2 January 1939

MANCHURIA: With the Japanese occupation of Manchuria near completion, the establishment of the Republic of Manchukuo is proclaimed. The new government serves under the direction of the Japanese government.

NICARAGUA: The last U.S. Marines are evacuated from Nicaragua, ending a U.S. occupation of the republic since 1912.

U.S.A.: Bruno Hauptmann goes on trial in Flemington, New Jersey, on charges of kidnapping and murdering the infant son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann is found guilty and executed.)

INTERNATIONAL: The British and Italian governments agree to mutually respect each other's interests and rights in the Mediterranean and the maintenance of Spanish independence and integrity. The British government hopes to end tensions in the Mediterranean region as Germany is emerging as a greater threat to European security than Italy. Despite this treaty, the Italians continue to support Francisco Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War and the British are unable to prevent military supplies from reaching the belligerents. The British seek to use the non-intervention agreements as a means to prevent the expansion of the Spanish Civil War into a general war, but the Italians flagrantly violate this principle.

ITALY: Premier Benito Mussolini sends fresh troops to Spain. This is his interpretation of the agreement with the U.K. on maintaining the status quo.

PORTUGAL: The government refuses to cooperate in the supervision of nonintervention in Spain stating that ". . . the proposal would in practice create such difficulties to those nations agreeing to be represented on the delegations in Spanish territory that complications were to be feared, . . ."

U.S.A.: Time magazine of New York publishes a glowing report of Third Reich Germany. More....

RAF Bomber Command: North Sea reconnaissance. Three German aircraft destroyed; two British aircraft lost.

Anti-Aircraft cruiser HMS Coventry damaged in a German air attack on the Shetland Islands.

FRANCE: The Royal Canadian Air Force Air Division Europe Planning Team is formed at Paris to prepare for the establishment of RCAF units on the continent.

GERMANY: U-555, U-556, U-751 laid down.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Prague: Journalists and ex-army officers are rounded up in a new wave of arrests by the Nazis.

FINLAND: The Battle of Salla begins. At the Finnish town of Salla, taken by the Soviets in 1939, Finland attempts to outmanoeuvre the Soviet Union, unsuccessfully. Finnish resistance fighters, refusing to give into the Soviets, continue attacks.

RAF Bomber Command: More than 20,000 incendiaries as well as tons of high explosives were dropped on the industrial arsenal of Bremen, starting a fire which could be seen by later waves of RAF bombers 120 miles away. In spite of 50 earlier raids against Bremen, there seem to have been a remarkable number and variety of targets still available. These included warships under construction in docks extending over 126 acres, the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory, oil refineries and food warehouses. The latest attack, by 95 aircraft, lasted over three hours and was pressed home through intense flak.

London: Anthony Eden informs de Gaulle of the arrest of Muselier. de Gaulle is highly suspicious and rather indignant at the way the whole matter has been handled.

ÉIRE: Dublin: A 100-mile swathe of neutral Irish territory was bombed by German aircraft today for the second time in 48 hours. At Knockroe, Co. Carlow, a house containing five members of the Shannon family was hit and a woman aged 50, a 16-year-old girl and a man aged 40 were killed. Two men were injured. Including yesterdays attack 26 are injured in total.

Six counties bordering the Irish Sea were attacked. The first raid hit Drogheda, north of Dublin. On Curragh racecourse an incendiary bomb was identified as a German device. The attacks may not have been accidental. It is thought that they might be intended to intimidate the Irish into remaining neutral in spite of Anglo-American pressure for the use of Irish bases to protect convoys, though the Germans claim that high winds blew the bombers off course.

There are reports, too, of efforts by the Germans to augment their already large diplomatic team in Dublin with agents parachuted into the country to spy on British fleet activities in Ulster.

Paul Baudoin ceases to be Minister of Information in the Vichy government, and the office is abolished in the Petain government. An advocate of appeasement, Baudoin served as Marshal Petain's first Minister of Foreign Affairs from June 1940, and negotiated the armistice with the Germans.

At 2207, SS Nalgora, dispersed from convoy OB-261 on 22 December, was hit by one stern torpedo from U-65 about 350 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands and sunk 20 minutes later by 70 rounds from the deck gun. The master, 101 crewmembers and three passengers were rescued after eight days adrift in lifeboats. 52 survivors were picked up by the British merchantman Nolisement and landed at Freetown, while 34 survivors were picked up by the British merchant Umgeni in 21°35N/20°59W and landed in Glasgow on 13 January. 19 crewmembers in a lifeboat reached shore at San Antonio, Cape Verde Islands.

