World war II chronology - September 1944

1 September 1944	Canadian 2nd Infantry Brigade captures Pozzo Alto, Italy, then advances toward Monte Luro. Canadian 3rd Infantry Brigade secures a road across the Foglia river, Italy. Operation Fusilade begins, as the 2nd Canadian Division begins taking Dieppe, France. With the withdrawal of Germans, there is no loss of life, and scheduled air bombings are cancelled. German forces evacuate Bucharest. General Dwight Eisenhower replaces Bernard Montgomery as ground commander in Europe. Adolf Hitler calls on Field Marshal Gerd von Rundtsedt to return to active duty as commander in chief west, defending in front of the West Wall as long as possible. Off Land's End, Canadian frigates St. John and Swansea sink German submarine U-247.
2 September 1944	In Italy, the Gothic Line is completely broken, and the 1st Canadian Corps advances to the River Canea. Canadian Loyal Edmonton Regiment captures Monte Luro, Italy. Adolf Hitler issues orders for the defence of "Fortress Crete". Czech Warrant Officer Frantisek Cyprich scores the last aerial victory by a single-seat biplane, in a Czech-built Avia B-534. The last V-1 bomb launched from France reaches England. Total deaths from V-1 bombs in England: 6184, seriously wounded: 17981. (late afternoon) In Italy, the Royal Canadian Dragoons reach the Adriatic Sea near the mouth of the Conca River. The Royal Canadian Dragoons cross the Conca River, Italy.
3 September 1944	The entire Canadian 1st Infantry Division reaches the Conca River in Italy. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division formally enters Dieppe. The British 2nd Army reaches Brussels, Belgium, liberating the city. 675 British aircraft attack six German airfields in Holland. One Halifax bomber is shot down. Sixty British bombers attack gun batteries near Brest, France.
4 September 1944	The Belgian port of Antwerp falls to the British 2nd Army. (The port is mostly undamaged, but the narrow approaches remain heavily fortified.) Former German Military Governor of Belgium, General Alexander Falkenhausen is hung for his part in the coup attempt. General Dwight Eisenhower directs British General Bernard Montgomery to secure Antwerp and seize the Ruhr.
5 September 1944	About 300 British bombers attack Le Havre, France. In France, parts of the US 3rd Army move up to the Moselle River. British General Bernard Montgomery writes to General Dwight Eisenhower, proposing one strong thrust toward Berlin to quickly end the war. Eisenhower replies that occupation of the Saar and Ruhr and use of Antwerp port must be achieved first. In France, the Canadian 3rd Division reaches Boulogne. German General Siegfried Westphal takes over as chief of staff for the western front. Adolf Hitler re-instates Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt as commander in Western Europe.
6 September 1944	The C and D Companies of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division cross the Gent Canal, and establish a small bridgehead in Moerbrugge, Belgium. British Bomber Command makes a daytime air raid on Emden, Germany, causing enormous fires and severe damage. British Vice-Chiefs of Staff decide "that rocket attacks on London need no longer be expected". (The first rocket lands two days later.) British General Bernard Montgomery tells Canadian General Harry Crerar to capture Boulogne, France, quickly. Kurt Meyer, commander of the German 12th Panzer Division is captured near Namur, Belgium.
7 September 1944	A Finnish delegation including new prime minister Hackzell negotiates for peace with Soviets in Moscow. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery resumes the advance of the British 2nd Army, reaching the Meuse-Escaut Canal. The British Air Ministry holds a large press conference in London. Duncan Sandys states "Except possibly for a few last shots, the Battle of London is over". (The latter half of the statement makes newspaper headlines worldwide.)  The first two German A-4 (V-2) rockets fired at an enemy are launched, both fired from Euskirchen, Germany, targeting Paris. A malfunction causes both to prematurely cut off the fuel supply, causing the rockets to fall back near the launch site.
8 September 1944	A German A-4 (V-2) rocket fired from Euskirchen lands successfully in the suburbs of Paris. In Germany, Ulrich von Hassell is executed. He was to serve as Foreign Minister in a post-Nazi government. Two German A-4 (V-2) rockets are launched from Walcheren Island, Holland, aimed at south-east London. The first German A-4 (V-2) rocket hits London, England, landing on Staveley Road in Chiswick, killing three and injuring 20. The explosion creates a crater 10-20 feet deep and 40 feet across. The full name of the rocket is Vergeltungswaffe 2 (Revenge Weapon 2), named by Adolf Hitler. A second German A-4 (V-2) rocket hits London, England, landing in Parnden Wood, in Epping Long Lane, 20 miles from Chiswick. There are no casualties.
