9 January 1939

FRANCE: Over the vote of the U.K., the Allied Reparation Commission decides that Germany has neglected its coal delivery. France and Belgium decide to send some engineers to the Ruhr area to speed up the German deliveries. Five divisions with heavy weapons are sent with them for protection.

SPAIN: An autogiro aircraft designed by Juan de la Cierva makes its first flight with Lieutenant Alejandro G. Spencer of the Spanish army at the controls. The revolutionary new aircraft looks like an airplane but depends on an overhead rotor instead of conventional wings for lift. Between 1935 and 1938, the U.S. Army Air Corps purchases ten autogiros for experimental work.

UNITED STATES: An agreement is announced between the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William V. Pratt, and the Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur, governing the operations of their respective air forces, which climaxed a long standing inter-service controversy over the division of responsibilities for coast defense. Under the terms, the functions of the two air forces are closely associated with those of their parent services; the naval air force is defined as an element of the fleet to move with it and to carry out its primary mission; and the Army Air Corps as a land-based air arm to be employed as an essential arm of the Army in performing its general mission, including defense of the coast at home and at possessions overseas.

GERMANY: Chancellor Heinrich Bruening declares Germany could no longer pay reparations. The. report. of the Basle experts "pointed out Germany's actual incapacity to pay and the close connection between German reparation payments and the whole present situation. . . . It was clear that any attempt to uphold the system of political debt payments would bring disaster not only on Germany but on the whole world."

JAPAN: Korean nationalists attempt, unsuccessfully, to assassinate Emperor Hirohito.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British Government refuses to endorse the principle of nonrecognition of unlawful conquest enunciated by U.S. Secretary Henry Stimson or to address a similar note to Japan. The British Foreign Office issues a statement saying: "His Majesty's Government stand by the policy of the open door for international trade in Manchuria, which was guaranteed by the Nine-Power Treaty at Washington. Since the recent events in Manchuria, the Japanese representatives at the Council of the League of Nations at Geneva (Switzerland) stated on the 13th October that Japan was the champion in Manchuria of the principle of equal opportunity and the open door for the economic activities of all nations. Further, on the 28th December, the Japanese Prime Minister stated that Japan would adhere to the Open Door policy, and would welcome participation and cooperation in Manchurian enterprise. In view of these statements, his Majesty's Government have not considered it necessary to add ress any formal note to the Japanese Government on the lines of the American Government's note, but the Japanese Ambassador in London has been requested to obtain confirmation of these assurances from his Government."

UNITED STATES: The Secretary of the Navy informs the Secretary of War of work being conducted at the Naval Research Laboratory in detecting ships and aircraft by radio and suggests that since one obvious application of the method is in air warning systems for large areas, the Army might be interested in undertaking further work.

UNITED STATES: The U.S. Army adopts the US Rifle Caliber .30 M1 Garand as the standard infantry weapon.

HUNGARY: The Budapest Conference commences. The conference, which lasts until 12 January, which is attended by representatives of the Austrian, Hungarian, and Italian governments, reaffirms the protocols between the three states to maintain the status quo in the Danubian region.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0221, SS Manx was hit by one torpedo from U-19 off Kinnaird Head and sank within two minutes. Eight survivors managed to grab hold of an upturned lifeboat, but were scantily clad and in the stormy weather four of them gave up. After 8 hours the remaining four survivors were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Leka along with two men rescued from a raft.

French submarine Narval is sunk by Axis forces. The Narval had been the first French naval vessel to side with General Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces.

UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Vimiera is mined in the Thames Estuary off the East Spile buoy at 51 28N 00 55E. (Alex Gordon)(108)

FRANCE: During the night of 9/10 January, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 82 bombers to attack the German warships at Brest; 59 bomb the target.

U.S.S.R.: The Soviet Northwest, Volkhov and Kalinin Fronts launch a major offensive in the Valdai Hill area west and northwest of Moscow. The Soviets have rapid success despite fierce German resistance.

MALAYA: Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding Malaya, issues instructions for withdrawal of the Indian 3 Corps into Johore, where a final stand before Singapore Naval Base is to be made. The corps begins a withdrawal at once, executing a demolition program as it goes. The Indian 11th Division and line of communications troops are to delay the enemy along two lines: one covering Seremban and Port Dickson, and the other covering Tampin and Malacca; Indian 9th Division is to clear Kuala Pilah and Tampin, respectively.

In the fiercest fighting since the Japanese invasion a month ago, Japanese troops supported by tanks and fighter planes have overrun British positions and crossed the Slim river 200 miles north of Singapore.

At the same time Japanese troops are advancing south-eastwards towards Kuala Lumpur, Malaya's largest town. They claim to have broken through the strongly fortified line at Kuala Kubu, an important junction 25 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. The British plans for the defence of Malaya have been built around the 9th and 11th Indian Divisions and the 8th Australian Division.

Although the British claim that the Japanese suffered heavy casualties in the battle for the Slim, they are pessimistic about holding Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the military its streets are deserted, with most of the civilian population fleeing south to the island of Singapore.

After studying the situation in Malaya, General Sir Archibald Wavell, the new Allied Supreme Commander in the Far East, has ordered the immediate fortification of Singapore's north coast.

BORNEO: RAF planes from Malaya terminate action over Borneo with a reconnaissance flight over Kuching.

