80 Years Ago, Thursday, 24 August 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine chaser SC-1009 is damaged by grounding off Kahului, Maui, T.H.

            Submarine Harder (SS-257) is sunk by Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No. 22 off west coast of Luzon, 15°50'N,119°43'E.

            Submarine Ronquil (SS-396) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking army cargo ship No.3 Yoshida Maru off Keelung, Formosa, 25°29'N, 123°15'E, and merchant cargo ship Fukurei Maru off Sankaku Island, 25°13'N, 121°49'E.

            Submarine Sailfish (SS-192) attacks Japanese convoy in Luzon Strait, sinking transport Toan Maru, 21°23'N,121°37'E.

            Submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tosei Maru off southeast coast of Hokkaido, 42°30'N,144°05'E.

            British carrier force attacks Padang, Sumatra, sinking Japanese merchant cargo ship Shiretoko Maru off the harbor and damaging Senko Maru and Chisho Maru.

            Japanese casualties include minelayer Itsukushima is damaged by aircraft off Menado, N.E.I.

            Japanese auxiliary vessel Senko Maru is damaged by aircraft north of Boetoeng harbor.

            Japanese army cargo ship No.21 Kongo Maru is sunk by aircraft, Philippine location unspecified.

MEDITERRANEAN–Destroyer Rodman (DD-456) is incapacitated by inoperative 5-inch director, off southern France.

            Motor torpedo boat PT-555 is damaged by mine at Cap Couronne buoy; a French vessel attempting to rescue crew is mined as well, 43°19'N, 05°30'E.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–Almost 400 Heavy Bombers attack armament factory and 17 oil installations, aircraft assembly plants and aero engine works and over 20 Targets of opportunity in Germany, losing 27 Heavy Bombers, but claiming 10 enemy airplanes destroyed. VIII FC flies over 600 sorties in support of mission, claiming 10 combat victories. 4 groups strafe Airfields near Brandenburg and Nordhausen, an marshalling yard near Brunswick, and the Neuenhaus-Nordhorn area. Ground targets destroyed include 14 airplanes, 7 locomotives, trucks, and boats.

NINTH AF–Weather cancels IX BC mission against 4 fuel dumps N of the Seine. fighters give air cover to ground forces, mainly for 3 armd and 2 inf divs, bomb Seine bridges, and fly armed recon along Seine and around Troyes, Orleans, and Tours. About 275 transports fly supply and evacuation missions.

TWELFTH AF–A-20’s during 23/24 Aug hit motor transport and T/O in Rhone Valley and at Genoa, Milan, and Turin. Medium Bombers bomb bridges at Montpellier, Avignon, Lunel, Solignano Nuovo, and Castel del Rio, and score direct hits on gun positions in Marseille area. fighters bomb and strafe gun positions, vehicles, roads and bridges throughout SE France.

FIFTEENTH AF–530-plus B-17’s and B-24’s bomb 8 oil refineries at Kolin and Pardubice, Vinkovci marshalling yard, Szeged, and Ferrara railroad bridge and several Targets of opportunity. Around 70-80 fts attack the Czechoslovakian missions. US Heavy Bombers and escorting fighters claim nearly 40 air victories.

TENTH AF–9 B-25’s bomb Kangon. 3 P-47 flights support British troops NE of Pinbaw, hitting forces and gun emplacements near Namyin Te and Nansankyin. 4 P-47’s bomb Nankan. 4 P-51’s strafe vehicles along Shweli R and bomb storage area S of Hopin.

FOURTEENTH AF–Town areas, river and road traffic, railroad targets, and other Targets of opportunity in or near Hengyang, Chuchou, Siangtan, and Yangtien are attacked by 8 B-25’s and 25 P-40’s. 19 other P-40’s hit similar Targets of opportunity at Yungcheng, Anjen, along C Yangtze R, and S of Mangshih.

FEAF–Shipping in Lembeh Strait is attacked by B-25’s, while B-24’s bomb Lolobata Airfield.