9 September 1944	Bulgaria signs an armistice with the Allies. In the Irish Sea, Canadian frigate Dunver, corvette Hespeler, and Canadian aircraft sink German submarine U-484. British Vice-Chief of the Imperial Staff sends a message to Field Marshal Montgomery of 21 Army Group in Europe, asking when the coastal Holland area would be taken, due to the launching of rockets on London from the area. Soviet and Czechoslovakian forces advance to Dukla Pass close to Slovakia, through the Carpathian Mountains.
10 September 1944	German air forces attack the Tri Duby airfield in Slovakia in several waves. At the end, only four Slovak aircraft remain operational. Canadian engineers complete a bridge over the Gent Canal in Belgium, allowing tanks to cross. British General Bernard Montgomery and US General Dwight Eisenhower meet in Brussels, Belgium. Eisenhower agrees to an airborne operation with Arnhem as the first objective. Operation Comet, a one-division airborne assault toward Arnhem, becomes Operation Market Garden, involving three airborne divisions. A third German V-2 rocket hits England, landing at North Fambridge near Maldon, in Essex, about 40 miles east of London. There is no damage or casualites.
11 September 1944	A fourth German V-2 rocket hits England, landing at Chelsfield, near Orpington, in Kent, 16 miles from London. There are no casualites. A fifth German V-2 rocket hits England, landing at Magdalen Laver, near Harlow, in Essex. There are no casualites. Allied forces on land cross into Germany. The Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (Black Watch) of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade captures the town or Spycker in northern France. 38 British Lancaster bombers take off from Britain, headed for Yagodnik airfield near Archangel, in Russia. Their mission is to then launch attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz in Kaafjord, off Altenfjord. 129 British Halifax bombers make a daytime attack on oil plants at Castrop-Rauxel, Kamen, and Gelsenkirchen in Germany. Nine bombers are shot down; 90 are damaged. In Quebec City, Canada, Prime Minister William King hosts the Octagon Conference with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin Roosevelt. They discuss Germany, European military strategy, and the war against Japan. About 300 British bombers attack Le Havre, France. Since September 5, about 2500 sorties have been flown, dropping 9750 tons of bombs.
12 September 1944	A sixth German V-2 rocket hits England, landing at the Chrysler vehicle works in Mortlake Road, Kew, killing eight, injuring 14, and causing enormous damage. A seventh German V-2 rocket hits England, landing in Dagenham, injuring 84. American forces reach the German frontier south of Aachen. British Bomber Command makes air raids on oil targets in Dortmund, Scholver/Buer, and Wanne-Eickel in Germany. British Bomber Command makes a daytime air raid on Munster, Germany, causing serious destruction. Adolf Hitler issues orders for fortifications to be built in Southern Austria. Le Havre, France is liberated. Canadian forces clear Brugge town of Germans.   240 British bombers attack Darmstadt, Germany. 10,000 people are killed, about 70,000 are made homeless.
13 September 1944	US B-24 Liberator bombers destroy the I.G. Farben chemical works at Auschwitz. 55 planes are damaged, 9 are shot down. British General Bernard Montgomery tells Canadian General Harry Crerar to also capture Calais and Dunkirk, France, quickly. British Bomber Command makes a daytime air raid on Osnabruck, Germany, causing extensive damage to rail facilities. British General Bernard Montgomery orders the Canadian 1st Army to clear the Sheldt of German defenders. The Algonquin Regiment rifle companies of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division cross the double canals of Leopold and Lys, entering Molentje near Moerkerke, Belgium.
14 September 1944	Canadians withdraw back across the Leopold and Lys canals, due to strong German resistance. British Bomber Command attacks Raaphorst, a suburb of Wassenaar, Netherlands, suspected as a site of V-2 rocket storage. Canadian infantry from the ship Prince David liberate the Greek island of Kithera.
15 September 1944	Canadian forces begin attacks on fortifications west of Calais. Canadian 4th Division troops occupy Maldegem, Belgium. 28 British Lancaster bombers take off from Yagodnik, Russia, to attack the German battleship Tirpitz. They score one hit with a 12,000 pound bomb, causing serious damage. (As a result the Tirpitz is moved 200 miles south, to act as a floating gun battery.)   The Japanese draw up plans for attacking the French in Indochina. The Belgian government-in-exile returns from London, England. In France, Charles de Gaulle's government issues a decree incorporating regular resistance units into the armed forces. The Battle of Huertgen Forest begins. US 9th Infantry Division initiates action into the forest. Adolf Hitler orders the commandant of the city of Breslau to turn the area into a fortress.
