Friday, September 27, 2024

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

 


No comments:

Post a Comment