We Remember:
1940: The Japanese government formally adopts a policy regarding the China problem. Their top priority is to block supplies reaching the Nationalist Chinese via Indochina. They will also take a more aggwressive stance to secure their own raw materials from the Dutch East Indies.
The British Admirality issues an order prohibiting the passage of Dover by ships during Daylight hours.
German night activity includes ten high explosive bombs dropped at Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, and attacks on houses in Chigwell (Essex), Bristol, Dagenham and Canvey Island (Essex). Bombs intended for the ICI plant at Winnington, Cheshire instead fell among houses in Northwich but none exploded. Off Flatholme, Wales, a sand ship was blown up (possibly by mines) and eight crewmen were lost. (Andy Etherington)
As the damaged KM Gneisenau makes for Germany from Norway, submarine Swordfish carries out an attack and sinks escorting torpedo boat 'Luchs'. (Andy Etherington)
RAF 4 Group (Whitley). Bombs marshalling yards at Mannheim and Hamm. (Andy Etherington)
1941: Italian E-boats' intrepid attempt to penetrate Grand Harbour and Marsamxett and destroy ships in harbour and submarine base at Manoel Island. Radar cover effective. Guns from St Elmo and Ricasoli in action. Coastal batteries and Hurricanes later engage. Force wiped out. Eighteen Italians taken prisoner. (Andy Etherington)
In Lisbon, Portugal, the USN transport, USS West Point (AP-23, ex SS America) embarks American and Chinese diplomatic personnel and their families from Italy, Germany and German-occupied countries and sails for New York. Also aboard are 21 U.S. ambulance drivers who had been passengers on the Egyptian ship SS Zamzam which had been sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis on 17 April. (Jack McKillop)
People are flocking to 'Target for Tonight', a new, authentic kind of war film made by Harry Watt and the film-makers of the Crown Film Unit (formed from the pre-war GPO film unit). The film is an understated, unemotional
The British ships HMS Cattistock, HMS Mendip and HMS Quorn bombard Dieppe. (Andy Etherington)
This morning the Germans arrested members of the Vilna ghetto's Judenrat [Jewish council]. They demanded five million roubles for their release, of which two million must be found by tomorrow morning. Failure to pay will mean their execution. As the news spreads through the ghetto, the Jewish community is trying desperately to raise the money to save their lives. Men are donating watches and women jewellery. (Andy Etherington)
In South America, Peru and Ecuador declare a truce in the border war. (Andy Etherington)
Douglas MacArthur recalled to duty as a Major General and appointed Commander of a new command, United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), also created that day, though he did not learn of this until 8am on the morning of July 27 (6pm July 26, Washington time). The Philippine National Army, already called into Federal service by an earlier message, was placed under USAFFE, its units being activated between July and December, 1941.
MacArthur continues as military advisor to the Philippine President. MacArthur upon learning of the mobilization of the Philippine National Army but before learning of his own recall to active duty and of the creation of USAFFE, requests payment of the stipend of $50 per soldier serving in the Philippine National Army . This was provided for in his contract with the Commonwealth Government and had been approved by both Secretary of War Dern and President Roosevelt in 1936. The money was paid to MacArthur on Corregidor during the siege. A few other US Army officers had similar arrangements with the Commonwealth but one of them, Dwight Eisenhower, declined to accept his payment.
The United Kingdom and Dutch governments take actions similar to those taken by President Roosevelt yesterday in forbidding the export of oil to the Japanese. (Marc Small)
1942: Admiral Fletcher hosts Admirals McCain Kincaid, Turner, Crutchley and General Vandegrift aboard the USS Saratoga anchored off Koro Island in the Fiji Islands. This will be the only pre-landing conference of the major commanders prior the Operation Watchtower, the invasion of the southern Solomon Islands. Admiral Ghormley is represented by Admiral Callaghan, Chief of Staff.
After much discussion of logistics, Admiral Fletcher asks Turner how much time unloading will take. When Turner replies "About five days." Admiral Fletcher declares that he will withdraw the carriers after two days to avoid air counterattacks.
Admiral Callaghan notes Fletcher's skittishness, but he does not invoke his authority as Chief of Staff for Admiral Ghormley.
During the next 4 days, the 1st Marine Division and attached units will rehearse their landing plans. The rehearshal is a disaster and Vandegrift and Turner are reminded that "a bad rehearsal foreshadows a good performance.
In the U.S., Judy Garland and Gene Kelly record the song "For Me and My Gal" for Decca Records. The song is featured in the movie of the same name. (Jack McKillop)
1943: Marshal Badoglio forms a new cabinet and declares martial law throughout Italy.
In the Aleutians, the Eleventh Air Force dispatches 32 B-24s, 38 P-40s, and 24 P-38 Lightnings to fly 13 attack raids, bombing and scoring hits on numerous Kiska and Little Kiska Island targets, including North Head, Main Camp, the runway, Gertrude Cove, AA batteries, and on a suspected submarine in Kiska Island harbor. Over 104 tons of bombs are dropped on Kiska Island this day, the highest one-day bomb load so far dropped by the Eleventh Air Force. (Jack McKillop)
In the Solmons, 24 SBD Dauntlesses and 37 TBF Avengers attack AA batteries on New Georgia Island. Later, 21 USMC F4U Corsairs strafe Kahili Airfield on Bougainville in support of 10 Thirteenth Air Force B-24s which drop fragmentation bombs on aircraft revetments. During the night, six B-17s also bomb the airfield. (Jack McKillop)
Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators fly their last mission against Wake Island from Midway Island. Eight bombers attack targets including oil storage area' they are intercepted by 20+ fighters and claim 11 shot down. (Jack McKillop)
Both the VIII Air Support Command and VIII Bomber Command in England fly missions.