16 September 1944	Eeklo, Belgium, is liberated by Canadian forces with no casualties, as Germans pull out. Adolf Hitler meets with military advisors at Wolfsschanze in East Prussia. Hitler announces he will launch an offensive through the Ardennes, with objective being Antwerp, Belgium. The idea is to isolate the British, Canadian, and two American armies in the north, and force their surrender. The reduced strength of the US might then cause them to make peace, fearful of communist Soviet Union. British Lancaster bombers attack Bremen, Germany. 30,000 people are left homeless.
17 September 1944	In France, Operation Wellhit begins. British Bomber Command sends 600 Lancaster and Halifax bombers, dropping 3000 tons of bombs on the slopes of Mont Lambert as the Canadian 1st Army begins a ground assault on Boulogne. The blackout in London, England, is replaced by a dim-out. British Bomber Command attacks Eikenhorst, a suburb of Wassenaar, Netherlands, suspected as a site of V-2 rocket storage. 762 British bombers attack Boulogne, France. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery launches Operation Market Garden, with 14 divisions. Nearly 2000 American CG-4A and 700 British Horga and Hamilcar gliders are launched from southern England, carrying the British 2nd Army and the US 101st Airborne Division. They land along 60 miles of road in Holland, leading into Germany. The objective is to capture bridges at Grave, Nijmegen, and Arnhem over the Rhine river.
18 September 1944	Adolf Hitler issues orders for fortifications to be built in Slovakia. The Allied air-drop at Arnhem puts the German V-2 rocket launch sites in The Hague at risk, so they are moved to Burgsteinfurt, north-west of Münster, forty miles inside Germany. No rockets are fired on England from the 19th to the 24th. By the end of Operation Market Garden, the gain is a 65-mile long corridor into the Netherlands, but at a cost of 11,850 British, American, and Polish army casualties. Canadian destroyers Algonquin and Sioux join the North Russia convoy run.
19 September 1944	In Canada, the Toronto Globe and Mail publishes a report by Major Connie Smythe accusing Canadian forces of lacking replacements, and that reinforcements are poorly trained. Eight fighters of the 1st Czech Regiment attack 40 aircraft at the German airfield at Piestany in Slovakia. They destroy ten and damage at least ten more, with a loss of only one of their planes. As a result, Germans cease to use the field as a base against Slovak resistance. American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill make a secret agreement that when an atomic bomb is available, it might be used on Japan. The German garrison at Brest, France, surrenders. Finland and the Soviet Union sign an armistice, ending the conflict between their countries.
20 September 1944	Canadian forces liberate Dutch towns of Sas-van-Gent and Philippine. 600 British bombers begin concentrated bombings on gun positions in Calais, France, dropping over 3000 tons of bombs. In Italy, San Fortunato, across Ausa River and through Rimini Line defenses, is captured.
21 September 1944	In Italy, Canadian forces reach the height of San Fortunato Ridge. German forces begin a second V-2 rocket offensive, on European targets, mainly Antwerp, Belgium, plus ten others. Allied forces enter Rimini in Italy.
22 September 1944	In a security zone safe at the German Army center of the July 20 coup conspiracy, a cache of documents is discovered listing names of most involved in assassination attempts since 1938. Boulogne, France, surrenders to Canadian forces. 9517 prisoners are taken.
23 September 1944	British Bomber Command aircraft breach the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany with a 12,000-pound bomb.
24 September 1944	British air attacks on Calais gun positions resume after several days of bad weather. Eight bombers are shot down. Canadian Defence Minister James Ralston leaves Canada for a personal inspection of Canadian forces in Europe, to determine if accusations of over-used men and poorly trained recruits are true. 156 British Lancaster bombers attack the twin aqueducts over River Grane in Germany. Both are breached.
25 September 1944	Operation Undergo commences with Canadian forces attacking Calais, France, quickly capturing three large gun positions. The British Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force issue a joint directive that oil targets in Germany are to be the top priority of aerial bombing. The German V-2 rocket attack on England is resumed, as a rocket lands at Hoxne in Suffolk, twenty miles from the target Norwich in Norfolk.
26 September 1944	227 British Lancaster bombers attack Kaiserlautern, Germany, destroying one third of the town.
28 September 1944	British bombers make their last bombing raid on gun positions in Calais, France. Over nine days, about 3000 sorties were flown, dropping 8000 tons of bombs.
30 September 1944	Calais, France, surrenders to the Allies.