80 Years Ago, Sunday 18 June 1944

USN

Pacific

Destroyer Phelps (DD-360), along with Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) [LCI(G)] and amphibian tractors [LVT(A)] oppose between 25 and 30 Japanese landing barges, southward-bound off Garapan, Saipan, sinking 13 and putting the rest to flight.

Off Saipan, battleship California (BB-44) is damaged by friendly fire; destroyer Phelps (DD-360), LCI(G)-371, and motor minesweeper YMS-323 are damaged by shore battery off Garapan, 14°58'N, 146°21'E.17 During Japanese bombing raid, oilers Neshanic (AO-71) and Saranac (AO-74) are damaged at 14°45'N, 146°10'E; oiler Saugatuck (AO-75) is near-missed.

Motor torpedo boats PT-63 and PT-107 are destroyed by fire off New Ireland, 01°45'S, 150°01'E.

British submarine HMS Storm attacks Japanese convoy off Penang, Malaya, sinking gunboat Eiko Maru, 05°59'N,99°10'E.

AAF

Eighth AF 1,239 Heavy Bombers operating in 4 forces attack oil industries at Oslebshausen, Hamburg, and Misburg, dock area and city of Hamburg, airfields at Stade and Hassum, and various targets at Brunsbuttelkoog, Bremerhaven, Nordenham, and Helgoland, and V-weapon site at Watten. A total of 566 fighters fly uneventful escort to the Heavy Bomber missions, all returning safely to base. 11 Heavy Bombers are lost, 10 to AA fire and the other to unknown causes.

Ninth AF

About 130 A-20’s and B-26’s bomb fuel dumps at Foret d’Andaine and Conches and MARSHALLING YARDs at Rennes and Meudon during the morning, and NOBALL targets in the afternoon. Fighters, in addition to escort duty, continue strafing and bombing rail lines, troop concentrations, and highway traffic in Cherbourg Peninsula.

Twelfth AF

Bad weather grounds Medium Bombers and Light Bombers. Fighter Bombers and fighters are restricted to patrols, mainly over Piombino area and island of Elba, during which several gun positions, boats, and barges are hit.

Tenth AF

16 A-36’s, P-51’s, and P-40’s hit Myitkyina and Mogaung.

Fourteenth AF

B-25’s and P-40’s bomb Yoyang and hit shipping and posts in Siang-Chiang R delta area. P-40’s and P-51’s attack about 100 supply boats in lower Tungting Lake area, strafe cav forces between Siangyin and Changsha, and hit village just E of Changsha.

FEAF

A-20’s, B-25’s, and fighters, along with RAAF airplanes, continue to pound supplies and occupied areas along coast in Wewak area. B-24’s hit targets in Truk. A variety of fighter and bomber aircraft unload 18 tons of bombs on numerous targets around Rabaul. Fighters continue sweeps against Targets of opportunity along coastal areas of Bougainville.

Seventh AF

B-25’s from Makin pound Nauru. B-24’s stage through Eniwetok to bomb Truk.

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery, CG, issues his first written directive since invasion of France, calling for speed-up of operations to take Caen and Cherbourg.

In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, plans are completed for drive on Cherbourg, next big ob jective of First Army. 9th Div improves blocking positions and frustrates enemy efforts to escape southward from Cotentin Peninsula, inflicting heavy losses. In XIX Corps area, enemy continues stubborn opposition to advance on St Lô. 3d Bn of 175th Inf, 29th Div, which 119th Inf of 30th Div has relieved at Meauffe, drives to Le Carillon and from there is sent to aid of 1st Bn of 175th Inf on Hill 108.

USSR-FINLAND—Soviet forces break through Finnish Mannerheim Line on Karelian Isthmus.

ITALY—AAI: On right f lank of U.S. Fifth Army’s FEC, 1st Motorized Div occupies Radicofani, which dominates Rome–Florence road.

Br Eighth Army CG decides to confine advance of 10 Corps beyond Perugia to road through Umbertide and Citta di Castello instead of along Route 71 as originally planned. 13 Corps, making main effort, is to use Route 71 and secondary road through Sinalunga. Br columns converging on Perugia are meeting delaying opposition near the town. Germans quietly abandon positions at Citta della Pieve, in 13 Corps zone, night 18–19.

CBI—In NCAC area, activity of Myitkyina TF subsides to patrolling and skirmishing. On Salween front, in Shweli Valley, Ch 36th Div of 54th Army begins assault on Watien, and 116th and 130th Divs reach positions near Chiangtso, 4 miles SE of Watien.

In China, Japanese overrun Changsha, which Chinese have abandoned.

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, TF HURRICANE is regrouping and getting into position for final assault to clear entire region from which enemy can fire on Mokmer airfield. 34th Inf, 24th Div, arrives from Hollandia and takes over positions of 186th Inf W of Mokmer airdrome. Gen Fuller leaves Biak to take new position in SEAC. Gen Doe replaces Gen Fuller as CG of 41st Div. Gen Krueger informs Gen Mac- Arthur that he prefers to use Cav RCT 112 to reinforce Aitape rather than break up 31st Div. Gen Krueger orders Gen Sibert to begin offensive in Wakde-Sarmi area. Sibert plans to attack W from the Tirfoam on 20th with 20th Inf, which 1st Inf is to relieve for this purpose.

SAIPAN—LCI gunboats and Marine arty defeat efforts of Japanese to move reinforcements from Tanapag Harbor to the front early in day. 2d Mar Div remains in place except on right, where coconut grove in 8th Marines’ sector is cleared. 4th Mar Div drives to E coast of Saipan at Magicienne Bay, cutting island in two. 25th and 24th Marines, on right and in center, respectively, drive to 0–3 line, which lies partly along E coast, but 23d Marines, on div left, fights hard to get 400 yards E of Lake Susupe, short of objective. 27th Div’s 165th Inf takes ridge W and SW of Aslito airfield and the airfield itself during morning against light resistance, enemy having fallen back to Nafutan Pt. The field is renamed Conroy Field for Col Gardiner J. Conroy, commander of 165th Inf, who was killed at Makin; later, it is renamed Isley Field for Comdr Robert H. Isely, naval aviator lost over Saipan, and misspelled “Isley” consistently. Main attack, later in day, is made by RCT 165 on left and RCT 105 on right; RCT 165 gets almost to Magicienne Bay without opposition, but RCT 105 is slowed by terrain. Transports with 106th Inf are detached from Southern Attack Force and ordered to Saipan.

USMC

4th Mar Div drives to east coast of Saipan, cutting island in two. 27th Inf Div captures Aslito airfield.