19 January 1944

DENMARK: Copenhagen: Early today, German military patrols swept through the deserted streets of Copenhagen, occupied all the city's police stations and disarmed and arrested the entire police force. The move, ordered by SS Lt-Gen Gunther Pancke, followed the capture by a German patrol vessel of a boatload of refugees fleeing to Sweden. The Germans believe the Danish police have been aiding the escape of wanted Danes. Last week, the chief of the police passport department and his assistant fled to Sweden to escape arrest.

U-484, U-1168 commissioned

U-1013 launched.

In a co-ordinated offensive by the garrison troops and the armies of the Volkhov front, the Russians have torn a 25-mile gap in the German siege lines.

In doing so they have smashed seven enemy divisions and captured 37 of the long-range guns which have been systematically bombarding the city in an attempt to fulfill Hitler's threat to destroy it when it was first besieged in September 1941. Tonight the Germans are reeling back from the beleaguered city. Columns if grim-faced Russian soldiers swing through its battered streets heading, south to Krasnoye Selo or out across the ice of Kronstadt Bay to Oranienbaum where a pocket of Russians has held out since the first days of the siege.

The pocket was reinforced in great secrecy before the battle opened a week ago. Men of the Second Shock Army were ferried in by boat at night. They hid by day, and when they came storming out they took the Germans by surprise.

ITALY: British forces establish bridgeheads on the north side of the Garigliano.
Backed by naval gunfire, troops of the British X Corps led by General Richard McCreery have crossed the lower Garigliano river in landing craft and established vital bridgeheads on the northern bank.

Minturno falls to the US 5th Army, which now attempts to cross the heavily defended Rapido river. The 56th Division succeeds in the crossing; however fierce German fire has stopped a crossing by the 46th Division. German commander, General von Vietinghoff, is transferring two armoured divisions to face the new threat.

Got underway by 0600. By noon, we had the air group safely aboard with only one problem, The tail hook pulled out of Fox 13 and it crashed into the barrier and messed it up quite a bit.

The Destroyer "Burns" is with us again and I have been trying to get to it to see a friend from home...We are escorted by five Battleships this time A first also. We soon learned we were headed for Funafute.

Jack McKillop adds from DANFS (101) On 8 December 1943, Alabama, along with five other fast battleships, carried out the first Pacific gunfire strike conducted by that type of warship. Alabama's guns hurled 535 rounds into enemy strong points, as she and her sister ships b ombarded Nauru Island, an enemy phosphate-producing center, causing severe damage to shore installations there. She also took the destroyer Boyd (DD-644), alongside after that ship had received a direct hit from a Japanese shore battery on Nauru, and brought three injured men on board for treatment.

She then escorted the carriers Bunker Hill (CV-17) and Monterey (CVL-26) back to Efate, arriving on 12 December. Alabama departed the New Hebrides for Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1944, arrived on the 12th, and underwent a brief drydocking at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. After replacement of her port outboard propeller, and routine maintenance, Alabama was again underway to return to action in the Pacific.

USS Indiana (BB-58)
Indiana steamed to Pearl Harbor 21 October 1943, and departed 11 November with the support forces designated for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. The battleship protected the carriers which supported the Marines during the bloody fight for Tarawa.

USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
Massachusetts arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, 4 March 1943. For the next months she operated in the South Pacific, protecting convoy lanes and supporting operations in the Solomons. Between 19 November and 21 November, she sailed with a carri er group striking Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama in the Gilberts; on 8 December she shelled Japanese positions on Nauru; and on 29 January 1944 she guarded carriers striking Tarawa in the Gilberts.

USS North Carolina (BB-55)
With Enterprise, in the Northern Covering Group, North Carolina sortied from Pearl Harbor 10 November for the assault on Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama. Air strikes began 19 November, and for 10 days mighty air blows were struck to aid marines a shore engaged in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Pacific War. Supporting the Gilberts campaign and preparing the assault on the Marshalls, North Carolina's highly accurate big guns bombarded Nauru 8 December, destroying air facilities, beach defence revetments, and radio installations. Later that month, she protected Bunker Hill (CV-17) in strikes against shipping and airfields at Kavieng, New Ireland and in January 1944 joined Fast Carrier Striking Force 68, Rear Admiral Marc M itscher in command, at Funafuti, Ellice Islands.

USS Washington (BB-56)
Washington tarried at Efate for less than two weeks. Underway on Christmas Day, flying Rear Admiral Lee's flag, the battleship sailed in company with her sistership North Carolina and a screen of four destroyers to conduct gunnery pra ctice, returning to the New Hebrides on 7 January 1944.

Eleven days later, the battleship departed Efate for the Ellice Islands. Joining TG 37.2-carriers Monterey and Bunker Hill and four destroyers en route, Washington reached Funafuti, Ellice Islands, on 20 January. Three days lat er, the battleship, along with the rest of the task group, put to sea to make rendezvous with elements of TF 58, the fast carrier task force under the overall command of Vice Admiral Marc A. "Pete" Mitscher. Becoming part of TG 58.1, Washington screened the fast carriers in her group as they launched air strikes on Taroa and Kwajalein in the waning days of January 1944. Washington, together with Massachusetts and Indiana, left the formation with four destroyers as screen and shelled Kwajalein Atoll on the 30th. Further air strikes followed the next day.

Escort carrier USS Lunga Point laid down.

Destroyer escort USS Walter C Wann launched.

Minesweeper USS Invade laid down.

Destroyer escorts USS Jenks and Cofer commissioned.

Escort carrier USS Saginaw Bay launched.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-641 Sunk in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 50.25N, 18.49W, by depth charges from the British corvette HMS Violet. 50 dead (all hands lost). (Alex Gordon)