6 December 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: Queen Elizabeth thanks women for their war work, saying that their efforts are one of the main factors in the Allied victory.

Frigate HMS Bullen (K 469) is torpedoed and sunk by U-775 (Oberleutnant zur See Erich Taschenmacher) 7 miles NE off Cape Wrath. The torpedo hit amidships causing the frigate to break into half, the bow section sinking almost immediately, but the stern part remained afloat for 2 more hours. There are 71 casualties and 91 survivors rescued by HMS Hesperus. Location: 58 42N 04 12W. (Alex Gordon)(108)

During the night of 6/7 December, the USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 742: 11 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators drop leaflets over the Netherlands, France and Germany.

FRANCE: In the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps area The 5th Infantry Division continues to clear to the Sarre River on the southern flank of the corps and in the Metz area accepts the surrender of St Quentin works. In the XII Corps area, the 6th Armored and 35th Infantry Divisions clear the west bank of the Sarre River from Grosbliederstroff to Wittring. The 35th, assisted by tanks of 6th Armored, pushes into Sarreguemines and clears the western sector. The 35th Infantry Division is ordered to attack across the Sarre in conjunction with the 26th Infantry Division on 8 December. The 26th Infantry Division continues rapidly toward the Sarre River. The 4th Armored Division gains a foothold in Singling and overruns Bining before being halted to await relief by the 12th Armored Division of the XV Corps.

In U.S. Seventh Army's XV Corps area, the 44th Infantry Division takes Montbronn while 100th Infantry Division clears Meisenthal and surrounds Mouterhouse. In the VI Corps area, a German counterattack recovers the northern part of Mertzwiller from 45th Infantry Division forces.

In the French First Army's II Corps area, the U.S. 36th Infantry Division is strongly opposed at Ostheim and Guemar but takes the latter.

GERMANY: A division of the US XX Corps crosses the river Saar near Patchen using assault boats.

In U.S. First Army's V Corps area, a counterattacking German force pushes into Bergstein but is driven back. Major General William Weaver, Commanding General 8th Infantry Division, is granted permission to use the 2d Ranger Battalion to reinforce the small group at Bergstein.

In the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps area, the 90th Infantry Division begins an attack across the Sarre River at 0415 hours, crossing in assault boats between Rehlingen and Wallerfangen and establishing a small bridgehead in the Pachten-Dillingen area; the 357th Infantry Regiment, on the north, advances its left flank about 1.5 miles (2,4 kilometers) but is soon pinned down on the right; the 358th Infantry Regiment pushes to the edge of Pachten and Dillingen. The 95th Infantry Division, with battalions across the Sarre River, continues efforts to take the Saarlautern-Roden, Fraulautern, and Ensdorf portion of the West Wall against tenacious resistance.

The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 741: 818 bombers and 830 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and rail targets in Germany; all except nine aircraft bomb using H2X radar; four bombers and a fighter are lost. (1) 472 aircraft bomb the I.G. Garben synthetic oil refinery at Merseberg, with the loss of four aircraft, 140 hit the aqueduct at Minden, 113 attack the marshalling yard at Bielefeld, and 49 aircraft bomb targets of opportunity.

One hundred fifty four USAAF Ninth Air Force A-20 Havocs and B-26 Marauders bomb the defended areas of Munstereifel, Erkelenz, Nideggen, and Daun. Fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and night patrol, attack bridges, gun positions, and other targets, and provide air cover for the U.S. troops in the areas of Bergstein, and Lucherberg, and along the Saar River.

During the night of 6/7 December, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 475 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos to bomb the Leuna synthetic oil refinery at Merseburg; 416 bomb the target with the loss of four Lancasters. This is the first major attack on an oil target in Eastern Germany; Leuna, near the town of Merseburg, just west of Leipzig, was 250 miles (402 kilometers) from the German frontier and 500 miles (805 kilometers) from the bombers' bases in England. There is considerable cloud in the target area but post-raid photographs showed that considerable damage has been caused to the synthetic oil plant. A second major raid is from to Osnabrück by 453 aircraft, 363 Halifaxes, 72 Lancasters and 18 Mosquitos; 416 bomb the target with the loss of seven Halifaxes and a Lancaster. This is the first major raid on Osnabrück since August 1942. The raid is only a partial success. The railway yards are only slightly damaged but four factories are hit, including the Teuto-Metallwerke munit ions factory, and 203 houses are destroyed. In a third mission, 255 Lancasters and ten Mosquitos are sent to Giessen; 253 bomb the targets with the loss of three Lancasters. There are two aiming points for this raid; 80 aircraft bomb the town centre and 173 hit the railway yards. Severe damage is caused at both places. Mosquitos are also active with 40 hitting Berlin, eight bombing the marshalling yard at Schwete, seven attacking Koblenz and two bombing Hanau. (Andy Etherington and Jack McKillop)

U-2365, U-2366 laid down.

U-2353, U-3024 launched.

U-930 commissioned.

AUSTRIA: Thirty USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb the Main marshalling yard at Graz.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force bombers attack three targets: 25 aircraft bomb the Devinska Nova Ves marshalling yard (M/Y) with the loss of three aircraft, 14 bombers hit the Rangier M/Y at Bratislava and one aircraft attacks a railroad bridge at Vagsellve.

