70 Years Ago Today: Sunday, August 6,1944 European Theater, (POINTBLANK) 8th Air Force Mission 524 – 1,186 bombers and 740 fighters are dispatched to attack oil refineries, aircraft, ordnance and other factories in Germany and V-weapon sites in France. The RAF dispatches 107 Lancasters, 105 Halifaxes, and to bomb the Bois de Cassan and Forêt de Nieppe V-weapon sites, with one Lightning accompanying the Bois de Cassan raid. Meanwhile, 51 Halifaxes, six Lancasters, and five Mosquitos bomb the railway center at Hazebrouck. Elsewhere, 12 Lancasters and three Mosquitos hit the U-boat pens at Lorient. Three Lancasters and one Halifax are lost, with their crews. During the night, the RAF sends 40 Mosquitos to attack the synthetic-oil plant at Castrop-Rauxel, and seven other Mosquitos to Cologne, with four more to the Forêt de Nieppe. European Theater, Battle of Normandy 9th Air Force A-20s and B-26s hit bridges, fuel and ammunition dumps, and a locomotive depot at Beauvais, Beaumont-sur-Sarthe, Courtalain, Foret de Perseigne, and Blois. The British Second Army undergoes enemy counterattacks between Vire and Mont Pincon. The 12th Army Group orders the establishment of a bridgehead over the Sarthe River in the Le Mans–Alençon area. In the US Third Army’s VIII Corps area, Combat Command B, on the right flank of the 6th Armored Division, overcomes opposition south of Morlaix and at Lesneven. XV Corps, with major elements now across the Mayenne River, is driving rapidly on Le Mans. In US First Army’s VII Corps area, the 1st Division, relieved by the 30th Division in the Mortain area, continues swiftly southeast, with the 3rd Armored Division, to Ambrières-le-Grand and Mayenne, relieving elements of the 90th Division, which is part of XV Corps, at Mayenne. In the XIX Corps area, the 29th Division breaks into Vire and clears the city. With the fall of Vire to XIX Corps, V Corps is now out of contact with enemy. General Montgomery orders a drive to the Seine. Mediterranean Theater About 700 B-17s and B-24s, from the 15th Air Force, operating against targets in southeastern France, attack oil storage at Le Pouziii, Le Pontet, and Lyon, railroad bridges at Le Pouzin, Avignon, Tarascon, Rambert, and Givors, marshalling yards at Portes-les-Valences and Miramas, and submarine pens at Toulon. Meanwhile, 43 P-38s dive-bomb airfields at Orange/Plan de Dieu, and Valence, while more P-38s and P-51s fly about 200 sorties in support of bombing missions. 60 fighters take off from Operation FRANTIC bases in the USSR, attack the Craiova marshalling yard and other railroad targets in the Bucharest-Ploesti area, of Rumania, and land at Italian bases. Italian Campaign 12th Air Force medium bombers strike bridges in southeastern France, in the Rhone Valley, and areas to the east, in or near Tarascon and Arles, and along the Var River. During the night, 12th Air Force A-20s bomb shipping at Genoa, Finale Ligure, and Alassio, in Italy, and Monaco, in Monaco. Headquarters of the Allied Armies in Italy (AAI) issues orders for preliminary operations before the assault on the Gothic Line. China – Burma – India Theater (China) The 14th Air Force sends 28 P-40s to again pound Tengchung, China. Meanwhile, a group of 47 P-40s and P-51s hit trucks, troop compounds, and gun positions in the Hengyang area, while 19 P-40s attack sampans and trucks around Changsha, and 20 others hit supplies, trucks, barracks, and targets of opportunity at Chefang and Mangshih, between Changsha and Hengyang, and between Siangyin and Siangtan. China – Burma – India Theater (Burma) The 10th Air Force dispatches six B-25s to bomb the town area of Mohnyin, Burma, while two others destroy a bridge at Hsenwi. Meanwhile, 21 P-51 s hit four railroad bridges in the Naba-Pinbaw area, destroying two of them, while P-51s and P-47s hit numerous targets of opportunity at Mohnyin, Hopin, Bhamo, Myothit, Katha, Indaw, and other points in northern Burma, and a few P-40s strafe targets of opportunity in the Myitkyina area. The British 36th Division, which is moving south down the railroad corridor, seizes Sahmaw. In the 11 Army Group’s British Fourteenth Army area, General Slim directs XXXIII Corps to pursue the enemy to the Chindwin River. Once there they are to occupy Sittaung and, if possible, Kalewa, then cross the Chindwin in the Kalewa area. Southwest Pacific Area The Yap Island supply area is bombed by B-24s, while heavy frontal weather activities over the Vogelkop Peninsula and the Moluccas Islands cancels strikes in that area. In New Guinea, B-25s and fighters, though restricted by the weather, support ground operations near Sarmi, hit gun positions at Dagua, and strafe fuel dumps and targets of opportunity at Cape Djeruen In the Aitape area, Japanese rear guards that are protecting their withdrawal from Afua attack TED Force before dawn and bitter fighting ensues until a TED Force column laboriously outflanks the enemy and forces him to withdraw in the afternoon. When a new enemy trail is found to have been cut about 800 yards to the south of the main trail, TED Force prepares to cut it and move in on Afua from the southeast. During the night, US aircraft begin night harassing attacks on Davao area of Mindanao, in the Philippines. Central Pacific Area 7th Air Force B-25s, from Saipan Island, strike Guam Island twice. B-25s, flying out of the Marshall Islands, hit Ponape Island, and others, from the Gilbert Islands, hit Nauru Island, in the Gilbert Islands, and B-24s, from Kwajalein Atoll, bomb Wotje Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. On Guam, the III Amphibious Corps drives to the “0–4” line, gaining control of more than two thirds of Guam. A small, but determined force of Japanese, with tanks, attacks the 305th Infantry, on the 77th Division’s right flank, during the early morning and inflicts heavy casualties before abruptly retiring. The 305th then moves forward about 1,000 yards to the “0–4” line with little difficulty. The 306th Infantry reaches the 77th Division’s left boundary, pinching out the 307th Infantry.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 11:31:19 +0000
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