Posted on 01/13/2014 4:37:15 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
13 January. A patrol of thirty men from the 3d Battalion, led by Captain Johnson, tried to reenter Bilau Village. They ran into fire from enemy light machine guns.
Major General H.W. Blakeley, USA, Ret., The 32d Infantry Division in World War II
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/jan44/f13jan44.htm
Soviets capture Korets
Thursday, January 13, 1944 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... Forces of the Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front capture Korets between Novograd-Volynskiy and Rovno.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/13.htm
January 13th, 1944 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigate HMS Inman commissioned.
Submarine HMS Vigorous commissioned.
FRANCE: One hundred ninety three USAAF Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders bomb NOBALL (V-weapon) targets. Fighter pilots report being tracked by antiaircraft rockets.
GERMANY: While serving as a Flak boat, U-621 was attacked by an RAF 59 Sqn Liberator and suffered 1 man killed and 6 wounded. Matrosengefreiter Heinz Thomas was mortally wounded and later buried at sea. The commander decided to abort the patrol. U-621 took ten days to limp back to Brest.
U-1201, U-1229 commissioned.
U-1053, U-1208 launched.
ITALY: In U.S. Fifth Army’s II Corps area, the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, finishes clearing the heights overlooking Le Pastinelle and the Rapido Plain. Task Force B (1st Special Services Force and the 133d Infantry Regiment) is dissolved, having completed its mission; Regimental Combat Team 133 remains in position. The 2d Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, reduces a troublesome strongpoint (Point 189) south of Cervaro. The II Corps is now in position for an assault on the last hill barring access to the Rapido River, Mt. Trocchio.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders bomb Guidonia, Centocelle, and Ciampino Airfields; A-20 Havocs strike the town of Atina. RAAF, RAF, SAAF and USAAF fighter-bombers hit shipping along the Dalmatian coast at Sibenik and in the Krka River, Yugoslavia. A-36 Apaches hit the town and railway yards at Isola del Liri, a factory at Colleferro, docks at Formia, railroad yards at Valmontone, and a railway station SE of Frosinone. P-40s hit Sant’ Elia Fiumerapido, San Biagio, Saracinesa, and a rail and road junction near Villa Latina..
Sixty two USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb Centocelle Airfield and 37 attack Guidonia Airfield while 39 B-24 Liberators hit Perugia Airfield. P-38 Lightnings provide escort, and P-47 Thunderbolts fly top cover for the B-17 missions. The heavy bombers destroy several fighters in aerial combat.
INDIA: Major General Kenneth B Wolfe, Commanding General of the USAAF Twentieth Air Force’s XX Bomber Command, arrives at New Delhi with the advanced echelon staff. This is the first important movement of personnel for Operation MATTERHORN, the plan which will be approved in April 1944 for the bombing of Japan by B-29 Supergortresses based in the Calcutta area and staging through advanced fields in the Chengtu, China, area.
CHINA: Two USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells on a sweep from Hong Kong to Hainan Island attack four large boats, several warehouses, a radio station, and a car at Fort Bayard,; one of the vessels explodes. Six P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe four pack trains of about 15 animals each between Lungling and Tengchung.
BURMA: In the Hukawng Valley, the Chinese 38th Division gains firm control of the Tarung River line as the 114th Regiment reduces the last strongpoint in the Yupbang Ga area. The 112th Regiment, to the north, has cleared the region between the Tarung and Sanip Rivers. The 1st Battalion, 113th Regiment, upon crossing the Tarung River at Yupbang Ga, patrols north to Tabawng Ga.
Six USAAF Tenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs hit troop concentrations at Lalawng Ga and bomb Maran Ga and Shaduzup; 27 P-40s attack a communication center and dumps along the Kamaing-Mogaung road; and four P-51 Mustangs and a B-25 Mitchell attack the airfield and supply area at Myitkyina.
NEW GUINEA: Over 130 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells and P-40s attack Alexishafen, Northeast New Guinea while other B-24s and B-25s strike Kaukenau and Timoeka, Dutch New Guinea. RAAF (P-40) Kittyhawks bomb Japanese supply dumps south of Madang.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Nine USAAF Seventh Air Force B-25 Mitchells from Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands attack harbor shipping at Wotje Atoll and 21 A-24 Dauntlesses from Makin Island, Gilbert Islands dive-bomb dock, barracks, and storage area on Mille Atoll. Some of the 16 escorting P-39 Airacobras strafe ground targets, and ten other P-39s carry out strafing mission over Mille Atoll.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, the ADC Group (7th Marine Regiment reinforced by a battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment and supporting units) continues their attack toward Hill 660 with the 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, but is pinned down short of their objective. Artillery and aerial bombardment precede the attack.
USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Gasmata on New Britain Island.
During predawn hours 11 USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb Tobera, Rapopo, the Wide Bay area, and coast south of Rapopo, New Britain Island. During the night of 13/14 January, 15 USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Vunakanau and Lakunai Airfields, Rabaul, Rapopo and Malaguna
SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville, artillery units of the Army’s Americal Division begins relieving those of the 3d Marine Division.
