80 Years Ago, Monday 29 May 1944

 USN

Pacific

Destroyers (Destroyer Squadron 41) bombard Japanese installations on northern coast of New Ireland, shelling the Medina Plantation area.

Submarine Rasher (SS-269) attacks Japanese convoy in the eastern Celebes Sea, damaging gunboat Anshu Maru about 110 miles north-northwest of Halmahera, 03°32'N, 127°07'E (see 30 May 1944).

Submarine Silversides (SS-236), despite the proximity of four escort vessels and aircraft, sinks Japanese transports Horaisan Maru and Shoken Maru about 100 miles north-northwest of Saipan, 16°23'N, 144°59'E.

Japanese convoy no. 3530 sails from Yokohama, bound for Saipan. The seven transports/cargo ships carry men and equipment of the Japanese Army's 118th Infantry (see 4- 7 June 1944).

Atlantic

German submarine U-549 sinks escort carrier Block Island (CVE-21) and damages destroyer escort Barr (DE-576) but is sunk by destroyer escorts Ahrens (DE-575) and Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) northwest of Canary Islands,31°13'N, 23°03'W.

AAF

Eighth AF

881 Heavy Bombers attack synthetic oil plant at Politz, airfields at Hohn and Schneidemuhl, airfield and aircraft assembly plant at Tutow, and aircraft factories and assembly plants at Leipzig, Cottbus, Sorau, Krzesiny, and Poznan. 34 Heavy Bombers are lost on mission.

Ninth AF

Over 450 B-26’s and A-20’s bomb airfield, marshalling yards, railroad bridges, coastal battery, and NOBALL targets in France and Belgium. Over 200 P-47’s bomb targets in same area.

Twelfth AF

B-25’s bomb rail bridges near Bucine and at Poggibonsi and Lisciano. B-26’s hit viaducts at Terni and near Stifone, railroad junction and marshalling yard at Terentola, Castiglion Fiorentino bridge, the Voltri shipyards, and a bridge nearby. A-20’s hit troops in bivouac and bomb supply dump. Fighter Bombers continue to blast motor transport between battlelines and Rome. Transports evacuate over 400 wounded from Anzio area.

Fifteenth AF

829 B-17’s and B-24’s (largest number of Fifteenth AF Heavy Bombers completing attacks in a single day up to this time) bomb airfields and aircraft factories at Wollersdorf, Wiener-Neustadt, and Atzgersdorf, and attack airfields, troops, and supply concentrations at Zegar, Zavalje, Prijedor, Bosanski Novi, Knin, Banjaluka, Drvar, Livno, and Basanska Krupa. P-38’s and P-51’s escort the Austrian missions while P- 38’s accompany the Heavy Bombers to Yugoslav targets and afterwards strafe numerous targets of opportunity. Fighter opposition over Yugoslavia is negligible but around 150 fighters attempt interception over Austria, principally in Wiener- Neustadt area. 23 US aircraft are lost. Heavy Bombers and fighters claim over 60 fighters shot down.

Tenth AF

27 B-25’s and 40-plus Fighter Bombers pound troops and positions at Bhamo and Mohnyin, railroad at Mogaung, and warehouses at Sahmaw.

Fourteenth AF

7 B-24’s pound areas along Burma Road, 3 bomb town of Wanling, and 2 attack convoy of Hainan, claiming a 250-ft freighter sunk. 26 P-40’s and P-38’s attack troops at Lushan, pound barracks and demolish 7 trucks at Yuanchu, bomb and strafe general area at Nanchang, and destroy several buildings along Hsiang R N of Changsha.

Fifth AF

B-24’s pound gun positions, defense areas, and troops, as first tank battle of SWPA is fought W of Parai on Biak I. Other B-24’s pound airfields on nearby mainland at Timoeka and Babo. A-20’s, B-25’s, and P-47’s, along with RAAF airplanes and a few Heavy Bombers from the Biak strike, saturating Wewak area with continuous air strikes. In Wakde Sarmi battle zone, B-25’s and P-40’s hit forces in Mount Saskin area. B-24’s of Thirteenth Air TF bomb Woleai and other nearby islands in the Carolines.

SOPAC

Gen Moore, USMC, takes over as COMAIRSOLS.

Thirteenth AF

Almost 100 B-25’s, P-38’s, P-39’s, and a variety of Navy airplanes pound the Rabaul area, with AAF aircraft concentrating on Nordup supply area and the others concentrating on Hospital Pt AA positions. 24 P-39’s and 16 P-40’s blast occupied areas W of Tinputs Harbor and at Arigua Plantation.

Seventh AF

Operations are restricted to photo missions over Wotje, Mille, and Jaluit.

Eleventh AF

At dawn 2 B-25’s photograph and bomb Shimushu and Matsuwa (secondary). During early afternoon 2 B-25’s escorted by 4 P-38’s strafe, bomb and sink a patrol boat in the Kurils. Later 4 other B-25’s unsuccessfully attack 2 vessels off Shimushu.

USA

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, first tank battle of SWPA is fought as Japanese attempt to dislodge 2d Bn, 162d Inf, from positions W of Parai. Enemy cuts road E of Parai but counterattack restores situation. Since opposition cannot be neutralized, 162d Inf withdraws by land and sea, 2d and 3d Bns to Bosnek and Mandom and rest of RCT 162 to small defense perimeter near Ibdi. Japanese move back into Parai Defile, but achieve this success at cost of more than 500 dead. Gen Krueger orders 2 bns of 163d Inf to Biak, although Toem–Arare beachhead on the mainland is still threatened. In Wakde-Sarmi area, Gen Patrick directs 158th Inf to send I bn back across Tor R; 1st Bn is replaced by 3d and returns to relieve 3d Bn, 163d Inf, at Arare.

CBI—Gen Chennault warns of serious Japanese threat to objectives in E China and asks that Fourteenth Air Force supplies be increased so that enemy can be stopped. On Salween front, supply situation of Chinese improves as footbridge is repaired. This is later found to be inadequate and air supply is required for Chinese in Mamien Pass.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s VI Corps area, 1st Armd Div attacks up Albano road with CCB on left and CCA on right, passing through 45th Div; clears Campoleone Station by noon but is slowed beyond there by firm opposition and suffers heavy tank losses. 45th Div’s 180th Inf follows CCB northward while 179th pushes N in region E of Albano road; 157th is withdrawn into reserve. 36th Div continues holding action below Velletri. Enemy continues effective defense of Lanuvio area and inflicts heavy casualties On 34th Div. II Corps takes over sector E of Frascati between VI Corps and Br Eighth Army; assumes command of 3d Div. 337th Inf, 85th Div, closes in Rocca Mass ima–Giulianello area. In IV Corps area, relief of 88th Div is begun by FEC. 349th Inf is relieved and departs for Anzio beachhead. In FEC area, 2d Moroccan Div is taking over Siserno hill mass from 4th Mtn Div and repels enemy attack to keep Palombara Pass open until withdrawal is completed.

In Br Eighth Army area, Cdn 1 Corps begins drive on Frosinone from Ceprano and takes Pofi. 13 Corps finds Arce undefended; establishes bridgehead across upper Liri. 10 Corps takes over inactive zone of Pol 2 Corps, which is to relieve 10 Corps in Adriatic coastal sector and continue drive under AAI control.

USMC

Portion of the FORAGER Northern Troops and Landing Force not embarked in LSTs departs Pearl Harbor.