DECEMBER 28, 1944

In Italy... The US 5th Army, fighting in the Serchio valley, has pulled back from the town of Barga in response to German counterattacks.

On the Western Front... AEF Commander in Chief General Eisenhower meets with British 21st Army Group command Field Marshal Montgomery to coordinate the counteroffensive in the Ardennes.

Over Germany... About 1200 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, escorted by 700 fighters, attacked Coblenz and other targets. Late in the day, Bomber Command bombs Cologne.

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces report the capture of additional outlying areas near Budapest.

In Athens... British Prime Minister Churchill agrees to recommend the establishment of a regency to the King of Greece.

In the Philippines... Mindoro airfield becomes fully operational.

DECEMBER 29, 1944

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces are fighting within Budapest and have effectively cut off the city from re-supply. An attempt to begin negotiations with the garrison inside Budapest results in some of the Soviet emissaries being killed because of a misunderstanding.

On the Western Front... There is a lull in the fighting in the Ardennes as Allied forces buildup their forces for further counterattacks.

In Liberated Greece... The government announces that a regency is to be established and that Prime Minister Papendreou will resign when the regent has been chosen.

DECEMBER 30, 1944

On the Western Front... The US 8th Corps (part of US 3rd Army) launches attacks northward, against the German 5th Panzer Army, from a line between Bastogne and St. Hubert with Houffalize as the objective. Meanwhile, elements of German 5th Panzer Army launch another unsuccessful attempt at cutting the American corridor into Bastogne and capture the town.

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, Soviet forces of 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts are engaged in fighting in and around Budapest.

In Washington... General Groves, head of the Manhattan Project, reports that the first two atomic bombs should be ready by August 1, 1945.

DECEMEBER 31, 1944

In the Philippines... On Leyte, various Japanese counterattacks in the northwest are repulsed by American forces. Up to this point, the Japanese have suffered about 70,000 casualties, almost all killed, in the battles on Leyte. American casualties number 15,500 dead and wounded. The US 6th Army is being withdrawn from the island, in preparation for the invasion of Luzon, and the US 8th Army is replacing it.

In Liberated Poland... The Soviet backed Polish communists of the Committee of National Liberation, based in Lublin, assumes the title of Provisional Government.

In London... The Polish government in exile protests the claim of the Lublin Committe Poles to the status of Provisional Government.

In Liberated Greece... Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens is sworn in as regent and the Prime Minister Papandreou resigns.

On the Western Front... The British 30th Corps (part of US 1st Army) captures Rochefort on the western tip of the German-held Ardennes salient.

In Liberated Hungary... The Soviet backed provisional government of Hungary, located in Drebrecan, declares war on Germany.

JANUARY 1, 1945

HAPPY NEW YEAR

On the Western Front... The German Luftwaffe makes a series of heavy attacks on Allied airfields in Belgium, Holland and northern France. They have assembled around 800 planes of all types for this effort by deploying every available machine and pilot. Many of the pilots have had so little training that they must fly special formations with an experienced pilot in the lead providing the navigation for the whole force. The Allies are surprised and lose many aircraft on the ground. Among the German aircraft losses for the day are a considerable number of planes shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Allied losses amount to 300 planes opposed to about 200 German aircraft shot down. Meanwhile, the land battle in the Ardennes continues with the Allied counterattacks gathering force. The most notable gains are by the US 8th Corps. Farther south in Alsace the forces of German Army Group G begins an offensive in the Sarreguemines area (Operation Nordwind) towards Strasbourg. The US 7th Army retires before this attack on orders from Eisenhower.

On the Eastern Front... In Budapest, Soviet forces capture a railway station in the eastern part of the city in what is described as bitter hand-to-hand fighting.

JANUARY 2, 1945

On the Eastern Front... German forces launch counterattacks northwest of Budapest which aim to break the Soviet siege of the city. The main forces involved in this offensive are those of the 4th SS Panzer Corps (Gille), 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf and 5th SS Pz. Div. Wiking, [which have been withdrawn from the OKH reserve behind Warsaw without the consent or knowledge of Guderian, the German Army Chief of the General Staff] and 96th Infantry Division. The Soviet 31st Guards Rifle Corps, of 4th Guards Army (part of 2nd Ukrainian Front), is driven by about 20 miles.

On Western Front... In the Ardennes, US 3rd Army troops take Bonnerue, Hubertmont and Remagne. In Alsace, the German pressure and the US 7th Army withdrawals continue.

From Berlin... Hitler turns down requests from Model and Manteuffel for withdrawals from the area west of Houffalize.

Over Germany... About 1000 USAAF bombers nominally attack troop concentrations and communications in western Germany while about 1000 RAF bombers strike Nuremburg and Ludwigshafen.

