MR 203(2) Sec. 36 War Department Operational Summaries - January 1945

January, 1945 MR 203(2), Sec. 36 - WAR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONAL SUMMARY January, 1945 MR 203(2), Sec. 36 -- WAR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONAL SUMMARY 0SD Letter, DECLASSIFIED 5-3-72 400, VI DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1149 0700 January 31 to 0700 February 1, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) 20 () VI 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0 JOKiel Q 54 52 PEmden Bremen with + OBerlin 8D Letter, 6-3-72 Londoner o ORotterdam 52 50 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 48 0 Poris ORennes o Noncy o Q Danube MOOSBIERBAUM Leire OTours o Munich 48 Vienna Budopest o 46 BRENNER GRAZ o Bern o o Bolzano MARIBOR 46 4 Lyon (Bordeaux OMilan Trieste 44 o o Toulouse Bologna 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit PISCOPI 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 - IS. 0, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-57117-300 DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-3-72 GENERAL Theater Commanders have been authorized to award theater ribbons, in outstanding and exceptional cases, to civilians who have contributed to the welfare and effectiveness of our troops and shared their hard- ships and dangers. EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 30 January. Both 8th Air Force and RAF operations were cancelled because of adverse weather. However, ten Middle-East based light bombers again attacked German troop concentrations on Piscopi Island. 31 January. Dropping 1,360 tons on an oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, 677 escorted heavy bombers made the heaviest attack to date by the 15th Air Force against a single target. A few of these planes attacked the rail yards at Maribor and Graz. Eight bombers and a fighter are missing. In Europe, contimuing bad weather forced the recall of 8th Air Force bombers sent to attack Brunswick and Bremen. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 31 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM NIJMEGEN Mause River TILBURG. 1 ANTWERP 3 LEIPZIG o o FIRST CAN ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE SECOND BR ARMY o LIEGE HURTGEN FOREST NINTH US ARMY R. MONSCHAU FOREST FIRST US ARMY ST VITH KOBLENZ FRANKFURT o RA-8-9 '207707 ase o THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ o SEVENTH US ARMY 9 STRASBOURG MUNICH 9 MUNSTER COLMAR FIRST FR ARMY CERNAY DELFORT MULHOUSE o 25 5Q 75 100 (50 MILES 25-2012-200 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 30 January. The Tactical Air Forces, hampered by weather, flew only 257 sorties. Small-scale attacks were made on rail communications in the Cologne-Koblenz area and support missions were flown over Alsace and the northern end of the front. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, two rockets fell in Antwerp, and eleven rockets and 60 flying bombs fell in nearby areas. One flying bomb fell outside of Liege. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, 31 January, neither rockets nor flying bombs fell in England. 31 January. By noon, Canadian troops had repulsed two German efforts to reinforce the Island in the Meuse River north of Tilburg, and had cleared the island of the enemy. Other forces made a local gain northwest of Nijmegen. The attack of our Ninth, First and Third Armies continued on the 40-mile front along the Belgo-German frontier south from Hurtgen Forest. The Ninth Army and adjacent First Army units made advances averaging a mile against strong resistance on a seven-mile front south of Monschau Forest. Farther south, the First Army advanced two miles along a similar sector against decreasing resistance. The units attacking east and south of St. Vith made lesser gains. In Alsace, American units with the First French Army advanced slightly north of Colmar and other American units made local progress north of Munster. In a Corps attack, French troops made local progress north of Mulhouse and were engaged in hard fighting in the eastern and western outskirts of Cernay. 2 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 30 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 107 sorties in addition to the 1,000 previously reported. 31 January. Tactical planes flew more than 745 sorties. About 140 medium bombers attacked rail lines and bridges in northeastern Italy, the main weight of the attacks falling on the Brenner Route. More than 500 fighters destroyed road and rail transport and bridges beyond the battle lines. Five of our aircraft were lost. There was no significant change on the Italian battlefront. 3 DECLASSIFIER 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 MYITKYINA BHAMO LEDO ROAD SALWEEN BURMA FRONT B. IRRAWADDY FRONT Sale") NAHHKAM a CHINDWIN FRONT Appoy 'ET SINGU MONYWA MANDALAY ARAKAN FRONT PAUK PAKOKKU irrawedly AKYAB MYEBON PENINSULA RAMREE ISLAND Salween River SAGU KYUN BURMA giver LEGEND LINE AS OF 30 JAN 1945 PEGU LINE AS OF 31 JAN 1945 SCALE o o 50 00 - APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON MARTABAN MOULMEIN DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC THEATER 29 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,315 sorties, of which 712 were tactical, chiefly in support of ground operations. Twenty-three escorted heavy bombers attacked the Burma-Siam and Pegu-Martaban railways, damaging four bridges. We lost two planes. 30 January. Twenty-five escorted B-24's of the 14th Air Force bombed the docks at Hankow. One fighter is missing. On the Salween front, the enemy continued his attacks against Allied positions on the Burma Road southeast of Namhkam. Japanese attacks also continued on the bridgehead area near Singu. On the east bank of the Chindwin, British troops had advanced 30 miles south of Monywa without establishing contact with the enemy. To the southwest, British troops moving eastward from Pauk were within 25 miles of the Irrawaddy River town of Pakokku without having met any organized resistance. On the Myebon Peninsula, stubborn resistance continued. Artillery fire from the southern tip of Ramree Island forced the withdrawal of British troops from Sagu Kyun Island, where they landed on 27 January. 1 February. More than 100 B-29's participated in an attack directed primarily against Singapore. According to preliminary reports, 92 bombed the primary, and 20 bombed other targets. 4 120° 140° 160° + + 1/ PERFING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 209 400 600 goo 50° TOKYOR 9958 LO* 10* 0* MILES HACHIJO JIMA NANKING. HANKOW Shanghar Chungking* 0SD Letter, B-2-7" DECLASSIFIEI BONIN IS SUICHWAN IWO JIMA Canton Marcus 1 FORMOSA BURMA FRENCH 2d) Uracas I + 10* Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll & BANGKOK CHINA SEA / Guam Eniwetok . PHILIPPINE IS Yaps WOLEA MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape BABELTHUAP Jalujto S FIGAPORE + Xapingamerangil BORNEO + Name: .Ocean to NEW IRELAND "A BOUGAINVILLE NEW GUINEA NEW BRITAIN TIMOR Christmas 1 g 100° 120" 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED 0SD Letter, 5-3-78 N- XIV I CORPS CORPS ROSARION MUNOR TALAVERI ANGELES M. NO XI CORPS AUIGUA STIPU S, VICENTE JOLUNGARO GRANDE 1. MANILA SUBIC BAY BAY AMANILA CAVITE LINE AS OF 31 JAN LINE AS OF 30 JAN IASUC STATE LUZON 10 e 9 MILES 25-21341-200 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER 29 and 30 January. During 200 additional sorties, heavy bombers attacked airfields on Formosa, destroying 17 enemy planes; others bombed Cavite, causing large explosions and fires. Seventy planes attacked targets on New Britain and New Ireland, and 44 supported ground forces on Bougainville. 30 January. Our forces on Luzon, moving eastward from Rosario, captured Udiao, while our eastern flank was expanded to a line running from Munoz to Talavera. In the center, we reached San Vicente, and, to the west, our patrols were at Porac on the Angeles-Guagua Road. Troops from the beachhead north of Subic Bay, had occupied San Marcelino and its airfield and continued their advance from Subic to capture Olongapo. À landing of battalion strength was made on Grande Island, in Subic Bay, without opposition. 31 January. Unopposed, our Eighth Army landed additional troops near Nasugbu, Batangas Province, south of Manila Bay. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 28 January. Thirty B-24's continued the attack on Iwo Jima air- fields. That night three medium bombers damaged an enemy transport and a destroyer in the Bonins. Two B-29's attacked a Tokyo oil plant, and a third hit Hachijo Jima, south of Tokyo. 5 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 29 and 30 January. On each day, 28 Liberators returned to strike Iwo Jima. Yap, Babelthuap and Marcus were attacked by 24 aircraft. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-78 ID 12 D. M M 20 1,1 24 26 28 30 KAUNAS PILLAU KONIGSBERG, HEALSBERG MINSK SCHNE MEMUEHL LINE A 7 START OF DRIVE BERLIN LIKE AS OF 30 JAN 45 LINE AS OF 31 JAN 45 WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV, RATIBOR PRAGUE KRAKOW a MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST VENICE & BUCHAREST 44 SOFIA 42 y is 60 OTIRANA % PSKOV o RIGA a & EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES I'L 24 n a 2°0 22 0 24 7% 19-1204-200 BECLASSIFIED USD Letter, 5-8-78 EASTERN FRONT 31 January. The Soviets isolated Konigsberg from communication with the Baltic. Capture of Heilsberg further reduced the bottom of the East Prussian pocket. To the west, the Red Army pushed 10 miles north from Schneidemuehl, while the drive toward Berlin maintained its momentum in an advance of up to 15 miles on a 50-mile front. Soviet troops thrust to within two miles of Ratibor in upper Silesia, and gained up to 20 miles in Slovakia. 7 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1148 0700 January 30 to 0700 January 31, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 0 Okiel 54 52 PEmden FINAL PBremen with + Londone Berlin o ORotterdom 52 50 KREFELO 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 Abbeville a o Frankfurt (Progue 50 48 o Poris °Rennes o Noncy o OSD Letter, 5-3-72 Laire pacybe O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienno & 46 Budopest o o Bern o o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux OMilan Trieste 44 o o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 "O STATUTE MILES 1 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 2 14 16 18 24-87117-300 CODET DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 29 January. Railyards at Krefeld were attacked by 142 heavy bombers of the RAF. During the night, 59 Mosquitoes were dispatched to attack Berlin. 30 January. Weather grounded both the 8th Air Force and, in Italy, the 15th Air Force. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 30 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM + ANTWERP 1 3 LEIPZIG o FIRST OAN ARMY ROERMOND COLOGNE SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS LIEGE HURTGEN FOREST NINTH US ARMY R- KOBLENZ ST VITA FIRST US ARMY FRANKFURT OSD Letter, 5-3-72 of THIRD US ARMY o KAISERSL AUTERN PARIS METZ o SEVENTH US ARMY o TRASBOURG MUNICH Canal FIRST FR ARMY COLMAR CERNAY BELFORT MULHOUSE 0 o 25 so 75 100 ISO MILES 25-2072-200 FODE DECLASSIFIED DSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 29 January. Supporting our ground forces all along the front, the Tactical Air Forces flew 2,649 sorties. Bombers and fighter-bombers dropped more than 1,000 tons of bombs on rail bridges, communication centers and supply depots east of the Ardennes and struck rail centers in the Koblenz-Kaiserslautern areas. Destruction of large amounts of rail and motor transport was claimed. Two enemy planes were destroyed. We lost ten. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five rockets and six flying bombs fell in Antwerp. Ten rockets and 29 flying bombs struck adjacent areas. One flying bomb fell outside of Liege. 30 January. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, seven rockets fell in England. Up to noon, there was active patrolling on the British Second Army front southeast of Roermond. Some forward positions were overrun by a strong enemy patrol but were restored by a counterattack. Units of our Ninth, First and Third Armies advanced from one to two miles along a 40-mile front running south from the southern edge of the Hurtgen Forest. In the area of St. Vith, bridgeheads were established across the Our River. South of St. Vith, the advance carried our lines onto German soil. In Alsace, American troops launched an attack to the northeast of Colmar and crossed the Colmar Canal on a three-mile front. The French First Army advanced along a four-mile front northwest of Mulhouse and made local progress west of Cernay. 2 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 OKIel 54 25 5 PEmden Bremen WILTO + London 0 °Berlin o ORotterdom OSD Letter, 5-3-78 DECLASSIFIED 52 50 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 Abbeville C o Frankfurt Progue 50 48 o MOD 0 Paris ORennes o Noncy o 9 Leire Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienna Budopest 46 BRENNER o Bern o o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon (Bordeoux OMilon PTrieste 44 o o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o PISCOPI OSplit ISLAND 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 29 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 43 sorties in addition to those previously reported. Eleven Middle-East based planes attacked German troop concentrations on Piscopi Island. 30 January. The Tactical Air Force flew more than 1,000 sorties. Fighters attacked rail and motor transport; more than 100 medium bombers struck at railyards and bridges on the Brenner Route. We lost nine planes. During the 24-hour period ending at midafternoon, there was no significant change on the Italian battlefront. 3 DVDW 0037 SALWEEN FRONT SURMA IRRAWADDY FRONT 501# NAMHKAM CHINDWIN FRONT MONYWA MANDALAY BRAKAN FRONT SAGAING MYEBON PENINSULA AKYAB RAMREE ISLAND Salween BURMA River LEGEND LINE AS OF 29 JAN 1945 LINE AS OF 30 JAN 1945 SCALE 00 50 00 CITIL APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON GULF OF MOULMEIN MARTABAN DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 28 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,468 sorties, of which 752 were tactical. Heavy bombers dropped 240 tons on positions north- east of Myebon. Lighter aircraft supported ground troops and hit dumps and positions in the area east of Akyab and in northern Burma. Fighters covered the China-bound convoy on the newly-opened road from India. 28 and 29 January. The 14th Air Force flew 56 previously unreported offensive sorties, mostly against rail facilities and attacked shipping on the Yangtze. Five enemy aircraft were destroyed during a strike on Pailuchi airdrome. We lost one plane. 29 January. On the Salween front, Allies repulsed an attack ten miles southeast of Namhkam and continued to reduce pockets of resistance. The Japanese continued to attack the Allied bridgeheads on the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay without success. Forward elements of the British advance into the bend of the Irrawaddy were within ten miles of Mandalay and Sagaing. Other units advanced locally in the area southeast of Monywa. Enemy resistance continued both on the Myebon Peninsula and Ramree Island. 28 January. Japanese troops captured Suichwan airfield, according to Radio Tokyo. 4 DECLASSIFIED T # CED Lottor, 5-8-78 RYUKYU 15. SEE PACIFIC MAP -N- CORPS : CORPS XIV I Of MANU BUENAYLS 1510RO GURMBA LICAB STOTSENBORG S. FERNANDO XI CORPS S. ANTONIO SUBIC BAY MANILA BAY CAREL CORREGIDOR LINE AS OF 30 JAN LINE AS OF 29 JAN LUZON ID e . E R e MILES TIM 25-21341-200 DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-8-72 SOUTHNEST PACIFIC AREA 28 and 29 January. A total of 330 previously unreported sorties were flown. Twenty-three heavy bombers hit Corregidor and numerous other attacks were made on road transport, installations, and strong points in the Manila Bay area. Three enemy fighters were destroyed during strikes on airdromes in northern Luzon. Two freighters and four coasters were sunk or left blazing by planes patrolling the Ryukyus northeast of Formosa. We lost one fighter. 29 January. The I Corps on Luzon repulsed a counterattack north of Rosario and, to the southeast of San Manuel, penetrated eastward reaching a line San Isidro-Buenavista. South of Guimba, we advanced to Licab. The XIV Corps made slow progress in the reduction of enemy positions south and southwest of Clark Field and was engaged in heavy fighting in the Fort Stotsenburg area. Forward units secured San Fernando, 34 air miles from Manila. From the bridgehead north of Subic Bay, Eighth Army troops were moving rapidly inland. San Narciso and San Antonio were secured. Forward elements had reached the town of Subic at the northern end of the Bay. 5 OLOHE 120° 140° 160° + + 2/ PERFING. 0 CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 200 400 600 800 N° 3955 u* TORYOR 10° b you MILES NANKING. Shanghair RYUKY Chungking* PAILUCHI ISLANDS van Lotton, 5-3-72 SUICHWAN IWO JIMA Canton + Marcus I FORMOSA BURMA FRENCH 2019 + Uracas I + -10° Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll BANGKOK CHINA SEA , Gram PHILIPPINE IS Eniwetok - Yaps MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jaluste + Kapingamerangi I BORNEO + Naura. .Ocean GERAM NEW GUINEA TIMOR Christmas is 100° 130° 25-20729-100 APPLASSIFIED COD letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 26 January. The previously reported strike of 17 Liberators marked the fiftieth consecutive bombardment of Iwo Jima by heavy bombers of the 7th Air Force. There was a daily average of 28 planes. 