MONDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1944
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Four B-25s fly a negative enemy shipping search.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Six B-24s and six B-25s, supported by eight P-51s, pound the Hai Duong, French Indochina area. 12 B-25s bomb Kutkai, Burma. Sixteen fighter-bombers attack Tien Ho Airfield and the Kengtung barracks in China; and Lashio, and Wan Lai-Kam, Burma.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, advance elements of 268th Brig reach Indaw.
China: Gen Wedemeyer drafts directives for ALPHA that Chiang Kai-shek later approves. Gen Ho is to command ALPHA forces, but Gen Chennault will command air forces in the area. U.S. SOS will assist Gen Ho in supply matters. ALPHA forces are to complete concentration in Kweiyang area, protect Kunming and Kweiyang, and train reserves.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit the stores area at Hpaklon; 16 P-47s support ground forces in the Bhamo area; 21 P-47s knock out and damage bridges at Mongmit, Man Aitau, Ho-hko, and Pa-mao; 7 fighter-bombers severely damage the Hsipaw ferry; supply and personnel concentrations and town areas are hit at Lawa, Myitson, Pemnegon, Nam Pan, Hsenwi, and Nawngpeng. 270 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Colonel Lawrence J Carr becomes Commanding Officer of the VII Bomber Command. 28 B-24s from Guam pound the airfield and ammunition storage area on Iwo Jima; night harassment continues as individual B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly three snooper strikes against the island during the night of December 11-12.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Leyte-based planes of Fifth Air Force begin mission in support of coming invasion of Mindoro. In major air activity, B-24s bomb Mandurriao Airfield; B-25s, with P-47 support, hit Padada Airfield and Fifth AF fighters join USMC aircraft in attacks on a thirteen ship convoy off northwest Leyte. Lost is P-38L 44-24842 (rescued). B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Goeroea in the Moluccas Islands. Other FEAF planes make small raids on oil and shipping targets around N Borneo. USAAF B-25s, A-20s, P-38s, and P-40s attack Japanese supply and troop concentrations on the southern shore of Wasile Bay and along the shores of north Halmahera, sinking No.2 Sumiyoshi Maru.
U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army: In X Corps area, 1st Sq of 12th Cav, 1st Cav Div, reduces strongpoint N of its perimeter in Mt. Cabungaan area after intense preparatory fire. Patrols of 2d Sq, 7th Cav, probe both sides of ridge SE of Limon before general frontal and flanking attack is begun behind arty bombardment; advance stops for night at base of the hill. 128th Inf, 32d Div, begins patrolling Limon area. XXIV Corps gains firm control of Ormoc Bay as advance elements of 7th Div overtake 77th Div troops at Ipil. Japanese forces on Leyte are thus divided. 77th Div attacks from Ormoc with 307th and 306th Regts but makes little progress. 305th Inf's 2d and 3d Bns enter line between 307th and 3d Bn of 306th, leaving regt's 1st Bn just S of Camp Downes on extreme right flank. Japanese attempts to land reinforcements at Ormoc Bay, during the night of December 11-12 are frustrated. A few Japanese succeed in landing but are unable to take an active part in the battle for Ormoc corridor.
U.S. Navy: Fast carrier groups of U.S. Third Fleet depart Ulithi bound for Luzon.
Japanese planes attack resupply convoy of 13 LSMs and LCIs, bound for Ormoc Bay; destroyer Reid (DD- 369) is sunk by kamikaze off Leyte, 09°50'N, 124°55'E; destroyer Caldwell (DD-605) is near-missed by a suicider. Tank landing craft LCT-1075 is sunk by aircraft, Leyte Gulf.
USMC F4Us (VMF 211, VMF 218, VMF 313) repeat mast-head attack on Japanese convoy 30 miles off Leyte, sinking cargo ships Mino Maru and Tasmania Maru, 11°20'N, 124°10'E.
Submarine Gar (SS-206) lands supplies on west coast of Luzon, and picks up intelligence documents.
Submarine Sea Owl (SS-405) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 76 in East China Sea, 33°48'N, 128°20'E.
PB4Ys sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Sh_nan Maru north of Banton Island, P.I., 12°42'N, 122°10'E.
USMC: Ditched is TBF Avenger 45445 (rescued).
IJN: In the late night, No. 140 and No. 159 covered by YUZUKI and KIRI land the Takahashi Detachment and the SNLF troops and their ten tanks but only eight reach the beach. Ashore, they are engaged by the U.S. Army and USS COGHLAN (DD-606) and destroyed or captured on the beach. Meanwhile, T. 159 is hit and abandoned. No. 140 sustains heavy damage but manages to escape and is later repaired.
