We Remember:
1940: The German auxilary cruiser Thor and the British merchant cruiser Alcantra meet in the South Atlantic. The less well armed Alcantra is forced to breakoff the action and head for Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
All British destroyers are withdrawn from the English Channel between Dover and Portsmouth. This represents a significant achievement for the Luftwaffe.
RAF 4 Group (Whitley). Bombs Dornier factory at Wismar. (Andy Etherington)
RAF Fighter Command: Luftwaffe attacks shipping off Dover and south-coast ports. 18 Luftwaffe a/c destroyed, 5 RAF a/c lost. (Andy Etherington)
If you want to read more about this days' RAF action there is a personal
account by Harbourne Stephen of 74 Sq.. on
http://www.remember
and a whole lot more on Ernie Burton's Battle of Britain web site.
(Shameless plug for Ernie) (Andy Etherington)
Bombs fall for the first time on Kidwelly (Carmarthen) and Runcorn (Cheshire). Heavy raids on Aberdeenshire, Berwick, Calne and Newcastle. (Andy Etherington)
Night bombers attack Newcastle, where a dozen HEs fell in a line parallel to and a mile from the Tyne, and Barry, Port Talbot, Colchester, Salford, Newcastle-under-
France: Germany bans all movement between the Vichy and occupied zones. (Andy Etherington)
1941: German forces start to liquidate Soviet troops trapped near the town of Smolensk. (Andy Etherington)
The crisis in the Far East worsened today when 30,000 Japanese troops entered French Indochina. The build-up includes elements of the Japanese navy, which have sailed into Cam Ranh Bay, and aircraft which are flying into Saigon. Japanese troops have also begun disembarking in Cambodia where 8,000 men will be within striking range of Siam. (Andy Etherington)
Malaya is now seriuosly threatened from Indochina, which is providing the Japanese with a naval base within 750-miles of Singapore and airfields within 300 miles of northern Malaya. The Japanese move has isolated the Philippines and menaces the oil-rich Dutch East Indies. (Andy Etherington)
The Vichy regime has given the Japanese a free hand in Indochina on the pretext that it was threatened by British and Gaullist plots. (Andy Etherington)
Finnish Foreign Minister Witting informs the British Ambassador Sir Gordon Vereker that Finland has to 'interrupt' her diplomatic relations with United Kingdom. (Mikko HŠrmeinen)
In the U.S., the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) gets underway from Norfolk, Virginia, carrying the air echelon of the USAAF's 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)
1942: Stalin begins the implementation of measures to bolster the resistance of the Red Army. He grants higher status and authority to officers and strengthens disciplinary measures.
The disastrous "Beaufort Squadron" mission of the 21st had seen, for the second time, the Italian flak gunners blew an entire vic of Beauforts out of the sky on their attack runs. With 86 SquadronÕs OC, SL Jimmy Hyde gone, all of the Beauforts of all three Squadrons on Malta (39, 86 & 217) were consolidated under the newly promoted WC Pat Gibbs, commander of 39 Squadron. It was now apparent to all concerned that the ItalianÕs had become too adept at defending against the BeaufortÕs, particularly during the final run in to the target when they were forced to bore in straight and level. In fact, the Italians had become so familiar with the British methods that the flak gunners totally ignored the escorting Beaufighters, instead concentrating every barrel on the torpedo planes. Clearly, a revamping of tactics was in order. Gibbs was up to the task.
First, Gibbs proposed that their next effort include a section of Beauforts armed with bombs in lieu of torpedoes. The bombers would climb for altitude after sighting the target, then dive in ahead of the torpedo bombers and make a high speed glide bombing attack, hopefully diverting the flak gunners during the torpedo bombers final run in. But that was not all. Working with his counterpart in 235 Squadron (Beaufighter)
At 1515 on 27 July, the new Italian motorship Monviso (5,322 BRT), heavily laden with fuel, supplies, and equipment for RommelÕs PanzerArmee, escorted by the DD Freccia and TB Calliope, departed Brindisi intent on making for Bengasi. Discovered off Sapienza shortly after dawn by a PR Spitfire from 69 Squadron and, at 0910 Gibbs led off a full strike: nine Beauforts from all three squadrons (six armed with torpedoes, three with four 250 pound bombs each) and six Beaufighters, two to operate as high cover, four to act as flak busters, and a 69 Squadron Baltimore to take photos of the results.
