USN
Pacific
TF 52 (Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner) lands Marines
(Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, USMC) on Saipan in Operation FORAGER,
under cover of intensive naval gunfire and carrier-based aircraft. Saipan is
the first relatively large and heavily defended land mass in the central
Pacific to be assaulted by American amphibious might. Chengtu, China-based
USAAF B-29s bomb the Yawata Steel Mills, northern Kyushu, Japan, marking the
first time that B-29s are used in distant support of an ongoing amphibious
operation.
Battleship Tennessee (BB-43)
is damaged by shore battery, northeast of Tinian, 15°02'N, 143°50'E; light
cruiser St.Louis (CL-49) is damaged by materiel casualty (dropped no.3
propeller and part of tail shaft), Saipan channel. Infantry Landing Craft
(Gunboat) LCI(G)-451 and LCI(G)-726 are damaged by mortar fire
off approaches to Saipan landing beaches.
Carrier-based aircraft from TG 58.1
(Rear Admiral Joseph J. Clark) and TG 58.4 (Rear Admiral William K. Harrill)
bomb Japanese installations on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, and Chichi Jima and
Haha Jima in the Bonins; attack on Iwo Jima is repeated 16 June. Destroyers Boyd
(DD-544) and Charrette (DD-581) sink transport Tatsutakawa Maru after
she had been damaged by TBFs/TBMs and F6Fs from small carrier Bataan (CVL-
29) east of Ogasawara-shoto,25°02'N, 144°37'E. TF 58 aircraft sink auxiliary
submarine chaser Cha 54 off Rota Island, Marianas. Destroyer Halsey
Powell (DD-686) sinks minelayer Ma 101 (ex-British netlayer HMS Barlight,
captured at Hong Kong in December 1941) in Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, 15°15'N,
145°45'E.
Japanese submarine chaser Ch 7 is sunk by mine south
of the Palaus, 04°03'N, 135°08'E.
Submarine Swordfish (SS-193) attacks Japanese convoy,
sinking army cargo ship Kanseishi Maru about 150 miles north-northwest
of Chichi Jima, 29°30'N, 144°07'E.
Japanese cargo vessel Kanzaki Maru is stranded and
sunk off east coast of Korea, 36°01'N, 129°41'E.
Atlantic
TBFs and FM-2s (VC-9) from escort carrier Solomons (CVE-
67) sink German submarine U-860 in South Atlantic,25°27'S, 05°30'W.
Off Normandy, tank landing ships LST-2, LST-266, LST-307,
LST-331, and LST-360 are damaged by shore batteries; LST-133 by
mine.
Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-552, PT-558, and PT-559 sink
German torpedo boats TA 26 (ex-Italian Navy Intrepido) and TA
30 (ex-Italian Navy Dragone) off the Italian coast between La Spezia
and Genoa, 43°58'N, 09°29'E.
AAF
Eighth AF
1,225 Heavy Bombers operating in 8 forces bomb Misburg oil
refinery in Germany and numerous tac targets in France, including 9 airfields,
an aircraft plant, a CROSSBOW supply site, 11 bridges, a marshalling yard, and
various scattered targets. Losses total 4 Heavy Bombers. VIII FC escorts the Heavy
Bombers, flies shipping patrol, and carries out Fighter Bomber attack on
bridges at Etaples. Fighter attacks destroy a locomotive and 5 trucks, along
with 5 aircraft. A total of 762 fighter sorties are flown. No losses are
suffered.
Ninth AF
Over 550 B-26’s and A-20’s direct main attacks against fuel
and ammo dumps, rail and highway comm, and armd div HQ S of bridgehead on Douve
R. Over 1,400 fighters fly armed recon in Valognes- Cherbourg area, W part of
Cherbourg Peninsula, and along comm lines S to Loire. Fighters also attack shipping
between the Channel Is and Cherbourg Peninsula.