U-38 was attacked by an escort with depth charges and suffered slight damage.

FRANCE: During the night of 2/3 January, 27 RAF Bomber Command Wellingtons and Stirlings attack the German fleet at Brest and nine Whitleys and Manchesters bomb the port area at St. Nazaire.

NETHERLANDS: During the day, 12 RAF Bomber Command Hampdens conduct "roving patrols" of the Dutch and German Coasts but only one aircraft bombs, the Leeuwarden Airfield.

U.S.S.R.: German Chancellor Adolf Hitler forbids the German Ninth Army to make any further withdrawals, "not one inch of ground."

On the central front in Russia, the Soviet Army achieves a breakthrough at Rshev.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The British tug HMS Daisy founders in the eastern Mediterranean while on passage from Alexandria, Egypt, to Tobruk, Libya.

NORTH AFRICA: The Axis troops on the Egyptian border at Bardia surrender, under pressure of the South African 2nd Division and British 1st Armoured Brigade, XXX Corps, British Eighth Army. The British capture 7,000 troops.

THAILAND: The American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) raid a Japanese air base in Thailand, one of the first offensive air strikes by the Allies in Asia. Security restrictions require the leader of the raid be identified only as "Scarsdale Jack." During the coming months, he will become famous. He is John Van Kuren Newkirk, a former Navy pilot from Westchester County, New York, U.S.A.

MALAYA: Japanese force reaches Telok Anson via the Perak River and go ashore, greatly increasing the threat to the Indian III Corps. The 1st Independent Company and Indian 3d Cavalry Squadron defending this area, are forced back through the Indian 12th Brigade Group, which in turn comes under severe pressure. Although Japanese attacks on the Kampar position are still being contained, it is decided to withdraw to the Slim River after nightfall because of the precarious situation along the coast. A Japanese landing attempt at Kuala Selangor is frustrated by artillery fire late in the day.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Japanese troops occupy Cavite naval base and the capital of Manila as US forces withdraw to the Bataan peninsula.
One battalion of the Japanese 1st Formosa Regiment and two of the 47th Infantry Regiment make the triumphal march into Manila, watched only by a curious few. Japanese troops also take over Cavite Naval Base and find it a total wreck from their own bombs. Japanese aircraft begin daily attacks on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. The defenders on Luzon complete a successful withdrawal through San Fernando, the final elements clearing the town at 0200 hours, and organize delaying positions along a 10-mile (16 kilometer) front from Porac to Guagua. Holding this line are the 21st Division [Philippine Army (PA)] on the west, its left flank covered by 26th Cavalry (Philippine Scouts) at San Jose, south of Porac, and the 11th Division (PA) on the east. The Japanese attack the west flank in the vicinity of Porac in the afternoon and force the 21st Division to fall back. Meanwhile, Japanese east of the Pampanga River succeed in crossing the river and move to San Fern ando, where they join with Japanese from Angeles. There are now 80,000 Philippine and U.S. troops and 26,000 civilians on Bataan Peninsula. The troops are worn out and beginning to suffer malaria. There are food supplies to feed 100,000 men for 30 days and the troops are put on half rations. But, morale is high because the troops expect a huge relief convoy to arrive at any moment.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Java Sea, the 7,395 ton Dutch freighter SS Langkoeas, formerly the German freighter SS Stassfurt, departed Soerabaja, Java, Netherlands East Indies yesterday for the Middle East. Today, she is torpedoed by Japanese submarine HIJMS I-58 during this evening north of Bawean Island. Bawean Island is located between Java and Borneo about 82 nautical miles (152 kilometers) north of Surabaja. The crew (24 Dutch, 55 Chinese, 12 Java-natives) immediately began abandoning ship, and the submarine approaches and begins machine gunning everyone in the boats. There are three survivors, one Dutch, one Chinese and one Javanese. They are brought aboard the submarine and after being questioned, they are thrown back into the water. The three manage to survive and make it to a small island where they are found by a fisherman. They are later picked up by a Dutch (PBY) Catalina and brought to Soerabaja, where they tell their story.

AUSTRALIA: Major General George H. Brett, Commanding General-Designate of the U.S. Forces in Australia (USFIA), sends a message to General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army in Washington, D.C., stating that he sees little hope of effectively reinforcing the Philippine Islands until a large airbase can be established at Darwin, Northern Territory, and a large supply and repair depot established at Townsville, Queensland.