27 January. Thirty B-24's continued the bombardment of Iwo Jima, shooting down one of two intercepting planes. That night a lone B-29 bombed an oil plant in Tokyo. 6 To OLONE U OSD Letter, 5-8-72 TOP 10 12 1,6 20 18 3.0 SAUNAS KONIGSBERG DANZTO MINSK SCHNE IDEMUEHL LINE AT START OF DRIVE ZIELENZIG BERLIN LINE AS OF 29 JAN 45 FRANKEURT LINE AS OF 30 JAN 45 WARSAW exce o BRESLAU KIEV, 50 o PRAGUE or KRAKOW MUNICH VIENNA X BUDAPEST o o VENICE & BUCHAREST SOFIA 24 OTIRANA 18 PSKOV o RIGA % EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS so o 50 100 SCOP APPROXIMATE MILES n I'4 26 I'M 10 27 C 14 2% 11-1104-200 OF DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 30 January. Soviet forces continued to narrow the East Prussian pocket and had nearly encircled Konigsberg. To the southwest, they severed the Danzig-Schneidemuehl railroad at a point 20 miles north- east of Schneidemuehl. Their advance toward Berlin progressed up to 15 miles and is within 70 miles of that city, the Obra River being crossed in the southern sector. In upper Silesia, the Red Army ex- panded its bridgeheads over the Oder. In Slovakia, there was a 20-mile gain along a 70-mile front. 7 ou DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1147 0700 January 29 to 0700 January 30, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) for 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 a Kiel 54 52 PEmden FIRE Bremen with + London Berlin o ORotterdom BILLEFELD 52 AUTENBEKEN 50 ANTWERP 6 KASSEL Brussels Cologne OLeipzig LIEGE 20 SIEGEN Abbeville KOBLENZ o Frankfurt Progue 50 o 48 0 Poris ORennes Noncy OSD Letter, 5-3-78 DECLASSIFIED o STUTTGART Laire Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienna T Budopest 46 o BRENNER Bern o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon Bordeaux VERONA OMilon Trieste 44 e Toulouse Bologno 2 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 P. STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 28 January. One hundred forty-three RAF heavy bombers dropped 738 tons of bombs on a rail yard at Cologne. That night 602 heavy bombers and Mosquitoes attacked the Stuttgart area and 63 other Mosquitoes bombed Berlin. Thirteen bombers are missing. 29 January. Four hundred and fourteen escorted heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked rail yards near Koblenz and Siegen; 355 B-17 hit viaducts near Bielefeld and Altenbeken; and a third force of 385 heavies bombed factories and a rail yard at Kassel. Six enemy planes were destroyed; we lost five bombers and six fighters. Weather forced cancellation of 15th Air Force bomber operations for the eighth successive day. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 29 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM P ANTWERP LEIPZIG o FIRST CAN ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE SECOND BR ARMY © LIEGE p. NINTH US ARMY ST VITH FIRST US ARMY / FRANKFURT OSD Letter, 5-3-72 GMT VIANDEN o THIRD US ARMY KAISERSLAUTERN o PARIS METZ o SEVENTH US ARMY TRASBOURG MUNICH Gabai COLMAR FIRST FR ARMY CERNAY MULHOUSE BELFOR o 25 50 75 100 iso MILES DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 28 January. The Tactical Air Forces flew more than 800 sorties. Communications and rail bridges near Kaiserslautern and in the Eifel area were attacked with 170 tons of bombs; fighters flew armed recon- naissance northeast of the Ruhr. We lost ten planes. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, four rockets and eleven flying bombs fell in Antwerp and four rockets and 39 flying bombs fell in adjacent areas; one flying bomb hit near Liege. 29 January. In the 24-hour period ending at 0600, four rockets fell in England, two of which reached the London area. We continue to advance slowly in the Ardennes. Northeast of St. Vith we moved forward three miles against scattered resistance. To the south, between St. Vith and Vianden, we gained about two miles along an 18-mile front. Allied troops expanded their salient northwest of Colmar, advancing along the Colmar Canal and are only three miles from the Rhine. Northwest of Mulhouse, we made small gains in the vicinity of Cernay. 2 DECLASSIFIED 000 $ 2.02 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 28 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 66 sorties in addition to those reported yesterday. 29 January. Preliminary reports indicate that the Tactical Air Forces flew 781 sorties. Bridges, particularly in the Bolzano-Verona area and communications on the Brenner Route were attacked. Six bridges and four enemy aircraft were destroyed. We lost seven planes. Ground action on the Italian front was limited to active patrolling. 3 SEA OF JAPAN PEIRING OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIEB YELLOW KAIFENG LOYANG SEA FOR NAGASAKI LAOHOKOW 30° o SHANGHAI s YORKING HANKOW CHUNDKING SEAL Fangling Lake WENCHOW CHANGSHA e HENGYANG LURGLING FOOCHOW KWEILIN AMOY O/LIUGHOW o FRENCH SWATOW o CANTON CHINA INDO-CHINA TAKAO 04/ HONGKONG IDO o 00 200 300 400 500 HANDI o LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA THAILAND GULF MATNAM 100' 180° 130° DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SHWEBO S-INGU x AKYAB RAMREE 15 CENTRAL BURMA LEGEND INE AS OF 28 JAN. LINE AS OF 29 JAN. SCALE o o 50 IDO APPROXIMATE MILES - ARANGOON IGKOK - DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 27 and 28 January. The 14th Air Force flew 29 previously un- reported offensive sorties. Two rail yards near Kaifeng, in the Yellow River area, were bombed and the Yangtze River above Hankow was mined. A Japanese bomber was shot down near our Laohokow airfield. 27 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 4,016 previously un- reported sorties, of which 984 were tactical. Heavy bombers attacked the Burma-Siam railroad with 70 tons of bombs, destroying three bridges. Mines were laid near Bangkok and in the Pakchan River on the Kra Peninsula. Medium and fighter bombers dropped more than 100 tons of bombs on gun emplacements and enemy positions east of Singu and supported the ground forces throughout Burma. 28 January. Chinese and American units continued operations to clear the Burma-Lashio Road below Wanting. On the Irrawaddy, Japanese attacks against the Singu bridgehead were again repulsed. A British column, moving south from Yinmabin, advanced ten miles without contact. South of Gangaw, we scored another five miles. Another brigade has landed to reinforce the troops on Ramree Island. 4 100° 120° 140° 160° 4d + + 20° PERPING. 0 CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC too 400 § 800 50° 9958 - TOKYO 10* of MILES 1 NANKING. Shanghair OSD Letter, 5-8-78 THIAISSYTONG Chungking* IWO JIMA Canton Marcus I + IOI FORMOSA BURMA FRENCH 2d + Uracas I + : Wake 1, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll ZBANCKOK CHINA SEA Guam Eniwetok - PAK WAN R PHILIPPINE IS Yap* KRA REN MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jalufto + Kapingamerangil BORNEO Name: Ocean NEW GUINEA TIMOR Christmas 100° 120° C 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 6-8-78 N - XIV I CORPS CORPS LARK FEED KICO FINANCE FERNANDO STATE SUBIC BAY MANILA BAY CAVITE CORREGIDOR CARABAO LINE AS OF 29 JAN LINE AS OF 28 JAN LUZON 10 o 10 - - MILES DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 26 through 28 January. A total of 478 previously unreported sorties were flown. On 28 January, 25 heavy bombers struck supply dumps and other enemy installations in the Cavite area and 32 others bombed Corregidor. Nearly 50 medium and light bombers attacked Laoag airdrome, on northwestern Luzon, and hit barracks and gun emplacements on Carabao Island at the southern entrance of Manila Bay. Other planes attacked motor transport and Japanese defensive positions on Luzon. 28 January. The road from Rosario west to the coast was clear of the enemy and the occupation of San Manuel was completed. To the south, mopping up operations continued near Clark Field and patrols had reached Mexico and San Fernando, on the San Fernando River. A total of 103 enemy tanks have been destroyed on Luzon to date. 29 January. Units of our Eighth Army made unopposed landings near San Narciso, on the western coast of Luzon, 20 miles north of Subic Bay. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 26 January. Seventeen Army heavy bombers attacked Iwo Jima. Three B-29's, on night weather missions, bombed oil installations in the Tokyo area. 5 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 20 2.5 30 KAUNAS KONIGSBERG ELBINGY MINSK ALLENSTEIN SCHNE DEHUEHL TORUN o LINE A.T. START OF DRIVE BERLIN BROMBERG o LINE AS OF 28 JAN 45 POSEN LINE AS OF 29 JAN 45 WARSAW o STEINAU BRESLAU KIEV X KATOWICE PRAGUE KRAKOW NOVY TARG & 6 MUNICH VIENNA NO BUDAPES o VENICE 5 BUCHAREST # SOFIA 42 is OTIRANA M PSKOV RIGA % Я EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 I's 110 27 14 N TOD DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 29 January. Soviet pressure in Latvia continues. Soviet troops gained near Konigsberg, but northwest of Allenstein, a salient pushed toward Elbing was forced to withdraw. Small gains were made northwest of Bromberg, and fighting continues in Torun and Posen. Moving forward about 16 miles on a broad front, Red troops west of Posen extended their hold on German territory south and west of Schneidemuehl. The bridgehead over the Oder at Steinau has been strengthened and further advances were made in Upper Silesia, and in southern Poland. The assault on Budapest continues. 6 TAB @@@@@ DECLASSIFIEB USD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1146 0700 January 28 to 0700 January 29, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 20 3 (2) VISORE 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 OKiel 54 52 PEmden Bremen with 2 Londone Berlin o o 52 OSD Letter, 5-8-72 DECLASSIFIED ORotterdam . DORTMUND 50 KREFELD DUISBURG 6 oBrussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 Abbeville 0 KOBLENZ.turt Progue 50 48 o o Poris ORennes o Noncy o a Laice Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienna Budopest 46 o Bern o o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux OMilon PTrieste 44 o o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 9. STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 Or OLORET DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 26 and 27 January. Small missions of RAF mosquitoes attacked Berlin, and other targets in western Germany. Both the 8th Air Force and, in Italy, the 15th Air Force were grounded by weather. 28 January. The Ruhr was attacked by about 1,000 escorted heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force. Principal targets were coking plants near Dortmund, marshalling yards near Krefeld and Cologne, and bridges across the Rhine in the vicinity of Cologne and Duisburg. Twenty-four bombers are missing. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 28 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM 18D Letter, 5-3-72 TILBURG. LEIPZIG ANTWERP FIRST CAN ARMY o COLOGNE SECOND BR ARMY o BRUSSELS LIEGE R NINTH US ARMY KOBLENZ FIRST US ARMY ST VITH FRANKFURT CLERVAUX o free o THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ SEVENTH US ARMY STRASBOURG MUNICH FIRST FR ARMY COLMAR MULHOUSE BELFORT o 25 50 75 100 ISO MILES DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 6-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 27 January. Although weather limited the Tactical Air Forces to 379 sorties, they continued their attacks against transport equipment, destroying nearly 190 motor vehicles and 40 railroad cars in the areas west of Cologne and Koblenz. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, four rockets fell in Antwerp; nine rockets and 22 flying bombs hit in scattered areas outside the city. Two flying bombs fell near Liege. 28 January. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, eight rockets fell in England. The enemy succeeded in landing small numbers of reinforcements on the island in the Meuse River northwest of Tilburg. But Canadian troops made limited gains there during the period. Northeast of St. Vith, despite snow-clogged roads and heavy snowfall, we gained an average of two miles. Between St. Vith and Clervaux general advances of two miles were made. Near the southern Luxembourg border, east of the Moselle, we advanced about a mile. Northeast of Colmar French troops advanced two and one-half miles east of the Ill River; US units gained a mile to the south and reached the line of the Colmar Canal. North and northwest of Mulhouse the French made limited gains after hard fighting. 2 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 27 January. Another strike against gun positions on Lussin Island and an attack on a cellulose factory in northeastern Italy were among operations of the Coastal and Balkan Air Forces, which flew 63 sorties. The Tactical Air Force flew 120 sorties, in addition to the 637 reported yesterday, mostly against communication and supply facilities in northern Italy. 28 January. Four rail bridges, 44 motor vehicles, and 34 railroad cars were reported destroyed by the Tactical Air Force during 272 sorties, flown mainly in Po Valley. There were no significant changes on the battlefront up to mid- afternoon. 3 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 0-8-78 MADDY FRONT NAMHKAM- MAND AKYAB POLINS RA CENTRAL CHEDUE BURMA LEGEND = LINE AS OF 27 JAN 194574 LINE AS OF 28 JAN 1945 SCALE o o so 400 APPROXIMATE MILES ----- TO DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter 5-3-78 ASIATIC THEATER 26 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 1,253 sorties, of which 607 were tactical. More than 270 tons of bombs were dropped on enemy positions northeast of Myebon. Support missions were flown over other Burma fronts as well, and attacks were made on airfields, transportation, and river craft in central Burma. An ammunition train was destroyed southwest of Mandalay. 27 January. The 14th Air Force flew 38 offensive sorties. Near Nanking, an airfield and ferries were attacked, and a 400-foot vessel was left burning. One enemy plane was destroyed; we lost two. On the Salween front, Chinese forces west of the Burma Road advanced four miles to a point 18 miles south of Namhkam. Chinese units which are clearing the Burma Road to the north gained two miles against stiff resistance. Twenty miles west of Mandalay, Allied patrols crossed the Irrawaddy River and moved five miles south without contact. Below Gangaw, British units advanced another six miles, reaching the Kyaw River. Landings were made on Cheduba and Sagu Kyun Islands, south of Ramree. 28 January. The first China-bound vehicular convoy, composed of about 100 vehicles, including jeeps, trucks, and artillery pieces, crossed the Burma-China boundary at Wanting. 4 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-78 N III XIV CORPS CORPS LINGATED ALANG INCELES FERNAND GRANDE SUBIC BAY MANTS CANACAO SAVINE LINE AS OF 28 JAN LINE AS OF 27 JAN STATE LUZON e e MILES 35-21341-200 TOP 120° 140° 160° + 2/ PEIPING. 0 CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC o 200 400 600 800 Nº 20° TOKYO 10° 0° MILES you NAGOYA SHINQU NANKING. Shanghair Chungking OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED IWO JIMA Canton Marcus I PORMOSA BURMA FRENCH 20) + : Uracas I + 10° Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUXON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll ZBANGKOK CHINA SEA / Guam BINALBAGAN, NEGROS Eniwetok - PHILIPPINE IS Yap* MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jaluito SONSOROL + Kapingamarangil BORNEO + Nauro.- .Ocean NEW GUINEA TIMOR Christmasle 100* 110° 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED 03D Letter 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 24 through 27 January. In addition to those previously reported, 888 sorties were flown. Forty-seven medium bombers and fighters, in attacks on the Aparri area, destroyed nine enemy planes; 43 B-24's struck Cavite and the nearby Canacao seaplane base, and about 20 B-24's hit defensive positions and an ammunition dump at Grande Island in Subic Bay. Twenty- three other heavy bombers struck at Binalbagan, on Negros. Lighter aircraft were concentrated against targets on Luzon. 27 January. On Luzon, Rosario was captured. In the south, our troops seized Angeles and were on the line Angeles-Magalang, while patrols were probing towards the San Fernando River. Thirteen squadrons of light combat planes are now based on Lingayen fields. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 24 through 26 January. Additional strikes against Iwo Jima by 34 heavy bombers, as well as the bombing of Nagoya and Shingu by two B-29's and attacks on Yap, the Palaus, and Sonsorol Island by 54 other aircraft, were included in delayed reports. 27 January. During the previously reported B-29 attack on Tokyo, 31 (probably 41) enemy planes were destroyed. 29 January. Iwo Jima military installations were struck by B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command. According to preliminary reports, 30 B-29's participated with no losses. 