The enemy came into view just before 1200. At Gibbs signal, ShoreÕs four flak busters, operating in pairs, dove in and hammered the two escorts. Diving in behind them, and just ahead of the two sections of torpedo planes, was 86 SquadronÕs bombing section, led by FL Donald Charles "Hank" Sharman, RAF. Last of all came the two torpedo sections, led by Gibbs and FL A. T. ÒTonyÓ Leaning, RAF. The results were excellent. The strafing Beaufighters virtually silenced the two escortsÕ flak batteries; one torpedo hit and several near misses by the bombs stopped Monviso and left her afire. Though the fire was extinguished and the escorts managed to tow her into Navarino, her cargo would never see Africa. After making emergency repairs, she would be sunk by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Thorn on 3 August shortly after putting to sea.
While the attack had been a spectacular success, the Beauforts did not get off scot free. PO R. J. DawsonÕs AW296 was shot into the sea after the drop (three of the crew were rescued by Calliope) while GibbÕs number two, South African Lt. Edward T. Strever was forced to put L9820 in the water nearby, his entire crew being picked up by the convoyÕs air escort, a Cant Z-506B.
What followed is the stuff of legend. Brought initially to Corfu by the Cant for the night, they re-boarded the Italian aircraft the next day bound for Italy and captivity. Unwilling to accept their fate even though one of the Italian aircrew was covering them with a pistol, the British foursome (Lt. Strever, SAAF (P), PO William Martin Dunsmore, RAFVR (N), Sgt. John Aston Wilkinson, RNZAF (WO), Sgt. Alexander Raymond Brown, RNZAF (G), endeavored to take the aircraft "by storm". About 45 minutes out Strever gave a pre-arranged signal, Wilkinson pointed out the window shouted ÒSpitfireÓ, terrifying the Italian crew and, in the resulting confusion, the Brits seized control of the aircraft! Thereafter, using the Italian charts Strever flew their new aircraft to Malta, where they eventually made a safe landing off shore and were towed into port and a heroÕs welcome by an air-sea rescue launch , though not before receiving a thorough hosing by a Spitfire patrol sent up to bri
ng the crazy ÒwopÓ down! With no operation on, most of the Beaufort crews spent the day at play. Returning for supper, they were all more than a little bit taken aback on finding four living ÒghostsÓ waiting for them outside the squadron mess! (Mark Horan)
Major General George C Kenney, commander-designate of Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, arrives in Australia from the U.S. (Jack McKillop)
In the Fiji Islands, the U.S. 1st Marine Division begins rehearsals for the landings in the Solomon Islands. (Jack McKillop)
In Japan, Imperial General Headquarters orders the IJA and IJN to mount an all-out offensive to conquer the remaining Allied bases in New Guinea. (Jack McKillop)
1943: The Japanese finish evacuating their remaining troops from Kiska in the Aleutians.
US forces take Nicosia and Canadian forces take Agira on Sicily.
AMPLIFYING THE ABOVE:
On the ground in Sicily, the US Seventh Army takes Nicosia and pushes toward Santo Stefano di Camastra and the Canadians take Agira. Allied cargo vessels begin arriving at Palermo, and Lieutenant General Harold R Alexander, 15 Army Group Commanding General, moves his HQ to Sicily.
In the air, Northwest African Tactical Air Force light bombers hit Regalbuto, Milazzo, and Centuripe; A-36 Apaches and P-40s hit heavy traffic on the Troina-Randazzo road, bridges and roads north and west of Cesaro, the landing ground at Falcone, and buildings near Randazzo. Almost 100 Ninth Air Force P-40s hit shipping at Catania and Santa Teresa di Riva, fly patrol over the Straits of Messina, and bomb encampments. (Jack McKillop)
US attacks on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands continue. They are principally toward Horseshoe Hill.