CANADA: Revised Flower Class (increased endurance) 1942-43 are ordered - HMCS NORTH BAY, OWEN SOUND, LINDSAY, FRONTENAC, ATHOLL, RIVIERE DU LOUP, LOUISBURG and NORSYD.

U.S.A.: President Franklin D Roosevelt announces the beginning of the Liberty Ship program, i.e., the construction of 200 merchant ships of a standardized design. Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum, Commanding General First Army, tentatively selected for a field command in China, arrives in Washington, D.C., where he confers with various military leaders and finds opinions as to role of U.S. in China widely divergent.

The first organized lighter-than-air units of World War II, Airship Patrol Group One (ZPG-1) and Airship Squadron Twelve (ZP-12) are established at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. The USN is the only military service in the world to use non-rigid airships--also known as "blimps"--during the war.

NORTH ATLANTIC: SS WAZIRISTAN is sunk by U-134 in position 74.09N, 19.10E - Grid AB 6362.

UNITED KINGDOM: Headquarters 2d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) with B-24 Liberators is established at St. Eval, Cornwall, England, upon arrival from the U.S. This unit is assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (attached to VIII Bomber Command) and is tasked to assist the RAF in attacking German U-boats.

GERMANY: Romanian dictator Marshal Ion Antonescu meets with Chancellor Adolf Hitler and reconciles their differences concerning the Romanian failures and the disaster at Stalingrad.

Four radar-equipped B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's Eighth Air Force fly a "moling" or intruder mission aimed at harassing the Germans in weather unsuitable for large missions by alerting air-raid crews in the area north of the Ruhr. The crews have been in training for these operations since 14 December. This mission is foiled by clear weather over the target area.

U.S.S.R.: German Army Group A begins withdrawing the 1st Panzer Army northward toward Rostov to prevent it from becoming encircled.

ITALY: In Sicily, British frogmen sink the Italian light cruiser Ulpio Traiano, which is under construction in Palermo, with explosive charges.

GREECE: CRETE: USAAF Ninth Air Force bombers attack two airfields: B-25 Mitchells bomb the airfield at Heraklion while 12 B-24 Liberators bomb the Pedialda Airfield at Kastelli. Twenty fighters and a few bombers are destroyed on the ground.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Minesweeper HMS Alarm (J 140) is damaged beyond repair in an air raid on the port of Bone, then beached and abandoned, her 4 inch gun is given to the Army who use it to fire starshell for coastal defence purposes.

T class submarine P.311 (the only one of her class not to be named) is tasked to take “chariots” to attack shipping at La Maddalena, off Northern Sicily. She reports her passage through the Sicilian Channel, then nothing is heard from her, nor are there any Axis reports of her destruction. It is believed that she was mined in one of the extensive minefields around La Maddalena. (Alex Gordon)(108)

TUNISIA: USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the harbour and shipping at La Goulette. Escorting P-38 Lightnings and German Bf 109s engage in air battle, each side losing two aircraft. A-20 Havocs and DB-7 Bostons, with fighter escorts, consecutively raid Sousse harbour. DB-7s again hit the harbour. B-26 Marauders with fighter protection, bomb the bridge north of El Djem. Fighters fly escort, patrol and reconnaissance missions, attacking German vehicles and aircraft. Several trucks and fighters are claimed destroyed.

INDIAN OCEAN: German auxiliary cruiser HK Michel, known to the British as Raider H, sinks the 7,040 British freighter SS Empire March south of the Cape of Good Hope. The freighter was sailing from Durban, South Africa,. to Trinidad (located off the coast of Venezuela) with a crew of 29 and a cargo of iron, tea, peanuts and jute. Michel opened fire, knocking out the bridge and the radio room and turning the freighter into "an inferno from stem to stern, but still moving." To dispatch the blazing wreck quickly, the captain of the Michel fires two torpedoes, one of which misses. Twenty six crewmen of the freighter are picked up, with another man being found the next day when Michel returned to search for anyone who might have been missed. This is the last ship sunk by Michel on her first cruise. On 8 January, the auxiliary cruiser is ordered to proceed to Japan and while en route, the prisoners were handed over to the Japanese at Singapore. On this first crew, the German raider spent 354 days at sea and sank 15 ships totalling 99,386 tons.

