WE REMEMBER AUGUST 8th

August 8

We Remember:

1939: Winston Churchill makes a fifteen-minute radio broadcast to America, warning of the increasingly serious threat of war in Europe and the likelihood of American involvement. "This is the time to fight - to speak - to attack!" A woman walking on Beachy Head is killed when an RAF bomber (my source is not specific as to make) crashes 300 yards inland plowing through her and plunging over the 575 foot cliff into the English Channel. (Andy Etherington)

The German press begins an anti-Polish campaign. Mobilization is reported as nearly complete. (Andy Etherington)

373 Jewish refugees arrive in Haifa, Palestine from Paris. (Andy Etherington)

1940: RAF Fighter Command: Weather, cloudy, bright intervals. Heavy Luftwaffe attacks on Channel convoy CW9 (code named Peewit) comprising 29 ships plus naval escort (the first Westbound since 25 July) off Dover and Wight. Heaviest air fighting so far, involving 150+ aircraft. Ju87s prove very vulnerable. Ldr J.A. Peel of No. 145 Squadron fires the first shots of this the first official day of the Battle of Britain. At night Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham (for the first time) are bombed. Midlothian and Truro suffer heavy raids. (Andy Etherington)

Two misplaced parachute sea mines exploded near Stannington Sanatorium near Plessy Viaduct, four miles south of Morpeth (Co. Durham) bringing down the boiler house roof and blasting the hospital. Losses: Luftwaffe 31; RAF 20. (Andy Etherington)

The so-called Linlithgow offer is made. It states that Dominion status for India was the objective of the British government but refer to neither date nor method of accomplishment. Viceroy Linlithgow had gone so far as to recommend that Dominion status be granted a year after the end of the year. This has been blocked by the implacable enemy of Indian independence, Winston Churchill. (Andy Etherington)

In the U.S., Japanese Ambassador Nomura suggests a conference between President Roosevelt and Japanese Prime Minister Konoye to discuss deteriorating relations between the two countries.
Les Brown and His Orchestra, with vocal by Betty Bonney, record the song "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" for Okeh Records. The song pays tribute to baseball great Joe DiMaggio who set a new record this year by getting hits in 56 consecutive games. (Jack McKillop)

The motion picture "Pride and Prejudice" opens at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, this drama, based on the Jane Austen novel, stars Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Edna May Oliver, Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Sullivan, Ann Rutherford and Marsha Hunt. The film is nominated for and wins one Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black-and-White. (Jack McKillop)

1941: The Soviets raided Berlin last night with small forces. This is the first of 7 bombings by the Soviets on Berlin during August.

A plaque in the Chamber of the Holocaust at Mt. Zion reads-
"For an everlasting remembrance
For the martyrs of the Zeimel Community (Lithuania) who were
annihilated by the German Nazis and their Lithuanian
collaborators (May their names be erased) on the 8th day of
August 1941 Remembrance Day 15 Av 5701 May their souls be
bound up in the bond of life
-The Emigrants of Zeimel in Israel and the Diaspora " (Drew Halevy)

1942: Roosevelt and Churchill agree that command of "Operation Torch" will be vested in General Eisenhower.

Army Group A continues to advance south from the Kuban. Army Group B captures Surovniko.

US Marines finish the capture of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanimbogo after heavy fighting around 9:00 pm. The fighting here previews the upcoming island war of the central Pacific from Tarawa to Iwo Jima.

Admiral Turner continues unloading Marines on Guadalcanal. The unloading is interrupted with another Japanese air strike from Rabaul. The 1st Marines occupy the uncompleted Japanese airfield about 4:00 pm. This field will be renamed Henderson Field for Major Lofton Henderson, a Marine pilot lost at Midway.

Shortly after 6:00 pm Admiral Fletcher advises Ghormley and Turner that TF 61 is withdrawing. Admiral Turner then calls a meeting with Admiral Crutchley, commanding the screening ships and General Vandegrift, aboard the USS McCawley, AP-10 off Lunga Point.

