US NAVY
PACIFIC—TG 38.2 (Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan) attacks
Japanese shipping and installations on and around Panay and Negros, supported
by TG 38.3 (Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman); during these operations, Navy
carrier-based planes damage motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.482 north of
Cebu, 11°00'N, 124°00'E. TG 38.1 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain), en route to
support Morotai landings, carries out strikes on Japanese installations on
Mindanao; during the course of these operations, SB2Cs (VB 2) sink fast
transport T.5 in Davao Gulf, 06°10'N, 126°00'E.
Destroyers
Farenholt (DD-491), McCalla (DD-488), and Grayson (DD-435),
detached from TG 38.1, bombard suspected Japanese radar installation on Cape
San Augustin, at mouth of Davao Gulf.
Submarine Pargo
(SS-264) lays mines near Natuna Island, South China Sea.
Mine
damages Japanese escort destroyer Yashiro off Formosa, 22°42'N,
120°12'E.
ATLANTIC—Storm sinks Coast Guard cutters Bedloe (WPC-128)
and Jackson (WPC-142) off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Storm sinks Coast Guard Lightship No. 73, Vineyard
Sound, Massachusetts.
Miscellaneous
district auxiliary YAG-sinks after running aground off Chesapeake Bay,
36°57'N, 76°13'W.
Hurricane-engendered
heavy seas cause towline from salvage vessel Escape (ARS-6) to the
damaged U.S. freighter George Ade, torpedoed by U-518 on 12
September 1944, to part; the ship anchors to resume the passage toward Hampton
Roads the following day (see 15-16 September 1944).
MEDITERRANEAN—Cruiser-based SOC spots small naval craft off
Imperia, Italy, a 300-foot merchantman seven miles to the east, and 14 small
craft off Cape Delle Mele; unopposed by enemy shore battery fire, destroyer Ludlow
(DD-438) scores at least twelve direct hits on the vessels off Imperia with
SOC spot.
US ARMY AIR FORCE
NINTH AF—XXIX TAC (Prov) is activated at Vermand, in
anticipation of operating with US Ninth Army, shortly to join 12th Army Group.
Gen Nugent is CG. About 140 B-26’s and A-20’s bomb gun emplacements and strongpoints
in Brest area. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance in various battle areas.
Transports continue large-scale supply and evacuation missions.
TWELFTH AF—Medium bombers attack def positions in E and C
parts of Gothic Line as enemy fiercely resists, especially at Il Giogo Pass and
on Monte Altuzzo. Fighter bombers continue strikes against communications and
movement in Po Valley despite bad weather which limits France-based fighters to
a few sweeps in S France.
TENTH AF—4 B-25’s drop fragmentation-boobytrap bombs on
Bhamo. Large-scale transport operations continue to various points in CBI.
FOURTEENTH AF—6 B-25’s bomb Tunganhsien. 91 P-40’s and
P-51’s attack inland shipping, troop compounds, supplies, and numerous
buildings around Lungling area, throughout vast expanse of inland SE China,
mainly in Hunan, and other areas S of Tungting Lake.
FEAF—B-25’s pound Mapanget airstrip on Menado area. B-24’s
hit 4 airfields on Halmahera. A-20’s and B-25’s bomb Babo airfield while fighter
bombers make scattered small raids on AA positions, airfields, and targets of
opportunity on Vogelkop Peninsula.
SEVENTH AF—B-24’s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima. P-47’s make
strafing and rocket attacks on warehouses and shelters on Pagan. B-24’s on
armed reconnaissance bomb Marcus. B-24’s from Eniwetok bomb Truk while Gilbertsbased
B-25’s hit Ponape.
ELEVENTH AF—During 13/14 September 3 B-24’s strike Kurabu
Cape shipping and airfield.