American troops of the 32nd Division occupied Buna today after a long and intense struggle against fanatical Japanese defenders. The desperate survivors struck out into the surf, clinging to anything that would float. The Japanese had proved themselves great defensive fighters at every point along the Papuan coastal strip, and inflicted sacrificially high casualties on both American and Australian troops.

Buna cost the Allies some 2,870 battle casualties, of whom 913 were Australians. The Japanese are known to have lost 1,390 men killed at Buna. Thus they have inflicted a cost in Allied lives well out of proportion to their numbers. When they saw defeat was inevitable, two of their leaders met solemnly and committed hara-kiri.

There were spasmodic flare-ups in the final stages, but at 4.30pm the Government Station, an area of smashed houses, splintered trees and bomb-blasted earth strewn with twisted corpses, was at last in Allied hands. As Buna fell, the Australian 18th Brigade was attacking Japanese positions 1,000 yards to the east. Lt-Gen Robert Eichelberger ordered a full-scale clearing movement to begin yesterday, to synchronize with the drive by the Australians to clear the Simeni Creek/Giropa Point area. The determined Japanese resistance was a chilling experience for the Allies, who fear that an awful price may have to be paid in time, effort and blood to clear the enemy from the island of New Guinea.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Another series of attacks on Guadalcanal begin against Japanese positions on Mt. Austen known as the Gifu.

Major General Alexander M. Patch, commander of all US Army and US Marine ground forces on the island, is elevated to command of the newly created XIV Corps. (Keith Allen)

On Guadalcanal, Major General Millard Harmon, Commanding General U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific Area, activates XIV Corps, consisting of the Americal and 25th Infantry Divisions, the former reinforced by the 147th Infantry Regiment. The 2d Marine Division and other Marine ground forces are attached to the corps. Major General Alexander Patch is placed in command of XIV Corps, and Brigadier General Edmund Sebree succeeds him as commander of the Americal Division. After a heavy artillery preparation, the 132d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, continues its offensive against the Gifu strongpoint. The 2d Battalion. taking the Japanese by surprise, advances quickly to the crest of Hill 27, south of the Gifu strongpoint, and digs in and holds firm under a number of counter attacks. The 3d and 1st Battalions establish lines along the northern and eastern sides of the Gifu, respectively, but gaps remain between the three assault battalions.

Japanese submarine I-18 is sunk by the USS Grayback (SS-208). (Mike Yared)(144 and 145)

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb the airfield at Gasmata on New Britain Island.

CANADA: AMC HMCS Prince Robert commenced conversion to Anti-Aircraft cruiser North Vancouver, British Columbia. (DS)

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Three USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-25 Mitchells, three B-26 Marauders and eight P-38 Lightnings heading for Kiska Island are forced back by bad weather. The weather aircraft cannot see into Kiska Harbour or Gertrude Cove. Two B-24 Liberators fly photographic reconnaissance over Amchitka Island and encounter poor weather. A USN PBY Catalina unsuccessfully searches the islands east of Segula Island for a missing PBY.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-410 saved 80 survivors from the sunken German ship Rhakotis. (DS)

In the Bay of Biscay during the night of 2/3 January, RAF">RAF Bomber Command sends 42 Wellingtons and Lancasters to lay mines: ten off the Gironde Estuary, five each off La Pallice and St. Nazaire; four off Bayonne, three off Lorient and two each off Brest, Limoges and St. Jean de Laz. .

UNITED KINGDOM: London: General de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed C-in-C French Forces, North Africa.

FRANCE: During the night of 2/3 January, RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos hit V-1 launching sites: three each bomb sites at Bristillerie and La Glacerie.

GERMANY: During the night of 2/3 January, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 383 aircraft, 362 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitos and nine Halifaxes, to bomb Berlin; 311 aircraft bomb the target, the second time in two nights. German fighter controllers follow the bombers all the way to the target. Night fighters are sent to a radio beacon between Hannover and Bremen but these fighters miss the bomber stream and do not come into action until they are directed to Berlin. Most of the bomber casualties are in the Berlin area; 27 Lancasters are lost, 10 per cent of the force. The casualties included ten Pathfinder aircraft. German firemen stayed on the city's perimeter until the raid ended; in the past when they went into action during the raids, fire and falling masonry destroyed many fire engines. In fact, they need hardly have worried, because last night's raid added little to existing damage, described by a soldier on leave from the eastern front in the Deutsche Allegmeine Zeitung: "Only 82 dwellings are destroyed and 36 Berliners killed." In other raids, Mosquitos bomb several targets: six bomb Duisburg (four hitting the Vereinigte Stahl steel factory) and one each bombs Bremen and Wesel.

