80 Years Ago, Thursday, 28 September 1944

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Marines (3d Battalion, 5th Marines and Company "G" 2d Battalion, 5th Marines) occupy Ngesbus and Kongaruru Islands in the Palaus, covered by naval aircraft and gunfire.

            Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Anjo Maru in South China Sea, 13°10'N, 120°08'E.

            PBYs sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Tone Maru in Makassar Straits.

            USAAF B-25s sink small Japanese cargo vessel Keishin Maru off Ceram.

 

US ARMY AIR FORCE

EIGHTH AF—Nearly 1,000 heavy bombers attack 2 synthetic oil plants, a motor plant, and city area—all in or near Magdeburg, Kassel, and Merseburg plus targets of opportunity in C Germany including Eschwege airfield. 15 supporting fighter groups claim 26 aircraft destroyed. Over 30 heavy bombers fail to return. Nearly 200 B-24’s carry fuel to France.

NINTH AF—9th Bomb Division hits defended area of Foret de Parroy. Fighters escort bombers, attack railroads W of the Rhine, fly sweeps and armed reconnaissance in Arnhem (from which British airborne troops have relinquished their hold because of strong German opposition), Koblenz, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim areas, and support US First and Third Armies in E France and W Germany. Night patrols continue over Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

TWELFTH AF—Weather grounds light bombers and medium bombers. Fighter bombers, operating on reduced scale bomb Bologna and hit roads and rail lines at 4 locations.

FIFTEENTH AF—Bad weather cancels bombing operations, limiting missions to weather recon.

TENTH AF—4 P-47’s bomb and strafe Mawhun and Nansiaung. 21 B-24’s fly fuel to Liuchow, Yungning, and Kunming.

FOURTEENTH AF—26 B-24’s pound town of Samshui. 31 B-25’s attack towns of Taochuan and Shangchiehshou, Tien Ho and White Cloud airfields, and river and road trafflc around Lingling, Siangtan, and Chuchou. More than 100 P-40’s, P-51’s, and P-38’s on armed reconnaissance attack numerous targets of opportunity including bridges, town areas, troops, and road, rail, and river traffic throughout inland SE China and, on a smaller scale, in SW China and in Indochina.

FEAF—B-25’s on shipping sweep attack small vessels off Kairatoe. A-20’s bomb Langoan airfield. P-38’s hit barge and town area at Pajahi. P-47’s pound Manokwari airfield.

SEVENTH AF—B-24’s from Saipan bomb naval installations at Chichi Jima. P-47’s bomb defenses on Pagan.

 

US ARMY

WESTERN EUROPE—21 Army Group: In Canadian First Army’s 2 Corps area, 3d Division pushes into Calais and takes the Citadel.

            In British Second Army area, Germans make particularly strong counterattack against Eindhoven–Arnhem salient in futile effort to take highway bridge at Nijmegen.

            12th Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area, Gen Corlett orders offensive to clear Peel Marshes. 7th Armored Division is to attack from N while Belgian 1st Brigade, which comes under corps control, and 113th Cavalry Group make secondary effort on S.

            U.S. Third Army directive places Metz first on priority list. In XII Corps area, bitter, indecisive fighting occurs on S flank of 4th Armored Division, where enemy makes repeated and determined efforts to break through to Arracourt; Combat Command B gains and then loses crest of Hill 318, as fighting continues into night 28–29, digging in on reverse slope near crest; Germans take Hill 293, to SW, and reach E edge of Bois du Benamont. 35th Division undergoes enemy counterattacks all along line, the most determined being against NE edge of Fort de Grémecey, where ground is lost but largely regained in counterattack. Attack from Jallaucourt against W flank of Division perimeter is broken up by artillery fire. Enemy forces again reach Pettoncourt before being checked. XV Corps begins limited attack to clear Forêt de Parroy. 79th Division, with 315th Infantry on left and 313th on right, jumps off in afternoon after air preparation, pushing into edge of the forest.

ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, TF 92 gains control of east–west Highway 12 along Lima Creek between Fornoli and S. Marcello; takes Lucchio. Units regroup as right boundary of corps is shifted E to Gambellate and Setta Creeks: sector of S African 6th Armored Division on right flank is sharply reduced to permit concentrated effort along Highway 6620 in support of II Corps; right boundary of Regimental Combat Team 6, BEF, is moved eastward to include Serchio R. II Corps finds that enemy has abandoned former strongpoints in Radicosa Pass. 135th Infantry, 34th Division, seizes M. Bastione; 361st Infantry, 91st Division, gains crest of M. Oggioli; M. Canda falls to 338th Infantry, 85th Division. Germans counterattack desperately in effort to force 2d Battalion of 350th Infantry, 88th Division, from its exposed salient on crest of M. Battaglia, driving back forward outposts. Reinforcements (Co K) and supplies are moved forward to 2d Battalion. In British 13 Corps area, 1st Division finds that enemy on M. Gamberaldi has withdrawn.

            In British Eighth Army’s 5 Corps area, Indian 4th Division suspends operations on left flank of corps while awaiting reinforcements. 46th Division gives a little ground under strong counterattack. 56th Division, beginning assault on Castelvecchio ridge, night 27–28, gets elements to top but is forced to fall back at daylight and break off the attack; elements succeed in reaching the Fiumicino N of Sacignano on right flank. 1st Armored Division hq passes to Eighth Army control. 2d Armored Brigade is put under 46th Division. Canadian 1 Corps reaches positions generally along the Fiumicino. Co of Canadian 5th Armored Division crosses but is wiped out by enemy. Operations, except for patrolling, are almost at a standstill after this because of heavy rains and flooding.

BURMA—11 Army Group: In British Fourteenth Army area, 15 Corps is ordered to go on the offensive on Arakan front in order to clear Chittagong and Cox’s Bazaar as well as Naaf R estuary.

PALAUS—On Peleliu, 321st Infantry units finish clearing N part of Umurbrogol Pocket to previously designated line. 1st Battalion and 5th Marines continue clearing N part of W arm. 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, lands on 3 small islands off coast—Ngesebus, Kongauru, and an unnamed one—and begins clearing them. On Angaur, 322d Infantry continues clearing enemy pocket inside the bowl, suffering its highest casualties for a single day on the island, about 80.

 

US MARINE CORPS

The 3d Battalion, 5th Marines (Rein), under Major John H. Gustafson, lands on Ngesebus and Kongauru Islands in the Palaus, supported by VMF-114.