30 December 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyers HMCS Sioux and Algonquin departed Loch Ewe with Convoy JW-63 for Kola Inlet.

King George II of Greece proclaimed a regency to rule his country, virtually renouncing the throne.

WESTERN EUROPE: The USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 771: eight B-24 Liberators and three B-17 Flying Fortresses drop leaflet in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany during the night. Weather forces the recall and cancellation of the USAAF Ninth Air Force's 9th Bombardment Division and IX Tactical Air Command missions; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) flies armed reconnaissance over the battle area and around Wallersheim, Germany and the XIX Tactical Air Command covers large areas of France, Belgium, and Germany hitting numerous ground targets and supports the U.S. III, VIII, and XII Corps in the Saint-Hubert and Bastogne, Belgium and the Diekirch, Luxembourg areas.

ENGLISH CHANNEL: U-772 sunk south of Weymouth, in position 50.05N, 02.31W, about 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) southwest of Southampton, by depth charges from an 407 Sqn RCAF Wellington Mk. XIV, based at Chivenor, Devon. 48 dead (all hands lost).

BELGIUM/LUXEMBOURG: The VIII Corps, from the US 3rd Army, begins an attack north toward Houffalize from near Bastogne.

In Antwerp at 1045 hours, a German A4 (V-2) rocket crashes in Mortsel near the Castle of Cantecroy causing five injuries and one house destroyed. At 1321 hours, another A4 lands at Borgerhout in Wynegemstraat-Florastraat resulting in 44 deaths, 125 injuries and 110 houses destroyed.

In U.S. First Army's VII Corps area, the corps turns over the region southwest of the line Marche-Namur to the British. The Germans abandon Rochefort.

In the U.S. Third Army area, VIII Corps opens a drive on Houffalize. The 11th Armored Division progresses slowly and at heavy cost. The 87th Infantry Division takes Moircy but loses it in a counterattack later in day. In the III Corps area, Germans again attempt to cut the Arlon-Bastogne highway and isolate Bastogne, reaching Lutrebois and surrounding two companies of the 137th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, in Villers-la-Bonne-Eau.

During the night of 30/31 December, RAF Bomber Command sends 154 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos to attack a German supply bottleneck in a narrow valley at Houffalize; 97 aircraft attack the target. The results of the raid are not known. One Lancaster crashed in France.

NETHERLANDS: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 13 Lancasters to bomb the U-boat pens at Ijmuiden but the raid was abandoned because of bad weather.

FRANCE: Alsace. The U.S. 6th Army Group located South of the Ardennes, including 7th Army, VI Corps was preparing to give ground if the German's mounted a major attack to avoid being cut off like U.S. forces in the Ardennes.

Ike had ordered General Devers to retreat to the Vosges Mountains, if necessary, to prevent a break through. General De Gaulle was insisting that Strasburg not be allowed to fall into German control since Strasburg was as important to the French people as Paris. Ike was also having problems with British General Montgomery over who should be the overall ground commander in Northern Europe, and fighting was still furious in the Ardennes.

VI Corps, 7TH U.S. Army had received information the day before (Dec 29th) that a hostile attack against the flank might force giving up ground. Everyone was nervous from reports of German paratroops landing in the rear plus German infiltrators dressed in U.S. uniforms, driving U.S. jeeps and speaking fluent English. Security check points and guards were posted at all road intersections and unit local security posts were increased. The day before (Dec 29th). At unit levels, verbal signs and countersigns were changed frequently.

Scattered firing occurred among the new replacements and new inexperienced units who were seeing Germans behind every tree. No one seemed to know who was firing at whom.

Hitler's direction for "Operation Nordwind" included destruction of American and French man power and equipment, and for the German Nineteenth Army (about 100,000 men) that had been cut off to the South in the Colmar Pocket to break out and join the attacks from the North. (Joe Brott)

De Guingand arrives at SHAEF after a hair raising, bad weather flight from Brussels. He meets with Eisenhower, Tedder and Smith and asks that Eisenhower's letter to the Combined Chiefs about the situation with Montgomery be held for 24 hours. He feels that Montgomery does not understand the resentment that his letter of the previous day to Eisenhower has caused. He feels that if he has time to explain the situation to his master that Montgomery will back down. Eisenhower and Tedder feel that the damage had already been done but Smith takes sides with de Guingand. Ike relents and agrees to hold the letter for 24 hours. Back in Smith's office de Guingand sends a message to Montgomery that he wants to meet with him in Zonhoven, Monty's advance CP, so as to discuss an important matter with him on the next day.

