Sunday, October 29, 1944. Shelling chocolate bars.

Knocked out Panther, October 29, 1944.  Oddly, it's labeled as to what it is.

The Red Army and the Romanian Army commenced the Budapest Offensive.

The Red Army prevailed in the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive.

The RAF tried for the Tirpitz again, and again without success.

Himmler ordered the gas chambers closed at Auschwitz and other death camps.  Keep in mind, most of the death camps were in the east, which the Red Army was now approaching.

The final of three acts by Pvt. Barney F. Hajiro occurred which resulted in his being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Private Barney F. Hajiro distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 19, 22, and 29 October 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, eastern France. Private Hajiro, while acting as a sentry on top of an embankment on 19 October 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres, France, rendered assistance to allied troops attacking a house 200 yards away by exposing himself to enemy fire and directing fire at an enemy strong point. He assisted the unit on his right by firing his automatic rifle and killing or wounding two enemy snipers. On 22 October 1944, he and one comrade took up an outpost security position about 50 yards to the right front of their platoon, concealed themselves, and ambushed an 18-man heavily armed, enemy patrol, killing two, wounding one, and taking the remainder as prisoners. On 29 October 1944, in a wooded area in the vicinity of Biffontaine, France, Private Hajiro initiated an attack up the slope of a hill referred to as "Suicide Hill" by running forward approximately 100 yards under fire. He then advanced ahead of his comrades about 10 yards, drawing fire and spotting camouflaged machine gun nests. He fearlessly met fire with fire and single-handedly destroyed two machine gun nests and killed two enemy snipers. As a result of Private Hajiro's heroic actions, the attack was successful. Private Hajiro's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit, and the United States Army.

NBC broadcast a Jewish religious service from US occupied Aachen.

D-ration chocolate bars and bottles of Halazone pills are packed into 105mm howitzer shells to be fired to men in an Infantry battalion that is cut off by Germans in the Belmont sector, France. 29 October, 1944. ABL Bat., 131st Field Artillery Battalion, 36th Infantry Division.

Last edition.

Saturday, October 28, 1944. Slovaks put down, French Resistance ordered to disarm, Bulgaria quits, Day of Liberation of Ukraine from Fascist Invaders (День визволення України від фашистських загарбників).

Labels: Allied Powers, Auschwitz, Battle of Dukla Pass, Bulgaria, Charles de Gaulle, Czechoslovakia, French Resistance Movements, Red Army, Slovak National Uprising, Slovakia, The Holocaust, Ukraine, World War Two

Today in World War II History—October 29, 1939 & 1944

Today in World War II History—October 29, 1939 & 1944: 85 Years Ago—Oct. 29, 1939: Golden Gate International Exposition closes on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay (will re-open 25 May 1940).

Saturday, October 21, 1944. The Nemmersdorf Massacre.

Troops of the Red Army killed 74 German civilians as well as 50 French and Belgian POWs at Nemmersdorf (Mayakovskoye, Kaliningrad Oblast). As was typical for the Red Army, females victims were first raped.  The POWs had been detailed to care for German horses, and its likely that the Soviets were unaware that they were Allied POWs.

Mass rape, as well as the murder of German civilians and the murder of raped women, would soon become a feature of the Red Army advance into Germany. Rape and murder would also be a feature of its advance into Hungary.  The Red Army in many ways was a very primitive fighting force with mob aspects and declined into barbarous behavior.

Aachen was taken by the US.

This German prisoner of war was one of the many who surrendered with the capture of Aachen, Germany. Here he smokes a cigar as he proudly displays a torpedoman's medal he won as a former sailor in the Nazi Navy. 21 October, 1944.

Organized Japanese resistance on Angaur ends.

Sgt. Howard Preuss, Bronx, N.Y., one of the engineers, leads Filipinos who are being evacuated to Dulag, Leyte Island, P.I. 21 October, 1944.

The US took Dulag airfield on Leyte.

Franklin Roosevelt rode 51 miles in an open car in the rain in New York, which was foolish, but which was to demonstrate he was fit enough for another term of office, which of course, her really was not.

Last edition:

Friday, October 20, 1944. "This is the Voice of Freedom, General MacArthur speaking. People of the Philippines: I have returned."

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Battle of Leyte, Belgrade Offensive, Douglas MacArthur, Guatemalan Revolution, Operation Pheasant, Operation Sho-go, Philippines Campaign, Red Army, World War Two, Yugoslav Partisans, Yugoslavia

Today in World War II History—October 21, 1939 & 1944

Today in World War II History—October 21, 1939 & 1944: 85 Years Ago—Oct. 21, 1939: First British cabinet meeting is held in the underground Cabinet War Rooms 80 Years Ago—Oct. 21, 1944: US First Army takes Aachen

Sunday, October 15, 1944. Horthy attempts to take Hungary out of the war.

n Aachen, Germany, Pfc. Ragnel Lundgren, Jamestown, New York, maintains continuous communications with his headquarters with a handie-talkie radio. 15 October, 1944. 1st Infantry Division.

