80 Years Ago, 22 July 1944 Saturday

USN

PACIFIC–President Roosevelt sails for Hawaii in heavy cruiser Baltimore (CA-68) to confer with Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur and focus attention on the Pacific campaign and encourage American armed forces that the President is devoting his personal attention to that theater of war--at a time when the European war appears to be attracting the most headlines.

 

AAF

NINTH AF–1 group of Light Bombers and 2 groups of Medium Bombers attack rail bridge at Bourth and fuel dumps at Foret de Conches and Flers. 4 groups of Fighter Bombers fly armed recon and rail cutting missions during late evening. 1 group escorts IX BC. Fighters of IX TAC escort over 100 C-47’s on supply-evacuation run to the Continent, and provide cover over battle area.

TWELFTH AF–Weather again curtails operations. During night and day operations A-20’s carry out armed recon of Lucca, Florence, Genoa, and Milan areas, bombing scattered motor transport, and attack munitions factory. B-25’s bomb bridges at Ronco Scrivia and Cogoli. Fighter Bombers hit roads, railroads, bridges, gun positions, trains, and vehicles in and N of battle area, and strafe airplanes at Bergamo airfield.

FIFTEENTH AF–76 P-38’s and 58 P-51’s begin second Fifteenth AF shuttle missions, attacking airfields at Zilistea and Buzau (claiming destruction of 56 enemy airplanes) and landing at FRANTIC bases in the USSR. 458 B-17’s and B-24’s (with fighter escorts) bomb oil refinery at Ploesti and other Heavy Bombers hit alternate targets of Verciorova marshalling yard, Orsova railroad bridge, and Kragujevac marshalling yard.

TENTH AF–14 P-40’s attack forces in Myitkyina area. 7 B-25’s bomb railroad at Mohnyin while 2 hit storage sheds at Maingna.

FOURTEENTH AF–120-plus P-40’s and P-51’s attack town area, airfield, railroad yards, and shipping at Hengyang, bomb towns of Chaling, Yuhsien, and Chuchou, hit river shipping, troops, trucks, and targets of opportunity in areas around Changsha, Kiaotow, Siangtan, and Sinshih, and hit troop compounds and shipping at Yuhsien. 25 B- 24’s bomb Changsha, causing heavy damage. 31 P-40’s and P-51’s blast Tsingyun and strafe about 40 junks to the S of town. 4 P-40’s sink several large junks off NE Indochina coast.

FEAF–B-24’s again attack airfield on Yap. B-24’s, B-25’s, A-20’s, and an assortment of Fighter Bombers direct their main attacks against several shipping terminals in the Vogelkop Peninsula area, sink sub chaser off Morotai, bomb Saumlakki, and hit But airfield and personnel areas, barge hideouts, supply and ammo dumps, bridges and roads at, and to the W of, Wewak.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s from Saipan, using fire-bombs for the first time, hit Tinian and Pagan. Makin-based B-25’s pound Ponape.

ELEVENTH AF–2 B-25’s flying negative shipping search encounter bomber which evades contact.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VIII Corps area, 90th Div elements move to area of St Germain-sur-Sèves but are later forced to withdraw.

            In Br Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 43d Div, in limited attack, takes Maltot.

FRANTIC—Renewing shuttle bombing after lapse of about a month, 76 P–38’s and 58 P–51’s of U.S. Fifteenth Air Force attack airfields in Rumania, claiming destruction of 56 enemy planes, and land at Soviet bases. At the same time, heavy bombers of same air force attack Ploesti oil targets in force.

USSR-FINLAND—Russians on the Finnish front are now at 1940 Soviet-Finnish border.

POLAND—Soviet forces driving on Lublin overwhelm Chelm.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 34th Div begins clearing region below the Arno on left flank of corps at 2200. 91st Div finishes cleaning out its zone below the Arno.

            In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps extends westward to take over sector previously held by FEC, including Highway 2. Ind 8th Div now holds positions, on extreme left with NZ 2d Div to its right. In 10 Corps area, Ind 10th Div takes Citta di Castello and continues N.

CBI—Gen Stilwell, in radio message to Gen Hearn, his chief of staff, establishes CBI policy on support of Chinese forces in E China. Stilwell says that Gen Chennault should admit his failure to stop Japanese by air alone to Chiang Kai-shek, who could then decide what revision should be made in allocation of Hump tonnage.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, 2d Bn of 169th Inf, 43d Div, moves to right of 124th Inf, North Force, along the Driniumor. Japanese make unsuccessful attacks against North Force in effort to regain crossing of the Driniumor. Enemy continues active in Afua area. Efforts to relieve isolated Tr C, 112th Cav, are futile, and South Force is obliged to refuse its right flank, leaving Afua to enemy and Tr C isolated. On Biak, after air and arty preparation, 2 cos of 163d Inf attack Ibdi Pocket and clear it without serious opposition.

TINIAN—Softening up of island continues.

GUAM—Marines repel counterattacks on both beachheads and then expand them toward final beachhead line. 3d Mar Div thrusts salient 1,000 yards inland toward Mt. Chachao and seizes Piti Navy Yard; in shore-to-shore operation, elements begin clearing Cabras I. 1st Prov Mar Brig, reinf by RCT 305, gains Mt. Alifan and final beachhead line on S flank of corps. Gen Geiger orders 1st Prov Mar Brig to clear Orote Peninsula upon relief by 77th Div. Advance party of 306th Inf, which is to accomplish the relief, arrives to prepare for landing of rest of the regt.

 

USMC

Softening up of Tinian continues. Marines repel counterattacks on Guam and continue advance inland.