80 Years Ago, Monday, 26 June 1944

USN

Pacific

Cruiser and destroyers (Rear Admiral Ernest G. Small) bombard Japanese positions at Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro, Kurils.

Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-438 and LCI(G)-456 repel attack by Japanese barges (some of which fire torpedoes) off Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, but both gunboats are damaged in the battle. Elsewhere off Saipan, cargo ship Mercury (AK-42) is damaged by low- flying Japanese aircraft that flies into cargo boom, and is hit by dud aerial torpedo, 15°10'N, 145°58'E.

British submarine HMS Truculent attacks Japanese convoy, sinking cargo ship Harugiku Maru about 60 miles southeast of Medan, Sumatra, 03°15'N, 99°46'E.

USAAF P-38s sink Japanese army cargo ship Hokushin Maru east of Halmahera Island, 01°03'N, 131°08'E.

USAAF B-25s sink Japanese fishing boat No.1 Daisen Maru off Manokwari.

Europe

German garrison at Cherbourg, France, surrenders.

AAF

Eighth AF

72 B-17’s leave Poltava and Mirgorod, rendezvous with 55 P-51’s from Piryatin, bomb oil refinery and marshalling yard at Drohobycz (1 returns to USSR because of mechanical trouble), and then proceed to Foggia. Fifteenth AF P-51’s meet formation an hr after the attack and escort the B-17’s to Italy. It is planned to return the Heavy Bombers to bases in UK on 27 Jun but bad weather delays this move until 5 Jul.

Ninth AF

Weather cancels all Ninth AF operations save a few fighter sorties which result in claims against a few military vehicles and 3 airplanes as US ground forces capture Cherbourg. 3 US fighters are lost.

Twelfth AF

Bad weather grounds Medium Bombers. Fighter Bombers, operating on reduced schedule, hit railroad targets and other targets in battle area S of Gothic Line.

Fifteenth AF

677 B-17’s and B-24’s attack targets in Vienna area, hitting aircraft factory at Schwechat, marshalling yard at Vienna/Floridsdorf, and refineries at Korneuburg, Vienna/Floridsdorf, Moosbierbaum, Schwechat, Winterhafen, and Lobau. Ftrs fly over 260 sorties in support. An estimated 150 to 175 enemy fighters attack formations. Nearly 30 US aircraft (mostly Heavy Bombers) are lost. US claims total more than 60 enemy fighters.

Tenth AF

30-plus B-25’s fly ammo to Imphal. More than 80 A-36’s, P-51’s, and P-40’s pound Myitkyina. 7 Other Fighter Bombers hit Waingmaw, Loilaw, and Pyindaw.

Fourteenth AF

14 B-24’s blast Hankow, causing heavy damage and fires. 180-plus Medium Bombers and Fighter Bombers attack river shipping and several villages in Tungting Lake area. Towns of Yuankiang, Sinshih, Siangtan, Liling, and Hengshan are bombed, as is warehouse area at Yuhsien. Numerous troop and truck concentrations and other targets of opportunity throughout the entire region are attacked. In Salween area 14 B-25’s and 36 P-40’s knock out bridge at Tingka, damage another near Mangshih, bomb military installations at Tengchung, strafe Japanese positions at Lungling, and hit targets of opportunity between Lungling and Tengchung. Japanese bomb Lingling airfield, damaging runway and destroying a P-51.

FEAF

Wewak area is hit throughout the day by Fifth AF B-24’s and P-39’s, along with US Navy and RAAF airplanes: P-38’s, P-47’s, A-20’s, A-26’s, B-24’s, and B-25’s attack airfields, shipping, villages, town areas, roads, and numerous other targets at Efman, Noemfoor, Japen, and Biak Is, at Manokwari and Ransiki, and near Sarmi. B-24’s bomb targets on Yap and Sorol Is; others on armed rcn bomb airstrips at Woleai and Peleliu. AAF and other Allied aircraft hit airfields, AA positions, and other targets in Rabaul and Cape Orford areas.

Seventh AF

Saipan-based P-47’s continue to hit enemy forces remaining on Saipan and on Tinian while P-61’s carry out night patrols over Saipan. B-25’s from Makin pound Ponape and Nauru.