ITALY: General Harold Alexander, Commander in Chief 15th Army Group, orders the U.S. Fifth Army to mount an amphibious operation below Rome (Operation SHINGLE) between 20 and 31 January; shortly before the assault landing at Anzio. The Fifth Army is to thrust sharply toward Cassino and Frosinone while the British Eighth Army is to keep the Germans pinned down in its sector by exerting pressure and employing deceptive measures.

Air preparation for the Anzio landing begins. USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb the Terni marshalling yard and iron works and nearby barracks; P-40s and Spitfires from the Australian, British, Canadian, South African and U.S. air forces, attack snowbound vehicles in the Aveziano-Popoli area, warehouses at San Benedetto de Marsi and gun positions and defended areas around Chieti; A-36 Apaches hit Civitavecchia harbour and marshalling yard to the south of town, the Anagni marshalling yard and nearby pun positions, and other targets of opportunity; B-26 Marauders bomb bridges at Riva Santo Stefano and Ventimiglia, the marshalling yard at Arma di Taggia, and bridge over the Var River.

CHINA: Eight USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-40s bomb and strafe Japanese headquarters and barracks at Hopang.

BURMA: Twenty seven USAAF Tenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells and 16 P-40s hit a fuel plant and work shops at Yenangyaung and set the oilfield aflame; 13 B-24 Liberators also hit the refinery, causing a large fire, and bomb a power station; and four other B-24s bomb Akyab on the west coast. About 30 A-36 Apaches and 15 P-51 Mustangs score hits on the Loilaw bridge approaches and bomb the towns in the vicinity.

NEW GUINEA: The 126th regiment of the 32nd Div. of the US Sixth Army land at Siador on the north coast, cutting off Japanese rearguard forces from the main Japanese base, Madang, only 55 miles away. US losses in Operation Dexterity were 55 killed; Japanese casualties were 1,275. The landings signal the long-awaited drive west by forces under General MacArthur to expel the Japanese from New Guinea.

The loss of Saidor, a Japanese supply depot, is a strategic disaster for the Japanese commander, General Adachi. The only escape route for his 20,000 men, now sandwiched between Australian and US troops, is a 200-mile inland retreat through dangerous, often impassable, jungle. The 7th Marines attack in an effort to expand the perimeter at Cape Gloucester.

The Australian 2/15th Battalion, 20th Brigde, 9th Division, driving west along the Huon coast from Finschhafen occupy Sialum which has a sheltered beach and an all-weather anchorage making it an excellent choice for a big supply dump. The Australian 9th Division continues their pursuit of the Japanese around the Huon Peninsula and they are attacked nightly by USN motor torpedo (PT) boats and during daylight by RAAF and USAAF aircraft.

The U.S. Sixth Army's Task Force Michaelmas (Regimental Combat Team 126, 32d Infantry Division, reinforced) makes a surprise landing at Saidor, Northeast New Guinea, under cover of a smoke screen and captures the harbour and airfield. Weather conditions prevent aircraft from joining destroyers in the preliminary bombardment, but effective air strikes are made in coordination with the landing. This landing cuts off the Japanese rearguard forces from the main Japanese base at Madang, only 55 miles (86 kilometres) away. U.S. losses in Operation DEXTERITY are 55 killed; Japanese casualties are 1,275. The loss of Saidor, a Japanese supply depot, is a strategic disaster for the Japanese: the only escape route for the 20,000 Japanese troops, now sandwiched between Australian and U.S. forces, is a 200-mile (322 kilometre) inland retreat through dangerous, often impassable, jungle. The landings signal the long-awaited drive west by Allied forces to expel the Japanese from New Guinea.

In the air, 42 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-25 Mitchells are tasked with attacking the Saidor beachhead but the mission is aborted due to weather. Over 80 B-24 Liberators and A-20 Havocs attack positions in coordination with the landings and B-25s and B-26 Marauders bomb Madang. During the night, Japanese nuisance aircraft attack the invasion fleet at Saidor.

EAST INDIES: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Pombelaa on Celebes Island and targets on Amboina Island, in the Moluccas Islands.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: In the Cape Gloucester area on New Britain Island, Company E, 5th Marine Regiment establishes physical contact with a Marine patrol from Green Beach at Dorf Point. The ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment, reinforced by the 3d Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment) attacks toward Borgen Bay with three battalions abreast, moving around the 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment but is halted by a Japanese strongpoint, which it partly envelops.