In the SWPA, there is an Australian division operating in central New Guinea against Lae and Salamaua. This division includes US infantry and artillery. (Mike Alexander)
Allied surrender terms are broadcast to the Italians by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Glenn Steinberg)
ARCTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-647 is reported missing north of the Shetland Islands, U.K., position unknown, possibly mined. All 48 crewmen are lost. (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-404 is sunk about 158 nautical miles (292 kilometers) north-northwest of La Caruna, Spain (45.53N, 9.25W) by depth charges from two B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's 4th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) and an RAF Liberator of No. 224 Squadron, all based at St. Eval, Cornwall, England. All 51 crewmen are lost. (Jack McKillop)
CARIBBEAN SEA: German submarine U-159 is sunk about 171 nautical miles (317 kilometers) south-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (15.57N, 68.30W). The sub is sunk by depth charges from a PBM-3C Mariner of USN Patrol Squadron Thirty Two (VP-32) based at NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. All 53 crewmen are lost. (Jack McKillop)
The USAAF's VIII Air Support Command and VIII Bomber Command based in England, both fly missions.
VIII Air Support Command Mission Numbers 6 and 7: The primary targets are in Belgium and France:
1. 18 B-26B Marauders are dispatched against the coke ovens at Zeebrugge, Belgium; 17 hit the target at 1105 hours.
2. 18 B-26Bs are dispatched against Tricqueville Airfield, France but the mission is recalled when the accompanying fighters do not join up.
VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 78: The aviation industry in Germany is targeted but bad weather hampers the raids. The targets are:
1. 58 of 182 B-17 Flying Fortresses dispatched bomb the Fieseler Works at Kassel, Germany at 1027-1054 hours; they claim 27-15-22 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost.
2. 37 of 120 B-17s dispatched bomb the Fw 190 plant at Oschersleben, Germany; they claim 56-19-41 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17s are lost.
This is the deepest US bomber penetration into Germany to date. The raid achieves good results however, 22 B-17s are lost as fighters score first effective results with rockets. 105 P-47 Thunderbolts, equipped with jettisonable belly tanks for the first time on a mission, escort the B-17s into Germany; other P-47s, going more than 30 miles (48 km) deeper into Germany than they have penetrated before, meet the returning bombers. They surprise about 60 German fighters and destroy 9 of them; 1 P-47 is lost. (Jack McKillop)
During the night of 28/29 July, RAF bombers drop 2,326 tons of bombs in 43 minutes on Hamburg, Germany which virtually sets the city on fire, killing 42,000 German civilians. Low humidity, a lack of fire-fighting resources (exhausted from battling blazes caused by the previous nights' raids), and hurricane-level winds at the core of the storm literally fanned the flames, scorching 8 square miles (20.7 sq km) of Hamburg. (Jack McKillop)
In the U.S., President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the end of coffee rationing. (Jack McKillop)
1944: The US 4th Armored Division enters Coutances, France. They have achieved the first objective of Operation Cobra.
Brest-Litovsk and Przemysl fall to the Russians.
US forces take Mount Chachao and Mount Alutom in their continuing fight to consolidate their beachheads on Guam. Most of Orote Peninsula has been captured.
The USAAF's Eighth Air Force in England flies two missions.
Mission 501: 1,057 bombers and 753 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in Belgium, France and Germany; 7 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. 291 B-24s in 2 forces are dispatched to hit signal depots, fuel dumps and V-weapon supply sites and a bridge in Belgium and France but the forces are recalled because of cloud cover over the targets; the first force of 180 B-24s is dispatched to northwestern France V-weapon sites, fuel dumps and a railroad bridge; escort is provided by 235 P-47s and P-51 Mustangs. The second force of 111 B-24s is dispatched to hit Brussels and Vilvorde fuel and supply depots; escort is provided
by 40 P-51s.
