80 Years Ago, Sunday, 9 July 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Organized Japanese resistance ceases on Saipan.

            Submarine Dace (SS-247) carries out unsuccessful attack on Japanese cargo vessel Gokoku Maru 06°22'N, 126°18'E

            Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) lands men and supplies on Pandan Island off west coast of Mindoro, P.I.

            Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Japanese convoy in the Kurils, sinking army cargo ship Taihei Maru north of Raito Island, 51°19'N, 155°43'E.

            Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese fishing boat Yawata Maru southwest of Kushiro, 43°06'N, 144°08'E.

            USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese cargo vessel Oyashima Maru near Halmahera Island, 00°34'N, 128°30'E.

            Aircraft damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 9, Rabaul.

MEDITERRANEAN–Minesweeper Swerve (AM-121) is sunk by mine about 16 miles southwest of Nettuno, Italy, 41°31'N, 12°285'E.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–During morning mission 140 B-17’s bomb 2 railroad bridges, a railroad viaduct, a road bridge, and an airfield in France. 1 Heavy Bomber and 2 supporting fighters are lost. Later, 24 B-17’s and 35 B-24’s bomb 3 CROSSBOW installations and 2 airfields in France; bad weather causes over 100 other Heavy Bombers to abort. 168 fighters escort the Heavy Bombers. 1 P-47 group afterwards joins RAF Spitfires in aerial battle against 15 Me 109’s. The P- 47’s claim 5 fighters destroyed against no losses; Spitfires down 6 Germans.

NINTH AF–Of more than 250 Medium Bombers and Light Bombers dispatched, about 60 bomb targets in France; bad weather prevents others from bombing. Targets hit are rail bridge, crossing, overpass and highway bridge at Ablis, Orleans, Vendome, and Montfort-sur-Risle. Fighters escort IX BC, provide area cover over battle area, and bomb and strafe gun positions, vehicles, rail cars, bridges, and tanks.

TWELFTH AF–Weather greatly curtails operations. Fighter Bombers attack rail lines between Empoli and Montelupo Fiorentino with good results. Other targets include roads, bridges and gun positions.

FIFTEENTH AF–In the Fifteenth’s first Pathfinder-led mission, 222 B-17’s and B-24’s bomb Xenia and Concordia Vega oil refineries at Ploesti. P-38’s and P-51’s fly escort. Other P-51’s sweep Ploesti area during the attacks. Heavy Bombers and fighters claim destruction of 14 of the 40-50 opposing fighters. 6 US aircraft are shot down.

TENTH AF–60-plus A-36’s, P-51’s, P-47’s, and P-40’s support ground forces and hit bridge in Myitkyina area, strafe gun positions at Shwebo and targets along the Irrawaddy in Katha area, and attack targets of opportunity in areas around Loilaw, Hopin, Mohnyin, Maingna, Anisakan, and Onbauk. 19 B-25’s hit storage sheds at Waingmaw and railroads and bridges at Mohnyin, Naba, and Hopin.

FOURTEENTH AF–40 P-40’s and 8 B-25’s hit town area, trucks, and supply sampans at Shayang and damage tunnel entrances and highway bridge at Sinyang. 5 B-25’s bomb power plant and building area at Tinh Soc.

FEAF–A-20’s and Fighter Bombers pound shipping, airfields, troops, and other targets at Babo, Manokwari, Efman, Biak and various points along coastline of Geelvink Bay. B-25’s and Fighter Bombers sink a 3,000-ton vessel and several barges around Halmahera I. Dumps at Marubian, Kairiru, and Niap and bridge at But are bombed by B-25’s, A-20’s, and Fighter Bombers. B-24’s bomb Namlea airfield and attack Yap and Woleai.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s hit remnants of Japanese forces on Saipan and Tinian, as organized resistance on Saipan ends. Saipan will become a base from which B-29’s will bomb Japan. Makinbased B-25’s bomb Jaluit.

 

USA

FRANCE—U.S. 5th Div arrives on Continent. 21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps attempts to push beyond La Haye-du-Puits but makes little headway against dual handicaps of stubborn enemy and hedgerow terrain. In VII Corps area, 4th and 83d Divs gain several hundred yards toward Périers in violent fighting, 83d overrunning St Eny. 9th Div arrives from Cherbourg and is given sector E of the Taute, previously right flank of 30th Div’s zone. Boundary between VII and XIX Corps is adjusted accordingly. In XIX Corps area, while 113th Cav Gp and CCA of 3d Armd Div hold on right flank of corps, 30th Div and attached CCB continue offensive toward Hauts-Vents, immediate objective. Strong enemy counterattack in region W of main road to St Lô is checked, largely by arty fire. CCB, attacking between assault regts of 30th Div, thrusts rapidly toward Hauts-Vents along main highway until stopped short of objective by div order. Late in day CCA, 3d Armd Div, is attached to 9th Div, VII Corps. In Br Second Army’s I Corps area, Caen falls as 3d Div, driving S into the city, meets Cdn 3d Div, which enters from W. Elements of Cdn 3d Div at last take Carpiquet airfield, which enemy has defended stubbornly, and Bretteville-sur-Odon.

USSR—Lida falls to Third White Russian Front.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 34th Div’s 135th and attached 442d Regts make slow progress above Rosignano; with recapture of Hill 634 (M. Vase) by 363d Inf on div right, 363d and 168th are able to continue northward; 168th thrusts into Casale and clears it before dawn of 10th. On right flank of IV Corps, 88th Div’s progress is also limited by strong opposition. TF Ramey is given mission of protecting right flank of corps along Highway 68 and maintaining contact with FEC. The TF, consisting entirely of armd units, begins slow advance on road net E of Villamagna. In FEC. area, enemy forces 4th Gp of Tabors from Hill 380 after seesaw battle. 1st and 6th Moroccan Inf relieve goumiers and start toward Hill 380, regaining it before dawn of 10th. Germans apply pressure against other units, forcing back Fr salient on Highway 2.

            In Br Eighth Army area, plans are made for attack by 13 Corps on Arezzo on 15th, by which time N7, 2d Div of Cdn 1 Corps will have moved forward to strengthen the assault. 13 Corps will meantime maintain pressure on limited scale against enemy below Arezzo. In Pol 2 Corps area, Italians take Filottrano after about a week of hard fighting.

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, AAF joins in bombardment of Ibdi Pocket. In Wakde-Sarmi area, 1st Bns of 1st and 63d Regts complete battle for crest of Hill 265, SW of Hill 225. This is the last enemy strongpoint in Maffin Bay region.

SAIPAN—2d Mar Div mops up additional enemy on W flank of corps; attached 165th Inf reaches coast except for company that remains behind to mop up Paradise Valley. 4th Mar Div attacks with 2d Marines of 2d Mar Div and 24th and 25th Marines and quickly reaches Marpi Pt, final objective. Saipan is declared secure by Adm Turner at 1615. Final mop up of stragglers is assigned to 2d and 4th Mar Divs, with 165th Inf still attached to latter. During the Saipan operation, Northern Troops and Landing Force suffers 14,111 casualties, about 20% of its total strength of 71,034. Of the 14,000 casualties, 3,674 are Army and 10,437 are Marine Corps. Japanese garrison of about 30,000 is virtually destroyed. Saipan is within bombing range of Japan and is to become base for B–29’s.

 

USMC

Saipan declared secure. Japanese garrison of about 22,000 is virtually destroyed.