80 Years Ago, Monday, 10 July 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese merchant fishing boat No.5 Shosei Maru 30 miles west of Danjo Island,32°12'N, 127°00'E.

            British submarine HMS Tally Ho damages Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.3 Choun Maru off Bernam River, Malaya.

            RNZAF Corsairs, in strike on Japanese shipping in Keravia Bay, Rabaul, sink auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 23,04°13'S, 152°11'E.

EUROPE–Command designated U.S. Ports and Bases, France (Rear Admiral John Wilkes) is established with headquarters at Cherbourg.

 

AAF

NINTH AF–Fighters bomb and strafe gun positions, bridges, rail overpass, inf concentrations, and highway junctions, and cover battle area.

TWELFTH AF–Medium Bombers successfully hit marshalling yards, railroad bridges, and viaducts in NC Italy. Weather restricts Fighter Bombers and fighters but several targets are hit, including airfield at Modena and scattered gun positions, rail lines, and roads.

TENTH AF–24 P-40’s and P-51’s support ground forces at Myitkyina. 20-plus A-36’s P-51’s, P-47’s, and P-40’s hit Mogaung, buildings and boxcars at Mohnyin, trucks at Sahmaw, factory at Loiwing, and Punga pagoda. Railroad supply area at Mohnyin is bombed by 6 B-25’s.

FOURTEENTH AF–70 P-40’s and 6 B-25’s hit river shipping between Siangtan and Siangsiang, between Changsha and Chuchou, and N of Hengyang; strafe and bomb posts and trucks in Pingkiang, Tungcheng, and Tsungyang areas and in Changsha-Kweilin area; and bomb airfields at Hankow and Wuchang.

FEAF–B-24’s attack Laha, Namlea, and targets of opportunity in Boeroe-Ceram-Amboina area. A-20’s, Fighter Bombers, and a B-25 hit troops, villages, and barges in Wewak area. B-24’s bomb airfields and town areas at Yap, Gagil-Tomil I and Sorol. Operations also include smallscale strikes in Wakde area and snooper and armed recon missions over the Carolines.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s hit troops and gun positions on Tinian. B-24’s, staging through Eniwetok, pound Truk during 9/10 Jul and again during the day.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery issues orders for offensive, calling for strong southward drive (COBRA) by U.S. First Army, which will be assisted by Br Second Army attack E and S of Caen. In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps advances some 3,000 yards beyond La Haye-du-Puits, 90th Div overrunning Mont Castre Forest. VII Corps continues attack with 3 divs—4th, 83d, and 9th, from W to E—and reaches general vicinity of St Eny, Tribehou, and Le Désert. In XIX Corps area, CCB of 3d Armd Div renews efforts to reach Hauts-Vents but is stopped a little short. 120th Inf, 30th Div, pulls up almost abreast CCB, forward elements reaching village of Le Rocher; 119th Inf, on 30th Div left flank, reaches positions just short of Belle-Lande. In Br Second Army area, 1 Corps mops up within Caen. 8 Corps begins drive toward Thury Harcourt, attacking between the Odon and the Orne. 43d Div takes Eterville and Hill 112, between Eterville and Evrecy, but is unable to secure Maltot. USSR—Field Marshal Walter Model, who has replaced Field Marshal Ernst Busch as commander of German Army Group Center, proposes that Army Group North be withdrawn behind the Dvina in order to employ elements on central front, but Hitler refuses. By this time, German 9th and 4th Armies have been virtually destroyed on central front. Troops of Third White Russian Front encircle Vilno.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 135th and 442d Regts, on 34th Div left flank, make slow progress toward Leghorn; on right, 133d Inf attacks through Casale and 363d moves forward abreast it. Progress on right flank of IV Corps is negligible.

CBI—On Salween front, 307th Regt of 103d Div, Ch 8th Army, is continuing costly efforts to clear enemy from Sung Shan. 11 Army Group: In Br Fourteenth Army’s 33 Corps area, Japanese have been cleared from immediate vicinity of Ukhrul.

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, Cos K and L of 163d Inf push into Ibdi Pocket. In Aitape area, TF PERSECUTION begins rcn in force E of the Driniumor. 1st Bn, 128th Inf, crosses at mouth of river and drives along coast almost to Yakamul, dispersing 2 enemy groups en route. 2d Sq, 112th Cav, crosses to S and moves cautiously through jungle about a mile, making no contact with enemy. Rest of TF PERSECUTION forces in Driniumor area regroup. During night 10– 11, enemy attacks W across the Driniumor in force, breaking through line of PERSECUTION Covering Force on 1,300-yard front and threatening Paup villages along coast. Co E, 128th Inf, is overwhelmed and suffers heavy casualties. Co G is also heavily hit but checks enemy onslaughts. Rcn forces E of the river are ordered to withdraw to river line.

 

USMC