In the U.S. Third Army's XII Corps area, elements of the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, push into Hilsprich, which is needed for the armored attack, but are forced back to St Jean-Rohrbach. the 104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, reoccupies Albestroff but is too disorganized to continue the attack: the 328th Infantry Regiment takes over its sector and attacks toward line the Vittersbourg- Honskirch-Altwiller. A Combat Command B column of the 4th Armored Division, driving east from Mittersheim, reaches the west bank of the Saar River at Fenetran

In U.S. Seventh Army's XV Corps area, the French 2 Armored Division drives into Strasbourg and clears the city, but the Germans retain a small bridgehead at the Kehl bridge. The Germans abandon Phalsbourg, at the western end of the Saverne Gap. As infantry is being shifted through the gap toward Haguenau and Soufflenheim, the Germans begin series of counterattacks N of Sarrebourg, forcing the corps to regroup to meet the threat. Most of the 44th and 45th Infantry Divisions as well as 106th Cavalry Group are disposed at the western side of the Saverne Gap. In the VI Corps area, the 3d Infantry Division takes Saulxures and Saales; in conjunction with the 100th Infantry Division to the left, they overrun St Blaise. Two regiments of the 103d Infantry Division are moving to outflank the Steige pass, while the third, on the southern flank, attacks in conjunction with the 36th Infantry Division in the region west of Ste Marie. The 143d and 141st Infantry Regiments, 36th Infantr y Division, are closing in on Fraize, the 143d taking Mandray.

In the French First Army area, the II Corps takes Chateau-Lambert but progress elsewhere is negligible. The corps is ordered to open the route of advance for Combat Command 6, which, with the 2d Moroccan Division, has been placed under corps command. In the I Corps area, the Germans for the second time cut the route to the Rhine River in the vicinity of Seppois.

In the British Second Army area, XXX Corps goes on the defensive and releases. Further efforts earlier in the day to take Wurm and Beeck have failed.

In the U.S. Ninth Army's XIX Corps area, Combat Command A of the 2d Armored Division takes about half of Merzenhausen and halts to consolidate. Elements of the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, takes Bourheim in strenuous fighting; the Germans soon begin counterattacks, which continue for the next three days. Elements of the 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, take Lohn and hold it against a counterattacks; elements of the 119th Infantry Regiment, assisted by diversionary fire from Erberich, clear Pattern; and the 30th Infantry Division then halts their attack to await clearance of Kirchberg and Inden.

In the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps area, the 358th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division takes over the attack from Combat Command A of the 10th Armored Division, attempting to push through the Orscholz line to the villages of Sinz and Muenzingen with the 3d and 2d Battalions: the 3d Battalion clears the Ampholz Woods east of Tettingen; the 2d is disorganized by friendly fire which is falling short.

The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 722: In Germany, 146 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 73 P-51 Mustangs make a GH attack on the Norstern benzol manufacturing plant near Gelsenkirchen and 13 bomb the marshalling yard at Duisburg with the loss of 1 P-51.

During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 168 Lancasters to carry out a G-H raid through cloud on the Nordstern synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen; 162 bomb the target with the loss of one aircraft. The bombing appears to be accurate.

During the night of 23/24 November, RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb five targets: 61 hit Hannover with the loss of one; nine attack an aircraft engine factory at Eisenach; six bomb a marshalling yard at Gottingen; four bomb Hagen and one bombs Dortmund.

U.S.S.R.: The government announces that with the help of the Finns, they have cleared Lapland of Germans.

ESTONIA: With the elimination of the German pocket on southern Oesd Island., Soviet forces now control the entrance to the Gulf of Riga.

ITALY: In the British Eighth Army area, the Polish II Corps secures Mt. Ricci. The V Corps consolidates the bridgeheads across the Cosina River. The Germans begin a withdrawal toward the next water barrier, the Lamonc River. The Indian 10th Division is strongly opposed, however, on the right flank of the corps along the Montone River north of Highway 9.

Bad weather restricts operations by the USAAF"> USAAF Twelfth Air Force. Medium bombers over the Faenza area abort due to overcast and P-47 Thunderbolts hampered by low clouds over the Apennines Mountains, fly only 16 sorties, against rail lines south of Bologna, but succeed in cutting the lines in six places.

YUGOSLAVIA: USAAF"> USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators attack four transportation targets: 126 bomb a railroad bridge at Zenicca while seven bomb a highway bridge; 19 hit a railroad bridge at Doboj; and seven bomb the Sava highway bridges at Brod.

During the day, RAF bombers of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group bomb two cities: 40 hit Rogetica and 33 bomb Uzice with the loss of one aircraft.

CHINA: Over 120 USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-40s, P-51 Mustangs and P-38 Lightnings hit targets of opportunity throughout southeast and southwest China while 32 of the fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Chefang area.

HONG KONG: Two USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Kowloon Docks.

BURMA: Over 50 USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts support ground forces in the Pinwe and Bhamo areas; 16 sweep and strafe airfields and many targets of opportunity from Anisakan to Nawnghkio; and three hit an ammunition dump at Man Naung. Twenty one P-47s sweep roads in the Ye-U area and strafe rail installations at Kanbalu while ten B-25 Mitchells knock out the Tantabin main bridge and Tangon and Thegyaung bypass bridges, and blast approaches to the Tangon main bridge and Tantabin bypass bridge.

Twelve USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb a storage area near Lashio and eight hit Kutkai and Wanling.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Eleven RAAF (P-40) Kittyhawks dive bomb Lolobato and Hatetabako Aerodromes on Halmahera Island and 12 others dive bomb Galela Airfield on Galela Island 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Morotai Island.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: In the U.S. Sixth Army's X Corps area on Leyte, the 128th Infantry Regiment of the 32d Infantry Division improves and consolidates positions south of Limon and for the next few days patrols actively. The 112th Cavalry Regiment, which has been patrolling the Mt. Minoro area, is ordered southwest toward Highway 2 to relieve pressure on the 32d Infantry Division. In the XXIV Corps area, the 77th Infantry Division begins unloading on Leyte and is assigned to the corps. The Battle of Shoestring Ridge opens as the Japanese attack the sector of thinly spread 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, along the Palanas River, forcing a limited withdrawal.

USAAF Far East Air Forces B-24 Liberators bomb Matina Aerodrome on Mindanao Island.

The USN submarine USS Gar (SS-206) lands men and supplies on west coast of Luzon.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: The RAAF's No. 6 Squadron resumes their attack on Rabaul, New Britain Island, with Beauforts. The town will be attacked three more times before the end of the month.

BONIN ISLANDS: Seventeen USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators from Guam hit shipping at Chichi Jima and Haha Jima and bomb the town of Okimura.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Australian troops of the 9th Battalion, 7th Brigade, 3rd Division, relieve the U.S. 2d Battalion, 132d Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, at Cape Torokina, Bougainville. The Australian arrival opens the campaign on Bougainville that cost over 500 Australian lives by the war's end.