Posted on 01/05/2014 6:22:39 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
5 January. The 2d Battalion combat patrol reached Sel on 5 January and not far from there encountered a small group of enemy. These Japanese withdrew and the patrol was ordered to establish an outguard position at Sel and stay there.
Major General H.W. Blakeley, USA, Ret., The 32d Infantry Division in World War II
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/jan44/f05jan44.htm
Soviets attack toward Kirovograd
Wednesday, January 5, 1944 www.onwar.com
Soviet T-34 with supporting infantry advancing [photo at link]
On the Eastern Front... The Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front (Konev) launches an offensive directed along a southwest axis toward Kirovograd in thick fog. Soviet 53rd Army (Galanin) and 5th Guards Tank Army (Rotmistrov) carry out the main attack while flanking attacks are carried out by the Soviet 4th Guards Army (Ryzhov), 5th Guards Army (Zhadov), 7th Guards Army (Shumilov) and 52nd Army (Koroteev). The attack falls on over-extended forces of the German 8th Army (Wohler), part of German Army Group South (Manstein). The 1st Ukrainian Front (Vatutin) captures Berdichev and Tarascha, southwest and south of Kiev.
In New Guinea... Elements of the US 32nd Division at Saidor encounter Japanese forces while patrolling westward from their positions. Australian forces advancing westward along the north coast of the Huon Peninsula capture Kelanoa.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/05.htm
January 5th, 1944 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: London: The Polish government in exile has tonight issued a statement towards co-operating with the Soviet Union now that the Red Army has advanced in strength into Polish territory.
The declaration makes it clear that the Polish underground movement has been instructed to co-operate with the Red Army only in the event of a resumption of Polish-Soviet relations. It thus reflects the tension that exists between the Poles, who fear Moscow’s intentions and the Soviet Union, which has not yet recognized the Polish London based government in exile. Official circles in London gave the Polish declaration a cautious welcome, pointing out that without friendly relations between the two governments it would have been difficult for the Polish cabinet to instruct the underground movement to co-operate to the fullest degree.
The willingness of the Poles to re-establish good relations is noted with approval. The view is taken in Polish circles that their government has shown itself willing on many occasions to re-enter treaty relations with Russia, but no response has been made from Moscow.
Announcement was made of the establishment under the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission of a system of West Indian conferences.
The U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSAFE) is established under the command of General Carl Spaatz to co-ordinate operations of the two strategic air forces in Europe, the Eighth Air Force in the U.K. and the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy. The official abbreviation of this headquarters is changed to USSTAF on 4 February 1944.
A USAAF Eighth Air Force report concludes that the U.S. daylight strategic bombing program against Germany will be threatened unless steps are taken to reduce the German’s fighter force, which has increased in strength in the west as a result of step-up in production, strengthening of firepower, and transfer of a larger percentage of fighters to the Western Front.
FRANCE: The USAAF flies Mission 176: 117 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 76 P-47 Thunderbolts are dispatched to bomb Merignac Airfield at Bordeaux: 112 B-17s bomb the target with the loss of 11 bombers and five P-47s. In a second attack, 79 B-17s escorted by 139 P-47s attack Tours Airfield; 78 B-17s bomb the target with the loss of one B-17. .
GERMANY: The USAAF flies Mission 176: 131 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 114 B-24 Liberators, escorted by 70 P-38 Lightnings and 41 P-51 Mustangs, are dispatched to bomb the shipyard and industrial area at Kiel; 216 bomb the U-boat yards with the loss of ten bombers and seven fighters. In addition, 73 of 78 B-17s, escorted by 243 P-47 Thunderbolts, attack targets of opportunity at Neuss, Geilenkirchen, Dusseldorf and Wassenburg with the loss of two B-17s.
During the night of 5/6 January, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 348 Lancasters and ten Halifaxes in the first large raid on Stettin since September 1941. The ten Mosquitos flying a diversion at Berlin successfully keep most of the German fighters away from the main force of bombers allowing 348 aircraft to bomb; 16 aircraft, 14 Lancasters and two Halifaxes, are lost, 4.5 per cent of the force. In other raids, 18 of 25 Mosquitos hit six other targets.
U-1200 commissioned.
U-1009, U-1010 launched.
DENMARK: Copenhagen: The bullet-riddled body of Denmark’s leading poet and dramatist, Kaj Munk, was found in a Jutland wood this morning, several hours after he was abducted by a German-Danish Nazi gang known as the Peter-Gruppe. Munk, who was 45, regularly denounced the Nazis from his pulpit in the church at Vedersoe, in West Jutland, where he was priest.