5 DECLASSIFIED dad Letter, 5-3-72 SECRA 10 20 EM 25 32 BAUNAS KOENLOSBERG ELBING MINSK SCHNE DEHUEHL LINE A/ START OF DRIVE BERLIN o LINE AS OF 27 JAN 45 22 LINE AS OF 28 JAN 45 Oder WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV X BATOWICE o PRAGUE KRAKOW 48 MUNICH VIENNA NO BUDAPEST $ o VENICE 5 BUCHAREST 44 SOFIA N OTIRANA - PSKOV 4 RIGA o % MEMEL EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n I4 26 10 17 14 N work PROCESSIPIED 5-3-78 EASTERN FRONT 29 January. In the Baltic area, Memel fell to Soviet forces, Red troops reached the outskirts of Konigsberg on three sides, and there were advances to Elbing, where street fighting was reported. The greatest advance, reaching nearly thirty miles northwest and into Germany, placed Schneidemuehl under attack. North and south of Breslau, three bridgeheads were thrust across the Oder River. In Upper Silesia, the Soviets captured Katowice. 6 T DECLASSIFIES usa Intter, 5-8-78 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1145 0700 January 27 to 0700 January 28, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 27 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM ANTWERP LEIPZIG o FIRST CAN ARMY o GREVENBROICH STEVENSWEERT No N SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE SITTARD LIEGE NINTH US ARMY R. ST VITH FIRST US ARMY FRANKFURT CLERVAUX o OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED DIEKIRCH D THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ SEVENTH US ARMY 9 STRASBOURG MUNICH 0 MUNSTER COLMAR FIRST FR ARMY CERNAY 0 BELFOR MULHOUSE o 25 50 75 100 150 MILES 25-2072-200 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 WESTERN HEMISPHERE 24 January. A 30-foot balloon was shot down by our fighters east of Attu. EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 25 January. During the night, RAF heavy bombers dropped 74 tons of bombs on Grevenbroich town and rail installations, northwest of Cologne. 26 January. Inclement weather forced cancellation of 8th Air Force bomber missions and grounded the 15th Air Force in Italy. EUROPEAN THEATER 26 January. Bad weather limited the Tactical Air Forces to 682 sorties, which were flown mainly in further attacks against withdrawing motor transport. We lost five planes. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five rockets and two flying bombs fell in Antwerp; five rockets and 32 flying bombs fell in scattered areas outside the city. Two flying bombs fell near Liege. 27 January. During the 24-hour period ending 0600, 17 rockets fell in England. By noon, the British Second Army northeast of Sittard had advanced a mile without contact to the east of Stevensweert and reached the Roer River at one point. 1 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 Southeast of St. Vith, local gains were reported. To the south, our Third Army continued the attack against the center of the Ardennes salient. Gains of over two miles were made in areas to the north and south of Clervaux. Northeast of Diekirch we made local advances. US troops with the First French Army made local gains northeast of Colmar. In the Vosges mountains, French troops gained almost two miles northwest of Munster. West of Mulhouse the French reached the Thur River at Cernay. 2 T 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 OKiel Q 54 52. PEmden FIRM Bremen with OSD Letter, 5-3-72 exidissy102q Londoner OBerlin ORotterdam 52 50/ 6 Brussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 o 48 o 0 Poris °Rennes o Noncy Laire Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienna Budopest o 46 o Bern o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon e Bordeaux OMilan Trieste 44 o CASTELFRANCO LUSSIN Toulouse Bologno ISLAND 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o MILOS OSplit ISLAND 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 I T DECLASSIFIED ... Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERANEANEAN THEATER 26 January. Adverse weather limited the Tactical Air Force to 53 sorties. Coastal and Balkan Air Force planes, in 87 sorties, attacked targets on Lussin Island, communications in Yugoslavia, and gun positions on Milos. We lost two planes. 27 January. Preliminary reports indicate that Tactical aircraft flew 637 sorties. Close support was given to Allied ground troops, and lines of communication in the Po Valley were attacked. Five bridges were destroyed. Medium bombers dropped 64 tons on the Castelfranco rail yards northwest of Bologna. We lost ten planes. Only active patrolling and exchanges of artillery fire were reported on the ground front up to mid-afternoon. 3 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 6-8-78 BHAM TADDY FRONT. 185 FRONT SHWEBO NONYMA SAGAING AKYAB PRINS RAMREE CENTRAL BURMA = LEGEND LINE AS OF 26 JAN 1945 LINE AS OF 27 JAN1945 SCALE ID o 50 00 - APPROXIMATE MILES : GULF OF MARTABAN DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 24 and 25 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 3,386 previously unreported sorties, of which 994 were tactical. Fifty-six B-24's struck Amarapura, between Mandalay and Sagaing, and destroyed two bridges on the Moulmein-Ye rail line, along the Gulf of Martaban. Medium bombers dropped 40 tons on Japanese headquarters near Sagaing and cratered the Heho airdrome. Other planes, in addition to giving close support to ground troops, attacked communications, bridges and supply areas in central Burma. Four planes are missing. 26 January. The 14th Air Force reported 27 offensive sorties. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost one. 27 January. Twenty-two B-29's of the XX Bomber Command struck the Saigon naval yards and arsenal. One other attacked a secondary target. None were lost. In the upper Shweli Valley, south of Bhamo, the Chinese advanced six miles. On the Trrawaddy, more Japanese counterattacks against our bridgeheads east of Shwebo were repulsed. The capture of an east-west road provided lateral contact between Allied units south of Monywa and those 15 miles west of Mandalay. South of Gangaw we gained another six miles. Northeast of Akyab, Myohaung was occupied without opposition. To the south of this town a column approaching the Myebon Peninsula from the north gained four miles. Allies were meeting stubborn resistance in their bridgehead five miles east of the Myebon Peninsula. 4 SEA OF JAPAN PEIPING OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED YELLOW LOYANG SEA Yellow NAGASAKI o SHANGHAI vensize CHUNGKING Tangring Lake 6 WENCHOW CHANGSHA 5 o HENGYANG UNGLING FOOCHOW KWEILIN AMOY © LIUCHOWA, - FRENCH SWATOW o CANTON CHINA INDO-CHINA HAIFENG TAKAO 04 HONGKONG IDO o 8 200 300 400 500 HANOI o LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONSKING SOUTH CHINA SEA THAILAND GULF HAINAN 120° 130° DECLASSIFIED USD Letter, 5-3-72 25 January. In China the Japanese occupied Haifeng and continued east along the coast. Another Japanese force landed 20 miles east of Haifeng. 5 120° 140° 160° + 18 + PERPING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 200 400 600 - 30° TOKYOJ 9458 10° 10° 8 MILES OBAKAS 89 NANKING. OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIES Shanghar Chungking* AMOY Marcus I Canton + PORMOSA TAKAO BURMA FRENCH Uracas I 2d) + 10* Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll ZBANCKOK CHINA SEA VISAYAS Guam Eniwetok - PHILIPPINE IS MINDAMAO PALAU is Fonape BABELTHUAP Jalufto Xapingamerangil BORNEO + Neuro. . Ocean N.IRELAND N.BRITAIN BOUGAINVILLE NEW GUINEA 29 TIMOR Christmas 100° 1011 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-8-78 - N - XIV I CORPS *** CORPS ABARUNN HIM AMOUN CLAR FIELD TOTS INBURG SUBIC BAY MANJ CORREGIDOR LINE AS OF 27 JAN LINE AS OF 26 JAN BANK LUZON is e 9 2 - MILES 28781841-800 DECLASSIFIES USD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 22 through 26 January. More than 1,030 additional sorties were reported. Over 200 aircraft attacked Bougainville, New Britain and New Ireland, and more than 300 flew sweeps over the Visayas. Forty-one B-24's scored direct hits on Corregidor gun positions, and about 70 medium and light bombers attacked installations in the Manila-Subic Bay area. Other planes hit airdromes on Luzon and Turnished support to our ground troops, particularly near Rosario. Patrol planes and B-24's started fires at Takao fuel storage areas and along the Amoy waterfront. 26 January. Our troops were engaged in mopping-up the high ground east of the Pozorrubio-Rosario road. House-to-house fighting continued in San Manuel where, the preceding day, 20 enemy tanks were destroyed. Japanese elements which were by-passed in the Cabaruan Hills had been destroyed. We were holding a line along Bamban River west to Bamban while troops farther west moved south to capture Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg (previously reported by a communique). PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 24 and 25 January. More than 24 aircraft attacked enemy installa- tions on Babelthuap and Yap. Two B-29's individually attacked Osaka. 27 January. Sixty-one B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command struck the harbor facilities and urban area of Tokyo, and six bombed other targets. Five B-29's were lost to enemy action. 6 DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TOP 10 12 M 20 X 2,6 13 30 5 KAUNAS RQ o DANZIG ALCENSTEIN ELBUNG MINSX TORUN 0 LINE AS OF START OF DRIVE BERLIN LINE AS OF 26 JAN 45 POSEN L LNE AS OF 27 JAN 45 Over WARSAW o BRESLAUP KIEV o PRAGUE KRAKOW 07, 48 MUNICH VIENNA X BUDAPEST & VENICE & BUCHAREST 44 SOFIA 42 a E. OTIRANA 56 X PSKOV RIGA % 5 EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 30 100 APPROXIMATE MILES t'L 24 I's = 10 11 14 26 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 27 January. In East Prussia, Red Army units advanced to within five miles of Konigsberg while continuing their gains in the southeast corner of the province. Counterattacks north of Allenstein were repulsed, and the Soviets continued to push forward along the Elbing- Danzig railroad. Torun and Posen were surrounded and left some 15 miles behind the lines. In upper Silesia the Red drive continued against increasing opposition. There were general gains in Slovakia. Southwest of Budapest, continued German attacks were repulsed. U OI DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1144 0700 January 26 to 0700 January 27, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) 1 01 OLOHE U DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 SEA OF OKHOTSK Areito SAKHALIN Shumushu Peromushiro KOTANI IBLAND @Mobanru Mogoria Onnekoren Harimukaton Exerume . Shosukoton KARAFUTO Preshows exatel Shimushiro Odomer *Chiripal Uruppe 1 Eferefe .. Kunashiri Suppore HOKKAIDO Asmari KURILE ISLANDS HONSHU as # so - ISO soo HHH MILES ----- ---------- DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 WESTERN HEMISPHERE 25 January. Four medium bombers attacked Kotani Island, off northeastern Paramushiro. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 26 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM P TILBURG. LEIPZIG ANTWERP o FIRST CAN ARMY SITTARD SECOND BR ARMY o BRUSSELS COLOGNE a BONN NINTH US ARMY P. KOBLENZ *st VITH FIRST US ARMY FRANKFURT OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o . TRIER o o THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ O HAGENAU o STRASBOURG SEVENTH US ARMY SELESTAT MUNICH o COLMAR FIRST FR ARMY MULHOUSE DELPORT o 25 so 75 100 iso MILES DECLASSIFIED USD, Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 26 January. Bombers of the 8th Air Force were grounded for the third successive day. Although weather in Italy also prevented offensive operations of the 15th Air Force, 51 bombers carried supplies to Yugoslavia; one is missing. EUROPEAN THEATER 25 January. Continuing to strike heavy blows against enemy columns withdrawing from the Ardennes, the Tactical Air Forces destroyed or damaged more than 1,260 motor vehicles and 350 railroad cars. Although the weather was unfavorable, 1,075 sorties were flown, the attacks in- cluding strikes against bridges across the Rhine, particularly in the Bonn-Koblenz-Trier triangle. We lost eight planes. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, two rockets fell in Antwerp. Six rockets and 17 flying bombs fell in scattered areas out- side the city. 26 January. In the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five rockets fell in England. By noon units of the First Canadian Army had made a landing on an island in the Meuse River, northwest of Tilburg. East of Sittard, British troops supported by units on the left of the US Ninth Army gaine a mile on a nine-mile front. Our First Army made local gains in the sector five miles north of St. Vith. In the center of the Ardennes salient we advanced an average of one mile on a 15-mile front. In northern Alsace we wiped out the enemy's two bridgeheads across the Moder River, west of Hagenau. 2 DECLASSIFIED 030 Letter 5-3-72 South of Selestat, the French made a one-mile gain, but were forced to withdraw to their original positions. American troops northeast of Colmar gained nearly two miles. North and northwest of Milhouse, French troops gained about one mile despite repeated counterattacks. 3 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Okiel Q 54 52 PEmden FIRE Bremen with London o OBerlin o OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED 7 ORotterdam 52 50 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 o 48 Poris ORennes o Noncy a Leire Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienna & 46 Budapest o o Bern o o Bolzano UDINE 46 4 Lyon e Bordeaux 44 Milan Trieste o SAVONA o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 o STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 IB 24-87117-300 for DECLASSIFIED 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 25 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 127 sorties in addition to those previously reported. Rail cuts were effected in the Udine and Milan areas and fires started at the Savona docks. Balkan Air Force fighters attacked rail movement in northern Yugoslavia. In all these operations we lost four planes. 26 January. There were no significant changes along the battle line in northern Italy up to mid-afternoon. 4 SEA OF JAPAN PEIPING PEKING NAGOYA OSD Letter, 5-3-78 DECLASSIFIED YELLOW LOYANG KAIFENG SEA NAGASAKI TO o SHANGHAI CHUNGRING HANKOW appling Love G WENCHOW CHANGSHA 1 HE RGYANG FOOCHOW AMOY RENGER SWATOW CANTON CHINA INDO-GHINA TAKAO = HONGKONG IDO o 100 200 300 400 500 ***** HANDI o LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA THAILAND GULF MATMAN 100° 120° (30* DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EWEEN FRONT IRRAVADOY FRONT CHINDWIN FRONT GANGAW HYOWLING AKYAB PENINSU RANRE BOLAND CENTRAL BURMA River LEGEND LINE AS OF 25 JAN 1945 LINE AS OF 26 JAN 1945 SCALE o o 50 8 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON ANG DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 24 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 1,584 sorties of which 529 were offensive. Close support was given to ground troops, and rail targets and airfields in central Burma were hit; heavy bombers mined the Penang area. 25 January. During 41 offensive sorties, the 14th Air Force destroyed 85 locomotives and 42 enemy planes. Forty of the planes were destroyed near Peking, and half the locomotives were caught between Kaifeng and Hankow. We lost five planes. British troops west of the Chindwin had advanced ten miles south of Gangaw. Northeast of Akyab, Myohaung was nearly surrounded. Re- inforcements had been landed on the Bridgehead east of the Myebon Peninsula. The northeastern half of Ramree Island was in Allied hands. 5 DECLASSIFIES OSD Lottor, 5-3-78 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES LINE AS OF 26 JAN LINE AS OF 25 JAN APARRI LAOAG'S VIGAN XIV I CORPS KNK CORPS QUINGAYER MANUE BALER TARLAC DINGALAN BAY BAMBAN POLILLO MAN/LA LAMON BAY BAET LUCENA NAGA BOAC CALAPAN ----------- DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 24 January. Among at least 73 sorties was an attack on Corregidor by 244 Liberators which caused fires and explosions. 25 January. Our troops in the northern sector of Lingayen beach- head continued to attack enemy positions near Rosario and San Manuel. In the southern sector we took the high ground southwest of Bamban. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 23 and 24 January. Six B-29's on weather strikes bombed the Nagoya area. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 6-8-78 10 1,4 1,6 20 1,1 25 30 BAUNAS G ELBING YOU MINSK D LINE AT START OF DR VE BERLIN TORUN LINE AS OF 25 JAN 45 POSEN LINE AS OF 26 JAN 45 WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV X PRAGUE KRAKOW MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST $ VENICE 5 BUCHAREST 44 o SOFIA I's OTIRANA a PSKOV RIGA o 2 & EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o so 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 I's EN 20 272 0 24 I's T TO DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-78 EASTERN FRONT 26 January. The Red Army advance registered 10 to 15-mile gains on numerous broad sectors from Konigsberg to Breslau. Konigsberg was isolated by a drive which passed east of Elbing to reach the Baltic Sea. Soviet troops were closing in on Torun, and westward advances by- passed Posen on both the north and the south. While a spearhead drove 20 miles west of Breslau on the north, other Soviet elements were within ten miles of the city on an are extending from north to southeast 7 OF DECLASSIFIEB 08D Lotter, 5-3-78 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1143 0700 January 25 to 0700 January 26, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 25 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM ROTTERDAM 9 z ANTWERP LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o ROERMOND o SITTARD HEINSBERG SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE NINTH US ARMY LIEGE R. FIRST US ARMY ST VITH CLERVAUX FRANKFURT OSD Letter, 5-8-78 DIEKIRCH THIRD US ARMY o PARIS METZ SEVENTH US ARMY HAGENAU 9 TRASBOURG MUNICH 0 . COLMAR MULHOUSE FIRST FR ARMY BELFORT o 25 50 75 100 ISO WILES 25-2072-200 DECLASSIFIED OSD Lotter, 5-8-78 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 24 and 25 January. Weather prevented strategic bomber operations in both theaters. EUROPEAN THEATER 24 January. Although hampered by weather, the Tactical Air Forces flew 1,501 sorties. About a quarter of the planes were over the Eifel area, where they reported the destruction of 332 trucks, 27 tanks and 30 armored vehicles; about 400 flew armed reconnaissance and rail interdiction missions north of the Ruhr; 177 attacked midget submarine pens southwest of Rotterdam; most of the remainder supported the US Seventh and First French Armies. Ten enemy planes were destroyed; we lost ten. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, one rocket fell in Antwerp, and three rockets and 20 flying bombs fell in scattered areas outside the city. One flying bomb fell near Liege. 25 January. During the 24-hours ending at 0600, five rockets fell in the London and Essex areas. During the period ending at noon, the British advance north of Sittard toward the Roer River continued on a 15-mile front, reaching the Roermond-Heinsburg road midway between those towns. Our First and Third Armies continued to reduce the Ardennes salient. There were minor gains north and south of St. Vith. In the center of the salient, an average gain of two miles was made and Clervaux captured. 1 DECLASSIFIES GAD Letter, 5-3-72 Northwest of Diekirch we gained another two miles. In northern Alsace, two German attacks, five miles and 12 miles west of Hagenau, respectively, forced our Seventh Army to make local withdrawals of about two miles. The French Army extended its Ill River bridgehead, advanced nearly two miles south on the road to Colmar, and gained a mile north- west of Mulhouse. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 24 January. Weather prevented virtually all air operations. 25 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 300 offensive sorties attacking communication facilities, supply dumps, and supporting ground forces throughout northern Italy. There were no significant changes on the ground front. 2 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MAND AKYAB AUNGOS CENTRAL BURMA = LEGEND SCALE ID o so 8 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON - 120° 140° 160° + + 2d PEIPING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 200 400 - 800 30° TOKYOJ aiis 20° 10* b MILES NANKING. Shanghar OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED Chungking Canton . Marcus I PORMOSA BURMA FRENCH 20% : Uracas I + 10* Wake 1, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll BANCKOK CHINA SEA / Guam SALGON CAM RANH, BAY Enivetok of PHILIPPINE IS VICAP ST. JACQUES Yap* MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jalufto S RNGAPORE + Xapingamarangil BORNEO + Neura- .Ocean NEW GUINEA 29 TIMOR Christmas) 1s 100° 110° 140° 25-20729-100 SEA OF JAPAN ter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED YELLOW LOYANG SEA NAGASAKI o SHANGHAI HANKO WENCHOW OOCHOW AMOY SWATOW CANTO CHINA TAKAO HONGKONG 00 o 100 200 300 400 500 LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA GULF 180° 150° DECLASSIFIED 08D Lotter, 5-3-78 ASIATIC AREA 22, 23 and 24 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,388 sorties, of which 793 were tactical. Close support was given to ground troops, and supply facilities were struck in central Burma. Rail bridges north of Toungoo and on the Burma-Siam route were damaged, and the airfields in the Meiktila region were again attacked. We lost two planes. During 24 additional sorties, the 14th Air Force destroyed 39 locomotives in eastern China. 25 January. Seventy-six B-29's of the XX Bomber Command were dispatched to mine the Singapore, Saigon, Cap Saint Jacques and Cam Ranh Bay areas. Japanese forces advancing north along the Canton-Hankow railroad were within 20 miles of Kukong. 3 120° 140° 160° + 2d + PERPING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 0 200 400 600 & 30° 10* TOKYO 10° e* MILES NANKING. Shanghai Chungking* IWO JIMA Canton Marcus 1 PORMOSA BURMA FRENCH Uracas I 20% + + 10* Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA CAVITE Salpan I GRANDE IS % Teongi Atoll BANGKOR CHINA SEA / Guam CORREGIDOR Enivetok 0 PHILIPPINE IS Yap* MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jaluito 4 Xapingamarangi 1 BORNEO Neuru- .Ocean 4 NEW IRELAND NEW BRITAIN NEW GUINEA BQUGAINVILLE : TIMOR Christmasl 100° 110° 1400 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-78 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES LINE AS OF 25 JAN LINE AS OF 24 JAN COMMUNIQUE LINE APARRI a LAOAG Q VIGAN XIV XXX x I X CORPS CORPS AMINANG SAN CHANGE Q LINGAYER DASOL BAY BALER SANTA CRUZ TABLAC CABANAT N BAI DINGALAN BAY FOR STOTSENBURG MAGALANG CLARK FIELD ANGELES POLILLO MAÑ/LA LAMON BAY DAET LUCENNI BAGA BOAC CALAPAN : DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 6-8-72 TOP & MASBATE N ASBATE CATBALOGAN BORONGAN 5. ISIDRO VILLABA o MATARINAO [ACLOBAN BOGO CAMOTES ABUYOG GROUP PORO IS. CE PORO BATO 1 OLIDGAN SURIBÃO AN EAST CENTRAL PHILIPPINES to go SCALE IN MILES MI NDANA 0 36-7111-300 E DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 23 January. Of 290 additionally reported sorties, more than 130 were flown over Luzon. Forty-three heavy bombers dropped nearly 100 tons of bombs on Cavite; 20 others, together with medium bombers, attacked coastal guns on Grande Island in Subic Bay. Other bombers struck Corregidor and left a 10,000-ton tanker burning off northern Luzon. About 100 Solomons-based aircraft hit Bougainville, New Britain and New Ireland. 24 January. By afternoon we had occupied Santa Cruz on the coast south of Dasol Bay, Luzon. In the advance towards Manila our troops pushed through Bamban and engaged the enemy to the southwest. To the east, patrols reached the outskirts of Cabanatuan. We captured the western half of San Manuel against heavy fire. Northwest of Rosario resistance was reported broken in the vicinity of Amlang. (The 26 Jan- uary communique reports that Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg have been taken and that patrols have reached Angeles and Magalang.) On Leyte, a strong enemy group was encountered north of Villaba. On Poro Island in the Camotes Group, we met with resistance northeast of Poro town. TO DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 22 and 23 January. Twenty-eight B-24's attacked Iwo Jima, while 65 other aircraft struck Yap and the Palaus. 24 January. A communique states that a coordinated attack was made on Iwo Jima by surface units of the Pacific Fleet, B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command, and aircraft of the Strategic Air Force. 5 TO DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 10 1,1 1,6 20 20 30 BAUNAS ID ELB MINSK CTORUN é LINE и START OF DRIVE BERLIN o LINE AS OF 24 JAN 45 POSEN LINE AS OF 25 JAN 45 WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV X are OLEIWITZ o PRAGUE on KRAKOW 48 MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST & 5 BUCHAREST o SOFIA a OTIRANA PSKOV o RIGA a EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 14 26 EN 1°0 22 0 24 2% irme T DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 25 January. In the area between Konigsberg and Elbing, Red Army forces in a concentric advance further constricted the German holdings. In less extensive gains to the southwest they reached Torun and to within five miles of Posen. There was a general advance on the Breslau front, while to the southeast further advances captured the industrial city of Gleiwitz. 6 0 U visits DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1142 0700 January 24 to 0700 January 25, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 24 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM ARNHEM a OSD Letter, 5-8-72 DECLASSIFIED 1. 3 LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY ANTWERP o MONTFORT HEINSBURG SECOND BR ARMY TOT TOP BRUSSELS COLOGNE o NINTH US ARMY TOP R. KOBLENZ FIRST US ARMY ST VITH FRANKFURT o D THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ BITSCH ROTHBACK HAGENAU SEVENTH US ARMY TRASBOURG MUNICH COLMAR FIRST FR. ARMY MULHOUSE BELFORT o 25 50 75 100 90 MILES 20-0072-200 DECLASSIFIES 68D Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 24 January. Poor visibility at bases grounded the 8th Air Force, while in Italy, weather prevented operations of the 15th Air Force. EUROPEAN THEATER 23 January. In the course of 2,589 sorties, the Tactical Air Forces dispatched 600 planes on air-ground cooperation missions and directed heavy attacks against transportation targets from Arnhem to Koblenz, especially in rear of the Ardennes salient. More than 1,000 motor vehicles and 260 railroad cars were destroyed. Enemy planes destroyed totalled 37; we lost 26. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, four rockets and 26 flying bombs fell in scattered areas outside Antwerp. 24 January. In the 24-hour period ending at noon, the British Second Army gained another two miles, capturing Montfort and Heinsburg; resistance stiffened in the northern sector of the advance. At several points along the Ardennes front the US First and Third Armies made gains of up to two miles; several small-scale counterattacks were repulsed, particularly in the vicinity of St. Vith. In a local attack between Hagenau and Bitsch, the enemy occupied Rothback. US troops of the French First Army gained another mile north of Colmar. A small advance was registered by the French in the Mulhouse ar During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, six rockets fell in England. 1 BR MILAN ERON VENICE PADUA 4 CREMONA OSD Letter, 5-8-78 DECLASSIFIES CAVARZERE FERRARA PARMA BOLOGNA SREEJA RIMINI PO VALLEY NCE 10 o IO 20 30 40 Invoicement APPROXIMATE MILES LINE AS OF 23 JANUARY LINE AS OF 24 JANUARY 25-16341-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 23 January. Although hampered by weather, the Tactical Air Force flew 696 sorties, mainly against communications in northeastern Italy and northern Yugoslavia; a fuel dump at Cavargere, south of Venice, was set afire. The Coastal and Balkan Air Forces, limited by weather to 38 sorties, made small-scale attacks on shipping in the Adriatic. We lost eight planes. 24 January. There were no significant changes on the ground front in the period ending at 1500 hours. 2 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-8-78 ROAD RADDY PRONT- CHANDWIN/ERONT SHWEBO MONYAN MAND AKYAB GRANRE NOOD CENTRAL BURMA LEGEND ||| SCALE ID o so 00 time APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON LINE AS OF 23 JAN LINE AS OF 24 JAN - DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 21 and 22 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 4,882 sorties, of which 1,504 were tactical. In addition to operations over Ramree Island, reported yesterday, supply areas and communications in central Burma as well as airfields near Meiktila were attacked; support was given to Allied ground troops. Four bridges north of Toungoo were destroyed. We lost three planes. 21, 22 and 23 January. During 80 previously unreported sorties by the 14th Air Force, close support was given to Chinese ground forces near Wanting, and 48 locomotives were destroyed in widespread attacks over central and eastern China; B-24's laid mines in Hongkong Harbor and in the Yangtze River west of Hankow. We destroyed two enemy aircraft; our losses were two. 23 January. US and Chinese troops cut the Burma Road at a point 30 miles south of Wanting, while five miles north of this point a Chinese column reached the road after a 12-mile southward advance. On the Irrawaddy, British units repulsed another attack on their bridgehead east of Shwebo. Thirty miles west of Mandalay, a second Allied column reached the Irrawaddy. Along the east bank of the Chindwin, British troops advanced ten miles south of Monywa without contact. A point 15 miles west of Monywa was reached by a column moving southeast. Other British forces were 30 miles south of Gangaw on the Myittha River. A landing was made about five miles east of the Myebon Peninsula, resistance being encountered about one mile inland. 3 SEA OF JAPAN OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIES YELLOW LOYANG SEA NAGASAKI o SHANGHAI CHUNGKING HANKOW I 6 WENCHOW CHANGER HE NOYAND YUNGSIN SUIT OOCHOW AMOY SWATOW HAN CHINA TAKAO of HONGKONG IDO o IDO 200 300 400 500 terred "LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES ONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA GULF 180° 130° DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 24 January. In southeast China, Japanese troops continued their drive toward our fighter bases in that area. The enemy has captured Pingshan, 90 miles east of Canton, and were fighting in Yingtak 75 miles north of Canton. Southwest of Lingling their eastward drive continued, occupying the town of Pingshek. North of our fighter base at Suichwan, Japanese troops were in Yungsin and patrols had advanced to within fifteen miles of the field. 4 100° 120° 140° 160° & + + 2/ PERFING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 209 400 600 a 30° 9958 20° TOKYO) 10* of MILES of NANKING Shanghair OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED Chungking* IWO JIMA Canton Marcus I + FORMOSA TAKAO BURMA FRENCH 2d Uracas I + 10* Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Salpan I % Taongi Atoll ZBANGKOK CHINA SEA NEGROS Guam Eniwetok 0 PHILIPPINE IS Yaps MINDAMAO PALAU IS Ponape Jaluite + Kapingamarangil BORNEO + Naura- .Ocean NEW GUINEA TIMOR Christmas 100° no" 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES LINE AS OF 24 JAN LINE AS OF 23 JAN APARRI 0 LAOAG VIGAN XIV I CORPS CORPS QUINGAYER SUMMIN BALER TARLAC ZARAGOZA DINGALAN BAY BANDAN MABALACA CLARK FIELD POLILLO FLORIDADIANCA MARILA LAMON CORREGIDOR BAY BAET SEAL LUCENAL BOAC CALAPAN 00-0100-000 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 23 January. During more than 300 additional sorties, nearly 200 of which were flown over Luzon, warehouses and defense positions on Corregidor and targets at Baguio were struck by heavy bombers; other planes supported our ground forces and attacked supply dumps at Floridablanca, 15 miles south of Clark Field. Heavy bomber attacks were also made against an airdrome on Negros and against an aluminum factory at Takao on Formosa. At 1500, our troops on the eastern flank of the Lingayen beachhead were still meeting strong resistance in the vicinity of Rosario. Between Asingan and Zaragoza we were patrolling to the east. South of Tarlac, on the road to Manila, we were engaging the enemy at Bamban; reconnaissance units had reached Mabalacat airfield, five miles north of Clark Field. 25 January. À communique reports the capture of Bamban. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 24 January. Twenty B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command struck Iwo Jima airfields. All B-29's returned. 5 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-78 S 1,2 16 20 1,7 LE 25 30 KAUNAS & us G DAN210 ELBING MINSK LINE A/T START OF DRIVE BERLIN LINE AS OF 23 JAN 45 POSEN WARSAW LINE AS OF 24 JAN 45 o BRESLAU KIEV OPPELN PRAGUE KRAKOW MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST 5 BUCHAREST SOFIA 42 24 60 OTIRANA M are PSKOV o RIGA o % EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 50 100 ( APPROXIMATE MILES n 14 26 10 12 O 14 26 DECLASSIFIEB 05D Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 24 January. The Soviet offensive netted gains of about 20 miles along the front extending some 300 miles south from the Baltic. Progress was made westward against the pocket south of Konigsberg, while the drive aimed at Danzig reached closer to the sea and was within 10 miles of Elbing. The Red forces were approaching Posen in a gain of more than 15 miles. The most westward point of advance was carried forward about 30 miles in a drive which outflanked Breslau on the north. To the southeast, the Red Armies reached the Oder River along a 50-mile front, capturing Oppeln. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WESTERN HEMISPHERE 24 January. Four Liberators attacked the Kuriles. Three enemy planes were shot down; we lost one. 7 TOP OFODET DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter 5-3-78 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1141 0700 January 23 to 0700 January 24, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 JOKiel 54 52 PEmden FIRE Bremen with HANNOVER Londona OBerlin ORotterdam 52 DORTMUND DUISBURG 50 ANTWERP\ GELSENKIRCHEN NEUSS 6 oBrussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 o 48 o Poris Nancy o OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED °Rennes Q Laire Danube OTours o Munich 48 Vienna 46 Budopest o Bern o o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon (Bordeoux Milon Trieste 44 o PIACENZA o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0. STATUTE MILES 2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 22 January. During the night, 422 heavy bombers of the RAF attacked Gelsenkirchen and a benzol plant at Duisburg. Eighty-five Mosquitoes participated and also attacked Hannover and Dortmund. Three heavy bombers were lost. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five rockets and two flying bombs fell in Antwerp. Thirteen rockets and ten flying bombs hit near the city. 23 January. Two hundred and nine escorted heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked rail yards at Neuss, in the Ruhr. Six bombers and one fighter are missing. In Italy, weather again grounded the 15th Air Force. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, four long-range rockets fell in the London area. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 23 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o STEVENSWEERT TO SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE o SITTARD o NINTH US ARMY R. FIRST US ARMY WST VITH CLERVAUX FRANKFURT o THIRD US ARMY DIEKIRCH o KAISERSLAUTERN PARIS METZ SEVENTH US ARMY 9, TRASBOURG MUNICH FIRST FR ARMY COLMAR THANN BELPORT MULHOUSE o 0 25 50 75 100 (50 MILES DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-78 EUROPEAN THEATER 22 January. Improved weather conditions permitted the flying of over 3,400 sorties by the Tactical Air Forces. Close support was given to our ground forces, particularly in the Clervaux and Kaiserslautern areas and north of St. Vith. Fighters flew armed reconnaissance over a wide area behind the battle front. Fifteen enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost 51. 23 January. By noon, the Second British Army had gained about a mile at several points north and northeast of Sittard against light opposition. One counterattack southeast of Stevensweert was repulsed. Our First Army was in St. Vith. To the southwest, gains of two miles were registered. The US Third Army continued to reduce the cente of the Ardennes salient, making gains which averaged two miles along a 20-mile front. Third Army troops on the southern shoulder of the salient made gains of a mile and more, north of Diekirch. US troops of the French First Army made a local gain of nearly two miles near Colmar. French troops were meeting stiff opposition in the vicinity of Mulhouse and Thann. 2 DECLASSIFIES USD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 22 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 930 sorties, principally in widespread attacks on communications in northern Italy. Five rail bridges were destroyed. Fuel and ammunition dumps were attacked near Piacenza and Milan and a large explosion was set off at a powder factory in the same region. One enemy plane was destroyed; we lost 10. Nine light bombers based in the Middle East attacked Rhodes. 23 January. Ground activity was limited to patrolling and artillery exchanges. 3 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TOP RAWADDY FRON FRONT SHVEBO MONYWA AKYAB RAMREE ISLAND POUNBOO CENTRAL BURMA LEGEND SCALE o 0 50 8 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON LINE AS OF 22 JAN LINE AS OF 23 JAN BANGKOK - SEA OF JAPAN THE OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED YELLOW LOYANG SEA NAGASAKI 50° NANK I NG SHANGHAI S , WENCHOW CHANGSHA SUM FOOCHOW AMOY SWATOW CANTLE CHINA TAKAO of HONGKONG 8 o 00 200 300 400 500 taxxxx LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONSKING SOUTH CHINA SEA GULF 120° 130° DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-78 ASIATIC AREA 20 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 1,383 sorties, of which 564 were tactical. Ground operations were supported on the Burma fronts and airfields attacked around Toungoo. Heavy bombers mined harbors from Bangkok to Rangoon. Two planes were lost. 21 January. Eighty-four heavy bombers and 152 fighters of the Eastern Air Command supported the landing of additional troops on Ramree Island. Three bombers were lost through accidents. The 14th Air Force flew 63 offensive sorties. Thirty B-24's bombed the Royal Navy Yards at Hongkong. Fighters, in attacks upon Nanking and Swatow airfields, destroyed 16 enemy planes. 22 January. Attacks against Allied bridgeheads across the Irrawaddy east and northeast of Shwebo were repulsed. British troops reached the Irrawaddy about 25 miles west of Mandalay. On the Chindwin, Monywa was captured, and patrols moved 15 miles southeast. Northeast of Akyab, British troops advanced seven miles down the Lemro River Valley without contact. The offensive on Ramree Island was making progress, following the landing of reinforcements. 4 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES LINE AS OF 23 JAN LINE AS OF 22 JAN COMMUNIQUE REPORT APARRI LAOAG 9 VIGAN XIV Yes I CORPS CORPS SANFIAGORY FORRUB DAGUPAN BLINGATER CAPARUAN This BALER TARLAC CABANATU CAR ZARAGOZA o DOS LC CONCEP ON DINGALAN BAY CAPAS POLILLO MAN/ LAMON BAY BAET LUCENA BAGA BOAG CALAPAN ---------- B TOP DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 21 and 22 January. Nearly 300 sorties were flown. Liberators caused heavy damage at Heito airdrome on Formosa, left the Fabrica airfield on Negros unserviceable, and destroyed barracks and gun positions at Cabanatuan. Other aircraft gave support to our ground forces and attacked lines of communication on Luzon. Reports of airfield construction on Luzon reveal that at Lingayen 5,000 feet of runway and taxiway have been matted, and dispersal areas provided for two fighter groups. At Dagupan 7,000 feet of runway have been graded, and dispersal areas provided for three fighter groups. 22 January. On the eastern flank of the Lingayen beachhead, our troops were meeting stiff resistance, including artillery fire, between Pozorrubio and Rosario. Mopping-up of the Japanese elements by-passed in the Cabaruan Hills continued. 24 January. A communique states that our troops on Luzon have seized Camp O'Donnell and Concepcion, nine miles west and five miles east of Capas, respectively. 5 100° 120° 140° 160° + + 1/ PEIPING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 0 200 400 - goo SOP NAGOY 9958 20° TOKYOR 10* of MILES OSAK NANKING. Shanghair ASD 5. 9 72 DECLASSIFIED Chungking* HAHA JIMA BONIN IS IWO JIMA Cantone Marcus I + FORMOSA RE ITO BURMA FRENCH 20% Uracas I + + 10" Wakel, SOUTH THAILAND INDO LUZON CHINA Saipan I % Teongi Atoll CHINA SEA / Guam FABRICA, NEGROS 1. Enivetok . PHILIPPINE IS Yaps MINDAMAO PALAU IS TRUK Ponape Jalujto Kapingamerangil + BORNEO + Neuro. .Ocean *A NEW GUINEA TIMOR Christmas 1, 100° 110" 140° 25-20729-100 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 20 January. Seventeen B-24's struck Iwo Jima and Haha Jima. During the night, three B-29's individually attacked Osaka and vicinity. Medium bombers, attacking a convoy near the Bonins, probably sank one enemy vessel and scored five rocket hits on another. 21 January. Thirty-one escorted B-29's bombed an airfield on Moen Island in the Truk Group. 23 January. Fifty-nine B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command struck the city of Nagoya and the nearby Mitsubishi aircraft engine works; four more struck other targets. During aggressive interception, 15 enemy planes were destroyed. We lost one B-29 to enemy action. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 9 LA LA 20 2,7 2,4 30 KAUNAS M DANZ MINSK BROMBERG o LINE AT START OF DRIVE BERLIN o LINE AS OF 22JAN 45 LINE AS OF 23 JAN 45 WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV X PRAGUE KRAKOW & MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST VENIDE 5 BUCHAREST 44 SOFIA 42 a OTIRANA PSKOV RIGA a EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 50 100 FROD APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 I'v n 10 27 C 24 2% DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 23 January. In the north, the advancing Red Army was within 17 miles of Konigsberg, while the drive toward Danzig reached to within 27 miles of the Baltic coast. Around the pocket formed between these thrusts, the Soviets made general gains. In Poland, Bromberg was captured. In Silesia, Red troops drove to within 13 miles of Breslau; there were other gains along the front extending southeast. Axis forces which had penetrated to the Danube south of Budapest widened their salient by advances to the north. 7 D OI DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1140 0700 January 22 to 0700 January 23, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(v) @@@@ 6 4 2 0 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 OKiel 54 52 PEmden Bremen with + Londong OBerlin ORotterdom o 52 5, STERKRADE 6 oBrussels Cologne KASSEL OLeipzig 20 OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TOP DECLASSIFIED o ANTWERP LIEGE Abbeville KOBLENZ o Frankfurt Progue 50 MAINZ 48 0 Paris ORennes o Noncy o Loire Danube O-Tours o Munich 48 Vienno & 46 Budopest o o BRENNER Bern o Bolzano 46 4 Lyon e Bordeoux 44 OMilon Trieste POLA o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 to o 50 100 150 200 D. STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 20 January. Weather grounded RAF heavy bombers during the night. The following night, 71 Mosquitoes attacked Kassel and others raided Koblenz, Cologne and Mainz. One plane is missing. 21 January. During the previously reported 8th Air Force opera- tions against rail yards in western Germany eight enemy planes were destroyed. We lost 18 bombers. Three rockets fell in Antwerp and three flying bombs in Liege. Three rockets and eight flying bombs fell in scattered areas behind the front. 22 January. Two hundred and six 8th Air Force escorted heavy bombers again struck the oil plant at Sterkrade. Nine bombers are missing. The 15th Air Force was grounded by snow. During a two-day period, 21 rockets landed in England, of which seven fell in the London area. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 22 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM 1 LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o o SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS SITTARD COLOGNE NINTH US ARMY R. ST VITH FIRST US ARMY HOUFFALIZE FRANKFURT OBD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED DIEKIRCH SAARBURG o THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ TRASBOURG SEVENTH US ARMY MUNICH THANM CERNAY FIRST FR ARMY BELFORT MULHOUSE o o 25 50 75 100 ISO MILES 20-2012-200 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 21 January. The Tactical Air Forces flew 1,135 sorties, chiefly concentrated on bridges, rail centers, and transport columns west of Cologne. More than 280 motor vehicles, three locomotives, 116 railroad cars, 12 tanks and six armored vehicles were destroyed. We lost five planes. 22 January. The Second British Army made local advances northeast of Sittard. Our First and Third Armies continued their attack along a curving front of 35 miles from north of Diekirch to the area north of St. Vith. Gains up to five miles were made to the east of Houffalize and smaller gains were made north of Diekirch and north of St. Vith. Our troops are now within two miles of St. Vith. The Third Army repulsed a series of continuous attacks southwest of Saarburg, but were forced to withdraw slightly. In southern Alsace, the First French Army was heavily engaged in the area between Mulhouse and Thann. North of Mulhouse enemy attacks were repulsed and slight gains were made. South of Cernay enemy pressure forced a local withdrawal. 2 DECLASSIFIED DSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 21 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 843 sorties. Medium bombers and lighter planes concentrated on rail communications on the Brenner Route and in northeast Italy, and also attacked fuel and ammunition dumps in the Po Valley. The Balkan Air Force, limited by weather to 37 sorties, sank a 500-ton vessel and fired oil tanks at Pola (Istria). Two enemy planes were shot down; we lost eight. 22 January. During the 24-hour period ending at 1500, activity on the Italian front was confined to patrolling. 3 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TOP MRA Day FRONT NA MHHAN* CHROVIN FRONT MOGOK MONYV MAND WEINT AKYAB CENTRAL BURMA LEGEND LINE AS OF 21 JAN. LINE AS OF 22 JAN. SCALE o o so 8 the APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON GULF OF MARTABAN - DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 19 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,253 sorties of which 642 were tactical. Attacks were made on airfields near Heiktila, and on targets in support of ground operations throughout Burma. Other planes attacked shipping in the Gulf of Martaban and on the Irrawaddy. Two planes were lost. 20 January. The 14th Air Force flew 182 offensive sorties. Fifteen enemy planes were destroyed in a raid on Shanghai airfields; other air- craft destroyed 32 locomotives, and two additional planes, including a bomber shot down during an enemy raid on our base at Suichwan. Continued support was given Chinese troops on the Burma Road. We lost one plane. 21 January. On the Salween front, advancing Chinese met some resistano in areas from three to seven miles south of Wanting. On the Irrawaddy front, Allied troops made local gains northwest of Sagaing and enlarged the bridgehead on the east bank of the river north of Mandalay. West of the Chindwin progress was made south of Gangaw. 22 January. The road from India to China via Ledo, Namhkam and Wanting is open. 4 for DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES LINE AS OF 22 JAN LINE AS OF 21 JAN APARRI LAOAG VIGAN XIV I CORPS CORPS BLINGAYER S.HAR1 DASOL BAY BALER INFAN GUIMBA TARLAC LA PAZ ABA S. MONICA DINGALAN BAY CHARK FIELD POLILLO BATAAH MAN/LA LAMON BAY DAET LUCENA MAGA BOAC CALAPAN - DECLASSIFIES 08D Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 20 January. More than 300 offensive sorties were flown. Air- dromes on Luzon and Negros were attacked, installations on Bataan were destroyed, ground operations on Luzon were supported and roads and railroads in central Luzon were neutralized. 21 January. On the eastern flank of the Lingayen beachhead our troops were engaged in stiff fighting in the area around Rosario. In the center our capture of Tarlac has been confirmed and a communique dated 23 January states that our troops advancing south of Tarlac have reached Capas, 10 miles north of Clark Field, and Santa Monica 10 miles east of Capas. Advance elements of the XIV Corps have reached Infanta on Dasol Bay. 5 too 150 120 130 140 150 NO 170 180 170 NO KOBE JAPAN OSAKA CHINA SHIKOKU 30 30 CHICHI JIMA HAHA JIMA IWO JIMA HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORMOSA BURMA to 8 20 HAINAN MARIANAS THAILAND INDO-CHINA ISLANDS PHILIPPINES Guam NEGROS MARSHALL ISLANDS to to Yep, PELELIU CAROLINE ISLANDS GILBERT LINE OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o SUMATRA BORNEO ISLANDS o PHOENIX ISLANDS BISMARCH NEW GUINEA ARCHIPELAGO BOUGAINVILLE - ELLICE ISLANDS ISLANDS 2 10 SAMOR 10 HEBRIDES FIJI ISLANDS 20 20 NEW CALEDONIA AUSTRALIA o 500 1000 STATUTE MILES AT EQUATOR 30 30 100 no 120 130 140 150 100 no 180 170 NO 24-28045 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 19 January. Twenty-four heavy bombers attacked Iwo, Haha and Chichi Jima. One enemy plane was shot down. That night three B-29's individually bombed Kobe, Osaka and a target on Shikoku. 6 DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-3-72 2,0 1,2 25 30 RAUNAS INSTERBURG HASHRIAN MINSK CAKES ALLENSTERN LINE A.T. START OF DRIVE o BERLIN LINE AS OF 21 JAN 45 ROSEN LINE AS OF 22 JAN 45 WARSAW o o BRESLAU KIEV PRAGUE KRAKOW & MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST SZEKESFSHERVAR VENICE 5 BUCHAREST SOFIA 42 N OTIRANA PSKOV RIGA o 2 EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 26 a 10 22 24 I's worm E DECLASSIFIED 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 22 January. In East Prussia, the Soviet Army has captured the fortress city of Insterburg, and is within 18 miles of Konigsberg, the provincial capital. West of the Masurian Lakes an advance of 15 miles has engulfed Allenstein. West of Warsaw, the Red Army has pushed ahead 30 miles to within 20 miles of Posen. Small gains were made elsewhere along the front, except southwest of Budapest where the Germans have recaptured Szekesfehervar. 7 U OT DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1139 0700 January 21 to 0700 January 22, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) OLUMS 0 000 D SIMPSON B SIBERIA ALASKA 60 5 KATAOKA PARAMUSHIRO ONNEKOTAN MATSUWA 40 CHINA 40 SWATOW INDIA 8 30 OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED or 80 100 160 140 140 DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-3-72 WESTERN HEMISPHERE 19 January. Another balloon believed to be of Japanese origin landed at Simpson in the Northwest Territory of Canada. These balloons are being carefully examined in Canada and the US to determine their purpose. Precautions are being taken to prevent publication of their landing points for the information of the enemy. 19, 20 and 21 January. Eight heavy bombers attacked Matsuwa Island, Onnekotan, Kataoka and Paramushiro in the Kuriles. 1 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 JOKIel 54 52 PEmden FILM Bremen WITH + London<< OBerlin o ORotterdom o 52 50 ANTWERP 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 ASCHAFFENBURG MANNHEIM 48 o Paris HEILBRONN Rennes o Noncy OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o Q Laire Decube o Munich O-Tours 48 Vienno Budopest 46 BRENNER PASS GRAZ o Bern o o Bolzono TRENTO 46 4 Lyon Bordeaux OMilon Trieste 44 o FIUME o Toulouse Bologno 2 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 9. STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 1 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 20 January. Seven rockets and one flying bomb fell in Antwerp. Nine rockets and eight flying bombs fell in areas near Antwerp. 21 January. A communique states that approximately 900 escorted heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked rail yards at Mannheim, Aschaffenburg and Heilbronn. Two hundred and eighteen escorted 15th Air Force heavy bombers from Italy attacked two oil refineries in Vienna, a rail yard at Graz and started fires and explosions at an oil plant at Fiume. We lost six bombers and six fighters. 