CHINA: As consideration of the U.S. role in China continues in Washington, General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff U.S. Army, decides to recommend against sending Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum to China because of the small effort that is currently to be made there.

THAILAND: Pilots of the 2d Fighter Squadron, American Volunteer Group (the Flying Tigers) attack Tak Airdrome at Rahaeng and destroy four Japanese aircraft on the ground.

PACIFIC: The submarine USS Pollack (SS-180) torpedoes and sinks a Japanese merchant cargo ship 40 miles (64 kilometres) south-southwest of Inubozaki, Japan.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES:

On Bataan, the Japanese open an assault at 1500 hours.
From the Dinalupihan-Hermosa area, three regimental combat teams with artillery support move forward, two against the II Corps on the east and one toward the I Corps sector on west.
None of the columns reaches the outpost line.
The II Corps, defending the Abucay line (from Mabatang on Manila Bay to Mt Natib) with 57th Infantry Philippine Scouts on the east, 41st Division Philippine Army (PA) in the center and the 51st Division (PA) on the west, opens fire on the enemy combat team driving down the East Road and makes patrol contact with it.
To the west, another Japanese column advances unmolested down the trail from Dinalupihan to the vicinity of Album.
In the I Corps area, the enemy column from Dinalupihan is slowed only by demolitions while moving west along Route 7 toward Olongapo.
Disposed along I Corps' Mauban line (Mt.t Silanganan on the east to Mauban on Subic Bay) are Company K of the 1st Infantry (PA); 3lst Field Artillery Battalion of the 3lst Div (PA) organized as infantry; and the 3d Infantry of the 1st Division (PA).
Additional troops are maintaining the outpost line to the front.
Five of nine USAAF Far East Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses, based at Singosari Airdrome on Java and staging through Kendari Airdrome on Celebes Island, Netherlands East Indies, strike shipping in Davao Bay, Mindanao. The other four aircraft turn back with mechanical problems.

AUSTRALIA: Colonel Stephen J. Chamberlain arrives by air direct from Washington. He is the new chief of staff to Lt-Gen Brett who will be CG US Army Forces in Australia. He brings with him a $10 million credit from the US Chief of Staff's fund. (Michael Alexander)

NEWFOUNDLAND: Corvette HMCS MOOSE JAW runs aground off St. John's.

MARTINIQUE: The US Armies only tank and infantry battalions with joint amphibious training, the 70th and the 1st along with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion are sent to invade this Vichy French island. Seeing the force against him, the governor capitulated without a shot being fired. (Mike Yared)

BELGIUM: During the day, one RAF Bomber Command Mosquito bombs the marshalling yard at Mons.

NETHERLANDS: During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 12 Venturas to attack the Ijmuiden steelworks; all attack without loss. During the night of 9/10 January, 56 bombers lay mines in the Frisian Islands; three aircraft are lost.

FRANCE: During the day, five RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb the marshalling yard at Rouen; one aircraft is lost. Twelve Bostons are sent to attack the Abbeville airfields but are recalled before attacking.

GERMANY: The RAF is tonight bombing Essen, the home of Krupp's arms factory. Conditions are hazy, but the RAF is using "Oboe", a blind-bombing device that depends on radio pulses transmitted from two stations in England and transmitted back to the aircraft. By measuring the time taken by the pulses to reach the plane and return, its exact position can be calculated, and a short signal is then transmitted to the aircraft to indicate the bomb release point. Errors should normally be of less than 300 yards.

Two Mosquitos and 50 Lancasters attack, three Lancasters are lost. Essen reports concentrated bombing in or near the center with 127 buildings destroyed or seriously damaged and 28 people killed.

Scharnhorst">Scharnhorst and Gneisenau leave Gotenhafen for Norway together with the Prinz Eugen and three destroyers. Detected by British planes on the 11th, the group returns to Gotenhafen where it arrives on the 12th. (Navy News)

U.S.S.R.: Stalingrad: General Paulus, determined to obey Hitler's orders to fight to the end, today ignored a Soviet offer of an honourable surrender for the starving, frozen Germans trapped in the ruins of Stalingrad.

The order signed by General Rokossovsky, was carried into the German lines by a Russian captain under the protection of a white flag. The news ran through the weapons pits and the weary men of the Sixth Army began to think that their ordeal was at last at an end.

This morning they could read the terms of the offer themselves in leaflets scattered by Soviet aircraft. The Russians promised that everyone who surrendered would be fed and receive medical attention, and that their lives and safety would be guaranteed.

The leaflet also promised that they would "retain their uniforms, badges of rank and decorations, their personal belongings and valuables. Senior officers may retain their swords and bayonets."

Rokossovsky, anxious to free his forces tied down around the city, left no doubt of his intentions if the offer was refused: the Red Army would embark upon the annihilation of the encircled German troops.

Destroyer HMS Achates in action with strong enemy force off the North Cape while escorting a convoy to Russia. Damaged in the defence of the convoy and subsequently sank. 7 officers and 106 ratings lost their killed.

PORTUGAL: Shorts S-26 Flying Boat, msn S-873, registered G-AFCK and named Golden Horn by the British airline British Overseas Airline Corporation (BOAC), crashes in the River Tagus in Lisbon. The aircraft was on a test flight after an engine overhaul when a piston seized causing a severe engine fire and setting the tail surfaces on fire. The captain was blinded by the smoke and the aircraft crashed into the river killing 12 of the 13 BOAC personnel aboard.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The Italian destroyer RN Corsaro hits a mine northeast of Bizerta, Tunisia.

