Sunday, July 28, 2024

80 Years Ago, Thursday, 29 June 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Bang (SS-385) damages Japanese fleet tanker Miri Maru (see 15 January 1945), and merchant tanker Sarawak Maru west of Luzon, 17°13'N, 118°22'E.

Submarine Darter (SS-227) attacks Japanese convoy off northern tip of Halmahera Island, and sinks minelayerTsugaru, 02°10'N, 128°05'E.

Submarine Flasher (SS-249) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship Niho Maru and damaging oiler Notoro about 125 miles southeast of Singapore, 00°44'N, 105°45'E.

Submarine Growler (SS-215), despite presence of three escort vessels, sinks Japanese transport Katori Maru in Luzon Strait, 19°00'N, 121°42'E.

Submarine Sturgeon (SS-187) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking army cargo ship Toyama Maru in the Nansei Shoto, off Taira Jima, 27°47'N, 129°05'E.

ATLANTICCoastal minesweeper Valor (AMc-108) is sunk in collision with destroyer escort Richard W. Suesens (DE-342) off Newport, R.I., 41°128'N, 70°57'W.

EUROPE–German submarine U-984 attacks Omaha Beach-bound convoy EMC 17 about 30 miles south of the Isle of Wight, torpedoing U.S. freighters Edward M. House, H.G. Blasdel, and James A. Farrell at 50°07'N, 00°47'W, and John A.Treutlen at 50°11'50'N, 00°45'35'W. Edward M. House resumes her voyage and reaches the beachhead to discharge cargo and disembark troops; she suffers only two men injured (one of whom is from the 28-man Armed Guard). H.G. Blasdel suffers the loss of 76 of her embarked troops (180 are wounded) of the 436 on board; tank landing ship LST-326 takes off the surviving troops. The ship is later towed to Southampton where she is written off as a total loss. James A. Farrell is abandoned, survivors transferring to tank landing ship LST-50; four soldiers are killed and 45wounded from among the 421 embarked on board. There are no casualties among the 42-man merchant complement or the 31-man Armed Guard, but the ship, towed to Spithead, is written off as a total loss. John A. Treutlen is abandoned save for a skeleton crew, the merchant complement and 31-man Armed Guard being picked up by Canadian corvette HMCS Buctouche and tank landing ship LST-336. John A. Treutlen is subsequently written off as a total loss.

MEDITERRANEAN–Motor torpedo boats PT-308 and PT-309 (Lieutenant John Newell, USNR), patrolling between Cape Falcone on the Italian mainland and the island of Elba, engage two Italian motor torpedo boats, damaging MAS 562 and forcing its abandonment (see 30 June).

AAF

EIGHTH AF–82 B-17’s bomb synthetic oil plant at Bohlen, 61 strike aircraft components factory at Wittenberg, 31 bomb aero engine works at Leipzig/Taucha, 39 hit fighter assembly plant at Leipzig/Heiterblick, and 42 bomb targets of opportunity at Wittenberg, Quakenbruck, and Limbach-Oberfrohna. 390 B-24’s bomb aircraft assembly plant at Bernburg, fighter assembly factory at Oschersleben, aero engine works at Magdeburg-Neustadt, aircraft components factory at Aschersleben, airpark at Stendal, and targets of opportunity including airfields at Burg and Gardelegen and marshalling yard at Oebisfelde-Kaltendorf. 51 B-24’s bomb motor transport plant at Fallersleben and personnel camp S of Mittelland Canal. Clouds cause assembly problems and over 400 Heavy Bombers abort without reaching enemy territory. Total Heavy Bombers losses for the day number 15.14 groups from VIII FC and 1 from Ninth AF escort the Heavy Bombers. Flights from 9 of these groups afterwards strafe parked aircraft, trains, barges, a factory, road vehicles, and soldiers. 3 fighters are lost. 33 enemy airplanes are claimed destroyed.

NINTH AF–Almost 200 B-26’s and A-20’s bomb gun batteries on Cap de la Hague, bridges and rail lines in Rennes-Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcourt-Vitre areas, and rail bridge at Oissel. Ftrs fly armed rcn and attack enemy airplanes, road and rail traffic, gun positions, bridges and other targets in wide areas throughout NW France.

TWELFTH AF–Fighter Bombers, Medium Bombers, and Light Bombers attack ammo dumps, viaducts, bridges, railroad cars, landing grounds, roads, motor transport, and other targets along battleline in NC Italy and at various points to the N.