Headquarters USAAF Thirteenth Air Force moves from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
PACIFIC: From Glen Boren’s diary: If you recall, the comic strip Lil’ Abner had this charactor that walked around under a cloud all the time and something bad was always happening to him ? Well, we had our own in that one of our pilots was always pulling something and he busted up a lot of aircraft. Maybe just blowing a tailwheel on landing but it seemed that something happened everytime he went up. His first two initials were D.D. and we (the enlisted men started calling him “Dangerous Dan”)
Well, Dangerous Dan had been out flying on Jan 13th. and he came in for a landing on the fighter strip. He flaired out and was making for a beautiful 3 point landing, just one problem tho’ he was still 40 feet in the air. The plane stalled and it hit with such force that it drove the main landing gear up through the wings and really made a mess of it.
That was the biggest excitment of this stay on the beach except for our little escapade with the local hooch dealer. After his second call at our hut, when he came in to make a sale, some of us went out the back door, found his jeep and did some midnight smallstores shopping. A good time was had by all. I always wondered where they got the bottles, they were wine type and they seemed to have a good supply.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: Campaign Plan GRANITE outlines tentative operations to be conducted and a timetable: (1) carrier raid on Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands, about 24 March in support of invasion of the Admiralty Islands and Kavieng, on New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago; (2) capture of Eniwetok and Ujelang Atolls, Marshall Islands, (Operation CATCHPOLE), on 1 May; (3) capture of Mortlock and Truk, Caroline Islands, on 1 August; (4) invasion of the Mariana Islands (Operation FORAGER), on 1 November. If the Truk attack can be bypassed, it is proposed that the Palau Islands be invaded on 1 August. The Army’s 27th Infantry Division is alerted to prepare to seize Eniwetok.
U.S.A.:
The number 1 song in the U.S.A. on this date, according to Billboard magazine, is “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers.
Destroyer escorts USS Albert T Harris and Charles E Brannon laid down.
Light cruiser USS Duluth launched.
Destroyer escort USS Hissem commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-231 (Type VIIC) is sunk about 439 nautical miles (813 kilometres) northeast of Lagens Field, Azores, in position 44.15N, 20.38W, by depth charges from a British Wellington Mk. XIV aircraft (Sqdn 172/L). The aircraft is equipped with a Leigh light. 7 dead, 43 survivors. (Alex Gordon)
Thanks Homer.
Interesting headline on Roosevelt proposing interregional road project.
New Russian Hymn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2-zzmCmMVI
English lyrics of 1944 version[edit source]
Translated by Paul Robeson:
United forever in friendship and labor,Our mighty republics will ever endure.The great Soviet Union will live through the ages.The dream of the people their fortress secure.
CHORUS:Long live our Soviet Motherland, built by the people’s mighty hand.Long live our People, united and free.Strong in our friendship tried by fire. Long may our crimson flag inspire,Shining in glory for all men to see.
Through days dark and stormy where Great Lenin led usOur eyes saw the bright sun of freedom aboveand Stalin our Leader with faith in the People,Inspired us to build up the land that we love.
CHORUS:Long live our Soviet Motherland, built by the people’s mighty hand.Long live our People, united and free.Strong in our friendship tried by fire. Long may our crimson flag inspire,Shining in glory for all men to see.
We fought for the future, destroyed the invader,and brought to our homeland the Laurels of Fame.Our glory will live in the memory of nationsand all generations will honour her name.
CHORUS:Long live our Soviet Motherland, built by the people’s mighty hand.Long live our People, united and free.Strong in our friendship tried by fire. Long may our crimson flag inspire,Shining in glory for all men to see.
Jingoism at its finest.
We published the sheet music on January 3, in case you want to try it out on the piano. Pages 5 & 6.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3107817/posts
Lenin and Stalin were deleted from later versions.
The map of the Russian Front in the west point atlas, as well as the map of that front in today’s NYT, gives some indication of the size and power of Vatutin’s First Ukrainian Front. Vatutin does not get the credit in the west, or even in Russia, for probably being the Red Army’s most capable Front commander during the war. Consider the size of his area of operations, the number of component armies, and the different and divergent axes on which his forces are fighting. Military sense would have broken his command into at least two sub-units for these operations, but he was pulling it off, so why change?
Do the Pripet Marshes freeze in the winter? Seems like on the map the Soviet advance is bulldozing into the middle of it.
The information you seek is on the left-hand column, about half way down.
Don’t ask how I found this. Just tell everyone I’m an amazing genius.
I see the story about the frozen Pripet Marshes is next to a feature that shows news items from 10, 25, 40 years ago. Are readers really interested in that backward looking stuff?
I think they are interested in what the German club was doing for fun 40 years ago. Singing folk songs, drinking beer, marching into Belgium....
It’s what Germans do when they’re having a good time.
I know; I’m German. Well, half German and half Macedonian. That means I’m orderly and methodical about harboring my grudges.
It would be even more amazing if they had the winning Powerball numbers....
Reviewing events since Kursk in my mind, I very much agree with you. The advance of his army has shown aggressiveness, daring and creativity. Some of the lines of attack he developed were unexpected to me, but proved very effective. He is a few days away from beginning another.
Upon further reflection, you have to have a really, really good chief of staff to manage all those component armies and handle the logistical needs of such a vast enterprise. Vatutin had a really good one, old what’s-his-name.
No, seriously, there is virtually no mention of the Chief of Staff of 1st Ukrainian Front in my on line research. A general Ivanov is listed in the post from October-November of 1943, and that’s it. I’ll go check my resources at home as soon as I get off work.
So much for my amazing ability to pull on line research out my a$$.
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