80 Years Ago, Wednesday, 30 August 1944

USN

PACIFIC–Submarine Narwhal (SS-167) lands men and supplies on east coast of Luzon.

ATLANTIC–U.S. tanker Jacksonville, steaming in convoy CU 36, is torpedoed by German submarine U-482 while en route to Loch Ewe, Scotland, at 55°30'N, 07°30'W; the gasoline cargo explodes, giving little chance for the 49-man merchant complement or the 29-man Armed Guard to abandon the blazing ship, which breaks in twain at the second massive explosion. Destroyer escort Poole (DE-151) rescues a fireman and one Armed Guard gunner, Jacksonville's only survivors. Escort vessels use depth charges and gunfire to scuttle the after section of the ship; the forward section sinks on its own accord.

 

AAF

EIGHTH AF–About 200 Heavy Bombers supported by 16 P-51’s bomb 8 V-weapon sites in Pas de Calais area. Later in the day over 600 B-17’s supported by 7 P-51 groups bomb U-boat base and shipyards at Kiel, and aircraft plant and other industry in the Bremen area.

NINTH AF–About 75 A-20’s and B-26’s bomb fuel dump near Arquesla-Bataille, Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles, and gun positions around Ile de Cezembre. Weather grounds fighters.

TWELFTH AF–Weather grounds Medium Bombers. Light Bombers hit Targets of opportunity during 29/30 Aug and fuel storage while Fighter Bombers pound roads and railroads in Po Valley and, on armed recon over Rhone Valley, attack rail lines and motor and horsedrawn vehicles, as US Seventh Army elements continue up Rhone Valley toward Lyon.

FIFTEENTH AF–Over 100 B-24’s and B-17’s bomb railroad bridges at Cuprija, Novi Sad, and Vranjevo. Nearly 100 P- 51’s strafe Kecskemet and Oradea Airfields.

TENTH AF–Several P-47’s bomb and strafe town of Man Sai.

FOURTEENTH AF–B-25’s attack Hengyang, Pailochi, and Hankow Airfields, roads in Nanyo and Changsha areas, and boats between Changsha and Hengyang, and Kichun and Wuhsueh. In Kweiyi and Sintsiang areas 33 P- 40’s claim 58 trucks destroyed, 175 damaged, and at least 100 Japanese killed. 10 P-51’s hit scattered T/O’s in same areas. 21 P-40’s hit barracks, trucks, and a bridge in Siangsiang and Siangtan region. 34 P-40’s and P-51’s attack a variety of targets, including railroad traffic and facilities, occupied areas, and trucks, at Yangtien, between Hengshan and Nanyo, NE of Ichang, SW Hengshan, and near Hengyang.

FEAF–Koror and Malakal are pounded by B-24’s. B-24’s hit Wasile Bay storage and personnel areas while B-25’s make low-level attack on Kaoe town. P-38’s bomb oil tanks, barracks, and AA positions at Boela. P-47’s hit Urarom runway and Manokwari storage area, P-38’s bomb Airfields at Babo and Ransiki, and P-39’s hit Targets of opportunity along W coast of Geelvink Bay.

SEVENTH AF–A B-24 on armed recon from Saipan bombs Yap. P-47’s strafe positions and storage areas on Pagan. Kwajalein-based B-24’s hit Mille.

 

USA

N FRANCE—21 Army Group: In Cdn First Army’s Br I Corps area, 51st and 49th Divs, latter with Royal Netherlands Brig, begin crossing the Seine. In 2 Corps area, 2d Div crosses into Seine bridgehead, having cleared W bank of the river. 3d Div takes Rouen without opposition.

            In Br Second Army area, 12 Corps drives eastward from bridgehead with 4th Armd Brig spearheading and 53d Div following. 25-mile advance brings forward elements to Gournay. In 30 Corps area, 11th Armd Div, which is relieved on right flank by Gds Armd Div, is ordered to speed on to the Somme at Amiens and advances through night 30–31.

            12th Army Group:

            In U.S. First Army area, XIX Corps, with 2d Armd Div on left, 79th Div in center, and 30th Div on right, drives rapidly NE against light resistance. 2d Armd Div makes greatest gains, reaching positions less than 10 miles from Beauvais. V Corps continues pursuit of enemy northeastward, passing 28th Div through Fr 2d Armd Div to advance abreast 4th Div, 5th Armd Div moves forward to spearhead drive on Compiègne. VII Corps seizes Laon.

            In U.S. Third Army’s VIII Corps area, TF B finishes clearing Daoulas Peninsula S of Brest. 29th Div gets elements to crest of Hill 103, commanding feature in Brest defenses, but enemy retains E slopes. In XX Corps area 7th Armd Div speeds toward Verdun against scattered resistance. XII Corps drives eastward toward the Meuse, advance elements of 4th Armd Div reaching St Dizier area. To left, 80th Div is moving SE toward Bar-le-Duc. On right flank, 35th Div pushes SE from Troyes. XV Corps hq and troops are concentrating in Nangis area.

S FRANCE—In U.S. Seventh Army area, on Mediterranean coast, elements of 1st ABTF drive through Nice to Beaulieu without opposition. In VI Corps area, battle of Montélimar comes to a close as 1st Bn of 143d Inf, 36th Div, reaches junction of Drôme and Rhône Rivers. TF Butler is disbanded. Next big objective of VI Corps is Lyon, toward which 36th Div is rapidly moving along E bank of the Rhône while Fr 2d Corps pushes toward it along W bank. FFI within Lyon are alerted to assist Fr and U.S. columns when they arrive at the city. Advance elements of 45th Div cross Rhône and Ain Rivers NE of Lyon and establish roadblocks at Meximieux, Lagnieu, and Ambérieu. 157th Inf reverts to 45th Div and moves northward to join it.

            In Fr Army B area, 2d Corps continues its crossing of the Rhône in preparation for drive up W bank. Elements take Nimes and Montpellier. 3d Algerian Div is moving to Grenoble area to relieve 45th Div of VI Corps.

EASTERN EUROPE—Ploesti, center of Rumanian oil industry, falls to troops of Second Ukrainian Front.

ITALY—AAI: Br Eighth Army begins attack on main defenses of Gothic Line against stiffening resistance. While Pol 2 Corps continues attack on Pesaro in coastal sector, Cdn 1 and Br 5 Corps thrust across the Foglia.

SWPA—81st Div begins final rehearsals for Palau operation in Guadalcanal area.

 

USMC