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Post by emron on Dec 18, 2019 20:20:56 GMT 12
18 December 1939
Uruguay: Yesterday, Kapitan Hans Langsdorff ordered the destruction of all important equipment aboard the Admiral Graf Spee and the remaining ammunition supply was dispersed throughout the ship, Today the ship, with only Langsdorff and 40 other men aboard, moved into the outer roadstead. A crowd of 20,000 watched as the scuttling charges were set; the crew was taken off by an Argentine tug and the ship was scuttled at 20:55. The multiple explosions from the munitions sent jets of flame high into the air and created a large cloud of smoke that obscured the ship which burned in the shallow water for the next two days.
18 December 1944
Philippine Sea: Typhoon Cobra; USN Task Force 38 had been operating 300 miles east of Luzon and was attempting to refuel its ships, in particular the lighter destroyers which had small fuel tanks. As the weather worsened, it became increasingly difficult to refuel, and the attempts had to be discontinued. Because of 100mph winds, high seas, and torrential rain, three destroyers; USS Hull, Spence and Monaghan either capsized or were sunk after water flooded down their smokestacks and disabled their engines. 790 lives were lost and only 91 survived from these crews. Many other ships of TF-38 suffered various degrees of damage, especially to radar and radio equipment which crippled communications within the fleet. Several carriers suffered fires on their hangars and 146 aircraft were wrecked or blown overboard. Nine ships including one light cruiser, three light carriers and two escort carriers suffered enough damage to be sent for repairs.
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Post by emron on Dec 19, 2019 20:22:37 GMT 12
19 December 1944
Belgium: Because of the German Ardennes counteroffensive, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief 21st Army Group, abandoned a plan to employ XXX Corps, British Second Army, in the Nijmegen, Netherlands area and ordered it to assemble in the Louvain-St Trond-Hasselt region to hold the Meuse River line. The Germans reached the Stavelot and Houffalize areas, with U.S. forces holding their ground in between near Gouvy and St. Vith. The U.S. 101st Airborne Division dug in defensive positions 3-4 miles from Bastogne.
Pacific Ocean: In the East China Sea, the Japanese aircraft carrier HIJMS Unryu was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Redfish (SS-395) about 204 nautical miles north-west of Naha, Okinawa. This was the first war voyage for HIJMS Unryu. The ship was carrying a special cargo of 30 Yokosuka MXY7 Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 11 rocket propelled suicide aircraft before being sent on her way to confront the U.S. invasion forces in the Philippine Islands. The first torpedo struck Unryu on the starboard side under the bridge; the second torpedo struck 15 minutes later under the forward elevator setting off the deadly Ohka bombs and aviation gas stored in the lower hangar deck. The detonations blew the bow area apart. After the boiler rooms flooded, the ship listed to over 30 degrees and the order to abandon ship was given. Minutes later, with a 90 degree list, the carrier sank bow first. There were only 147 survivors of the 1,241 crew and unknown number of passengers. Redfish was damaged in the resultant depth charging, and was forced to terminate her patrol.
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Post by emron on Dec 20, 2019 20:31:50 GMT 12
20 December 1939
Argentina: Buenos Aires; The officers of the Admiral Graf Spee were held in the Naval Hotel overnight. Kpt.z.S. Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the cruiser, was found dead in his room this morning, wrapped in the ensign of his ship. He had left letters written to his family and superiors. He would later be buried in the German section of La Chacarita Cemetery.
20 December 1944
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander of the Pacific Fleet and Commander of the Pacific Ocean Area, was promoted to the (five-star) rank of Fleet Admiral. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe was promoted to the rank of General of the Army.
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Post by nuuumannn on Dec 20, 2019 22:17:03 GMT 12
20 December 1939 Argentina: Buenos Aires; The officers of the Admiral Graf Spee were held in the Naval Hotel overnight. Kpt.z.S. Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the cruiser, was found dead in his room this morning, wrapped in the ensign of his ship. He had left letters written to his family and superiors. He would later be buried in the German section of La Chacarita Cemetery. The last resting place of Kapt Hans Langsdorff. River Plate 63His ceremonial sword on display in Montevideo. River Plate 50
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Post by emron on Dec 21, 2019 9:30:32 GMT 12
21 December 1944
Today, Henry H. Arnold, Commanding General Army Air Forces was promoted to the rank of General of the Army. His was the final 1944 appointment to the rank. Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, William D. Leahy was promoted to Fleet Admiral on December 15, the most senior of the seven men who received five-star rank in 1944. On December 16, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, George C. Marshall became the first American Army general to be promoted to five-star rank, the newly created General of the Army – the American equivalent of Field Marshal. Ernest J. King, Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations was promoted to Fleet Admiral on December 17. Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area was promoted to General of the Army on December 18. Followed by Admiral Nimitz December 19 and General Eisenhower December 20.