2. 766 B-17s are dispatched to bomb the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg, Germany; 652 hit the primary while 36 hit Leipzig/Taucha oil refinery, 18 hit the Wiesbaden marshalling yards and 8 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 1-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost. Escort is provided by 386 P-38 Lightnings and P-51s; they claim 4-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost.
Personal Memory: New crews that arrived a couple of weeks ago are now ready for their first mission. And I am the guy who is starting them out, taking their pilot as my copilot. FUN!! This is to be my 26th mission and our target is Mersberg, the most heavily defended city in Germany. I don't expect a milk run! I'm flying the "Betty Jane" today that I have flown several times before including the ill fated glide bomb raid on Cologne. The 303rd put up 37 B-17s that were all in the air in 29 minutes. We formed up over the Harrington Buncher at 9,000 feet with our ten, five hundred pound bombs. During the forming up phase I was approached by another B-17 and to avoid a collision I turned away and did a 360 degree turn. Pulling up or diving would have put too much strain on the wings and tail of this overloaded bomber. I was now not able to catch up with the 303rd so I latched onto the 379th which I knew was going to the same target. My new copilot for this mission was J.A. Dr
ewry with all his crew except for his copilot who was flying with another experienced crew. My regular group saw no enemy aircraft on this mission but my new group saw a few. Our top turret gunner, E. H. Koch fired at a FW190 that was trying to tow a bomb on a long wire through our formation. For some reason the bomb didn't explode. The 190 was about three thousand feet above us and the other German planes were hanging back, evidently waiting for the big explosion which never came. We encountered flak at seven different locations and our "Betty Jane" suffered two minor wounds on this trip. It was overcast at the target and we had been discharging chaff which seemed to work to our advantage as the flak always seemed to be behind us. Evidently we didn't do such a great job on the Luena synthetic oil plant as we soon learned that this would also be our target tomorrow. This target takes a flight time of eight hours and ten minutes with four hours and twenty minutes over enemy
territory. During my PIC training an attempt on Hitler's life occurred on July 20. Too bad it didn't succeed as hundreds, if not thousands of lives could have been saved by shortening the war. Score: Milk Runs 13, Others 13. (I did not consider this a milk run.) (Dick Johnson)
Mission 502: 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. (Jack McKillop)
In France, the USAAF's IX Bomber Command operates in support of the US First Army, bombing rail bridges, supply dumps and ammunition dumps in the Foret de Conches, Dreux, and Le Mans areas;
fighters escort bombers, fly armed reconnaissance in the Le Mans, Laval, and Dreux areas and furnish cover over assault areas and armed columns. (Jack McKillop)
The USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force in Italy dispatches 345 B-17s and B-24s to attack 2 oil refineries at Ploesti, Rumania and a marshalling yard at Florina, Greece; P-51s and P-38s provide support for the Ploesti raid. (Jack McKillop)
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 targets Utlihi and Yap Atolls. Four B-24 squadrons of the USAAF's Far East Air Force attacks targets in Woleai Atoll; the airfield and supply area are well covered. (Jack McKillop)
1945: USA: New York City: A USAAF North American B-25 Mitchell, "Old Feather", enroute from Bedford AAFld, Massachusetts, to Newark AAFld, New Jersey, hits the fog-shrouded Empire State Building in New York City directly on the 79th floor. There are three men aboard the B-25, the pilot, Lt. Col. William F. Smith, Jr., the flight engineer and a sailor hitching a ride home; all are killed. Also killed are 11 employees of the War Relief Services, a Roman Catholic charity; 23 others are injured. The aircraft's wings are sheared off and one engine tears across the 78th floor, through the opposite wall destroying a penthouse on the roof of a neighboring 12-story building. The other engine and the fuselage punch an 18 by 20-foot (5.49 by 6.10 m) hole in the building. Fortunately, it is a Saturday or the casualties would have been greater. (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
Japanese Premier Suzuki notes on the Japanese government's reaction to the Potsdam Declaration that they will "take no notice." There is concern among the members of the Japanese government that the diplomatic note was not delivered through a neutral government. There are also several other possible translations of the words used by the Premier.
