Air Operations, Aleutians

7 28 Composite Bomb Group B-24s and 1 B-17 reconnoiter and attack Agattu, Attu and Kiska islands. Attu appears deserted but near misses are scored on a Japanese destroyer and a transsport at Agattu.

Air Operations, CBI

• 3 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s based at Hengyang Airfield attack the dock area and warehouses at Hankow.

• During the night Japanese aircraft attack Hengyang but fail to hit the airfield.

Air Operations, Europe

• 6 Mosquitos are sent on a low-level raid on the U-boat construction facilities at Flensburg. They are intercepted by German fighters which shoot down the 139 Squadron commander, Wing Commander A. R. Oakeshott, who along with his navigator, Flying Officer V. F. E. Treherne, is killed. The other planes escape by increasing speed although 1 damaged by Flak over Flensburg crashes in Germany. This is the first Mosquito operation of 139 Squadron.
• 325 aircraft including 175 Wellingtons, 53 Lancasters, 35 Halifaxes, 34 Stirlings and 28 Hampdens are sent to bomb Bremen. 265 planes claim to have bombed the target, but it is probable that many of the bombs fell south of the city. Reports from Bremen indicate more than 1,000 houses suffer damage along with 4 industrial firms. There is also some damage in the port area. 5 people are killed and 4 are injured. 8 Wellingtons, 2 Hampdens, 2 Stirlings and 1 Halifax are lost on the raid.
• In support operations, 24 Blenheims are sent to attack airfields without any loss.

Air Operations, Libya

During the night HALPRO B-24s and 9th Heavy Bomb Squadron B-17s attack the harbor and German Army supply dumps at Tobruk.

Allied Planning

Instructions are issued for the occupation of the New Britian-New Ireland-New Guinea area. Starting August 1, the Allied forces are to occupy the Solomon Islands, then the northeast coast of New Guinea. Next they will seek to recapture Rabaul in New Britain and neighboring areas in New Guinea and New Ireland. The date for beginning the operation will later be pushed back a week.

Allied Supply

The British Board of Trade announces an agreement to control the supply of wheat involving the USA, UK, Argentina, Australia and Canada.

Arctic

QP-13 and PQ-17 pass each other. Reports of the sighting of both convoys and some of the covering forces are not properly reconciled by the Germans causing some confusion in their dispositions. There are unsuccessful air and submarine attacks on PQ-17. Farther south the Tirpitz, the Hipper and 6 destroyers leave their base at Trondheim.

Britain, Politics

(7/1?)In the House of Commons a Conservative Member of Parliament, Sir John Wardlaw-Milne, moves a vote of censure on the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The disasters in Africa have put Churchill in a very difficult position and he returned at once from Washington upon hearing of the fall of Tobruk. Even some of his close friends, like Adm Roger Keys and Leslie Hore-Belisha, join in the attack on him, arguing that the conduct of the war ought to be in the hands of someone not directly involved in the business of government. The motion of censure is defeated by 476 votes to 25. Churchill's speech winding up the debate does much to reassure MPs. He says: 'The will of the House should be made manifest upon important occasions. It is important that not only those who speak but that those who listen, watch and judge should count as a factor in world affairs. We are still fighting for our lives and for causes dearer that life itself. . . Sober and constructive criticism has its place, but the duty of the House is to sustain the Government or change the Government. If it cannot change, it should sustain. There is no middle course in wartime.'

Eastern Front

The Luftwaffe bombs Russian warships at Novorossisk. (when?)Sevastopol falls to the Germans after a protrackted and costly battle which began in October 1941.

The Red Army retreats before the German advance, with the 4th, 17th, 24th and 40th Armies pulling back toward Voronezh. This means that the 4th Panzer and 6th Armies, as they link up at Stary Oskol, fail to trap any Red Army units.[MORE]

Indian Ocean

British forces occupy Mayotte Island, north of the Mozambique Channel, in order to establish an air base there. It will eventually be used as a seaplane base.

New Guinea

The Australian 7th Bde is ordered to embark from its home base for Milne Bay.

North Africa

The 90th Light Div attempts to resume its advance but the South Africans continue to thwart its efforts.

The 8th Army was now falling back to a new defence line in Egypt, which was being augmented with minefields. South African engineers preparing mines for laying, Egypt, 2 July 1942.

8th Army Falling Back to New Defense Line

The Afrika Korps makes no move until the afternoon when it advances on the Ruweisat Ridge. It runs into the 1st Armored Div and makes no progress being outnumbered 3 to 1. About 1630 the 21st Panzer joins the 90th Light in a series of attacks on the 1st South African Brigade. They are all repulsed but Maj-Gen Dan Pienaar becomes alarmed and suggests his brigade should fall back that night. Lt-Gen Willoughby Norrie refuses, but Pienaar appeals to Auchinleck who tells him to use his own discretion. Pienaar then orders his brigade to withdraw, but Norrie sends forward detachments from the 50th Div with heavy artillery support to take its place and prevent any further Axis advance.

By the end of the day, the 15th and 21st Panzer Divs have only 26 tanks between them.

The British begin a counterattack, with the XIII Corps sweeping around Rommel from the south.

Pacific

The US submarine Plunger (SS-179) attacks a Japanese convoy off the mouth of the Yangtze and sinks the army cargo ship No. 3 Unyo Maru.