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Post by emron on Dec 22, 2019 18:29:04 GMT 12
22 December 1944
Belgium: Battle of the Bulge: Trapped here in a network of road links were several thousand lightly-armed men of the 28th Infantry and 10th and 101st US Airborne Divisions. With one infantry and two Panzer divisions around the town, General Heinrich von Lüttwitz dispatched a party, consisting of a major, a lieutenant, and two enlisted men under a flag of truce to deliver an ultimatum. Entering the American lines south-east of Bastogne (occupied by Company F, 2nd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry), the German party delivered to Brig-Gen Anthony McAuliff a demand to surrender within two hours. The official reply was typed and delivered by Colonel Joseph Harper to the German delegation. It was as follows: To the German Commander. NUTS! The American Commander.
Despite McAuliffe's relaxed defiance the American position remained precarious, both here and elsewhere. A Panzer force passing north of Bastogne was headed for Ourtheville and Celle, within striking distance of Dinant and Namur. Further north the Americans, having lost 8,000 of some 22,000 men at St. Vith were pulling back. Eisenhower did not believe Patton when he promised that he would be at Bastogne by today; he had to disengage his men from battle on the Saar front, execute a 90 degree change of course and move over 130,000 vehicles 75 miles to the north. His Third Army has done just that.
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Post by emron on Dec 23, 2019 20:05:34 GMT 12
23 Dec 1944
Germany: About 500 Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs attacked rail bridges, communications targets, villages, a rail junction and targets of opportunity; fighters flew bomber escort, armed reconnaissance, and patrols and support ground forces between Werbomont, Belgium and Butgenbach, Germany along the northern battle line of the Bulge and the U.S. III, VIII, and XII Corps forces along the southern battle line of the Bulge. Belgium: In the U.S. Third Army area, improving weather conditions permitted extensive air support, particularly in the Bastogne area, where 260 USAAF IX Troop Carrier Command C-47 Skytrains dropped 334 tons of supplies in parapacks on several drop zones inside the besieged American positions at Bastogne. In the VIII Corps area, the Germans continued to press in slowly on Bastogne. In the III Corps area, Combat Command A of 4th Armoured Division cleared Martelange and continued 2 miles up the Arlon-Bastogne highway while Combat Command B, on a secondary road, drove to Chaumont, from which it was ousted in a counter-attack. The German forces that have bypassed Bastogne do not have the strength or supplies because of the growing effectiveness of Allied air support. The US 101st in Bastogne holds out.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: On Mindoro Island, a new airfield, called Ellmore Field, on the south bank of the Bugsanga River, was ready for limited use.
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Post by emron on Dec 24, 2019 14:18:12 GMT 12
24 December 1944 Sunday (Christmas Eve)
United Kingdom: 45 modified Heinkel He111s launched 31 V1 bombs aimed at Manchester; 17 reached the area, killing 32 people and injuring 49.
English Channel: U-486 torpedoed SS Leopoldville, 7.5 miles north-northeast from the port of Cherbourg, France at 1754. The 11,509-ton Belgian troopship was transporting 2235 American soldiers from regiments of the 66th Infantry Division, The ship finally sank 2 1/2 hours later. Everything that could went wrong; calls for help were mishandled, rescue craft were slow to the scene and the weather was unfavourable. Official records put the number of men lost at 802 but the exact number is not known due to the hurried departure at 0900 hours from Southampton and the disorganized boarding procedures.
Germany: A high pressure front across western Europe brought clear weather and the Eighth Air Force launched Mission 760, a maximum effort against airfields and communications in western Germany. This was the largest air strike of the war with 2,034 heavy bombers (1,400 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 634 B-24 Liberators) and 853 fighters dispatched; they bombed over 65 targets. Additionally, the 9th Air Force flew 1,157 effective fighter and fighter-bomber sorties. During the day RAF Bomber Command dispatched 338 aircraft, 248 Halifaxes, 79 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos, to attack Lohausen Airfield at Dusseldorf and Mülheim Airfield at Essen; During the night of 24/25 December, 104 Bomber Command Lancasters were dispatched to bomb Hangelar Airfield at Bonn; In a second raid, 97 Lancasters and five Mosquitos were sent to bomb the Nippes marshalling yard at Cologne.
Belgium: The German 2nd Panzer Division reached Dinant by days end. The lead unit, KG Cochenhausen, reached the small village of Foy-Notre Dame about 5 miles short of the Meuse River bridges at Dinant. This will be the farthest penetration during the offensive. They could go no further and abandoned their vehicles, walking back to their own lines. The US 1st and 3rd Armies along with the British XXX Corps, 29th Armoured Brigade and the 101st Airborne had halted the German offensive. In the U.S. Third Army's VIII Corps area, heavy fighting continued around Bastogne perimeter. The town was badly damaged by air attacks but 160 IX Troop Carrier Command C-47 Skytrains dropped 160 tons of supplies.