ITALY: The US 5th Army under General Mark Clark becomes operational. The U.S. Fifth Army begins its final assault on the Winter Line. The British X Corps withdraws from the Peccia River bridgehead, since tanks are unable to cross the river. Mt. Porchia, which dominates Cedro Hill, is still held by the German. In the U.S. II Corps area, Task Force A (6th Armoured Infantry Regiment, reinforced) of the 1st Armoured Division pushes toward Mt. Porchia, reaching the north-south road in front of it. The 3d Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, jumping off during the night 4/5 January, clears part of the village strongpoint’s of St. Vittore. 1st Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, attacks toward La Chiaia, northwest of St. Vittore, beginning the night of 4/5 January, but is stopped by fire from St. Giusta. In conjunction with the assault of the 135th Infantry Regiment, the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, begins a move to outflank La Chiaia and takes Hill 425. The 1st Special Service Force confines its activity to probing Mt. Majo with patrols.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force A-36 Apaches hit gun positions north of Mignano and on the south slope of Monte Porchia. Weather cancels other operations.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet troops recapture Berdichev, a rail junction south-west of Kiev.
BURMA: The Chinese 38th Division makes a vain attempt to clear the last strongpoint remaining between it and the Tarung River.
Three USAAF Tenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells, supported by eight P-38 Lightnings, attack the Mu River bridge between Monywa and Ywataung which is being rebuilt; hits are scored on the east bank near the bridge and several sheds are set afire; the escorting fighters damage several nearby railway cars, strafe the nearby town, set a barge afire, blow up four tin buildings, and claim a river steamer sunk.
NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, the gap between U.S. and Australian troops is narrowed to about 60 miles (97 kilometres) as the Australians reach Kelanoa on the north coast of the Huon Peninsula. U.S. patrols meet opposition at Cape Iris, west of Saidor. (Andy Etherington and Jack McKillop)
In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators and medium bombers bomb the Alexishafen, Madang, and Bogadjim areas and attack barges from Finschhafen to Saidor while P-39 Airacobras hit barges and gun positions during a sweep from Sio to Bogadjim.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, the ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment reinforced by a battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment and supporting units) remains in place in the Cape Gloucester area, patrolling and regrouping.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: USAAF B-25 Mitchells bomb concentrations in the Choiseul Bay area of New Georgia Island and Hahela Mission on southern Buka Island, while B-24 Liberators attack Tonolai, the Kahili supply area, Fauro Island, and Poporang building area on Bougainville Island.
PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Scorpion (SS-278) departed Pearl Harbour, Territory of Hawaii, on 29 December for her fourth war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Yellow Sea. On 3 January, she tops off her fuel at Midway Islands and heads west. Today, she attempts to rendezvous with sister ship USS Herring (SS 233) to transfer an injured crewmember. Heavy seas prevented the transfer, and Scorpion continues west. She is not heard from again and is assumed to be the victim of a Japanese mine, she was declared lost on 6 March 1944. (Joe Sauder)
CANADA:
HMC ML 097 commissioned.
Minesweeper HMCS Coquitlam launched Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Corvette HMCS Long Branch commissioned.
NEWFOUNDLAND: Corvette HMCS Lachute departed St. John’s escort for Convoy SC-164.
U.S.A.:
Destroyer escort USS Cronin launched.
Escort carrier USS Windham Bay laid down.
Escort carrier USS Petrof Bay launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: A USN PBM-3S Mariner of Patrol Squadron Two Hundred Three (VP-203) based at NAF Aratu, Bahia, Brazil, sights German blockade runner SS Burgenland and summons USN light cruiser USS Omaha (CL-4) and destroyer USS Jouett (DD-396). Gunfire and scuttling charges sink Burgenland about 552 nautical miles (1 023 kilometres) east of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, in position 07.29S, 25.37W.
Reading these headlines and comparing today................
Our major diplomatic purpose is faggotry now. How far we have fallen.
That’s a picture of Pappy Boyington. And according to wikipedia by this time in 1944 he’s already shot down.
“Boyington’s squadron, flying from the island of Vella Lavella, offered to down a Japanese Zero for every baseball cap sent to them by major league players in the World Series. They received 20 caps and shot down many more enemy aircraft.
He tied the American record of 26 planes on January 3, 1944 over Rabaul, but was shot down himself later the same day. The mission had sent 48 American fighters, including one division of four planes from the Black Sheep Squadron, from Bougainville for a fighter sweep over Rabaul. Boyington was the tactical commander of the flight and arrived over the target at eight o’clock in the morning. In the ensuing action, the major was seen to shoot down his 26th plane. He then became mixed in the general melee of diving, swooping planes and was not seen or heard from again during the battle, nor did he return with his squadron. Boyington’s wingman Captain George Ashmun was killed in action.”
I wonder what these prohibition bills mentioned on the front page? It would seem silly to talk about prohibition again on a federal level after how well it worked out the first time.
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