UNITED KINGDOM:
The two greatest US fighter groups commanding officers end their combat days on this date.
Col. Hubert Zemke, former CO of the 56th FG, USAAF, and current CO of the 479th FG, USAAF, a 17.75 victory aces, is lost on his final scheduled combat sorite. He bails out over enemy territory and is captured when his P-51 is ripped apart in a thundercloud.
Col. Donald Blakeslee, CO of the 4th FG, USAAF, flies the last of more than 350 combat sorties, 900 flying hours (half again as much as any US fighter pilot), and is forcibly transferred to a desk job with the VIII Fighter Command's 65th Fighter Wing. The exact number of combat hours is not certain. He recorded only the times over the coast in and out, which totalled considerably less than the full flight period for each mission. (Skip Guidry)
Corvette HMS Hedingham Castle commissioned.
ASW trawler HMS Royal Marine commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
NORTH SEA: U-427 took part in operation Specht and guarded a German minefield off Stavanger (Norway). (Dave Shirlaw)
NETHERLANDS: The Canadian force have fought their way across the south Beveland and arrived at the Walcheren Channel.
GERMANY:
U-3031 laid down.
U-2524, U-2525 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Dagami, Leyte, falls to one regiment of the US 7th Infantry Division.
US Naval TF 38 begins to withdraw from the Philippines to
Ulithi and two carriers are heavily damaged by Kamikaze attacks.
The two ships of Task Group 38.4 struck by kamikazes are the aircraft carrier
USS Franklin (CV-13) and the light aircraft carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24).
Both retire to Ulithi and then to the U.S. for repairs. The withdrawal of Task
Group 38.4 to Ulithi and the escort aircraft carriers of Task Group 77.4 to
Manus Island, leaves the defence of the Leyte beachhead in the hands of several
USAAF P-38 groups and a P-61 squadron and Carrier Air Group Seven (CVG-7) in USS
Hancock (CV-19), Light Carrier Air Group Twenty Nine (CVLG-29) in USS Cabot
(CVL-28) and Night Carrier Air Group Forty One [CVLG(N)-41] in USS Independence
(CVL-22). (Jack McKillop)
U.S.A.: Destroyers USS Floyd B Parks and Herbert J Thomas laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)