Air Operations, Carolines

41 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 10th Air Force A-36s attack Japanese Army ground troops at Mogaung.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Lanchi and the Chuchou area, large Japanese Army troop concentrations at Fenglinpu and Shanglishih, troop-carrying barges at Changsha, supply boats at Yoyang, and military targets at Ichang.
• A 76th Fighter Squadron P-51 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Kiatow in the morning and 5th CACW Fighter Group P-40s down 2 Ki-44 'Tojo' fighters in an engagement near Changsha at 0820 hours.

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

Air Operations, Central Pacific

A VB-109 PB4Y based at Eniwetok sinks a Japanese submarine at sea.

Air Operations, Europe

• 317 aircraft of Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 8 Groups attack railway targets at Aulnoye, Montdidier and St Martin l'Hortier. Included in the total are 196 Lancasters, 90 Halifaxes and 19 Mosquitos. All targets are covered by cloud and the Master Bombers at Aulnoye and Montdidier order their forces to stop bombing after only 7 and 12 planes had dropped their loads respectively. 87 aircraft of No. 4 group bomb the St Martin l'Hortier target, but results are unknown. 1 Lancaster is lost on the Montdidier raid.
• 90 Halifaxes, 19 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups bomb a site at Oisemont near Abbeville, but results are unknown.
• No aircraft is lost.

• 30 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 4 to the Scholven/Buer oil plant, 8 Stirlings and 4 Halifaxes lay mines in the Channel Islands, 12 Halifaxes are on Resistance operations, 54 Mosquitos are on Serrate, Intruder and flying-bomb patrols and there are 10 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Japan

12 28th Composite Bomb Group B-25s cover a US Navy surface force that bombards installations at Kurabu Cape in the Kurile Islands.

Air Operations, Marianas

• Task Group 58.2 and Task Group 58.3 withdraw from combat operations to refuel at sea while Task Group 58.4, freshly returned from the Bonins and Volcanos, mounts a 35-plane strike against the Pagan airfield.
• Due to the impending threat from the Japanese Navy’s 1st Mobile Fleet, aircraft from the fleet carriers and light carriers are diverted from planned ground-support missions to search for Japanses carriers as well as neutralize Japanese airfields on Guam and Rota. The US escort-carrier air groups remain on station at Saipan in sole support of the US troops ashore.
• Several VMO-2 and VMO-4 OYs are launched from the escort carriers USS Fanshaw Bay and USS White Plains to one of the landing beaches and a temporary beachside landing strip, from which they immediately begin mounting artillery-observation missions for the US Marine Corps divisions ashore on Saipan.
• A VF-10 F6F downs a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber at sea 35 miles from Task Force 58 at 1325 hours.
• A VF-14 F6F downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea at 1640 hours.
• VC-65 FMs down a Ki-21 'Sally' bomber and an A6M Zero at sea 30 miles from the task force between 1644 and 1651 hours. Escort carrier FMs down 2 G4M 'Betty' bombers, 3 B5N 'Kate' torpedo bombers, and 1 Ki-61 'Tony' fighter near Saipan at 1850 hours.
• At about 1750 hours, 5 B6N 'Kate' torpedo bombers and 1 J1N 'Irving' twin-engine night fighter based at Truk attack a group of large US landing craft east of Saipan. One troop-carrying LCI is mortally damaged by an aerial torpedo and 3 of the 'Kates' are shot down by antiaircraft fire.
• At about 1830 hours, 17 D4Y 'Judy' dive bombers, 31 A6M Zeros, and 2 P1Y 'Galaxy' bombers based at Yap damage an LST off Saipan and then attack the Task Force 52 escort carriers between 1850 and 1912 hours. 46 FMs are dispatched on an incorrect vector and miss the attack force, but ships’ gunners down several D4Ys and both P1Ys. Nevertheless, the USS Fanshaw Bay is seriously damaged by a bomb that kills 11 sailors and causes the ship to list. One returning VC-4 FM that is shot up by friendly antiaircraft gunners and then attacked by 4 other FMs makes an understandably bad landing aboard the USS White Plains that leads to the loss of 6 other FMs. In addition, 2 flight-deck crewmen are lost in operational accidents during post-battle night landings.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighters attack the airfield at Babo.
• B-25s, A-20s, and fighters attack the Wewak area.
• Escorted by 68 8th and 475th Fighter group P-38s that refuel at the Wakde airfield, 35 38th and 345th Medium Bomb group B-25s based at Hollandia attack Japanese shipping near Sorong.

Burma-China-India

On the Salween front the Chinese 87th and 88th Divs are ordered to withdraw in the area of Lungling.

In India where the British and Indians have resumed the offensive, the British have had 2,700 dead and 10,000 wounded since March 4, the Japanese about 30,000 dead.

China

Chinese forces fall back from the city of Changsha, which the Japanese begin to occupy. The third Battle of Changsha, as it will come to be known, is significant in that the Chinese won the first two battles in 1939 and 1941 and Changsha came to represent a point beyond which the Japanese could not penetrate. That they have indicated the determination of the Japanese to seize Hunan Province.

