USN
PACIFIC–USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force) attack
Japanese convoy and sink army cargo ship Tosho Maru in Banda Sea,
southwest of Soena Islands, 04°30'S, 125°26'E; auxiliary submarine chaser No.18
Nitto Maru rescues survivors.
RAAF
Mitchells sink Japanese cargo vessel No.14 Sakura Maru off north coast
of central Timor.
Other
aircraft sink vessel Kono Maru off Halmahera Island.
MEDITERRANEAN–Allied troops (Major General
Alexander M. Patch, USA) land on coast of Southern France between Toulon and
Cannes in Operation DRAGOON, preceded by heavy naval gunfire and aircraft
attack. The operation is under the command of Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt,
Naval Commander Western Task Force and Commander Eighth Fleet. After the
landings, naval gunfire engages German coast defense batteries and continues to
support the troops ashore. Infantry landing craft LCI-592 is damaged by
mortar fire off southern France; LCI-588 and LCI-590 are damaged
by mines off RED Beach ALPHA; tank landing ship LST-282, damaged by
glider bomb while approaching GREEN beach, is beached and abandoned, 43°25'N,
06°50'E; submarine chaser SC-1029 is damaged when landing craft ahead of
ship explodes, 43°12'N, 06°41'E. U.S. freighter Tarleton Brown is
damaged by bomb and near-miss during German air raid on Allied shipping off St.
Raphael; there are no fatalities among the merchant crew, the passengers, or
the 44-man Armed Guard.
Destroyer
Somers (DD-381) sinks German ship Esebart and damages corvette Uj.6083
(ex-Italian corvette Capriolo). The latter is captured and then
scuttled southwest of Isle Port Cros.
AAF
EIGHTH AF–More than 850 Heavy Bombers
attack 11 NW German, Dutch, and Belgian Airfields in conjunction with 1,000 RAF
Heavy Bombers and Mosquitos raiding 9 Airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium,
all supported by 607 VIII FC sorties. 17 Eighth AF Heavy Bombers and 6 fighters
are lost. Heavy Bombers claim 13 aircraft destroyed while fighters claim 14 in
air and 8 on ground, along with 29 locomotives and a large number of other
ground targets. 33 P-47’s dive-bomb and skip-bomb repair shop and locomotives
in marshalling yard at Braine-le-Comte.
NINTH AF–50th and 53d TC Wings, on
loan to MAAF, participate in invasion of S France as part of Prov TC Air Div.
330-plus A-20’s and B-26’s bomb Marseille-en-Beauvaisis and Foret de Chantilly
ammo and fuel dumps, rail bridges at Auverssise and L’Isle-Adam, Serqueux marshalling
yard, and coastal defense at SaintMalo. fighters fly cover for 5 inf and armd
divs, escort IX BC, and fly extensive armed recon over N and W France.
TWELFTH AF–During 14/15 Aug A-20’s
bomb Le Vallon, Istres, and Orange/Plan de Dieu Airfields and other Rhone
Valley targets while US Seventh Army carries out preliminary operations to
isolate DRAGOON invasion beaches. US Special Serv Force invades Levant and
Port-Cros Is and secures left flank of assault area. French commandos land E of
Cap Negre and clear coastal defenses, French Naval Assault group lands SW of
Cannes and secures right flank. 1st Airborne TF drops in rear of assault
beaches and blocks off invasion area from the interior. Main force, US VI
Corps, lands 3 divs abreast between Nice and Toulon at 0800. A-20’s bomb
barracks in invasion area while B-25’s, B-26’s, P-38’s, and P-47’s, supporting
invasion, pound beaches, enemy concentrations, and gun positions in coastal
areas and later in the day move attacks inland to interdict enemy comm lines
successfully hitting numerous bridges. fighters maintain constant patrol over
convoys and invasion area.