2 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 6-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 20 January. The Tactical Air Forces flew 1,530 sorties. Seven hundred ninety-four planes attacked factories and railroad bridges in the Neuss-Cologne area and gave support to our ground forces. Other targets were attacked along the front from Alsace to Holland. Five enemy planes were destroyed; we lost 16. 21 January. By noon the offensive of the British Second Army had gained up to three miles along an eight-mile front northeast of Sittard; smaller gains were made north of Sittard. Our First Army, resuming its attack in the area northeast of Houffali gained up to three miles on a 13-mile front and was within three miles of St. Vith on the north. Our Third Army, attacking to the east of Houffalize and Bastogne, advanced to a maximum of three miles on a 15- mile front. The XII Corps continued to make local progress and straighten its lines north of Diekirch. Our Seventh Army, leaving elements as a rear guard northeast of Hagenau, withdrew to defensive positions on a general line running from Bischweiler to Hagenau and thence in a northwesterly direction to the area south of Bitsch. The First French Army continued to attack in southern Alsace making gains of more than a mile north of Mulhouse and, to the west, reaching the outskirts of Cernay. Northeast of Thann, two heavy counterattacks were repulsed. 3 DECLASSIFIED 080 Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 20 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 910 sorties. Medium bombers attacked a rail yard and hit two rail bridges near Trento. Other planes struck railroads in northeast Italy including the Brenner Route and attacked fuel and ammunition dumps; they also gave support to our ground forces. Three enemy planes were destroyed; we lost five. 21 January. Activity on the ground was confined to patrolling. DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 19 January. The 14th Air Force flew 125 offensive sorties. Fighters destroyed six enemy bombers on the ground at Swatow. Strikes were made against rail facilities, and Chinese ground forces along the Burma Road were supported. Two planes were lost. 20 January. On the Salween front, Allied troops had advanced from Namhkam 12 miles northeast along the Ledo Road without establishing contact with the enemy. South of Namhkam, American troops approaching the Burma Road repulsed two Japanese counterattacks. Two British columns moving south between Mandalay and Monywa had gained some six miles; one reached the Mandalay-Monywa railroad. Northeast of Akyab, British troops moving east from the Kaladan River clashed with Japanese elements south of Minbya. 5 100 no 120 tão 140 150 NO no 180 170 NO JAPAN CHINA 30 30 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORMOSA BURMA to 20 20 HAINAN MARIANAS Wake INDO-CHINA OONI ISLANDS THAILAND CHINA PHILIPPINES FABRICA, NEGROS I 1. to MARSHALL ISLANDS to CAROLINE ISLANDS SUM HALMAHERA GILBERT OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o BORNEO ISLANDS o WEWAK PHOENIX ISLANDS BIRMARCH NEW GUINEA ARCHIDELAGO BOUGAINVILLE ELLICE ISLANDS UNITED ISLANDS NO to SAMOA 20 HEBRIDES FIJI ISLANDS 20 20 NEW CALEDONIA AUSTRALIA o 500 1000 STATUTE MILES AT EQUATOR 30 30 100 no 120 130 140 iso IGO no 180 110 NOO 24-28045 DECLASSIFIES 08D Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 18, 19 and 20 January. More than 650 previously unreported sorties were flown. About a third of these were over Luzon, particula striking airfields and rail facilities, while nearly 100 attacked two airfields on Negros. Off northern Luzon, a coastal vessel was sunk, a large tanker and two freighter transports set afire, and smaller shipping damaged. Other principal targets were Halmahera, Wewak and Bougainville. Twenty-one enemy planes were destroyed; we lost one. 20 January. Our forward elements on Luzon had reached the Agno River east of San Manuel, Rosales airfield south of the Agno River was occupied, and patrols of the XIV Corps advancing towards Tarlac from Paniqui had reached Gerona. 22 January. A communique announced the capture of Tarlac. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-78 EASTERN FRONT 21 January. In East Prussia, the Red Army broke through to the sea 30 miles northeast of Konigsberg and advanced along a front extending southeast, capturing Gumbinnen. Tannenberg was taken in an advance northwest of Warsaw which pushed another 10 miles toward Danzig. Gumbinnen and Tannenberg were important points in the battle in which the Russians were badly defeated in 1914 by the Hindenburg- Ludendorff team. West of Warsaw, a drive along the west bank of the Vistula River was within 10 miles of Torun. There were 10 to 30-mile gains along a 60-mile front facing Breslau. The German penetration, previously reported southwest of Budapest, reached the Danube. 7 U Of DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1138 0700 January 20 to 0700 January 21, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) U or OLUME 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 OKiel 54 52 PEmden FIVE Bremen with + RHEINE Londong o OBerlin o ORotterdam o 52 STERKRADE 50 ANTWERP 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 MANNHEIM 48 o Poris HEILBRONN . ORennes Nancy REGENSBURG o OSD DECLASSIFIED Letter, 5-3-72 Loice o Munich O-Tours 48 Vienna ROSENHEIM SALZBURG Budopest o 46 o Bern o Bolzano UDINE 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux OMilan PTrieste 44 o seal LUSSIN Toulouse Bologno ISLAND O 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 P. STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 19 January. RAF operations were cancelled because of weather. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, two rockets fell in Antwerp. Seven rockets and 22 flying bombs fell in scattered areas behind the front. 20 January. Seven hundred sixty-eight escorted 8th Air Force heavy bombers attacked an oil plant at Sterkrade, road and rail bridges at Mannheim and the rail yards at Heilbronn and Rheine. One enemy aircraft was destroyed; 17 of our bombers and 17 fighters are missing. From Italy, 574 escorted 15th Air Force heavy bombers attacked storage areas at Regensburg and rail yards at Salzburg, Rosenheim, and Linz. Four enemy planes were destroyed; we lost 28 bombers and four fighters. That night, 84 heavy bombers attacked rail yards at Udine. One was lost. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, six rockets fell in England, of which three reached the London area. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG LINE AS OF 20 JAN. MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM o ZETTEN NIJMEGEN NE z LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o SITTARD BRUSSELS COLOGNE o, SECOND BR ARMY R NINTH US ARMY MONSCHAU FIRST US ARMY FRANKFURT 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED HOUPFALIZE BASTOGNE DIEKIRCH D THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ TRASBOURG SEVENTH US ARMY SELESTAT 4 MUNICH THANN MULHOUSE FIRST FRENCH ARMY BELFORT 0 25 50 75 IDO ISO MILES DECLASSIFIED OND Letter, 6-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 19 January. The Tactical Air Forces, hampered by weather, flew 672 sorties. Support was given to our ground forces in Alsace and the Ardennes salient, and rocket-launching sites in Holland were attacked. We lost eight planes. 20 January. By noon, Canadian troops attacking in the Zetten area, northwest of Nijmegen, had restored the situation and made local progress in a counterattack. The Second British Army, continuing its attack in the area north of Sittard, advanced up to two miles along a 12-mile front. Our First Army was consolidating its positions from Houffalize to the Monschau area, while our Third Army advanced to a maximum of a mile along a three-mile front east of Bastogne. North of Diekirch, the Third Army advanced two miles on a limited front, although impeded by mines, bad weather, and a counterattack. Our Seventh Army was still heavily engaged with the enemy on the west bank of the Rhine northeast of Strasbourg. The First French Army launched an attack in southern Alsace and made gains north of Mulhouse and to the east and southeast of Thann. Enemy attempts to infiltrate near Selestat were repulsed. 2 DECLASSIFIER USD Lotter, 6-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 19 January. The Tactical Air Force, hampered by weather, flew only 112 sorties, mostly against communications in the Po Valley. The Balkan Air Force, in 37 sorties, attacked Lussin Island and docks in Yugoslavia. 20 January. Activity on the ground front up to mid-afternoon was confined to patrolling. 3 DECLASSIFIED TOP OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TALVEER RAWADDY FRON CHINDRIN FRONT TWINNOR ANDAN IDNYWA MAND HETKELL AKYAB PENINSULA CENTRAL BURMA River LEGEND SCALE ID o so 00 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON LINE AS OF 19 JAN LINE AS OF 20 JAN - TO DECLASSIFIER USD Lottor, 6-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 17 and 18 January. The 14th Air Force flew more than 250 previously unreported offensive sorties. Targets on the Burma Road and communications and airfields in the Canton area were attacked. Ground operations were supported on the Salween front and near Hochih. One enemy plane was destroyed; we lost four. 18 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,671 sorties, of which 766 were tactical. During these operations, 77 heavy bombers struck four airfields in the Meiktila area, and 14 bombed rail yards at Martaban. Medium and fighter bombers swept airfields in central Burma and supported ground operations on the Irrawaddy and around Myebon. 19 January. On the Salween front, American troops south of Namhkam were within a mile of Burma Road. Along the Irrawaddy, Twinnge was cleared. British troops midway between the Irrawaddy and Chindwin reached a point lying on a line from Mandalay to Monywa. Other British troops were 22 miles southeast of Gangaw without opposition. On Myebon peninsula, Allies advanced north and repulsed three counterattacks. 20 January. Chinese captured Wanting. 4 DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-8-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES COMMUNIQUE REPORT APARRI LAOAG VIGAN XIV I CORPS CORPS FORRUB BLINGAYENTA SANWAN CARMEN BALER PANIQUI S. IGNACIA TARLAC DINGALAN BAY POLILLO MANI LAMON BAY BAET LUCENA BOAC CALAPAN DECLASSIFIED 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 21 January. According to a communique, our Lingayen beachhead troops have extended their east flank by capturing the high ground northwest of Rosario, where they repulsed a series of counterattacks; 23 enemy tanks and many field guns were destroyed. Our lines have been advanced into the foothills north of Pozorrubio and to Asingan farther to the southeast. In the center, Carmen and its airfield were taken, and we held the entire section of the highway running south to Paniqui. We were advancing from Santa Ignacia towards Tarlac. 5 PALAU IS 1 PELELIU ; N NETHERLANDS INDIES 08D Letter, 5-8-72 EXISISSVICED - o Marquise Darwin DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 17 January. During the night, 64 enemy landed on Pelelieu in the Palaus, according to a communique; 49 were killed, and the remainder surrounded; no damage to our installations was reported. 6 T DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 10 12 - 2.0 1,2 2,4 2,6 18 30 di BAUNAS DANZ MINSK LINE AT START OF DRIVE BERLIN LINE AS OF 19 JAN 45 o LINE AS OF 20 JAN 45 o KOLO Warts WARSAW o to BRESLAU KIEV) o PRAGUE KRAKOW KOSICE MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST o 5 BUCHAREST SOFIA 42 24 OTIRANA % PSKOV 4 RIGA o % EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 14 n a 10 22 24 1% muse DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 19 January. Against continual strong counterattacks in east Prussia, the Soviets took Tilsit and forged ahead up to 15 miles on a front extending 40 miles to the south. West and northwest of Warsaw, they advanced up to 20 miles, crossing the Warta River and capturing Kolo. There were 10 to 15-mile gains along a 70-mile front south of Warsaw, and like gains along a similar front extending north from Kosice, which was also captured. German armor made a deep penetration of the Soviet line southwest of Budapest. 7 TOID GEODET DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1137 0700 January 19 to 0700 January 20, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) TOP 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 JOKiel 54 52. PEmden FINAL PBremen Wilto 7 Londone °Berlin ORotterdom 52 STERKRADE 5. ANTWERP 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 L IEGE Abbeville 0 o Frankfurt Progue 50 48 o Poris ORennes o Noncy Decube OSD DECLASSIFIED Letter, 5-3-72 Laire Munich O-Tours o 48 Vienno Budopest o 46 o Bern o o Bolzono 46 ZAGRES 4 Lyon e RBordeaux OMilon Trieste 44 o BROD DOBOJ o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 9, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4.> 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIEB GED Lotter, 5-3-78 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 19 January. From Italy, 617 heavy bombers of the 15th Air Force struck bridges and rail yards at Brod in northern Yugoslavia and a rail bridge at Doboj. Fighters sweeping the Zagreb area, encountered six enemy planes and shot down five. Two heavy bombers and one fighter are missing. 8th Air Force operations were cancelled because of the weather. 18 January. During the night, 56 RAF Mosquitoes attacked an oil plant at Sterkrade, and 19 others flew scattered missions. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five flying bombs fell in Liege. Three rockets and 35 flying bombs fell in areas outside Antwerp and Liege. 1 DECLASSIFIES OR Lottor, 6-3-78 EUROPEAN THEATER 18 January. Weather limited the Tactical Air Forces to 205 sorties, most of which were flown by Mosquitoes attacking billets, railways and other targets northwest of Cologne. One enemy plane was destroyed; we lost four. 19 January. By noon, German attacks on Canadian positions northwest of Nijmegen continued. Northeast of Sittard, the Second British Army advanced from one to three miles on a nine-mile front. Our First Army, continuing its pressure from the northwest, registered gains to a maximum of two miles along a 20-mile front in the St. Vith area. Our Third Army, attacking the southern flank of the salient, cleared Diekirch and advanced more than a mile beyond the town. The enemy made heavy counterattacks southwest of Saarburg. Our Seventh Army under strong pressure made a slight withdrawal along a 13-mile front facing the Germans' Rhine bridgehead northeast of Strasbourg. On the First French Army front, a local attack north- west of Colmar was repulsed by American troops. 2 DECLASSIFIES 1 082 Letter, 0-8-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 18 January. The main effort of 1,229 sorties flown by the Tactical Air Force was directed against rolling stock and railroad bridges. Tactical fighters, as well as planes of the Balkan Air Force, harassed road and rail traffic in Yugoslavia. Five of our aircraft are missing. 19 January. Ground activity up to mid-afternoon was confined to patrolling. 3 OSD Letter, E-8-78 ASIATIC AREA 16 and 17 January. The 14th Air Force flew 225 previously unreported offensive sorties. Eleven fighters, in a surprise attack on airfields in the Shanghai area, destroyed 26 fighters and 30 bombers preparing to take off. Attacks were also made against airdromes near Tsinan, Hankow and Peking, against transport and communications, and in support of Chinese troops near Wanting. These raised the total of enemy planes destroyed to 77; we lost four. 17 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,046 sorties, of which 576 were tactical. Fighters and medium bombers attacked airfields near Mandalay and bridges, airfields and strategic targets along the Burma Road. Other fighters attacked communications in southern Burma and supported operations in the Myohaung-Tiennyo areas. 18 January. On the Salween front, Chinese troops had driven within one mile of Wanting, on the east. Thirty-five miles southwest, American troops had moved east to within three miles of the Burma Road. On the Irrawaddy resistance continued at Twinnge. About midway between Twinnge and Mandalay, British troops have established several bridgeheads on the east bank of the river. On the Chindwin front, British troops entered Monywa and 30 miles southeast of Budalin were within ten miles of their Irrawaddy force. 4 DECLASSIFIED THD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 17 and 18 January. In 340 previously unreported sorties, 47 heavy bombers struck at barracks and supply areas in northern Borneo; more than 120 planes ope.ated against transportation and airdromes in central and southern Luzon; targets on Timor, New Britain, Halmahera and Formosa were also attacked. Three enemy planes were destroyed. 18 January. By afternoon, our troops on the eastern flank of Lingayen beachhead were attacking positions on high ground north of Rosario. South of Rosario, Sison on the Baguio-Manila highway was captured. Binalonan was occupied. Southwest of Binalonan, the VI Corps was engaged with enemy forces at Palina. In the center, reconnaissance elements advancing south on the highway from Camiling reached Santa Ignacia. Forces from Leyte landed unopposed on Poro Island in the Camotes Sea. 5 DECLASSIFIED (ap letter, 5-3-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 19 January. An aircraft engine plant at Akashi, Japan, was struck by 64 B-29's of the XXI Bomber Command; nine other B-29's bombed alternate targets. None were lost. Five enemy planes were destroyed. 