In Japan, carrier-based aircraft of the USN's Task Force 38 attack the Inland Sea area between Nagoya and northern Kyushu, especially the Kure Naval Base. The aircraft sink a battleship HIJMS Haruna, a battleship-carrier HIJMS Hyuga, a heavy cruisers HIJMS Amagi and Katsuragi, a light carrier HIJMS Ryuho,17 other vessels and uncompleted carriers Kasagi, Aso, and Ibuki. American and British pilots shot down or burned up 306 enemy planes and damaged 392. Heavy and accurate AA fire brings down 133 USN aircraft and 102 airmen. Carrier-based aircraft of the RN's Task Force 37 sink 3 ships off Yura. (Jack McKillop)
Amplification of the above:
Historians vary on the accounts of these strikes. Hammel for instance has strikes only occurring today. Reynolds shows these strikes occurring on both the 24th and today. Admiral Halsey with Bryan adds strikes on the 25th to those listed by Reynolds. In all three cases the US losses are listed with the same numbers. (Rich Leonard)
The USAAF's VII Fighter Command dispatches 140+ P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, to hit 9 objectives (airfields and military targets) in a wide area around Tokyo and attack a destroyer escort along the Chiba Peninsula, leaving it burning.
The Far East Air Force dispatches 137 Ie Shima-based P-47s to rocket and strafe airfields, oil stores, railroad yards, warehouses, industry, gun positions, and other targets on Kyushu at or near Kanoya, Metatsubara, Tachiarai, Kurume, Saga, and Junicho; 21 more P-47s attack shipping at Yatsushiro and A-26 Invaders and B-25s pound airfields at Kanoya; P-51s and B-25s, sweeping over the Inland Sea, destroy 2 small cargo vessels and a patrol boat and 70+ B-24s bomb shipping at Kure, claiming direct hits on a battleship and an aircraft carrier.
During the night of 28/29 July, the USAAF's Twentieth Air Force sends 554 B-29 Superfortresses to fly 6 incendiary raids on secondary cities and 1 bombing raid without loss.
Mission 297: 76 B-29s attack the Tsu urban area destroying 0.84 sq mi (2.18 sq km), 57% of the city area.
Mission 298: 61 B-29s hit the Aomori urban area destroying 1.06 sq mi (2.75 sq km), 64% of the city area; 3 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 299: 122 B-29s attack the Ichinomiya urban area destroying 0.99 sq mi (2.56 sq km), 75% of the city area; 2 others attack alternate areas.
Mission 300: 93 B-29s hit the Uji-Yamada urban area destroying 0.36 sq mi (0.93 sq km), 39% of the city area; 1 other hits an alternate target.
Mission 301: 90 B-29s attack the Ogaki urban area destroying 0.48 sq mi (1.24 sq km), 40% of the city area.
Mission 302: 29 B-29s hit the Uwajima urban area destroying 0.53 sq mi (1.37 sq km), 52% of the city area.
Mission 303: 76 B-29s bomb the Shimotsu Oil Refinery; 75% of the tank capacity, 90% gasometer capacity and 69% of the roof area destroyed or damaged; 1 other B-29s hits an alternate target. (Jack McKillop)
During the night of 27/28 July, the destroyer USS Callaghan (DD-792) is sunk by a kamikaze while on radar picket duty about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Okinawa. The Japanese biplane struck the ship on the starboard side, exploded and one of the plane's bombs penetrated the after engine room. The destroyer flooded, and the fires which ignited antiaircraft ammunition prevented nearby ships from rendering aid. She sank at 0235, 28 July 1945, with the loss of 47 members of her valiant crew. This is the last USN ship sunk by a kamikaze. (Jack McKillop)
In the U.S., the top pop tunes today are (1) "The More I See You" by Dick Haymes; (2) "Dream" by The Pied Pipers; (3) "Sentimental Journey" by Les Brown and his Orchestra with vocal by Doris Day which was ranked Number 3 for the year; and (4) "Oklahoma Hills" by Jack Guthrie. (Jack McKillop)
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