Hungary: The eastern outskirts of Budapest was the scene of heavy fighting between the Germans and Russians. The Red Army narrowed the German escape gap from Budapest to less than 20 miles. Moscow revealed that the Third Ukrainian Front, in a three-day-old offensive, has achieved a breakthrough south-west of Budapest in the Lake Velencei-Danube River sector and had surged forward 25 miles, overrunning more than 160 towns and villages; with the capture of Szekesfehervar and Biske, key points in the outer defences of Budapest, the western escape routes from the besieged city were closed. Other troops of this front were pushing in on Budapest from the south-west. Volcano Islands: 50 Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators from the Mariana Islands struck Iwo Jima and 17 P-38 Lightnings made a low-level strafing attack on the island. Twentieth Air Force's XXI Bomber Command flew Mission 15: 29 Mariana Island-based B-29 Superfortresses were dispatched to attack two airfields on Iwo Jima; 23 hit the primary targets and one hit an alternate target without loss. USN Task Group 94.9, the heavy cruisers USS Chester, Pensacola and Salt Lake City with nine destroyers, followed the USAAF bombing raids on Iwo Jima by shelling the airstrips and other installations there; destroyers USS Case and Roe sank Japanese fast transport T.8 and landing ship T.157. Commonwealth of the Philippines: In the U.S. Sixth Army's X Corps area on Leyte, the 1st Cavalry Division continued steadily west against scattered resistance, the 12th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry) wading swamps in its sector. The 32nd Infantry Division, with the 127th and 128th Infantry Regiments in assault, started west toward the coast on northern flank of the corps, slowed more by terrain than resistance. Far East Air Forces B-24 Liberators bombed Clark Field on Luzon Island and Puerto Princesa Airfield on Palawan Island. B-25 Mitchells bombed Silay Airfield on Negros Island and on Mindanao Island, hit San Roque barracks, the Zamboanga waterfront, and Davao Bay shipping. Again FEAF aircraft on miscellaneous small operations attacked many targets throughout the Philippine Islands. P-47 Thunderbolt pilots shot down 33 Japanese fighters over Luzon between 1015 and 1150 hours; four P-47s were lost. During the night of 24/25 December, a Japanese bomber destroyed a 100,000 U.S. gallon storage tank at Hill Field on Mindoro Island. As a result, flight operations were restricted from this base for several weeks.
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Post by emron on Dec 25, 2019 9:12:33 GMT 12
25 December 1944
In his message broadcast from Buckingham Palace, King George VI spoke of hope, saying that "the lamps which the Germans had put out all over Europe were being rekindled and were beginning to shine through the fog of war."and “now that the darkest days of the war were past, we could hope that the story of liberation and triumph would be complete before next Christmas. He added that "at this Christmas time we think proudly and gratefully of our fighting men wherever they may be. May God bless and protect them and bring them victory" adding as well his good wishes to the sick and wounded in hospital and the medical staff caring for them, and of prisoners of war and the relatives at home waiting for them to return. He also spoke of the hard work and sacrifice of people throughout the Empire who have helped bring victory nearer and of the goal of creating after the war "a world of free men, untouched by tyranny.
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Post by emron on Dec 26, 2019 9:48:53 GMT 12
26 December 1944
Belgium:.In the fast-gathering darkness a detachment of engineers manning the southern perimeter defences of Bastogne reported the approach of three armoured vehicles "believed friendly." They were Shermans from Patton's 4th Armoured Division (Combat Command R) which had fought its way up through Luxembourg. Thus the German siege of the town, where five main roads met, was lifted. In the U.S. First Army area, the army halted the German's westward drive short of the Meuse River. The German supply lines were now overextended, and stalled armour became a lucrative target for aerial attacks. For the past three days since the cloud lifted, the Germans have been mercilessly pounded from the air, and Major-General "Ligntning Joe" Collins's armour and infantry, joined by British armour, have smashed the German spearhead at Celles. Today the Panzer remnants began pulling back. Ninth Air Force bombers attacked road junctions, rail bridges, rail head, communications and casual targets in the breakthrough area as the German's westward drive ends short of the Maas River; fighters fly escort, armed reconnaissance, sweeps, and support the U.S. III and VIII Corps south of Bastogne. During the day, the weather at last improved and allowed RAF Bomber Command to intervene in the Ardennes battle. 294 aircraft were dispatched to attack German troop positions near St Vith; 278 actually bombed. The bombing appeared to be concentrated and accurate.
Hungary: The Soviet Third Ukrainian Front virtually closed the ring around Budapest; capturing the fortress city of Esztergom.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: In the South China Sea, the Japanese "Intrusion Force" under Rear Admiral Masanori Kimura, consisting of the heavy cruiser HIJMS Ashigara, light cruiser HIJMS Oyodo, three destroyers and three escort destroyers, approached Mindoro Island, to bombard the beachhead. USAAF Far East Air Forces B-25 Mitchells, P-38 Lightnings, P-40s, and P-47 Thunderbolts and USN PB4Y Liberators and PBM Mariners successively attacked the force. They damaged heavy cruiser HIJMS Ashigara (near-misses), light cruiser HIJMS Oyodo, destroyers HIJMS Asashimo, Kiyoshimo, and Kasumi, and escort destroyers HIJMS Kaya and Kashi. However Kimura’s force was able to proceed and carried out its bombardment mission, then encountered U.S. motor torpedo boats; PT-77 was damaged, probably accidentally bombed by friendly aircraft. Subsequently, PT-223 sank the already damaged destroyer HIJMS Kiyoshimo off San Jose, Mindoro. This was the last sortie by a Japanese naval force in the area of the Philippines.