TUNISIA: USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-25 Mitchells attack shipping off the northern Tunisian coast.

LIBYA: USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-26 Marauders with fighter escort, hit an airfield 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tripoli.

NEW GUINEA: The Australian 17th Brigade is airlifted to Wau, establishing a forward base for the next phase of the Allied offensive.

In Papua New Guinea, Japanese fire prevents the U.S. 127th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, from establishing a bridgehead across Konombi Creek in the Tarakena area. Relief of elements of the 126th Infantry Regiment, now greatly depleted in strength, is completed on the Sanananda front. While 1st Battalion, 163d Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, continues efforts to reduce the Japanese pockets between Musket and Kano, the 2d Battalion establishes a position astride the Killerton trail west of Musket, isolating the Japanese in the track junction.

In Northeast New Guinea, RAAF aircraft and USAAF Fifth Air Force heavy, medium and light bombers and fighters continue to attack the Japanese convoy as it leaves Lae in the early morning. Airfields, supply dumps and troop concentrations at Lae and at Salamaua are also hit. In four days of attacks on this convoy, two transport are sunk, several vessels are damaged and about 80 aircraft are destroyed.

The Australian 17th Brigade, 5th Division, â€œKanga Force,â€ is airlifted to Wau, Northeast New Guinea, establishing a forward base for the next phase of the Allied offensive on New Guinea.

CHINA: Nanking: The reformed Kuomintang, the pro-Tokyo puppet regime which is an offshoot of Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (Nationalists), today gave in to the Japanese and declared war on Britain and America.

In return, Japan had agreed to give up its claims to the international settlement in Shanghai and its territorial concessions in Hankow, Tientsin, Amoy and other major cities. It will also release Wang Ching-wei's client regime from the much-despised Basic Treaty of November 1940 that legitimised Japanese infringements of Chinese sovereignty. Wang's decision to declare war follows a propaganda barrage from Tokyo, culminating two weeks ago in a Japanese decision to adopt a new softer-profile policy towards Wang's China. In place of "supervision" and "guidance", the Wang regime is to receive koiteki shien - well-meaning assistance.

Japanese army officers have also been told to be more helpful and respectful to the Chinese and to avoid harsh, imperious language.

BURMA: Five USAAF Tenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells, with an escort of nine P-40s, bomb Bhamo; other fighters strafe targets of opportunity in the Wanling, Bhamo and Loiwing areas.

JAPAN: Tokyo radio announces that the Nanking Government, the Japanese puppet government in China, has declared war on the U.K. and the U.S., and that a Sino-Japanese declaration had been signed for cooperation between the Chinese Government and Japan, the abolition of extraterritoriality, and the retrocession of concessions and settlements.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal Island, the XIV Corps completes preparations for their attack tomorrow. The 25th Infantry Division, which is to lead off, moves forward to the line of departure. The 27th Infantry Regiment, on the division right (north), takes up positions for an assault on the hill mass called Galloping Horse, between the northwest and southwest forks of the Matanikau River. The 35th Infantry Regiment, on the left, prepares to make their main effort against Hills 43 and 44, called Sea Horse, lying between the Gifu (Japanese strongpoint between Hills 31 and 27) and Galloping Horse, while exerting pressure against the Gifu. The 3d Battalion, followed by the 1st, completes a wide circling movement about the southern flank of the Gifu to their line of departure for an attack on the Sea Horse. The 2d Battalion and Calvary Reconnaissance Troop take up positions about the eastern part of the Gifu, relieving the 132d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division. The Americal Division (â€”) holds the perimeter defense. Captain Beach's 147th Infantry Regiment Task Force lands at Beaufort Bay and establishes beach defenses.

U.S.A.: The Lockheed Constellation makes its first flight from Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. The aircraft, Lockheed Model 049-46-10, msn 049-1961, is painted in USAAF camouflage colors with military insignia but carries the civilian registration NX25600. Piloted by Eddie Allen and Milo Burcham, the aircraft flies for 58 minutes with the landing gear down and lands at Muroc Army Air Base (now Edwards AFB), Muroc, California; the Connie makes four landings and take-offs at Muroc and then flies back to Burbank. Lockheed continues to test the aircraft until it is turned over to the USAAF on 28 July 1943 as C-69-LO, USAAF serial number 43-10309. It is immediately loaned back to Lockheed, flown back to Burbank and used by for testing until March 1946.

The auxiliary aircraft carrier Block Island (ACV-8) is transferred to the British under Lend Lease as HMS Trailer (D 80). She is renamed HMS Hunter (D 80) in 1943 and is returned to the USN in December 1945. The is the eighth ACV transferred to the Royal Navy.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0619, U-522 fired three torpedoes at the convoy TM-1 and reported three hits, which were also observed by U-575 and claimed three tankers sunk. It is probable that two torpedoes hit the Minister Wedel, which started to burn fiercely and the other the Norvik. HMS Havelock unsuccessfully tried to scuttle both badly damaged ships by gunfire. In the afternoon, U-522 reported the sinking of three damaged tankers in grid DG 9510 at 1515, 1650 and 1730 by coup de grâce. But again, the U-boat probably attacked one of the tankers twice, so only Norvik and Minister Wedel were finished off. Minister Wedel was hit on the starboard side forward and was abandoned by all 33 crewmembers and five gunners. HMS Havelock picked up the survivors and went alongside, allowing the master and four others to reboard the vessel to see if she could be saved, but nothing could be done. Two days later the master returned on another escort vessel, but the tanker had been sunk in the meantime.

