80 Years Ago, Wednesday, 13 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—TG 38.2 (Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan) continues operations against Cebu, supported by TG 38.1 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) and TG 38.3 (Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman), as well as against Japanese targets in the area of Negros, Cebu, and Legaspi. Navy carrier-based planes sink submarine chaser Ch 55 three miles northeast of Cebu,10°20'N, 124°00'E. Late that afternoon, TG 38.1 (see 14 September) is detached to provide support for the landings at Morotai.

            Mine sinks high speed minesweeper Perry (DMS-17) 750 yards off the southeast coast of Angaur, southern Palaus, 06°53'N, 134°10'E.

            Submarine Sunfish damages Japanese army cargo ship Gyoku Maru, 34°32'N, 124°44'E, and sinks army cargo ship Etajima Maru, 35°04'N, 124°49'E.

            USAAF A-20s sink merchant cargo ship Akitsushima Maru off southeastern Ceram, 03°04'S, 128°11'E.

            Japanese landing ship T.153 damaged (probably by USAAF aircraft) off Iwo Jima.

ATLANTIC—Hurricane sinks destroyer Warrington (DD-383) 175 miles east-southeast of Great Abaco Island, Bahamas Islands, 27°00'N, 73°00'W.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—70-plus B-17’s, escorted by a P-51 group, continuing UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle-bombing mission, take off from USSR bases, bomb steel and armament works at Diosgyor and proceed to Fifteenth AF bases in Italy. 750-plus heavy bombers from UK bomb 3 synthetic oil plants, 2 aero engine factories, 3 marshalling yards, an airfield, motor works, ordnance depot, fuel depot, and several cities and isolated targets of opportunity in C and SW Germany. 11 fighter groups escorting later strafe airfields and miscellaneous ground targets. 28 heavy bombers and 9 P-51’s are lost. P-51’s claim 33 aircraft destroyed in the air and 20 on the ground. A P-51 group sweeping S of Munich strafes aircraft dispersal area, airfield and a marshalling yard.

NINTH AF—XIX TAC HQ accompanies US Third Army HQ to Chalons-sur-Marne. B-26’s fly leaflet mission to coastal N France and Belgium. Fighters support ground forces in Brest and Nancy-Metz areas (air-ground coordination being especially effective between XIX TAC and French 2d Armored Division in defeating enemy move on Vittel), and fly armed reconnaissance over Cologne, Aachen, Koblenz, Linz/ Rhine, and Wahn areas. XIX TAC inaugurates rail cutting campaign. Transports fly numerous supply and evacuation missions.

TWELFTH AF—B-25’s destroy bridge at Peschiera del Garda, cutting the Milan-Verona line. B-25’s and B-26’s bomb guns and defensive positions N of Florence. Fighter bombers attack railroads, rolling stock, and bridges in N Italy, although heavy overcast hampers operations in NW.

FIFTEENTH AF—350-plus fighter-escorted B-17’s and B-24’s bomb Auschwitz oil and rubber works and Odertal and Blechhammer oil refineries, hit Cracow-Auschwitz area and bomb marshalling yard at Vrutky. Over 100 other heavy bombers attack Avisio viaduct, Mezzocorona and Ora railroad bridges.

TENTH AF—8 P-47’s hit targets at Mawhun and some of the fighter bombers afterwards strafe targets of opportunity on the Irrawaddy R from Katha to Shwegu. 8 others sweep the river between Bhamo and Katha. 12 more hit targets along road in Kutkai area. Large-scale transport operations in CBI continue.

FOURTEENTH AF—B-24’s claim 3 cargo vessels sunk off Pescadores Is.

FEAF—B-24’s and B-25’s hit 4 airfields and bomb villages on Morotai I. B-25’s hit Langgoer airfield while A-20’s and fighter bombers hit 2 airfields in Efman I. A-20’s, B-25’s, and fighter bombers hit Babo AA positions and airfields at Manokwari and Ransiki.

THIRTEENTH AF—Thirteenth AF moves from Los Negros to Hollandia.

SEVENTH AF—Saipan-based P-47’s hit buildings on Pagan with rockets and machinegun fire. B-24’s on armed reconnaissance, snooper, and training missions bomb Iwo Jima, Marcus, and Pagan.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—Gen Eisenhower directs capture of two objectives: the Ruhr and a deepwater port, either Antwerp or Rotterdam.

21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s 2 Corps area, Canadian 4th Armored Division crosses light force over Canal de Derivation and Leopold Canal NE of Bruges, night 13–14.

            In British Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 15th Division takes over Gheel bridgehead, relieving 50th Division of 30 Corps, and presses on to Meuse–Escaut Canal, crossing it after nightfall. 53d Division is expanding holdings in dock area of Antwerp.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army’s VIII Corps area, German garrison of Brest refuses request to surrender although the garrison is being steadily compressed on all sides. W of Recouvrance, Fort Keranroux falls to 175th Infantry, 29th Division. 8th Division has been pinched out, and 29th and 2d Divisions hold area around Brest. As 94th Division continues gradual relief of 6th Armored Division, Combat Command A is released from task of containing Lorient.

