End of the Siege of Bastogne which was an American victory. Beginning of the Siege of Budapest by the Red Army.
Germans forces were forced out of Celles by 30 Corps.
The US 8th Air Force bombs Coblenz, Bonn and Kaiserslautern (nominally railway targets) and the RAF Munchen-Gladbach and Bonn.
Sára Salkaházi, a Hungarian religious sister was executed by the Arrow Cross Party for working to save Jews. She was 45 years old.
The U-877 was sunk northwest of the Azores by Canadian corvette HMCS St. Thomas.
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, announced his retirement from Parliament.
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The Royal Navy shelled Greek communist positions near Piraeus.
The Red Army took Szigetvár and Vukovar, Hungary.
Canadians took Ravenna, Italy.
The Liberty ship Antoine Saugrain was sunk by Japanese aircraft in Leyte Gulf. And on the ground:
Today in World War II History—December 5, 1939 & 1944: US launches final offensive on Leyte in the Philippines, driving into the Ormoc Valley. Victory ship SS Red Oak Victory is commissioned into the US Navy
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The Dekemvriana (Δεκεμβριανά) began with British troops and Greek police opening fire on a massive left wing demonstration in Athens. This effectively commenced the Greek Civil War.
The Red Army took Miskolc, Hungary.
The USS Cooper was sunk in Ormoc Bay by the Japanese destroyer Take.
The British Home Guard stood down.
The US 20th Corps crossed the Saar in assault boats and secured the main bridge of the Saar. The 13th Corps reached the Roer.
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The Red Army took Mohács, Hungary.
Heavy fighting continued in Leyte.
The U-80 went down with all hands in an accident off of Pillau.
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Himmler ordered the crematorium at Auschwitz destroyed to cover up the concentration camp's crime against humanity.
The U.S. Seventh Army captured Steige and Villé. T he 1st Army captured Weisweiler to the west of Cologne.
The Red Army captured capture Michaloyce, Slovakia.
General Alexander was promoted to Field Marshal and appointed the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean.
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French forces liberated Strasbourg.
The Canadian cabinet made 16,000 Canadian conscripts, previously not liable for overseas deployment, available for the same.
Soviet troops took Cop, Czechoslovakia and Tokay, Hungary.
The Royal Navy disbanded the British Eastern Fleet. Escort carriers and older ships were formed into the British East Indies Fleet with modern ships detached for service in the British Pacific Fleet.
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The Fifth Army captured Modigliana, Italy.
Soviet forces took Jasbereny, Hungary.
The Japanese landing craft depot ship Akitsu Maru was sun by the USS Queenfish in the Korea Strait. 2,000 went down with her.
The 2nd Battalion, 167th Infantry Regiment landed at Pegun Island in the Mapia islands.
Project Hermes, a U.S. Army Ordinance Corps rocket research program, commenced.
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo was released.
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The Battle of Ormoc Bay began in the Camotes Sea off of the Philippines. It would carry on well into December and result in disproportionate Japanese losses as they attempted to reinforce ground elements on Leyte. On this day, four destroyers, 1 minesweeper and 5 transports carrying nearly 10,000 troops were sunk in heavy Japanese losses.
Iwo Jima was bombarded by the U.S.Navy.
Remaining German troops in Greece withdrew.
The Battle of Batina began in Croatia.
The U-771 and U-1200 were sunk by the Royal Navy.
The 1942-44 musicians strike ended with RCA Victor and Columbia Records agreeing to union demands.
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This peculiar looking vehicle is an East German SPW 152 "Iron Pig", which was their variant of the Soviet BTR 152. The armored vehicle was designed as an armored personnel carrier, but utilized for other things as well. The gun in this one is likely an anti-aircraft gun.
The Jeeps in these photographs are M151s, which will be dealt with elsewhere.
Australian forces landed at Jacquiot Bay in New Britain.
The last major air raid on Bochum, German occured. 4,000 buildings and 1,000 people were lost in the raid by the RAF.
The Red Army took Szolnok and Cegled on the way to Budapest.
Royal Navy Minesweepers reached the port of Antwerp while the logistical tail continued to reach back principally to Normandy, a major problem for the Western Allies.
The 5th Indian Division took Kennedy Peak, south of Tiddim.
Field Marshall Sir John Dill died in Washington D. C. at age 63. The British officer was immensely respected in Washington, and is buried at Arlington.
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The Royal Air Force raided Gestapo headquarters at the Aarhus University in Denmark The goal was to destroy Gestapo records to aid the Danish resistance. The raid was conducted, as an earlier on in France had been, with Mosquitos.
German Army Group North was trapped on the Courland Peninsula.
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