Eleventh AF

12 B-25’s fly 3 4- plane air cover missions for Naval TF on withdrawal following shelling of Kurabu Cape installations.

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, 47th Inf of 9th Div attempts to clear NW section of Cherbourg but cannot gain the arsenal; 39th drives through Octeville and Cherbourg to coast, taking Gen Schlieben, fortress commander, and Rear Adm Walther Hennecke, enemy’s naval commander, prisoner at St Sauveur-le- Vicomte. Schlieben refuses to surrender the entire fortress, however. 79th Div completes capture of Fort du Roule and its assigned portion of Cherbourg. 22d Inf, 4th Div, begins attack on Maupertus airfield.

Br Second Army continues limited offensive within 30 Corps zone while beginning main attack with 8 Corps. In 30 Corps zone 8th Armd Brig, spearheading attack of 49th Div, drives to outskirts of Rauray. 8 Corps attacks to E of 30 Corps with 15th and 43d Inf and 11th Armd Divs. 15th Div gets elements to Colleville and patrols to Grainvillesur- Odon. 11th Armd Div thrusts to Mouen.

FRANTIC—Eighth Air Force planes leave USSR for Italy, bombing oil plant at Drohobycz, Poland, on the way. Upon reaching Italy, the planes remain long enough to fly one mission with Fifteenth Air Force before returning to England.

USSR—Vitebsk and Zhlobin fall to Red Army as offensive continues on central front. Vitebsk is one of 3 key positions generally E of Minsk, the others being Orsha and Mogilev, which Hitler has ordered to be held at all cost.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 34th Div takes control of coastal sector, releasing 36th Div for Operation ANVIL. Para RCT 517 Is. also withdrawn from line. 34th Div has under its command RCT 442 (Nisei) ( — 1st Bn), 100th Bn, 804th TD Bn, and other units. FEC completes crossing the Orcia and pushes on toward Siena. The battle along the Orcia has been costly to the French. In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, S African 6th Armd Div enters Chiusi. 4th Div moves forward to positions almost abreast 78th Div, on 13 Corps right flank, then halts to await 4th Div. 10 Corps is reinf by Ind 10th Div, which arrives to replace 6th Armd Div. Latter is to shift to 13 Corps front a little later. Ind 8th Div takes M. Pilonica.

CBI—In NCAC area, Brig Gen Theodore F. Wessels, USA, takes command of Myitkyina TF, replacing Gen Boatner who has malaria. Mogaung falls to 114th Regt, Ch 38th Div, and 77th Brig, Ind 3d Div. 77th Brig is withdrawn from action by its commander soon afterward on grounds of exhaustion despite orders from Gen Stilwell, who has operational control of the unit, for it to prevent Japanese from reinforcing Myitkyina. Fall of Mogaung permits Chinese to link up with Myitkyina TF, which thus far has been isolated from other friendly forces in Burma. On Salween front, offensive against Tengchung is begun with air attacks by B–25’s from Yun-nan-i. In China, Japanese seize Heng-yang airfield.

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, mopping up W of Mokmer begins. 1st Bn of 34th Inf (less Co C, which is ambushed en route) seizes abandoned positions on ridge extending N from NW corner of the Teardrop. In Wakde-Sarmi area, 3d Bn of 63d Inf replaces battle-worn 2d and 3d Bns, 20th Inf, on Lone Tree Hill.

SAIPAN—In early morning, 2 LCI(G)’s attack enemy barges moving from Tanapag Harbor, sinking 1 and damaging 1. This concludes enemy attempts to counterland. In 2d Mar Div zone, 6th Marines bypasses and later reduces the stubborn pocket that has been barring advance N of Mt. Tipo Pale; 8th Marines consolidates positions on Mt. Tapotchau. 27th Div continues attack in center of corps with 106th Inf and 2d Bn of 165th. On div left, 1st Bn of 106th is held up by strongpoint, called “Hell’s Pocket,” at SW end of Death Valley. On right, 3d Bn of 106th and 2d Bn of 165th batter at Purple Heart Ridge from W and E slopes, respectively; enemy there is beginning to weaken. CO of 106th Inf is replaced. 4th Mar Div, to which 165th Inf ( — 2d Bn) and 1st Bn of 105th are attached at night, mops up on right flank of corps. On S Saipan, 2d Bn of 105th Inf closes in on enemy in Nafutan Pt area. After nightfall, Japanese make futile breakout attempt.

USMC