16 and 17 January. Seventeen heavy bombers attacked Iwo Jima; 39 aircraft hit Marcus, Yap, the Palaus and Rota; and three B-29's bombed Nagoya, Kyoto and Yokohama individually. 6 DECLASSIFIED - Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 19 January. The Soviet offensive, while effecting little change at the most westward tip of the advance, showed gains of 30 to 40 miles along broad fronts both to the north and south. The advance continued west of Warsaw, and Lodz, Krakow and Tarnow were occupied. North of the main drive, the Soviets overran the German salient east of Konigsberg. 7 the VEGITS DECLASSIFIED OFF Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1136 0700 January 18 to 0700 January 19, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203() DECLASSIFIES ORD Lottor, 5-3-72 GENERAL The 16th Armored Division (Major General Wogan) has been ordered from Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, to the New York Port of Embarkation for further movement overseas. The total US air effort for December 1944 consisted of 101,720 attack sorties, in which more than 104,000 tons of bombs were dropped. Destroyed enemy aircraft totalled 1,845, while we lost 747 planes to enemy action. Our aircraft losses from all causes totalled 1,518 planes. B-29's contributed 732 attack sorties and 3,500 tons to these totals, and accounted for 94 of the planes destroyed; 19 B-29's were lost to enemy action. Four-fifths of our total effort and casualties were in the European and Mediterranean Theaters. 1 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 Okiel 54 52 HAMBURG PEmden FIRE Paremen with OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED 2 Londoner BIELEFELD OBerlin o ORotterdom MAGDEBURG o 52 ADERBORN 50 ANTWERP 6 Brussels Cologne OLeipzig LIEGE 20 Abbeville o Frankfurt Progue 50 KAISERSLAUTERN 48 o Paris ORennes o Noncy o a Laire Danube OTours o Munich 48 Vienno 46 Budapest o o BRENNER Bern o o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon QBordeoux OMilon PTrieste 44 o Toulouse Bologno ? 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIED 5-8-78 Letter, 5-8-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 17 January. 8th Air Force heavy bombers dropped 1,154 tons on Paderborn rail yards, 617 tons on oil targets and a submarine yard in the Hamburg area, and 105 tons on a rail viaduct near Bielefeld. Nine bombers and seven fighters are missing. During the night, 72 RAF Mosquitoes attacked Magdeburg. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, one rocket fell in Antwerp and one flying bomb fell in Liege. Nine rockets and 15 flying bombs fell in areas near Antwerp and Liege. 18 January. About 100 heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked a rail yard at Kaiserslautern. Bad weather grounded the 15th Air Force in Italy for the third successive day. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, eight rockets fell in England. 2 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 17 January. The Tactical Air Forces, hampered by weather, flew 429 sorties, mainly against rocket-launching sites in Holland and in support of our ground forces on the northern sector of the battle front. We lost two planes. 18 January. In the period ending at noon, troops of the First Canadian Army carried out a successful raid on Schouwen Island, landing south of Zierikzee. British troops withstood three small but deter- mined attacks between the Rhine and the Waal northwest of Nijmegen. The Second British Army gained three miles on a two-mile front, north of Sittard, and made local progress northeast of Sittard. Our First Army continued to advance along a 15-mile front from northeast of Houffalize to northeast of Vielsalm, gaining up to two miles. A counterattack was repulsed south of Vielsalm. Local progress was made southeast of Malmedy. Our Third Army made local advances south of Houffalize and northeast and east of Bastogne, and repulsed a counterattack supported by armor. An attack along a seven-mile front to the south and southeast of Diekirch gained up to one-half mile. The Seventh Army was heavily engaged along the Rhine east of Bischwei and also in the area to the northeast of Hagenau, with no material change in the lines. There was no change on the front of the French First Army. The First US Army reverted to the command of the Twelfth Army Group on 18 January. It is estimated that German armed forces have suffered a permanent loss of 8,433,000 men in the-period from September 1939 to 1 January 1945. Of these, 4,633,000 are dead, and 2,097,000 are wounded, unfit for active duty. In this period over 15,300,000 Germans served in the armed forces. 3 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 17 January. The Tactical Air Force flew 1,065 sorties, mainly in attacks on rail bridges along the Brenner Route and throughout northern Italy, also in support of ground operations. 18 January. There was no significant change on the Italian battle front up to mid-afternoon. 4 DECLASSIFIED 03D Lottor, 5-3-78 ASIATIC AREA 15 and 16 January. The 14th Air Force flew more than 200 additional offensive sorties, including several missions against shipping. At Hongkong, three 300 to 500-foot vessels were attacked; along the Yangtze in the Kiukiang area, several vessels of 150 to 200 feet were probably sunk or damaged. Airdromes, railroads and ground support targets were also hit. Five enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost eight. 16 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,454 sorties, of which 659 were tactical. Heaviest attacks were on airfields near Rangoon and south of Mandalay. Other planes gave support to Allied troops in Arakan and along the Irrawaddy. 17 January. Stubborn resistance continued around Wanting. South of Namhkam Chinese troops advanced eastward to a maximum of three miles along a 10-mile front. There was strong resistance to Allied patrolling in the Twinnge area east of the Irrawaddy. West of the river, Allied troops encount- ered Japanese outposts 12 miles northwest of Mandalay. On the Chindwin front, British troops were moving south five miles east of Monywa. In Arakan, a small landing party met some resistance on the north- western tip of Ramree Island. 5 DECLASSIFIED J3D Lottor, 5-3-78 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 16 and 17 January. Strong formations of heavy bombers struck at enemy installations and warehouses on Luzon and on Negros. More than 100 fighters and medium bombers attacked shipping, highways and rail equipment in the Manila area. Formosa, Timor and New Britain were also struck by heavy and medium bombers while fighters swept Halmahera. Total previously unreported sorties were 540. Five enemy planes were destroyed; we lost one. 17 January. Our troops on the eastern flank of Lingayen beachhead continued to attack along the general line from Rosario to Pozorrubio in the period ending at 1500. Urdaneta was occupied and other troops reached the outskirts of Binalonan. In the center, patrols from Camiling pushed to Moncada and Paniqui unopposed. On the western flank, our patrols were in Bolinao at the extreme tip of the peninsula. 6 DECLASSIFIED 03D Letter, 0-3-78 EASTERN FRONT 18 January. The Red Army advance continued all along the 200-mile front from Krakow to north of Warsaw. In general, the front was pushed 10 to 15 miles west. In the center, however, gains of 30 to 40 miles were made, Lowicz, Tomaszow and Piotrkow being taken. Spearheads reached the outskirts of Krakow. The Budapest pocket was reduced to a small part of the city lying east of the Danube. 7 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 0-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1135 0700 January 17 to 0700 January 18, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) TAB 6 4 2 0 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 JOKiel 54 52 PEmden FIRE Bremen with + Londoner OBerlin ORotterdom MAGDEBURG 52 50 ANTWERP 6 oBrussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 LIEGE ZEITZ, Abbeville BRUX o Frankfurt Progue 50 48 o Paris ORennes Noncy OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o Laire Decube Munich O-Tours o o 48 Vienna Budapest o 46 o Bern o o Bolzano 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux OMilon PTrieste 44 o LUSSIN o Toulouse Bologno ISLAND O 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0, STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 16 January. German oil plants were the principal targets of the RAF, 696 heavy bombers striking at Zeitz, Brux, and Eickel. Magdeburg was attacked by 364 others. Thirty-one bombers are missing. Seventy-four Mosquitoes assisted these attacks, destroying four enemy planes. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, one rocket and two flying bombs fell in Antwerp; five flying bombs fell in Liege. Four rockets and 36 flying bombs fell in areas adjacent to Antwerp and Liege 17 January. Bad weather in Italy grounded the 15th Air Force. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, six rockets fell in southeast England. 1 WESTERN FRONT HANBURG LINE AS OF 17 JAN MAXIMUM ENEMY PENETRATION BERLIN AMSTERDAM a 3 LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o VENLO SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE SITTARD NINTH US ARMY R. VIELSALM FIRST US ARMY S/T VITH HOUFFALIZE FRANKFURT OSD Letter, 5-3-72 o BASTOGNE o THIRD US ARMY PARIS METZ o BISCHWEILER. SEVENTH US ARMY STRASBOURG MUNICH o FIRST FR ARMY BELFORT o 25 50 75 100 ISO MILES 25-2072-200 DECLASSIFIED CSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 16 January. The Tactical Air Forces flew 2,208 sorties. Bombers dropped more than 600 tons on rail targets and communication centers in rear of the Ardennes salient. Fighter planes gave support to our ground forces all along the front. Twenty-five enemy planes were shot down; we lost 15. 17 January. By noon, the attack of the Second British Army north of Sittard had penetrated up to three miles. North of Venlo, an enemy patrol attempting to cross the Meuse was driven off. Our First Army continued its pressure on the northern flank of what remained of the salient into the Ardennes. Local progress was made northeast of Houffalize. Farther northeast, Vielsalm was retaken and advances up to two miles were made on a frontage of eight miles. A counterattack was repulsed northeast of St. Vith. Our Third Army gained up to a mile along a seven-mile front to the east and northeast of Bastogne. Our Seventh Army made some progress in heavy fighting along the Rhine east of Bischweiler. There was no substantial change on the First French Army front. 2 MILAN ERONA VENICE PADUA CREMONA 08D Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED FERRARA PARMA LIMITORE RAVENNA SPECIA RIMINI PO VALLEY NCE 10 o IO 20 30 40 I APPROXIMATE MILES LINE AS OF 16 JANUARY LINE AS OF 17 JANUARY 3351 DECLASSIFIED 330 Letter, 6-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 16 January. Bad weather limited the Tactical Air Forces to 105 sorties. Principal targets were communications and road move- ments in the Po Valley. The Balkan Air Force flew 114 sorties attacki coastal guns on Lussin Island and small shipping in the Adriatic. 17 January. By afternoon, an enemy raiding party had forced a slight local withdrawal northwest of Ravenna. To the west, enemy infiltrations were for the most part repulsed. Elsewhere on the Eight and Fifth Army fronts there was active patrolling. 3 SEA OF JAPAN PEIRING OSD Letter, 5-3-72 TWISISSVIDEN YELLOW LOYANG SEA TRIUM NAGASAKI o SHANGHAI 3 HANKOW CHUNDKING Tangling Loss 6 WENCHOW CHANGSHA HE NOYANG URGLING FOOCHOW KWEILIN SHINCHIKU AMOY FRENCH SWATOW 0 CANTON CHINA NOO-CHINA TAKAO on 2 HONGKONG 100 o IDO 200 300 400 500 HANOI ****** LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES TONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA THAILAND GULF HATMAN 100° 120° 130° LEDO USD Letter, 5-3-72 Brohmoputra CHITTAGONG MANDAL N. BURMA APPROXIMATE LINE OF, CONTACT LINE AS OF 16 JAN 45 LINE AS OF 17 JAN 45 DER APPROXIMATE MILES AKYAB 24-90057-100 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 6-3-78 ASIATIC AREA 17 January. In another strike on Formosa, 78 B-29's of the 20th Bomber Command attacked Shinchiku airdrome, destroying workshops and hangars; five other B-29's bombed Hengyang, one hit Amoy and two struck targets of opportunity in China. 15 January. The Eastern Air Command flew nearly 2,000 sorties. About 500 of these were tactical during which ground operations were supported on the Chindwin and Irrawaddy River fronts, and airfields, lines of communication and river traffic were attacked in central Burma. Four enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost one. 14-15 January. In the course of 143 previously unreported offensive sorties, medium bombers of the 14th Air Force attacked a storage area at Hankow, while other planes attacked rail and road transportation and bridges, and gave support to Chinese forces in the Wanting area. Three planes were lost. 16 January. Chinese troops were within two miles of Wanting on the east. Allied troops east of the Kaladan River were within three miles of Myohaung. DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES APARRI LAOAG VIGAN XIV : I CORPS CORPS CUPANQ AMINOS PM BLINGATEN NALON TUMANA ALCALA BALER CAMILING TARLAC DINGALAN BAY POLILLO MAN/LA LAMON BAY BAET STATE LUCENA BOAC CALAPAN DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 15-16 January. The enemy's troop concentrations, road and rail transport, and airfields on Luzon were subject to heavy attack during 400 previously unreported sorties; also among these was an attack on airfields and supply dumps in northwestern Borneo by 47 Morotai-based B-24's. 16 January. Our troops on Luzon encountered stiff resistance on the northeast flank of the beachhead being engaged in heavy fighting in the outskirts of Rosario. Elements to the southeast have cut the Baguio- Manila road at Bobonan. Our patrols were along the Agno River from Alcala to Tumana with only light opposition while on the west flank they were pushing north from Alaminos towards the tip of the peninsula. 5 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LA M 20 1,2 25 30 KAUNAS MINSK MAKOW OLINE AT START OF DRIVE BERLIN o LINE AS OF 16 JAN 45 N WARSAW LINE AS OF 17 JAN 45 o E LUBL (N BRESLAU CZESTOCHOWA KIEV) X KIELCE o PRAGUE TARNOW - KRAKOW & MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPES & o VENICO 5 BUCHAREST 44 o o SOFIA e I's OTIRANA = : PSKOV o RIGA % EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o so 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n TA 26 ES 10 27 La 14 N DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 17 January. The Red Army offensive pushed forward along a 200- mile front from Tarnow to Makow, capturing Warsaw, which was evacuated by the Germans when the Soviet drive south of the city threatened its encirclement. Advances of 10 to 25 miles were general. The most west- ward thrust reached beyond Czestochowa, which was captured by strong Red forces; this drive compelled the Germans to withdraw from their salient northeast of Kielce. Soviet and Rumanian troops made further progress in Budapest. 6 B DECLASSIFIED OBD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1134 0700 January 16 to 0700 January 17, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) TOD SEGRET 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 JOKiel 54 5 PEmden FIRE Paremen With + Londong °Berlin o ORotterdom MAGDEBURG o DESSAU 52 RECKL INGHAUSEN 5 RUHLAND ANTWER? "BOCHUM BITTERFELD 6 o Brussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 DRESDEN L IEGE Abbeville a o Frankfurt Progue 50 48 0 Poris ORennes o Noncy STUTTGART o STRASBOURG Laire Danube OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED o Munich O-Tours 48 Vienna Budopest 46 BRENNER PASS LA ROCHELLE o Bern if o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux OMilon Trieste 44 o PAGE o Toulouse Bologno LUSSIN 9 ISLAND 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 so o 50 100 150 200 STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 15 January. RAF heavy bombers struck benzol plants near Bochum and Recklinghausen with 282 and 376 tons of bombs respectively. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, seven rockets fell in Antwerp and three flying bombs fell in Liege. Eleven rockets and 25 flying bombs landed in scattered areas behind the front. 16 January. The 8th Air Force dispatched 623 heavy bombers to attack the armament works at Magdeburg, an oil plant at Ruhland, rail yards at Dresden, chemical works at Bitterfeld, and an airplane factory at Dessau. The 15th Air Force was grounded by weather. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, five rockets fell in England, one reaching the London area. 1 WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG BERLIN AMSTERDAM LEIPZIG FIRST CAN ARMY o o SECOND BR ARMY BRUSSELS COLOGNE o SITTARD NINTH US ARMY R. MALMEDY FIRST US ARMY HOUFFALIZE FRANKFURT o BASTOGNE OSD Letter, 5-3-72 any THIRD US ARMY o PARIS METZ o BITSCH SEVENTH US ARMY HAGENAU BISCHWEILER STRASBOURG MUNICH FIRST FRENCH ARMY BELFORT 0 25 50 75 100 ISO MILES TOUR DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 6-3-73 EUROPEAN THEATER 14 and 15 January. Tactical Air Forces flew 2,195 sorties, in addition to those proviously reported for the 14th. Mineteen additional enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost a total of 15. On 15 January, enemy movements and reilway centers behind the battle areas were attacked despite unfavorable weather. 