At 0727, U-442 attacked Convoy TM-1 west of the Canary Islands (grid DG 9411) and claimed hits on two tankers, but in fact only one torpedo had hit the Empire Lytton. The chief officer, 12 crewmembers and one gunner were lost. The master, 30 crewmembers and three gunners were picked up by the HMS Saxifrage and landed at Gibraltar. HMS Havelock failed to sink the wreck with gunfire. At 1450, U-442 found the drifting tanker and torpedoed her again, but the tanker remained afloat and only sank after a further torpedo hit at 1938.

At 2025, the unescorted Louise Lykes was hit by two of four torpedoes fired by U-384 from a distance of 1800 meters, while proceeding on a zigzagging course at 15 knots. The ship exploded with a terrible blast, forcing the U-boat to crash dive because debris was falling onto the deck and into the water around her. As the U-boat resurfaced after five minutes, the ship had disappeared. The ten officers, 41 crewmen and 32 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, two 3in and eight 20mm guns) all perished.

At 0433, U-124 attacked the convoy TB-1 and hit the Broad Arrow with two torpedoes and sank the Birmingham City with one torpedo at 0436. The Broad Arrow in station #31 was struck on the port side by the first torpedo at the after magazine. The explosion tore open the entire after end of the vessel and she flooded rapidly and settled by the stern. The explosion probably killed seven of the eight armed guards on board (the ship was armed with one 5in and two .30cal guns). Moments later the second torpedo struck forward of amidships and set the cargo on fire, so that the tanker lit up the entire convoy. The explosions killed all hands standing on watch on the bridge (including the master) and in the engine room. She began to settle more evenly and sank stern first at 07.00 hours. The survivors of the eight officers and 31 men abandoned ship within five minutes without orders in two lifeboats and two rafts. Some men stranded on the burning tanker and in the water, because the lifeboats were launched with only a few men in it. Three officers, 22 crewmen and one armed guard were picked up by the American submarine chaser USS PC-577 about ten hours later and landed them at Paramaribo the next day. The Second Mate died on board and the Pumpman died from burns in the hospital. Both were buried in Paramaribo. Birmingham City was hit on the port side amidships at the #3 hatch and the ship began to blaze. The explosion blew the port lifeboats overboard, destroyed the fireroom bulkhead and caused her to sink on an even keel in three minutes about 50 miles north of Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana. The most of the nine officers, 29 crewmen and 18 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and four .50cal guns) immediately abandoned ship as she rapidly settled. The #1 motor lifeboat capsized on launching, pitching men into the water and contributing to the drowning of several crewmen. The remaining survivors left in #3 boat or jumped overboard and swam to several rafts. The #1 boat was later righted and the men from the rafts were transferred to it. Three officers, two crewmen and five armed guards died, most from drowning. All survivors were picked up by subchaser USS PC-577 ten hours later and landed at Paramaribo

At 0557, U-124 fired two torpedoes in a second attack on Convoy TB-1 about 100 miles NE of Paramaribo and two minutes later another torpedo. Mohr thought that he had hit three ships, but in fact the first torpedo passed astern of the Collingsworth, the second hit the ship and the third missed also, but hit the Minotaur. The torpedo was seen about 200 yards from the Minotaur and the helmsman put the wheel hard to port, but it was too late and it struck on the port side in the #1 hold. The explosion opened a large hole and flooded the hold rapidly. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 28 crewmen, 15 armed guards (the ship was armed with two 3in and two .50cal guns) and one passenger (naval medical officer) began abandon ship in two lifeboats, but the ship sank by the bow within four minutes, fouling one boat and capsizing the other. The men were thrown in the water and had to swim to three rafts that floated free. Two officers and four crewmen drowned. The survivors were picked up by submarine chaser USS PC-577 later that day and landed at Paramaribo, Surinam. The Collingsworth was struck by the second torpedo on the port side between the #1 and #2 holds. The helmsman spotted the third torpedo, swung the ship hard to port and it missed by ten feet but hit a ship in the next column. The engines were secured and an inspection found no serious damage other than flooding to the compartments. But the ship began to settle fast, sinking by the head four minutes after the hit. Her crew of eight officers, 35 men and 24 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and four 20mm guns) abandoned the ship almost immediately. The #1 boat got away with 21 men, but the #3 boat fouled while launching, forcing the men to jump into the water. 34 survivors were picked up by the American submarine chaser USS PC-577 from the wreckage and one raft 13 hours later. The survivors in #1 boat were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Dalvangen 36 hours after the attack. The master, another officer, 6 crewmen and four armed guards did not survive.

U-511 sank SS William Wilberforce in position 29.20N, 26.53W - Grid DG 9116.

Thirty seven RAF Bomber Command aircraft lay mines in the Kattegat, the broad arm of the North Sea between Sweden and Denmark; one aircraft is lost. In a second mining mission, four bombers lay mines in the Heligoland Bight, the arm of the North Sea extending south and east of the island of Helgoland.

