85 Years Ago, September 1939

September 1939 is the generally accepted beginning of the Second World War, especially in the western hemisphere and Europe.  Yet, Japan had been engaged in China for most of the decade having invaded Manchuria 18 September 1931 following the Mukden incident.  The Second Sino-Japanese War began in earnest with the Marco Polo Bridge incident 7 July 1937 leading to an invasion of the remainder of China.  Japan drew first U.S. blood on 12 December 1937 with the sinking of the USS Panay (PR-5) on the Yangtze River. Three Yokosuka B4Y Type-96 biplane carrier Naval bombers dropped eighteen 132 lb (60 kg) bombs on Panay scoring two hits and nine Nakajima A4N Type-95 biplane Naval fighters strafed her. Diplomacy and reparations prevailed for the moment, but the stage was set to widen the war into the truly global conflict that followed. 

 

The world situation continued to degrade, Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia nearly set off full conflict, averted by the appeasement of the Munich agreement in 1938.  The pot of war stew continued to simmer, despite the attempt to turn down the heat. It boiled over in September 1939.  This month’s summary is taken from The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II.

 

September 1, Fri. ‑‑World War II begins as Germany invades Poland with a power and rapidity that convincingly demonstrates to the world the blitzkrieg, or "lightning war." Italy announces its neutrality. Ultimately, the global conflict set in motion on this late summer day will engulf much of the globe and wreak far‑reaching changes in the world order. The U.S. Navy in September 1939 is, for the most part, concentrated on the west coast of the United States, reflecting the nation's traditional interest in the Far East and its isolationist leanings away from Europe. Although the matter is discussed as hostilities have loomed on the horizon late in August 1939, there are no plans to use U.S. naval vessels to repatriate American citizens except in "collecting small groups [of Americans] in the Mediterranean area for transportation to places where they can move to safe ports for embarkation."

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav) sends dispatch to commanders in chief of Asiatic Fleet, United States Fleet, Atlantic Squadron, Special Service Squadron and Squadron 40‑T: "Reliably informed [that] German submarines are set to operate on Atlantic trade routes and that a dozen German merchant vessels will operate as armed raiders [and that] neutral merchantmen may expect Great Britain may institute may expect Great Britain may institute similar practices as in last war." Additional addressees to this warning include the three new warships on shakedown cruises: light cruiser St. Louis (CL‑49) (at Punta Delgada, Azores), destroyer Anderson (DD‑411) (at Montreal, Canada) and submarine Spearfish (SS‑190) (en route from New York City to Bahia, Brazil).

Hydrographic Office begins issuing, by despatch and bulletin, special warnings of restrictions and dangers to navigation incident to the outbreak of hostilities between Germany and Poland. Special Warning Number One is that the German government has announced that Danzig Bay is a danger area due to military operations taking place there.

President Roosevelt appoints Admiral William D. Leahy, who has recently retired as Chief of Naval Operations, as Work Projects Administrator for the Territory of Puerto Rico (see 11 September).

Light cruiser Marblehead (CL‑12) transports marines from Chinwangtao, China, to Shanghai. The emergency movement is to bring the Fourth Marine Regiment to full strength in the event that the Japanese take advantage of the European war to force an incident at Shanghai.

German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee, which has left Wilhelmshaven on 21 August for the South Atlantic, makes rendezvous with tanker Altmark southwest of the Canary Islands. The fuel oil carried in Altmark's bunkers was obtained in August at Port Arthur, Texas. Admiral Graf Spee's sistership Deutschland, which had departed Wilhelmshaven on 24 August, is deployed to raid commerce in the North Atlantic.

September 3, Sun. ‑‑Great Britain and France declare war on Germany in accordance with their prewar pledges to Poland. Australia and New Zealand follow. Irish Free State, however, a British dominion, declares its neutrality.

German submarines (previously deployed to operating areas in late August) begin attacks upon British shipping: during these early operations, U 30 (Kapitanleutnant Fritz‑Julius Lemp) torpedoes (without warning) British passenger liner Athenia south of Rockall Bank, 56°44'N, 14°05'W; 28 American citizens are among the dead. U.S. freighter City of Flint, Swedish yacht Southern Cross, Norwegian freighter Knute Nelson, and British destroyers HMS Electra and HMS Escort rescue survivors. Despite having been given strict orders that all merchant vessels are to be treated in accordance with naval prize law (giving a warning before attacking) Lemp's torpedoing Athenia in the belief

that she is an armed merchant cruiser gives the British the erroneous impression that Germany has commenced unrestricted submarine warfare (see 16 and 22 September and 8 November).

Within a fortnight, U 30 is herself a victim, when she is bombed by Skuas from British carrier HMS Ark Royal on 14September 1939. With a slightly damaged bow and two torpedo tubes out of action, U 30 puts in to Reykjavik, Iceland, on 19 September to land a seriously wounded man before she returns to sea.

European war comes to the Americas: less than three hours after the British declaration of war on Germany, light cruiser HMS Ajax intercepts German freighter Olinda, outward bound from Montevideo, Uruguay, off the River Plate,34°58'S, 53°32'W. Not having a prize crew available to seize the enemy merchantman, Ajax shells and sinks her (see 4September).

British Home Fleet deploys aircraft carriers to seek out and destroy German submarines: HMS Ark Royal off the northwestern approaches to the British Isles, HMS Courageous and HMS Hermes off the southwestern approaches (see 17 September).

U.S. freighter Saccarappa, with a cargo of phosphates and cotton, is seized by British authorities (see 8 September).

September 4, Mon. ‑‑British passenger liner Athenia sinks as the result of damage sustained the previous day when torpedoed by German submarine U 30. After the sinking of Athenia is confirmed through radio intelligence and news broadcasts, the German Naval War Staff radios all U‑boats at sea that the Führer has ordered that no hostile action be taken "for the present" against passenger ships, even if they are travelling in convoy (see 16 September). Publicly, Germany will continue to deny responsibility for the sinking of Athenia until the post‑war Nuremberg Trials bring the truth to light.

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav) orders Commander Atlantic Squadron to establish, as soon as possible, a combined air and ship patrol to observe and report, in cipher, the movements of warships of warring nations, east from Boston along a line to 42°30'N, 65°00'W then south to 19°N then around the seaward outline of the Windward and Leeward Islands, to the British island of Trinidad.

European war again comes to the Americas: British light cruiser HMS Ajax intercepts German freighter Carl Fritzen200 miles east‑southeast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 33°22'S, 48°50'W, and sinks the merchantman with gunfire.

Captain Alan G. Kirk, U.S. Naval Attaché, and Commander Norman R. Hitchcock, Assistant Naval Attaché and Assistant Naval Attaché for Air, are flown to Galway, Ireland, where they interview Athenia's surviving officers and men. The attaché's investigation concludes that Athenia was torpedoed by a submarine.

President Roosevelt proclaims the neutrality of the United States in the war between Germany and France, Poland, the United Kingdom, India, Australia and New Zealand, and orders the Navy to form a Neutrality Patrol (see below).

Chief of Naval Operations (Admiral Harold R. Stark) directs Commander Atlantic Squadron (Rear Admiral Alfred W. Johnson) to maintain an offshore patrol to report "in confidential system" the movements of all foreign men‑of‑war approaching or leaving the east coast of the United States and approaching and entering or leaving the Caribbean. U.S. Navy ships are to avoid making a report of foreign men‑of‑war or suspicious craft, however, on making contact or when in their vicinity to avoid the performance of unneutral service "or creating the impression that an unneutral service is being performed" (see 9 October). The patrol is to extend about 300 miles off the eastern coastline of the United States and along the eastern boundary of the Caribbean (see 6 September). Furthermore, U.S. naval vessels are to report the presence of foreign warships sighted at sea to the district commandant concerned.

