb Iwo Jima and Marcus.
ELEVENTH AF—2 B-25’s fly shipping sweep over Tomari Cape. 4
B-24’s off to strike Kurabu Cape turn back due to weather and mechanical
failures.
US ARMY
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s 2
Corps area, 4th Armored Division is clearing region W of Ghent–Terneuzen Canal
and S of Leopold Canal on W flank of corps. Polish armor secures bridgehead
across Canal de Hulst.
In British
Second Army area, poor weather conditions sharply curtail airlift and support
of ground forces.
In 1 Airborne
Corps area, situation in Arnhem sector grows worse: enemy constricts British perimeter
W of the town, the small force at N end of the bridge is still isolated,
weather conditions prevent scheduled drop of Polish 1st Parachute Brigade, and
food and ammunition resupply falls into enemy hands. Guards Armored Division of
30 Corps, upon making contact with U.S. 82d Airborne Division at Grave, joins
with Americans in effort to take bridges at Nijmegen in order that advance to
Arnhem can go on. Simultaneous attacks on the rail and highway bridges are
halted by enemy a little short of objectives. 82d Airborne Division repels
light probing attacks against Nijmegen–Groesbeek ridgeline and gains firm
control of Cleve–Nijmegen highway. In 30 Corps area, Guards Armored Division is
engaging enemy at Nijmegen. U.S. 101st Airborne Division maintains defensive positions
at Eindhoven, Son, St Oedenrode, and Veghel, turning back determined
counterattack toward Son. Enemy resistance near Best collapses, but the village
itself remains in German hands. Enemy bombers, about 100 strong, attack
Eindhoven after nightfall, inflicting heavy casualties on civilians and British
troops within the town but none on Americans stationed outside. This is the
only time during fall of 1944 that long-range enemy bombers attack on large
scale in the West. In 12 Corps area, 53d Division, attacking from Lommel
bridgehead, reaches Eindhoven– Turnhout road near Cuizel; elements take Veldhoven
and make contact with 50th Division at Mereveldhoven. In 8 Corps area, 11th Armored
Division pushes northward to Leende and patrols to Heeze from 3d Division’s
bridgehead.
12th Army
Group: In U.S. Ninth Army area, VIII Corps successfully concludes Brittany
campaign as 8th Division finishes clearing Crozon Peninsula and captures Maj
Gen Hermann Bernhard Ramcke, fortress commander of Brest.
In U.S.
First Army’s XIX Corps area, TF Stokes reaches interarmy boundary, where 99th Infantry
Battalion remains as defense force; rest of TF reverts to parent unit. 2d Armored
Division drives through Gangelt toward Geilenkirchen, forcing salient between
two German armies, but enemy restores contact during counterattacks. Corps
faces West Wall and prepares to attack it on 20th. In VII Corps area, Combat
Command A of 3d Armored Division gains lower slopes of Muensterbusch ridge with
attached Battalion of 16th Infantry, 1st Div; Combat Command B and TF Hogan
continue futile efforts to take Weissenberg Hill. 47th Infantry, 9th Division,
remains under light enemy attacks at Schevenhuette; 39th Infantry, in
Lammersdorf corridor, pushes more than a miles toward Rollesbroich, where it is
contained by enemy, but continues to fight indecisively for Hill 554. In V Corps
area, 1st Battalion of 12th Infantry, 4th Division, falls back a little under
counterattack SW along Schnee Eifel highway; later regains former positions and
some ground beyond. Germans also counterattack flanks of 5th Armored Division’s
Wallendorf bridgehead, but IX TAC planes go into action and force enemy back in
disorder. Nevertheless, it is decided to reduce bridgehead perimeter. Combat
Command B of 5th Armored Division and a fresh Battalion of 112th Infantry, 28th
Division, are to relieve Combat Command R and the original Battalion of 112th
in the reduced perimeter.
In U.S.
