Air Operations, Europe

• 551 aircraft attack 5 V-weapon sites. In this total are 314 Halifaxes, 210 Lancasters, 26 Mosquitos and 1 Mustang. 4 of the targets are clear of clouds and are believed to have been bombed accurately. No results, however, are seen from the Forêt de Croc site.
• A No. 6 Group Halifax is lost on the raid on a Siracourt flying bomb store.

On his return from leading 617 Squadron's attack on the Mimoyecques site, Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire is ordered by the commander of No. 5 Group to leave the squadron and rest. Cheshire had completed 4 tours and flown 100 operations. Squadron Leaders J. C. McCarthy, K. L. Munro and D. J. Shannon, the three No. 617 Squadron flight commanders - all survivors of the Dams Raid - are also ordered to rest. 2 months later, Cheshire is awarded the Victoria Cross for his 4 tours and for his courage and skill in developing low-level marking. He does not fly on operations again.

The V-weapon storage facility at Mimoyecques was completely destroyed.

Mimoyecques V-Weapon Site

HM King George VI meets with Pathfinder crews

Queen Elizabeth and a rather thoughtful-looking Princess Elizabeth with Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett, the inspirational leader of the Pathfinders.

Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett

The Royal Guests Chat with a Canadian of No 8 (PFF) Group.

• 33 Mosquitos are sent to the Scholven/Buer oil plant and 3 to the Mezieres railway junction, 4 Stirlings lay mines off the Belgian and Dutch coasts and there are 6 Intruder and 16 flying bomb patrols. Mosquitos shoot down 6 flying bombs, their best success of the war.
• There are no aircraft losses.

Air Operations, Pacific

The first purpose-built US night fighter, the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, destroys a Japanese G4M bomber over Saipan.

Allied Command

Roosevelt forwards to Chiang Kai-shek the proposals made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Diplomatic Relations

Over the next few days De Gaulle is in Washington for talks on the status of his administration and aid for the fighting French.

Eastern Front

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front take Kovel, 70 miles east of Lublin. The Germans have pulled back in this sector. Svir, southwest of Minsk, is also taken.

Following the destruction of the XXVII Corps, the XII Corps attacks toward Minsk but it is halted by concentrated Russian fire. Casualties are severe as the Germans rush the Soviet lines, only to be gunned down in droves. Panic begins to spread throughout the remnants of the 4th Army.

The retreating LV Corps of the 9th Army escapes destruction as it falls back to Luninets. This is the only unit left to the 9th Army.

Germany, Command

Berlin announces that Field Marshal von Kluge has replaced Field Marshal von Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief West. Von Rundstedt was sacked for wanting to sue for peace after the Allied invasion.

Guam-Rota

Aircraft from US carriers begin a series of daily bombing raids on the islands of Guam and Rota, in the Marianas, in preparation for the landing.

Italy

In the British 8th Army sector the Polish 3rd (Carpatica) Div takes Osemo just south of Ancona on the Adriatic flank. Throughout the rest of July the German forces will fall back gradually from river to river, a few miles at a time. The next major delay will be on the Arno.

Marianas

In Saipan the Americans continue to push forward toward the north end of the island toward the village of Makunsha, but are still held up by the desperate Japanese defense in the Harakiri Gulch area. On the east coast the 24th Marine Regt advances rapidly as far as Mount Petosukara, meeting only sporadic resistance. At dawn Gen Yoshitsugu Saito calls his officers together and, after exacting from them a promise that they will not fall into enemy hands alive, kills himself in accordance with the Japanese code of honor. (When?)At almost the same time, Adm Nagumo commits harakiri. The remaining Japanese plan a final Banzai assault, a fierce suicide attack to salve Japanese honor.

New Guinea

On Numfoor units of the US 158th Inf take the Namber airstrip after a short amphibious operation. Squadrons of Australian P-40 fighters land on Kamiri airfield to support the land operations.

On Biak the Americans use loudspeakers to call on the Japanese in the eastern caves to lay down their arms.

Pacific

The Japanese destroyer Hokaze is sunk by the US submarine Paddle (SS-263) in the Celebes Sea.

Western Front

The American VII and VIII Corps continue their slow advance to the south in the direction of Lessay and Pèriers against exceptionally fierce German resistances.

Images from July 6, 1944

Infantrymen of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada with their 6-pounder anti-tank gun, Carpiquet, France, 6 July 1944

Infantrymen of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

Men of the 23rd Hussars, 11th Armoured Division, painting divisional and arm of service markings on a German Schwimmwagen captured from 12th SS Panzer Division (HitlerJugend), 6 July 1944.

Men of the 23rd Hussars

Soviet tanks with paratroopers of the 1st Baltic Front in the streets of Borisov, Minsk Region, 6 July 1944

Soviets in the Streets of Borisov

Marines March Through Garapan, Saipan, 6 July 1944

Royal Visitors for Pathfinder Squadrons, 6 July 1944

A fire swept through the tent at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, July 6, 1944, killing 168 people and injuring 484

Circus Tent Fire Tragedy

German assault gun StuG III, left on the bridge that Soviet aircraft bombed. In July 1944, the Soviet Air Force inflicted constant attacks on the retreating German troops. Far away in the sky features two Soviet Pe-2.

German Assault Gun StuG III

A section of Hawker Typhoon Mark IBs of No. 175 Squadron RAF take off from B5/Le Fresne Camilly, Normandy, watched by armourers at work on another Typhoon of No. 245 Squadron RAF.

Hawker Typhoon Mark IBs