HUNGARY: The Soviet Army broadens and intensifies their offensive toward Budapest, Berlin announces, attacking in force on either side of the Hungarian capital and crossing elements from Csepel Island. to the west bank of the Danube River south of the city. Romanian troops are helping Soviet forces clear northeastern Hungary.

USAAF Fifteenth Air Force bombers attack eight targets: 73 bomb the East marshalling yard (M/Y) at Sopron, 55 hit the M/Y at Hegyeshalon with the loss of one aircraft, eight bomb Magyardioszeg, seven bomb Szombathely with the loss of two aircraft, and seven aircraft bomb targets of opportunity.

ITALY: Heavy cloud cover, increasing in density throughout the day, severely restricts operations. USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded except for one reconnaissance sortie; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers fly less than 100 sorties, attacking communications in the Brescia, Verona, and Mantua areas.

YUGOSLAVIA: Moscow reports substantial gains by the Third Ukrainian Front forces all along front. Soviet and Yugoslav forces clearing the region between the Danube River and Sava in the north take the rail and road center of Sid.

USAAF Fifteenth Air Force bombers bomb three marshalling yards (M/Ys): 43 bomb the South and 12 bomb the North M/Ys at Maribor with the loss of two aircraft. P-38 Lightnings escort the bombers and cover RAF supply missions to Yugoslavia.

MANCHUKUO: Mukden: Only the second visit ever to this camp and the first visit this year, takes place by a representative of the Red Cross. Only British Major Robert Peaty and American Major Stanley H. Hankins are allowed to see the ICRC official, and both are guarded in their remarks for fear of "reprisals," as Major Peaty puts it in his diary. But they do manage to request dental and optical care, as well as food and boots. (151)(Linda Goetz Holmes)

BURMA: In the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC) area, the U.S. 475th Infantry Regiment (Long Range Penetration, Special), also known as the MARS Task Force, is ordered to relieve the Chinese 22d Division in the Mo-hlaing area, about 1 mile (1,6 kilometers) north of Tonk-wa. About this time, a Japanese task force starts across the Shweli River toward Tonk-wa.

Nine USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts damage a bridge at Namhkai and knock out a bridge at Mongmit, 15 support ground forces in the Bhamo area, four bomb Hsenwi Airfield, and eight strafe Bawgyo antiaircraft positions while 12 hit troops, artillery, and supplies at Banmauk, the west side of Indawgyi Lake, and Namhkam. Ten B-25 Mitchells knock out the main bridge at Bawgyo and damage the bypass.

Eight USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs attack road traffic in the Hsenwi area and from there to Wanling.

JAPAN: Four Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Suribachi Airfield on Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands, scoring hits on the runway, and blast batteries; on the return flight, one is hit by antiaircraft fire. A B-24 weather airplane force-lands in the U.S.S.R.

The USAAF Twentieth Air Force's XXI Bomber Command in the Mariana Islands, dispatches three B-29 Superfortresses to fly a weather strike mission. These missions usually consist of two or three B-29s that gather weather information and drop incendiary bombs on cities to lower the morale of the civilian population.

In the U.S. Sixth Army's X Corps area on Leyte Island, repeated efforts of the 112th Cavalry Regiment (Special) to eliminate the Japanese on a ridge southeast of Limon fail. In the XXIV Corps area, the 7th Infantry Division continues their northward drive on Ormoc, taking Balogo, Hill 918, and Kang Dagit; some elements are on the Palanas River and others are on a ridge of Hill 380. The 77th Infantry Division loads for landing in Ormoc Bay at Deposito and sails with USN destroyers and USAAF Fifth Air Force protection for the target area. About 150 Japanese attack Buri airstrip, surprising the defense force and entering the woods north of the strip.

USAAF Far East Air Forces B-24 Liberators bomb Bacalod Airfield on Negros Island. P-38 Lightnings over Bacalod and others covering a convoy off southern Leyte Island claim several aircraft downed. B-25 Mitchells, with P-47 Thunderbolt support, hit Cagayan, Jacgol, and Del Monte Airfields on Mindanao Island.

EAST INDIES: In the Netherlands East Indies, USAAF Far East Air Forces B-24 Liberators hit airfields at Kendari and Borebore on Celebes Island. Fighter- bombers and B-25 Mitchells attack Halmahera Island airfields while A-20 Havocs and B-25 Mitchells bomb the Namlea area on Buru Island.

Bomb fragments of a 15 kilogram (33 pound) Japanese anti-personnel high explosive bomb is recovered at 1800 hours local about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Thermopolis, Wyoming. Thermopolis is located about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of Casper, Wyoming. An explosion occurred followed by the sighting of what appeared to be a parachute descending to earth. A bright red flame was also seen by observers of the explosion.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-297 sunk in the North Atlantic, 16 miles west of Yesnaby in the Orkney Islands, by 6 depth charges from a Sunderland Mk. III aircraft, "Y" of 201 Squadron, RAF, based at Castle Archdale, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. 50 dead (all hands lost).