TENTH AF–16 B-24’s continue fuel lift to Kamaing. 45 B-25’s haul ammo to Imphal. 23 other B-25’s bomb Tamu. 19 A-36’s, P-51’s, and P-38’s hit Myitkyina and Myitnge bridge. A B-25 bombs targets in Mohnyin-Naba area.

FOURTEENTH AF–In Tungting Lake area 60-plus Medium Bombers and Fighter Bombers hit shipping, gun positions, troop concentrations, and general targets of opportunity at several locations, including Lingyang, Liling, Hengyang, Yuhsien, Hengshan, Siangsiang, Chaling, and Yiyang. 3 B-24’s bomb Takao docks. P-40’s damage bridge and attack rail traffic at Phu Lang Thuong.

FEAF–Japanese concentrations at Aitape and a variety of targets of opportunity including barges, villages and bivouacs in Wewak area are hit by A-20’s, B-25’s, and Fighter Bombers. B-24’s, B-25’s, A-20’s, and Fighter Bombers attack airfields and AA guns at Babo, Manokwari, Waren, and Moemi, barges at Noemfoor, and villages E of Maffln Bay. AA positions S of Ralum are bombed.

SEVENTH AF–P-47’s carry out bombing and strafing missions over Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. B-24’s, staging through Eniwetok, pound Truk while B-25’s based at Makin hit Ponape.

ELEVENTH AF–2 B-25’s fly a negative shipping sweep.

USA

FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, 9th Div—employing 47th Inf on right, 60th in center, and 4th Cav Gp ( - ) on left— attacks to clear Cap de la Hague; comes to a halt before enemy line through Gruchy, Gréville, and crossroads SE of Beaumont-Hague. Forts in Cherbourg harbor surrender. In VIII Corps area, 101st A/B Div is detached from corps and starts from St Sauveur-le-Vicomte to Cherbourg. In XIX Corps area, first elements of 3d Armd Div enter combat: CCA begins limited action to reduce Villiers- Fossard salient in 29th Div’s line NE of St Lô in preparation for renewing drive on St Lô. In Br Second Army area, 8 Corps, as it continues action to expand Odon bridgehead and corridor leading to it, undergoes determined counterattacks by enemy armor against W flank, which temporarily gain some ground but leave the attackers exhausted. In view of the strong concentration of enemy armor in front of 8 Corps, it is decided to break off offensive and consolidate present positions.

USSR—Germans yield Bobruisk to First White Russian troops.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 442d Inf, which has recently cleared villages of Belvedere and Sassetta, is withdrawn from center of 34th Div line and replaced by 135th Inf; 133d Inf, driving along Highway 1, is stubbornly opposed but gets to within a mile of Cecina. Br Eighth Army takes command of Pol 2 Corps in Adriatic coastal sector. Germans begin general withdrawal in front of Eighth Army. 13 Corps commander orders 6th Armd Div to relieve 78th Div, night 3–4 July; 9th Armd Brig to move to 10 Corps sector between 30 June and 4 July. S African 6th Armd Div takes Acquaviva and Montepulciano. 4th Div advances to ridge through Petrignano and Valiano, which enemy rear guards are defending. 78th Div takes Castiglione del Lago, former enemy strongpoint N of the Pescia, without opposition.

BURMA—In NCAC area, Col Charles N. Hunter takes command of all U.S. troops at Myitkyina. 1st Bn of 42d Regt, Ch 14th Div, after making considerable progress through enemy territory, is halted by fire. Co F, NEW GALAHAD, attempts to support the bn but loses its way and is destroyed as a fighting body.

NEW GUINEA—On Biak, 34th Inf continues mopping up in region N of 186th Inf against little opposition. Mortars and tanks fire on East Caves, from which engineers have recently received fire. On Aitape front, Gen Hall reorganizes TF PERSECUTION into 3 commands—Western Defense Area (Brig Gen Alexander N. Stark, Jr.), Eastern Defense Area (Gen Gill), and Eastern Defense Command (Gen Clarence Martin). Gen Martin’s command, holding outer defense line along Driniumor R, includes 3d Bn of 127th Inf, 128th Inf (less 3d Bn), and Cav RCT 112.

SAIPAN—6th and 8th Marines, 2d Mar Div, continue to clear rugged terrain on left flank of corps. 27th Div’s 106th Inf, after regrouping, drives northward in Death Valley with 1st and 2d Bns of 106th Inf and 3d Bn of 105th abreast, gaining about 1,000 yards. To right, 2d Bn of 165th tries in vain to take northernmost hill of Purple Heart Ridge. 4th Mar Div, with elements of 165th Inf still attached, consolidates and improves positions on right flank of corps, meeting strong opposition on left.

USMC

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