Destroyers Davis (DD‑395) and Benham (DD‑397) (two 327‑foot Coast Guard cutters will be assigned later) are designated as the Grand Banks Patrol. They are to render rescue and other neutral assistance in emergencies and to observe and report ("in confidential system") movements of all foreign warships. They are to patrol across existing steamer lanes to the southward of the Grand Banks and to approximately 50° Maritime Commission (Hydrographic Office Special Warning No. 9) directs that all U.S. merchant ships en route to or from Europe are not to steer a zig zag course, are not to black out at night, and are to paint the U.S. flag on each side of the hull, on hatches fore and aft, and on sun decks of passenger vessels, and to illuminate the colors flying from the flagstaff at night. In Hydrographic Office Special Warning No. 12 (promulgated the same day), U.S. merchant vessels engaged in domestic, "near‑by foreign" or transpacific trade are not required to paint the flag on hull, hatches and decks, but otherwise are to follow the other instructions contained in Special Warning No. 9.

U.S. freighter Black Osprey, bound for Rotterdam, Holland, and Antwerp, Belgium, is stopped by British warship off Lizard Head and ordered into the port of Weymouth, one of the five "contraband control bases" (the others are Ramsgate, Kirkwall, Gibraltar and Haifa) established by the British government (see 13 September and 31 October). Freighter Lehigh, bound for Hamburg, Germany, is detained by the British (see 7 September).

Philippine motorship Don Isidro, on her maiden voyage en route from her builders' yard at Kiel, Germany, to Manila, P.I., clears the Suez Canal; U.S. government immediately protests British authorities having removed, at Port Said, two German engineers (on board "to guarantee construction and demonstrate proper manning" of the new vessel) from Don Isidro (which is under the American flag) as illegal and a violation of the neutral rights of the United States (see29 April 1940).

U.S. steamship President Roosevelt off‑loads British Scott‑Paine‑type motor torpedo boat PT 9 at New York; PT 9will be the prototype for the motor torpedo boats constructed by the Electric Boat Company.

Commander Atlantic Squadron (Rear Admiral Alfred W. Johnson) begins to establish the off‑shore Neutrality Patrol. Seaplane tenders Gannet (AVP‑8) and Thrush (AVP‑3) sail for San Juan, Puerto Rico, to establish a seaplane base there.

Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney relieves Rear Admiral Henry E. Lackey as Commander Squadron 40‑T, on board light cruiser Trenton (CL‑11), the squadron flagship, at Villefranche‑sur‑Mer, France. Squadron 40‑T had been formed in 1936 to protect American lives and property during the Spanish Civil War; its ships operate directly under the control of the Chief of Naval Operations.

French authorities remove two seamen of German nationality from U.S. freighter Exochorda at Marseilles, France.

British Northern Patrol (7th and 12th Cruiser Squadrons) commences operation between Shetland and Faeroe Islands, and Iceland. Light cruisers HMS Caledon, HMS Calypso, HMS Diomede, HMS Dragon, HMS Effingham, HMS Emerald, HMS Cardiff and HMS Dunedin are the ships that undertake this work. The patrol stops 108 merchantmen over the next three weeks, ordering 28 into the port of Kirkwall to have their cargoes inspected.

Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens) sails to establish patrol off the eastern seaboard between Newport, Rhode Island, and Norfolk, Virginia. Heavy cruisers Quincy (CA‑39) and Vincennes (CA‑44) depart first, San Francisco (CA‑38) (flagship) and Tuscaloosa (CA‑37) follow. The ships, burning running lights, are to observe and report the movements of foreign men‑of‑war, and, as required, render prompt assistance to ships or planes encountered.

British steamer Olivegrove is stopped, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U 33 200 miles northwest of Spain,49°05'N, 15°58'W; upon receiving Olivegrove's distress signal, U.S. passenger liner Washington, en route to the British Isles to evacuate American citizens from the European war zone, alters course and increases speed to reach the scene. Meanwhile, U 33's commanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Hans‑Wilhelm von Dresky, treats the British survivors courteously, and aids in their rescue by having distress rockets fired to guide Washington to the two lifeboats containing the 33‑man crew, which she picks up without loss.

U.S. freighter Lehigh, detained by British authorities since 5 September, is released; freighter Warrior is detained by the British (see 18 September).

U.S. passenger liner Santa Paula is hailed by British cruiser (unidentified) 30 miles off Curaçao, N.W.I. and ordered to stop; after a delay of 20 minutes, Santa Paula is allowed to proceed (see 8 September 1939). Tanker I.C. White is challenged by cruiser (nationality unidentified) 15 miles off Baranquilla, Colombia, but is allowed to proceed without further hindrance.

Incident to the European war, the U.S. Naval Observatory is closed to all visitors except those specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Navy.

President Roosevelt proclaims a "limited national emergency" and orders enlisted strength of all armed forces increased‑‑naval enlisted men from 110,813 to 145,000; Marine Corps from 18,325 to 25,000‑‑and authorizes recall to active duty of officers, men, and nurses on retired lists of Navy and Marine Corps.

Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles and British Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Lothian have "off‑the‑record talk"(at the former's request) concerning the brief detention of U.S. passenger liner Santa Paula the day before. Lord

Lothian is informed that Santa Paula's captain had been asked "to give formal assurances whether there were any German passengers on board, the implication being that if the captain had not given such assurances, the officers of the cruiser would have boarded [Santa Paula] to search for German passengers and possibly might have taken some off." Undersecretary Welles goes on to say that "any act by British cruisers affecting American ships in waters so close to the United States involving possible boarding of them and taking off of civilian passengers would create a very highly unfortunate impression upon American public opinion at this time and was something undesirable in itself, since if civilian passengers actually had been taken off, such act would be clearly counter to international law." Lord Lothian agrees and promises to "take the necessary steps to prevent occurrences of this kind from happening."

Allies announce a long‑range blockade of Germany.

British authorities seize cargo (phosphates and cotton) of U.S. freighter Saccarappa; after the items deemed contraband are unloaded, the ship is released to continue on her voyage.

U.S. freighter Wacosta, bound from Glasgow, Scotland, to New York, is stopped by German submarine (unidentified). Wacosta is detained for three hours while the Germans examine her papers and search her holds, but is permitted to proceed.

U.S. steamship President Harding is detained by French authorities and various items of her cargo (including 135 tons of copper and 34 tons of petroleum products) seized as contraband. The ship is released promptly.

Canada declares war on Germany.

U.S. freighter Hybert is detained for two hours by a U‑boat (unidentified); Hybert is released but the Germans warn the merchantman not to use her radio for 24 hours.

September 11, Mon. ‑‑Germany announces counterblockade of Allies.

Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations (1937‑1939), takes office as Governor of Puerto Rico.

Navy charters barkentine Bear of Oakland for operations in the U.S. Antarctic Service and commissions her as auxiliary Bear (AG‑29). The U.S. Navy originally acquires Bear, built in Scotland for the sealing trade, to rescue the survivors of the ill‑fated Greeley Arctic Expedition in 1884. The Navy transfers the ship to the U.S. Treasury Department in 1885 for deployment in the Revenue Cutter Service (later U.S. Coast Guard). In 1929, the Coast Guard transfers her to private ownership. Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN (Ret.) acquires Bear in 1932 for use in Antarctic exploration. (The expedition will be under the command of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN (Ret.) (Byrdis appointed commanding officer of the expedition on 13 July 1939). Civilian sources provide scientific staff and dog drivers; sailors, marines and soldiers perform the supporting aviation, radio, photography, commissary, carpentry, and mechanical duties, as well as operate tractors and light tanks and the Armour Institute of Technology's Snow Cruiser, the unique vehicle developed for polar exploration.

