80 Years Ago, Wednesday, 5 July 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Plaice (SS-390) sinks Japanese auxiliary net layer Kogi Maru off Ototo Jima, 27°43'N, 141°02'E.

            Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) sinks Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Shinmei Maru off Paramushiro, Kurils,51°28'N, 156°28'E.

            USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.1 Koshu Maru off Gorong Island, 04°54'S, 131°28'E. Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Koshu Maru is sunk by aircraft in Java Sea south of Celebes Island, 04°00'S, 121°28'E.

ATLANTIC–Destroyer escorts Thomas (DE-102) and Baker (DE-190), from TG 22.5, sink German minelayer submarine U-233 off Halifax, Nova Scotia, 42°16'N, 59°49'W.

EUROPE–U.S. freighter Sea Porpoise, en route from Utah Beach, Normandy, to Southampton, England, is torpedoed by German submarine U-390 at 4937'N, 0051'W. There are no fatalities among the 90-man merchant complement, 45- man Armed Guard and 24 passengers, and the ship is ultimately repaired and returned to service.

CARIBBEAN–U.S. tanker Kittanning, torpedoed the previous day by German submarine U-539, is taken in tow by tug Woodcock (ATO-145) before engine trouble compels the ship to abandon the attempt. Panama Canal tugs Tavernilla and Cardenas, and, ultimately, Maritime Commission tug Jupiter Inlet bring the damaged vessel to Cristobal.

MEDITERRANEAN–USAAF B-17s and B-24s bomb Montpellier and Beziers marshalling yards, as well as submarine pens and harbor installations at Toulon; German submarines U-586 and U-642 are sunk at the latter port.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–233 Heavy Bombers attack 3 airfields in the Netherlands and 2 in Belgium, a factory near Mol, and 3 V-weapon supply sites in France. 184 fighters fly sorties in support of the Heavy Bombers. 70 B-17’s on shuttle mission (UK-USSR-Italy UK) attack marshalling yard at Beziers (with Fifteenth AF B-24’s) while on last leg from Italy to UK. 42 VIII FC P- 51’s return to UK with the B-17’s. (Of the 11 P-51’s remaining in Italy, 10 return to UK the following day and the last several days later.)”

NINTH AF–About 180 Medium Bombers and Light Bombers bomb bridges at Caen and also rail sidings, tracks, and rolling stock. In the afternoon 4 NOBALL HQ are hit. 600-plus fighters escort IX BC, carry out armed recon of comm and enemy movements, attack rail lines, rolling stock, marshalling yards, bridges, supply dumps, and cover beach area.

TWELFTH AF–B-25’s bomb Villafranca di Verona marshalling yard, Aulla railroad bridge, and Ostiglia fuel dumps while A-20’s blast supply dump and rail lines. Fighter Bombers hit tracks, bridges, roads, and other targets in battle area as US Fifth Army continues fierce fighting around Rosignano.

FIFTEENTH AF–Almost 500 B-17’s and B-24’s bomb Montpellier and Beziers marshalling yards and Toulon submarine pens and harbor installations. Close to 200 fighter sorties are flown in support of the missions.

TENTH AF–20-plus P-40’s and A-36’s continue support in Myitkyina sector while 12 other airplanes fly armed recon in same area. 20-plus other P-40’s, P-51’s, and A-36’s hit targets of opportunity in areas around Hopin, Namma, and Naungtalaw. The town area of Naungtalaw also is pounded by 11 B-25’s.

FOURTEENTH AF–136 Fighter Bombers and 64 Medium Bombers attack targets throughout Tungting Lake area. Targets include river shipping, warehouses, troops, artillery, trucks, and other targets of opportunity at Liling, Lukou, Pingkiang, Yungfengshih, Siangyin, and Chuting. Hengyang airfield is bombed, and supplies are dropped to Chinese forces in the vicinity. In Salween area 40 transports drop supplies to Chinese forces on battleline, and 4 Fighter Bombers pound town and vicinity of Tengchung. 22 B-24’s bomb supply and ammo depot at Canton. 6 Medium Bombers attack airfields in the area. 5 B-24’s lay mines in Shanghai harbor.

FEAF–In area around Wewak A-20’s and Fighter Bombers hit dumps at Dagua and attack barges during 4/5 Jul. B-24’s bomb airstrips and AA guns at Yap and Woleai; Sorol and Paliau I are also hit. Light strikes are flown in support of troops on Noemfoor I and against barges, airfields, and troop concentrations at Efman and Biak Is and at Moemi, Manokwari, and in Wakde area.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s fly Fighter Bomber operations over Saipan, Rota, and Tinian.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, 35th Div begins landing on the Continent. VIII Corps overruns RR stations of La Haye-du- Puits. VII Corps continues to make slow progress toward Priers.

ITALY—AAI: Gen Wilson, as result of decision to undertake ANVIL, issues new directive calling for AAI to advance to Po R line and from there to line Venice–Padua–Verona–Brescia; promises that U.S. 92d Div and a Brazilian div may be expected as reinforcements, former about 15 September and latter by end of October. In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 135th Inf of 34th Div gains about half of Rosignano as stubborn fighting continues; 442d secures positions on ridge some 2 miles E and 1 mile N of Rosignano; 168th and 363d Regts maintain and consolidate positions to right.

            In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps meets stiffening resistance all along line. Efforts to break through to cut Highway 69 W of Arezzo fail. 4th Div takes Tuori. In 10 Corps area, Ind 10th Div reaches Umbertide. Germans are again withdrawing in front of corps. In Pol 2 Corps area, Badia falls to 3d Carpathian Div.

CBI—On Salween front, Ch 8th Army (82d, 103d, and Hon 1st Divs), which has assembled E and S of Sung Shan, begins assault on that enemy stronghold after night-long arty preparation. 2 Ch regts attack at dawn and make limited gains, which they lose to Japanese counterattack.

NEW GUINEA—On Noemfoor, 1st Bn ( — ) of 158th Inf, on Hill 201, repels the only major counterattack offered by Japanese during the Noemfoor operation early in morning and virtually annihilates the enemy force of 350–400. 2d Bn, 158th, prepares to land at Namber airdrome, on SW coast, while other elements of TF CYCLONE continue search for enemy. In Wakde-Sarmi area, elements of 63d Inf take crest of Mt. Saksin.

SAIPAN—VAC begins final phase of assault on island with 27th Div on left and 4th Mar Div on right. 27th Div’s 105th Inf pushes slowly forward along coast and in coconut grove to E, but is stopped on right by deep canyon, called Harakiri Gulch, ideally suited for defense. 165th Inf tries in vain to enter the canyon on left but has little action on right. 4th Mar Div advances with 24th Regt on left and 25th on right, after 23d clears to line of departure in morning; is almost unopposed as it drives about 1,200 yards from line of departure to its objective for day, since enemy has been unable to establish line in this region.

 

USMC