UNITED KINGDOM: American and British bombers seconded from their attacks on German cities, today begin the first full week of Operation Carpetbagger, and extensive campaign to arm the resistance movements of Europe in preparation for the forthcoming invasion. The bombers, their bomb-bays filled with canisters containing Sten guns, ammunition, explosives, mortars and wireless sets, have been parachuting their loads into dropping zones in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. It is estimated that enough weapons have been dropped to arm 20,000 fighters. Special orders are sometimes supplied by fast Mosquito bombers a few hours after the request has been placed by radio.

FRANCE: Lyons: The shooting of two German soldiers is swiftly avenged by the execution of 22 Frenchmen.

ITALY: US troops launch a final assault on the German winter line, striking at Cervaro and Monte Trocchio.

In the U.S. Fifth Army area, the U.S. II Corps orders an attack tomorrow, the 34th Infantry Division making the main effort, to secure Cervaro and Mt. Trocchio, the final Winter Line objectives. Last elements of U.S. 45th Infantry Division are relieved by the 3d Algerian Division, French Expeditionary Corps.

USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-25 Mitchells attack the marshalling yard and docks at Ancona; P-40s hit tanks and trucks at Palena and south of Sulmona, and positions and vehicles near Cervaro while A-36 Apaches hit positions in the same area.

German submarine U-81 is sunk at 1130 hours at the U-boat base at Pola, when 107 USAAF Fifteenth Air Force bombers bomb the town of Pola. The sub is raised on 22 April 1944 and scrapped. Two crewmen are lost.

YUGOSLAVIA: U-81 sunk at 1130 at Pola in position 44.52N, 13.51E (will recheck this position as it places the sub on dry land!) by US bombs. Raised on 22 April 1944 and broken up. 2 dead, unknown number of survivors. U-boat pens there were hit and 4 men from U-407 killed and 1 wounded. The boat sailed for the next time on 29 Jan. [Oberleutnant (Ing) Heinz Weser, Leutnant zur See Eberhard Baumgart, Maschinenobergfreiter Rudolf Güttge, and Maschinenobergefreiter Heinz Bönisch].

USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses hit the docks and shipping at Pola.

MOROCCO: Prime Minister Churchill and General de Gaulle met at Marrakesh, for discussions on the cooperation of a French expeditionary force in the invasion of Europe, and the degree of authority of the French committee in the control of civil affairs inside France after the invasion.

CHINA: Nine USAAF Fourteenth Air Force fighters strafe six steamboats and many smaller craft on the Yangtze River at Puchi; two B-25 Mitchells on a sea sweep bomb a 200 foot (61 meter) vessel south of Swatow, reporting the ship destroyed.

THAILAND: During the night of 9/10 January, seven B-24 Liberators lay mines in the Menam River estuary near Bangkok, Thailand and in the Rangoon River estuary.

BURMA: In the Hukawng Valley of northern Burma, the 112th and 113th Regiments of the Chinese 38th Division are converging on Taihpa Ga, and the 114th Regiment is active in the jungle south of the Tanai River. The 3d Battalion, 114th Regiment, begins a lively action with Japanese infiltrators who have surrounded its supporting battery.

Twenty one USAAF Tenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs and A-36 Apaches attack the Loilaw area, severely damaging a bridge, hitting an ammunition storage building, and scoring direct hits on large barracks.

NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force fighters and bombers attack Alexishafen, Madang, Bogadjim, Uligan Harbor, and the area east of Saidor; and Cape Beechey is strafed by P-40s.

On Bougainville, the Americal Division continues their relief of the 3d Marine Division: the 132d Infantry Regiment enters the line.

USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells hit Buka seaplane base on Buka Island and the Kahili supply area on Bougainville; fighters strafe the Cape Dunganon area and along the Ramusian River west of Teop.

A second airfield, Piva North (Piva Yoke), is completed on Bougainville. The strip is plagued with problems for heavy bomber operations, as the soil is too soft from the constant rain. Although Marston matting is laid, it was not an ideal forward base.

Bougainville Island was invaded by the US Marines on 1 November 1943 and the U.S. Naval Advance Base (NAB) Torokina was established. This base also consisted of two airfields, Torokina and Piva. The first airfield completed was Torokina and this fighter base was completed on 10 December 1943. The second airfield, Piva Field, was intended for use by bombers and was ready for use by 30 December 1943. As the war progressed, these two bases become superfluous and NAB Torokina was formally disestablished in March 1945 although some Seabee maintenance personnel remained there until June 1945.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, the ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment reinforced by a battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment and supporting units) secures a foothold on Aogiri Ridge, west of Hill 150, which the Japanese have been told to hold at all costs since it covers a good supply route that they have constructed.

On New Britain Island, RAAF, USMC and USN aircraft attack Tobera Airfield at Rabaul; 16 TBF Avengers and 23 SBD Dauntlesses bomb the airfield which is closed due to the damage. About 40 Japanese fighters are engaged by Marine F4U Corsairs and Navy F6F Hellcats over Rabaul; 18 "Zeke" fighters (Mitsubishi A6M, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters) and â€œTonyâ€ fighters (Kawasaki Ki-61, Army Type 3 Fighter Hien) are shot down over Tobera Airfield between 1200 and 1345 hours. A USN F6F Hellcat and two RAAF (P-40) Kittyhawks are lost. USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Vunakanau Airfield. On New Ireland Island, six USAAF B-25 Mitchells bomb Taharai Airfield and afterwards some hit targets of opportunity on the island.