Iceland

The independent republic of Iceland is founded with Sveinn Bjöornsonn as president after a plebiscite with 97% in favor. The union with Denmark is ended.

Italy

On the main front the Polish II Corps replaces the British X Corps on the Adriatic sector. Sudden violent rain slows down the movements of the British X Corps; however, where a bridge has been completed over the Tiber about 3 miles north of Todi, the advance on Perugia continues along both banks of the river. Southeast of Perugia the 8th Div meets stiff resistance by the Germans.

Marianas

The US 27th Inf Div is landed on Saipan to reinforce the American advance there. The Marine divisions make some progress to both north and south, but cannot advance into the interior against the tenacious Japanese resistance. The aircraft of Task Force 58 do not give their usual support to the operations for they are engaged in the neutralization of Guam and in looking for the Japanese Fleet.

Mediterranean

In Operation BRASSARD the French 9th Colonial Div (Senegalese), of the French Expeditionary Corps led by Gen de Lattre, lands on Elba from 37 PT boats which penetrate dense minefields. They complete the occupation of the island on June 19.

New Guinea

On Biak the US 186th and 162 Regts occupy a hill overlooking the Japanese strongpoint in the island's western caves.

Pacific

The Japanese submarine RO-117 is sunk by US naval land-based aircraft (VB-109) from Eniwetok.

Western Front

The 9th Div, US VII Corps, launches a powerful offensive in the direction of Carteret, on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula. During the night a column reaches Carteret, cutting off Cherbourg and the northern part of the peninsula. Rommel wants to evacuate the peninsula, but Hitler refuses even to discuss abandoning it. Rommel has no alternative but to order the divisions in the north, 709th, 243rd, 91st, 77th, to sacrifice themselves for Cherbourg. The rest of the German LXXXIV Corps of Gen Friedrich Dollman's 7th Army is deployed in defense of the base of the Cotentin peninsula.

Hitler brusquely summons Rommel and von Rundstedt and Hitler to Margival, near Soissons, and Hitler flies into one of his rages. He says the army in the West has 'let itself be caught in its sleep' and accused the soldiers of cowardice. Rommel tries to argue, pointing out the disproportion between the Allies' numbers and those of the Germans, and again suggests evacuating the Cotentin peninsula. But Hitler will not give way. At the same time as the capture of Carteret, the 82nd Aiborne Div, now under the command of the VIII Corps, is ordered to establish a bridgehead on the right bank of the Douve River at Pont l'Abbé.

In the XIX Corps sector the 29th Div, advancing on St Lô, is engaged in a hard battle by the German 3rd Parachute Div.

Images from June 17, 1944

Sherman Tanks Move Up Past a Crash-landed Spitfire, for an Attack on Tilly-sur-Seulles, Normandy, 17 June 1944

A Cromwell tank crew of 4th County of London Yeomanry, 7th Armoured Division, preparing a meal in front of their vehicle, Normandy, 17 June 1944.

Cromwell Tank Crew of 4th County of London Yeomanry

French Troops Landing on Elba, Italy, 17 June 1944

25-pdr Field Guns in Action during an Attack on Tilly-sur-Seulles, 17 June 1944

Captain L Cotton MM (left, wearing a 'liberated' German Iron Cross!) with his Cromwell VI tank, 'Old Bill', and crew of 4th County of London Yeomanry, 7th Armoured Division, 17 June 1944. Cotton had been promoted to captain following the regiment's action at Villers Bocage.

Tank Crew of 4th County of London Yeomanry

5th Battalion Welsh Guards, Guards Armored Division, Moving Up to the Front Line, 17 June 1944

CAMOUFLAGED BRITISH COMMANDO SNIPERS GET FINAL INSTRUCTIONS – NORMANDY

Some of the fighting in the bridgehead resembles jungle fighting with snipers operating from hidden eyries and troops camouflaged with leaves and twigs. Under these conditions it remains just as fierce as more open operations. Picture shows: Officers of a Commando unit giving final instructions to two camouflaged commando snipers who are going to watch a German held house on the edge of Breville.

French Chaplain Gives Sacrament of Last Rites to French soldier on Marina di Campo, Elba, Italy, 17 June 1944

Camouflaged Priest 105mm Self-propelled Gun of 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery during the Assault on Caen, 17 June 1944

An aerial reconnaissance photograph taking over the 6th Airborne Division's area on the 17th June 1944. It is thought that the photograph was taken over Ranville, facing in a north-easterly direction, with abandoned gliders on LZ-N and the high ground of the Le Plein-Bréville ridge clearly visible in the lower half

6th Airborne Divisiion's Area

A Wrecked German SdKfz 250 Half-track in the Village of Christot, France, 17 June 1944

336 Battery at Douvre Radar Station the Day it was Captured, 17 June 1944