USN
Pacific
Naval Advanced Base, Hollandia, New Guinea, is established.
Submarine Harder (SS-257) sinks Japanese destroyer Hayanami
as the latter patrols south of the Japanese Fleet anchorage at Tawi Tawi,
southeast of Sibitu Passage, Borneo, 04°43'N, 120°03'E.
Submarine Whale (SS-239) damages Japanese transports Shinroku
Maru and Sugiyama Maru north-northeast of the Bonins, 31°06'N,
142°34'E.
Remnants of Japanese convoy 3530 reach Saipan, but because
of the work of Shark (SS-314) and Pintado (SS-387),the Imperial
Army's 118th Regiment arrives at its destination at half-strength, its weapons
and equipment at the bottom of the Pacific.
Atlantic
Construction of artificial harbors and sheltered anchorages
("Mulberries") from sunken blockships and concrete caissons begins
off Normandy. Off the beach-heads minesweeper Tide (AM-125) is sunk by
a mine. As minesweeper Pheasant (AM-61) rescues Tide's survivors,
she fouls the stricken minecraft and is damaged, 49°37'N, 01°05'W. Mines also
sink transport Susan B. Anthony (AP-72), 49°33'N, 00°49'W, and tank
landing craft LCT-458 and LCT-586; motor torpedo boat PT-505 is
damaged by a mine, 49°30'N, 01°09'W, and destroyer Harding (DD-625) is damaged
when she runs aground, 49°31'N, 00°50'W. U.S. freighter Francis Harrington,
in OMAHA Beach-bound convoy EMB 2, is damaged by mine at 50°10'N, 00°40'W, but
manages to discharge her cargo and disembark the troops she is bringing to the
beachhead, although 6 of the 515 soldiers perish in the mining, There were no
other casualties among the men on board, who include a 28-man Armed Guard.
US
Naval Academy Class of 1945 graduates one year early because
of the national emergency.
AAF
Eighth AF
AEAF directs air attacks against congested points to delay
movement of more enemy forces into assault area. In first mission 402 Heavy
Bombers, including 20 Pathfinders, attack targets at Flers, Conde-sur- Noireau,
Falaise, Argentan, L’Aigle, and Lisieux. Second mission is directed at
Kerlin/Bastard airfield and at bridges, railroad junctions, depots, and station
at Nantes, Angers, Tours, and adjacent areas. 498 Heavy Bombers attack; heavy
cloud prevents almost 100 others from bombing targets. VIII FC furnishes area support
for beachhead areas in early morning and to Heavy Bomber operations at midday
and in late afternoon, at the same time maintaining harassment of comm and
flying shipping patrol. The fighters encounter about 150 aircraft during the
day, destroying 31. Enemy fighters account for 4 fighters lost. Fighter Bomber
attacks are flown against about 50 targets, including marshalling yards,
sidings, trains, tunnels, bridges, convoys, airfields, and railroads. In almost
1,000 sorties, 25 fighters are lost.
Ninth AF
600-plus Medium Bombers hit bridges, junctions, trestles,
coastal and field batteries, and marshalling yards in France in support of invasion.
Over 1,100 fighters support ground troops by dive bombing and strafing, escort Medium
Bombers and transports, and make sweeps throughout the battle area as Bayeux is
liberated and the BayeuxCaen road is cut. 400-plus C-47’s, C-53’s, and gliders
resupply paratroops in the assault area.
Twelfth AF
Weather hampers Medium Bomber operation but several rail and
road bridges and viaducts are attacked. Fighter Bombers blast retreating motor
transport and troops, and hit bridges N of Rome. Numerous vehicles are
destroyed immediately N of Rome and especially in Subiaco area near Rome. Many
hits are scored on roads and railroads, and several railroad cars and gun
emplacements are destroyed. US Fifth Army captures Civitavecchia.
Fifteenth AF
Fifteenth AF reaches its planned operational strength of 21 Heavy
Bomber groups and 7 fighter groups as 332d FG (P- 47) begins operations. 340
B-17’s and B-24’s, some with fighter cover, hit Leghorn dock and harbor
installations, Voltri shipyards, Savona railroad junction, and Vado Ligure marshalling
yard, Antheor viaduct, and Var R bridge. 42 P-38’s bomb Recco viaduct and 32
P-47’s fly uneventful sweep over Ferrara-Bologna area.
Tenth AF
11 B-24’s bomb Wuntho and Kalemyo. 9 B-25’s hit
Wuntho-Shwebo railroad and bridge at Thityabin. Other B-25’s continue flying
ammo to Imphal. A few P-51’s hit Lachigahtawng.
Fourteenth AF
10 B-25’s bomb Lashio and targets of opportunity along
Salween front. 3 B-25’s and 15 Fighter Bombers bomb tank concentrations at
Taying, destroy several locomotives at Linfen, and pound railroad yards at
Chenghsien. P-40’s and B-25’s strafe sampans at Ft Bayard and sink a schooner
off Nampang I. 2 rocket-firing P-40’s damage processing building at carbide
mines at Na Duong.
Fifth AF
B-25’s bomb Biak I, hitting gun positions near Bosnik,
airstrip at Sorido, and Borokoe road. A-20’s hit shipping in Manokwari area.
B-25’s blast supply areas near Orai R. Fighter Bombers and A-20’s continue
pounding Wewak-Hansa Bay coast. Thirteenth Air TF B-24’s hit various targets on
Truk Atoll (weather permits only 10 of 48-airplane force to reach target area).