NEW BRITAIN: Australian troops secure the Aogiri Ridge in the face of a stubborn Japanese defence.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Corvette HMS Abelia lost her rudder after being hit by a U-boat torpedo. It is not known which U-boat fired the torpedo. The convoy, OS-64, had been shadowed by U-757 that was lost on 8 January and by U-731, which was attacked by an escort vessel on 10 January and was lucky to escape.

Sir: - In today's issue you report the Christian gesture of the Mayor of Salford (Alderman John Binns) in visiting the German wounded prisoners of war in Salford Royal Hospital.

My wife, who speaks German fluently, has had occasion to visit German wounded prisoners of war in our local hospital at the request of the hospital authorities. The majority of the prisoners in the ward she visited were of the young Nazi unmarried type, somewhat arrogant and not very willing to help the authorities by giving the necessary particulars for record purposes. There was one man, however, aged about 35 years, with a wife and two children in Germany, who called my wife to his bedside, and said, "Madam, I should be denying God if I did not offer up thanks for all the kindness and medical treatment I have received since I was brought to England." He then burst into tears. -- Yours, etc., C.A.P.

The German News Agency said last night: "Dr Clear, an American Army doctor, who was in charge of an American field hospital at Wissembourg, has presented himself in the German lines and has asked the Germans to take over 142 seriously wounded Americans. Dr. Clear stated that the shortage of drugs and surgical material made it impossible for him to look after the wounded. The Germans acceded to his request." - Reuter

BELGIUM: In U.S. First Army's VII Corps area, the 84th Infantry Division mops up near Consy, takes the commanding ground at Harze, and clears the woods south of the main crossroads southeast of Manhay. The 2d Armored Division continues toward SamrÃ©e, which is subjected to heavy artillery fire. The 83d Infantry Division attacks through the 3d Armored Division, gaining the line from Bihain, which is entered but not captured, west to a point northeast of Petite Langlir. In the XVIII Corps (Airborne) area, the 82d Airborne Division finishes mopping up within its zone. In the 30th Infantry Division sector, Regimental Combat Team 424 (106th Infantry Division) takes over the Wanne-Wanneranval region, formerly held by Regimental Combat Team 112 (28th Infantry Division).

In the U.S. Third Army's VIII Corps area, the 87th Infantry Division continues to fight near Tillet; elements are clearing the Haies-de-Tillet woods. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, attacks with Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division, and Combat Command B, 10th Armored Division, toward Noville, gaining 1,000 yards (914 meters). The 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment takes Recogne. III Corps launches an attack to trap and destroy the Germans in a pocket southeast of Bastogne. The 90th Infantry Division attacks through the 26th Infantry Division toward the high ground northeast of Bras, taking Berle and the crossroads on the Berle-Winseler road. The 26th Infantry Divisionâ€™s gains are slight but include heights northwest of Bavigne. Combat Command A, 6th Armored Division, co-ordinating closely with the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, advances to the high ground southeast of Marvie and feints toward Wardin. The 137th Infantry

FRANCE: In the U.S. Seventh Army's XV Corps area, a local attack by the 100th Infantry Division gains Hill 70, south of Rimling, but since this region is becoming untenable, the division withdraws the left flank to Guising to tie in with the 44th Infantry Division. The VI Corps makes very slow progress against the Bitche salient, but Task Force Herrenâ€™s 276th Infantry Regiment occupies Obermuhithal. On the northeast flank of the 79th Infantry Division, a German tank-infantry attack against the 242d Infantry Regiment, Task Force Linden, overruns Hatten and reaches Rittershoffen; the counterattack drives the Germans back to Hatten and partly regains that town. In the Gambsheim bridgehead region, Combat Command B of the 12th Armored Division seizes part of Herrlisheim, but the 79th Infantry Division is still thwarted in the Drusenheim and southeast of Rohrweiler. Elements of the 232d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division along the canal east of Weyersheim are ordered back t o organize Weyersheim for defense.

GERMANY: Bad Neuheim: Hitler rejects Guderian's warning that the USSR is preparing for a massive offensive in the east.

Fifteen USAAF Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders bomb the Rinnthal rail bridge with the aim of isolating three German armored divisions in the Landau area; XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) fighters escort the B-26s. Weather prevents other operations.

ITALY: The U.S. Fifth Army announces a decision to postpone their offensive until 1 April or thereabouts in order to await the arrival of fresh troops, build up ammunition supplies, have more favorable weather conditions, and regroup and rest assault forces. In the IV Corps area, the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division enters the line in Task Force 45â€™s sector, relieving antiaircraft units in the region northwest of Pistoia. In the II Corps area, the 85th Infantry Division begins relief of the British 1st Division, XIII Corps, in the Mt. Grande area.

USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges at Palazzuolo sull'Oglio, Pontetidone, Romano di Lombardia, and an assembly area at Crespellano; fighters and fighter-bombers attack communications in the western and central Po Valley and other points in northern Italy, make numerous rail cuts, destroy or damage many vehicles and trains and effectively hit ammunition and fuel dumps, guns, and strongpoints along the U.S. Fifth Army front in the northern Apennines.