FIFTEENTH AF–In Fifteenth AF’s first
Heavy Bomber mass night raid, 252 B-17’s and B-24’s after predawn takeoff pound
beaches in Cannes-Toulon area in immediate adv of Operation DRAGOON. 28 other
fighter-escorted B-17’s bomb highway bridges over Rhone R. B-17’s sent against
coastal gun positions abort mission owing to poor visibility. 166 P-51’s escort
MATAF C-47’s carrying airborne invasion troops.
EAC–AM Coryton assumes command of
Third Tac AF, a major component of EAC. Tac AF functions remain under Coryton
until it is dissolved on 4 Dec 44.
TENTH AF–More than 70 P-51’s, P-47’s,
P-40’s, and A-36’s hit numerous N Burma targets including general Targets of
opportunity in Bhamo area, monastery at Pegu, troops E of Mawhun, Loiwing and
Lashio Airfield and rail targets between Naba and Hopin. Close support strikes
are flown for ground forces in Pinbaw and Naba areas. Supply dumps at Mainghka
are bombed and 2 villages N of Kazu are hit and burned out.
FOURTEENTH AF–12 B-25’s bomb Kutkai,
demolishing 2 large buildings and leaving 14 burning. 35 P-40’s attack Tingka,
Hsenwi, Lungling, and Tengchung. Nearly 100 P-40’s and P-51’s attack troops,
horses, trucks, river shipping, arty pieces, warehouses, and general Targets of
opportunity in or near Sungpai, Sinshih, Hengyang, Chaling, Leiyang, Sinyang,
Siangtan, Hukow, and Changsha. 4 P-40’s hit coastal shipping at Hongay and Nam
Dinh.
FEAF–B-24’s bomb Lolobata Airfield and
B-25’s attack shipping in Ternate area, setting a 1,200-ton vessel afire and
damaging several luggers and barges. P-39’s dive-bomb AA positions at Wewak Pt.
FEAF aircraft on armed recon hit Targets of opportunity in Ceram area and
Tanimbar Is.
THIRTEENTH AF–XIII FC moves from
Guadalcanal to Sansapor Pt.
USA
N FRANCE—Gen Montgomery moves boundary between Br and U.S.
forces northward. 21 Army Group:
In Br
Second Army area, 8 Corps makes contact with U.S. V Corps forces near Tinchebray.
30 Corps overruns Vassy and continues to clear region near Condé. 12 Corps
progresses toward Falaise from NW. In Cdn First Army’s 2 Corps area, Cdn 4th
Armd Div advances toward Falaise in region E of Caen– Falaise road. Pol 1st
Armd Div establishes bridgehead across Dives R NE of Falaise.
12th Army
Group: Plan to drop airborne forces W of the Seine to block enemy escape routes
(TRANSFIGURE) is by now unnecessary.
In U.S.
Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 83d Div takes Dinard, but enemy continues
effective defense of St Malo Citadel. 6th Armd Div contains Brest and Lorient.
In XV Corps area, 5th Armd and 79th Inf Divs are pushing rapidly toward Dreux.
Corps elements containing enemy pocket in Argentan– Falaise area (Fr 2d Armd
Div, 90th Inf Div, and 80th Inf Div, less 319th Inf), are formed into Prov Corps
under command of Maj Gen Hugh J. Gaffey, U.S. Third Army chief of staff. Enemy
continues vigorous efforts to escape trap. In XX Corps area, 7th Armd Div
reaches edge of Chartres, where heavy fighting ensues. In XII Corps area, 4th
Armd Div, followed by 35th Div, pushes rapidly toward Orléans. Elements of 35th
Div are driving toward Châteaudun, NW of Orléans.
In U.S.
First Army area, VII Corps progresses well against light resistance. 3d Armd
Div, upon capture of Ranes, moves some elements NE toward Ecouché and others NW
toward Fromental. 1st Div continues northward toward Vire–Argentan highway to
left of armor. 9th Div continues to follow spearheads. In V Corps area, 29th
Div secures heights S of Tinchebray; 2d Div overruns Tinchebray. This concludes
current mission of corps.