16 January. By noon, the Second British Army had launched an attack from the east bank of the leuse in the area northwest of Sittard, making local progress against moderate opposition. Our First and Third Armies continued their pressure on the Ardennes salient and made contact at Houffalize. The First Army in severe fighting advanced along the front extending from Houffalize to the areas south and southeast of Malmedy, where it made gains up to two miles. The Third Army made progress east of Bastogne. Our Seventh Army, attacking the German bridgehead north of Strasbourg, gained two miles and penetrated to within a mile of the Rhine. We repulsed an attack in the area southeast of Bitsch and were engaged in house-to-house fighting in the area northeast of llagenau. At LaRochelle the energy occupying the city made a local attack gaining some ground most of which was subsequently retaken by French troops. 2 DECLASSIFIER 08D Letter, 6-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 15 January. During 825 Tactical Air Force sorties, some 150 medium bombers attacked rail bridges on the Brenner route, while more than 600 fighters and fighter bombers struck communications, principally in the Po Valley. One enemy aircraft was destroyed; we lost four. The Balkan Air Force flew 34 sorties, most of them by fighters, which attacked coastal guns on Lussin Island. 16 January. Activity on the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts up to mid-afternoon was confined to patrolling and artillery duels. 3 DECLASSIFIED T OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LEDOV RIVER AND SUSERVATION MYSTEVINA missing IMPHALE ASHAMO CALCUTTA MANDALAY# KANGAUNG MAUNGDAW AKYAB # MYEBON PYINMANA *TOUNDOD APROME > E N 6 & 48ASSEIN RANGOON B SULF of MASTABAN F 0 YE T 7 0 ANDAMAN MERGUI SCALE ISLANDS 50 25 o 50 100 do APPROXIMATE MILES *PORT BLAIR - SEA OF JAPAN PEIPING OSD Letter, 5-3-73 DECLASSIFIED YELLOW when LOYANG SEA NAGASAKI o SHANGHAI 5 HANKOW CHUNGKING WUCHANG Tanging lefe WENCHOW CHANGSHA HE NOYANG LUNGLING a FOOCHOW KWELIN WANTING AMOY FRENCH - SWATOW 6 CANTON CHINA INDO-GHINA TAKAO ENGTUNG HONGKONG IDO o IDO 200 300 400 500 HANDI ****** LUICHOW PENINSULA SSW SCALE OF MILES TONGKING SOUTH CHINA SEA THAIL AND GULF 100° NO* 130° OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED Brahmaputre BHAND NAMHKAM TWINNGE SHWEBO CHITTAGONG GASTAW SAOAUNG MANDAL N. BURMA APPROXIMATE LINE OF CONTACT LINE AS OF 15 JAN LINE a AS OF 25 6 SONAN 75 DOK APPROXIMATE MILES AKYAB 34-90067-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 13 and 14 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 3,819 sorties, of which 1,115 were tactical. More than 200 of these planes attacked bridges and enemy positions in the Myebon area. Heavy bombers attacked a rail bridge southeast of Mandalay and docks at Mergui. Medium bombers destroyed or damaged bridges on the Rangoon-Mandalay railroad north of Toungoo and in the Pyinmana-Toungoo area. Other planes strafed Meiktila and Kangaung airfields and swept the Mandalay and Lashio areas. Four enemy planes were destroyed; we lost two. The 14th Air Force flew 146 previously unreported offensive sorties, including a 70-ton attack by heavy bombers on storage areas at Hankow. Other planes bombed Kengtung, and the Wuchang and Hankow airdromes, and gave support to Chinese troops near Wanting. Twenty-four enemy planes were destroyed; we lost four. 15 January. Namhkam on the Ledo Road was taken by Chinese troops, thereby clearing the Ledo Road except for the section between Wanting and Namhkam running along the south bank of the Shweli River. At Wanting, the enemy heavily counterattacked the Chinese throughout the day. On the east bank of the Irrawaddy near Twinnge, an enemy attack was repulsed. West of the Irrawaddy, Allied forces occupied Sadaung and pushed forward elements to within 13 miles of Mandalay. 4 soo no 120 (30 HO 150 NO no 180 170 NO JAPAN CHINA 30 30 HAHA JIMA KEELUNG IWO JIMA HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORMOSA BURMA HONGKONG 20 20 0 TREATMENT INDO-CHINA TRAILANO CHINA MAINAN MARIANAS ISLANDS PHILIPPINES Guam MARSHALL ISLANDS to 2 TRUK CAROLINE ISLANDS o PATIENTS GILBERT HALMAHERA BORNEO ISLANDS EINE ISLANDS o 08D Letter, 5-3-72 PHOENIX ISLANDS NEW BISMARCH ARCHIPELAGO N BRITAIN 5 QUINEA 0 / UNITED / ELLICE ISLANDS to to SAMOA o HEBRIDES FIJI ISLANDS 20 20 NEW CALEDONIA AUSTRALIA o 500 1000 STATUTE MILES AT EQUATOR 30 5 100 no 120 130 140 no 160 TO 100 no NO 24-28045 DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-78 STATE CHMASBATE N MASBATE CATBALOGAN BORONGAN 5. ISIDRO MATARINAO ACLOBAN ABIJAO BOGO CAMOTES SEA PONSON 1, ABUYOG C.E. BATO O LIDAN ARGAO SURIBÃO my EAST CENTRAL PHILIPPINES RO go SCALE IN MILES MIN N 0 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES APARRI LAOAGO VIGAN XIV I CORPS CORPS LAMINOS FORRUBIONS LINGAYEN URDANETA BALER CAMILING TARLAC DINGALAN BAY CLARK FIELD POLILLO MANILA LAMON BAY BAET LUCENA BOAC CALAPAN DECLASSIFIEB OSD Letter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 14 and 15 January. More than 460 previously unreported sorties flown were chiefly concentrated in the Philippines, and particularly on airfields and communications on Luzon. Fifty-five enemy planes were destroyed, 35 of them during one attack on Clark Field. Heavy bomber attacks were also made on Formosa, Borneo, Halmahera and New Britain. We lost two planes. 15 January. Our forces on the eastern flank of Lingayen beach- head have reached the general line Amlang-Urdaneta with some opposition in the former area. Our patrols have pushed forward to Binalonan. To the south, we occupied Camiling. We have reached Alaminos on our west flank. 14 January. During the night our forces landed unopposed on the southern and northern tips of Ponson Island in the Camotes Sea. On Leyte, we continued to receive stubborn resistance from the enemy in the hills near Abijao. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 14 January. Fourteen heavy bombers struck Iwo Jima, and 46 heavy bombers and ten fighters attacked airfields in the Truk Atoll. 5 - IND OBD Latter, 5-3-72 2,0 RA 30 SAUNAS PILLKALVEN MINSK CINE AS OF 15 JAN MAKEW BERLIN o LINE AS OF 16 JAN PL WARSAW BRESLAU RADOM KIEVX X KIELGE o --- PRAGUE TARNOW KRAKOW D a MUNICH VIENNA BUDAPEST o VENICE & BUCHAREST 44 SOFIA 42 A n OTIRANA 1 M PSKOV RIGA % EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o so 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 26 n 20 27 0 24 a DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-78 EASTERN FRONT 16 January. Soviet pressure in Poland was increasing from Warsaw to Tarnow. Extensive gains were made in the two Vistula River bridgehea Radom being captured in the north. To the north of Warsaw, Soviet gains on two other sectors resulted in the capture of Makow and Pillkall West of Budapest, Axis counterattacks forced a slight withdrawal of the Red salient north of the Danube. WESTERN HEMISPHERE 13 January. A paper balloon 80 feet in diameter, marked with Japanese characters and similar to one found previously in Montana, was found at Lame Deer, Montana, approximately 50 miles southeast of Billings. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1133 0700 January 15 to 0700 January 16, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) OLONE II WESTERN HEMISPHERE 15 January. Between 1800 and 1830, a 75-pound high explosive bomb, tentatively identified as Japanese-made, landed in open country approximately 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California, at the village of Saticoy, ten miles inland from the coast. 1 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 0 OKiel 54 52 PEmden FILM Bremen with 7 o Londone Berlin o o ORotterdam MUNSTER 52 50/ ANTWERP GREVENBROICH MERSBURG 6 Brussels Cologne OLeipzig o 20 LIEGE Abbeville TOP o Frankfurt Progue 50 MANNHEIM 48 SAARBRUCKEN o Paris o Noncy @SD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIF ORennes o REUTLINGEN NGOLSTADT AUGSBURG Laire FRIEBURG o Munich O-Tours 48 Vienno E Budopest o 46 Bern o Bolzono 46 4 Lyon TREVISO Bordeaux OMilon Trieste 44 o o Toulouse Bologno 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o OSplit 42 50 o 50 100 150 200 0, STATUTE MILES . 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 DECLASSIFIES OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 14 January. The RAF dropped 346 tons of bombs on the Saarbrucken rail yard during the day. That night, 573 heavy bombers and fifteen Mosquitoes attacked an oil plant at Merseburg while 242 heavy bombers and 109 Mosquitoes bombed the Grevenbroich rail yard, a fuel depot southwest of Munster, and raided Berlin and Mannheim. Eleven bombers and six Mosquitoes are missing. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, two rockets and one flying bomb fell in Antwerp. Four flying bombs fell in Liege. Six rockets and 25 flying bombs fell in areas near Antwerp and Liege. 15 January. Six hundred forty-three escorted heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked rail yards at Reutlingen, Ingolstadt and Augsburg and a supply station at Freiburg. Fourteen enemy planes were destroyed; we lost two bombers and one fighter. Seven other fighters, believed safe, are missing. Four hundred twenty-two escorted 15th Air Force heavy bombers dropped 871 tons of bombs on rail targets at Vienna and 37 tons on similar targets at Treviso. Fifteen bombers and one fighter are missing. During the 24-hour period ending at 0600, of nine rockets which fell in England, four reached the London area. 2 WESTERN FRONT HANBURG BERLIN AMSTERDAM a NE 3 LEIPZIG o FIRST CAN ARMY o BRUSSELS COLOGNE o o SECOND BR ARMY NINTH US ARMY MALMEDY R. STAVELOT- FIRST US ARMY VIELSALM *ST VITH LAROCHE SHOUFFALIZE FRANKFURT USD Letter, 5-3-72 o BASTOGNE THIRD US ARMY o REMICH o PARIS METZ o BITSCH HATTEN HAGENAU- o SEVENTH US ARMY STRASBOURG BENFELD MUNICH 9 FIRST FRENCH ARMY BELFORT o 25 50 75 IDO ISO MILES DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 14 January. The RAF and 9th Tactical Air Forces flew 1,930 sorties principally in support of ground operations on the western front. Medium and light bombers dropped more than 430 tons of bombs on rail bridges and communication centers behind the battle area. Thirty-eight enemy air- craft were destroyed; we lost 25. 15 January. Our First Army continued to gain ground on the northern flank of the Ardennes salient. Southeast of Malmedy and Stavelot we made gains up to two miles towards St. Vith against stiff opposition. To the southwest, our units advanced to within a mile of Houffalize and, south of Laroche, made contact with the Third Army advancing from the south. The Third Army reached a point four miles south of Houffalize, and made several small advances northeast and southeast of Bastogne. Small gains inside the German border near Remich improved our positions. The Seventh Army made slight advances against stiff opposition south of Bitsch and heavy fighting continued at Hatten, northeast of Hagenau. East of Hagenau, however, we occupied several small villages without opposition gaining about one mile along a five-mile front. The French Army front south of Strasbourg was quiet. Preliminary casualty reports covering the period December 15 to January 7 indicate that in the fighting in the Ardennes our losses have been slightly under 40,000, of which 18,000 are missing, the majority presumably prisoners of war. In the same period some 40,000 Germans have been captured. Their casualties in killed and wounded are estimated at about 50,000. 3 DECLASSIFIED OSD Lotter, 5-3-72 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 14 January. Weather limited the Tactical, Coastal, and Balkan Air Forces to a total of 50 sorties for the 24-hour period ending at sunset. 15 January. In the 24 hours ending at 1500, active patrolling continued on the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts. 4 LEDO OSD Letter, 5-3-72 DECLASSIFIED Brahmaputra SILDHAR <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< TWINNGE KAN SHVESA CHITTAGONG BUDALIN MANDAL SAGAI N. BURMA APPROXIMATE LINE OF CONTACT LINE AS OF 14 JANUARY X LINE AS 2b OF 50 15 % JANUARY o CHOCK CH APPROXIMATE MILES AKYAB > MYEBOW CANNO P.O. MAGNE 24-90057-300 DECLASSIFIED OSD Lotter, 5-3-72 ASIATIC AREA 12 January. The Eastern Air Command flew 1,517 sorties of which 636 were tactical. In these operations medium bombers attacked Myebon and Agnu Point in support of Allied landings; a pipeline bridge south- east of Magwe was breached and set afire by fighter planes, targets near Mandalay and Lashio were attacked, and general support was given to ground forces throughout Burma. Antiaircraft defenses shot down one enemy plane in raids against our installations in the Shwebo area. 13 January. Our fighters shot down two of ten enemy planes which dive-bombed Allied shipping in the Myebon area. Fifty-three heavy bombers, six Mosquitoes and 24 fighters dropped 227 tons of bombs on Mandalay causing fires visible for 80 miles. Other heavy bombers attacked Sagaing, starting numerous fires. 14 January. Allied troops had occupied Kani on the west bank of the Chindwin River. Patrols from this area made contact with those advancing west from the Shwebo area. Other patrols advanced 22 miles southeast of Shwebo without contact. East of the Irrawaddy, Allied troops were meeting strong enemy opposition two miles north and four miles east of Twinnge. The Air Transport Command has reported a total of 32,000 net tons flown over the "Hump" during the month of December. 5 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 - die MASBA N SBATE CATBALOGAT BORONGAN S. ISIDRO IT e MATARINAO MICLOBAN BQGO PALOMPON R. 100.00 ABUYOG CE BATO OLIDAN ARGAO 0 SURIBÃO EAST CENTRAL PHILIPPINES to a & SCALE IN MILES AM1 06-7111-400 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 + ОТОКУЙ p 0 NAGOYA HOMSHU M° o 0 SHIMA - NII JIMA - " KOZU SHIMA 14" 0 MIYAKE JIMA ZENI zu N° - sue SHINGU 6 MIKURA JIMA . INAMBA JIMA Cester - in HACHIJO JMA - 146° À . AOGA SHIMA at st - SUMISU JIMA TORI JIMA N° - + SOFU GAN 28" - MUKO JIMA . NISHINO SHIMA 1 $ CHICHI JIMA 0 HAHA JIMA tal & . KITA wo JIMA NANPO SHOTO , NO JIMA - APPROXIMATE MILES MINAMI NO JIMA MARCUS : - - 194° 144° for DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 LUZON BABUYAN ISLANDS o 10 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES APARRI LAOAG VIGAN XIV I CORPS CORPS CABAL ALAMINOS IMPIL SUAL URDANETA CATABLAN BAYAMBANG BALER MANGATAREI CAMILING TARLAC DINGALAN BAY POLILLO MAN/L LAMON BAY BAET BEEN LUCENA BOAC CALAPAN ---------- DECLASSIFIED 08D Lotter, 5-3-72 SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 12-14 January. 640 additional sorties were reported chiefly in support of our ground operations on Luzon. At least nine enemy planes were destroyed. Eighteen other enemy planes were shot down by fighters and antiaircraft and nine crash-dived during raids against Allied shipping in the Lingayen area. We lost four aircraft. 13 January. On Leyte, we repulsed an attack by some 300 enemy troops eight miles northwest of Ormoc; east of Ormoc we were meeting stiff resistance in a local action. 14 January. North of Sual, we reached Cabalitian Bay and were within six miles of Alaminos. Our patrols have penetrated nearly three miles south of Mangatarem. We have occupied Bayambang and patrols have pushed on to Camiling and Urdaneta without opposition. Southeast of Damortis, our troops located resistance near Pinnilapil. We received artillery and mortar fire in areas from southeast of Catablan. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 12 January. Thirty Pacific Ocean Area B-24's continued the attacks on airfield installations in Iwo Jima; three other B-24's attacked Marcus. 14 January. Forty-three B-29's of the 21st Bomber Command dropped 107 tons of bombs on aircraft works at Nagoya. Twenty-five other B-29's, the same operation, dropped 60 tons on unspecified targets. Coordinated aggressive attacks were reported against our bombers, as many as 165 being reported by one squadron. Seventeen (probably 29) enemy planes were des- troyed; four B-29's were lost. 6 DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-8-72 LA LA U 10 2,2 2,4 LE LA 30 SAUNAS o MINSK N, LINE AS OF 14 JAN 45 BERLIN LINE AS OF 15 JAN 45 WARSAW o BRESLAU KIEV X KIELCE PRAGUE KRAKOW © MUNICH LUCENEE VIENNA KOMAROM BUDAPEST VENICE 4% BUCHAREST ** SOFIA a is T OTIRANA DE PSKOV 4 RIGA o % 5% EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 24 n a 10 22 D 24 2% DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-3-72 EASTERN FRONT 15 January. In East Prussia, the Germans counterattacked local Soviet penetrations. The Soviets continued their attacks from their bridgeheads along the Narew and middle Vistula. Farther south the communications center of Kielce was taken by the Soviets after over- coming strong resistance. Southwest of Kielce the Soviets made gains up to 16 miles on a broad front. Northeast of Lucenec Soviet and Rumanian troops na de some progress against moderate resistance. German counterattacks on a reduced scale continued east of Komarom. In Budapest Soviet and Rumanian troops continued to move slowly toward the center of the city. 7 PUBLICATION AND MICROFILM COPYING RESTRICTIONS Reel duplication of the whole or of any part of this film is prohibited. In lieu of transcripts, however, enlarged photocopies of selected items contained on these reels may be made in order to facilitate research.