BALTIC SEA: U-679 sunk in the Baltic Sea in position 59.26N, 24.07E by depth charges from Soviet ASW vessel MO 124. 51 dead (all hands lost).

CHINA: Eight USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs bomb railroad repair shops at Sinsiang.

BURMA: Eight USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts hit a division headquarters at Ho-na while four others support ground forces in the Si-U sector; over 90 fighter- bombers hit supply areas, tanks, antiaircraft positions, and troop concentrations at Man Kat, Tonghsim, Kong-lin, Bawdwin, Mong Tat, and in the Hsenwi vicinity.

Twenty five USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-40s, P-38 Lightnings, and P-51 Mustangs hit targets of opportunity south, southwest and northeast of Wanling while three P-40s hit a road west of Muse causing a traffic block.

INDIAN OCEAN: Submarine HMS Porpoise is lost in the Indian Ocean around this date. Sent out from Trincomalee to lay two minefields, she never reported completion, and post-war clearance operations failed to find the fields which should have been laid. No Axis claim has been made for her loss, o it is believed that she may have been mined or suffered an accident. Porpoise was the 5^th of her class of 6 minelaying submarines to be sunk in WW2. (Alex Gordon)(108)

FRENCH INDOCHINA: Six USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells hit railroad targets, road bridge, and building area northeast of Thanh Moi.

JAPAN: For the first time the USAAF Eleventh Air Force radar-bombs with H2X radar equipment as four B-24 Liberators hit Suribachi Bay Airfield on Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands.

The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XXI Bomber Command flies Mission 18: 72 Mariana Island-based B-29 Superfortresses are dispatched against the Musashino aircraft plant near Tokyo; high winds break up the formations so that only 18 B-29s can bomb the primary target; 34 hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-3-11 Japanese aircraft; six B-29s are lost.

VOLCANO ISLANDS: Twenty four USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators, based on Saipan, hit an airfield on Iwo Jima Island which is struck again by eight B-24s on individual snooper missions during the night of 9/10 January.

FORMOSA: The Japanese transport SS Oryoku Maru was attacked in December by USN planes while transporting U.S. POWs from the Philippine Islands to Japan. To prevent her sinking, the crew ran her aground in the Philippines but 286 US soldiers were killed and the 925 survivors were put aboard the SS Enoura Maru. Previously used to transport horses, the holds are filthy with manure, yet into these holds are crammed some 1,040 men with little room to sit down. Some are so hungry that they picked out grain from the manure, grain that had dropped from the horses mouth during feeding. On 1 January, the Enoura Maru reached Takao, Formosa. The crew then started to celebrate the New Year, leaving the POWs to fend for themselves for the next four days. During those four days 34 prisoners died. This morning, aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-12) carried out a bombing attack on the harbor. Little did the pilots know that the ship they are bombing carried their own countryme n. The bombs that struck the Enoura Maru killed 252 men and injured a similar number, many of whom later died from their injuries. No medical help is forthcoming from the Japanese crew, the prisoners left in the hold surrounded by hundreds of mutilated bodies. On 11 January, the bodies are removed and transported in cargo lighters to the outer spit of the harbor and buried in a mass grave. In the later part of 1946 the bodies were exhumed by an American Graves Recovery Team and re-interred in the National War Cemetery in Hawaii.

The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XX Bomber Command flies Mission 26: 46 B-29 Superfortresses from Chengtu, China, are dispatched to bomb the harbor at Kirun; 39 hit the target and six bomb targets of last resort along the China coast; this raid is the first of several such operations against Formosa in conjunction with the US invasion of Luzon Island.

EAST INDIES: USAAF Far East Air Forces aircraft make small-scale attacks on barges, airfields, and targets of opportunity in Halmahera Islands, the Ceram Island area, northern Borneo, and on Timor Island.

NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, the Australian 2/5th Battalion, 17th Brigade, 6th Division, captures Asiling without opposition.

After preparatory aerial and naval bombardment the U.S. Sixth Army, under Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, begins landing on shores of Lingayen Gulf at approximately 0930 hours local. The USN Seventh Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, heads the Luzon Attack Force (Task Force 77). Two corps land abreast, the XIV on right and the I on the left, without opposition. XIV Corps, with the 40th Infantry Division on the right and the 37th on the left, each with two regiments in assault, is virtually unopposed while pushing inland to an average depth of 4 miles (6,4 kilometers), its flanks near Calasiao on the east and Port Sual on the west. I Corps, more strongly opposed, is less successful. Its beachhead by end of day is narrower and shallower than that of XIV Corps and contains several gaps between the assault forces. The 6th Infantry Division, employing two regiments, gains the line from Dagupan to the Pantalan River and has elements at the Bued River crossing, south of San Fabian. The 43d Infantry Division attacks with three regiments to positions in the vicinity of San Jacinto, Binday, and Hills 470, 247, and 385.