            In U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area, Combat Command A of 2d Armored Division drives E toward the Maas (Meuse), on N flank of corps, forcing enemy back several miles. 119th and most of 117th Regts of 30th Division drive toward De Geul R, between Aachen and Maastricht; a Battalion of 117th enters Wijk, suburb of Maastricht, but finds bridges leading to island of Maastricht down. VII Corps penetrates outer defenses of West Wall at 2 points: Combat Command B, 3d Armored Division, breaches fortifications between Roetgen and Rott; Combat Command A, assisted by Battalion of 26th Infantry, 1st Division, pushes through AT obstacles to village of Nutheim, which commands road to Kornelimuenster, and into Stol-berg corridor. To left, 16th Infantry of 1st Division withstands small counterattacks in Aachen Municipal Forest and gets into position for assault on West Wall near Ober Forstbach. 1st Division is largely engaged in containing role at Aachen. 9th Division, to secure S flank, occupies Camp d’Elsenborn with elements of 60th Inf. In V Corps area, forward elements of 4th Division assemble near the Schnee Eifel at Radscheid and Bleialf. 28th Division, employing a Battalion each of 109th and 110th Regts, attacks West Wall: 109th attempts to reach heights W of Roscheid but is unable to get as far as Irsen Creek; 110th advances through Grosskampenberg without opposition but is halted about half way between there and German line. 5th Armored Division, reinforced by Regimental Combat Team tie of 28th Division, continues to protect S flank and fires on Wallendorf area.

            In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 90th Division, planning to cross the Moselle in Thionville area, is ordered to extend southward to relieve forces still bitterly opposed W and N of Metz. Arnaville bridgehead forces are holding on despite critical shortage of artillery ammunition and heavy fire from Fort Driant that destroys ferrying raft, damages treadway at the ford, and destroys ponton bridge under construction. Combat Command B, 7th Armored Division, crosses into the bridgehead and attacks toward Mardigny but is soon stopped by fire from Arry. In XII Corps area, enemy has decided to abandon Nancy in order to mass forces with which to overwhelm Dieulouard bridgehead; begins determined counterattacks against the bridgehead at 0100 with forces already on hand, overrunning Ste Geneviève, Loisy, and Bezaumont before being stopped just short of American-held bridges. Counterattack of 80th Division, assisted by Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division, which crosses into bridgehead during the action, restores original bridgehead perimeter, enemy having no immediate reserves to commit in exploitation; Combat Command A pushes through Ste Geneviève and then rapidly E toward Château-Salins, reaching Fresnes-en-Saulnois. From Lorey bridgehead S of Nancy, 35th Division, committing 320th Infantry ( — ) with 137th, and Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division, speed toward the Meurthe, which Combat Command B reaches by pushing through gap in retreating enemy forces. In XV Corps area, 1st Battalion of 314th Infantry, 79th Division, maintains its bridgehead opposite Charmes, which elements of 106th Cavalry Group are screening; 313th Infantry breaks into Poussay; 315th completes capture of Neufchâteau. CCL, French 2d Armored Division, discovers enemy columns preparing to drive on Vittel—one at Dompaire and the other near Ville-sur-Illon; engages them and with assistance of XIX TAC decisively defeats them, destroying 60 tanks. This is an outstanding example of effective air-ground coordination. CCD overruns Chaumont.

S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army’s French 2d Corps area, Langres falls to 1st Armored Division. In VI Corps area, Germans surrender Vesoul, on last enemy escape route to Belfort in U.S. zone. 45th Division overruns Villersexel. Corps takes more than 1,300 prisoners during day.

FRANTIC—On return trip to Italy from Soviet bases, Eighth Air Force planes attack steel works at Diosgyoer, Hungary. FRANTIC bases in USSR are now well behind front line and shuttle bombing is discontinued.

POLAND—Soviet planes begin dropping supplies to beleaguered Warsaw. Lomza, key position between East Prussia and Warsaw, falls to troops of Second White Russian Front.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 1st Armored Division, ordered to be prepared to move all but one combat command to II Corps zone on 48 hours’ notice, can do no more than patrol aggressively within its broad Serchio Valley sector. S African 6th Armored Division, making main effort of corps in support of II Corps to right, continues full-scale attack on hills N of Prato and takes M. Acuto. II Corps begins general assault to force II Giogo Pass and thus gain entrance to Po Valley. 85th Division’s 338th Infantry, attempting to attack through 363d Infantry of 91st Division and make main effort against M. Altuzzo, is unable to locate 363d and comes to a halt well short of objective under stiff opposition; to right, 339th Infantry attempts in vain to take M. Veruca; to left, 363d Infantry concentrates on M. Monticelli but is unable to reach crest. 362d Infantry begins drive toward Futa Pass. In a supporting role on left flank of corps, 34th Division batters at Torricella Hill, below M. Coroncina, and M. Frassino. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division begins attack on heights flanking Highway 6521 (Poggio Prefetto and M. Guivigiana), where enemy is firmly established. Indian 8th Division takes M. Veruca and thrusts almost to top of Alpe di Vitigliano. 6th Armored Division patrols actively on right flank of corps.

            In British Eighth Army area, 5 Corps and Canadian 1 Corps gain firm hold on S. Savino–Coriano ridge, 1st Armored Division of 5 Corps taking S. Savino and Canadian 5th Armored Division of Canadian 1 Corps, Coriano and N spur of the ridge.

CBI—Gen Hurley drafts U.S. proposals for appointment of Gen Stilwell to post of Field Commander of the Ground and Air Forces of the Republic of China and directive for Chiang Kai-shek to Gen Stilwell. The Generalissimo receives them on or before 16 September. Gen Stilwell, after receiving emissaries from the Chinese Communists, leaves for Kweilin to inspect E China positions.

SWPA—TF TRADEWINDIAN convoy is joined by Covering Force and escort carriers as it continues toward Morotai by a circuitous route in order to maintain secrecy.

 

US MARINE CORPS