In the air over New Britain Island, over 30 USMC F4U Corsairs and USN F6F Hellcat fighters sweep the Rabaul area claiming 11 airplanes shot down; one F6F is lost. USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s attack barges, dumps and antiaircraft emplacements at Cape Hoskins and during the night of 2/3 January, Australian Beauforts attack Rabaul Airfields.

GILBERT ISLANDS: Japanese planes bomb the advanced base on Abemama Atoll, demolishing one USN PB4Y-1 Liberator; exploding ammunition in the burning aircraft damages two additional PB4Y-1s.

MARSHALL ISLANDS: USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators, staging through Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, bomb Maloelap Atoll where three B-24s are shot down by antiaircraft fire. Nine B-25 Mitchells hit targets on Jaluit Atoll and P-39 Airacobras strafe shipping at Mili Atoll.

USN aerial minelaying operations in the Marshalls continue. Flying from Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, five PV-1 Venturas and a PBY-5 Catalina mine Jabor Anchorage, Jaluit Island, Jaluit Atoll.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville, the 182d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, relieves the 21st Marine Regiment in the line.

In the air, 24 USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb a supply area on Buka Island located off the north coast of Bougainville.

U-445 was attacked in the North Atlantic by five bombs from an RAF Halifax aircraft. One crewmember was badly wounded and the boat suffered some damage.

U-539 was the first U-boat to depart on a combat patrol equipped with the Snorkel breathing device.

During an attack by two Liberators (RAF Sqn 224/C/G) on U-625, the Commander, Kptlt. Hans Benker, and one man were lost overboard. The boat, on its return leg of the patrol, was damaged and returned to Brest on 6 Jan.

PB4Y (VB 107) sights and tracks German blockade runner Weserland, en route from Japan to Germany with a load of crude rubber, 595 miles south-southwest of Ascension Island. Destroyer Somers (DD-381) intercepts Weserland and opens fire.

In the air, the USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 777: two B-17 Flying Fortresses and six B-24 Liberators drop leaflets in France and Germany during the night of 2/3 January.

NORTH SEA: Minesweeping trawler HMS Haybourn Wyke (FY 139) torpedoed and sunk by a German Seehund midget submarine off Ostend.

Western Front: US 3rd Army takes Bonnerue, Hubertmont and Remagne. Hitler denies a request from Field Marshall Model to withdraw west of Houffalize.

The USAAF Ninth Air Force's 9th Bombardment Division dispatches 135 A-20 Havocs, A-26 Invaders, and B-26 Marauders to hit rail bridges and communications centres in Belgium and Germany; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance and support 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. (Jack McKillop

LUXEMBOURG: In the U.S. Third Army's III Corps area, the 26th Infantry Division's 101st Infantry Regiment advances north in the area southwest of Wiltz.

FRANCE: Paris, Toussus-le-Noble: British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Commander-in-Chief Allied Naval Expeditionary Force, is killed when his plane taking him to a conference in Brussels, Belgium, crashes on takeoff at Toussus-le-Noble. He is 61. Ramsay had retired from the Royal Navy in 1938 but, on the outbreak of the war, was recalled to duty and given command of the port of Dover. Involved in the Dunkirk evacuation he was knighted and given the rank of admiral. Ramsay was responsible for organizing the Allied landings in Algiers, Algeria, on 8 November 1942 and then commanded the Eastern Naval Task Force for the invasion of Sicily. During the operation Ramsay controlled 795 vessels and 713 landing craft. In December 1943, he was appointed Allied Naval commander in chief for the Normandy landings. This was a tremendous task as it involved 2,730 vessels. After the successful invasion Ramsay took control of ports in northern France. British Vice-Admiral Sir Harold Burrough succeeds him.

The U.S. Seventh Army command post is moved from Saverne to Luneville. In the XV Corps area, German pressure forces the 44th Infantry Division's right flank back past Gros-Rederching and causes the 100th Infantry Division's right flank to fall back farther. In the VI Corps area, the Germans maintain pressure against the reinforced 45th Infantry Division, particularly on its west flank, the former zone of Task Force Hudelson. Fighting occurs at various points along the Bitche salient. Task Force Herren's 276th Infantry Regiment takes up switch positions in the Wingen-Wimmenau-Rosteig area. Combat Command A, 14th Armoured Division, organizes outposts at the Vosges exits around Bouxwiller. The centre and right flank units of the corps begin withdrawal to prepared positions on the Maginot Line. The 79th Infantry Division takes over southern portion of the Rhine River line held by Task Force Linden (42d Infantry Division).

