80 Years Ago, 27 July 1944 Thursday

USN

PACIFIC–As TF 58 strikes against Japanese installations and shipping in the western Carolines continue, Navy carrier planes sink fast transport T.1 off Palau; planes from carrier Bunker Hill (CV-17) sink landing ship T.150.

            Submarine Dace (SS-247) attacks Japanese convoy and sinks fleet tanker No.2 Kyoei Maru about 90 miles south of Zamboanga, 05°25'N, 121°42'E.

            USAAF B-24s, B-25s and P-38s work over Japanese shipping near Halmahera Island, damaging motor sailboat Genjo Maru.

            Japanese escort destroyer Kunashiri is damaged (cause unspecified) west of Paramushiro, Kurils.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–67 B-24’s bomb coastal battery at Gravelines, GAF signals equipment at Brussels, and oil installations and industrial plants at Ghent. 79 Heavy Bombers return to base without bombing due to low-lying haze which obscures coastal targets. 3 fighter groups perform escort duty and strafe ground targets, destroying aircraft, 2 vehicles, 2 locomotives, and some rolling stock. Only single fighter is lost.

NINTH AF–Bad weather causes recall of Medium Bombers and Light Bombers sent to bomb Loire and Seine bridges. Fighters attack rail lines enemy installations and movements NW and SW of Paris, and bomb gun positions and other military targets in the Coutances-Saint-Lo area in support of US ground forces which break through W of Saint-Lo.

TWELFTH AF–A-20’s fly night patrols on 26/27 Jul over Po Valley, bombing lights and vehicles at Piacenza, Modena, and Verona. Both Medium Bombers and Fighter Bombers concentrate on bridges in Po Valley and NW Italy throughout the day. Numerous hits are scored on bridges and other targets, including parked airplanes, guns, and railroads.

FIFTEENTH AF–366 B-17’s and B-24’s bomb armament works at Budapest. 24 other B-24’s attack Pecs M/ Y. P-38’s and P-51’s escort the Budapest mission.

TENTH AF–40-plus Fighter Bombers hit Taungni. Myitkyina, Kamaing-Mogaung area, and bridge at Sahmaw.

FOURTEENTH AF–17 P-40’s hit river and lake shipping S of Yogang and in Siangtan area, strafe truck columns S of Changsha, and bomb and strafe troops, horses, and compounds in Nanyo area.

FEAF–B-24’s hit airfield on Woleai and supply areas on Mariaon and Tagaulap Is. Other B-24’s bomb A/ Fs at Lolobata and Miti while B-25’s hit Galela airfield. B-24’s and B-25’s bomb shipping and air facilities at Ransiki, Moemi, and Babo, hit freighter in Kaiboes Bay, and bomb AA positions at Kokas, while A-20’s blast fuel dumps at Nabire. P-39’s strafe concentrations and small vessels along W coast of Geelvink Bay. A-20’s, B-25’s, and Fighter Bombers hit troop concentrations, supply dumps, gun positions, barges, and a variety of other targets along coast from Aitape to Wewak to Cape Moem. B-24’s bomb Laha, Namlea, Cape Chater, and Dili.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s and B-25’s from Saipan hit Tinian. B-24’s from the Marshalls bomb Truk. B-25’s based at Makin, hit Jaluit.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps is hampered more by delaying obstacles than by enemy opposition as it moves forward on W flank of army. 79th Div overruns Lessay, and 8th pushes southward between there and Périers. 90th Div occupies Priers and crosses the Taute just E of there. 83d Div gets patrols across the Taute on left flank of corps. First elements of 6th Armd Div (Tr A of 86th Cav Rcn Sq, mechanized) are committed through 8th Div and clear heights near Le Bingard. 13th Inf, 8th Div, is attached to 4th Armd Div. In VII Corps area, 1st Inf and 2d and 3d Armd Divs make main effort southward while other elements of corps facilitate their movement and expand positions on flanks of salient. 1st Div and CCB, 3d Armd Div, drive SW toward Coutances, reaching Camprond. 2d Armd Div thrusts spearheads to Notre Dame de Cenilly and Fervaches. XIX Corps commits 28th Div to line in preparation for attack. V Corps extends W during day to include 35th Div, which is now attacking in St LB area, and takes high ground just W and S of St Lô. 5th and 2d Divs make limited progress against strong opposition, overrunning Notre Dame d’Elle.

EASTERN EUROPE—Troops of Second Baltic Front seize Dvinsk, on Dvina R. Bialystok falls to forces of Second White Russian Front after hard battle of about a week. Columns of First Ukrainian Front take Lwow and Stanislawow.

ITALY—AAI: In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, enemy falls back toward Florence as NZ 2d Div takes S Casciano.

CBI—In NCAC area of Burma, 3d Bn of NEW GALAHAD succeeds in taking northern airstrip at Myitkyina and turns it over to 209th and 236th Engr Bns to defend. Japanese garrison of Myitkyina is becoming less aggressive. On Salween front, after mopping up on Mt. Lai-feng, Chinese count some 400 Japanese dead for their loss of 1,200.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, 2d Bn of 127th Inf, South Force, drives S beyond Afua–Palauru trail, but returns to starting line when enemy threatens its communications. 1st Bn, 127th Inf, and part of 1st Sq, 112th Cav, clear enemy from heights near South Force’s supply base. In Wakde-Sarmi area, 6th Div, less RCT 20, begins to leave for the Vogelkop operation.

TINIAN—After preparatory bombardment, marines continue attack and advance rapidly, clearing northern third of island by 1600. Ushi Pt airfield is under repair.

GUAM—1st Prov Mar Brig continues to clear Orote Peninsula: 22d Marines advances steadily against light resistance on right, but 4th Marines is soon pinned down by fire from prepared enemy positions. In N beachhead, 3d Mar Div extends its right flank 1,500 yards and its left 200 yards across Chonito cliff but is still unable to make much progress in center toward Mt. Chachao. To accelerate link up of the 2 beachheads, 77th Div is ordered to extend its positions northward beyond Mt. Tenjo, decreasing ground to be covered by 3d Mar Div.

 

USMC

Adm Nimitz and Gen MacArthur meet with President Roosevelt at Pearl Harbor to determine future Pacific strategy