Third Army’s XX Corps area, Combat Command R of 7th Armored Division, after
hard fighting at edge of Sillegny, enters and finds the town vacated by enemy, but
is forced out again by extremely heavy fire and enemy counterattack; Combat
Command B drives into Seille loop and takes Longueville but is unable to take
Cheminot, from which its positions are threatened. Massing forces at
Coin-sur-Seille, enemy columns move forward to counterattack but are checked by
air and arty. 3d Cavalry Group, reinf, is designated TF Polk and given mission
of protecting Moselle R line between Grevenmacher and Thionville. Battalion of
5th Division is alerted for attack on Fort Driant, but for various reasons the
attack is postponed from day to day. In XII Corps area, 80th Division is
continuing costly efforts to expand Dieulouard bridgehead. Furious enemy
counterattack drives TF Sebree from Pain de Sucre, but enemy is driven back
beyond Agincourt. 137th Infantry, 35th Division, begins drive through Forêt de
Champenoux toward Amance Hill, a key feature, but is stopped at
Château-Salins–Nancy highway. Combat Command A of 4th Armored Division, which
is spread thin in Arracourt area and has elements at Lunéville, checks series
of tank-infantry assaults aimed at Nancy. More than 40 enemy tanks are
estimated to be knocked out in this action. German spearheads are blunted at
Lézey, on ridge W of Bezange-la- Petite, and at Rethicourt-la-Petite. The force
from Lunéville rejoins Combat Command A to assist in mopping up. Meanwhile,
Combat Command B begins attack NE toward Saarbruecken, attempting to fIndian suitable
route of advance. Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division, relieves Combat
Command R, 4th Armored Division, at Lunéville. XV Corps gets advance elements across
Mortagne R. 313th Infantry, now on left flank of 79th Division, crosses at
Xermaménil, where rear-guard opposition is overcome; 314th reaches the river at
Gerberville but calls off attack on the town after dark; Germans withdraw,
night 19–20. Combat Command D, French 2d Armored Division, crosses near Vallois
and reconnoiters to the Meurthe at Vathiménil, which it captures. Germans order
their thin line to withdraw behind the Meurthe during night since Mortagne line
has been pierced at various points.
6th Army
Group: Commanders conference is held at Lyon to plan for future operations. French
Army B is renamed French 1st Army.
In U.S.
Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, 45th Division, whose relief by French 1st Division
continues, prepares for drive to the Moselle at Epinal on left flank of corps.
FINLAND—Signs armistice with Allies in Moscow. Soviet-Finnish
boundary of 1940 is restored, but Finland yields Petsamo to USSR and leases Porkkala
headland to USSR as a military base. Russians yield rights to Hangoe.
Reparations are to be paid by Finland, and Allies are to have the use of Finnish
ships and airfields.
ESTONIA—Troops of Third Baltic Front overrun Valga, on
Estonian-Latvian border. Other Soviet forces are approaching Tallinn and Riga.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 435th AAA Battalion
of TF 45 reaches Montrone on coast and 434th AAA Battalion drives to
Pietrasanta, NE of Montrone. In II Corps area, 34th Division is still checked
on left flank of corps, but 91st and 85th Divisions pursue enemy northward
toward the Santerno, hampered more by lack of roads than by Germans.
In British
Eighth Army area, 10 Corps releases Indian 10th Division to Eighth Army. As
regrouping ends, corps front is held by a hodge podge of small units, with
Wheeler Force disposed on left flank, 1st Guards Brigade of 6th Armored
Division in center, and LIndian Force and Household Cavalry on right. Activity
must necessarily be confined to patrolling. 5 Corps continues to battle Rimini
Line, meeting particularly stubborn opposition in vicinity of Ceriano, but 46th
Division succeeds in breaching line during night 19–20 at Torraccia after
crossing the Ausa at Serravalle. In Canadian 1 Corps area, British 4th Division
seizes Acqualina feature. 1st Division begins outflanking maneuver against S.
Fortunato, night 19–20, and by dawn has this strongpoint surrounded.
CBI—Two messages arrive at CBI Theater hq, one from
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to Chiang Kai-shek about
decisions of OCTAGON Conference and the other a personal message in plain terms
from Roosevelt to the Generalissimo demanding action. Latter is delivered
personally by Gen Stilwell and greatly angers Chiang Kai-shek.
MOROTAI—Work is begun on bomber strip, dubbed Wama Drome,
at Gotalalamo. Pitoe Drome becomes known as Pitoe Crash Strip.
PALAUS—On Peleliu, enemy on peaks of central ridge
continues to hold up 1st and 7th Marines; however, elements of 1st, advancing
along East Road, push through Asias village. 5th Marines secures E arm of the
island with little difficulty. On Angaur, 81st Division commits 321st Infantry and
3d Battalion of 322d to main effort of clearing S Angaur and splitting enemy
forces there. Little opposition is met as assault forces establish line across
S Angaur from Garangaoi Cove eastward, but some resistance is bypassed on SE
coast. 322d Infantry ( — ) starts N up W coast from vicinity of the phosphate
plant.
US MARINE CORPS
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