80 Years Ago, Sunday, 27 August 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Guitarro (SS-363) attacks Japanese convoy bound for Coron Bay, sinking merchant tanker No.25 Nanshin Maru, damaging No.3 Nanshin Maru, and forcing tanker No.25 Nanshin Maru aground, 12°26'N, 119°55'E.

            Submarine Stingray (SS-186) lands men and supplies on northwest shore of Luzon.

            PVs sink Japanese vessel Tensho Maru between Odomari and Onnekotan Island, Kurils.

            High speed minesweeper Boggs (DMS-3) and submarine chaser PC-783 are damaged in collision, San Diego, California.

ATLANTIC–Tank landing ship LST-327 is damaged by mine, while en route from Cherbourg to Southampton, England.

MEDITERRANEAN–Destroyer Ericsson (DD-440) captures fishing vessel attempting to escape Toulon, France, and takes 50 German submariners as POWs. Motor torpedo boat PT-552 sinks four German explosive motorboats at entrance to Toulon, harbor, but control boat escapes.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–Over 1,200 Heavy Bombers fly against Berlin area targets but abort mission due to high clouds. Over 150 of the Heavy Bombers attack Targets of opportunity in German coastal area and Danish peninsula, including 4 Airfields, 2 marshalling yards, 2 islands, 3 cities, and scattered targets. 11 P-51 groups provide escort and strafe ground targets in Germany, destroying several including 24 locomotives. 5 B-17’s and 10 P-51’s are lost. 8 Fighter Bomber groups strafe and bomb rail transportation in E France and the Saar, claiming, among other targets, over 100 locomotives and over 200 train cars destroyed.

NINTH AF–IX BC attacks troop concentrations in Rouen area, Rouen bridge, Boulogne-sur-Mer/Boursin navigational beam station, and Bucyles-Pierrepont and Foret de Samoussy fuel dumps. fighters cover ground forces and fly sweeps and armed recon in Senlis area and S of Loire R claiming 16 aircraft (11 in the air) destroyed, and losing 6.

TWELFTH AF–Medium Bombers hit gun emplacements in Marseille area and bomb bridges at Berceto. Fighter Bombers continue armed recon in Po Valley and over roads leading N from battle line N of the Arno R. Light Bombers bomb Targets of opportunity in Po Valley during 26/27 Aug, fly armed recon and during the day hit ammo stores in NC Italy.

FIFTEENTH AF–530-plus fighters supported Heavy Bombers attack 2 oil refineries in Blechhammer, railroad bridge at Ferrara, and viaducts at Avisio, Venzone, and Borovnica.

TENTH AF–23 P-47’s support ground forces in Pinbaw area, hitting Kondangyi and troops and strongpoints near Pinbaw.

FOURTEENTH AF–7 B-25’s bomb Hengyang, Tien Ho, White Cloud, and Pailochi Airfields. 9 others hit road and river trafflc in Yoyang, Hankow, Changsha, and Hengyang areas. 120-plus P-40’s and P-51’s hit Targets of opportunity in the above areas plus Yangtien, Chachiang, Anjen, Leiyang, Sintsiang, Siangsiang, and Siangtan, damaging or destroying numerous trucks, many rivercraft and hitting several troop concentrations.

FEAF–FBs hit Miti and Airfields at Babo, Ransiki, Sagan, and Manokwari. Fighter Bombers hit bivouacs near Boram, troops between Abau and Boikin, and a fuel dump and barges at Kairiru I.

SEVENTH AF–A Saipan-based B-24 bombs Iwo Jima while another, after photo recon of Woleai, bombs Yap. P-47’s bomb AA positions on Pagan and strafe buildings on Alamagan.

ELEVENTH AF–5 B-24’s bomb and photograph Kashiwabara in 2 raids. 4 B-25’s on a shipping sweep E of the N Kurils bomb and strafe picket boats damaging 1 and leaving another sinking.

 

USA

N FRANCE—21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army area, Br 1 Corps elements reach the Seine in coastal sector. In 2 Corps area, Cdn 4th Armd and 3d Inf Divs begin crossing the Seine between Elbeuf and Pont de l’Arche and clear Tourlaville.

            In Br Second Army’s 12 Corps area, 15th Div begins crossing the Seine E of Louviers and establishes bridgehead in Muids–Porte-Joie area with ease. A second crossing site, about a mile upstream, is found to be strongly defended and is abandoned. 30 Corps continues to expand and strengthen bridgehead at Vernon.

            12th Army Group: Allocates priority in supply to First Army. Supplies are becoming increasingly short.

            In U.S. First Army area, XV Corps attacks with 30th Div on right and 79th on left to enlarge Mantes-Gassicourt bridgehead. In V Corps area, against scattered resistance, Fr 2d Armd Div and 4th Div, former on right, drive NE to outskirts of Paris, French overcoming strong opposition at Le Bourget airfield. Generals Eisenhower and Bradley visit Paris and confer with Gen Charles de Gaulle. In VII Corps area, 3d Armd Div speeds NE toward Soissons with 4th Cav Gp spearheading and 1st and 9th Divs following, crossing the Marne in Mieux area and taking that town.

            In U.S. Third Army area, VIII Corps completes encirclement of Brest. TF Sugar, 29th Div, cuts main Le Conquet–Recouvrance highway. 83d Div moves forward to protect S flank along Loire R W of Orléans. In XX Corps area, 7th Armd Div drives NE toward Reims on broad front, followed by 5th and 80th Divs. Armored forces reach the Marne at Château-Thierry, secure crossings, and overrun that town. In XII Corps area, CCA of 4th Armd Div heads from Troyes NE toward Châlonssur- Marne, followed by 80th Div. 35th Div protects S flank of army from Orléans to Troyes.

S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, 3d Div, coming up from the S, secures positions from which to attack Montélimar. 36th Div restores line along the Roubion. TF Butler reaches Highway 7 at La Coucourde but is unable to block it. So effective is arty fire, however, that a block is formed by wrecked enemy vehicles. Aircraft and arty are taking an increasingly heavy toll of enemy columns in Montélimar–Livron sector. 45th Div ( — ) is probing toward Lyon from Grenoble; 179th Inf takes Bourgoin, midway between Grenoble and Lyon. 180th Inf, holding defensive positions in N part of right flank of corps in Briançon area, is relieved by Prov .Flank Protection Force, called TF Bibo, in order to move to Grenoble area. TF Bibo, commanded by Lt Col Harold S. Bibo and under Seventh Army control, consists of Tr A of 117th Cav Rcn Sq; elements of 2d, 3d, and 83d Chemical Bns; 2 platoons of 180th Inf AT Co; and battery of 171st FA Bn.

            In Fr Army B area, 2d Corps continues to clear environs of Toulon and city of Marseille. At 1745 bombardment of San Mandrier Peninsula, S of Toulon, is halted and Germans agree to surrender the peninsula, effective on 28th. At Marseille, Fort St Nicolas surrenders, but scattered opposition remains. In evening, German command requests interview to discuss surrender terms.

EASTERN EUROPE—Focsani falls to troops of Second Ukrainian Front; Galati, third largest city in Rumania and chief port on the Danube, to those of Third Ukrainian Front.

ITALY—AAI: Br Eighth Army makes steady progress northward toward main Gothic Line positions. BURMA—In NCAC area, Br 36th Div, continuing down Mogaung–Mandalay RR corridor, takes Pinbaw.

NEW GUINEA—1st Bn, 158th Inf, relieves elements of 503d Para Inf remaining in S part of Noemfoor.

 

USMC