In the Aleutian Islands, the USAAF's 11th Air Force dispatches 1 LB-30 and 3 B-24 Liberators, and 8 P-38 Lightnings on photo and bombing missions over Kiska Island cannot attack due to fog but 6 USN PBY-5A Catalinas of Patrol Squadron Forty One (VP-41)and VP-51, both based at NAF Dutch Harbor, also operating over and off Kiska Island, hit freighters and a transport, claiming 1 transport sinking, and score many hits on North Head and Main Camp. (Jack McKillop)

In the Solomon Islands:
- From this date through 23 August, USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses fly
search missions covering the lower Solomons in order to detect any attempt
to make a surprise attack on the forces consolidating the Guadalcanal
Island beachhead.
- At 1156 hours, 23 G4M "Betty" bombers armed with torpedoes escorted by 15 A6M "Zeke" fighters arrive from Rabaul. USN F4F Wildcats and an SBD
Dauntless and AA fire from the warships shoot down 17 "Bettys" and a "Zeke"
but the Japanese severely damage the destroyer USS Jarvis (DD-393) with a
torpedo and the transport USS George F Elliott (AP-13), which is hit by a
torpedo and a "Zeke."
- The uncompleted 3,600-foot (1.1 km) long Japanese airfield is captured
by the US Marines and is renamed Henderson Field.
- The Marines capture Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo.
- Two of three RAAF Hudsons based at Milne Bay, New Guinea spot a
Japanese task force consisting of 4 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and a
destroyer heading for the Solomon Islands. The RAAF crews report in a
timely fashion but there is a delay in retransmitting it plus the USN brass
underestimate the composition of the Japanese force.
- At 1807 hours, Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, commander of the USN's
air and surface forces, recommends to Admiral Ghormley, Commander South
Pacific Force, at Noumea, New Caledonia, that the air support force be
withdrawn from Guadalcanal. Fletcher, concerned by the large numbers of
enemy planes that had attacked today, reported that he had only 78 fighters
left (he had started with 99) and that fuel for the carriers was running
low. Ghormley approved the recommendation, and the aircraft carriers USS
Enterprise (CV-6), USS Saratoga (CV-2) and USS Wasp (CV-7) retire from
Guadalcanal. (Jack McKillop)

In New Guinea, USAAF P-400 Airacobras of the Allied Air Forces dive-bomb
Kokoda and Yodda. (Jack McKillop)

The German submarine U-379 is sunk in the North Atlantic southeast of Cape
Farewell, Greenland, in position 57.11N, 30.57W, by ramming and depth
charges from the RN corvette HMS Dianthus. 5 of the 45 man U-boat crew
survive. (Jack McKillop)

German submarine U-98 sows mines off the waters of Jacksonville, Florida. (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., six of the eight German spies that landed on Long Island, New York, and Florida in June are executed in the electric chair in Washington, D.C. The other two spies, who turned themselves in to the FBI, were sentenced to 30-years and life imprisonment respectively. Both are released in 1948 by order President Harry S. Truman and returned to Germany. (Jack McKillop)

1943: US forces are landed east of Sant Agata, Sicily. Sant Agata and Cesaro Island fall because of this flanking movement. British forces capture Bronte and Acireale.


Benito Mussolini imprisoned on Maddalena Island, off the northeast coast of Sardinia. (Glenn Steinberg)

Beginning of week-long Allied bombing campaign against northern Italy. (Glenn Steinberg)

Generalissimo Francisco Franco makes a cunning reply to August 2 telegram of Don Juan de Borbon y Battenberg, Infante of Spain, Count of Barcelona (Glenn Steinberg)

An announcement of extensive evacuations of women, children, and elderly from Berlin. (Glenn Steinberg)

The USAAF's VIII Air Support Command in England flies Mission 15: 36 B-26B Marauders are dispatched to Nord Airfield at Poix, France but the formation is turned back by weather. (Jack McKillop)

On Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands, 23 B-25 Mitchells, with P-38s, and P-39 Airacobras of the USAAF's Thirteenth Air Force, and US Marine Corps F4U Corsairs as cover, bomb Vila and Buki harbor. (Jack McKillop)

1944: The German attacks around Mortain continue as they attempt to recapure Avranches. The US 3rd Army continues its advance in Brittany. The US 79th Division enters Le Mans. The newly activated XX Corps advances toward Nantes and Angers.

The 1st Canadian Army launches Operation Totalize down the Falaise Road. (David R O'Keefe)

Mount Santa Rosa is captured as US forces advance on Guam.

Most of Warsaw is now controlled by forces of the Polish resistance. SS General Bach-Zelewski is appointed to lead the defending German forces.

