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British Join Push – 2-3
Nimble Footwork along the Road to Germany (photo) – 3
German Guns Blown to Bits by Air-artillery Teamwork (Denny) – 4
Blasts Rock City (Currivan) – 4-5
3 Armies in Drive along 30-Mile Line (MacDonald) – 5-6
An American Beauty ‘Blossoms’ in a War Theatre (photo) – 6
War News Summarized – 6
Wedemeyer Gives Plan to Chiang for Defeat of Japanese in China – 7
Trapped Japanese Pressed on Leyte – 7
They Survived Second Battle of the Philippine Sea (photo) – 8
Belgium Abandons Neutrality Policy – 9
Potts School Aids Ill Service Folk – 9
Veterans Intelligence (Hurd) – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 11-13
The Groaner Listens as The Voice Talks (photo) – 13

The News of the Week in Review
The Allied Winter Drive Opens for the Gateways to the Reich (map) – 14
Six-Army Attack – 15-16
Other Fronts – 16-17
Abroad – 17-18
Quotations – 19
Fifteen News Questions – 20
Allies Strike for Final Victory in the West (Baldwin) – 21-22
“Dreaming of a ‘White Christmas!’” (cartoon) – 22
Winter to Bring Peak of Strategic Bombing (Middleton) – 22-23
Battle of the Reich: 1944 (cartoon) – 23
The Battle of Leyte Enters Its Final Phase (map) – 24
Japan Chooses Leyte for an All-Out Fight (by Frank L. Kluckhohn) – 25
“ – and Equality and Fraternity” (cartoon) – 26
Answers to Fifteen News Questions – 26

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/nov44/19nov44.htm#

French reach Swiss border
Sunday, November 19, 1944 www.onwar.com

French tanks reach the Swiss border [photo at link]

On the Western Front... Allied forces advance all along the line. British 12th and 7th Corps (parts of British 2nd Army) gain ground near Venlo. Forces of US 9th Army defeat a counterattack by German forces and occupy Geilenkirchen, north of Aachen. US 3rd Army completes the encirclement of Metz. Farther south, French 1st Army forces reach the outskirts of Belfort as well as the Swiss border north of Basle.

In Albania... Partisan forces commanded by Hodja enter Tirana after German forces pull out of the city.

In the Philippines... US Task Force 38 continues air strikes against targets on Luzon and shipping in Manila Bay. Japanese losses are claimed to be 1 cruiser and 3 other vessels.

In Washington... It is estimated that the cost of the war is now about $250 million per day.

http://www.astronautix.com/sites/v2bbt500.htm

1944 November 19 - . 09:30 GMT - . Launch Site: V-2 Battery SS Abt 500. LV Family: V-2. Launch Vehicle: V-2.

V-2 combat launch from Hellendoorn to Antwerp - . Nation: Germany. Summary: Hellendoorn, rocket fired, target Antwerp, impacted in Antwerp, Mechelschesteenweg, 7 houses destroyed, 7 casualties and 28 injured..

The American offensive north of Aachen continues. The Germans commit 9th Panzer and 15th Panzergrenadier Divisions in a counter attack. One other thing to notice in the upper right corner, is the HQ of "Gruppe von Manteuffel" which is formed from the HQ of 15th Army transferred from Holland. Gruppe von Manteuffel is a way of keeping the allies unaware of the transfer of 15th Army to the sector held by 5th Panzer Army. It takes the name of the commander of 5th Panzer Army to conceal the transfer of 5th Panzer Army HQ south to the Ardennes. Even at the height of this very heavy American offensive, the Germans are still carrying out their preparations for the Ardennes Offensive.

Here is the southern wing of that same major offensive.

Patton's Third Army approaches the Saar region. You will note that the three mobile formations of German First Army in this sector, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, 21st Panzer Division, and Panzer Brigade 106, have a combined total of exactly two Panther tanks and one assault gun between them.

The southern wing of Patton's advance against 11th Panzer Division, which actually has 11 tanks and assault guns. The German map claims to have repulsed and American assault and taken 250 Americans as POWs. I'm not so sure this is accurate.