VIII Air Support Command Mission 4: 18 B-26B Marauders are dispatched against the Saint-Omer/Longuene
VIII Bomber Command Mission 77: Hanover, Germany, is targeted and mission results are good but costly; 24 B-17s are lost, mostly to Luftwaffe fighters.
1. 119 B-17 and 2 YB-40 Flying Fortresses are dispatched against rubber factories at Hannover; 96 hit the target at 1200-1243 hours and claim 40-9-28 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17s are lost.
2. 49 of 61 B-17s dispatched against Hannover hit a convoy and other targets of opportunity; they claim 15-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost.
3. 54 of 121 B-17s dispatched against Hannover hit the U-boat yards at Hamburg at 1159-1200 hours; they claim 5-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17s are lost. (Jack McKillop)
In Sicily during the night of 25/26 July, Northwest African Tactical Air Force medium bombers attack Milazzo, Adrano, and Paterno; throughout the day light bombers hit Regalbuto at intervals, and fighter-bombers harass shipping, rail, and road movements. Ninth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb Milazzo, Paterno, and Adrano while P-40s strafe and bomb Catania and shipping at Riposto harbor. (Jack McKillop)
In Italy, Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-26s bomb the Marina di Paola marshalling yard. (Jack McKillop)
U-359 (Type VIIC) is sunk in the Caribbean south of Santo Domingo, at position 18.06N, 75.00W, by depth charges from a PBM-3C Mariner (P-12) of Patrol Squadron VP-32 based at NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone. All 47 crew of the U-boat perish. (Alex Gordon)
1944: US VII Corps take Marigny and St. Gilles in France. To the west the US VIII Corps crosses the Lessay-Periers road.
Units of the First Ukraine Front reach the Vistula west of Lublin. In the north Narva is captured by units of the Lenningrad Front.
Japanese resistance continues in New Guinea in the areas of Aitape, Biak and Numfoor.
US President Roosevelt meets with Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur in Honolulu. They discuss plans by MacArthur to capture the Philipines vs plans by Nimitz to bypass the Philipines and strike Formosa.
In the Caroline Islands, carrier-based aircraft of the USN's Task Groups 58.2 and 58.3 again attack Japanese installations in the Palau Islands while aircraft of TG 58.1 attack and photograph islands in Ulithi and Yap Atolls. They are joined by Far East Air Forces B-24s which again bomb supply areas, communication, and other targets on Woleai Atoll. (Jack McKillop)
In France, the Eighth Air Force flies two missions.
Mission 496: 93 P-47 Thunderbolts attack the St. Just marshalling yards and 40 attack the Givet fuel dump; a P-47 is lost.
Mission 497: 7 B-17s drop leaflets during the night.
Nine B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions. (Jack McKillop)
In France, weather forces the recall of several groups of Ninth Air Force B-26s and A-20 Havocs, assigned to support the US First Army, but about 160 aircraft manage to bomb a fuel dump at Senonches with good results; fighters escort the bombers, fly cover over the assault area, carry out close support for ground troops in the Saint-Lo area, and fly armed reconnaissance in the Poix, Amiens, Chartres, Laval, and Angers areas. (Jack McKillop)
Fifteenth Air Force fighters on the second shuttle mission leave USSR Operations FRANTIC bases, strafe enemy aircraft in the Bucharest-Ploesti, Rumania area, and return to bases in Italy. In Austria, 330+ B-17s and B-24s attack the Wiener Neudorf aircraft factory, the airfield at Markersdorf, Thalerhof, Zwolfaxing, and Bad Voslau, and targets of opportunity in the Vienna area. Also hit are Szombathely Airfield, Hungary and oil storage at Berat, Albania. Fighters fly escort and carry out patrols and sweeps in the Brod-Zagreb, Yugoslavia and Ploesti-Bucharest, Rumania areas; U.S. bombers and fighters claim 70+ enemy aircraft shot down. (Jack McKillop)
ENGLISH CHANNEL: German submarine U-214 (Type VIID) is sunk in the English Channel about 34 nautical miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Plymouth, Devonshire, England (49.58N, 03.30W) by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Cooke [K 471, ex USS Dempsey (DE-267)]. 48 dead (all hands lost). (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop))
BALTIC SEA: German submarine U-2323 (Type XXIII) is sunk by a mine at 1635 hours west off Mšltenort, about 5 nautical miles (9 kilometers) north-northeast of Kiel, Germany, (54.23N, 10.11E) while on a training mission. (At the present, Mšltenort, on the eastern side of Kiel Bay, is the site of the U-Boat Memorial.) There are two dead and 12 survivors. The boat had been commissioned 8 days earlier. (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)
1945: The results of the British Election are announced. The Conservative Party of Winston Churchill loses to the Labour Party. Clement Attlee becomes Prime Minister.
In Japan during the night of 26/27 July, 350 Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses fly 3 incendiary missions against secondary cities; 1 B-29 is lost:
Mission 293: 127 B-29s attack the Matsuyama urban area destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 73% of the total city area.
Mission 294: 97 B-29s hit the Tokuyama urban area destroying 0.47 sq mi (1.22 sq km), 37% of the city area; 1 other hits an alternate target.
Mission 295: 124 B-29s attack the Omuta urban area destroying 2.05 sq mi (5.31 sq km), 38% of the city area; 1 other hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost. (Jack McKillop)
INDIAN OCEAN: British minesweeper HMS Vestal (J 215) suffers severe damage after being struck by a Japanese Kamikaze aircraft off Puket, Thailand, and has to be sunk by destroyer HMS Racehorse (H 11). There are 20 casualties. Vestal is the only RN warship to be sunk after being damaged by a Kamikaze aircraft. (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)
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