On the Eastern Front… The final Soviet winter offensive begins with attacks by 1st Ukrainian Front (Konev) from the Sandomierz bridgehead on the west bank of the Vistula River with 7 armies in the front line. The defending German forces are mostly from Army Group Center and Army Group A with 4th Panzer Army defending the breakthrough area. The German troops are outnumbered by at least four or five to one in all classes of equipment and prove incapable of resisting the Soviet advance.

In Burma… The British 18th Indian Division takes bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy north of Mandalay at Kyaukmyaung and Thabeikkyin. Fierce Japanese attacks in these areas immediately begin. In the Arakan there are landings of British Commando troops near Myebon on the mainland between Akyab and Ramree.

In Occupied French Indochina… There are air attacks from the planes of the carriers of Task Force 38 against Japanese installations at the naval base at Camranh Bay and others areas in Indochina. TG 38.5 continues the attacks from its specially trained carriers. Japanese losses to the attacks amount to 29 ships of 116,000 tons. Eleven small warships are also sunk.

On the Western Front… There are new attacks on the north flank of the Ardennes salient by US 7th and 18th Corps of the US 1st Army.