TWENTIETH AF–Advanced air echelon of Gen O’Donnell’s 73d Bomb Wing HQ flies into the Marianas, the first Twentieth AF contingent to arrive. Ground echelon arrives by water on 16 Sep.

SEVENTH AF–Saipan-based P-47’s pound Aguijan and Pagan. Marshallbased B-24’s bomb Truk while B-25’s hit Nauru.

 

USA

N FRANCE—21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army area, Br I Corps extends right flank to St Georges-du-Vièvre, on Risle R. In 2 Corps area, Cdn 2d Div seizes Bernay and establishes bridgehead across Risle R at Nassandres. Contact is made with U.S. XIX Corps in Elbeuf area.

            In Br Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 15th Div is concentrating near Le Neubourg in preparation for attack across the Seine at Louviers.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, XIX Corps moves closer to Elbeuf and is interdicting Seine crossing sites with arty fire. In XV Corps area, 5th Armd Div reaches Houdebouville. In V Corps area, Fr 2d Armd Div gets a little closer to city limits of Paris against strong opposition. 102d Cav Gp units, screening for 4th Div, reach the Seine S of Paris. Ordered by Gen Bradley to push into Paris at once, 4th Div, less one RCT, attacks toward the city from S in conjunction with Fr attacks from SW One RCT of 4th Div retains mission of securing crossings of the Seine S of Paris.

            In U.S. Third Army area, XX Corps gains bridgeheads across the Seine at Melun and Montereau, 7th Armd Div establishing former and 5th Div, latter. In XII Corps area, CCA of 4th Armd Div drives E toward Troyes while CCB, to right, reaches St Florentin area and 35th Div moves up to Courtenay; CCR is moving forward to join rest of 4th Armd Div.

S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army area, 1st ABTF’s 509th Para Bn, followed by 1st Bn of 551st Para Inf, advances into Cannes without opposition and pushes on to Antibes. 1st SSF takes Grasse with ease; seizes Valbonne and makes contact with friendly forces from Cannes area. RCT 517, which has relieved elements of 36th Div in Fayence–Callian area, advances on left flank of 1st ABTF, taking St Vallier on Route Napoléon. In VI Corps area, 36th Div establishes MLR along Roubion R and faces S to prevent enemy movement northward: 141st Inf, on right, defends sector W from Bonlieu; 142d protects left sector of line from Bonlieu to Pré-Alps. Elements of 111th Engr Bn are disposed in front of Bonlieu. Forward elements of 3d Div reach the Rhône at Arles.

            In Fr Army B’s 2d Corps area, organized resistance in E part of Toulon comes to an end, but Germans retain W part and dock area. Chapuis Group, 3d Algerian Div, pushes well into Marseille. CC2, 1st Armd Div, relieves U.S. 3d Div at Aix, Gardanne, and Rognac.

EASTERN EUROPE—Kishinev falls to Soviet frontal and flanking attacks.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s Br 13 Corps area, 1st Div and Ind 8th Div begin fording the Arno E of Florence to secure positions on N bank before main Fifth Army attack starts—there is no opposition.

            Br Eighth Army completes preparations for attack on Gothic Line on 3-corps front. Screened by Pol 2 Corps on army right flank, Cdn 1 Corps, employing Cdn 1st Div in line, takes over narrow front just W of Pol 2 Corps. 5 Corps, with 46th Div and Ind 4th Div in line, moves to W of Cdn 1 Corps on front of about 20 miles. 10 Corps, consisting of Ind 10th Div and mixed brig group, continues to hold left flank of army. Italian Corps of Liberation, upon relief by 5 Corps, is held in army reserve.

CBI—On Salween front, Japanese reinforcements start from Mangshih to Lung-ling front.

NEW GUINEA—In Vogelkop area, Gen Sibert leaves Sansapor-Mar sector to take command of X Corps, hq of which has recently arrived from U.S. Brig Gen Charles E. Hurdis takes over Gen Sibert’s posts as commander of TF TYPHOON and 6th Div.

 

USMC