Year 1944

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, January 26, 1944: Home Fronts USSR: Soviet forensic medical commission on Katyn Massacre publishes a fake report; blames Germans. Pacific New Guinea: Elements of Japanese […]

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, January 25, 1944: Eastern Front Southern Sector: Russian 1st and 2nd UFs launch pincer movement west of Cherkassy and encircle 10 German divisions in the

WW2 War Diary for Monday, January 24, 1944: Mediterranean Italy: French Expeditionary Corps attacks Monte Santa Croce. Hitler orders German troops to hold Gustav Line at all cost.

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, January 23, 1944: Sea War Pacific: Japanese submarine RO 37 torpedoes tanker Cache – last success by a Japanese submarine in Southwest Pacific.

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, January 22, 1944: Sea War Mediterranean – ANZIO LANDINGS: Allied 6th Corps lands near Anzio and Nettuno, south of Rome (Operation Shingle) in bold attempt

WW2 War Diary for Friday, January 21, 1944: Air War Britain – ‘LITTLE BLITZ’ ON LONDON (Operation Steinbock = ‘Ibex’): motley force of 447 aircraft (including He 177 heavy bombers)

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, January 20, 1944: Sea War Channel: British cross-Channel guns sink blockade-runner Muensterland off Cap Gris Nez. German guns bombard Dover, Deal, Folkestone and Ramsgate. Mediterranean

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, January 19, 1944: Eastern Front Northern Sector: NOVGOROD CAPTURED BY RUSSIANS. Air War Mediterranean: Wing-Commander Lance Wade, American-born RAF fighter ‘ace’ (25 victories) killed in

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, January 18, 1944: Home Fronts Britain: Churchill returns from North Africa.

WW2 War Diary for Monday, January 17, 1944: Home Fronts USA: Lieutenant-General Omar N Bradley appointed to command US Army in the Field, under Eisenhower. Mediterranean Italy: British 10th Corps

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, January 16, 1944: Air War Germany: B-17 Fortress attack Messerschmitt factory at Klagenfurt (Austria). Pacific New Britain: Americans defeat final Japanese counter-attack on New Britain.

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, January 15, 1944: Mediterranean Italy: 5th US Army captures Monte Trocchio. Germans pull back over river Rapido. Neutrals Argentina: Earthquake destroys city of San Juan

WW2 War Diary for Friday, January 14, 1944: Eastern Front Northern Sector: FINAL RUSSIAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AT LENINGRAD. 1,000 guns and 17 warships of Baltic Fleet pour 500,000 shells into Finnskoyo-Koirovo

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, January 13, 1944: Eastern Front Southern Sector: Korets (Rovno sector) taken by Russians.

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, January 12, 1944: Mediterranean Italy: General Juin’s French Expeditionary Corps captures important German strong-points near Monte Santa Croce, north of Cassino (January 12-14). 5th US

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, January 11, 1944: Sea War Indian Ocean: Japanese cruiser Kuma sunk by British submarine Tally Ho. U-boats of Monsun group sink 17 ships (January-March), but

WW2 War Diary for Monday, January 10, 1944: Mediterranean Italy: 5th US Army crosses river Peccia. Südost-Asien Burma: British troops capture Maungdaw.

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, January 9, 1944: Home Fronts USA: Major-General Bedell Smith appointed COS to General Eisenhower. Antanas Smetona, ex-dictator of Lithuania, killed in fire at Cleveland, Ohio;

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, January 8, 1944: Air War USA:: First flight of Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star jet fighter from Muroc Dry Lake. 5,000 ordered, but none operational before

WW2 War Diary for Friday, January 7, 1944: Eastern Front Southern Sector: Koniev’s 2nd UF breaks through in Kirovograd sector – creating a ‘bulge’ 40 km deep by 97 km