80 Years Ago, Tuesday, 5 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Submarine Albacore (SS-218) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shingetsu Maru north of Muroto Saki, 32°24'N,134°15'E.

            British submarine HMS Tantivy sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shiretoko Maru off Sumatra, 05°44'S, 104°58'E.

            Mine sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kokka Maru, Keelung, Formosa.

MEDITERRANEAN—Off southern France invasion beaches, French destroyer Le Malin discovers presence of German manned torpedoes and opens fire; destroyer Ludlow (DD-438) joins Le Malin in dropping depth charges, destroying three torpedoes and capturing the crews who manned them.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Over 650 heavy bombers attack Stuttgart aero engine plant, Ludwigshafen synthetic oil plant, Karlsruhe marshalling yard, and various targets of opportunity. 9 fighter groups fly support and several groups strafe airfields. Fighters claim 19 aerial combat victories. Nearly 150 B-17’s supported by a P-51 group bomb 5 gun emplacements in Brest area. 5 fighter groups in sweeps over Frankfurt/Main, Stuttgart and Rotterdam areas strafe airfields and rail, road, and river traffic and claim 9 air victories and 62 aircraft destroyed on ground. In Germany 2 fighter bomber groups bomb 3 airfields and strafe 2, claiming destruction of 66 parked aircraft. Nearly 90 B-24’s fly supplies to France.

NINTH AF—300-plus medium bombers and light bombers bomb strongpoints in Brest area and coastal battery at Pointe du Grand Gouin. Fighters hit gun positions and other military targets in Brest area and fly cover for 6 armored and infantry divisions.

TWELFTH AF—Medium bombers again strike with excellent results road and rail bridges in Po Valley while fighter bombers blast rail lines and rolling stock S of the river. A-20’s hit Milan and Genoa areas during 4/5 September and attack ammo stores during the day. Fighters fly sweeps through Rhone Valley and support limited ground force adv in preparation for major assault on Gothic Line.

FIFTEENTH AF—430-plus heavy bombers, with fighter escort, attack communications targets in Hungary and N Italy to impede withdrawal from the lower Balkans and to disrupt railroad communications in Italian N. Tgts hit are 2 railroad bridges at Budapest and 1 each at Szolnok and Szob and a railroad bridge at Ferrara. Heavy bombers dispatched to Yugoslavia cannot bomb target because of total cloud cover.

TENTH AF—8 B-25’s pound targets at Indaw. 21 B-24’s fly fuel to Kunming. Numerous other cargo and Troop Carrier sorties are flown to various CBI terminals.

FOURTEENTH AF—25 B-25’s pounding Kiyang and Hengyang cause considerable damage in both towns and at the Hengyang airfield. 6 others attack trucks and other targets of opportunity at Siangtan ferry crossing, near Hengyang and Kiyang, in Lingling and Yoyang areas, and at Samshui. 2 more B-25’s bomb Kowloon shipyards. 26 P- 40’s blast concentrations of river junks, troops and horses in Kiyang-Wangyang area. Other fighter bombers, operating individually or in flights of 2-10 aircraft, hit a variety of targets of opportunity throughout Hengyang, Kiyang, Yungfengshih, and Lishui area.

FEAF—B-24’s hit Peleliu airfield, a few bombing Saipan Small-scale B-24 strikes hit Kendari airfield while fighter bombers attack Galela and nearby villages, Soepiori Peninsula villages and Waren and Moemi airfields. Almost 60 B-24’s blast Langoan airfield while a sizeable B-25 force bombs Djailolo airfield, several villages, and Kaoe AA positions.

SEVENTH AF—20 Saipan-based B-24’s bomb Iwo Jima. 2 others on armed reconnaissance hit Marcus and Yap. P-47’s make strafing and rocket attacks on AA positions on Pagan. Gilberts based B-25’s attack Nauru and Ponape.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s 2 Corps area, 3d Division, moving along coast, bypasses Boulogne and reaches Calais area. Enemy is prepared to defend both ports. On right flank of corps, Polish 1st Armored Division continues toward St Omer.

            In British Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 7th Armored Division captures Ghent, but enemy continues to hold out in N outskirts for some days. 30 Corps consolidates and reorganizes in preparation for continuing assault.

            12th Army Group: U.S. Ninth Army becomes operational, taking command of troops and zone of VIII Corps, Third Army, on Brittany Peninsula. 29th Division occupies La Trinité, which enemy has vacated.

            In U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area, reconnaissance elements of 2d Armored Division and 113th Cavalry Group push deep into Belgium to general line Brussels–Gembloux. In VII Corps area, while 1st Division continues mopping up Mons pocket, taking numerous prisoners, 9th Division secures crossings of the Meuse N and S of Dinant. 3d Armored Division prepares to press on to Liége. V Corps continues assembly on right flank of army and attacks E. 5th Armored Division secures crossings over the Meuse near Sedan, Combat Command A at Bazeilles and Combat Command R at Mohon. 28th Division is moving up behind armor. 102d Cavalry Group screens assembly of 4th Division NW of Mézières.

            In U.S. Third Army area, Gen Patton orders XII Corps to cross the Moselle, secure Nancy, and be prepared to continue to Mannheim and the Rhine. In XII Corps area, on N flank of 80th Division, 317th Infantry makes futile attempts to force the Moselle at Pagnysur- Moselle and in the Blenod–Pont à Mousson area after daybreak; trying again night of 5–6 at Vandieres, Pont à Mousson, and Blenod, succeeds in getting 3d Battalion ( — ) across at Pont à Mousson. 318th Infantry attacks toward Hill 326, which commands Marbache. 319th expands Toul bridgehead to include Fort de Gondreville but is unable to reduce Fort de Villey-le-Sec. XV Corps, consisting at this time of corps hq and troops and awaiting additional forces, receives mission of protecting S flank of army in sector to right of XII Corps.

S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army area, VI Corps reaches positions near Besançon. 36th Division is SW of the city, 3d Division due S, and 45th Division to NE.

USSR—Declares war on Bulgaria.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, Combat Command A of 1st Armored Division takes Lucca. S African 6th Armored Division gets forward elements to Monsummano and clears part of M. Albano. II Corps continues to move assault units forward, night 5–6. At the same time, Germans pull back from positions N of Florence.

            In British Eighth Army area, 5 Corps and Canadian 1 Corps are held up by firm opposition on S. Savino– Coriano ridge. To left rear, in 5 Corps zone, 56th Division is staunchly opposed in Croce–Gemmano region and Indian 4th Division in Pian di Castello area.

 

US MARINE CORPS