Today in World War II History—December 26, 1939 & 1944
Thursday, December 26, 2024 by Sarah Sundin
Soldiers of US Third Army fighting to relieve besieged troops at Bastogne, Belgium, Dec. 1944 (US Army photo)
85 Years Ago—Dec. 26, 1939: First Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel arrive for service in Britain.
80 Years Ago—Dec. 26, 1944: US Third Army under Patton opens a corridor to Bastogne, relieving the defenders.
German Ardennes Offensive grinds to a halt due to stiff opposition and to supply problems caused by Allied bombing.
In Italy, Germans launch a counterattack against the US Fifth Army in the Serchio Valley, retaking territory.
US Army allows Blacks to volunteer for combat infantry duty in Black platoons in existing white units.
Tennessee Williams’s play The Glass Menagerie premieres in Chicago.
