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• » 1 Jan 1944

• Petr Novikov passed away. ww2dbase [Petr Novikov | CPC]
• General Mark Clark became the commander of US Fifth and Seventh Armies. ww2dbase [Mark Clark | TH]
• Soviet forces closed to within 30 miles of the old Polish frontier. ww2dbase [AC]
• Robert Saundby was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. ww2dbase [Robert Saundby | CPC]
• The Japanese Navy 11th Air Fleet was reorganized to contain two air flotillas, one air group, one seaplane tender, and two destroyers. The 13th Air Fleet was assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet with two air flotillas and one air group. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Pintado was commissioned into service, Lieutenant Commander Bernard A. Clarey in command. ww2dbase [Pintado | CPC]
• USS Puffer sank Japanese freighter Ryuyo Maru and damaged another ship south of the Philippine Islands; she expended 7 torpedoes and observed 4 hits. ww2dbase [Puffer | CPC]
• Light carrier Hosho was assigned to Training Force of the 5th Force. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
• Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was named the commanding officer of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. ww2dbase [Heinrich | CPC]
• USS Ray sank Japanese converted gunboat Okuyo Maru in the mouth of Ambon Bay, Java, Dutch East Indies, hitting her with 3 of 6 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Ray | CPC]
• George Giffard was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. ww2dbase [George Giffard | CPC]
• Léon Degrelle was promoted to the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer. ww2dbase [Léon Degrelle | CPC]
• Hartwig von Ludwiger was promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant. ww2dbase [Hartwig von Ludwiger | CPC]

• 15 B-24 bombers escorted by 68 fighters attacked Rabaul, New Britain. The Americans lost 1 B-24 bomber in combat, and another on landing after the mission was over; additionally, two returned bombers were noted as heavily damaged. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | CPC]
• 40 Japanese aircraft arrived at Rabaul, New Britain. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | CPC]
• Aircraft from carriers USS Monterey and USS Bunker Hill attacked Japanese positions at Kavieng, New Ireland, destroying 7 Japanese aircraft. ww2dbase [New Guinea-Papua Campaign, Phase 3 | CPC]

• 500th Bomb Squadron (flying B-25 aircraft) of USAAF 345th Bomb Group was transferred from Port Moresby to Dobodura Airfield, Australian Papua. ww2dbase [Dobodura Airfield | CPC]

• Naka departed Truk, Caroline Islands and took damaged transport Kiyozumi Maru in tow southwest of Truk. ww2dbase [Naka | CPC]

• Tran Trong Kim departed Saigon, Cochinchina, French Indochina for Singapore. ww2dbase [Tran Trong Kim | CPC]

• Syria gained independence from France. ww2dbase [CPC]

• 421 RAF Lancaster bombers attacked Berlin, Germany; 28 aircraft were lost. 15 Mosquito aircraft attacked Hamburg in diversion. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | CPC]
• U-1059 was transferred to 12th Submarine Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-1059 | CPC]

• Alexandros Sakellariou's retirement date was later changed to this date on 4 Sep 1946. ww2dbase [Alexandros Sakellariou | CPC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: More of 76th Construction Battalion (76th SeaBees) arrived. More of 72nd Construction Battalion (72nd SeaBees) arrived. Five officers and 240 men of the 56th Construction Battalion (56th SeaBees) departed. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | DS]

• The Brigata Marina naval infantry unit of the pro-Allied government in southern Italy was renamed "San Marco". ww2dbase [CPC]

• USS Finback sank a Japanese tanker in the East China Sea, hitting her with 5 of 6 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Finback | CPC]

• Allied convoy RA-55A arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Arctic Convoys | CPC]
• Just three years after its creation the short lived Reconnaissance Corps was officially absorbed into the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. ww2dbase [AC]
• Colonel Donald Blakeslee took control of USAAF 4th Fighter Group at RAF Debden in North Essex, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Dwight Eisenhower arrived in Washington DC, United States where he and his wife would take a brief break from the war. ww2dbase [Dwight Eisenhower | CPC]

1 Jan 1944 Interactive Map