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Post by emron on Dec 28, 2019 18:59:39 GMT 12
28 December 1944
Pacific Ocean: Japanese air attacks commenced against the 99-ship USN Task Group 77.11 bound for Mindoro Island in the Philippines. Allied air cover could not be provided because of bad weather over the airfields within range. Kamikazes crashed tank landing ship LST-750 and U.S. freighters SS William Sharon and SS John Burke. One Japanese aircraft crashed between #2 and #3 cargo holds on Liberty ship SS John Burke which was carrying ammunition. Within seconds an enormous fireball erupted as her entire cargo of munitions detonated, instantly destroying the ship. The cataclysmic blast damaged station tanker USS Porcupine (IX-126) and motor torpedo boat PT-332 and the shock wave rocked the entire convoy. There were no survivors from among SS John Burke's 40-man merchant complement and 28-man Armed Guard. Fragments from John Burke also hit freighter SS Francisco Morozan 100 yards away, wounding three of that ship's merchant complement. SS William Sharon gutted by fires that were ultimately controlled, was abandoned, the survivors transferring to destroyer USS Wilson, whose assistance proved invaluable in extinguishing the blaze that had consumed the freighter. Combat salvage vessel USS Grapple (ARS-7) later towed the merchantman to San Pedro Bay for repairs. USS LST-750, hit later by an aerial torpedo, was consequently scuttled by destroyer USS Edwards off the south-western coast of Negros Island. Japanese air attacks continued tomorrow.
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Post by emron on Dec 29, 2019 9:51:17 GMT 12
29 December 1939
Consolidated Aircraft Corporation’s chief test pilot, William B. (“Bill”) Wheatley, made the first flight of the XB-24, 39-556, (company designation Model 32) from San Diego Municipal Airport – Lindbergh Field, California. The flight crew included George Newman, co-pilot, and flight engineers Jack Kline and Bob Keith. The flight lasted 17 minutes. 18,482 B-24 Liberators — more than any other Allied aircraft type — were built during World War II by Consolidated at San Diego, California and Fort Worth, Texas; together with North American Aviation at Dallas, Texas; Douglas Aircraft at Tulsa, Oklahoma and more than half of the total production by the Ford Motor Company at Willow Run, Michigan.
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Post by emron on Dec 30, 2019 12:42:15 GMT 12
30 December 1884
Hideki Tojo was born in the Kojimachi district of Tokyo, third son of a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1948 he was tried for war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on Dec 23, a week before his 64th birthday.
30 December 1944
Belgium/Luxembourg: In the U.S. Third Army area, VIII Corps opened a drive on Houffalize. The 11th Armoured Division progressed slowly and at heavy cost. The 87th Infantry Division took Moircy but lost it in a counter-attack later in day. In the III Corps area, Germans again attempted to cut the Arlon-Bastogne highway and isolate Bastogne, reaching Lutrebois and surrounding two companies of the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau. During the night RAF Bomber Command sent 154 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos to attack a German supply bottleneck in the narrow valley at Houffalize.
France: Alsace; The U.S. 6th Army Group located South of the Ardennes, including 7th Army, VI Corps was preparing to give ground if the German's mounted a major attack. To avoid being cut off like U.S. forces in the Ardennes, they were ordered to retreat to the Vosges Mountains, if necessary, to prevent a break through.
Germany: Eighth Air Force flew Mission 770: 1,315 bombers and 572 fighters were sent to attack rail and communications targets in western Germany; Marshalling yards at: Kassel, Mannheim, Kaiserslautern, Mechernich, Mainz and Bischofheim ; Railroad bridges at: Euskirchen, Kaiserslautern, Bullay, Altenahr, Neuweid, Remagen (Ludendorf Bridge and Stadtkyll. During the night RAF Bomber Command dispatched 470 aircraft; 356 Halifaxes, 93 Lancasters and 21 Mosquitos, to attack the area in which the Kalk-Nord railway yards were situated in Cologne; 457 aircraft attacked. The presence of cloud caused difficulties for the Pathfinders and the outcome of the raid could not be observed but the local report showed that the Kalk-Nord yards, as well as the two passenger stations nearby, were severely damaged. At least two ammunition trains blew up and nearby Autobahns were also badly damaged, all adding to the effect upon the German transportation system.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Mindoro Island; The second resupply convoy arrived, having been under Japanese air attack while en route, the convoy lost three merchant ships, two destroyers, three tank landing ships (LSTs), and a landing craft, mechanized (LCM) at or near the island. Most of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division landed safely. Aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and Independence left Ulithi anchorage to fight with Japanese night bombers in the Philippines area. Both carriers had aircraft equipped with radars (night versions of F6F Hellcat fighters and TBM torpedo bombers).
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Post by emron on Dec 31, 2019 10:11:28 GMT 12
31 December 1944
France: Operation Nordwind; In northern Alsace, the German Army Group G and Army Group Oberrhein launched a major offensive against the thinly stretched 68 mile front line held by the U.S. 7th Army.
