Air Operations, Carolines

• 20 5th Heavy Bom Group B-24s and 18 307th Heavy Bomb Group attack the Truk Atoll.
• During the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 15 10th Air Force B-25s attack the Tiddim-Imphal road.
• A small number of P-40s attack the Mogaung area.

• 14th Air Force B-25s, P-51s, and P-40s attack the Pingkiang area.
• P-40s support Chinese Army ground forces at Tantangtzu and Watien, and attack barges in the Gulf of Tonkin and on Tungting Lake.

• 10th Air Force B-25s airlift ammunition to Imphal.

Air Operations, Europe

A Ju-290 lands in northern Greenland and rescues a 26-man team of meteorolgists that were left there by U-boat in August 1943.

• 96 Lancasters of No. 5 Group and 4 Pathfinder Mosquitos attack the important German signals station at Ferme d'Urville which had escaped serious damage from a raid two nights previous. 3 of the Oboe Mosquitos place their markers perfectly and the Lancasters wipe out the stations.
• There are no losses.
• 127 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 3 and 8 Groups continue the deception raids on coastal batteries batteries at Calais and Wimereux. The bombing is accurate and there are no aircraft losses.

• 20 Mosquitos are sent to Ludwigshafen, and 5 to Argentan, 57 aircraft lay mines from the Scheldt River to Dunkirk, and there are 6 Serrate and 3 Intruder patrols and 4 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s attack Japen Island, Mokmer, Seroei, shipping off Manokwari, and the airfields on Normfoor and Biak and Timoeka.
• V Fighter Command P-38s attack the airfield at Babo, where many Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
• P-47s and P-40s attack Sawar airfield, dumps at Sarmi and along the Kai River, and coastal barge and troop hideouts.
• 5th Air Force B-24s and fighter-bombers attack coastal targets between Hansa Bay and Wewak.
• Planned attacks by V Bomber Command B-24s against Japanese Army positions on Biak Island are hindered by bad weather.
• Between 1105 and 1132 hours, 9 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 32 A6M Zeross based at the Sorong airfield, along with 10 Japanese Army fighters based at the airfield at Samate, attack a flotilla of destroyers and landing craft off Biak. Delayed by bad weather, 348th Fighter Group P-47s arrive at 1120 hours and immediately attack the Japanese aircraft, which are either shot down or driven away.
• 348th Fighter Group P-47s down 6 Japanese fighters over Biak Island at 1120 hours. 49th Fighter Group P-38s down 12 Japanese fighters over the Babo airfield at 1130 hours.

Burma

The Chinese and American forces of the 42nd, 150th and 89th Regts launch an assault on the Japanese positions, but are driven back with heavy losses, especially to the Americans. The Japanese rearguard leaves Kohima.

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting continues to rage on the Rumanian front, but the Germans can make little headway against fierce Russian resistance.

France

The French Committee of National Liberation proclaims itself the provisional government of the Republic.

Italy

The US forces advancing on Rome take Albano and Frascati. Other American and French units move forward along Route 6. In the British 8th Army sector the Canadian I Corps take Anagni.

Hitler authorizes Kesselring to withdraw from Rome. The disengagement operation has already been in progress for some time; according to Kesselring's plan, fighting south and southeast of Rome must be kept up as long as possible to allow the troops stationed in the city to be evacuated, and particularly to let the 14th Army retire beyond the Tiber. The operation is successful. Moreover, respecting the status of 'open city' proclaimed for Rome since August 13, 1943, and also in accord with an agreement made with the Resistance, the troops on leaving the city do not blow up the bridges over the Tiber nor any other buildings. In exchange, the partisans do not harass the retiring troops.

New Guinea

There are various Japanese attempts to bring reinforcements to Biak between now and June 12 but all are abortive. The US 186th Inf Regt continues to move west on a broad front, held up more by the nature of the terrain than by the enemy. The 162nd Regt, also advancing westward, is halted by the Japanese manning the Ibdi area. The Americans decide that they must eliminate this pocket before continuing the advance.

Images from June 3, 1944

New Zealand Tank Transporter Rumbles through Sora, Italy, 3 June 1944

New Zealanders find the Fibrino River a good change from the dusty roads they have covered as the enemy retreated in the Sora area, Italy, 3 June 1944

Changing Transportation

Commandos of 1st Special Service Brigade aboard LCI (S) (Landing Craft Infantry (Small)) at Warsash, Southampton, 3 June 1944

Commandos Aboard an LCI

Troops from 7th Battalion Green Howards, 69th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, cleaning and preparing their rifles aboard the LSI SS Empire Lance at Southampton, 3 June 1944.

Troops Cleaning Their Rifles

Canadian Troops Move through Frosinone, Italy, 3 June 1944

A Sherman Firefly and Sherman tanks of 'C' Squadron, 13th/18th Royal Hussars waiting to be loaded aboard landing ships at Gosport, 3 June 1944. The Firefly crew in the left foreground are Trooper Fred Shaw, Trooper Doug Kay, Sergeant Fred Scamp

Armor Ready To Be Loaded

New Zealanders Enjoying the Sunshine on the Banks of the Fibrino River, near Sora, in Italy, 3 June 1944

A young woman of Sora, Italy, gives a bunch of flowers to New Zealand soldiers after the town's capture, 3 June 1944

A Gesture of Thanks

Canadian manned M-5 tank and other motorized units are shown moving through the main street of Frosinone, on Highway 6, shortly after this important German communications center fell to the Eighth Army. Frosinone, Italy. 3 June 1944

Moving Through Frosinone

Men of 'K' Section, Signal Section, Headquarters 5th Parachute Brigade, discussing Invasion Currency at RAF Fairford, 3 June 1944

Discussing Invasion Currency

Piper Bill Millin entertaining the men of 45 Royal Marine Commando, 1st Special Service Brigade, as they prepare for the invasion, 3 June 1944.

Piper Entertaining Commandos

Music on the Banks of the Fibrino River, near Sora, in Italy, 3 June 1944