US NAVY
PACIFIC—Submarine Bashaw (SS-241) sinks Japanese
transport Yanagigawa Maru west of Mindanao, 08°10'N, 121°48'E.
Submarine Seal
(SS-183) damages Japanese destroyer Namikaze off Hokkaido, 47°28'N, 148°20'E.
Submarine Spadefish
(SS-411) sinks Japanese transport Shokei Maru and army cargo ship Shinten
Maru off Sakishima Gunto, 24°39'N, 123°31'E, and merchant cargo ships Nichiman
Maru and Nichian Maru, 24°45'N,123°26'E.
USAAF
B-24s bomb Japanese shipping off Chichi Jima, damaging cargo vessels Heiwa
Maru and Toyo Maru.
ATLANTIC—First German V-2 rocket bomb lands in England.
MEDITERRANEAN—German explosive boats attack destroyer Hilary
P. Jones (DD-427) off Cap Martin, but inflict no damage; destroyer
Madison (DD-425) is attacked by German explosive boats but sights them in
time to avoid them. U.S. destroyers are attacked by German explosive boats five
miles south of Cap Ampeglio; U.S. motor torpedo boats engage an additional four
enemy craft.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
ETO The first V-2 fired in combat explodes in Paris suburb;
the second strikes a London suburb a few hrs later.
EIGHTH AF—About 950 heavy bombers escorted by 7 P-51 groups
attack an oil refinery, marshalling yard, tank and armored vehicle factory, and
ordnance plant in the Rhineland, plus 11 targets of opportunity. 22 heavy
bombers are lost. 2 P-51 groups strafe targets in Heidelberg-Darmstadt-Wurzburg
and Frankfurt/Main-Koblenz areas, while 5 fighter bomber groups strafe and bomb
rail transportation E of the Rhine. Over 100 B-24’s fly ‘trucking mission,’
carrying supplies to battle area.
NINTH AF—Weather prevents bomber missions. Fighters fly
cover for troops in Brest area and for US 2d, 5th, 8th, and 29th Infantry
Divisions, and XX Corps area, escort troop movements and fly defensive patrols.
Several hundred transports fly supply and evacuation missions.
TWELFTH AF—A-20’s fly supply missions to airfield near
Lyon. Bad weather grounds medium bombers. P-47’s fighter bombers on armed reconnaissance
in Po Valley area attack 2 pontoon bridges and several barges, cut a road, and
hit several vehicles and other targets of opportunity. Fighters strafe Belfort
area, hitting 10 trains with good results, and blast a horse-drawn vehicle convoy
near Strasbourg.
FIFTEENTH AF—354 B-17’s and B-24’s escorted by P-38’s hit
railroad bridges at Brod and Belgrade and marshalling yards at Sarajevo and
Nish. 77 P-51’s strafe airfields at Ecka, Petrovgrad, Ilandza, and Alibunar.
Other P-51’s escort RAF Beaufighters to Trieste and MATAF C-47’s on evacuation
missions to Bucharest and back to Italy.
TENTH AF—9 B-25’s bomb Katha. 23 B-24’s haul fuel to
Kunming. Large-scale Troop Carrier operations to many CBI terminals continue.
FOURTEENTH AF—18 B-24’s attack 5 railroad bridges at Giap
Nat, Dui Giang, Hue, Trach, Duc Tho, and Quang Tri, knocking out Quang Tri
bridge. 3 others claim a destroyer sunk S of Hong Kong. 5 B-25’s destroy bridge
near Kiyang, bomb Hengyang and Lingling, and damage bridge near Hengyang.
100-plus P- 40’s and P-51’s on armed reconnaissance hit large variety of targets
of opportunity including troops, river shipping, bridges, airstrips, supplies,
trucks, and railroad targets over vast SE China areas at Lingling, Kiyang, Tunganhsien,
Hengyang, Lingkuantien, and Leiyang.
FEAF—B-24’s pound Langoan A/ F. B-25’s hit Galela and
Tobelo while B-24’s bomb Lolobata and P-47’s attack Kaoe airfield and AA
positions, Djailolo airfield and barges at Point Lelo. B-24’s bomb airfields at
Langgoer, Faan, Letfoean, and Toeal. P-38’s hit Boela while B-25’s hit small
shipping at Ceram. Fighter bombers and A-20’s hit airstrips and targets of
opportunity at Efman, Samate, Babo, Urarom, Manokwari, Moemi, and Ranski. P-39’s
strafe Wewak coastal area.
TWENTIETH AF—90 Chengtu-based B-29’s bomb Showa Steel Works
at Anshan, 3 others bomb other targets in Anshan, 5 hit Sinsiang railroad
yards, and 3 others hit various targets of opportunity. Gen LeMay (CG, XX BC)
accompanies the mission. During 8/9 September Japanese bombers attack HQ,
storage areas, and parked airplanes at Hsinching (near Chengtu) damaging a
B-29, a C-46, and wounding 2 soldiers.