The USAAF (Eighth Air Force flies Mission 770: 1,315 bombers and 572 fighters are sent to attack rail and communications targets in western Germany; four bombers and two fighters are lost. The targets are (numbers in parenthesis indicate number of aircraft bombing and number lost, e.g., 97-1):

- Marshalling yards at: Kassel (319-1), Mannheim (189-2), Kaiserslautern (145-0), Mechernich (87-0), Mainz (45-0) and Bischofheim (34-1).

- Railroad bridges at: Euskirchen (92-0), Kaiserslautern(72-0), Bullay (71-0), Altenahr (61-0), Neuweid (58-0), Remagen (Ludendorf Bridge) (29-0) and Stadtkyll (28-0).

356 Halifaxes, 93 Lancasters and 21 Mosquitos, to attack the area in which the Kalk-Nord railway yards are situated in Cologne; 457 aircraft attack with the loss of a Halifax and a Lancaster. The presence of cloud causes difficulties for the Pathfinders and the outcome of the raid could not be observed but the local report shows that the Kalk-Nord yards, as well as the two passenger stations near by, are severely damaged. At least two ammunition trains blow up and nearby Autobahns are also badly damaged, all adding to the effect upon the German transportation system. In other raids, Mosquitos attack four cities: 68 hit Hannover, nine bomb Bochum (five hit the Gelsenkirchener coal mine, three attack the Carolinengluck coking plant and one bombs the city); eight attack Duisburg and one bombs Bonn.

HUNGARY: Russian units of the 2nd and 3rd Ukraine Fronts are involved in the ongoing fighting in and around Budapest.

FINLAND: An Allied Supervision Commission, headed by the Russians, informs Finnish Air Force HQ that formations of up to ten US Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports will be flying several missions from Kallax in northern Sweden across Lapland to Kirkenes and back. The Finns are expected to provide safe transit across Finland. (Gordon Angus Mackinlay)(153)

ITALY: USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers concentrate a major effort on rail line running north to the Brenner Pass, hitting a fill at Dolce and bridges at Calliano, Ala, and Santa Margherita d'Adige, and ammunition dump at Bologna. Fighter-bombers blast road bridges, support the U.S. Fifth Army southeast of La Spezia, and hit bridges in the Mantua and Modena areas. During the night of 30/31 December, A-20 Havocs again fly intruder missions, bombing a variety of targets, including motor transport, bridges, and railroads in the Po Valley.

GREECE: On 25 December, an agreement was reached which led to the establishment of a regency government under Archbishop Damaskinos Papandreou, the archbishop of Athens. Greek King George II, living in exile in the U.K., appointed the archbishop as the head of the caretaker government, and Archbishop Damaskinos is sworn in as regent today and appoints himself Prime Minister. He relinquishes his position after the civil war begins to die down and recalls the king formally on 28 September 1946.

ARCTIC OCEAN: U-956 sank Soviet Liberty Ship Tibilisi II (ex-American John Langdon) 69.56N, 32.29E - Grid AC 8812.

JAPAN: The first I-400 aircraft carrying submarine is completed. (Phil Jacobsen)

CHINA: Four USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators damage a bridge west of Kengtung. P-51 Mustangs and P-40s on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity at several points including areas around Ka-chun, Shanhsien, Ichang, and Shayang.

Twelve USAAF Tenth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts knock out and damage bridges at Man Pwe, Ho-hko (two bridges), and Inailong; 17 B-25 Mitchells blast a troop and supply area at Kyatpyin; and 28 P-47s and P-38 Lightnings hit troops, supplies, and areas of enemy activity at Myethin, Manna, Nanponpon, Lawa, Sabenago, Hmattawmu, and Hosi. Four B-25s continue a single-plane offensive reconnaissance over communications lines during the night of 30/31 December.

USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-51 Mustangs and P-40s on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity at several points including areas around Mong Nawng, Man Pong, and Mong Long.

VOLCANO ISLANDS: Fourteen USAAF Seventh Air Force Saipan-based B-24 Liberators bomb Iwo Jima which is hit again over an almost 7-hour period during the night of 30/31 December by nine B-24 Liberators singly operating from Guam.

FRENCH INDOCHINA: Two USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators damage a bridge, railroad tracks, and 40+ boxcars northeast of Thanh Moi.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Coast Guard-manned FS-367 takes on survivors from USS Mariposa at San Jose, Mindoro.

Aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and Independence left Ulithi anchorage to fight with Japanese night bombers in the Philippines area. Both carriers had aircraft equipped with radars (night versions of F6F Hellcat fighters and TBM torpedo bombers).

In the U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area on Leyte Island, the 1st Cavalry Division makes contact with the 32d Infantry Division northeast of Villaba. In the XXIV Corps area, the 77th Infantry Division begins two-pronged attacks to open the Palompon road. While the 3d Battalion, 305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, continues west to a point some 1,000 yards (914 meters) southwest of Tipolo, the Provisional Mountain Force attacks east until stopped about 4 miles (6,4 kilometres) east of Palompon. The Japanese withdraw their main forces, during the night of 30/31 December. Company C, 305th Infantry Regiment, moves by water to Abiao, north of Palompon, and burns the town; continuing north, they gain radio contact with 1st Cavalry Division in the Villaba area.

On Mindoro Island, the second resupply convoy arrives. Under Japanese air attack while en route, the convoy loses three merchant ships, two destroyers, three tank landing ships (LSTs), and a landing craft, mechanized (LCM) at or near the island. Most of the 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, arrives.

In the principal action of the day, USAAF Far East Air Forces fighter-bombers attack airfields in the central Philippines. Smaller strikes by B-25 Mitchells, B-24 Liberators, and fighter-bombers are flown against shipping, and targets of opportunity throughout the Philippine Islands.

EAST INDIES: USAAF Far East Air Forces fighter-bombers attack airfields on northern Borneo and northern and south-western Celebes Island while B-25 Mitchells hit a barge anchorage and supplies at Haroekoe Island. Smaller strikes by B-25 Mitchells, B-24 Liberators, and fighter-bombers are flown against shipping, oil targets, airfields, and targets of opportunity throughout the Netherlands East Indies.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville, Australians of the 25th Battalion, 7th Brigade, 3rd Division, occupy Pearl Ridge. The capture of the heavily defended Japanese position on the Pearl Ridge give the Australians possession of this important vantage point that provided views over both sides of the island.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Japanese air attacks continue on Mindoro, Philippine Islands-bound convoy; kamikazes damage destroyers USS Pringle (DD-477) and Gansevoort (DD-608); motor torpedo boat tender USS Orestes (AGP-10); and auxiliary USS Porcupine (IX-126). USS Porcupine is ultimately scuttled by USS Gansevoort. A merchant freighter is sunk by bombs off Mindoro Island and a merchant freighter is damaged when a kamikaze is shot down by a U.S. fighter and explodes over the ship.

CANADA: HMC MTB 797 commissioned. Log - 65th Flotilla, "D" Type, 102 tons, 115x21.25x5.25ft, 29kts, crew 4/28, 2-6pdrs, 2-20mm(1xII), 2-18in TT.

U.S.A.: Los Alamos, New MEXICO: Nuclear scientists working on the Manhattan Project estimate that the first atomic bombs will be ready by the end of July 1945.

Destroyer USS John R Pierce commissioned.

Minesweeper USS Inaugural commissioned.

Escort carrier USS Block Island commissioned (CVE-106).

Submarines USS Cabezon, Dentuda and Lizardfish commissioned.

The USN alters its aircraft paint schemes for landplane patrol aircraft. The upper and lower surfaces of the wings and the horizontal tail surfaces will be painted in semi-gloss sea blue and the fuselage and vertical surfaces will be painted flat sea blue.