BELGIUM: At 2200 hours local, a German A4 (V2) rocket lands in Antwerp at Vrydagmarkt killing 29, injuring 41 and destroying 53 houses.

In the British Second Army's XXX Corps area, 53d Division assumes responsibility for the Marche-Hotton sector in Belgium, relieving the U.S. 84th Infantry Division; the boundary between XXX Corps and the U.S. VII Corps is adjusted.

In the U.S. Third Army's VIII Corps area, Gerimont falls to the 87th Infantry Division; Mande St Etienne to the 11th Armoured Division; and Senonchamps to Combat Command B, 10th Armoured Division (attached to the 101st Airborne Division), and Combat Command A, 9th Armoured Division. The 4th Armoured Division protects and enlarges the corridor leading into Bastogne from the south and helps III Corps clear the woods near Lutrebois. In the III Corps area, the 6th Armoured Division's Combat Command B enters Oubourcy and Michamps but is driven out of the latter and unsuccessfully attacks Arloncourt; Combat Command A takes Wardin; the division withdraws to high ground west of Michamps-Arloncourt-Wardin for the night. The 35th Infantry Division continues their fight for Lutrebois. The 28th Cavalry Squadron of Task Force Fickett [6th Cavalry Group (Mechanized)] is committed between the 134th and 137th Infantry Regiments, 35th Infantry Division.

GERMANY: Chancellor Adolf Hitler denies a request from Field Marshal Walter Model, Commander in Chief Army Group B, to withdraw west of Houffalize, Belgium.

The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 776: 1,011 bombers and 503 fighters are dispatched to attack communications and tactical targets in western Germany visually and using Gee-H; four bombers and three fighters are lost. The targets are (numbers in parenthesis indicate number of aircraft bombing and number lost, e.g., 97-1):

- Communications centres: Mayen (68-0), Kyllburg (37-0), Bitburg (36-0) and Daun and Prum (34-0)

- Marshalling yards: Gerolstein (74-0), Ehrang at Trier (72-2), Bad Kreuznach (71-1) and St. Wendel (12-0).

- Railroad bridges: Lutzel at Koblenz (66-0), Guls at Koblenz (59-0), Ludendorf at Remagen (56-0), Kronprinz Wilhelm at Engers (45-0) and Kaiserslautern (34-1).

During the night of 2/3 January, RAF Bomber Command strikes several targets: 514 Lancasters and seven Mosquitos are dispatched to Nuremberg; 506 bomb the city. Four Lancasters are lost and two crash in France. Nuremberg, scene of so many disappointments for Bomber Command, finally succumbs to this attack. The Pathfinders produce good ground marking in conditions of clear visibility and with the help of a rising full moon. The centre of the city, particularly the eastern half, is destroyed. The castle, the Rathaus, almost all the churches and about 2,000 preserved medieval houses go up in flames. The area of destruction also extends into the more modern northeastern and southern city areas. The industrial area in the south, containing the important MAN and Siemens factories, and the railway areas are also severely damaged. Four hundred fifteen separate industrial buildings are destroyed. It was a near-perfect example of area bombing. In a second raid, 389 aircraft, 351 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos, are sent to Ludwigshafen 367 bomb the target. One Halifax which crashes in France is the only loss. The aiming point for this raid is the area of the two I.G. Farben chemical factories. The bombing is accurate, with severe damage to the main IG Farben factory and to the firm's factory at nearby Oppau. Estimated totals of 500 high-explosive bombs and 10,000 incendiaries fall inside the limits of the two factories, causing much damage. Ten large, 30 medium and 200 small fires are recorded at the main factory. Production failure at both plants is complete because of "loss of power." Thirteen other industrial firms and several railway installations are also hit; the train of a railway repair unit is destroyed. Mosquitos are also active: 49 bomb Berlin with the loss of one aircraft, eight hit a benzine refinery at Castrop Rauxel, six bomb Hanau and one attacks Hamburg. .

ITALY: The British Eighth Army begins a series of limited actions to finish clearing the eastern bank of the Senio River. In the Canadian I Corps area, the 5th Armoured Division attacks northward toward the sea, taking Conventelle.