Germany: The USAAF Eighth Air Force flew Mission 772: 1,327 bombers and 785 fighters hit both strategic and tactical targets; they encountered about 150 Luftwaffe fighters, mostly in the Hamburg area; 27 bombers and ten fighters were lost. Capt. Glenn Rojohn, of the US Army 8th Air Force's 100th Bomb Group, was flying his B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on a raid over Hamburg. His formation had braved heavy flak to drop their bombs, then turned 180 degrees to head out over the North Sea. They had finally turned north-west, headed back to England, when they were jumped by German fighters at 22,000 feet. Rojohn saw a B-17 ahead of him burst into flames and slide sickeningly toward the earth. He gunned his ship forward to fill in the gap. He felt a huge impact. The big bomber shuddered, felt suddenly very heavy and began losing altitude. Rojohn grasped almost immediately that he had collided with another plane. A B-17 below him, piloted by Lt. William G. McNab, had slammed the top of its fuselage into the bottom of Rojohn's. The top turret gun of McNab's plane was now locked in the belly of Rojohn's plane and the ball turret in the belly of Rojohn's had smashed through the top of McNab's. Three of the engines on the bottom plane were still running, as were all four of Rojohn's. The fourth engine on the lower bomber was on fire and the flames were spreading to the rest of the aircraft. The two were losing altitude quickly. Rojohn tried several times to gun his engines and break free of the other plane. The two were inextricably locked together. Capt. Rojohn and his co-pilot, 2nd Lt. William G. Leek Jr., had propped their feet against the instrument panel so they could pull back on their controls with all their strength, trying to prevent their plane from going into a spinning dive that would prevent the crew from jumping out. Rojohn ordered his top turret gunner and his radio operator, Tech Sgts. Orville Elkin and Edward G. Neuhaus, to exit the waist door behind the left wing. Then he got his navigator, 2nd Lt. Robert Washington, and his bombardier, Sgt. James Shirley to follow them. As Rojohn and Leek somehow held the plane steady, these four men, as well as waist gunner Sgt. Roy Little and tail gunner Staff Sgt. Francis Chase were able to bail out. Although ordered to bail out, Lieut. Leek refused and remained with his captain. They held grimly to the controls until the aircraft slammed into the ground at Tettens near Wilhelmshaven, shortly before 1 p.m. The McNab plane on the bottom exploded, vaulting the other B-17 upward and forward. It hit the ground and slid along until its left wing slammed through a wooden building and the smouldering wreck came to a stop. Rojohn and Leek were still seated in their cockpit. The nose of the plane was relatively intact, but everything from the wings back was destroyed. Miraculously neither was badly injured. Sadly Staff Sgt. Joseph Russo who was unable to escape from the ball turret was killed in the crash. Neither 1st Lt. McNab or his co-pilot 2nd Lt. Nelson Vaughn survived the accident. Two of the six men who parachuted from Rojohn's plane did not survive the jump. But the other four and, amazingly, four men from the other bomber did. Together with Rojohn and Leek they were all taken prisoner.
Hungary: The Provisional National Government of Hungary, set up under Russian control in the city of Debrecen, today declared war on Germany. Meanwhile the struggle for Budapest continued, with the Germans and their Hungarian allies holding out against the encircling Russians.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Battle of Leyte; Heavy fighting resulted from Japanese counter-attacks in the north-west area of Leyte, They were defeated. The battle for Leyte has cost the Japanese 70,000 casualties. The US casualties have totalled about 15,000 KIA and WIA. The US 6th Army now prepared to move on to Luzon while the 8th Army readied to relieve it.
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Post by emron on Jan 1, 2020 11:08:28 GMT 12
1 January 1945
Western Europe: Operation Bodenplatte; With the objective to destroy Allied tactical fighter and bomber aircraft close to the front lines, the Luftwaffe today attacked many Allied airfields across Belgium, Holland and northern France. 700 to 800 German aircraft, mostly FW190s and Bf109s hit RAF Second Tactical Air Force and USAAF Ninth Air Force airfields between 0800 and 1000 hours. In some cases, surprise was complete; in others Allied aircraft were airborne and engaged the enemy. As many as 500 allied aircraft were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. The total number of allied casualties was unclear but at least 12 pilots were killed in the air and another 30 personnel killed on the ground. But this short-term success came at high cost to the enemy: 280 Luftwaffe aircraft were destroyed during the raids, some shot down by their own anti-aircraft ground batteries who's officers were not warned of the planned assault; 143 pilots were killed or missing, while 70 were captured and 21 wounded; many of the formation leaders lost were experienced veterans. The operation failed to achieve air superiority even temporarily, while the German ground forces continued to be exposed to Allied air attack. The Allies were able to replace their aircraft losses within a week. The lost Luftwaffe aircraft and especially pilots were irreplaceable. In the remaining 17 weeks of war the Jagdwaffe struggled to recover sufficiently to remain an effective force and this proved to be the last large-scale strategic offensive operation mounted by the Luftwaffe.
