80 Years Ago, Saturday, 8 July 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Cruisers and destroyers of TG 53.18 (Rear Admiral C. Turner Joy) begin daily bombardment of Japanese defenses on Guam; battleships join the bombardment group beginning 14 July.

            Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks Japanese guard boat Moji Maru east of Borneo, 02°25'N, 118°14'E.

            Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Matsu Maru off Honshu, 41°17'N, 141°30'E.

            U.S. aircraft sink Japanese guard boats No.11 Ebisu Maru, No.3 Fukuei Maru, No.1 Hosei Maru, Kofuku Maru, No.1Kofuku Maru, No.3 Kofuku Maru, and No.3 Sachitaka Maru off Saipan.

            Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers No.19 Nitto Maru and No.20 Nitto Maru are sunk by aircraft off Rabaul, New Britain.

ATLANTIC–Tank landing ships LST-312 and LST-384 are damaged by V-1 rocket-bomb while moored at Naval Advance Amphibious Base, Deptford, England.

CARIBBEAN–Submarine chaser SC-1299 rescues 18 survivors from U.S. tanker Esso Harrisburg, sunk by German submarine U-516 on 6 July. Dutch escort vessel Queen Wilhelmina rescues 31 Esso Harrisburg survivors that same day. Subsequently, the last group of survivors reaches the Colombian coast.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–467 Heavy Bombers, operating in 4 forces, bomb 13 railroad facilities (bridges, junctions, sidings, lines, viaducts, and embankments), 3 marshalling yards, a highway junction, 5 airfields, and 10 V-weapon installations, all in France. Nearly 450 others are forced to abort, mainly because of very heavy cloud conditions. 9 Heavy Bombers are lost. 14 fighter groups support day’s operations. 596 fighters complete sorties, claiming 20 aircraft, 15 locomotives, and several railroad cars and road vehicles destroyed by strafing and bombing. 1 fighter is lost.

NINTH AF–About 280 Medium Bombers and Light Bombers bomb V-weapon HQ at Chateau-de Ribeaucourt, numerous strongoints in Caen battle area, rail bridges at Mantes-La-Jolie, Saumur, Nogent-leRoi, and Caen and (late in evening) fuel dumps in Rennes and bridge at Nantes. Fighters escort the bombers and fly armed recon throughout wide areas of France, concentrating on front-line area. Targets hit include marshalling yards, bridges, ammo and supply dumps, troop concentrations and tanks.

TWELFTH AF–During 7/8 Jul A-20’s bomb areas in or near Empoli, Agliana, and Lucca, and hit fuel dumps the following day. Medium Bombers pound marshalling yards at Novi Ligure, Piacenza, Mantua, and Ferrara and tracks near Parma. Fighter Bombers again blast railroads, roads, and bridges N of battleline, which is advancing N from above Cecina toward Leghorn.

FIFTEENTH AF–520-plus Heavy Bombers attack targets in Vienna area, bombing refineries at Vosendorf and Korneuburg, airfield at Zwolfaxing, Markersdorf, and Munchendorf, and marshalling yard and oil storage at Vienna/Floridsdorf, and airfield at Veszprem. Fighters fly well over 200 sorties in support of Heavy Bomber missions which are opposed by more than 100 fighters. 14 US aircraft are lost. Heavy Bombers and fighters claim more than 50 fighters shot down.

TENTH AF–30-plus A-36’s and P-40’s hit bridge at Myitkyina and support ground forces in the area. 12 B-25’s also pound Myitkyina.

FOURTEENTH AF–Medium Bombers and Fighter Bombers fly nearly 100 sorties against targets in Tungting Lake area. River shipping is hit hard throughout the whole lake area. Trucks, bridges, warehouses, supply dumps, troop concentrations, Japanese posts, and targets of opportunity are attacked at Sinshih, Sinyang, Leiyang, Liling, Chuchou, Puchi, Siangsiang, and Yuhsien. 18 B-24’s bomb military area near Canton, and 37 P-40’s attack Japaneseheld villages and river shipping NW of Canton. In Indochina 10 P-40’s hit shipping all along coast while 5 B-26’s knock out 2 bridges at Cam Lo. 20 Japanese airplanes bomb Suichwan airfield, rendering it temporarily unusable. Enemy airplanes also damage Kanchou airfield.

