80 Years Ago, Friday 16 June 1944

USN

Pacific

Battleship, cruiser, and destroyer force (Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth) bombards Japanese installations on Guam.

High speed transport Gilmer (APD-11), on radar picket duty 25 miles west of Saipan, encounters Japanese convoy of small cargo vessels (whose sailors are apparently unaware of the presence of American ships in the Marianas) bound for Saipan, and sinks four: No.1 Yusen Maru, No.2 Usen Maru, Toa Maru, and Tatsutaka Maru. Destroyer Shaw (DD-373), ordered to support Gilmer, arrives in time to sink a fifth ship, No.17 Yusen Maru.

Light cruiser Vincennes (CL-91) is damaged by materiel casualty (main Kingsbury thrust bearing, no.3 shaft), at sea with TG 58.4.

Destroyers Melvin (DD-680) and Wadleigh (DD-689) sink Japanese submarine RO-114, 80 miles west of Tinian,15°02'N, 144°10'E.

Destroyer escort Burden R. Hastings (DE-19) sinks Japanese submarine RO-44, 110 miles east of Eniwetok, 11°13'N,164°15'E.

Submarine Bluefish (SS-222) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship Nanshin Maru in the Celebes Sea southwest of Tarakan, Borneo, 02°22'N, 118°24'E.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Yoki Maru and damages army cargo ship Hinode Maru off Halmahera Island, 02°23'N, 128°43'E.

AAF

Eighth AF

313 Heavy Bombers, including 22 Pathfinders, attack 4 airfields and 4 CROSSBOW supply sites in France, losing a B-17 to ground fire. P-38’s of VIII FC cease flying shipping patrol as of this date. 18 escort Heavy Bomber missions and attack a concentration of stalled trains between Angouleme and Poitiers, dropping external fuel tanks on them and firing the tanks by strafing. The same tactics are used on trains in marshalling yard at Saint-Pierre-d’Excideuil. Heavy damage is inflicted on both targets, including heavy troop casualties. At Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise a large number of railroad cars are burned by oil and phosphorous bombs and strafing attacks. Other marshalling yards, a power station, railroad station, trains, barges, tanks, trucks, gun emplacements, AA tower, and an armored vehicle are attacked. A total of about 400 railroad cars are attacked and about half of them set on fire. In general the fighter attacks are highly effective.

Ninth AF

Bad weather prevents bomber operations. More than 500 fighters strafe and bomb rail lines, bridges, and highway traffic in Cherbourg Peninsula.

Twelfth AF

B-26’s and B-25’s hit rail and road bridges, viaduct, and other comm targets at Casalecchio di Reno/Villa Vergano, Lissone, Viareggio, Pisa, Vernio, Grizzana, and Pietrasanta. A-20’s continue to hit ammo supplies. Fighter Bombers continue interdiction by hitting bridges, trucks, rail lines, and other targets closer to the front, which now reaches across Italy from W coast near Grosseto to E coast in vicinity of Macerata. Almost 600 Heavy Bombers attack oil targets at Vienna and Bratislava. Between 200 and 250 fighters attack the formations and 15 US aircraft are shot down. Heavy Bombers and escorting fighters claim 70 airplanes destroyed.

Tenth AF

28 A-36’s, P-51’s, and P-40’s hit Myitkyina and Targets of opportunity in N Burma.

FEAF

Bombers and fighters hit widespread targets in SWPA and in SOPAC. Personnel areas and barges along coast in Wewak and Hansa Bay areas are hit throughout the day. airfields and shipping at Efman and Samate Is and at Babo and Sorong are attacked. Dublon and Yap are bombed. Heavy Bombers hit Vunakanau airfield at Rabaul. Heavy Bombers, Medium Bombers, Light Bombers and fighters attack a large variety of Targets of opportunity on Gazelle Peninsula from Tobera airfield to Rabaul.

SOPAC

Gen Mitchell, USMC, becomes head of COMAIRNORSOLS.

Seventh AF

B-25’s, based at Makin, hit Ponape.

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VII Corps finishes clearing region E of the Douve and establishes bridgehead. Corps objectives are advanced as attack progresses very rapidly against retreating enemy. 90th Div employs 358th Inf in region to right of 9th Div. 9th Div attacks with 4 regts: 39th, which 4th Div has released; 359th of 90th Div, temporarily attached; 47th; and 60th. Driving rapidly through Ste Colombe, 60th Inf establishes bridgehead across the Douve before Néhou with 2d Bn; rest of 9th Div clears region E of the Douve. 82d A/B Div makes substantial gains: 325th Gli and 505th Para Regts reach St Sauveur-le- Vicomte before noon and are joined there by 508th Para Inf, which 507th has relieved at Baupte; 505th and 508th then establish bridgehead 2,000–3,000 yards deep.

In XIX Corps area, 120th Inf of 30th Div takes heights commanding Vire–Taute Canal and remains there defending canal line while 29th Div, in conjunction with V Corps’ 2d Div, pushes toward St Lô. 175th Inf drives against Hills 90 and 97, NW of St Lô, while 116th, reinf by bn of 115th, attacks toward NE end of Martinville ridge (Hills 147 and 150). Strong opposition halts attack well short of objectives.

In V Corps area, 2d Div, with 3 regts in assault, attacks for Hill 192; 3d Bn of 38th Inf gets to within 700 yards of its crest; div attack is then halted for some time.

ITALY—AAI: In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps elements meet delaying opposition at Citta della Pieve. In 10 Corps area, Ind 8th Div, driving toward Perugia, overruns Bevagna and Foligno.

CBI—In NCAC area, Ch forces (149th Regt of 50th Div attached to 22d Div) in Mogaung Valley overrun Kamaing. 114th Regt of Ch 38th Div, bypassing Kamaing, effects junction with Chindits of Ind 3d Div at Gurkhaywa.

On Salween front, continuing counteroffensive in Lung-ling area, Japanese have driven Ch 87th Div back 3 miles from the city. To N, Ch 2d Reserve and 36th Divs overrun Chiaotou. In China, Japanese open attacks on Changsha, from which Ch garrison from 4th Army is leaving for Paoching.

NEW GUINEA—Allied commanders meet to consider invasion of Noemfoor. 30 June is tentatively chosen as D Day. On Biak, TF HURRICANE continues attack with 2d Bn of 186th Inf making main effort. The bn closes gap on low ridge and develops W limits of enemy’s West Caves position before withdrawing for night.

MARIANAS—Adm Spruance postpones indefinitely landing on Guam, tentatively scheduled for 18 June, since major naval battle appears to be imminent from enemy fleet movements; issues orders to meet this threat. Naval surface forces begin preinvasion bombardment of Guam. On N flank of Saipan beachhead, 2d Mar Div consolidates and strengthens present positions, committing 2d Marines on left; 8th Marines, on 2d Div right, quickly clears Afetna Pt and Charan Kanoa pier and establishes contact with 4th Mar Div. 4th Mar Div, rearranging its lines before renewing assault, commits reserves, 24th Marines. Jumping off at 1230, 4th Div advances to positions generally along 0–1 ridge line against strong resistance particularly on right where terrain is also an obstacle. Advance party of XXIV Corps Arty lands and establishes CP. 27th Div’s 165th Inf lands, night 16–17.

USMC

VAdm Spruance postpones landing on Guam because major naval battle appears imminent. Naval surface forces begin preinvasion bombardment of Guam. Elements of 27th Inf Div land on Saipan during night 16-17 Jun44. Japanese launch strong, unsuccessful, tank-infantry night attack against 6th Marines.