The USAAF's Eighth Air Force in England continues to fly shuttle missions as 78 B-17s with 55 P-51 Mustang escorts, leave bases in the USSR to hit airfields in Rumania; 38 hit Bizau and 35 hit Zlistea; no Luftwaffe fighters are encountered during the mission and the force flies to Italy.
- Mission 530: 414 B-24s and 265 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields and V-weapon sites in France; 115 hit V-weapons sites in the Pas de Calais; 91 hit Clastres Airfield, 53 hit Romilly air depot, 50 hit La Perthe Airfield, 12 hit Athies Airfield at Laon, 14 hit railroad bridges, 13 hit targets of opportunity and 11 hit Bretigny Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost.
Escort is provided by 265 P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost.
- Mission 531: 681 B-17s and 100 P-51s are dispatched to bomb enemy troop concentrations and strongpoints south of Caen; 25 Canadian soldiers are
killed and 131 wounded by short bombing; 231 hit Cauvincourt, 99 hit
Bretteville-sur-Laise strongpoint, 99 hit St Sylvain strong point, 67 hit
targets of opportunity and 1 hits Gouvix strongpoint; ; 7 B-17s are lost. Escort is provided by 91 P-51s; 3 are lost.
Personal Memory: Today we will be doing tactical work to support the troops on the ground in an area eleven miles south of Caen, France. I was assigned to "Tail-end Charlie" for this raid which was also "Purple Heart Corner" today since there was nobody behind or below me. I had the same crew as on yesterday's raid, but with two different gunners on make-up missions. This 41st "B" Combat Wing, Lead Group with twelve B-17s did an assembly at 5000 feet over the Harrington Buncher Beacon and departed the English coast at Portland Bill at 14,000 feet which would be our bombing altitude. The combat wing ahead of us didn't turn at the briefed IP and we had to follow them around to avoid flying a collision course. There were no clouds over the target, but haze was so bad that we could not see the bright red and yellow markers that the ground troops had put out to show us the target. We made a bomb run but the lead bombardier didn't drop because of this problem. The high group
was the only one of our three groups to bomb the target but they missed by over a half mile. Luckily their bombs still fell in German territory, destroying a large group of apple trees where a large number of vehicle tracks were visible. Our secondary target had a cloud bank over it at 12,000 feet so we finally bombed a rail road siding and made a five minute bomb run and did a fairly good hit on it.
According to the mission summary, the flak was "Moderate and inaccurate at the primary." But that was from Captain Bob Sheets at the lead, while I was a quarter mile back and at least 500 feet lower. My diary reads: "Caen, France. German front line defenses. Flak was rough as we were at 14,000 feet. Didn't drop on primary and finally dropped on railway yard, but good. CAVU. I'd rather go to Berlin. Finis. DFC." Mine was the only B-17 in the entire wing that was damaged. At one time the flak was bursting all around our plane but a few hundred feet away most of the time. I could see the angry, red center of many of these explosions and even hear a few of them. I often wondered if I was being overly sensitive because it was my last mission and that they were determined to get me on their last chance. I thought at the time that one of those bursts might actually have my name on it. "Miss Lace" the airplane I was flying had a few extra holes on this trip. Score:Milk runs, 14.
Others,18. During my 32 missions I flew twelve different B-17s in combat. I flew "Buzz Blonde" 12 times, "Betty Jane" 5 times, "Sweet Rosie O-Grady" 2 times, "Tiny Angel" 2 times, "Miss Lace" 2 times, "Queenie" 2 times, "Jigger Rouche, Kraut Killer 1 time, "Full House" 1 time and 5 other un-named planes. The first and third of my "students" that I took on their first missions were killed in action just weeks later. I took H. C. Clark on his first mission on July 17. He and the other three officers and two enlisted gunners were killed on August 14, 1944 in the Jigger Rouche, Kraut Killer when they were shot down by fighters over Wiesbaden. "Tiny Angel" that I flew on my 24 and 30th missions was shot down at the same mission with the deaths of the pilot, engineer and one waist gunner. On January 10, 1945, "Buzz Blonde collided with "Iza Vailable 2" over Bonn, Germany, destroying the tail gun position and killing gunner, M. M. Mooney. The nose of "Buzz Blonde" was badly dama
ged and the bombardier and navigator bailed out thinking that they were out of control. They had little choice as their oxygen system was destroyed in the collision. Both aircraft survived and the pilot and copilot of "Iza Vailable" each received a DFC for landing their plane with much of the tail missing. The "Betty Jane that I flew five times including the glide bomb attack on Cologne was shot down on September 13, 1944 with the pilot being the only one killed when his parachute failed to open. "Full House," the only "new" B-17 that I flew was in a collision with another 427th squadron B-17 which killed seventeen men with only one survivor. On November 21st 1944 my third "Student" was killed by German farmers, with his entire crew except the radio operator when they were shot down and bailed out over Mersberg. "Miss Lace" that I flew on my last mission was on a shuttle mission to Russia when it was hit by flak near the Russian lines. It was abandoned in Poland where it had
made an emergency landing.. "Queenie" later made a crash landing in England, but was salvaged. During my 32 missions the 303rd Bomb Group lost 20 bombers to enemy action, and 80 crewmen lost their lives. Not a single 303rd bomber went to Sweden during the entire war. One landed in Switzerland with disabling damage including over 60 flak holes. (Dick Johnson)