U.S. tanker R.G. Stewart is stopped by shot fired across her bow by German submarine U 38 about 253 miles west of Ushant, France, 48°17'N, 11°16'W. Soon thereafter, U 38 shells, torpedoes and sinks British motor tanker Inverliffey; R.G. Stewart rescues the tanker's crew and later transfers them to U.S. freighter City of Joliet for transportation to Antwerp, Belgium.

German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee provisions from tanker Altmark; security measure of launching the warship’s AR 196 pays dividends, as British heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland is spotted closing the area. Admiral Graf Spee and her consort alter course and are thus not sighted.

USAAC 21st Reconnaissance Squadron (B‑18s) (Major Howard Craig, USAAC) reports to Commander Atlantic Squadron for duty in connection with the Neutrality Patrol. It is based at Miami, Florida.

Instructions to Neutrality Patrol are modified to include covering the approaches to the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Channel and the Straits of Florida.

U.S. freighter Black Eagle is detained by British authorities at the Downs, the roadstead in the English Channel off the coast of Kent (see 19 September).

September 13, Wed. ‑‑Submarine Squalus (SS‑192), which had accidentally sunk off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 23 May during a scheduled test dive (of her 59‑man crew, 26 men perish and 33 are rescued by McCann Rescue Chamber), arrives under tow at Portsmouth Navy Yard for extensive repairs. She is decommissioned on 15 November 1939, renamed Sailfish (SS‑192) on 9 February 1940, and recommissioned on 15 May 1940.

U.S. freighter Sea Arrow is launched at Oakland, California, the first major ocean‑going vessel of that type completed on the west coast since World War I. The ship is later acquired by the Navy on 8 July 1940 and converted to the seaplane tender Tangier (AV‑8).

U.S. freighter Black Osprey, detained at Weymouth, England, by British authorities since 5 September 1939, is released (see 31 October 1939).

Norwegian motor vessel Ronda strikes mine off Terschelling island, Netherlands, 54°10'N, 04°34'E; two U.S. citizens perish. Survivors (including four Americans) are subsequently rescued by Italian freighter Providencia.

Dutch minesweeper Willem van Ewijck is lost off Terschelling on 8 September 1939 to a Dutch mine.

September 14, Thu. ‑‑Atlantic Squadron Neutrality Patrol assets deployed this date: destroyers Davis (DD‑395), Jouett (DD‑396), Benham(DD‑397) and Ellet (DD‑398) operate between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Placentia Bay, Newfoundland (Grand Banks Patrol); destroyers Hamilton (DD‑141) and Leary (DD‑158) operate off Georges Shoals; Goff (DD 247) and Hopkins(DD‑249) and PBY‑2s (VP 54), supported by minesweeper [small seaplane tender] Owl (AM‑2) operate out of Narragansett Bay; destroyers Decatur (DD‑341), Barry (DD‑248), Reuben James (DD‑245) and auxiliary [high speed transport] Manley (AG‑28), with shore‑based VP 52 and VP 53 (P2Y‑2s) operate out of Chesapeake Bay; destroyers Babbitt (DD‑128) and Claxton (DD‑140) patrol the Florida Straits; heavy cruisers San Francisco (CA‑38) and Tuscaloosa (CA‑37), destroyers Truxtun (DD‑229), Simpson (DD‑221), Broome (DD‑220) and Borie (DD‑215) and patrol squadrons VP 33 (PBY‑3s) and VP 51 (PBY‑1s), supported by small seaplane tenders Lapwing (AVP‑1), Thrush(AVP‑3) and Gannet (AVP‑8) watch the Caribbean and the Atlantic side of the Lesser Antilles; heavy cruisers Quincy(CA‑39) and Vincennes (CA‑44) operate off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; held in reserve in Hampton Roads is a striking force consisting of carrier Ranger (CV‑4) (her embarked air group consisting of squadrons VB 4, VF 4, VS 41and VS 42) and battleships New York (BB‑34) and Texas (BB‑35). Arkansas (BB‑33) and gunnery training ship (ex‑»battleship) Wyoming (AG‑17) are carrying out training cruise for USNR midshipmen. The destroyers find the going rough on the Grand Banks; they will be replaced by 327‑foot Coast Guard cutters that will be administratively assigned to Destroyer Division 18.

U.S. freighter City of Joliet is detained by French authorities and her cargo examined (see 5 October).

September 16, Sat. ‑‑Naval Attaché in Berlin reports that Grossadmiral Erich Raeder, Commander in Chief of the German Navy, has informed him that all submarine commanders had reported negatively concerning the sinking of British passenger liner Athenia (see 22 September and 8 November).

British Admiralty, reflecting the need to protect the Atlantic lifeline necessary to Britain's survival, announces establishment of convoy system for its merchant shipping; first Halifax‑United Kingdom convoy (HX 1) sails‑‑eighteen ships escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS St. Laurence and HMCS Saguenay.

German submarine U 31 inaugurates U‑boat campaign against convoys when she attacks westbound convoy OB 4, torpedoing and sinking British merchant steamer Aviemore in the North Atlantic, 49°11'N, 13°38'W.

U.S. freighter Shickshinny is detained at Glasgow, Scotland, by British authorities (see 18 September).

September 17, Sun. ‑‑USSR, its western border secure after its 23 August 1939 ceasefire with the Japanese along the Manchukuo‑Mongolia frontier, invades eastern Poland.

British use of Home Fleet aircraft carriers to hunt German submarines, begun on 3 September, ends after U 29torpedoes and sinks HMS Courageous southwest of the British Isles, 50°10'N, 14°45'W. Courageous is the first capital ship lost by any of the combatants. "A wonderful success," the German U‑boat High Command War Diary

exults, "and confirmation of the fact that the English defense forces are not as effective as they advertise themselves to be."

U.S. freighter Black Condor is detained by British authorities (see 24 September).

September 18, Mon. ‑‑President Roosevelt authorizes Coast Guard to enlist 2,000 additional men and to build two training stations.

Heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA‑38) arrives at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and reports that Dominican authorities are exercising proper precautions to learn promptly of the entry of any belligerent warship into Semana Bay, Dominican Republic.

U.S. freighter Warrior, detained by British authorities since 7 September, is released after her cargo of phosphates is requisitioned. Freighter Shickshinny, detained since 16 September at Glasgow, Scotland, is permitted to sail without unloading cargo deemed by British authorities to be contraband. Shickshinny, however, is to unload those items at Mersey, England.

U.S. freighter Eglantine is stopped by German submarine, ordered not to use her radio, and to send her papers to the U‑boat for examination. The Germans allow Eglantine to proceed, but advise her not to use her radio for three hours.

September 19, Tue. ‑‑VP 21 (PBYs), assigned to the Asiatic Fleet to provide aerial reconnaissance capability to safeguard the neutrality of the Philippines, departs Pearl Harbor for Manila, P.I. The squadron will fly via Midway, Wake, and Guam (see 25September). Seaplane tender (destroyer) Childs (AVD‑1) will provide support at Wake, the least developed place on the movement westward.

U.S. freighter Black Hawk is detained by British authorities (see 4 October); freighter Black Eagle, detained by the British since 12 September at the Downs, is released.

September 20, Wed. ‑‑Squadron 40‑T departs Villefranche, France; flagship, light cruiser Trenton (CL‑11) (Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney) and destroyer Jacob Jones (DD‑130) head for Lisbon, Portugal; destroyer Badger (DD‑126) for Marseilles, France (see 23 September).

