80 Years Ago, Friday 26 May 1944

 USN

Pacific

Destroyers (TG 57.8) bombard Japanese shore batteries and installations on Mille Atoll, Marshalls.

Operations against NA line continue; destroyer escort England sinks Japanese submarine RO-108 110 miles northeast of Manus, 00°32'S, 148°35'E.

Submarine Cabrilla (SS-288) sinks Japanese transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Sanyo Maru about 80 miles north of Menado, Celebes, 02°40'N, 124°35'E.

Submarine Permit (SS-178) torpedoes and damages Japanese submarine I-44 west-southwest of Truk, 07°05'N,152°00'E.

Submarine Tambor (SS-198) sinks Japanese stores ship Chiyo Maru west of the Marianas, 20°40'N, 141°50'E.

AAF

Eighth AF

Eighth AF reaches its peak strength in number of fighter groups when 479th FG (P-38) becomes operational. (By end of year all fighter groups except one will be converted to P-51’s).

Ninth AF

Nearly 400 B-26’s and A-20’s attack airfields at Beaumont-sur-Oise and Chartres and bridges at Vernon and Poissy. 108 P-47 and P-51 fighter bombers hit bridge at Oissel and airfields at Creil, Cormeilles-en-Vexin and Evreux/Fauville. P-47’s and P-38’s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe.

Twelfth AF

Medium bombers hit railway targets in Florence area and bomb roads in battle area with good results. Light bombers hit Frascati. Other medium bombers join fighter bombers in assault against motor transport achieving wide-spread enemy vehicle destruction, especially on the Rome Bracciano road over which enemy is pouring reinforcements S toward battle area.

Fifteenth AF

Almost 700 B-17’s and B-24’s attack marshalling yards at Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Nice, Chambery, and Grenoble. Heavy bombers also hit Var R bridge and troop concentrations at Bihac. Fighters escort the heavy bombers and strafe and dive bomb airfield at Donji Zemunik.

Fourteenth AF

23 P-40’s sink several supply boats on Yangtze R near Shihshow, strafe troops at Shasi, hit road traffic near Loyang, and strafe pontoon bridges, supply dumps, and troops at Shanhsien. 7 P-40’s bomb town of Hsing-tzu. 2 B-25’s damage a small tanker N of Swatow.

Fifth AF

B-24’s bomb Biak I while B-25’s hit Wakde I and nearby coastal areas. Other B-25’s bomb a variety of targets in Aroe Is. 100-plus A-20’s, B-25’s and fighter bombers continue to blast coastal region around Wewak. Villages and gun positions on Hansa Bay are also hit.

Thirteenth AF

24 P-39’s and P-40’s hit Rabaul area while 12 B-25’s bomb supply areas at Talili Bay. More than 40 P- 39’s and P-40’s hit barges NW of Ballale I, supply areas and other targets at Porton, and piers at Ratsua and Soraken.

Seventh AF

46 B-25’s, flying out of Makin, attack Emidj. 9 B-25’s from Engebi fly successful search mission for a downed B-25 crew in the vicinity of Ponape and Pakin Is. After locating the survivors, later picked up by Navy destroyer, the medium bombers attack Pakin and Ponape with cannon and machinegun fire.

Eleventh AF

2 B-24’s off on an armed photo mission over Shimushu turn back due to mechanical troubles.

USA

NEW GUINEA—1st Bn, 158th Inf, continues slowly W toward Lone Tree Hill. Preliminary bombardment by naval vessels and arty is poorly timed and permits Japanese to reoccupy positions previously vacated. Enemy is found to be strongly disposed on approaches to Maffin Strip.

CBI—In NCAC area, Japanese further weaken positions of Marauders in Myitkyina area with recovery of Namkwi from 2d Bn.

On Salween front, 27th Troop Carrier Sq arrives at Yun-nan-i and within 2 days is dropping badly needed supplies to Y–Force.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, VI Corps boundary is altered to give the Factory to British. Upon completing extensive regrouping and preparatory bombardment, VI Corps renews attack at 1100. On left flank, 45th and 34th Divs, pushing toward line Campoleone Station–Lanuvio, make average gains of about 11/2 miles despite considerable opposition. 1st Armd Div tries in vain to reach Velletri over terrain unsuitable for armor; after nightfall withdraws to reserve, turning over its sector to 36th Div. 143d Inf, 36th Div, and reconnaissance elements bridge broad gap between 34th and 3d Divs and apply limited pressure toward Velletri. 3d Div, assisted by TF Howze of 1st Armd Div, on left, and 1st SSF, on right, drives northward on right flank of corps to positions S and W of Artena; TF Howze cuts Velletri–Valmontone road in push toward Highway 6. In II Corps area, 339th Inf of 85th Div consolidates positions W of Priverno. 88th Div’s 350th and 349th Regts advance from Roccasecca area across Amaseno Valley, beginning at 2300. In FEC area, 2d Moroccan Div overruns Pastena and advances into hills E of Castro dei Volsci, pinching out 3d Algerian Div. Falvaterra falls to 3d Algerian Div.

Br Eighth Army issues orders for regrouping while pursuing retreating enemy. Cdn 1 Corps reaches the Liri, where bridges are down. Patrols find Ceprano clear of enemy. In 13 Corps area, 6th Armd Div, driving on Arce, is checked by delaying opposition at Providero Defile. Ind 8th Div takes Roccasecca; later it attempts to outflank Arce in support of 6th Armd Div. Pol 2 Corps is being pinched out by 13 Corps on left and to Corps on right and loses contact with enemy. 10 Corps begins pursuit, with NZ 2d Div taking axis S. Biagio-Atina-Sora and Italian Liberation Corps directed along Highway 83 toward M. Cavallo.