Follow this thread daily to find out what was happening in WWII "on this day" and with the Men of Easy Company where appropriate.

NOVEMBER 29TH, 1944

In the Philippines... Japanese attacks on Kilay Ridge, on Leyte, continue. American forces successfully counterattack. At sea, the battleship USS Maryland and 2 destroyers are seriously damaged by Kamikaze attacks.

In the North Pacific... The American submarine Archerfish sinks the carrier Shinano in waters off Honshu.

On the Western Front... Heavy fighting is reported by US 9th, 1st and 3rd Armies.

In Albania... German forces withdraw from Scutari. Army Group E (Lohr) is attempting to form a defensive line along the Drina River and then Drava River in its continuing withdrawal.


The Men of Easy were on their way to Mourmelon, France at this time period.

NOVEMBER 30TH, 1944

On the Western Front... British 2nd Army gains ground west of the Maas River, near Venlo. To the north and south of Aachen, the US 9th and 1st Armies continue attacks. Southern elements of US 3rd Army reach the Saar River.

On the Eastern Front... In northern Hungary, the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front launches attacks on German forces northwest of Debrecen.

DECEMBER 1ST, 1944

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, south of Budapest, Soviet forces are successfully held by German forces. The Soviet 57th Army, however, achieves some gains around Pecs. To the northeast of Budapest, the 4th Ukrainian Front launches attacks on positions held by 1st Panzer Army, along the Ondava River.

On the Western Front... Elements of the US 9th Army advance northeast of Aachen. Linnich is captured by the US 102nd Division. To the right, attacks by US 3rd and 7th Armies report slow progress.

In the Mediterranean... The German garrison on the island of Crete abandons all areas except large towns.

DECEMBER 2ND, 1944

On the Western Front... Elements of the US 3rd Army reach Saarlautern. To the south, the US 7th Army advances to the Rhine river after the Germans have withdrawn across it at Kehl. The three available bridges are all demolished in the retreat.

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, to the northeast of Budapest, the 2nd Ukrainian Front attacks German defensive positions around Miskolc.

DECEMBER 3RD, 1944

On the Western Front... German resistance at Breskens is eliminated by forces of Canadian 1st Army. On Walcheren, British and Canadian forces achieve limited advances. Polish 1st Division and Canadian 4th Armored Division also record limited advances. The US 1st Army captures Schmidt, near Aachen.

From London... Lieutenant General McCreery is appointed to command British 8th Army in Italy. He replaces Lt. Gen. Leese.

DECEMBER 4, 1944

On the Western Front... Elements of British 2nd Army clear the last pockets of German resistance west of the Maas River. To the right, the US 9th Army ceases the offensive toward the Roer River. The US 3rd Army forces of US 20th Corps concentrates forces for the capture of Saarlautern, where reconnaissance indicates there is an intact bridge over the Saar River.

In Liberated Greece... Martial law is declared as fighting between communist and anti-communist forces continues.

DECEMBER 5, 1944

In Liberated Greece... British tanks are involved in the fighting between communist and anti-communist forces. British warships shell ELAS positions near Piraeus. The fighting continues for most of the month. Soviet forces do not provide aid to the communist forces which is in keeping with an understanding reached in Moscow (October 20th).

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces capture Vukovar on the Danube and to the northwest Szigetvar is taken.

In Italy... Troops of Canadian 1st Corps capture Ravenna in the ongoing British 8th Army offensive.

DECEMBER 6, 1944

On the Western Front... Elements of the US 3rd Army enter Saareguemines which is defended by German forces. In Holland, the British 2nd Army is held up southwest of Arnhem by the German demolition of dikes and the consequent flooding.

Over Germany... Day and night bombing of the Leuna synthetic fuel plant is conducted.

In Germany... The He162 Volksjager jet fighter is flight-tested over Vienna.

In Liberated Greece... Fighting between government forces, support by British troops, and Communist rebels continues. General Scobie claims there is evidence of a number of former German soldiers being employed by the ELAS forces.

In Moscow... Marshal Stalin meets with Free French President, General de Gaulle.

From Washington... Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott is appointed commander of the US 5th Army fighting in Italy. He replaces Lt. Gen. Mark Clark.

DECEMBER 7, 1944

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces reach Lake Balaton, southwest of Budapest. To the south, Baros on the Drava River is captured.

In Liberated Romania... A new government takes office. It is led by General Nicolae Radescu and pledges to fully implement the terms of the armistice, to provide assistance to the Allies and to purge all pro-Nazis.

On the Western Front... The US 3rd Army penetrates the Siegfried Line northwest of Saarlautern.

In the Philippines... On Leyte, the US 77th Division lands about one mile south of Ormoc. There is some Japanese resistance. One of the 12 escorting destroyers is sunk by a Kamikaze attack. Meanwhile, the US 7th Division continues attacking northward toward Ormoc.