U.S. freighters Ethan Allen and Ipswich are detained by British authorities (see 30 September).

September 21, Thu. ‑‑President Roosevelt asks for repeal of arms embargo provision of Neutrality Act of 1937 (see 4 November).

September 22, Fri. ‑‑German submarine U 30 arrives at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, where her commanding officer, Kapitanleutnant Fritz‑Julius Lemp, informs Commander U‑boats, in private, that he [Lemp] believes himself responsible for sinking British passenger liner Athenia (see 8 November).

U.S. freighter Syros is detained by French authorities (see 10 October).

September 23, Sat. ‑‑Squadron 40‑T arrives at Lisbon, Portugal; en route, flagship, light cruiser Trenton (CL‑11) (Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney) intercepts distress signal from British freighter Constant which reports being pursued by what she believes to be a German U‑boat. Rear Admiral Courtney sends destroyer Jacob Jones (DD‑130) to provide water and provisions to the English merchantman.

September 24, Sun. ‑‑Seaplane tender Langley (AV‑3) arrives at Manila, P.I., to serve as the flagship for Commander Aircraft Asiatic Fleet (Commander Arthur C. Davis) (see 25 September).

U.S. freighter Black Condor, detained by British authorities since 17 September, is released.

September 25, Mon. ‑‑VP 21 arrives at Manila, P.I.; it will be tended by Langley (AV‑3), which arrived the previous day.

September 26, Tue. ‑‑German armored ships Admiral Graf Spee and Deutschland, poised in the South and North Atlantic, respectively, receive their orders to begin commerce raiding operations.

September 27, Wed. ‑‑Warsaw falls; Poland surrenders unconditionally to Germany and the USSR. After the fall of Poland, the war on the western front degenerates into a stalemate, sometimes derisively called the sitzkrieg ("sitting war") after the blitzkrieg that had crushed Polish resistance in September.

Commandant of the Coast Guard informs Commander of the Boston Division that upon withdrawal of destroyers from the Grand Banks Patrol, the patrol will be maintained by two Campbell‑class 327‑foot cutters.

Cambell-class cutter USCGC Taney (W-37) preserved at Baltimore. JCB photo 19 Sep 2024. Click to enlarge.

U.S. freighter Executive is detained by French authorities at Casablanca, French Morocco (see 29 September).

September 28, Thu. ‑‑Hawaiian Detachment, U.S. Fleet, is established in response to Japan's continuing undeclared war against China that has been underway since 7 July 1937. The establishment of the Hawaiian Detachment, to be based at Pearl Harbor, necessitates changing the schedules of the supply ships and oilers needed to provide logistics support.

September 29, Fri. ‑‑Poland is partitioned by Germany and the Soviet Union.

U.S. freighter Executive, detained at Casablanca, French Morocco, since 27 September, is released by French authorities, provided that she proceeds to Bizerte, Tunisia.

British warships operating on the Northern Patrol continue to stop neutral merchantman; between this date and 12October, 63 vessels are stopped, of which 20 are detained at Kirkwall for the inspection of their cargoes.

Battleship Arizona (BB‑39) engineering plant is sabotaged, San Pedro, California. A thorough FBI investigation into the occurrence opines that the deed is done to embarrass certain ship's officers rather than cause serious damage.

September 30, Sat. ‑‑Rear Admiral Hayne Ellis relieves Rear Admiral Alfred W. Johnson as Commander Atlantic Squadron on board the squadron’s flagship, battleship Texas (BB‑35).

Vice Admiral Adolphus Andrews (Commander Scouting Force) assumes command of Hawaiian Detachment, breaking his flag in heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA‑35). Andrews will shift his flag to carrier Enterprise (CV‑6) on 3 October prior to the detachment's move to its operating base (see 5 October).

European war again comes to the Americas: German armored ship Admiral Graf Spee stops and sinks British steamship Clement 75 miles southeast of Pernambuco, Brazil, 09°05'S, 34°05'W (see 1 and 5 October).

U.S. freighters Ethan Allen and Ipswich, detained by British authorities since 20 September, are released. Cargo destined for Bremen and Hamburg, however, is seized and taken off Ipswich.

80 Years Ago, Wednesday, 27 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Special Air Task Force (STAG 1) (Commander Robert F. Jones) commences operations with TDR-1 drones (controlled from converted TBM-1c aircraft) against Japanese targets in the southwest Pacific. Four TDRs are launched against beached Japanese freighter used as antiaircraft emplacement off Kahili airstrip, Bougainville. Two drones hit the ship, one crashes just short (bomb does not explode) and one is lost enroute.

            Submarine Apogon (SS-308) sinks Japanese cargo ship Hachirogata Maru in Sea of Okhotsk off Shimushir Island,46°32'N, 146°48'E.

            Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) damages Japanese oiler Kamoi 240 miles southwest of Manila, 13°48'N, 148°38'E.

            Submarines Flasher (SS-249) and Lapon (SS-260) attack Japanese convoy in South China Sea west of Luzon; Flasher sinks army transport Ural Maru and damages merchant tanker Tachibana Maru, 15°45'N, 117°20'E; Lapon sinks merchant tanker Hokki Maru, 15°50'N, 117°41'E.

            Submarines Narwhal (SS-167) and Stingray (SS-186) land supplies on north coast of Mindanao and east coast of Luzon, respectively.

            Submarine Plaice (SS-390) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.10, 100 miles north-northwest of Amami-O-Shima, 29°26'N, 128°50'E.

            Submarine Searaven (SS-196) damages Japanese destroyer Momi off Etorofu, Kurils, 45°44'N, 148°41'E.

            British submarine HMS Thorough damages Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.9 Kashiwa Maru off north coast of Sumatra.

            PBY damages Japanese cargo ship Tateishi Maru off Jolo, 06°02'N, 121°29'E; the ship is beached to prevent sinking.

            Tank landing craft LCT-823 sinks after running aground off Palau.

CARIBBEAN—Garbage lighter YG-39 sinks off Canal Zone, 10°10'N, 79°51'W.

MEDITERRANEAN—Motor torpedo boat PT-559, with British motor torpedo boats, attack northbound convoy off Raffallo, Italy.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Nearly 1,100 heavy bombers bomb 2 marshalling yards, 2 synthetic oil plants, 2 motor works, and a tank and armored vehicle plant, at Cologne, Ludwigshafen, Mainz, and Kassel, and targets of opportunity in W Germany. 15 escorting fighter groups claim 31 aircraft destroyed. Over 160 B-24’s carry gasoline to France.

NINTH AF—Nearly 300 medium bombers and light bombers abort due to weather. 8 manage to bomb target at Foret de Parroy. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance, cover US First and Third Army forces in W Germany and E France and later fly night patrols in Belgium, Luxembourg, and W German areas.

TWELFTH AF—During 26/27 September A-20’s bomb motor transport in Po Valley. During the day bad weather cancels medium bomber operations and restricts XII FC. Yet fighter bombers effectively support US Fifth Army, especially on Monte Oggioli, blasting defensive positions, troop concentrations, roads, and motor transport, and cutting rail lines between Parma and Piacenza.

TENTH AF—13 P-47’s bomb area near Katha. 30 P-47’s in 5 flights hit ammo stores and town area of Myothit, and attack Sinkin, Bhamo, and Ma-ubin. 7 other P-47’s damage approaches to railroad bridge at Nansiaung, 7 more hit bivouac area at Pinwe, and 7 B-25’s pound Hsenwi. 10 B-24’s fly fuel to Liuchow and Yungning. Troop carriers fly 200-plus sorties to various points in CBI.