Aided by the armored force, Yank infantry moves forward to engage the enemy in Aachen, Germany. 15 October, 1944. Company M, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

Regent of Hungary Miklós Horthy made a radio broadcast announcing a separate peace with the Soviet Union.  The Germans launched Operation Panzerfaust, a commando operation to seize Horthy and keep Hungary in the war.  He was in fact seized later that day and resigned in favor of Arrow Cross leader Ferenc Szálasi when he learned that his son had been seized and his life was in danger.

The Red Army too Riga.

Partisans launched an operation to expel the Germans from Kosovo.

The Poles took Gambettola.

The Leipzig collided with the Prinz Eugen in the Baltic fog and was rendered a total loss.

The U-777 was sunk by the RAF.

Task Force 38.4 conducted air raids north of Manila.

Pfc. Hoyle E. Lougherty, Knoxville, Tenn., looks at a warning sign posted by the Nazis for the German citizenry of Aachen, Germany. It means "Take care, the enemy may be listening". 15 October, 1944.

Last edition:

Saturday, October 14, 1944. Rommel kills himself.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Battle of Peleliu, Bill Mauldin, Erwin Rommel, Food, German Army, Greece, Italian Social Republic, Italy, July 20 Plot, Palau Island, Philippines, Taiwan, U.S. Navy

Today in World War II History—October 11, 1939 & 1944

Today in World War II History—October 11, 1939 & 1944: 80 Years Ago—Oct. 11, 1944: US First Army begins battle for Aachen, Germany. Movie premiere of To Have and Have Not, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

Tuesday, October 3, 1944. Breaking the Siegfried Line.

Finnish forces captured Taivalkoski.

The Red Army took Hiuma Island, Estonia.

The 1st Army broke through the Siegfried Line north of Aachen.

The first large group of Nazi prisoners that were captured by the Americans following their breakthrough of the Siegfried Line. 3 October, 1944. 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division.

The RAF broke the dikes around Walcheren Island, flooding it.

Partisans attempted to kidnap fascist Italian Social Republic Minister of the Interior.Guido Buffarini Guidi with tragic unsuccessful results.

The ME 262 became operational.

October 3, 1944 The Littlest War Dog

The I-177 was sunk by the USS Samuel S. Miles

The USS Seawolf was sunk by the USS Richard M. Rowell in a friendly fire accident.

Pack mule train of 26th Indian Mule Co. with British 13th Corps, moving through town of Marradi.

Last edition:

Monday, October 2, 1944. The end of the Warsaw Rebellion.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Army, Battle of Aachen, Battle of the Scheldt, Belgium, German Wehrmacht, Germany, Netherlands, Polish Home Army, Red Army, Warsaw Uprising, World War Two

Monday, October 2, 1944. The end of the Warsaw Rebellion.

With Soviet troops across the Vistula not crossing the river, something often regarded as intentional, the Germans prevailed in defeating the Warsaw Uprising.  200,000 Poles were killed in the battle, most of them civilians, and central Warsaw destroyed.  Between 2,000 and 17,000 German troops were killed in the battle.  Around 15,000 Polish underground and Polish Home Army troops were killed. 15,000 went into captivity.

There's good reason to believe that Stalin saw the Poles and the Germans fighting in the city to his overall benefit.  It killed a lot of Germans, and it killed non communist Poles.

The Battle of Aachen commenced with an American offensive.

The Battle of the Scheldt commenced.

Pack train of 2nd Indian Mule Co., Royal Indian Service Corps, which helped supply British 1st Div. 2 October, 1944. Near Crespino, Italy.

Japanese resistance on Peleliu's Mount Amiangal was defeated.

Lucian Truscott appeared on the cover of Life Magazine.

Cpl. Charles A. Klein, 1929 45th Street, Pennsauken, New Jersey, seals his soldiers' ballet. 2 October, 1944. 6th Armored Division.

The first French regiment of Paris, France, recently organized and put in uniform, passes in review. 2 October, 1944.

 Execution of a French traitor who acted as a spy for the Germans and received 2000 Francs ($40.00) for his services. Traitor is tied to post as firing squad gets ready. 2 October, 1944.

Last edition:

Sunday, October 1, 1944. Battle of Tornio starts.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Adolf Hitler, Army, Battle of Tornio, British Army, China Burma India Theater, Commandos, Greek Army, Italy, July 20 Plot, Lapland War, Red Cross, Southeast Asia, World War Two