October 29th, 1944 (SUNDAY)
NETHERLANDS: In the Canadian First Army area, II Corps is rapidly clearing southern Beveland and completing the reduction of the Breskens Pocket. The 52d Division and Canadian 2d Division establish contact on southern Beveland and the 52d Division takes Goes. Breda falls to the Polish 1st Armoured Division.
In the British Second Army's VIII Corps area, the Germans attack in force from Meijel toward Liesel and Asten, taking Liesel from Combat Command B, U.S. 7th Armored Division, and pushing Combat Command R units back about halfway up the road toward Asten.
During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 358 aircraft, 194 Lancasters, 128 Halifaxes and 36 Mosquitos, to attack 11 different German ground positions on Walcheren. Visibility is good and it is believed that all the targets are hit. One Lancaster is lost.
WESTERN EUROPE: The USAAF Ninth Air Force flies numerous tactical missions: About 170 B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs bomb rail bridges at Mayen, Konz-Karthaus, and Euskirchen, Germany and Ellern and Moerdijke, the Netherlands; fighters fly escort to bombers, sweeps, defensive patrols, armed reconnaissance over wide areas of eastern France, the Netherlands, and Germany, bomb rail targets and bridges, and fly cover for the US XIX Corps in Belgium.
FRANCE: Sakato, George T., Pvt., 442nd Regimental Combat Team, will be awarded the MOH for actions today in Biffointaine. (William L. Howard)
During the rescue of the German-surrounded 141st Texas Regiment - the Lost Battalion - Barney Hajiro, Private in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, initiated an attack up what was dubbed Suicide Hill by running forward about 100 yards under fire.
"He then advanced ahead of his comrades about 10 yards (9 meters), drawing fire and spotting camouflaged machine gun nests," his citation reads. "He fearlessly met fire with fire and single-handedly destroyed two machine gun nests and killed two enemy snipers. As a result of Private Hajiro's heroic actions, the attack was successful." (MOH)
In U.S. Third Army's XX Corps area, three companies of the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, omitting artillery preparation, attack from the factory area at Maiziêres-les-Metz into the section south of Hôtel de Vile; two others attack from the north. Most of the town is cleared by dark.
In the U.S. Seventh Army's VI Corps area, 45th Infantry Division moves into Bru and Jeanménil, which the Germans have successfully defended for the past month, without opposition. The drive on Raonl’Etape continues to the right. The 3d Infantry Division improves their positions near St Die. In the 36th Infantry Division zone, the 442d Infantry Regiment (Nisei) pushes closer to the isolated 1stBattalion of the 141st Infantry Regiment in Forêt Domaniale de Champ.
GERMANY: Capt. Harry E. Fisk, a P-51 pilot with the 356th FS/354th FG, USAAF, achieves ace status when he downs three Bf 109s near Karlsruhe. Germany at 1145 hours.
2nd Lt. Bruce Carr, a P-51 pilot with the 353d FS/354th FG, USAAF, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf 109s near Bockingen, Germany at 1145 hours. This brings his total to 6.5. He ends the war with 15 enemy aircraft destroyed. (Skip Guidry)
At the edge of a fierce fight for control of Aachen, U.S. soldier Max Fuchs is the cantor at the first Jewish religious service to be broadcast from German soil since the advent of Hitler.
Thirty five USAAF Fifteenth Air Force of over 155+ B-24 Liberators dispatched with fighter escort, bomb Munich Main marshalling yard; the remainder and 670 other bombers, dispatched against targets in southern Germany, abort the mission due to bad weather.
During the night of 29/30 October, RAF Bomber Command sends 59 Mosquitos to Cologne; 57 bomb the city without loss. Meanwhile, six Mosquitos bomb Mannheim.
AUSTRIA: Thirty USAAF Fifteenth Air Force P-38 Lightnings, after escort duty, strafe communications lines from Wels to Kienberg destroying 17 locomotives and several other road and rail transportation targets.
BALTIC SEA: U-1001 took off two ill crewmembers from U-958 and U-475.
NORWAY: During the day, 37 RAF Bomber Command Lancasters and a film unit aircraft are dispatched from RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland to attack the battleship Tirpitz, which is now moored near the port of Tromso. The removal of the Lancasters' mid-upper turrets and other equipment and the installation of extra fuel tanks, giving each aircraft a total fuel capacity of 2,406 Imperial gallons (2,889 U.S. gallons or 10 938 liters), allows the Lancasters to carry out this 2,250 mile (3 621 kilometer) operation. A weather reconnaissance Mosquito has reported the target area free of cloud and the Lancasters form up at a lake near the bay in which the Tirpitz is moored and commence their attack. Unfortunately the wind has changed and a bank of cloud came in to cover the battleship 30 seconds before the first Lancaster is ready to bomb. Thirty two aircraft release Tallboy bombs on the estimated position of the battleship but no direct hits are scored. One Lancaster, which is damaged by flak, crash-lands in Sweden and its crew are later returned to Britain.