FOURTEENTH AF—40-plus P-40’s and P-51’s on armed reconnaissance attack communications targets, river shipping, buildings, and troops in Kiyang, Lungfukwan, Sungpai, Chuanhsien, Lingling, Paishui, and Paoching areas.

FEAF—B-24’s bomb Menado personnel and supply areas. B-25’s attack oil tanks at Boela and hit Old Namba airfield. P-40’s hit Rapsiki, Kokas, and Waren airfield and shipping in Vogelkop Peninsula area.

SEVENTH AF—Saipan-based P-47’s bombs and strafes Pagan. 2 B-24’s on armed reconnaissance hit Marcus. 14 Marshallsbased B-24’s strike Truk.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: Field Marshal Montgomery orders Gen Crerar to clear the Schelde as quickly as possible.

            In British Second Army area, enemy aircraft make large-scale but futile efforts to destroy Nijmegen bridges.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, 359th Infantry of 80th Division, after further efforts in greater strength to gain road from Gravelotte to St Hubert’s Farm, breaks off attack; 358th Infantry, having been relieved by TF Polk, moves to right of 359th, replacing 3d Cavalry Reconnaissance Sq. 5th Division begins limited attacks against Fort Driant, outer bastion of Metz barring N approach to the city; after ineffective aerial bombardment at low level, 2d Battalion of 11th Infantry attacks at 1415 but is unable to reach main works and withdraws to original positions. In XII Corps area, massed enemy tanks again attempt to drive in 4th Armored Division’s salient, making main effort on S flank where they succeed in taking Hill 318, SE of Arracourt, which commands road to Nancy; subsidiary thrusts at Bezange-la-Petite and Xanrey are largely contained. 35th Division, holding Forêt de Grémecey salient with 134th Infantry on left and 137th on right, undergoes sharp counterattacks. German columns push toward Grémecey and Pettoncourt from Chambrey, reaching latter. When reinforcements from 320th Infantry of 35th Division arrive, enemy falls back toward Chambrey. Other enemy forces make limited penetration into NE edge of the forest after infiltrating from Fort de Château- Salins, but most of lost ground is recovered. 6th Armored Division is alerted for possible action with 35th Division.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, TF 92 makes substantial progress up Serchio valley; takes responsibility for zone of 24th Guards Brigade, which is to assist in drive up Highway 6620. S African 6th Armored Division column, moving along Highway 64, reaches Collina. In II Corps area, 34th Division continues to advance slowly on left flank of corps against strong opposition. 91st Division begins assault on M. Oggioli and makes slow progress with assistance of supporting weapons and aircraft. 85th Division reaches crest of Torre Poggiolli and clears Sambuco. 88th Division takes hill dominating Highway 937 on left, Castel del Rio in center, and M. Battaglia, key feature on road to Imola, on right; 2d Battalion, 350th Infantry, establishes itself on M. Battaglia and soon undergoes the first of a series of determined enemy counterattacks. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division seizes M. Toncone, jeopardizing enemy on M. Gamberaldi. Indian 8th Division begins flanking maneuver against M. di Castelnuovo. 1st Guards Brigade returns to 6th Armored Division from 10 Corps front.

            In British Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Indian 4th Division is virtually halted by enemy on ridges on left flank of corps. 46th Division expands its bridgehead slightly and holds gains against counterattacks. 56th Division, finding further progress toward Savignano barred by enemy on Castelvecchio ridge, patrols while awaiting reinforcements. Canadian 1 Corps issues instructions for future action of troops upon relief, scheduled to begin on 29th, by Polish 2 Corps. It is subsequently decided to employ Polish 2 Corps in another sector and keep Canadian 1 Corps in coastal zone. Forward elements of corps are approaching the Fiumicino. S. Mauro di Romagna and La Torre are clear of enemy.

PALAUS—On Peleliu, elements of 321st Infantry begin attack on N side of Umurbrogol Pocket, which 7th Marines is helping to contain, and meet intense enemy fire. 1st Battalion drives N, clearing Kamilianlul Mt with ease and making contact with 5th Marines at junction of East and West Roads. Some elements of 5th Marines continue clearing resistance on Amiangal Mt, while others push to end of island, Akarakaro Pt. On Angaur, 322d Infantry surrounds Lake Salome bowl and gains positions along inside of it. Methodical elimination of doomed enemy there ensues.

 

US MARINE CORPS

 

80 Years Ago, Tuesday, 26 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Destroyer escort McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) sinks Japanese submarine I‑175 northeast of Palaus, 09°14'N, 136°40'E.

            Submarine Pargo (SS‑264) sinks Japanese minelayer Aotaka off Borneo, 07°00'N, 116°00'E.

            Submarine Thresher (SS‑200) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Koetsu Maru in Yellow Sea, 37°13'N, 123°48'E.

            Mines damage U.S. freighter Elihu Thompson off Noumea, New Caledonia, 22°22'10"S, 166°34'E; fleet tug Apache (ATF‑67) rescues survivors, and later beaches the ship to facilitate salvage. Of the 211 troops embarked as passengers, 32 perish in the explosions; there are no casualties among the 42-man merchant complement or the 33-man Armed Guard.

            Mine damages Japanese river gunboat Saga, Hong Kong.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—400 B‑17’s bomb 2 marshalling yards, 2 aircraft plants, a steel works, and 2 airfields at Osnabruck, Hamm, Bremen, Rheine, and Hesepe, plus 3 targets of opportunity in NW Germany. 9 P‑51 groups fly escort. 8 fighter groups, including 2 attached from Ninth AF, support First Allied Airborne Army, claiming 32 fighters destroyed in combat. Over 160 B‑24’s fly fuel to France.

NINTH AF—No bomber missions are flown. IX Tactical Air Command supports US First Army in Bonn area and cuts rail lines W of Rhine. XIX Tactical Air Command hits fortifications near Metz.

TWELFTH AF—During 25/26 September A‑20’s bomb targets of opportunity in Po Valley. Throughout the day B‑25’s and B‑26’s pound rail and road bridges in E and NW parts of the Valley while fighter bombers and fighters of XII Fighter Command attack road nets, rails, motor transport, and supply points at many locations in the valley.

TENTH AF—2 P‑47 flights hit targets in Bhamo-Myothit area, including Sinkin, Momauk, and Nanhlaing. 3 other flights hit targets in Pinwe-Mawlu area, including town of Nyaungbintha. 20-plus P‑47’s in 2 flights hit Tingka, fuel storage at Chefang, and repair shops at Wanting. 9 B‑25’s blast troop concentrations and stores in Hinlong. 19 B‑24’s haul fuel to Liuchow, Yangtong, and Yungning.

FOURTEENTH AF—12 B‑25’s bomb Lungfukwan and Mangshih while several P‑40’s hit targets of opportunity in same areas. 6 B‑25’s and 4 P‑38’s attack and slightly damage Dara bridge and destroy road machinery nearby. About 50 P‑40’s and P‑51’s continue armed reconnaissance over vast inland areas of S China, attacking troops, buildings, and other targets of opportunity.

FEAF—B‑25’s bomb Maumere Bay. B‑25’s and B‑24’s bomb Liang and Kendari airfields. P‑40’s hit Kokas.

TWENTIETH AF—83 B‑29’s, staging from Chengtu, bomb Anshan most of them striking Showa Steel Works with poor results. 15 others bomb Dairen, Sinsiang, and various targets of opportunity. During 26/27 Sep, Japanese aircraft bomb Chengtu area, damaging 5 B‑29’s. This attack along with the one on 8 September set pattern for Japanese raids which usually follow B‑29 missions and continue until 19 Dec but are of light nature and annoying rather than seriously damaging.

