80 Years Ago, 29 July 1944 Saturday

USN

PACIFIC–Heavy cruiser Baltimore (CA-68), with President Roosevelt embarked, departs Pearl Harbor for Adak, Aleutians.

            Tank landing ship LST-340 is damaged by grounding, Marianas, 15°10'N, 145°58'E.

            Submarine Drum (SS-228) sinks Japanese sampan Asahi Maru 100 miles off Palau, 09°18'N, 133°20'E.

            Submarine Perch (SS-313) sinks Japanese guard boat Kannon Maru I-Go in Philippine Sea, east of Dinagat Island,10°46'N, 127°13'E.

EUROPE–USAAF B-17s (Eighth Air Force) bomb oil refinery near Bremen; German submarines U-878 and U-2323 are lost this day in bombing raids on that German port city.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–568 B-17’s bomb synthetic oil plant at Merseburg and 32 bomb targets of opportunity in 2 nearby towns. Fighters of 9 groups fly 477 sorties in support of Heavy Bombers; 2 groups later strafe ground targets. A second force of 444 B-17’s bombs oil refinery near Bremen. 2 P-51 groups fly escort. A third force of 74 B-24’s escorted by 2 fighter groups attacks airfields at Laon/Couvrron and Juvincourt-et-Damary. Overall, 14 Heavy Bombers and 7 fighters are lost. Claims of airplanes destroyed amount to 26 by the Heavy Bombers and 20 by the fighters (including a jet aircraft near Bremen.)”

NINTH AF–Bad weather cancels all IX BC missions. Fighters fly armed recon in Rouen, Amiens, Beaumont-en-Beine, Tours, Vendome, and Le Mans areas, furnish assault area cover, carry out armed recon of enemy installations and movement in battle area, and provide cover in support of US First Army.

TWELFTH AF–Weather cancels Medium Bomber operations. Fighter Bombers, operating on reduced scale, hit buildings at Diano Marina and bridges, rail lines, airfields, and vehicles in N Italy.

FIFTEENTH AF–Weather cancels all bombing operations. 14 P-38’s, taking off from Russian bases, sweep Kecskemet area.

TENTH AF–About 100 Fighter Bombers bomb Myitkyina, Kamaing, and Mogaung areas and strafe Indaw. More than 20 others attack targets at Myothit, Chyahkan, Mainghka, Nawna and Nansawlaw, and hit bridge at Panghkam. Troop area at Naungtalaw is bombed by 9 B-25’s.

FOURTEENTH AF–26 B-24’s bomb Samah Bay storage area. 27 B-25’s hit Yulin harbor, Hankow airfield, Kaifeng railroad yards, and town of Tengchung. 80-plus P-40’s and P-51’s on armed recon hit bridges, troops, supplies, and river, road, and rail traffic throughout vast area including towns of Liling, Sinsiang, Hengshan, Changsha, Siangtan, Chaling, Liuyang, and Chuchou.

FEAF–B-24’s bomb supply areas on Woleai I; nearby islands of Mariaon and Tagaulap are also hit. Other B- 24’s bomb airfields at Boela, Namlea, and Cape Chater, and pound Moemi, Sagan, Otawiri, and Urarom. Medium Bombers hit oil targets at Karaka, shipping off Sorong and Cape Fatagar, and a supply village W of Babo. P- 39’s bomb Windissi and strafe troop concentrations along W shore of Geelvink Bay for third consecutive day. In NE New Guinea bombers and fighters continue pounding the N coast, hitting troops, bridges and stores at Wewak and along Harech Creek, and targets of opportunity in Yakamul area.

TWENTIETH AF–Over 70 B-29’s out of Chengtu bomb Showa Steel Works at Anshan and harbor at Taku. The first VHeavy Bomber to be shot down on a combat mission falls to 5 fighters near Chenghsien (which the B-29 bombs after engine trouble causes abort from primary mission). Another B-29 bombs Chinwangtao before making forced landing at friendly field near Ankang.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s continue to hit Tinian. B-24’s hit Truk and B-25’s attack Ponape.

ELEVENTH AF–3 B-24’s fly bombing and recon runs over Shimushu and Paramushiru sites including Kurabu Cape installations.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps continues pursuit with 6th and 4th Armd Divs abreast spearheading and motorized combat teams of infantry following. CCA, 6th Armd Div, secures crossing of Sienne R near Pont de la Roche on W flank of corps. CCA, 4th Armd Div, drives to Cerences. VII Corps’ attack swerves from SW to S and reaches general line Cerences– Hambye–Percy. Enemy tank columns withdrawing along highway from Roney to St Denis-le-Gast suffer extremely heavy losses under air, arty, and tank attacks. In XIX Corps area, 29th Div is committed on right flank of corps, relieving elements of CCA, 2d Armd Div, and drives to positions E of Percy, where it is in contact with VII Corps. 30th Div meets strong opposition as it continues S along W bank of the Vire toward Tessy-sur-Vire. V Corps pushes quickly toward Torigny-sur-Vire.

ITALY—AAI: In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, Ind 8th Div, on W flank of corps, reaches the Arno near Empoli. 4th Div takes M. Scalari after hard battle.

BURMA—Gen Giffard, CG 11 Army Group, orders Gen Slim, CG Br Fourteenth Army, to draw up detailed plans for CAPITAL.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, Gen Hall decides to counterattack with 124th Inf, reinf by 2d Bn of 169th. 1st Bn, 169th, relieves 2d Bn, 124th, of task of patrolling Palauru–Chinapelli region. 1st Sq, 112th Cav, and 2d Bn, 127th Inf, attack to improve positions of South Force in Afua area but make little progress. Co G, 127th Inf, holding exposed outpost, is forced E under enemy attack to heights about 300 yards W of Afua.

TINIAN—2d and 4th Mar Divs continue to clear Tinian, 2d gaining ground rapidly on W but 4th slowed by considerable resistance on heights to E.

GUAM—1st Prov Mar Brig clears tenacious enemy defenders from Orote airstrip and completes capture of the peninsula by 1700. 3d Mar and 77th Inf Divs are patrolling actively from beachhead perimeter in preparation for next phase of attack.

 

USMC