U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Stalin orders the seizure of Budapest, regardless of cost.
YUGOSLAVIA: During the night of 29/30 October, 74 RAF bombers of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group bring supplies to the partisans.
ITALY: In the U.S. Fifth Army area, elements of Combat Command, South African 6th Armoured Division, on the left flank of the division, take Palazzo, west of Highway 64.
In the British Eighth Army's V Corps area, the German garrison at Meldola is threatened with encirclement as the Indian 10th Division begins attacks from bridgeheads and south of the town. The 4th Division prepares for another attack across the river since flood waters are subsiding.
Weather again restricts operations by the USAAF Twelfth Air Force but the XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers fly 15 sorties against railroad targets in the Po Valley.
CHINA: USAAF Fourteenth Air Force fighters in support of Chinese ground forces hit hill positions in the Lungling and Mangshih areas; others damage a bridge at Sinshih, bomb Kweiyi and Paoching, hit railroad targets between Siaokan and Sinyang, and strafe airfields at Chingmen, Tangyang, and Ichang.
BURMA: On the Salween front, the Chinese Expeditionary Force, closely supported by the USAAF Fourteenth Air Force, renews an offensive, attacking toward Lung-ling with the Chinese 200th Division in the lead. The Japanese have been thinning out.
In the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC) area, the British 36th Division, having paused briefly at Mawpin, resumes southward drive down the railroad corridor.
Over 80 USAAF Tenth Air Force fighter-bombers again attack a wide variety of targets including troop concentrations, bridges, supply dumps, and numerous targets of opportunity at Kawlin, Wingnang, Hsenwi, Bhamo, Shwegu, Kyungon, Tugyaung, Yebyangale, Henu, and Kayin.
JAPAN: On Paramushiru Island in the Kurile Islands, four USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-25 Mitchells on reconnaissance hit Tomari Cape buildings and a freighter which is left listing.
EAST INDIES: USAAF Far East Air Forces fighter-bombers and B-25 Mitchells, operating in small forces, are active against airfields, antiaircraft positions, and targets of opportunity on Halmahera Island.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Abuyag, Leyte, south of Dulag is liberated by US forces. Catmon Hill is cleared and the US advance to Dagami is able to continue.
In the U.S. Sixth Army's X Corps area on Leyte, the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, takes the lead in a drive to Jaro, reaching the town at 1700 hours after having cleared opposition en route to Galotan. In the XXIV Corps area, the 381st Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, takes Labir and Catmon Hills with ease. The 17th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division continues an attack toward Dagami and breaks into the southern part of the town. From Burauen, the 32d Infantry Regiment moves without incident along Highway 1 to Abuyog, the 7th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, preceding it, pushes on toward Baybay.
USN Task Group 38.2 attacks Japanese airfields in the Manila, Luzon, area and shipping in Manila Bay, damaging heavy cruiser HIJMS Nachi. During Japanese air attacks on the fast carriers operating off Leyte, a kamikaze crashes into one of the port gun tubs of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) killing ten men and wounding six.
NEW GUINEA: In Dutch New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force fighter- bombers hit Ransiki Aerodrome while fighter-bombers, A-20 Havocs, and B-25 Mitchells bomb Utarom (Kaimana) Aerodrome and Soeli and strafe targets of opportunity throughout the Utarom-Kaimana area.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: Twenty Australian Beauforts attack Rabaul on New Britain Island.
BONIN ISLANDS: Nineteen USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators from Saipan bomb Chichi Jima.
CAROLINE ISLANDS: Two USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators from Guam strike Yap Island.
PACIFIC OCEAN: 2300 hours: USS Sterlet (SS-392) sinks a cargo ship at 30-04 N, 132-24 E. (Skip Guidry)
U.S.A.:
Destroyer USS Harwood laid down.
Destroyers USS Bristol and Chevalier launched.
Minesweeper USS Ruddy launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-1226 (Type IXC/40) is lost in the Atlantic, possibly because of a Schnorkel defect. Position not known. 56 dead (all hands lost).