France: Alsace; Operation North Wind. In the 6th Army Group area, General Hans von Obstfelder's First Army continued the offensive along a 50-mile front between Saarbrucken and Strasbourg with the aim of exploiting weaknesses caused by the withdrawal of U.S. forces to the Ardennes.
Belgium: The U.S. Third Army continued the Ardennes counteroffensive with the VIII and III Corps. In the VIII Corps area, the 87th Infantry Division took Moircy and Jenneville. The 11th Armoured Division attacked with Combat Command A toward Hubermont, stopping east of Rechrival, and with Combat Command B, cleared Chenogne and the woods to the north. Combat Command A, 9th Armoured Division, drove toward Senonchamps. The 101st Airborne Division, in the Bastogne area, gave fire support to the 11th Armoured Division on its left and the 6th Armoured Division (III Corps) on its right. The 4th Armoured Division held a corridor into Bastogne and supported the 35th Infantry Division with fire. The 35th Infantry Division partially cleared Lutrebois and reached the crossroads southeast of Marvie, but made no headway in the vicinity of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau and Harlange, Luxembourg. In the region east of Bastogne, the 6th Armoured Division took Neffe, Bizery, and Mageret, but then lost Mageret later in the day.
Germany: USAAF Eighth Air Force flew Mission 774: 845 bombers and 725 fighters were dispatched to hit oil installations and rail bridges and junctions in western Germany. Ninth Air Force dispatched 190 A-20 Havocs, A-26 Invaders and B-26 Marauders to hit rail bridges, communications centres, a road junction, a command post, and headquarters, all in Belgium and Germany. During the night RAF Bomber Comand dispatched 150 Lancasters and five Mosquitos to carry out an accurate attack on the Gravenhorst section of the Mittelland Canal; in a second raid, 141 of 146 aircraft successfully attacked the marshalling yard at Vohwinkel; in a third raid, 105 Halifaxes, 18 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos attempted to bomb the Minister Stein benzol plant at Dortmund but failed to hit the target.
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Post by emron on Jan 2, 2020 12:07:56 GMT 12
2 December 1945
United Kingdom: Hertfordshire; The first prototype Handley Page HP81 Hermes 1 G-AGSS crashed on it’s maiden test flight shortly after take-off from Radlett Aerodrome. The company’s chief test pilot and chief test observer were both killed. It was concluded that the accident was the direct result of elevator overbalance, this brought about flight conditions the nature of which caused the pilot to lose control. This civil airliner being developed in parallel with the Hastings military transport would undergo extensive modification before the second prototype flew on 2 September 1947.
France: Paris, British Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay, KCB KBE MVO Legion d”Honneur, Commander-in-Chief Allied Naval Expeditionary Force, was killed when his plane taking him to a conference in Brussels, Belgium to meet with Field Marshal Montgomery, crashed on takeoff at Toussus-le-Noble. He was 61. Admiral Ramsay had in June 1940 overseen the evacuation of 338,000 British and other Allied soldiers from Dunkirk and nearby beaches. He later commanded the Naval forces used for the Normandy invasion in June 1944. The four crew of the Lockheed Hudson V of 781 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, also died in the accident: Commander G.W. Rowell; Lieutenant Commander Sir J.E.Lewis; Lieutenant D.M. Henderson; Petty Officer D.L. Morgan. The accident was attributed to icing that made the aircraft tail-heavy.
Western Front: The USAAF Ninth Air Force dispatched 135 A-20 Havocs, A-26 Invaders and B-26 Marauders to hit rail bridges and communications centres in Belgium and Germany; fighters escorted the bombers, flew patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance and supported the U.S. III and VIII Corps in the Bastogne, Belgium area and the XII Corps south of the Clerf River, Luxembourg, and west of the Sauer River in Germany.
Germany: Eighth Air Force flew Mission 776: 1,011 bombers and 503 fighters were dispatched to attack communications and tactical targets in western Germany. In the night RAF Bomber Command dispatched 514 Lancasters and seven Mosquitos to Nuremberg. The centre of the city, particularly the eastern half, was destroyed. The castle, the Rathaus, almost all the churches and about 2,000 preserved medieval houses went up in flames. The area of destruction also extended into the more modern north-eastern and southern city areas. The industrial area in the south, containing the important MAN and Siemens factories, and the railway areas were also severely damaged. In a second raid, 389 aircraft, 351 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos were sent to Ludwigshafen. The bombing was accurate, with severe damage to the main IG Farben factory and to the firm's factory at nearby Oppau.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Convoys of the Luzon Attack Force were assembling in Leyte Gulf. The first echelon, Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group (Task Group 77.6) consisted of a destroyer, a light minelayer, ten high speed minesweepers, a frigate, a high speed transport, a small seaplane tender, an ocean going tug and a landing craft infantry (gunboat).
Admiralty Islands: USN Task Group 77.4, the Carrier Cover Transport Group, sailed from Manus Island en route to Luzon, Philippine Islands, for the upcoming invasion. Included in this group were 17 escort aircraft carriers (CVEs), 18 destroyers and 9 destroyer escorts.
