Today in World War II History—January 23, 1944

US Army troops land at Anzio, Italy, while ships are bombed by the Luftwaffe, January 1944 (US Army photo)

80 Years Ago—Jan. 23, 1944: Australians take Shaggy Ridge in the Finisterre Mountains of New Guinea, securing the Huon Peninsula.

Countdown to D-day: Gen. Dwight Eisenhower approves a 5-division front for D-day rather than the original 3-division front, which necessitates postponing the invasion date from May 1 to June 1 to obtain enough LSTs (landing ship, tank).

Off Anzio, Luftwaffe bombers sink British destroyer HMS Janus with a glide bomb and damage destroyer HMS Jervis with a Fritz-X bomb.

Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (“The Scream”) dies in Oslo, age 80; his art is banned by the Nazi occupiers.

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