In the air, USAAF"> USAAF Twelfth Air Force fighter-bombers concentrate their effort in the western Po Valley and Brenner area, claiming large number of rail lines cut and many vehicles and trains destroyed and damaged. The Milan marshalling yard is hit hard and good coverage is achieved on support targets in the U.S. Fifth Army battle area. Targets in the Po Valley are subjected to intruder missions during the night of 2/3 January, when pontoon bridges, vehicles, and Ghedi Airfield are hit.

HUNGARY: German counterattacks NW of Budapest, involve 2 divisions of SS Panzers from the Warsaw sector.

CHINA: USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-40s and P-51 Mustangs on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity, mainly railroad traffic, at or near Lohochai, Pengpu, and Sinyang. .

BURMA: In the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC), the U.S. 475th Infantry Regiment (Long Range Penetration, Special) begins crossing the Shweli River over a makeshift bridge put in by 138th Regiment, Chinese 50th Division, which crossed late in December.

THAILAND: The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XX Bomber Command flies Mission 24: 49 B-29 Superfortresses, operating from the Calcutta, India, area, are dispatched to attack a railroad bridge at Bangkok; 44 bomb the primary target and two hit an alternate and a target of opportunity; they claim 0-1-1 Japanese aircraft.

In the air, troop concentrations and supplies are attacked at Mabein, Panghka, Mansut, Letpangon, Loi-mun, Panghkai, Namhsan, Thabeikkyin, and in the Lashio area by 66 USAAF"> USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts and 13 P-38 Lightnings.

Six USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb Kentung and over 30 P-40s and P-51 Mustangs on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity, mainly railroad traffic, at or near Man Pong, Wanling, and Wan Pa-Hsa, Burma on the Burma-China frontier.

EAST INDIES: USAAF Far East Air Forces (FEAF) B-24 Liberators bomb Menado Airfield on Celebes Island. On Galela Island, FEAF B-24s bomb the Wasile Bay area while 12 RAAF aircraft dive-bomb the area inland from Wasile Airfield and 36 RAAF Kittyhawks bomb Lolobato Aerodrome and nearby Hate Tabako Aerodrome.

BONIN AND VOLCANO ISLANDS: Twelve USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators based on Guam bomb Haha Jima in the Bonin Islands while 14 others attack Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands. During the night of 2/3 January, ten B-24 Liberators, flying snooper strikes out of Guam, hit Iwo Jima over a seven hour period.

NEW GUINEA: About 35 Japanese attack the perimeter of the, 2/11th Battalion, 19th Brigade, 6th Division, at Matapau, near Niap. Artillery fire disperses the attacks and the Japanese leave six dead.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Convoys of the Luzon Attack Force are assembling in Leyte Gulf. The first echelon, Minesweeping and Hydrographic Group (Task Group 77.6), sails from Leyte Gulf for Luzon and is soon spotted and attacked by Japanese aircraft, including kamikazes. Task Group 77.6 consists 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).

On Mindoro Island, a guerrilla patrol is reinforced for an attack on Palauan by Company B, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, which moves to Mamburao. Work begins on one of two heavy bomber airfields to be constructed. Japanese planes attacking San Jose Airfield on the southwest of Mindoro during the night of 2/3 January, destroy 17 P-38 Lightnings and seven A-20 Havocs on the ground.

In the air, USAAF Far East Air Forces P-38s and A-20s hit shipping in San Fernando harbour on Luzon sinking seven ships while B-24 Liberators bomb Clark Field and B-25 Mitchells hit the city of Batangas. Airfields in the central Philippines area are bombed by B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers while B-24s strike Likanan Aerodrome on Mindanao Island.

ADMIRALTY ISLANDS: USN Task Group 77.4, the Carrier Cover Transport Group, sails from Manus Island en route to Luzon, Philippine Islands, for the upcoming invasion. Included in this group are 17 escort aircraft carriers (CVEs), 18 destroyers and 9 destroyer escorts.

U.S.A.: Restrictions preventing resettlement on the West Coast by Japanese-Americans are removed, although many exceptions continue to exist. A few carefully screened Japanese Americans had returned to the coast in late 1944.

The USN establishes 18 Fighter Bomber Squadrons (VBF) within existing Carrier Air Groups to adjust their composition to the needs of changed combat requirements in the Pacific.

ALBANIA: The Communist provisional government under Inver Hoxha deposes King Zog in preparation of the establishment of a people's republic.