Twelfth AF
MBs blast rail and road bridges in La Spezia sector and in
area S of Florence. Light Bombers again hit ammo supplies. Fighter Bombers and fighters
hit bridges and roads N of battlelines (again only scattered motor transport targets
are available for strafing). US Fifth Army patrols move into Grosseto and
British Eighth Army pushes beyond Todi toward Perugia.
Fifteenth AF
Weather cancels bombing operations. P-51’s and P-38’s strafe
La Jasse, Orange/Plan de Dieu, Orange/Caritat, Avignon/Chateau-Blanc, and
Avignon/Pujaut airfields.
Tenth AF
30 B-25’s fly ammo to Imphal area. 27 A-36’s, P-51’s, and
P-40’s pound Mogaung and Myitkyina.
Fourteenth AF
24 P-40’s hit Japanese cav forces at Chuchou and several
supply boats on Siang-Chiang R. 10 P-40’s destroy or damage several tanks,
trucks, and train cars between Loyang and Shanhsien. 24 B-24’s bomb warehouse
area at Canton, causing heavy damage.
FEAF
FEAF is formed with jurisdiction over Fifth and Thirteenth
AFs. Gen Kenney becomes CG FEAF, with HQ in Brisbane. FEAF Heavy Bombers,
Medium Bombers, Light Bombers, and fighters attack barges in Manokwari area,
village in Wakde area. Also bombed are airfields on Timor and Truk. Thirteenth
AF airplanes still in Solomon-Bismarck area hit Tobera airfield and forces on
Bougainville. Amphibious forces of US Marines land on Saipan.
SOPAC
COMAIRSOLS is dissolved, to be replaced by a new command,
Air Comd, Northern Solomons (COMAIRNORSOLS).
Thirteenth AF
HQ Thirteenth AF moves from Guadalcanal to Los Negros, from
which the Heavy Bombers have been operating since Apr as Thirteenth Air TF. Gen
Streett becomes CG Thirteenth AF, which becomes part of FEAF. The Medium Bombers
and fighters, together with other COMAIRSOLS airplanes, continue to maintain
the neutralization of Rabaul and the pounding of the Bougainville-Buka area
through Jul and into Aug.
Twentieth AF
B-29’s bomb Japan. With the exception of Eleventh AF’s raids
on the Kurils, this is first air attack against Japan since Doolittle’s raid.
47 B-29’s, operating out of Chengtu, bomb primary target of Imperial Iron and
Steel Works at Yawata. The Twentieth’s first combat loss during a bombing
mission results when fighters destroy a B-29 down with engine trouble at
Neihsiang airfield in China.
Eleventh AF
2 B-24’s fly armed photo recon over Shimushiru I.
USA
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps
(Maj Gen Troy H. Middleton) becomes operational and has mission of establishing
defensive positions from Carentan W across the Cotentin Peninsula and
protecting SW flank of VII Corps, 101st A/B Div is transferred to it from VII
Corps in current positions. In VII Corps area, Gen Collins decides that main
effort of corps will be to cut off Cotentin Peninsula as soon as possible.
357th Inf of 90th Div completes capture of Gourbesville, but div makes little
progress elsewhere; bn of 358th Inf is committed on right flank. In 9th Div
sector, 47th Inf is committed on right and moves quickly to high ground W of
Orglandes; 60th Inf is forced back to line of departure by strong
counterattack, the last E of the Douve, but recovers about half the lost
ground. Against decreasing resistance, 82d A/B Div’s 505th Para Inf, after
relieving 507th, drives to positions S of Reigneville; 325th Gli Inf advances
to within 1,000 yards of St Sauveur-le-Vicomte. XIX Corps begins limited attacks
to improve defensive positions. 30th Div, which has not yet landed all of its
components, attacks with 120th Inf and takes Montmartin-en- Graignes. 29th
Div’s 175th Inf—upon relief, night 15–16, N of Elle R by 119th Inf, 30th
Div—moves to line of departure S of river.
