Thursday, August 15, 2024

80 Years Ago, Wednesday, 9 August 1944

USN

PACIFIC–President Roosevelt reembarks in heavy cruiser Baltimore (CA-68) and then shifts to destroyer Cummings (DD-376) to visit the Puget Sound Navy Yard.

            PB4Y (VB 116) crashes on takeoff from Stickell Field, Eniwetok, and burns amidst the 340 planes in the carrier aircraft replacement pool area; 106 (F6Fs, FMs, SB2Cs, and TBMs) are destroyed.

            Submarine Barbel (SS-316) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Yagi Maru and merchant cargo ship Boko Maru (ex-British Sagres) north of Okinoshima, 27°56'N, 128°47'E. Coast Defense Vessel No.1 and minesweeper W.17 carry out antisubmarine sweep to no avail.

            Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) lands men and supplies on Palawan.

            British submarine HMS Trenchant sinks Japanese merchant fishing boat No.2 Hiyoshi Maru off coast of Sumatra,04°29'S, 102°54'E

            USAAF B-25s sink Japanese ship Tokuyu Maru and damage fishing boat No.6 Meijin Maru off Halmahera.

            Japanese merchant cargo ship Hokko Maru is sunk by aircraft off Shanghai, China.

            Japanese cargo ship Koshin Maru is sunk by fire, 125 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa.

ATLANTIC–Motor torpedo boat PT-509 is sunk by German surface craft off the isle of Jersey, English Channel, 49°11'N, 02°15'W.

            In another channel action, three U.S. motor torpedo boats engage German convoy off Cap d'Antifer, France; German gunfire damages PT-520 and PT-521.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–More than 500 Heavy Bombers attack aircraft engine plant at Sindelfingen and several Targets of opportunity, including marshalling yards at Saarbrucken, Luxembourg, and Saint-Vith. 18 Heavy Bombers are lost, mostly to AA fire. 15 fighter groups fly 570 sorties in support, claiming 33 aircraft destroyed in air and 30 on ground, plus numerous ground targets in strafing attacks. 15 Fighter Bomber groups bomb and strafe rail targets, including 12 marshalling yards, in France. 325th Photographic Wing (Recon) is activated to replace 8th Recon Wing (Prov).

NINTH AF–Close to 400 Medium Bombers and Light Bombers attack ammo dump in Foret de Blois, shipping at Brest, and other targets, including rail bridges at 10 locations in N and W France. fighters escort IX BC, cover ground forces, and fly armed recon in wide areas of N France (around Paris, as far S as Orleans, and as far NE as Reims and Chalonssur-Marne).

TWELFTH AF–Medium Bomber efforts are restricted by bad weather. However, during 8/9 Aug A-20’s hit targets along coastal road from Nice to Genoa, and during the day B-25’s hit railroad at Ventimiglia and B-26’s attain excellent results on Bergamo/Orio al Serio AF. Fighter Bombers sink motor vessel in Imperia harbor and attack railroad facilities in NW Italy.

FIFTEENTH AF–Around 400 B-24’s and B-17’s, with fighter escorts, bomb 2 airfields and an oil refinery at Budapest, rolling stock plant and aircraft assembly plant at Gyor, and marshalling yard and oil refinery at Brod.

TENTH AF–24 Fighter Bombers support ground forces in Taungni-Sahmaw area. Several others unsuccessfully attack bridge N of Hopin and bomb town of Tagwin.

FOURTEENTH AF–6 B-25’s bomb compound and vehicle shed on NE edge of Hengyang. 36 P-40’s and P-51’s attack trucks, gun positions, and buildings at several points in Hengyang-Siangtan area. 21 P-51’s and P- 40’s knock out pontoon bridge and hit junks and sampans at Changsha, and attack rivercraft at points along the C Yangtze.

FEAF–B-24’s blast AA positions in 3 different areas of Yap I. Other B-24’s bomb airfields at Boela and at Liang. A-20’s hit shipping facilities at Asap I and bomb Nabire airfield. fighters strafe villages S of Manokwari. B-25’s bomb forces on N coast of Waigeo I. A-20’s and Fighter Bombers hit troops at Dagua and near Haur and bomb stores at Cape Moem and machineguns at Cape Wom.

 

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army area, 2 Corps continues S astride Caen–Falaise road. Cdn 4th Armd Div overruns Bretteville-le-Rabet while Pol 1st Armd Div seizes Cauvicourt and St Sylvain in costly fighting. Infantry units are clearing flanks.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, 6th Armd Div, leaving small force to contain Brest, moves N to meet threat to its rear and virtually destroys enemy div in Plouvien area; makes contact with TF A near Brest. 83d Div continues assault on St Malo, where resistance is now confined largely to the Citadel. 4th Armd Div is still containing Lorient and sends elements toward Nantes. XV Corps mops up Le Mans and swings N toward Alençon, 5th Armd Div on right and Fr 2d Armd Div on left, followed by infantry. 80th Div, temporarily attached to corps, is mopping up near Le Mans. In XX Corps area, 5th Div closes in on Angers.

            U.S. First Army orders a turn NE toward Argentan to meet British working southward toward Falaise to trap enemy in Vire–Mortain–Domfront–Ger region. In VII Corps area, enemy counteroffensive toward Avranches loses its momentum but heavy fighting continues. 39th Inf, 9th Div, is detached from 4th Div. In XIX Corps area, 28th Div is unable to advance in Gathemo region, but 29th moves slowly forward below Vire. V Corps orders 2d Div, whose mission is still primarily defensive, to move one reinf regt SE. 102d Cav Gp is attached to 2d Div, which relieves additional elements of 29th Div (XIX Corps) on hills near Vire.

ITALY—AAI: In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps completes clearing region below the Arno in Florence area.

CBI—On Salween front, Japanese raid Ch 8th Army’s arty positions and supply dumps in Sung Shan sector with some success. In China, Marshal Li Chi-shen, President of the Military Advisory Council of Chungking, sends message to U.S. Consulate in Kweilin that E China war lords are about to form a provisional government in order to effect national unity and defeat Japanese; that Chiang Kai-shek will be asked to resign. U.S. attitude to this is one of watchful waiting.

NEW GUINEA—In Aitape area, Gen Gill reports to Gen Hall that resistance along the Driniumor has ceased.

GUAM—77th Div and 3d Mar Div are clearing final resistance on Guam. Bypassed enemy groups show a determination to be killed rather than surrender.

 

USMC

 

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