SEVENTH AF—2 B‑24’s from Saipan on armed reconnaissance bomb Marcus. During 26/27 September another B‑24 snooper hits Iwo Jima. B‑25’s from the Gilberts bomb Nauru. B‑24’s from the Marshalls hit Wake during 26/27 September.

ELEVENTH AF—A B‑24 flies weather recon. Later 4 B‑24’s radar bomb Suribachi airfield.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In British Second Army’s 1 Airborne Corps area, daylight halts withdrawal of 1st Airborne Div; about 300 remain on N bank of the Neder Rijn; some of these later escape southward. Although MARKET-GARDEN has not accomplished major objectives of gaining bridgehead beyond the Neder Rijn, outflanking the West Wall, securing positions from which to attack the Ruhr: or bringing about the collapse of the enemy in this area, it has gained valuable ground and improved Allied positions. Both U.S. Divisions are still badly needed. 101st Airborne Division front is stabilized as engineers remove mines and reopen St Oedenrode– Veghel road.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. Ninth Army area, VIII Corps, now consisting of 2d and 8th Divisions and corps troops, starts by rail and motor to concentration areas in rear of V Corps, First Army.

            In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, to ease pressure on the weak Battalion of 60th Infantry, 9th Division, in Huertgen Forest, 60th Infantry commander moves 2 Battalions—attached Battalion of 39th Infantry and his reserve Battalion— southward from the contested ridge to cut Lammersdorf– Huertgen highway at its junction with road leading NW to Zweifall.

            In U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, Gen Walker orders limited attack on Fort Driant to begin on 27th, regardless of weather. XIX Tactical Air Command begins daily attacks on Metz forts. 3d Battalion of 359th Infantry, 90th Division, makes limited attack to clear road between Gravelotte and St Hubert’s Farm in preparation for largescale attack. In XII Corps area, 4th Armored Division slightly reduces its MLR on right flank of corps in order to improve defensive positions, and enemy quickly moves into Juvelize and Coincourt without opposition. 80th Division makes vain effort to close up to Seille R line in limited attack against well-dug-in enemy: elements of 318th Infantry attempt unsuccessfully to take Mt. St Jean while 317th Infantry force makes futile effort to push into Moivron. 35th Division completes relief of 6th Armored Division in Forêt de Grémecey area, 6th Armored Division becoming corps reserve, although Combat Command B is still linking 80th and 35th Divisions in Leyr corridor. Enemy begins series of attacks to regain Forêt de Grémecey in evening, driving in 35th Division’s outposts.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, TF 92 begins advance along Serchio valley N of Pescia. Continuing along Highway 6620 on right flank, elements of S African 6th Armored Division reach slopes of M. Gatta. Division halts advance of 24th Guards Brigade up Highway 66 NW of Pistoia but continues up Highway 64 with 12th Motorized Brigade. In II Corps area, 34th Division meets strong opposition in Bruscoli-Gambellate Creek area. 91st Division, with capture of M. Freddi, is ready to attack M. Oggioli. 85th Division again attacks unsuccessfully toward Torre Poggiolli, employing 1st Battalions of 338th and 339th Regts; 2d Battalion of 338th tries in vain to take Sambuco; 3d Battalion, 339th, seizes Montarello. 88th Division takes M. Pratolungo on left, pushes toward Castel del Rio in center, and on right takes M. del Puntale. 1st Armored Division, less Combat Command B, is gradually being committed to protect exposed right flank of corps. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division continues futile frontal assault on M. Gamberaldi and at night begins moving elements toward M. Toncone in effort to outflank enemy. Indian 8th Division suspends attack on M. di Castelnuovo. On right flank of corps, 6th Armored Division’s 61st Brigade drives along Route 67 to Bucconi without opposition.

            In British Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Indian 4th Division establishes bridgehead across the Uso in vicinity of Cornacchiara but meets firm resistance from heights beyond when trying to expand bridgehead. 46th Division crosses additional elements over the Uso and secures Canonica. 56th Division advances along Highway 9 from S. Arcangelo to positions about halfway to Savignano. In Canadian 1 Corps area, Canadian 5th Armored Division enlarges bridgehead across the Uso. Brigade of NZ 2d Division reaches the Uso in coastal sector. Greek 3d Mountain Brigade Group is attached to NZ 2d Division and takes up positions on right flank. During meeting at Gen Wilson’s headquarters at Caserta, Italy, final arrangements are made for orderly reoccupation of Greece. Gen Scobie is to control all guerrilla forces operating within Greece. Security battalions—political police formed to eliminate ELAS bands—are outlawed.

PALAUS—On Peleliu, 321st Infantry and 5th Marines each cut across W arm of Peleliu, forming 2 pockets of enemy. 2d Battalion, 321st, completes clearing 321st Infantry trail, cutting off enemy to S in Umurbrogol Mts. 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, pushes across the peninsula to N, isolating enemy on Amiangal Mt, at N tip. Other elements of 5th Marines drive N along W coast almost to tip of island. On Angaur, 322d Infantry gains foothold in N part of Lake Salome bowl and clears positions along SE rim.

 

US MARINE CORPS

 

80 Years Ago, Monday, 25 September 1944

US NAVY

EUROPE—Mine sinks minelayer Miantonomah (CM-10) off Le Havre, France, 49°27'N, 00°17'E.

PACIFIC—Submarine Barbel (SS-316) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Bushu Maru off Togara Gunto, 29°46'N, 129°40'E.

            Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Miyakawa Maru in Yellow Sea off Chinnampo, Korea, 38°30'N, 124°06'E.

            Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) lands supplies on Cebu.

            Submarine Searaven (SS-196) attacks Japanese small craft off southwest tip of Etorofu, Kurils, sinking No.1 Hirota Maru.

            Submarine Thresher (SS-200) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Nissei Maru in Yellow Sea, 37°32'N, 124°33'E.

MEDITERRANEAN—USAAF B‑24s sink German submarines U-565 and U-596, Salamis, Greece.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—About 100 heavy bombers escorted by 14 fighter groups attack 3 marshalling yards and a synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshafen and Koblenz, industrial area of Frankfurt/Main and several targets of opportunity. About 175 B‑24’s haul fuel to France.

NINTH AF—No bomber missions are flown. IX TAC flies cover for US First Army units in W Germany, dive-bombs rail lines, and flies armed reconnaissance over Trier-Koblenz-Aachen area. IX ADC flies night patrols from Paris E to Luxembourg and the German border.

TWELFTH AF—Medium bombers and light bombers cancel operations due to bad weather. Fighter bombers hit barracks areas, railroads, roads, and transportation in or near Bologna, Bozzolo, Parma, Castelfranco Veneto, and Canneto sull’Oglio, and in immediate battle areas as US Fifth Army meets strong opposition, especially in vicinity of Monte Bastione, and near Torre Poggioli, Monte Gamberaldi, and Monte Castelnuovo.

FIFTEENTH AF—51 B‑24’s, with P‑51’s and P‑38’s providing target cover and close escort, bomb Piraeus, Skaramanga, and Salamis harbors.

TENTH AF—13 P‑47’s attack towns of Haungton, Myintha, and Mawlu. B‑24’s again haul fuel to China, 15 landing at Kunming, 3 at Liuchow, and 1 at Yungning. Tenth AF flies 220-plus other transport sorties to various CBI terminals.

FOURTEENTH AF—12 B‑25’s blast barracks area at Mangshih. 12 bomb Kweiyang, and 6 hit town area and railroad yards at Hengyang. 11 B‑24’s pound Nanking. About 120 P‑51’s and P‑40’s on armed reconnaissance over vast expanses of China S of the Yangtze R attack large variety of targets of opportunity at numerous locations including troops, buildings, and communications targets in Paoching area and between Siangtan and Fulinpu.