Thirteenth AF
All scheduled strikes in Rabaul area are weathered out.
P-39’s and P-38’s hit several targets of opportunity on Bougainville, including
occupied areas at Monoitu.
Seventh AF
B-25’s from Makin bomb Ponape
USA
FRANCE—21 Army Group: U.S. First Army continues attack toward
D Day objectives. Gen Eisenhower, visiting the front, orders VII and V Corps to
make speedy junction through Isigny and Carentan. VII Corps gives 101st A/B Div
task of clearing Carentan. V Corps makes 29th Div responsible for seizing
Isigny. In VII Corps area, 4th Div, with 22d Inf on right and 12th on left,
drives northward toward line Quinéville–Montebourg until halted by strong
opposition from permanent fortifications at Crisbecq and Azeville; 8th Inf
columns converge on Ste Mère-Eglise, where they assist elements of 82d A/B Div
in throwing back major enemy counterattack from N. Tanks of 10th and 746th Tank
Bns also give valuable assistance. Other elements of 82d A/B Div clear E bank
of the Merderet but are violently opposed at La Fire bridge across it and are
unable to relieve isolated elements W of the river. 82d A/B Div is strengthened
by arrival of 325th Gli Inf Regt in gliders and by sea. Seaborne elements (1st
Bn) move forward with 8th Inf of 4th Div; the other bns are committed at La
Fière and N of Ste Mère-Eglise. To S, 101st A/B Div units on N bank of the
Douve temporarily suspend efforts to establish bridgeheads but receive surrender
of enemy detachments from Le Port and La Barquette; 506th Para Inf ( — 3d Bn)
moves S from Culoville to reconnoiter in force toward the Douve but is stopped
near St Côme-du-Mont. V Corps continues toward initial objectives with 29th Div
on right and 1st on left. 116th Inf of 29th Div and Rangers are clearing bluffs
on V Corps right f lank; relief force pushing toward Rangers on Pointe du Hoe
reaches St Pierre-du-Mont area. 175th Inf of 29th Div, upon landing, is given
task of taking Isigny; moving between 116th and 115th Regts, advances quickly
along Longueville–Isigny road, taking La Cambe before dawn of 8th; 115th Inf clears
St Laurent region and pushes SW toward Louviéres and Montigny. Elements of 26th
Inf, 1st Div, on right flank of div, make futile attempt to reach Formigny;
18th Inf, in center, thrusts to En-granville, Mandeville, and Mosles; 16th, on
left, takes Huppain. Enemy retains narrow corridor between U.S. and Br
bridgeheads along Drome R to its junction with Aure R. 2d Div begins landing in
evening.
In Br Second Army’s 30 Corps area, 50th Div overruns Bayeux
and gets 2 regts S of Bayeux–Caen highway. 47th Royal Mar Cdo begins battle for
Port-en-Bessin in afternoon. In 1 Corps area, Cdn 3d Div brig pushes S of
Bayeux–Caen highway.
ITALY—AAI: Gen Alexander issues new orders for pursuit of
enemy. U.S. Fifth Army is to advance to general area Pisa–Lucca–Pistoia, while
Eighth Army is to push toward line Florence–Bibbiena– Arezzo as rapidly as
possible. 5 Corps is to remain on the defensive in Adriatic coastal sector. 2
Pol Corps will be committed only if enemy cannot be cleared from Ancona.
In U.S. Fifth Army’s VI Corps area, 168th Inf of 34th Div,
advancing through night 6–7, seizes Civitavecchia and its port, 40 miles NW of
Rome. This port, although damaged, soon becomes valuable in supplying assault
forces.
In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps shifts axis of advance from
N to NW. S African 6th Armd Div, followed by 78th Div, turns toward Orvieto,
important road center, on Viterbo–Bagnoregio road. E of the Tiber, Br 6th Armd
Div swings toward Terni instead of Rieti.
CBI—In NCAC area, Chinese commanders call Gen Boatner’s
attention to the dangerously reduced strength of Chinese forces in Myitkyina
area. Limited operations are continued there while preparations are being made
for offensive on 10th.
On Salween front, Ch 88th Div of 71st Army reaches East Gate
of Lung-ling. Ch 87th Div, moving along Burma Road, is approaching the city.
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, 186th Inf, assisted by arty and
aircraft, drives quickly across Mokmer airfield to beach without opposition,
but Japanese then subject entire area to intense fire. Supply of 186th Inf by
sea is begun under fire. 162d Inf begins movement by sea of bulk of its troops
in coastal sector to Mokmer airdrome via Parai in order to exert pressure
against Parai Defile from Was well as E and open it to coastal traffic. Limited
effort is being made against Ibdi Pocket area. Enemy’s East Caves position, E
of Mokmer airfield, is being neutralized by fire. In Hollandia–Aitape area, 2d Bn
joins 1st Bn of 158th Inf, TF TORNADO, in Tor R bridgehead. Both patrol
uneventfully toward Maffin No. 1. In TF PERSECUTION’S sector, Japanese become active
about 1,300 yards W of Afua on Afua–Palauru supply line. Gap exists in outer
defense line along the Driniumor, where regrouping is conducted. 1st Bn, 128th
Inf, replaces 1st Bn, 126th, in N part of line.
U.S.—Gen Marshall rejects request, made by Gen Stilwell at
instigation of Chiang Kai-shek and Gen Chennault, that B–29 stocks be used by
Fourteenth Air Force in the event of an emergency in China.
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