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Post by emron on Jan 3, 2020 12:05:25 GMT 12
3 January 1945
Burma: Operation Talon; Being prepared to face a strong enemy defence, the British landed in force on Akyab Island in the area of Arakan. Utilising landing craft newly arrived in this theatre, the British 3rd Commando Brigade crossed the Mayu River and was followed by a brigade of the Indian 25th Division from Foul Point. In the event, the Japanese proved to have withdrawn and Akyab was liberated unopposed. The city, airfield and port were cleared of booby traps and mines so they could be put to immediate use as a forward base for future operations in lower Burma.
Formosa: USN Task Force 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) began operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area, principally along the west coast of the island. TF-38 planes sank a landing ship, five cargo ships and damaged five army cargo ships. TF-38 consisted of five battleships, 11 aircraft carriers, five small aircraft carriers, three heavy cruisers, 14 light cruisers and 56 destroyers.
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Post by emron on Jan 4, 2020 9:33:05 GMT 12
4 January 1945
Indian Ocean: Fleet Air Arm aircraft from the carriers HMS Indomitable, Indefatigable and Victorious of the British Pacific Fleet, launched a major air strike against the Japanese oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan in Sumatra.
Formosa: USN Task Force 38 continued operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area including the southern Ryukyu Islands and the Pescadores. Navy planes sank three auxiliary submarine chasers and damaged an escort vessel and an auxiliary submarine chaser in the Formosa Strait; sank an auxiliary netlayer north-east of Taipei and damaged a minesweeper near Takao, 100 Japanese aircraft were destroyed during the 2-day mission.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Japanese planes attacked Task Groups 77.6 and 77.2 as they continued toward Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. The main body of the Luzon Attack Force sortied from Leyte Gulf after nightfall. In the Sulu Sea north-west of Panay Island, the USN escort aircraft carrier USS Ommaney Bay was crashed on the starboard side by a Japanese twin-engine kamikaze. Two bombs were released; one of them penetrated the flight deck and detonated below, setting off a series of explosions among the fully-fuelled aircraft on the forward third of the hangar deck. The second bomb passed through the hangar deck, ruptured the fire main on the second deck, and exploded near the starboard side. Burning fuel and ammunition, prevented other ships from coming close and by 1750 hours the entire topside area had become untenable, and the stored torpedo warheads threatened to explode at any time. The order to abandon ship was given and at 1945 hours, the ship was sunk about 53 nautical miles north-west of San Jose de Buenavista, Panay, by a torpedo from the destroyer USS Burns. A total of 95 crewmen were lost, including two killed on an assisting destroyer when torpedo warheads on the carrier finally exploded. Off San Jose, Mindoro Island, a kamikaze crashed U.S. liberty ship SS Lewis L. Dyche (carrying bombs and fuses), which disintegrated, killing all 71 aboard, including the 28-man Armed Guard; debris from the exploding freighter damaged the nearby oiler Pecos and minelayer Monadnock. At the request of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Commander-in-Chief South-West Pacific Area, Admiral William Halsey, Commander of the Third Fleet, ordered Task Force 38 to extend its coverage of Luzon southward on 6 January.
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Post by emron on Jan 5, 2020 10:22:27 GMT 12
5 January 1945
Western Front: Ninth Air Force's fighters and bombers attacked rail bridges at Ahrweiler, Simmern, and Bullay, Germany, and communications centres at Gouvy, Houffalize, and near Durler, Belgium, and Massen, Luxembourg. They supported the US III and VIII Corps west and east of Bastogne and the 2nd and 3rd Armoured Divisions near Manhay, Belgium. In the U.S. First Army's VII Corps area, the 2nd Armoured Division’s main effort against Consy made little headway; elements moved toward Dochamps and cleared part of Odeigne. The 3rd Armoured Division was slowed by rear-guard action in Bois de Groumont but seized Lavaux and entered Lierneux. In France the Germans established a bridgehead across the Rhine River in the Gambsheim area, crossing between Kilstett and Drusenheim and overrunning Offendorf, Herrlisheim, and Rohrwiller.
Germany: Eighth Air Force flew Mission 781: 749 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 370 B-24 Liberators, escorted by 584 P-51 Mustangs, were dispatched to bomb rail targets and airfields in central Germany. They hit 29 different targets, the heaviest Niederbreisig Airfield by 124 B-17s. During the day RAF Bomber Command dispatched 160 Lancasters to bomb the marshalling yards at Ludwigshafen; In the night they dispatched 664 aircraft, 340 Halifaxes, 310 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos, to bomb Hannover. This was the first large raid on Hannover since October 1943. In other raids, 131 Lancasters and nine Mosquitos were sent to bomb Houffalize, a bottleneck in the German supply system in the Ardennes. Mosquitos were also active during the night: 60 of 69 dispatched bombed Berlin, eight hit Neuss and six bombed a benzine refinery at Castrop Rauxel.
