November 12th, 1944 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The operational tour of duty for USAAF Eighth Air Force fighter pilots is set at 270 hours.
FRANCE: US troops ford the Moselle river at Cattenom.
In the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps area, the Germans, in an effort to reach the Mailing bridge, counterattack in regimental strength with support of tanks and assault guns against the 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, forcing outposts from Kerling and again threatening Petite-Hettange, but are driven off with heavy losses. Mailing bridge is destroyed by German artillery fire after two tank destroyers have crossed. The 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, which has been joined by its reserve battalion, continues an attack along Bois de Koenigsmacker ridge, pushing beyond Breistroff-la-Petit to positions overlooking Inglange River; the 358th Infantry gains the line Elzange-Valmestroff and both of these villages. Bridge construction is begun at Cattenom. On the southern flank of the corps the 2d Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, crosses into 6th Armored Divisionbs bridgehead at Sanrysur-Nied (XII Corps Zone) and during the night of 12/
13 November repels a German counterattack. In the XII Corps area, Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division expands the Sanry bridgehead and outposts the main road junction between Bazoncourt and Berlize. One Combat Command A task force attacks toward Faulquemont from the Han-sur-Nied bridgehead, overcoming strong resistance at Herny; another crosses the Nied Francaise River at Baudrecourt. German efforts to stop 80th Infantry Division in the triangle between the Nied Francaise River and Rotte Creek subside when a 6th Armored Division task force pushes south and outflanks the Germans, and the creek is bridged at three points. After the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, seizes Faxe, restoring contact between columns of Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division, Combat Command B pursues the Germans to Oron and takes a bridge across Nied Francaise River at Oron while the 137th Infantry advances in the region to the east; the 320th Infantry Regiment clears the rest of Foret de Chteau-Salins and is withdrawn to reserve; the 134th Infantry drives to Bellange, where it halts upon order. The 26th Infantry Division, having regrouped to turn the 101st Infantry Regiment east along the southern slopes of Koecking ridge and place the 328th Infantry in the center on Koecking ridge, continues attack on the southern flank of corps. The Germans, committing armored reserve, succeed in halting Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division, and 104th Infantry, 26th Infantry Division: a Combat Command A column drives through Rodalbe toward Bermering but is forced back to Bois de Conthil to await tank replacements; an all-out German counterattack regains Rodalbe and virtually destroys the 3d Battalion, 104th Infantry Regiment there; the right flank column of Combat Command A takes Hill 337, southeast of Lidrezing; elements recover Conthil and reopen the main supply route. The 104th Infantry Regiment, badly depleted in strength, establishes itself along the Conthil -Lidrezing road, where it forms an exposed salient. The 328th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, reinforced by a battalion of the 101st Infantry, begins clearing the forest on Koecking ridge, reaching Berange Farm, where a stubborn strongpoint is overrun; the 101st Infantry attempts unsuccessfully to take St Medard and then breaks off the attack.
In the U.S. Seventh Army's VI Corps area, the 100th Infantry Division begins an attack on the north flank of the corps to outflank Raon-l'Etape: the assault regiments cross the river at Baccarat to attack Raon from the rear and block German movement.
GERMANY: Berlin: Hitler tells the German nation "my life does not matter" in a proclamation read out by Himmler.
In the U.S. First Army's VII Corps area, two companies of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, break through to the isolated forces on the plateau southwest of Huertgen, but they too become encircled.
Weather prevents operations by the USAAF Ninth Air Force's 9th Bombardment Division; fighter operations are limited but IX and XIX Tactical Air Command's fly patrols and armed reconnaissance in W Germany and along the French-German border. .
U-2361 laid down.
One man from U-541 died on 22 Nov after an accident in Flensburg. [Maschinengefreiter Valentin Seile].
NORWAY: At anchor in Tromsofiord the German battleship Tirpitz is attacked by the RAF. Using 18 Lancasters of 617 Squadron and 13 of No. 9 Squadron, with 12,000 pound "Tallboy" bombs, the raid is successful. After several direct hits and some near misses, the Tirpitz capsizes.
The Lancasters operated from Lossiemouth in Scotland and were led by Wg./Cdr. J. B. Tait.
TIRPITZ took two direct hits and one probable hit. The first hit is recorded at 0842 hour local. In the next ten minutes, another twenty eight "Tallboys" are dropped. One bomb hit between turrets Anton and Bruno, pierced the armor decks, but failed to explode. A second bomb struck the port side between the catapult and the funnel, went through all the decks, and detonated in a wing tank. It was this bomb that caused the severe flooding that ultimately caused the ship to capsize. A third bomb probably hit turret Caesar and started a fire, eventually leading to a massive magazine explosion. A 100 foot tear is made in the hull and several near misses cause the ship to capsize. Her upperworks hit the shallow bottom leaving her stuck there with only her red keel above the water. rapped inside are 971 crewmen who slowly die as the water rose inside. Only 76 men survive by making their way up to the bottom of the hull which is then cut open by rescue teams. German fighters which are stationed nearby to protect the battleship fail to take off in tim e and only one Lancaster is severely damaged, by flak; it lands safely in Sweden with its crew unhurt. (65)(22)(Keith Allen)
A RN-RCN force made up of two RN cruisers and three destroyers plus HMCS Algonquin attacked a German convoy off the coast of Norway. Two German minesweepers, M-416 and M-427, along with six others ships, were sunk.
FINLAND: Sales of alcohol is banned in Finland until 6 December, so that the demobilized soldiers can't make trouble.
U.S.S.R.: In Lithuania, for a second day, the German armored ship (pocket battleship) "LC<tzow" heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen," destroyers Z25 , Z35 and Z36 and torpedo boats T13 , T16 and T20 support the German army at Memel and Sworbe.