SEVENTH AF—Saipan-based B-24’s bomb Iwo Jima and Pagan and
hit shipping at Chichi Jima. B-25’s from the Gilberts hit Ponape and B-24’s
from Kwajalein bomb Wotje.
US ARMY
In British Second Army’s 30 Corps
area, Guards Armored Division crosses Albert Canal at Beeringen. 50th Division establishes
small bridgehead over canal SW of Gheel. Both crossings meet lively opposition.
12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army
area, VIII Corps begins all-out assault on Brest at 1000 after preparatory
bombardment, employing 2d, 8th, and 29th Divisions.
In U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area,
113th Cavalry Group drives almost to Maastricht (Holland) and patrols Albert
Canal. 2d Armored Division reaches positions in Hasselt–St Trond area. 30th Division
is moving up to attack on right flank of corps. In VII Corps area, 3d Armored
Division, which is reinforced by 47th Infantry of 9th Division, mops up in
Liége; 9th Division continues E on S flank of corps and 1st Division displaces
to Huy–Faimes area on N flank. V Corps, with 4th Division on N and 28th on S,
meets stronger rear-guard opposition as it continues E to positions generally
between Jemelle and Margut. Corps FO 26 calls for capture of Koblenz, beyond
West Wall.
In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area,
German 106th Pz Brigade, having moved forward between 359th and 358th
Regts of 80th Division from Aumetz, counterattacks 80th Division CP between
Landres and Mairy early in morning, but becomes disorganized and is virtually
destroyed. In this action Germans lose 30 tanks, 60 half-tracks, and almost 100
other vehicles. On S flank of Division, enemy force pocketed in Briey
capitulates. Combat Command A ( — ), 7th Armored Division, disposed along the
Moselle S of Talange, is containing enemy in N part of his Metz bridgehead with
exchanges of fire. Because of diverging attacks of corps units, Gen Walker
attaches 2d Infantry of 5th Division to 7th Armored Division and Combat Command
B of 7th Armored Division to 5th Division, although missions remain unchanged.
2d Infantry continues to batter at outer fortifications of Metz against
determined opposition, taking Verneville and reaching edge of Amanvillers. 5th Division
gains precarious foothold on E bank of the Moselle E of Dornot. 4 cos of 11th Infantry
and elements of 23d Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, the
latter under command of 5th Division, cross under heavy fire and are pinned down
in shallow bridgehead. Efforts of 11th Infantry to push on to Fort Blaise are
futile and costly. In XII Corps area, Germans begin series of counterattacks against
80th Division, recovering Marbache. In XV Corps area, French 2d Armored
Division joins corps and takes over sector between Montargis and the Marne,
79th Division is assembling in Joinville area.
S
FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army area, on Mediterranean coast, elements of 1st ABTF
take Menton and drive to Italian border. In French 2d Corps area, 1st Armored
Division reaches Beaune, on road to Dijon. 1st Infantry Division outflanks and
captures Autun. In VI Corps area, 141st Infantry of 36th Division follows 143d across
the Doubs at Avanne; cuts highways W and NW from Besançon. Germans are
beginning to withdraw from Baume-les-Dames area to avoid encirclement.
ITALY—AAI:
In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, patrol of 435th AAA Battalion, TF 45,
crosses the Serchio and enters Vecchiano without opposition. Bridging is begun
there at once. 1st Armored and S African 6th Armored Divisions continue to
patrol actively in effort to divert enemy attention, advancing positions slightly.
Flooded Arno prevents S African 6th Armored Division from crossing
reinforcements. British 13 Corps follows up as enemy withdraws, 1st Division occupying
M. Morello and M. Senario and Indian 8th Division, M. Calvana and M. Giovi. 6th
Armored Division protects right flank.
In British Eighth Army area, Gen
Alexander visits army front, where he decides that operations toward Rimini
cannot be continued until S. Savino–Coriano ridge is cleared; orders attack
against center of Gothic Line by U.S. Fifth Army. In 5 Corps area, 56th Division
intensifies efforts to take Gemmano ridge in preparation for main assault on S.
Savino–Coriano ridge but makes slow progress.
CBI—Gen
Hurley assumes his new duties as Presidential representative to Chiang
Kai-shek. Gen Stilwell, although not anxious to command the Chinese Army,
agrees to War Department proposal that CBI Theater be split and that he be relieved
of responsibility for lend-lease matters in order to concentrate on support of
Pacific operations from China. Chiang Kai-shek proposes to Gen Stilwell that Ch
troops from Myitkyina be employed in battle for Lung-ling. On Salween front,
Japanese, having assembled strong reinforcements, begin attack on Ch positions N
of Lung-ling. In China, Japanese forces pushing S from Hengyang overrun
Ling-ling, from which U.S. Fourteenth Air Force has withdrawn. Fourteenth Air Force
bases at Kweilin and Liuchow are threatened from the S too, since elements of
Japanese 23d Army (2 Divisions and an independent mixed brig) are
driving N from Canton.
U.S.—JCS
issue directive to CINC SWPA and CINCPOA for invasion of the Philippines.
US MARINE CORPS
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