From Britain... Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Naval Commander in Chief Allied Expeditionary Force, and organizer of the Dunkirk evacuation, is killed in an airplane accident while traveling from Paris to Belgium.

In the North Atlantic... An American Sikorsky helicopter is used in convoy escort duties for the first time.

In the Caroline Islands... Fais Island is occupied by an American amphibious force.

JANUARY 3, 1945

In Burma... There are British landings at the northwest tip of Akyab Island in the Arakan area. A Commando and an Indian brigade are involved but there is little resistance from the Japanese. Inland, troops of British 33rd Corps capture Yeu, 22 miles northwest of Shwebo, in their advance to the Irrawaddy River. Chinese forces have captured Wanting on the Burma Road.

In the Pacific... The British submarine Shakespeare is depth charged by Japanese patrol boats.

On the Western Front... In the Ardennes there are German attacks on the narrow corridor leading to Bastogne which succeed in disrupting the timetable of the planned American attacks but fail to achieve any advance. Forces of the US 3rd Army and US 1st Army are attacking toward Houffalize from the south and the north, respectively. In Alsace, the German attacks and the American retreat continue. The US 6th Corps (part of US 7th Army) is being pressed particularly hard in the area around Bitche. Farther south, there is also fighting near Strasbourg.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces are engaged by German counterattacks southeast of Komarno aimed at the relief of the encircled garrison in Budapest. Several places on the southern bank of the Danube River have been occupied by the German forces.

JANUARY 4, 1945

On the Western Front... The fighting in the Ardennes continues; a German counterattack near Bastogne is repulsed by troops of US 3rd Army. There are attacks by US 8th and 3rd Corps and by the British 30th Corps. Some of the units of the 6th SS Panzer Army (Dietrich) are withdrawn and sent to the Eastern Front. In Alsace, the German attacks in the Bitche area continue.

In Burma... Akyab Island is completely occupied by forces of the British 14th Army. The port and airfield are secured.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... Three British carriers of Admiral Vian’s TF63 attack the oil refineries at Pankalan Brandan on Sumatra.

In the Philippines... Americans B-24 Liberator bombers attack Clark Field in Manila, on Luzon and claim to destroy 20 Japanese aircraft. Shipping near Luzon is also attacked. It is claimed that 35 Japanese vessels have been sunk or severely damaged.

JANUARY 5, 1945

In the Bonin Islands... Admiral Smith leads a force of cruisers and destroyers to shell Iwo Jima, Haha Jima and Chichi Jima. There is a simultaneous attack by USAAF B-29 Superfortress bombers.

In Burma... Shwebo is taken by the British 2nd Division of British 33rd Corps (Stopford) as the advance to the Irrawaddy River continues.

In the Kurile Islands... Admiral McCrea leads three cruisers and nine destroyers to bombard Suribachi Wan.

In Moscow... The Soviet government gives formal recognition to the Polish Lublin Committee as the Provisional Government of Poland. The USA and Britain declare their continued recognition of the Polish government in exile, based in London.

In Liberated Greece... The fighting between the British and the Greek Communist forces comes to an end in the Athens area. Field Marshal Alexander and British political representatives arrive in Athens for talks with the Communist leaders and the Greek government.

On the Western Front... In the Ardennes, the US 3rd Army reports reduced activity on its line while US 1st Army continues its attacks. There are German attacks just north of Strasbourg. Eisenhower's decision to divide command responsibility for the Allied defenses around the bulge between Montgomery in the north and Bradley in the south is made public.

JANUARY 6, 1945

On the Eastern Front... Some 65 German tanks were destroyed or disabled, by Soviet forces, in the attempt to relieve the garrison surrounded in Budapest.

In Moscow... Churchill sends a personal note to Stalin asking whether a renewal of the Soviet offensive along the Vistula River can be expected during January because of the Allied situation on the Western Front is "very heavy" -- in Churchill's words.

On the Western Front... There are various local actions all along the Ardennes front. US 1st Army, part of British 21st Army Group, makes gains of 1000-3000 yards in an attack south of Stavelot, threatening the main German east-west supply road from Laroche to St. Vith.

From Berlin... Hitler again orders no retreat after Rundstedt, the Commander in Chief West, again requests that German forces be allowed to withdraw from the Ardennes salient because of the Allied pressure.

JANUARY 7, 1945

In Italy... There are some limited operations by British 8th Army to complete the Allied hold on the south bank of the Senio River. San Alberto is captured by British and Canadian troops. The wet weather and a lack of reinforcements and extra supplies prevents the Allied armies from launching any large scale offensives at this time.