Burma: Operation Grubworm: One of the major transport achievements of the war, was completed on this date one month from its start. The Chinese 14th and 22nd Divisions, Chinese Sixth Army Headquarters, a heavy mortar company, a signal company, and two portable surgical hospitals have been airlifted. The move required 1,328 transport sorties; Air Transport Command provided 597 sorties; the air commando squadrons, 488; and Tenth Air Force, 243; the airlift included over 25,000 Chinese soldiers, 396 U.S. soldiers, 1,596 animals, 42 jeeps, 48 howitzers, 48 heavy mortars, and 48 antitank guns; the troops and supplies have been landed at Chanyi, Kunming, Luliang, and Yunnani, China. Only three aircraft were lost during the operation.
Netherlands East Indies: USAAF Far East Air Forces B-25 Mitchells and P-38 Lightnings and RAAF Beaufighters bombed Menado on Celebes Island while FEAF B-24 Liberators attacked Miri Airfield in Sarawak, British Borneo. Numerous smaller strikes were flown throughout the NEI. Fighter-bombers and B-24 Liberators hit the Pombelaa and Tondano area, and targets of opportunity on north-eastern Celebes Island. Other FEAF aircraft flew scattered strikes at various targets in Borneo, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Tanimbar Island in the Moluccas Islands.
Bonin Islands: US Task Group 94.9 (Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith), consisting of the heavy cruisers USS Chester, Pensacola, and Salt Lake City and destroyers USS Cummings, David W. Taylor, Dunlap, Ellet, Fanning, and Roe, together with Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators (escorted by P-38 Lightnings) jointly bombard Japanese shipping and installations on Chichi Jima and Haha Jima. Approaching Chichi Jima, the destroyers damaged and sank a landing ship. Off Chichi Jima, USS David W. Taylor was damaged by a mine and USS Fanning by gunfire. Off Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, USS Dunlap, Cummings, Ellet and Roe sank a landing ship.
Commonwealth of the Philippines: In the South China Sea, Japanese air attacks continued against the Lingayen Gulf-bound forces, in the teeth of heavy anti-aircraft fire and combat air patrol. Of the minesweeping group, an infantry landing craft (gunboat) was damaged by a kamikaze, a small seaplane tender and a fleet tug were damaged by near-misses of suicides. Kamikazes attacking the bombardment and escort carrier groups succeeded in damaging heavy cruiser USS Louisville and destroyer USS Helm about 71 nautical miles NW of Subic; escort aircraft carriers USS Manila Bay, about 63 nautical miles WNW of Subic, and USS Savo Island about 77 nautical miles WNW of Subic; and destroyer escort USS Stafford about 55 nautical miles SSW of Subic. Suicides also damaged Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and destroyer HMAS Arunta. Subsequently, planes from TG 77.4 (escort carrier group) sank HIJMS Momi 20 nautical miles SW of the entrance to Manila Bay and damaged HIJMS Hinoki and Sugi west of Manila Bay. In major strikes of the day USAAF Far East Air Forces B-25 Mitchells hit shore installations along Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, while numerous smaller strikes were flown throughout the Philippine Islands. A-20 Havocs and fighter-bombers attacked airfields on Luzon, the central Philippine Islands area and Mindanao Island.
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Post by emron on Jan 6, 2020 19:14:35 GMT 12
6 January 1940
The First Echelon, 2 New Zealand Expeditionary Force sailed for Egypt in six transports escorted by the battleship HMS Ramillies, heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra and light cruiser HMS Leander. There was a huge crowd at Lyttelton yesterday afternoon when Leander left with SS Dunera and Sobieski. This morning a still greater number of spectators watched from the slopes overlooking Port Nicholson when Ramillies and Canberra steamed out with SS Empress of Canada, Strathaird Orion and Rangitata. The groups met in Cook Strait shortly after sunrise and the convoy departed for Fremantle.
6 January 1945
Commonwealth of the Philippines: Battle of Luzon; Task Groups 77.2; battleships USS California, Colorado, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and supporting cruisers and destroyers and 77.6 (Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group) reached Lingayen Gulf area and began naval bombardment and mine sweeping. Japanese suicide plane attacks intensified against the invasion force. During the bombardment battleship USS New Mexico came under heavy attack by kamikazes one of which hit her bridge, killing her commanding officer, Captain Robert Walton Fleming and 29 others; A further 87 of her crew were wounded. Among the dead were members of an observing British military mission including Lieutenant General Herbert Lumsden the British representative to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. Admiral Bruce Fraser commander of the British Pacific Fleet narrowly escaped death while on the bridge, although his secretary was killed. Also damaged were battleship California, heavy cruiser USS Louisville, light cruiser USS Columbia and destroyers USS Allen M. Sumner, Newcomb (she was also hit by friendly fire), O'Brien and Richard P. Leary. Kamikazes attacked the minesweeping group, sinking high speed minesweeper USS Long and damaging high speed minesweeper USS Southard and high speed transport USS Brooks. Damaging enemy air attacks persisted in spite of strong effort against Luzon by planes of Task Force 38, escort aircraft carriers covering TG 77.2 and USAAF Far East Air Forces. Japanese force of some 150 aircraft on Luzon at the beginning of the year had been reduced to about 35 planes and air action dropped off sharply after this. TF-38’s raid on Formosa had removed the threat of planes from there taking part in the defence of Luzon during the upcoming invasion.
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