FEAF—B‑24’s hit Kendari airfield and B‑25’s bomb Langoan airfield. A‑20’s fire storage areas and hit personnel areas on W shore of Kaoe Bay. Namlea airfield is again bombed by B‑24’s. P‑38’s pound Kairatoe and Boela airfields. B‑25’s and A‑20’s hit Sagan and Urarom airfields while P‑40’s attack Kaimana.

SEVENTH AF—Saipan-based B‑24’s strike Iwo Jima and Marcus. During 25/26 September Kwajalein-based B‑24’s stage through Eniwetok on strike at shipping at Truk. Failing to locate primary targets the heavy bombers bomb Tol, Eten, Param, and Moen while others hit Wake during 25/26 September.

ELEVENTH AF—2 B‑25’s fly negative shipping sweep.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—New boundary between 21 and 12th Army Groups becomes effective.

21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s 2 Corps area, 3d Division, having moved up to Calais from Boulogne, begins all-out assault after preparatory bombardment. Polish armor is moving from E flank of 2 Corps to E flank of British 1 Corps.

            In British Second Army’s 1 A/B Corps area, it is decided to withdraw bridgehead N of the Neder Rijn in Arnhem sector under cover of darkness, 25–26. Leaving wounded behind, British 1st A/B Division starts crossing the river, some by ferr y and others swimming. U.S. 101st A/ B and British 50th Divisions partially envelop enemy’s roadblock near Koevering, and Germans abandon it after nightfall. 30 Corps clears Elst and Bemmel. 8 Corps takes Helmond and Gernert, NE of Eindhoven; makes patrol contact with 30 Corps in St Antonis area.

            12th Army Group: Assigns sector now held by V Corps to Ninth Army. First Army is to participate in main drive of 21 Army Group on the Ruhr by taking Aachen and protecting right flank of British.

            In U.S. First Army area, XIX Corps takes responsibility for corridor containing Peel Marshes from the British, who by this time have cleared it as far as Nederweert–Wessem Canal except for triangular position about Wessem. Belgian 1st Brigade, although attached to British 8 Corps, holds outposts S of the canal within new zone of corps. 7th Armored Division from Third Army and 29th Division from Brest are to be employed by corps in clearing new sector. In VII Corps area, elements of 60th Infantry, 9th Division, fighting in forest on S flank of corps, are by this time so weakened that they are almost incapable of continuing the battle.

            In U.S. Third Army area, Gen Patton lists priorities for limited attacks. In XX Corps area, 5th Division, extending southward, completes relief of 7th Armored Division and withdraws to new MLR, pulling back its outpost line. Corny and Pournoy-la-Chétive, secured at great cost, are abandoned in the retrograde movement. 83d Division, with task of clearing rear guards from N flank of corps W of Sauer and Moselle Rivers, reaches W bank of the Moselle at Remich. TF Polk then moves S to Thionville area. In XII Corps area, 35th Division is relieving 6th Armored Division ( — ) in Forêt de Grémecey sector. In powerful counterattacks against salient held by Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division, German Fifth Pz Army column drives through Marsal and Moyenvic to Vic-sur-Seille where contact is made with German First Army. Enemy also thrusts sharply at other points of CCA’s perimeter and overruns Moncourt; Combat Command B, turning over its positions W of Château-Salins to 35th Division, moves to S of Combat Command A, between Rethicourt and the canal.

            6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, 45th Division completes clearing Epinal. 36th Division is attacking toward Bruyères and Tendon. 3d Division takes over St Amé area from 36th Division. In French 1st Army area, the 2d Corps opens limited offensive with 1st Armored Division, whose third combat command has now joined it, and 1st Infantry Division. Progress is limited because of firm opposition.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, TF 92 (Brig Gen John S. Wood, 92d Division ADC), consisting of 370th Infantry of 92d Division and Combat Command B of 1st Armored Division, takes command of zone previously held by 1st Armored Division. Elements of S African 6th Armored Division move to M. Casciaio, W of M. Coroncina, and relieve 34th Cavalry Reconnaissance Tr of task of screening left flank of II Corps. In II Corps area, 34th Division progresses slowly toward M. Bastione on left flank of corps. 91st Division takes M. Beni, below M. Oggioli, on right but makes little headway on left under fire from M. Bastione. 338th Infantry, 85th Division, attempts to outflank enemy on M. Canda by attacking first toward Torre Poggiolli to NE, but is unable to gain this objective; 3d Battalion, 339th Infantry, tries to assist attack on Torre Poggiolli but is stopped by opposition from Montarello. Boundary between 85th and 88th Divisions is altered in preparation for strong effort by 88th Division on 26th to break through last heights before Imola. 337th Infantry of 85th Division takes responsibility for M. la Fine, releasing 349th Infantry of 88th Division. British 13 Corps battles for heights commanding Palazzuolo, Marradi, and S. Benedetto. Several attempts by 1st Division to take M. Gamberaldi fail. Indian 8th Division begins attack on M. di Castelnuovo, where enemy resists strongly. 6th Armored Division, previously ordered to Eighth Army front, is directed to remain in place and contain enemy on right flank of corps. In British Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Indian 4th Division is delayed in crossing the Uso on left flank of corps by fire from Cornacchiara on far bank, but enemy withdraws, night 25–26. 46th Division expands its Uso bridgehead toward Canonica. 1st Armored Division, after establishing bridgehead across the Uso at S. Arcangelo and Highway 9, is relieved there by 56th Division. In Canadian 1 Corps area, 5th Armored Division secures bridgehead across the Uso.

CBI—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek refuses to accept Gen Stilwell as commander of Chinese forces.

MOROTAI—TF TRADEWINDIAN Is. dissolved. Gen Hall, as CG XI Corps, is responsible for continuing base development.

PALAUS—On Peleliu, 7th Marines continues to support attack of 321st Infantry, 81st Division, and extends left flank to release elements of 321st for main push. On left, 321st Infantry patrols northward along coast almost to fifth phase line against light resistance. 5th Marines moves forward to join with 321st Infantry in attack to clear N part of island. Right flank elements of 321st Infantry continue clearing lateral trail through central ridge system, meeting strong opposition. On Angaur, 322nd Infantry, whose efforts to push into the Lake Salome bowl from the S have all ended in failure, attempts in vain to fIndian suitable route of advance into bowl from N coast. Engineers then begin construction of road for an attack from ENE.

 

US MARINE CORPS

 

80 Years Ago, Sunday, 24 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—As Japanese shipping shifts south from Luzon in the wake of the heavy attacks there over the previous days, TF 38 follows, its planes hitting targets ranging from the Calamian group to the Visayas. Aircraft from three task groups (TG38.1, TG 38.2, and TG 38.3) from TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) participate. Off Calamian Island in Coron Bay, TF 38 planes sink flying boat support ship Akitsushima, cargo ship Kyokusan Maru and army cargo ship Taiei Maru, and damage ammunition ship Kogyo Maru, army cargo ship Olympia Maru, cargo ships Ekkai Maru and Kasagisan Maru, supply ship Irako, oiler Kamoi and small cargo ship No.11 Shonan Maru, 11°59'N, 120°02'E. South of Mindoro, other Navy carrier aircraft sink torpedo boat Hayabusa, 13°00'N, 122°00'E; minelayer Yaeyama and submarine chaser Ch 32, 12°15'N, 121°00'E. Off Masbate, they sink auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 39 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa 7, 12°18'N, 122°46'E, merchant cargo ship Shinyo Maru, 12°21'N, 123°00'E, and cargo ships No.17Fukuei Maru and No.2 Koshu Maru, and transport Siberia Maru, 11°54'N, 123°10'E. In Visayan Sea, they sink army cargo ship Chuka Maru and tanker Kenwa Maru, 11°13'N, 123°11'E. In the South China Sea, they sink tanker Okigawa Maru, 14°00'N, 119°00'E. TF 38 planes also damage supply ship Irako and oiler Kamoi, Coron Bay.