On the Western Front... The attacks of the US 8th Corps of US 1st Army, along the line of the Ourthe west of Houffalize, record progress around Laroche. German attacks in Alsace also continue with some success south of Strasbourg in the area around Erstein.

On the Eastern Front... In Hungary, German forces capture Esztergom, some 25 miles northwest of Budapest in their attempt to relieve the German led garrison in the capital.

In London... Stalin, in response to Churchill, indicates that the Soviet timetable for a new offensive will be no later than the second half of January.

JANUARY 8, 1945

In Burma... British 14th Army troops, southeast of Yeu, have reached within 4 miles of Shwebo, 55 miles northwest of Mandalay.

On the Eastern Front... Northwest of Budapest, Soviets forces engage German armor and infantry forces. Street fighting in Budapest continues. Soviet forces are approaching the town of Komarno on the Danube River.

On the Western Front... Allied forces eliminate German positions on the west bank of the Maas River. In the Ardennes, American forces now control 9 miles of the Laroche-St. Vith road. US 3rd Army captures Flamierge, 9 km northwest of Bastogne, on the southern flank of the German held salient. Meanwhile, in Alsace, the battles north and south of Strasbourg continue. The US 7th Army is under considerable pressure near Rimling and Gambsheim.

JANUARY 9, 1945

In the Philippines... Elements of US 6th Army (General Krueger) begin landings on Luzon at Lingayen Gulf (Operation Mike 1) with naval support under the direction of Admiral Kinkaid. The US 1st Corps (General Swift) come ashore, from the ships Task Force 78, around San Fabian. The assault units are from US 43rd and 6th Infantry Divisions. The US 14th Corps (General Griswold) disembarks, from ships of Task Force 79, near Lingayen village. The assault units are from US 37th and 40th Divisions. The Japanese commander in north Luzon is General Yamashita. In addition to the 150,000 troops under his direct leadership in the north of the island, Yamashita also has available the 110,000-strong Japanese forces around Manila and to the south. The closest Japanese forces are from the 23rd Division. Yamashita does not contest the landings during the day. However, continued Japanese air attacks in which the battleship USS Mississippi and two cruisers are hit. In a night attack by explosive boats several landing craft and transports are damaged.

In Formosa and Okinawa... The fleet carriers of Task Force 38 attack targets on Okinawa and Formosa in conjunction with US Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress bombers from bases in China. This is intended to give cover to the landings on Luzon. One Japanese destroyer is sunk along with seven other ships.

On the Western Front... The US 3rd Army renews its attacks northeast and southeast of Bastogne.

In the Irish Sea... The German U-1055 sinks 4 ships.

In London and Washington... An Anglo-American joint statement is issued that notes increased U-boat activity in December 1944 and higher shipping losses. Nonetheless, it states that all forces are continuing to be supplied regularly.

JANUARY 10, 1945

On the Western Front... In the Ardennes, American forces are engaged near Laroche. The British 30th Corps is advancing on the town from the west, capturing Bure and Samree. German forces are withdrawing, in good order, from the western tip of the salient. St. Hubert, 15 miles west of Bastogne, has been evacuated by the Germans under pressure from Allied forces.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces continue to be engaged in street fighting in Budapest. The island of Obuda is captured. The Soviet advance along the north bank of the Danube River, in southern Slovakia, reaches the Nitra River -- 80 miles from Vienna and less than 50 miles form Bratislava.

In the Philippines... The US forces continue to come ashore on Luzon. Their beachhead is now several miles wide and deep.

In Burma... While the advance of British 33rd Corps to the Irrawaddy River is attracting Japanese attention, British 4th Corps is moving southward to the west of Chindwin with the intention of crossing the Irrawaddy River near Meiktila. Gangaw is captured in this advance.

JANUARY 11, 1945

In the Philippines... On Luzon, the US 25th Division and an armored group land at Lingayen to reinforce the American beachhead. The first serious fighting begins ashore. There are more Kamikaze attacks on the American ships. Many smaller craft are damaged.

In the South China Sea... Aircraft from the US 3rd Fleet (Halsey) sink 25 ships and damage 13 others off the coast of Indochina in attacks on four Japanese convoys.

In the Central Pacific... Japanese forces initiate Operation Kongo involving 6 submarines launching Kaiten torpedoes against Allied naval bases. One landing craft is sunk and a munition ship is damaged.

On the Western Front... Units of the US 3rd Army and the British 30th Corps join up near St. Hubert as the German salient in the Ardennes is further reduced. To the south, the fighting in the US 7th Army around Bitche is also continuing but German attacks are being held.

In the Norwegian Sea... A British squadron inflicts heavy damage on a German coastal convoy of southern Norway. Half of the estimated 7 or 8 vessels are sunk.