ITALY: In the British Eighth Army area, the Polish II Corps attacks toward the line Castrocaro-Converselle-St. Lucia, south of Faenza, in conjunction with V Corps. In the V Corps area, the 4th Division is held up north of Highway 9 at St. Tome, a little short of the Montone. The 138th Brigade, 46th Division, attacks across the Montone River southwest of Forli.
Bad weather grounds USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers; fighter-bombers support ground forces in the northern Apennines and hit railway targets in the Po Valley, cut rail lines in 18 places and destroy or seriously damage eight bridges.
One hundred seven fighter-escorted USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators strike at bridges at Ora, Albes, and Mezzocorona, a viaduct at Avisio, plus the alternate target of Casarsa della Delizia railroad bridges and targets of opportunity in northeastern Italy including the Latisana railroad bridge and an airfield to the north.
During the day, RAF bombers of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group attack six targets with the loss of two aircraft: 41 bomb the railroad bridge at Bressanone, 24 hit a railroad viaduct at Aviso, 22 attack the railroad bridge at Ora; 16 bomb the railroad bridge at Casara; six hit the railroad bridge at Mezza Corona; and five attack Aviano Airfield. Forty nine other bombers drop supplies to partisans in northern Italy.
During the night of 12/13 November, USAAF Twelfth Air Force A-20 Havocs bomb ammunition dumps, pontoon bridge, and targets of opportunity in the Po Valley.
During the night of, six RAF bombers of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group drop supplies to partisans in northern Italy and three attack a railroad bridge at Casara.
YUGOSLAVIA: Kumanovo, on the Skoplje-Nis rail line, is now in Allied hands.
CEYLON: Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) is activated under British Lieutenant General Sir Oliver Leese. The new headquarters consists of former Headquarters, 11 Army Group, previously under General Sir George Giffard, and some U.S. officers; has control over British troops, the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC), Chinese Army in India (CAI), and Chinese forces within the South East Asia Command (SEAC). American Lieutenant General Raymond A. Wheeler takes over Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell's former post of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, SEAC.
CHINA: The East China Air Task Force, formed by Major General Claire Chennault, Commanding General USAAF Fourteenth Air Force, to help Chinese troops defend east China airfields from bases west and east of Japanese-held corridor, begins arriving at Suichwan and goes into action within a week.
Thirty eight USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs and P-40s hit Hengyang Airfield and attack river, rail, and road traffic, artillery pieces, pillboxes, and storage around Hengyang, Lingling, and Kweilin; 13 P-40s hit the Changsha area while 40 P-51s and P-38 Lightnings hit various targets of opportunity at several other locations scattered throughout southern China.
The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XX Bomber Command flies Mission 16: 96 China-based B-29 Superfortresses are dispatched to bomb to bomb Omura, Kyushu Island, Japan. While en route, it is learned that there is bad weather at the target due to a typhoon and the aircraft are ordered to hit a target in China. Twenty four bomb Nanking while 15 hit targets of opportunity.
BURMA: Sixteen USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts support ground forces in the Pinwe area and near Indaw; 24 attack supplies and communications targets in the Kawlin area while nine bomb Japanese concentrations at Indaw and Man Hkong. The town of Pegon is attacked by 11 P-47 Thunderbolts and 20+ others and nine B-25 Mitchells hit targets of opportunity during the sweeps of the Irrawaddy River from Singu to Katha and along rail lines at several points in northern Burma.
Four USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb the town of Man Pwe while four attack Wanling.
JAPAN: In the Kurile Islands, two USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators fly armed reconnaissance over Onnekotan and Matsuwa Islands.
The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XX Bomber Command flies Mission 16: 96 China-based B-29 Superfortresses are dispatched to bomb to bomb Omura, Kyushu Island. While en route, it is learned that there is bad weather at the target due to a typhoon and the aircraft are ordered to hit a target in China. Twenty nine bombers do not get the word and bomb Omura with the loss of five aircraft.
VOLCANO ISLANDS: Twenty nine USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators based on Saipan with P-38 Lightning escort bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima. During the night a B-24 Liberator on a snooper mission also bombs Iwo Jima.
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: In the U.S. Sixth Army's X Corps area on Leyte Island, the 21st Infantry Regiment, the 24th Infantry Division gains the crest of Breakneck Ridge shortly after noon but is unable to advance south along Highway 2 from there. The 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, after receiving its first airdrop of supplies, moves through Consuegra to Cabiranan. The 2d Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, blocks Highway 2 south of Limon and maintains the block with difficulty until 23 November.
USAAF Far East Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Alicante (Escalente) Airfield on northeast Negros Island while on Leyte Island, fighter-bombers hit Linao barges on the west coast and shipping in Ormoc Bay and B-25 Mitchells bomb Degos (Digos or Daliao or Degosu) and Matina Aerodromes on Mindanao Island.
Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. shoots down two "Jack" fighters (Mitsubishi J2M, Navy Interceptor Fighters Raiden) over Leyte bringing his total victories to 28.
EAST INDIES: In the Netherlands East Indies, USAAF Far East Air Forces B-24 Liberators and fighter- bombers over northeastern Celebes and Halmahera Islands attack shipping and Djailolo Aerodrome on Halmahera Island.
NEW GUINEA: In Dutch New Guinea, over 50 USAAF Far East Air Force B-25 Mitchells blast Mapia and Asia Islands.
CAROLINE ISLANDS: In the Palau Islands, USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators from Angaur Island bomb Koror Island.
U.S.A.:
Destroyer USS Higbee launched.