80 Years Ago, Sunday, 13 August 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Barbel (SS-316) sinks Japanese auxiliary Koan Maru off Amami Oshima, 28°31'N, 129°18'E.

            Submarine Bluegill (SS-242) attacks Japanese convoy off Cape San Augustin, Mindanao, and sinks submarine chaser Ch 12, auxiliary submarine chaser Misago Maru and transport Kojun Maru near entrance to Davao Gulf, 06°17'N,126°10'E.

            Submarine Cod (SS-224) attacks Japanese landing ship T.129 in the Banda Sea, 05°28'S, 125°08'E, but is driven off by the enemy amphibious ship's accurate return fire (see 14 August).

            Submarine Flier (SS-250) is sunk by mine, south of Palawan, Balabac Strait, North Borneo, 09°00'N, 117°15'E.

            Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Toei Maru in southern part of Sea of Okhotsk, 48°35'N,149°02'E.

            Japanese submarine I-365 is damaged by Fairmile motor gunboats off Biak.

            RAAF Beaufighters sink small Japanese cargo vessel No.3 Hamayoshi Maru off Kalig Island, 02°14'S, 130°31'E.

            Japanese army cargo ship No.2 Asahi Maru is sunk by aircraft in South China Sea, southeast of Hong Kong, 22°03'N,114°44'E.

            Japanese tanker Butsu Maru is sunk by accidental fire off Ahan Point, Formosa, 20°16'N, 121°52'E.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–Over 1,200 Heavy Bombers escorted by 6 fighter groups attack railroad bridge, 3 coastal batteries, and several highways along with Targets of opportunity along the Seine from Le Havre to Paris during a battle area support mission. 13 Heavy Bombers are lost. Over 800 Fighter Bombers attack marshalling yards, bridges, tunnels, moving traffic and other transportation facilities in wide area NE of the Seine. 13 Fighter Bombers are lost.

NINTH AF–Around 575 B-26’s and A-20’s bomb fuel storage at Les Buissons, points along highways around Lisieux and SE to Rugles with aim of containing enemy in Falaise pocket, railroad targets at Peronne, Doullens, and Corbeil-Essonnes. fighters escort IX BC, cover ground forces, and fly armed recon in Alencon, Le Mans, Domfront, and Chartres areas. About 125 transports fly ferry and evacuation missions. During 13/14 Aug, 28 B-26’s bomb Foret de Halouze ammo dump and bivouac area.

TWELFTH AF–Medium Bombers blast coastal def guns in Marseille area while Light Bombers during 12/13 Aug attack targets along Monaco- Toulon road, and Fighter Bombers hit guns and barracks in the area. fighters strafe Airfields at Les Chanoines, Montreal, Avignon, La Jasse, Istres-Le-Tube, Valence, and Bergamo. A-20’s attack explosive stores in battle area in Arno R Valley.

FIFTEENTH AF–Almost 500 B-24’s and B-17’s attack gun positions around Genoa, Toulon, and Sete, and strike at bridges at Pont-Saint-Esprit, Avignon, Orange, and Crest. 31 P-38’s dive-bomb Montelimar Airfield. Other fighters fly 180-plus sorties in support of Heavy Bomber missions. 28 Heavy Bombers hit military installations at Pec.

TENTH AF–20 Fighter Bombers hit troops and supplies at Mankwi, Myothit, and Tali. 7 others knock out bridge at Kyauktalon and damage another near Namkwin. 26 Fighter Bombers attack village of Pinwe and hit Targets of opportunity near Mawlu and Pinbaw. 9 B-26’s strike bomb storage area at Pinwe considerably damaging the village.

FOURTEENTH AF–30-plus B-25’s bomb Tungling, Sinsiang, and Hengyang, Pailochi Airfield, shipping at Takao harbor and nearby coastal areas. 3 cargo vessels are claimed sunk. 51 P-40’s and P-51’s attack trucks, bridges, railroad yards, troops, and other Targets of opportunity in Hengyang area. 18 P-40’s and P-38’s pound Tengchung. 50- plus other P-40’s, P-51’s, and P-38’s attack troops, bridges, railroad tracks, shipping, trucks, and other Targets of opportunity at several locations including Lienhwa, Siangsiang, Sinshih, Puchou, Tungyangtun, Hengshan, Weichow I, Luichow Peninsula, Tingka, Mangshih, Nanchang, Puchi, and along Yunglo R.

FEAF–Bad weather in SWPA curtails operations. B-24’s bomb bivouacs and supply dumps at Manokwari. Bombers hit Cape Wom storage area while P-39’s cooperate with PT boats to hit Dagua personnel areas and Suain coastal positions. P-47’s and P-39’s hit Cape Wom, troops at Ulban, Matapau, and Suain, and support ground forces at Sarmi. TC aircraft complete nearly 90 missions to Owi I and other forward bases.

ELEVENTH AF–Of 3 B-24’s departing Shemya during 12/13 Aug, 1 aborts while the other 2 bomb Kashiwabara staging area. Later 6 B-25’s fly a shipping sweep E of the N Kurils during which fighter is downed.

 

USA

FRANCE—12th Army Group:

            In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 83d Div continues to make slow progress against strongpoints at St Malo and Dinard. CCA, 6th Armd Div, batters at outer defenses of Brest without avail. Rest of 6th Armd Div moves forward to relieve 4th Armd Div at Vannes and Lorient. 4th Armd Div, finding Nantes free of enemy, moves toward St Calais. 8th Div ( — ) advances to Dinan from Rennes. XV Corps reaches Argentan area and is halted there by order of Gen Bradley. During next few days Germans succeed in withdrawing thousands from Falaise–Argentan trap before it can be closed. XX Corps, with Chartres as its next objective, moves forward in preparation for attack. 80th Div is pinched out by XV Corps near Alençon. XII Corps (Maj Gen Gilbert R. Cook), which is given command of 4th Armd Div (VIII Corps) and 35th Div (VII Corps), receives its first offensive mission—to drive E on Orléans and protect S flank of army. Assault forces are assembling SE of Le Mans. [ 12–13 AUGUST 1944 ] [ 248 ]

            In U.S. First Army’s ’s VII Corps area, 3d Armd and 1st Inf Divs swing NE around Domfront, driving rapidly toward Vire–Argentan road to constrict pocketed enemy forces. 3d Armd Div, on corps right, moves through Javron toward Ranes, making contact with Fr 2d Armd Div (XV Corps). 1st Div cuts Domfront–Alençon road in Couterne–La Chapelle Moche area. 4th and 9th Divs await new mission. 30th Div passes to control of XIX Corps. XIX Corps probes eastward, 2d Armd Div units threatening Domfront and Ger and 28th Div moving toward St Sauveur-de-Chaulieu through Sourdeval. In V Corps area, 29th Div pushes southward in direction of Ger on right flank of corps, forward elements reaching La Françaisere, E of Sourdeval. 2d Div heads for Tinchebray, overrunning Truttemer-le-Petit.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 1st Armd Div, which has been completely reorganized in the field, takes responsibility for right flank of corps, replacing TF Ramey. In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, elements of Ind 8th Div cross into N Florence via Ponte Vecchio to help Italians extend their hold on the city.

CBI—SWPA—Rcn of Manila docks, P.I., by Gen Chennault’s Fourteenth Air Force evokes unfavorable reaction from both Gen Stilwell and Gen MacArthur. MacArthur warns Chennault not to bomb Manila.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, relief of 127th Inf along the Driniumor is completed.

 

USMC