80 Years Ago, Thursday, 3 August 1944

USN

WASHINGTON–Office of the General Counsel Navy Department is established; formerly designated Procurement Legal Division, Navy Department.

PACIFIC–Heavy cruiser Baltimore (CA-68), with President Roosevelt embarked, arrives at Adak, Aleutians.

            Submarine Cod (SS-224) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Seiko Maru off Mangole, Molucca Sea, 01°47'S, 126°15'E.

            Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka is damaged by mine laid by British submarine HMS Truculent on 24 June 1944, Klang Strait, 02°51'N, 101°15'E.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–In early afternoon nearly 400 B-17’s and B-24’s bomb MARSHALLING YARDs in France and 1 in Germany, an oil refinery in Germany, and an A/F, road and rail junctions, bridges, and a few individual targets in France. 3 of the 6 P-51 groups providing escort later strafe transportation targets and A/Fs. 12 aircraft are claimed destroyed. 6 Heavy Bombers and 6 P-51’s are lost. Later in the afternoon 515 bombers attack 20 V-weapon sites in France. 2 A/Fs and a railroad bridge and a junction in France, 2 oil refineries and a storage depot in Belgium, 4 oil facilities in France, a road and rail bridge in the Netherlands, and MARSHALLING YARDs in Belgium. 6 fighter groups provide uneventful escort. One Heavy Bomber is lost.

NINTH AF–180-plus A-20’s and B-26’s bomb rail bridges, overpasses, and junctions at Mantes-la-Jolie, Chartres, La Chenaie and Merey, fuel dump at Maintenon, and alternate rail targets in N France. fighters escort IX BC bombers and a few C-47’s, provide cover for ground forces, and fly armed recon over wide areas of N and W France.

TWELFTH AF–Medium Bombers achieve fair results in attacks on bridges at Gilette, Levens, Lesegno, Albenga, and Asti, and at 2 locations along Var R. Fighter Bombers have successful day against comm targets (mainly road and railroad bridges) and A/Fs in N Italy. At least 15 bridges are damaged or demolished and several parked aircraft are destroyed.

FIFTEENTH AF–More than 600 B-17’s and B-24’s hit industry in Friedrichshafen area, including chemical works, fabric works, and 2 aircraft factories, and bomb comm targets in Brenner Pass area, attacking Avisio viaduct and bridges at Ora and San Michele all’Adige. fighters fly about 300 sorties in support. Heavy Bombers and fighters claim 18 enemy aircraft shot down. 11 US airplanes are destroyed.

TENTH AF–B-25’s bomb Wanling, knock out bridge at Panghkam, and attack bridges along the railroad from Naba to Myitkyina. P-51’s and P-47’s support ground forces N of Taungni and near Sahmaw, hit towns of Shwegu and Mosit, attack factory area at Mohnyin, and pound boats, troop concentrations, and gun positions at Myitkyina and Maingna.

FOURTEENTH AF–23 B-24’s bomb town of Yoyang. 6 B-25’s hit Mangshih. Nearly 150 P-40’s, P-51’s, and P-38’s on armed recon attack Targets of opportunity, including A/Fs, troops, town areas, supply areas, and rail, road, and river traffic at numerous locations, including areas of Tengchung, Tingka, Mangshih, Loyang, Changsha, Hengyang, Tangyang, Chingmen, Chaling, Siangyin, Nanchang, Siangtan, Hengshan, Chuchou, Ikiawan, and Leiyang.

FEAF–B-24’s bomb Yap and islands in Woleai group. Bad weather cancels scheduled strikes over Vogelkop Peninsula area, However, Medium Bombers hit troop concentrations at Bira and other points on MacCluer Gulf, bomb Urarom, and support Allied ground forces on Biak by hitting troops in Korim Bay area. An ammo dump and oil derrick at Boela are also destroyed. Supply dumps, comm targets, and bridges are hit as Fighter Bombers and A-20’s continue to blast areas around But, Dagua, and Wewak.

SEVENTH AF–VII Air Serv Area Command is activated. B-24’s from the Marshalls pound Truk.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In Br Second Army area, 8 Corps makes little progress in vicinity of Vire and Estry. 30 Corps is firmly opposed as it continues toward Mont Pincon, Aunay, and Villers-Bocage. 12 Corps, with 50th Div on right and 53d on left, gains positions along Villers-Bocage– Caen highway. 53d Div overruns Noyers and Missy.

                12th Army Group: Directs Third Army to complete capture of Brittany Peninsula with minimum forces, clear region W of Mayenne R and N of Loire R, and secure crossings of the Mayenne; First Army is to extend its operations to Mayenne–Domfront area.

                In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, forward elements of 6th Armd Div get to within a few miles of Loudeac when attack is halted upon order to return and reduce Dinan. TF A moves forward to clear bypassed resistance in St Maio area. 13th Inf reverts to 8th Div from attachment to 4th Armd Div and begins assault on Rennes, while 4th Armd Div continues S, passing W of Rennes. In XV Corps area, 79th Div reach Fougères.

                In U.S. First Army area, VII Corps overruns Mortain. 4th Div continues to close in on St Pois. 9th Div reaches positions just NW of Fort de St Sever. XIX Corps, continuing steadily SE, reaches St Sever-Calvados on right and is about half way to Vire on left. V Corps meets stiffening resistance as it approaches Vire.

USSR—Troops of First Ukrainian Front cross the upper Vistula at Baranow and within the next few days expand the bridgehead.

CBI—In NCAC area, Myitkyina falls to Myitkyina TF at 1545. Raiding force of Ch 50th Div leads final assault, which begins before dawn. Of 187 Japanese prisoners taken, most are patients. During the battle for Myitkyina, Allied forces have sustained the following losses: 972 Chinese and 272 Americans killed; 3,184 Chinese and 955 Americans wounded; 188 Chinese and 980 Americans sick. Capture of Myitkyina is a major victory and permits support of the Pacific offensive from bases in China. On Salween front, elements of Ch 107th and 348th Regts, from 36th and 116th Divs, respectively, reach top of wall around Teng-chung just E of S corner by 1500. One platoon clings there throughout night 3–4 Ch 8th Army renews operations against Sung Shan, 308th Regt of 103d Div, armed with flame throwers, takes one of its peaks, Kung Lung-po, and, since Japanese are short of ammunition, is not counterattacked.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, TED Force attacks S along Niumen Creek toward Torricelli Mts to cut E–W trails and destroy enemy. 3d Bn of 124th Inf and 2d Bn of 169th advance abreast, spearheading attack, but are soon halted. 1st Bn, 124th Inf, then bypasses enemy to W. Japanese activity against South Force in Afua area subsides after small attack early in morning fails. 1st Bn, 169th Inf, moves into perimeter of South Force from Palauru.

GUAM—Renewing attack toward Mt. Barrigada after regrouping, 77th Div finds that enemy has withdrawn northward and takes Barrigada village and its much-needed reservoir with ease. Progress beyond the village is slowed by difficult jungle terrain and small-scale opposition. 3d Mar Div continues to make steady progress on left flank of corps, taking Finegayan and driving beyond Tumon Bay area. Warships begin shelling Mt. Santa Rosa (870 ft), which dominates N part of Guam, day and night.

 

USMC