80 Years Ago, Tuesday, 11 July 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine attack group TG 17.16 (Captain William V. O'Regan), as it patrols the South China Sea near Formosa, locates the first of five convoys it will engage in the next two weeks; Thresher (SS-200) makes the initial contact with a seven-ship Japanese convoy bound from Keelung to the Philippines (see 12 July 1944).

            Submarine Sealion (SS-315), in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea, near Shosei Jima, sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships No.2 Taiun Maru 37°30'N, 124°34'E, and No.2 Tsukushi Maru, 37°24'N, 124°31'E.

            U.S. motor torpedo boats sink small Japanese cargo vessel Yawata Maru off Babo.

            Aircraft sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Senyo Maru, Yangtze River, China.

 

AAF

INTERNATIONAL–Roosevelt announces that US will recognize French Committee of National Liberation as defacto administrative authority in France.

EIGHTH AF–969 Heavy Bombers attack Munich while 38 others bomb Augsburg and marshalling yards at Eppingen. Fighters fly 762 sorties in support. Overcast hinders strafing attacks but fighters manage to destroy a parked airplane and a locomotive, and hit Worms marshalling yard. 20 Heavy Bombers and 4 fighters fail to return to base.

NINTH AF–A-20’s and B-26’s strike fuel dumps at Foret d’Andaine, Chateau-de-Tertu, Flers, and Foret d’ Ecouves; NOBALL sites at Chateau d’Helicourt and Chateau d’Ansenne; and a rail bridge at Bourth. Fighters escort IX BC, patrol battle area, and attack trains, gun positions, ammo dumps, and other targets in areas around Lessay, Periers, Saint-Lo, Lonrai, Tours and Folligny.

TWELFTH AF–Weather again hampers operations. Medium Bombers attack marshalling yard at Alessandria, hit approach to railroad bridge at Chiavari, and score near misses on other bridges. Fighter Bombers hit airfield at Rimini and attack fuel dumps, rail lines, gun positions, bridges, and targets of opportunity N of battleline as US Fifth Army engages in hard fighting in Pastina and Laiatico area.

FIFTEENTH AF–Bad weather curtails Heavy Bomber effort. The only target attacked is Toulon harbor, where 87 B-24’s hit jetties, oil stores, nearby telegraph cable factory, barracks, repair shops, adjoining marshalling yard, and submarines in drydock.

TENTH AF–70-plus Fighter Bombers pound barracks at Myitkyina, bridges at Nam kwin and Mohnyin, airfield at Lashio, and targets of opportunity at several other locations, including Nanyinbya, Indaw, Katha, Bhamo, and Anisakan-Shwebo area. 11 B-25’s hit bridges at Hsenwi.

FOURTEENTH AF–28 B-24’s bomb storage base at Sinshih. 24 P-40’s hit river traffic at Hengyang and E of Siangsiang. 22 other P-40’s attack town of Hengyang, hitting Japanese occupied buildings and a bridge. 33 more P-40’s attack villages, road traffic, and targets of opportunity at Leiyang and from Chuchou to Hengyang to Yungfengshih. 3 B-25’s bomb Liling and Yuhsien. 14 P-51’s bomb town of Pakmoi Hu and hit gun positions at Lupao. 8 B-25’s pound railroad yards at Sinyang. 12 B-25’s and 14 Fighter Bombers bomb Mangshih on Burma Road and support Chinese ground forces between Tengchung and Lungling.

FEAF–B-24’s pound airfield at Babo while A-20’s hit supply dumps at Kokas. B-25’s bomb airfields at Manokwari, Waren, and Moemi during the night. A-20’s, Medium Bombers, and Fighter Bombers support ground forces in Sarmi-Sawar area and bomb airfields, shipping, and various occupied areas and installations on Halmahera, in Schouten Is, on Boeroe, and the Palau group, and at Woleai.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s pound forces on Tinian and Pagan.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: U.S. First Army attacks with 4 corps abreast as V Corps joins in offensive on extreme E. VIII Corps makes further progress below La Haye-du-Puits. VII Corps bears brunt of strong German counterattack on its left flank and on right flank of XIX Corps. Enemy tanks penetrate 9th Div lines in Le Désert area, but positions are restored by combined efforts of infantry, tanks, TD’s, arty, and aircraft. Germans lose a number of tanks in this action. To W, 83d and 4th Divs continue forward slowly. XIX Corps opens attack on St Lô with 30th Div W of the Vire and 35th and 29th Divs E of the river. 30th Div, with less difficulty than 9th, checks enemy counterattack NW of Pont Hébert; attached CCB, 3d Armd Div, secures Hauts-Vents crossroads; 119th Inf meets increasingly strong opposition in Pont Hébert area. 35th Div attacks with 137th Inf along the Vire and 320th on left from La Méauffe–Villiers-Fossard region, but makes little headway; strongpoint at St Gilles stops 137th Inf well above Pont Hébert. 29th Div attacks on left flank of XIX Corps in conjunction with V Corps: 115th Inf progresses slowly toward La Luzerne against stubborn resistance; 116th, penetrating enemy positions, drives S through St André-de-l’Epine and then W along Martinville ridge toward St Lô. V Corps renews attack on Hill 192, NE of St Lô. 2d Div, employing 38th and 23d Regts, makes the final assault and with tremendous arty support overcomes opposition on this important feature that has withstood vigorous attacks during June; crushes enemy defense in St Georges-d’Elle area; cuts Bayeux–St Lô highway at La Calvaire. In Br Second Army’s 30 Corps area, 50th Div improves positions near Hottot against lively resistance. In 8 Corps area, 43d Div holds Hill 112 against counterattack. In I Corps area, 51st Div tries in vain to advance on Colombelles, E of the Orne.

ITALY—AAI: Orders MALLORY MAJOR, air offensive against Po R bridges, to go forward. In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 442d Inf, in 34th Div sector, gets almost to Pastina; 133d Inf bypasses Pastina to E but is stopped short of Hill 529; limited progress is made in other sectors of div front. 351st Inf, 88th Div, is released from reserve to continue attack on Laiatico but is pinned down short of objective.

In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, NZ 2d Div begins concentrating within corps zone to assist in drive on Arezzo.

CHINA—Japanese, having completed preparations for stronger assault on Heng-yang, renew attack, and are stoutly opposed by Chinese garrison, which is assisted by aircraft.

NEW GUINEA—On Noemfoor, TF CYCLONE starts regrouping for systematic mopping up operations. 158th Inf is given N sector and 503d Para Inf the S. 2d Bn of 503d arrives, having moved by air from Hollandia to Biak and thence by sea to Namber airdrome. In Aitape area, PERSECUTION Covering Force begins general withdrawal from Driniumor R line to next delaying positions, along line of X-ray R and Koronal Creek, after futile attempt by 1st Bn, 128th Inf, to reopen Anamo–Afua trail. Gen Krueger orders positions along the Driniumor restored. On Biak, 3d Bn of 163d Inf begins steadily compressing Japanese in Ibdi Pocket.

 

USMC

FMFPac activated with Lt-Gen Holland M. Smith as commander.