US ARMY
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES—CCS, meeting at Quebec in OCTAGON
Conference, draw up new directive for Adm Mountbatten, making his primary mission
the recapture of Burma as quickly as possible. DRACULA (assault on Rangoon) and
that part of CAPITAL requiring air and land route to China be opened are
approved with target date of 15 March 1945.
WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery issues orders
for next phase of offensive, to begin on 17th, calling for British Second Army to
secure crossings of the Rhine and Meuse Rivers in preparation for major drive
on the Ruhr and for Canadians to open port of Antwerp and seize Boulogne and
Calais. Offensive operations are virtually at a standstill while supplies are
being brought forward and units regrouped.
12th Army
Group Area: XXIX TAC (Prov) is activated under command of Brig Gen Richard E. Nugent
to provide direct assistance to U.S. Ninth Army, whose movement to main battle
front will begin upon fall of Brest. The new command is attached temporarily to
IX TAC.
In U.S.
First Army’s XIX Corps area, Combat Command A of 2d Armored Division reaches
the Maas and crosses canal to Maastricht island late in day as Germans are
withdrawing. Earlier, elements of 117th Infantry, 30th Division, cross to
Maastricht island and fIndian the town undefended; some elements of 119th Infantry
cross the De Geul a mile N of Gulpen without opposition, but others crossing at
Valkenburg under enemy fire are just able to maintain a foothold on E bank.
30th Division then halts temporarily, maintaining its De Geul bridgeheads while
bridges are being built and adjacent forces come abreast. In VII Corps area, TF
Lovelady (Lt Col William B. Lovelady) of Combat Command B, 3d Armored Division,
thrusts to Vicht R SW of Stolberg and crosses; engineers begin bridging the
river. Combat Command A gains 4 miles, reaching outskirts of Eilendorf, a suburb
of Aachen, where it halts to await 16th Infantry, 1st Division, which is moving
up on left flank. On right flank of armor, 9th Division commits 47th Infantry,
which moves elements E into Roetgen Forest to envelop towns of Zweifall and
Vicht while rest works N along Vicht R. 60th Infantry force turns over Camp d’Elsepborn
to 4th Cavalry Group and drives N across German border, seizing Kalterherberg
and trying in vain to take Hoefen–Alzen ridge in order to attack the West Wall
in Lammersdorf corridor. To strengthen assault on the ridge, rest of 60th Infantry
is ordered SE from Eupen through the Hertogenwald to Monschau from which to
attack the ridge in conjunction with forces from Kalterherberg. 39th Infantry drives
SE from Roetgen to Lammersdorf, then attacks N against strong portion of
Scharnhorst Line but is pinned down. In V Corps area, 4th Division penetrates West
Wall in the Schnee Eifel: 12th Infantry cuts Schnee Eifel highway and drives NE
along it, taking Hill 698; 22d reaches crest of Schnee Eifel ridge and gets one
Battalion on E slopes overlooking Hontheim. 28th Division begins major attacks
in effort to breach West Wall in its sector: 109th Infantry makes futile
efforts to reach Roscheid; 110th, to N, attacks toward Kesfeld and sends column
through Heckhuscheid and SE to take Hill 553, enemy strongpoint on
Heckhuscheid– Uttfeld highway, but can clear neither objective. On S flank of
corps, Combat Command R, 5th Armored Division, begins to cross the Sauer into
Germany at Wallendorf, clearing that town and bluffs beyond.
In U.S.
Third Army area, XX Corps regroups in order to place greater weight on S flank.
43d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, assisted by team from 12th Army Group hq
whose function it is to make a show of strength, is given responsibility for
left flank of corps. 90th Division, leaving containing force at Thionville,
shifts S, relieving elements of 7th Armored Division and 5th Infantry Division W
and N of Metz for action to S. Planned attack to expand Arnaville bridgehead is
postponed because of deep mud that makes movement of armor almost impossible.