            Aircraft also sink Japanese army cargo ship Chuka Maru, 11°11'N, 123°11'E; army cargo ship Olympia Maru,11°58'N, 120°03'E; and merchant cargo ship Shinyo Maru, Manila; cargo ship No.2 Koshu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 11°56'N, 123°08'E;

            Hospital ship Samaritan (AH-10) is damaged by grounding on Tauu Island Reef to the northeast of Bougainville.

            Submarine Barbero (SS-317) bombards Japanese radar installation on Batag Island off north coast of Samar.

            Mine sinks motor minesweeper YMS-19 off southeast coast of Angaur, Palaus, 06°53'N, 134°10'E;

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Nearly 50 B-24’s transport fuel to France.

NINTH AF—No bomber operations are flown. XIX TAC supports 7th Armored Division of US Third Army in E France and flies armed reconnaissance over E France and W Germany. IX ADC flies night patrols from Paris to Aachen.

TWELFTH AF—Weather cancels medium bomber and light bomber operations. Fighter bombers support ground forces, bombing and strafing strongpoints, troop concentrations, and frontline communications targets as US Fifth Army pushes through N Apennines.

FIFTEENTH AF—362 B-24’s, with fighter escort, bomb Eleusis, Kalamaki, and Tatoi airfields, marshalling yard at Salonika, and harbor at Skaramanga. P-51’s escort B-24’s transporting personnel from Bari to Marcianise.

TENTH AF—P-47’s fly 20 attack sorties against targets in Mawhun area, including Pinlon. Other P-47’s fly 13 sorties against targets in Bhamo area, demolishing bridge at Manyut and hitting enemy positions at Chayuhkwang. 11 B-24’s haul fuel to Liuchow. 240-plus other transport sorties are flown to various points in the CBI.

FOURTEENTH AF—26 B-26’s bomb Mangshih, Taohsien, and Kuanyang, attack White Cloud airfield, and knock out Dara bridge. 3 others hit targets of opportunity near Changtuikuan and along Ling-ling-Siangtan road 70-plus P-51’s and P- 40’s on armed reconnaissance over SW and SE China pound numerous targets of opportunity, especially town areas and river shipping at Takhing and Sinshih.

FEAF—B-24’s and B-25’s bomb Amahai, Namlea, and Haroekoe airfields and Boela. Heavy bombers hit Lautem. Fighter bombers attack Babo, Urarom, and Manokwari airfields while B-25’s bomb Sorong.

SEVENTH AF—18 B-24’s from Saipan hit shipping and harbor facilities in the Bonins, mostly at Chichi Jima. 2 others on armed reconnaissance mission bomb Marcus. 16 fighters strafe AA positions on Rota. 26 B-24’s from Kwajalein bomb Truk while 11 B-25’s, based in the Gilberts, hit Ponape.

ELEVENTH AF—8 B-24’s striking Kurabu Cape airfield are challenged by 12 fighters. 1 of 2 damaged B-24’s forcelands in USSR. One fighter is downed. 4 B-25’s fly negative shipping search.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s British 1 Corps area, Canadian 2d Division establishes bridgehead across Antwerp–Turnhout Canal S of St Leonard. Elements of 49th Division reach Turnhout.

            In British Second Army’s 1 A/B Corps area, 2 cos of 43d Division cross the Neder Rijn in assault boats during night 24–25 but are unable to reach British-held perimeter at Hartestein. Polish forces on S bank lack assault boats for crossing. Lt Gen B. G. Horrocks, CG 30 Corps, issues and within a few hours revokes order for 43d Division to prepare to cross at Renkum. In 30 Corps area, other elements of 43d Division continue to fight for Elst and Bemmel. Continuing attacks toward Veghel, Germans cut highway NE of village of Koevering, between St Oedenrode and Veghel. In 8 Corps area, Deurne falls to 11th Armored Division.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. Third Army area, Gen Patton, in accordance with order from Gen Eisenhower, halts offensive operations for aggressive defense, calling for limited actions, as supplies permit, to improve defensive positions. In XX Corps area, 5th Division begins relief of 7th Armored Division in line. In XII Corps area, 80th Division prepares to attack to Seille R line on 26th. Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division, holds its perimeter between Château-Salins and Fresnes-en- Saulnois against determined tank-infantry attacks that P–47’s help repulse. Heavy enemy fire continues from Fort de Château-Salins, however. Germans lose about 300 dead and 11 tanks in this action.

            6th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh Army’s VI Corps area, 157th Infantry of 45th Division seizes Girmont; 180th continues clearing Epinal. 36th Division is pushing NE toward St Die; 141st Infantry takes St Amé, E of Remiremont. 3d Division clears Rupt of snipers and expands bridgehead to include La Roche and Maxonchamp.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army area, IV Corps releases additional elements of 1st Armored Division for use on II Corps front, retaining only Combat Command B. S African 6th Armored Division, protecting left flank of II Corps, replaces 11th Armored Brigade in line with 12th Motorized Brig; 11th Armored Brigade then pushes N along Highway 6620 to S. Ippolito while rest of Division pursues enemy up Highways 64 and 66. In II Corps area, 34th Division, driving toward M. Bastione with 168th and 135th Regts, gains crest of M. Coroncina and holds it against counterattack; overruns Roncobilaccio. 91st Division, attacking with 362d and 361st Regts toward M. Oggioli, reaches line from Covigliano westward; during night 24–25, 363d Infantry replaces 362d in line. While 337th Infantry, 85th Division, consolidates positions on M. la Fine and patrols, 338th, to left, continues slowly toward M. Canda and gets into position for assault on it. 88th Division runs into strong resistance at M. Acuto and undergoes vigorous counterattacks as it continues toward Imola. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division takes Palazzuolo and Marradi, but enemy is holding out on M. Gamberaldi. Indian 8th Division reaches Marradi–S. Benedetto road. 6th Armored Division advances to S. Benedetto in Alpe, on Highway 67.

            In British Eighth Army area, 5 Corps secures heights N of the Marecchia from Montebello to Poggio Berni to S. Arcangelo, and 46th Division, in center, establishes bridgehead across the Uso, taking Camerano on far bank.

GREECE—RAF personnel arrive at Araxos by sea and together with Special Boat Squadron move on to Patras. Commander of Land Forces, Adriatic, controls this operation.

BURMA—In NCAC area, British 36th Division encounters enemy in strength while probing southward from Namma and suspends forward movement until mid-October.

PALAUS—On Peleliu, 321st Infantry attacks after air, naval, and artillery bombardment, driving through Garekoru to fourth phase line on left. Co E, on right, starts along east–west trail, soon called 321st Infantry Trail, through central ridge system running from West Road S of Garekoru to East Road in effort to pocket strong enemy forces in Umurbrogol Mts, S part of the ridge system. Japanese counterattack at fourth phase line causes 321st Infantry to fall back a little, but positions are largely restored. Gap develops between infantry and 7th Marines, since latter, to right rear, has to clear ground that 321st Infantry should have taken. On Angaur, when appeal to enemy to surrender produces only 2 prisoners, artillery fire is placed on the pocket throughout rest of day and ensuing night.

ULITHI—Regimental Combat Team 323, 81st Division, secures rest of Ulithi without opposition. The atoll becomes an excellent base for Pacific Fleet during operations against the Philippines.

 

US MARINE CORPS