S FRANCE—U.S. Seventh Army, under control of AFHQ, begins
preliminary operations to isolate main DRAGOON invasion beaches on Fr
Mediterranean coast about midnight 14–15. To secure left flank of assault area,
SITKA Force (U.S. Special Service Force) invades small islands of Levant and Port
Cros, clearing former and part of latter; ROMEO Force (Fr Commandos) lands on
mainland at and E of Cap Nègre and soon clears coastal defenses and blocks
coastal highway. Rosie Force (Fr Naval Assault Group) lands SW of Cannes in
Theoule-sur- Mer area to secure right flank of assault area, but is unable to
accomplish its mission and suffers heavy casualties. RUGBY Force (1st ABTF)
drops in rear of assault beaches, beginning at 0430, and accomplishes its task
of blocking off invasion coast from the interior along “Blue Line” in Le Muy–Le
Luc area before H Hour. RUGBY Force is unable to clear Le Muy but overruns a
number of villages. These ground operations, plus final pounding of assault zone
by aircraft and naval gunfire, leave enemy incapable of offering much
resistance. VI Corps (Gen Truscott) lands, 3 divs abreast, between Nice and Toulon
at H Hour (0800) and moves inland against light, scattered resistance. 3d Div
(ALPHA Force) lands on left flank between Bay of Cavalaire and Bay of
Pampelonne; moves quickly W and N, left flank forces overrunning Cavalaire and
making contact with Fr Commandos, who are placed under 3d Div, at Cap Nègre;
right flank troops reach St Tropez as 1st ABTF elements and FFI are completing its
capture and join in attack that clears the town and St Tropez Peninsula. Other
towns taken by 3d Div are La Mole, Cogolin, Grimaud, and La Croix. In center of
corps, 45th Div (DELTA Force) lands near Ste Maxime and quickly secures
beaches, although town of Ste Maxime holds out until afternoon; speeds inland
toward Le Muy and Fréjus. Contact is made with 1st ABTF and with friendly forces
on each flank. 179th Inf is held in reserve. On right flank of VI Corps, 36th
Div (CAMEL Force) lands E of St Raphaël, 141st Inf leading at H Hour and 143d
following soon afterwards. 141st Inf overruns Drammont and coastal
fortifications near Agay and pushes rapidly northward. 143d drives W toward St
Raphaël. RCT 142, scheduled to land at 1400 W of Fréjus and take that town, is
forced to land 10 miles E of the town instead when obstacles at planned site
cannot be breached; starts ashore at 1532, moving to heights NE of Fréjus.
ITALY—AAI: Br Eighth Army begins largescale shift of units
to E flank in preparation for assault on Gothic Line.
SWPA—ALAMO Force issues FO for invasion of Morotai. XI
Corps TF, called TRADEWIND Assault Force, under command of Gen Hall and
consisting of 31st Div with RCT 126 of 32d Div as reserve, is to conduct the
operation.
NEW GUINEA—On Noemfoor, Japanese succeed in withdrawing
main force of some 200 toward Pakriki, on S central coast, from Hill 380, night
15– 16. On Biak, 162d and 163d Regts split enemy remnants on island as they
make contact on Sorido– Korim Bay track. In Aitape area, Tadji Defense Perimeter
and Covering Force, consisting of 43d Div and Cav RCT 112, under command of Maj
Gen Leonard F. Wing, who also commands 43d Div, takes over mission of
PERSECUTION Covering Force and latter is dissolved. In Wakde-Sarmi area, 31st
Div, less RCT 124, arrives. In Vogelkop area, ALAMO Force warns TF TYPHOON that
enemy force of 250 has been moving along N coast from Manokwari to Sorong.
POA—111 Amphib Corps, having completed its operations in
the Marianas sooner than expected, is definitely committed to task of invading
the Palaus next.
USMC
III AC, having completed its operations in the Marianas, is
committed to invasion of the Palaus.
No comments:
Post a Comment