The troops land under cover of heavy gunfire from the bombardment force, Task Group 77.2 (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) consisting of six battleships; two Australian and three USN heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and one RAN and 20 USN destroyers and aircraft from the escort carrier force, Task Group 77.4 (Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin), consisting of 20 escort aircraft carriers. Japanese air attacks and assault demolition boats continue to vex the invasion forces off the beaches. Kamikazes crash battleship USS Mississippi (BB-41), light cruiser USS Columbia (CL-56), and destroyer escort USS Hodges (DE-231), in addition to Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (D 84), which is finally sent to the rear areas for repairs. Japanese assault demolition boats damage transport USS War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ships USS LST-925 and LST-1028.

Covered by the US Third Fleet and preceded by heavy bombardments, the US Sixth Army commanded by Lt-Gen Walter Krueger, has landed at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 110 miles north of Manila.

I was there on 9 January. In fact, I have a printed book describing the complete operation issued 29 July 29, 1945. Just for clarification the first paragraph was as follows: "The planning group of GHQ mapped out a series of operations for the recapture of the Island of LUZON. This series was known at the MUSKETEER OPERATIONS, and the separate phases of M-1, M-2, M-3, and M-4. The first (M-1) called for landings in LINGAYEN GULF." This book had a cover letter written by O. W. Griswold, Lieutenant General, U. S. Army Commanding, and was submitted to the Commanding General, Sixth Army. Detailed reports were written by Staff Officers of the XIV Corps. (Carroll Reinert - Americal Division)

In northern Luzon, USAAF Far East Air Forces (FEAF) B-24 Liberators bomb Mabalacat while B-25 Mitchells, A-20 Havocs, and fighter-bombers destroy several bridges and numerous vehicles and trains throughout Luzon, and bomb several airfields; B-24s also hit Nielson Airfield and Nichols Field. FEAF aircraft also make small-scale attacks on barges, airfields, and targets of opportunity on Mindanao.

Japanese resistance has been light, but en route to Lingayen, while sailing through the central Philippines and the South China Sea, the invasion forces was subjected to frequent attack by kamikaze aircraft. The kamikaze terror sank or damaged 40 US vessels. One Allied cruiser, HMAS AUSTRALIA, was hit no less than five times. Except for the loss of 44 sailors killed, the AUSTRALIA's efficiency was unimpaired.

Before landing on Luzon, MacArthur's forces had, on 15 December, seized bases on Mindoro Island, south of Manila, from which US aircraft are now supporting the Luzon invasion. Soon after the landing the Sixth Army was in control of a beach-head 15 miles wide and up to three miles deep. By noon, San Fabian had been captured.

Admiral Ernest King, the US Navy chief of staff, had strongly advocated that Luzon be bypassed and that Formosa should be the next objective. MacArthur rejected Formosa, which might result in heavy casualties. He had long advocated the reconquest of the Philippines, and said that after Leyte, Luzon should be invaded. The next landings are planned for Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

I was there on January 9, 1945. In fact, I have a printed book describing the complete operation issued July 29, 1945.

"The planning group of GHQ mapped out a series of operations for the recapture of the Island of LUZON. This series was known at the MUSKETEER OPERATIONS, and the separate phases of M-1, M-2, M-3, and M-4. The first (M-1) called for landings in LINGAYEN GULF." This book had a cover letter written by O. W. Griswold, Lieutenant General, U. S. Army Commanding, and was submitted to the Commanding General, Sixth Army.

Detailed reports were written by Staff Officers of the XIV Corps. (Carroll Reinert - Americal Division)

PACIFIC OCEAN: Task Force 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) supports the landings at Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Islands, with attacks on Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa, Ryukyus, and Pescadores Islands areas. This Task Force is composed of 12 aircraft carriers, five small aircraft carriers, five battleships, two heavy cruisers, 11 light cruisers and 60 destroyers. Off Formosa, TF 38 planes sink a coast defense vessel north of Keelung; a submarine chaser; and a fleet tanker, a merchant tanker and a cargo ship south of Formosa; and a small cargo vessel off Keelung; and a cargo ship.

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ATLANTIC OCEAN: Free French patrol vessel L'Enjoue (ex-USS PC-482) hit by a Gnat from U-870 while escorting Convoy GC-107 and sank off Cape Spartel.

At 1815, SS Jonas Lie in station #35 of convoy ON-277 was torpedoed by U-1055 at the entrance to the Bristol Channel. One torpedo struck on the starboard side in the #3 deep tank and ripped open the bulkhead between the engine room and the #4 hold, killing two men on watch below. The explosion created a hole 20 feet long at the waterline and broke steam and electrical connections. As the ship lost way she listed 10° to port and 25 minutes after the attack the majority off the 41 crewmembers, 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and one passenger (US Army security officer) abandoned ship in three lifeboats. The current swept the boats away from the freighter and armed trawler HMS Huddersfield Town picked up these men. The skeleton crew (master, chief officer, bosn and one seaman) left the ship three hours after the attack by order from the British Admiralty officials and were landed at Milford Haven the same evening. One survivor, which had been blown overboard by the explosion, was picked up by the Norwegian motor merchant Fosna and landed in New York on 23 January. On 10 January, the master and 13 men departed on tug HMS Storm King to board the Jonas Lie, but overnight the vessel had drifted into a minefield. The next day, they boarded the vessel and the tug took her in tow, but on 12 January, the cable parted in heavy seas. The British tug HMS Empire Sprite came to assist, but to no avail. At 1300 on 13 January, a lifesaving boat took the boarding party off and landed them at St. Mary's Island. The vessel foundered the next day.