FEAF–Medium Bombers and Fighter Bombers hit fuel dumps, barges, villages, and various other targets at Babo, Fak Fak, Sagan, Kokas, at mouth of Maroe R, along Cape Kariensore, and W of Namber. B-25’s, A-20’s, Fighter Bombers and a few Heavy Bombers attack Woleai, hitting barges, gun positions, and comm targets.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s fly Fighter Bomber operations against troops on Saipan, Pagan, and Tinian. During 7/8 Jul B-24’s stage through Eniwetok and bomb Truk. More B-24’s follow with another raid during the day.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps overruns La Haye-du-Puits during attack from W by 79th Div. Newly arrived 8th Div enters line between 79th and 90th Divs. VII Corps continues efforts to advance down Carentan– Priers road against strong opposition. In XIX Corps area, 113th Cav GP, 30th Div, and 3d Armd Div expand bridgehead despite difficulty in co-ordinating movement of infantry and armor within limited sector. On W, 113th Cav Gp overruns villages of Goucherie and Le Mesnil-Veneron; late in day the group is attached to CCA, 3d Armd Div, which has crossed into bridgehead and is pushing toward Le Desert. 30th Div, with 120th Inf on right, 117th in center, and 119th on left, advances toward Le Désert and Cavigny. CCB, 3d Armd Div, gets almost to La Bernardrie; is attached to 30th Div late in day. 35th Div, which has completed landing on the Continent, is attached to XIX Corps. In Br Second Army area, I Corps opens assault Caen at 0420, employing Cdn 3d Div on right, 59th Div in center, and 3d Div on left. Br troops penetrate into the city at NE corner. U.S. heavy bombers provide close support for the attack.

USSR—Units of First White Russian Front overrun Baranovichi.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 34th Div continues drive on Leghorn and makes some headway. 88th Div takes command of zone previously held by 1st Armd Div and attacks with 350th Inf on left and 349th on right: bypassing Volterra, div gains heights N and E of the town; 350th presses toward Laiatico, commanding strongpoint, and 349th overruns Roncalla. In FEC area, 4th Gp of Tabors attacks toward S. Gimignano, W of Poggibonsi, and takes Hill 380, 2 miles N of Highway 68.

            In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps undergoes further enemy counterattacks. In 10 Corps area, Ind 4th Div takes command of sector W of the Tiber.

CBI—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek agrees in principle to President Roosevelt’s request that Gen Stilwell be permitted to command Ch forces, but asks that an influential personal representative of the President’s be sent to China. On Salween front, 5 Ch divs have encircled Tengchung.

NEW GUINEA—During conference at Gen Krueger’s CP, plans are made for operations in Sansapor-Mar region of the Vogelkop but on a tentative basis since terrain information is lacking. In Aitape area, Gen Krueger orders Gen Hall to reconnoiter in force across the Driniumor. The 3 commands of TF PERSECUTION are renamed to avoid confusion, Western Defense Area becoming Western Sector, Eastern Defense Area becoming Eastern Sector, and Eastern Defense Command becoming PERSECUTION Covering Force.

SAIPAN—2d Mar Div ( — ), with 165th Inf attached, attacks through 27th Div to clear remaining enemy from Saipan. 6th Marines reaches beach by 1830 against little opposition; 8th Marines, to E, mops up in hills and ravines. 165th Inf attacks on right from positions above Harakiri Gulch, driving through Paradise Valley. 4th Mar Div attacks toward N tip of Saipan. 23d Marines drives through Karaberra Pass to the sea by 1205. To right, 2d and 24th Marines reach assigned positions in afternoon. 25th Marines is unopposed as it continues up E coast about 600 yards.

GUAM—Warships of Southern Attack Force begin naval bombardment of Guam coastal defenses.

 

USMC