These narratives are excerpted from my book, TWENTY FIVE MILK RUNS (and a few others) Endorsed copies may be had from me, the author. Contact me back channel at FortDriver@AOL.Com. Or they may be ordered from the publisher WWW.Trafford.com.
(Dick Johnson)
- 41 P-51s escort RAF Coastal Command Beaufighters on a convoy strike in Norway; 3 P-51s are lost.
- 175 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against the
railroad north and west of Dijon, France; 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s are lost.
- Mission 532: 5 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. (Jack McKillop)

In France, the USAAF's Ninth Air Force dispatches 406 B-26s and A-20 Havocs
to bomb a rail embankment and bridges at 8 locations in northern and
western France, attack radar installations between Argentan and Alencon,
and give tactical support to ground forces near Saint-Malo; fighters
escort IX Bomber Command aircraft, give defensive air cover, and fly armed
reconnaissance east of Paris and in the battle area. (Jack McKillop)

1945: The USSR declares war on Japan. It cites the failure of Japan to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

U.S. President Truman signs the UN Charter.

The USAAF's Twentieth Air Force dispatches 381 B-29 Superfortresses on 3 missions, 2 during the day of 8 August and 1 during the night of 8/9 August; 7 B-29s are lost.
- Mission 319: Shortly before 1200 hours, 221 B-29s drop incendiaries on
Yawata destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 21% of the city; 6 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29s is shot down by Japanese fighters and 3 are lost to mechanical reasons.
- Mission 320: Late in the afternoon, 60 B-29s bomb an aircraft plant and
arsenal complex at Tokyo; 2 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost to flak and 1 to mechanical reasons (these are the last B-29s lost in action by the Twentieth Air Force).
- Mission 321: During the night of 8/9 August, 91 B-29s hit Fukiyama with
incendiaries destroying 0.88 sq mi (2.28 sq km), 73.3% of the city; 1 hits
an alternate target. (Jack McKillop)

In Japan:
- 100+ USAAF Twentieth Air Force fighters from Iwo Jima hit airfields,
factory buildings, barracks, and rail installations in the Osaka, Japan area.
- USAAF Far East Air Force (FEAF) Okinawa-based B-24s, B-25s, A-26
Invaders, P-51s, and P-47s carry out numerous strikes against targets on
Kyushu; targets include the Usa and Tsuiki Airfields, communications and
transport targets all over Kyushu, shipping between Kyushu and Korea, and
targets of opportunity in the Ryukyu Islands, on the China coast, and on
Formosa. P-47s escorting Twentieth Air Force B-29s claim 10 Japanese planes downed. (Jack McKillop)

The crew of the USN destroyer USS Cassin (DD-372) boards the Japanese
hospital ship Kiku Maru northwest of Marcus Island but finds no violations
and lets the ship proceed. (Jack McKillop)

The motion picture "Over 21" is released in the U.S. today. Based on the Ruth Gordon play, this comedy is directed by Charles Vidor and stars Irene Dunne, Alexander Knox and Charles Coburn. The zany plot has middle-aged Knox trying to complete Officers Candidate School in World War II with help from his wife (Dunne). (Jack McKillop)