In Japan... An earthquake strikes the Tokai area, disrupting rail communications and temporarily halting production at the Mitsubishi aircraft works at Nagoya.

DECEMBER 8, 1944

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces of 3rd Ukrainian Front launch attacks near Szekesfehervar about 20 miles southwest of Budapest.

On the Western Front... US 3rd Army reports the establishment of four additional crossing of the Saar river on both sides of Sarreguemines and inside the town. American tanks are reported to be approaching the town of Rohrbach to the southeast.

In Italy... Troops of the British 8th Army cross the Lamone River south of Faenza.

In Liberated Greece... Communist rebels in Athens continue to fight. British casualties are claimed to be very light but the Greek police are estimated to have suffered 600 killed, wounded and missing.

In London... Prime Minister Churchill defines the British government position on the crisis in Greece to be aiming at "clearing Athens of all who are rebels to the authority of the constitutional government." The House of Commons supports the position in a vote 279 to 30.

In the Volcano Islands... An American naval force, commanded by Admiral Smith and consisting of 3 heavy cruisers and a destroyer escort, bombard Iwo Jima.

In the Philippines... On Leyte, the US 77th Division advances from its beachhead to within 1 mile of Ormoc. Attacks by the Japanese 26th Division, near Buri, are repulsed by other US forces.

DECEMBER 9, 1944

On the Western Front... US 3rd Army is engaged in fighting around the various bridgeheads over the Saar River. American forces are within 4 miles of Saarbrucken. A German counterattack, with tanks and infantry, near Saarlouis is defeated as US forces advance further into the German held Siegfried Line. To the right of the Allied line, the US 7th Army and French 1st Army continue offensive operations.

Over Germany... The US 8th Air Force attacks Stuttgart during the day.

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front reaches the Danube north of Budapest at Vac. Farther north, to the right of the Soviet line, Balassagyarmat is captured, near the border of Slovakia. Southwest of Budapest, 3rd Ukrainian Front reports progress as well.

In Liberated Greece... Fighting in Athens continues for a sixth day. About twenty percent of the ELAS strongholds in the city have been cleared by British and Greek government forces but an estimated 200 more remain. An important bridge in the Piraeus is blown up by ELAS forces.

In the Philippines... On Leyte, a small number of Japanese reinforcements are successfully landed at Palompon on the west coast, northwest of Ormoc. To the south of Ormoc, the US 77th Divsion continues expanding its beachhead.

In Britain... The government relaxes the black-out regulations for houses and other places.

DECEMBER 10, 1944

In the Philippines... On Leyte, the US 77th Division captures Ormoc, the main Japanese base on the island. Japanese forces are now mostly concentrated around Palompon.

On the Western Front... The US 7th Corps (part of US 1st Army) launches an attack west of Aachen directed at Duren. To the south, US 3rd Army continues to defend its bridgeheads on the Saar River.

In Moscow... Following a recent visit by the leadership of the French Provisional Government (including de Gaulle, Bidault and Juin), representatives of the French and Soviet government sign a treaty of alliance.

DECEMBER 11, 1944

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces are approaching Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The city is subjected to intensive artillery bombardment and air strikes during the day. A Soviet communique claims Soviet troops are within 5 miles of Budapest in the north.

On the Western Front... Forces of the US 7th Army enter Haguenau in Alsace and advances southeast of Rohrbach. There are German counterattacks against the US 3rd Army bridgeheads over the Saar River which are repulsed.

Over Germany... Over 2000 USAAF bombers of the 8th and 15th Air Forces attack various rail targets in Germany as well as an oil plant and ordnance depots near Vienna (annexed Austria).

In Liberated Greece... British reinforcements reach Athens. It is estimated that the rebellious ELAS forces number 25,000 troops.

In the North Atlantic... German torpedo planes and U-365 attack convoy RA62. The British destroyer Cassandra is damaged and the U-boat is sunk.

DECEMBER 12, 1944

In Burma... In the Arakan, a new British offensive begins. Forces of the British 15th Corps advance toward Akyab.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces capture the railway junction and town of Godollo, 10 miles north of Budapest. The Soviets claim the fall of the Hungarian capital is imminent.

On the Western Front... Forces of the US 1st Army battle towards Duren, through the Hurtgen Forest. The US 3rd Army establishes another crossing of the German frontier east of the Saar. To the south, in Alsace, the US 7th Army is fighting in Seltz.

Over Germany... Bomber Command Lancaster bombers, escorted by Mustang fighters, attack Witten, the only city in the Ruhr industrial area that has not been bombed yet.

In Liberated Greece... After experiencing heavy losses in recent fighting, the Greek communists ask for terms for a cease fire. The government demands that the communists surrender their weapons.