ITALY—AAI: Br 5 Corps continues N along Adriatic coast, 3d
Carpathian Div replacing Ind 4th Div in line.
In U.S. Fifth Army area, VI Corps hq is assigned to U.S.
Seventh Army for Operation ANVIL. IV Corps reaches Ombrone R line and sends
patrols into Grosseto; begins crossing the river after nightfall.
In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps overcomes rear-guard
opposition at Ficulle and Allerona. In 10 Corps area, pursuit of enemy toward
Perugia is continued beyond Todi after bridge is completed at Terni.
CBI—In NCAC area, indecisive fighting for Myitkyina
continues. On Salween front, Ch forces containing Sung Shan—triangular hill
mass that dominates 36 miles of Burma Road where it crosses the Salween—make
limited attack that overruns peak at SE corner; Ch efforts to take another, at SW
corner, are unsuccessful.
JAPAN—China-based B–29’s of XX BC make their first attack on
Japanese homeland, dropping 221 tons of bombs on Imperial Iron and Steel Works’
Yawata plant, Kyushu I.
SWPA—Planners issue RENO V, the last of the RENO series of plans,
calling for establishment of air bases, between July and October, on Vogelkop Peninsula
and on Morotai, latter being timed simultaneously with POA’s invasion of the
Palaus; invasion of the Philippines at Mindanao on 25 October in order to gain
bases from which to support operations in mid-November against Philippine
targets farther N; invasion of Luzon in early 1945
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, Gen Eichelberger arrives and takes
command of TF HURRICANE. Forward movement is limited by enemy tank attacks from
West Caves stronghold. 1st Bn, 162d Inf, presses slowly S toward ridge where 3d
Bn is fighting. Efforts of 162d Inf to close gap between 3d and 2d Bns are
frustrated, but the gap is narrowed to about 500 yards. Air support of the
Marianas from Biak is impossible. Enemy is still interdicting use of Mokmer
airdrome.
SAIPAN—U.S. VAC marines invade island, beginning at 0840,
landing on W coast after saturation naval and aerial bombardment. While reserve
elements conduct diversionary demonstration in Tanapag Harbor area, 2d and 4th
Mar Divs make main landings near Charan Kanoa. 2d Mar Div, employing 26th
Marines on N and 8th Marines on S, lands N of Afetna Pt. 4th Mar Div, with RCT
23 on left and RCT 25 on right, goes ashore S of Afetna Pt. Gap between the
assault divs at Afetna Pt. is broader than expected since elements of 2d Mar
Div land N of assigned beaches. Against strong opposition, including scattered
tank attacks, marines press inland, overrunning town of Charan Kanoa. By end of
day beachhead is about 10,000 yards long and over 1,000 yards deep in most
places, but flanks are insecure and enemy retains Afetna Pt. Good progress is
made in unloading reserves and supporting weapons. CP’s of 2d and 4th Mar Divs
are established ashore. Japanese suffer heavy casualties in determined but
abortive attempts to destroy the beachhead, night 15–16. Illumination of naval
star shells assists marines in the night action. 27th Inf Div, VAC reserve, is
en route to Saipan; RCT 106 is detached for duty with Guam assault force.
BONIN-VOLCANO Is.—U.S. carrier-based planes attack Chichi
Jima and Haha Jima in the Bonin group and Two Jima in the Volcano Is.,
concentrating on airfields, barracks, and fuel stores.
USMC
The Marine V Amphibious Corps under Lieutenant General
Holland M. Smith (2d and 4th Mar Divs) lands on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.
U. S. Navy carrier task force strikes Volcano-Bonin Islands in first raid on
these groups. First B-29 strikes launched from China bases against mainland of
Japan. FEAF established under Lieutenant General George C. Kenney. AirNorSols
formed under Major General Ralph J. Mitchell
CinCSWPA assumes command of all forces west of longitude
159° East; South Pacific campaign against Japanese virtually ended.
No comments:
Post a Comment