XII Corps completes envelopment of Nancy and is seriously threatening
Lunéville. In local counterattacks against 80th Division’s Dieulouard bridgehead,
Germans gain Ste Geneviève and Loisy. 80th Division then recovers lost ground
and expands bridgehead: 3d Battalion of 318th Infantry takes Atton and continues
N to crest of Mousson Hill; 317th Infantry thrusts eastward to Mt. Toulon,
which enemy retains, on left and reaches Falaise Hill, S of Landremont, where
enemy force moving N from Nancy is dispersed, on right. Combat Command A, 4th Armored
Division, ordered to bypass Château-Salins, races to Arracourt–Moncourt area to
block enemy movement from E and cut escape routes from Nancy. SE of Nancy, 35th
Division gains positions astride the Meurthe with forward elements within 6
miles of Nancy. From the Meurthe, Combat Command B of 4th Armored Division drives
through Forêt de Vitrimont to Marne–Rhine Canal near Dombasle, cutting main
road W of Lunéville. 2d Cavalry Group, upon crossing the Meurthe SE of
Lunéville, cuts approaches from this direction. With junction of patrols of
Combat Command A and Combat Command B near the canal late at night, envelopment
of Nancy is complete. In XV Corps area, French 2d Armored Division makes contact
with patrol of French 1st Armored Division, Seventh Army, near Clefmont. Combat
Command B, 6th Armored Division, is released to Third Army with mission of
protecting S flank W of Troyes, relieving French 2d Armored Division of this
task. 79th Division is ordered, except for the Battalion on E bank, to remain W
of the river until further notice. 313th Infantry mops up Poussay and takes
Mirecourt on Neufchâteau– Epinal road; 315th drives enemy rear guards from
Châtenois, SE of Neufchâteau, to Ramecourt, where elements of 313th destroy
them during night. French 2d Armored Division clashes with retreating enemy
near Hennecourt.
S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army’s French 2d Corps area, Gen
de Lattre directs corps to turn E and advance to left of 1st Corps; 1st Infantry
Division is to relieve U.S. 45th Division. In VI Corps area, 36th Division pushes
from Vesoul toward Luxeuil while 3d drives on Lure. 45th Division is virtually
halted along line l’Islesur- Doubs–Villersexel.
POLAND—First White Russian Front troops, assisted by Polish
forces, take Praga, suburb of Warsaw, but Germans are prepared for a stand
along line of the Narew and Vistula Rivers.
YUGOSLAVIA—British detachment with 25-pounders lands on
Peljesac Peninsula and shells Trpanj, enemy withdrawal point.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, II Corps continues to
hammer Gothic Line defenses of Il Giogo Pass but is unable to break through.
338th Infantry, 85th Division, makes costly efforts to take M. Altuzzo, elements
temporarily gaining hold on ridge to W of main Altuzzo ridge, later known as
Peabody Peak (Capt Maurice E. Peabody, Jr., Co B commander). Enemy retains M.
Veruca despite efforts of 339th Infantry to clear it. 91st Division’s 363d Infantry
is again halted short of enemy’s MLR on Monticelli; reserve regt, 361st, is
committed through left flank of 363d in effort to outflank enemy; 362d Infantry
takes M. Calvi. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division continues attacks on Prefetto
Hill. Indian 8th Division gains crest of Alpe di Vitigliano.
In British
Eighth Army area, 10 Corps begins period of regrouping in order to release
units to other sectors. 5 Corps and Canadian 1 Corps consolidate positions on
S. Savino–Coriano ridge and push on to the Marano, which Canadian 1st Division of
1 Corps begins crossing.
CBI—In Kweilin, Gen Stilwell learns of Chiang Kai-shek’s
order for 3 Ch Divisions to be kept inside Kweilin to defend the city and
prepares to ask for a more aggressive defense. On Salween front, Chinese
complete capture of Teng-chung, which was entered on 4 August. Since Teng-chung
is lost and Chinese are vigorously resisting in Lung-ling, Japanese decide to
halt their counteroffensive on Salween front.
US MARINE CORPS
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