Air Operations, CBI

• 10 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Ye-u.
• 12 10th Air Force B-25s attack targets in the Tiddim road.
• B-25s and fighter-bombers complete more than 130 sorties against numerous targets in the Mogaung Valley.
• 21 B-25s and fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Bhamo and Bhamo itself.
• 14 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s supported by 14th Air Force P-40s attack warehouses at Lashio.

• 13 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Lungling.
• 6 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Pailochi, and a motor-vehicle convoy at Yoyang.
• 4 B-25s attack the airfield at Hankow.
• 51 P-51s and P-40s attack shipping in the Yangtze River.
• 16 P-51s and P-40s attack Kweiyi, Yoyang, and nearby targets.
• 10 449th Fighter Squadron P-38 fighter-bombers attack a bridge and warehouses at Nanchang.
• 12 P-40 fighter-bombers attack Pingkiang.
• 4 P-40s destroy several aircraft on the ground while strafing the airfields at Hohsien and Linfen.

• 36 10th Air Force A-31s attack the Moraing and Ukhrukl areas.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge at Kenglaung.

Air Operations, Europe

• Intensive Allied bombing prior to the Normandy invasion resulted in a month's toll of 900 locomotives and 16,000 freight cars destroyed in Nazi-occupied Europe.
• For the first time in nearly 4 years there are no British civilian air raid victims during a monthly reporting period.
• The US 15th Air Force (480 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators) bombs oil refineries and communications in the Ploesti area; 15 bombers are lost during the raid.

• 219 aircraft of all groups except No. 5 Group successfully attack the railway yards at Trappes west of Paris in two waves. Included in this total are 125 Lancasters, 86 Halifaxes and 8 Mosquitos.
• 4 Lancasters are lost.
• 129 aircraft of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups bomb a coastal wireless transmitting station at Au Fèvre and destroy 4 of the 6 masts. In this total are 109 Halifaxes, 16 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos.
• There are no aircraft losses.
• 115 aircraft including 60 Lancasters, 51 Halifaxes and 4 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups bomb a radio jamming station at Mont Couple which is 'rendered completely unserviceable'.
• There are no losses.
• 111 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attack the railway yards at Tergnier. The sidings and workshops are 'squarely hit'.
• 2 Lancasters are lost.
• 82 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group attack and destroy a railway junction at Saumur without a loss.
• 68 Lancasters of No. 5 Group raid a coastal gun battery at Maisy, but the area is cloud-covered and only 6 aircraft drop their bombs without a loss.

• 28 aircraft lay mines off the Dutch and French coasts, 9 aircraft are on Resistance operations, and there are 16 Serrate and 9 Intruder patrols and 14 RCM and 12 OTU sorties.
• 2 Halifaxes and 1 Hudson are lost on Resistance operations along with 1 mine-laying Stirling and 1 Intruder Mosquito.

One section of the vital railway bridge at Saumur was destroyed. (It is visible on the lower end of the structure).

Railway Bridge at Samur

Air Operations, Japan

1 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24 reconnoiters and attacks Buroton Bay.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s temporarily based at the Merauke airfield (on the south New Guinea coast) attack the airfields at Babo and Otawiri at minimum level.
• V Bomber Command A-20s attack boats off Japen Island and a landing ground on the Ransiki River.
• 17th Reconnaissance Squadron B-25s and 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s provide on-call support throughout the day for US Army ground forces on Biak Island.
• B-25s and V Fighter Command P-47s attack barges, artillery positions, and occupied villages in the Wakde Islands and Sarmi area.
• 5th Air Force B-24s and P-39s, and RAAF aircraft attack the area between Hansa Bay and Wewak.

Burma-China

Air drops of supplies begin to the Chinese divisions across the Salween River.

Eastern Front

The Germans continue their attacks in Rumania, throwing in strong tank, infantry and air forces.

The commanders of the BAGRATION fronts receive their orders for the coming offensive.

Having lost the 17th Army in addition to normal wastage, the German armies in the field are reduced by one SS panzer, 1 motorized and 6 infantry divisions, while the Ostheer receives only 2 infantry and 1 of the new Volksgrenadier divisions in return. German strength stands at 21 panzer, 9 panzer grenadier and 134 infantry divisions. Army Group Center loses its LVI Panzer Corps from reserve to Army Group North Ukraine.

Italy

The Canadians take Frosinone and X Corps takes Sora. The American VI and II Corps receive orders to mount an offensive against the Alban Hills. In the Anzio sector Velletri and Monte Artemino nearby fall to the US 36th Div while other units of VI Corps are attacking round Albano. By the capture of Velletri a gap is torn in the Caesar Line. The 85th Div captures Lariano and reaches positions across the road linking Velletri with Artena.

New Guinea

In the Wadke-Sarmi area the Americans reduce their defensive perimeter to have a greater concentration of fire, but still keep a small bridgehead over the Tor River. In the Hollandia-Aitape area there is considerable patrol activity by the Japanese. The Americans narrow down their holdings near Arare. At all their beachheads on the north coast there is considerable skirmishing. To the east Australian troops take Bunabum.

Pacific

• In Operation KON, which last until June 12, the Japanese dispatch 3 troop convoys to Biak but only 1 lands troops.
• The US destroyer escort England (DE-635) along with the destroyers Hazlewood (DD-531) and McCord and the destroyer escorts George (DE-697) and Raby sink the Japanese submarine RO-105 in the Bismarck Sea, northwest of New Ireland. This is the 6th successful attack on submarines by the England (DE-635) in 12 days.
• The Japanese frigate Ishigaki is sunk by the US submarine Herring (SS-233) in the North Pacific area.

Secret War

Agents land on the Ceylon coast from the Japanese submarine I-166.

Soviet Union, Planning

The Stavka issues its orders for the coming offensive against Army Group Center in Belorussia, codenamed BAGRATION. The Red Army has cleared the Ukraine and lifted the siege of Leningrad, and its advance in the north and south has created a large German salient that bulges into the east. Occupied by Army Group Center, it resembles the Kursk salient of a year previously, although with one difference: it contains weakened German forces that have no reserves upon whih to draw.

On the Eastern Front, the Germans have 1.5 million troops, mostly in understrength and ill-equipped divisions. In addition, the advance of the Red Army to the borders of German's Axis allies, Hungary and Romania, has weakened the resolve of these tow countries to such an extend that German troops not occupy Hungary to prevent its defection. On the opposite side, the Red Army fields 52 armies staffed with 5.5 million men for its offensive. The Stavka is also determined to defeat Finland, and thus the Leningrad and Karelian Fronts have been reinforces. Their combined strength is 450,000 troops, 10,000 artillery pieces, 800 tanks and 1,000 Katyushas, supported by 530 aircraft.

Images from May 31, 1944

Undamaged German Artillery Weapon near Cori, Italy, 31 May 1944

US Tank, Manned by French troops, Moves toward Ceccano, Italy, 31 May 1944

B-24 Liberators flying over the Concordia Vega oil refinery after dropping their bomb loads on the oil cracking plant, Ploesti, Rumania, 31 May 1944

Another Bombing of Ploesti

Burnt ruins of German 'Tiger' tank at Cori, Italy, 31 May 1944

Soldiers of the 2nd New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Battalion on an Armored Car in Italy, 31 May 1944

US Soldier Observes Troop Movements from Atop a Hut in Lanuvio, Italy, 31 May 1944