80 Years Ago Wednesday 7 June 1944

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.