Chronology of World War II

May 1944

Saturday, May 13

Air Operations, Carolines

VII Bomber Command B-24s mount an early-morning attack against the Truk Atoll.

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Air Operations, CBI

BURMA

More than 30 10th Air Force B-24s, B-25s, P-51s, and A-36s attack Indaw, Mohnyin, and Taungbaw.
11 B-25s attack Monywa.
Nearly 100 10th Air Force fighter-bombers support Allied ground forces and attack bridges and artillery batteries in the Mogaung Valley.
12 A-36s attack Maungdaw.

CHINA

19 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge at Hsenwi (Burma), tanks and motor vehicles near Loyang, the town area at Lungling, and warehouses at Lungling and Mangshih.
39 14th Air Force P-40s attack motor vehicles at Yingyangchen, a village near the Kaitou bridge, and Japanese Army facilities at Mengta and Tating.

INDIA

19 10th Air Force B-25s and 46 A-31s attack road targets and Japanese Army troop concentrations in the Bishenpur area.

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Air Operations, Europe

Synthetic oil plants at Luna, Brux, Lutzkendorf, Zwickau and Bohlen are attacked by the US 8th Air Force with 621 B-17s and 265 B-24s. The bombers are protected by RAF and USAAF fighters.

US 8th AIR FORCE
GERMANY:

272 1st Bomb Division B-17s dispatched against oil-industry targets in western Poland are diverted because of bad weather against the Baltic coastal cities of Stettin and Straslund, where they drop a total of 763 tons of bombs.

10 B-17s are lost

228 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack an aircraft factory at Tutow, as briefed, and 12 B-24s attack targets of opportunity.

1 B-24 is lost

178 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Osnabruck.

1 B-17 is lost

Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by a record 737 VIII Fighter Command fighters and 370 IX Fighter Command fighters. USAAF escort fighters down 54 Luftwaffe aircraft.

9 fighters with their pilots are lost

US 9th AIR FORCE
BELGIUM:

IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack coastal defenses and V-weapons sites.
P-47 dive-bombers attack tactical targets.

FRANCE:

IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack coastal defenses and V-weapons sites.
P-47 dive-bombers attack tactical targets.

IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack coastal defenses and V-weapons sites.
P-47 dive-bombers attack tactical targets.

US 12th AIR FORCE
ITALY:

The entire 12th Air Force devotes its energies to supporting the Allied ground attacks against the Gustav Line: 12th Air Force B-25s attack German-held towns directly behind the battle area; 12th Air Force B-26s attack several rail bridges; XII TAC A-20s attack a German Army command post; XII TAC fighter-bombers attack an array of tactical targets in and around the battle area.

US 15th AIR FORCE
ITALY:

The 15th Air Force dispatches more than 670 heavy bombers on missions in support of the Allied ground offensive: B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bologna, Piacenza, and Vicenza; B-17s attack a rail bridge and the marshalling yard at Bolzano, and marshalling yards at Bronzola and Trento.
On a separate mission by the 301st Heavy Bomb Group, 4 Azon-equipped B-17s lead a bombing run on a viaduct north of Trento. The guided bombs, and many others, blast a 70-foot gap in the viaduct and thus close down the rail traffic from Brenner Pass.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V and XIII Bomber command B-24s and V Bomber Command B-25s attack airfields in and around the Wakde Islands.
V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Sorido airfield on Biak, Japen Island, and antiaircraft batteries at Bosnik.
380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia attack the Namber airfield on Noemfoor and the airfield at Moemi.
V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers mount more than 200 sorties throughout the day against numerous targets between Hansa Bay and Wewak.

Allied Planning

Allied planners solidify the force build-up estimates for NEPTUNE. On D-day, the plan calls for 8-2/3 divisions to be on the beachhead. Staff estimates of casualties on D-day are set at 12,000 killed and wounded. On D+1, 10-1/3 divisions will be available, on D+6, 15-1/3 divisions are to be landed, and on D+12, 26-30 divisions will have arrived. By D+40, planners estimate that sufficient forces will be available to separate the US 1st Army from the 21st Army Group and create the US 12th Army Group. At the time, the estimated troop strength in France is to be 450,000 men and 92,000 vehicles.

Between D+1 and D+10, planners estimate a logistics requirement of 19,500 long tons of supplies per day. By D+25 to D+40, that number is estimated to increase to 42,000 long tons per day. These planning figures do no include fuel, which is estimated at 1,800 tons a day just for the Americans. By D+330, the Allies plan to reach the German border.

Battle of the Atlantic

One of the few Japanese submarines to operate in the Western Hemisphere, the Ro-501 formerly U-1224, is sunk in the mid-Atlantic by the American destroyer escort Francis M. Robinson (DE-220). This submarine had been presented to the Japanese by the Kriegsmarine.

Burma

Having unsuccessfully tried to take Tinkrukawng by a frontal attack and an attack on the flank, the Chinese and Americans push on to by-pass the Japanese positions. On the Salween River front the Japanese succeed in almost wiping out a Chinese battalion, but the situation is restored when reinforcements are sent, and the Japanese have to withdraw. Fresh Chinese regiments cross the Salween and recapture the positions lost on Tatangtzu Pass.

Eastern Front

The campaign in the Crimea is over. Altogether 130,000 Germans and Rumanians have been evacuated by sea and another 21,500 by air since April 12, but a further 78,000 have been killed or captured and many of those evacuated have been wounded.

Italy

The US and British forces continue to push forward doggedly. The 4th Div of the British XIII Corps succeeds in broadening its bridgehead on the north bank of the Rapido River in the face of bitter enemy resistance. Sant'Angelo is taken by the British. The Poles are again bloodily repulsed by the paratroopers defending Cassino.

The French, however, are still doing well. The 2nd Moroccan Div captures Monte Girofano and Monte Maio(Majo?) taking 1,000 prisoners, destroying the southern hinge of the Cassino line and opening the road to Rome. By the evening the 1st Moroccan Div reaches the Liri to the north. In the sector of Sant'Apollinare village the left wing German 71st Div suddenly gives way, and the French also gain some ground in the south.

The 4th Moroccan Div and 3rd Algerian Div have broken through the 'Gustav' line, taking Castelforte and Damiano and, later on, Monte Ceschito.

In the southern sector the American 88th Div of the US II Corps, captures Santa Maria Infante.

1Repeated attacks against Monte Cassino by Gen Anders' Polish forces during the night are skilfully repulsed by the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regt of the German 1st Parachute Div.