January 17th, 1945 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Light cruiser HMCS Ontario commissioned Belfast.
Aircraft carrier HMS Venerable commissioned. (DS)
BELGIUM: Against light opposition the 502nd Parachute Infantry closed out the battle at Bastogne for the 101st Airborne Division by seizing the village of Bourcy, seven kilometres northeast of Bastogne. Eighty four prisoners were taken bringing to 1,728 seized by the division since the battle began on 16 December 1944. The remainder of the division is trucked to the rear and goes into VIII Corps reserve in the vicinity of Sibert. During the one month battle for Bastogne the division took, 3,458 casualties. (Jay Stone)
In one 30 hour period the 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry took 5.8% of those casualties, to include one Field Artillery Forward Observer. Taking lots of casualties can never be equated with effectiveness but the battalion, along with its comrades in Task Force Desorby, gave more than it got. (Jay)
GERMANY: U-1308, U-2534 commissioned.
U-2515 sunk in Dock 111, Hamburg, by bombs while damaged sections from mining were being replaced. Wreck broken up.
(DS)
HUNGARY: Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews, disappears while in Soviet custody. (Rodney Sanders)
POLAND: Warsaw is cleared of German resistance by the Russians.
Konev's 1st Ukrainian front liberates Krakow via Kielce. (Russ Folsom)
CANADA: Auxiliary minelayer HMS Menestheus commenced conversion to amenities ship North Vancouver, British Columbia.
Corvette HMCS Parry Sound departed St John's as escort for Convoy HX-332. (DS)
U.S.A.: Submarine USS Mero launched. (DS)