Air Operations, Carolines

• Carrier aircraft from Task Group 58.2 and 58.3 attack various targets in the Palau Islands.
• Carrier aircraft from Task Group 58.1 attack and photograph Fais Island, Ngulu Island, and the Sorol, Ulithi, and Yap atolls.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Woleai Atoll.
• VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll.
• A VF-1 F6F downs a B5N 'Kate' torpedo bomber at sea at 1220 hours.
• Carrier-based F6Fs down 6 Japanese fighters over the Palau Islands between 1515 and 1615 hours.

Air Operations, CBI

• 24 10th Air Force P-51s and P-40s attack targets around Kamaing, Myitkyina, and Mogaung.

• 24 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Yoyang.
• 51 14th Air Force P-51s and P-40s attack troops and transportation targets at or near Chaling, Changsha, Hengyang, Siangsiang, Siangyin, and Sinshih.
• 11 fighter- bombers support Chinese Army ground forces on the Salween River front.
• 5th CACW Fighter Group P-40s and a 23rd Fighter Group P-40 down 6 Japanese fighters near Yochow at 1545 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

• British Navy warships bombard the Sabang naval base off northern Sumatra, and British Navy carrier aircraft attack airbases in the Sabang area.
• During the night, 63rd Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s attack targets on Ceram and Halmahera.

Air Operations, Europe

The 8th and 9th Air Forces drop 4,000 tons of bombs on the German defenses in a small area near St Lô.

• 94 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group attack an airfield and signals depot at St Cyr. The bombing is accurate, but 1 Lancaster is lost.
• 81 Lancasters, 11 Mosquitos and 1 Mustang of Nos. 5 and 8 Groups attack 2 launching sites and the Watten storage site. All targets are bombed successfully.
• There are no losses.

• 412 Lancasters and 138 Halifaxes continue the attack on Stuttgart on the second of the 3 raids.
• 8 Lancasters and 4 Halifaxes are lost.
• 135 aircraft including 114 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos. 1, 4 and 8 Groups attack the Krupp oil refinery at Wanne-Eickel. Only a few bombs his a corner of the refinery and production is not affected. Other bombs hit the south-eastern part of Eickel, destroying 14 houses and killing 29 civilians, 4 foreign workers and 3 prisoners of war and causing production at the Hannibal coal mine to cease.
• There are no aircraft losses.
• 36 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups bomb 3 launch sites and succeed in destroying the launching ramp at the Bois des Jardin site.
• There are no losses.

• 21 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 15 to Mannheim and 6 to Somain, 4 Halifaxes lay mines off Brest, 5 Halifaxes are on Resistance ops, and there are 37 Mosquito patrols and 28 RCM sorties.
• 1 Mosquito of No. 100 Group is lost.

Despite Being Attacked by a Relatively Small Force of Lancasters, There Was a Large Amount of Damage to St Cyr

Another View of the Heavy Damage Inflicted on St Cyr

Air Operations, Marianas

318th Fighter Group P-47s attack Pagan and support US Marine Corps ground forces on Tinian.

Air Operations, New Guinea

5th Air Force bombers, fighter-bombers, and fighters attack Japanese Army troop concentrations and other targets in the Wewak area.

Carolines

Over the next 4 days 2 carrier groups from TF 58 attack Palau while a third sends its planes against Yap, Ulithi, Ngulu, Tais and Sorol. Mitscher is in command. The carrier planes sink the Japanese minelayer Sokuten near the Palau Islands.

Diplomatic Relations

Talks begin in Washington between British and United States representatives on arrangements for the control of oil production and trade in the postwar world.

Eastern Front

Troops of the 2nd Baltic Front cut the road between Dvinsk and Riga, in Latvia. The 1st Ukraine Front surrounds Lvov, while 4 Russian armored columns converge on Brest-Litovsk.

The Soviet Narva Operational Group assaults III SS Panzer Corps around Narva as the 2nd Shock Army launches a support attack, which forces the Germans out of the town toward the so-called Tannenberg Line. The forces of the 2nd Baltic Front are nearing Daugvapils.

The 1st Belorussian Front is tightening its grip on Brest-Litovsk, although the Germans are mounting counterattacks. The Soviet 2nd Tank Army is now on the Vistula near Deblin, followed by the Polish 1st Army.[MORE]

Germany, Home Front

Goebbels is appointed Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War and new decrees are issued cancelling vacations for women involved in war work.

Indian Ocean

In Operation CRIMSON Adm Sir James Somerville's British Eastern Fleet attacks the Japanese naval base at Sabang, Sumatra. First planes from the carriers Victorious and Illustrious are sent against the airfield, the 4 battleships along with cruisers and destroyers move in closer to shell the harbor and oil installations causing severe damage.

Italy

The British XIII Corps continues to advance in the direction of Florence.

Marianas

At least 7 attacks by the Japanese prevent the Americans from joining their beachheads on Guam. Some 3,500 Japanese soldiers are killed during the furious fighting, which is at its fiercest before the northern beachhead. Other attacks are driven off among the marshes of the Orote peninsula. Units from the southern landing force are also fighting on the Orote Peninsula.

After repulsing Japanese counterattacks during the early hours, 2nd and 4th Marines advance carefully to the south on Tinian. They occupy 2 of the island's 4 airfields.

New Guinea

A vigorous counterattack enables the troops of the US 127th Inf to open a gap for the surrounded units of the 112th Cavalry to return to the American lines.

Western Front

After an effective air bombardment Operation COBRA begins aiming at an advance by the American troops toward Coutances, southwest of St Lô. The main attack just west of St Lô is made by Gen Lawton Collins' VII Corps with VIII Corps on their right and XIII Corps to the left. There is a massive preparation, especially from the air. Carpet bombing is employed for the first time. More than 3,000 planes are involved including 1,500 heavy bombers from 8th Air Force. The aircraft drop 5,000 tons of bombs, plus napalm. Some of the bombers aim short and cause many casualties including US 1st Army Group Commander Lt-Gen Lesley J. McNair up to observe the operation. Despite this both VII and VIII Corps make good progress. The British attacks around Caen have contributed to draw away the German tank forces and reserves. South of Caen the Canadian troops are attacking along the road to Falaise but are meeting heavy resistance. A 3 km advance is made despite the strong resistance.

Images from July 25, 1944

Corporal Charles Timm of Yonkers, New York, playing with the cat owned by the French family he met while resting on the outskirts of St. Lo, July 25, 1944

Visiting with Civilians in St Lo

Two Liberators of the 852nd Squadron over St. Lo on 25 July 1944 during the attack which preceded the breakout that sent Allied forces racing across France and the Germans back into Germany. (Photo - Winston)

Liberators over St. Lo

Men of the 47th Infantry Regiment Walking through Hedgerow Country in Normandy, 25 July 1944

US Soldiers in Pisa, Italy, 25 July 1944

American Soldiers Race across a Dirt Road, which is under Enemy Fire, near St. Lo, 25 July 1944

Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 166 155, Paul Bergmann, BAL, Wolfring, Germany, 25 July 1944. Wolfring, a tiny village near Straubing. So it was on its way either to or from Puchhof airfield, one of the Abstellplätze for the Regensburg production line. It was crashlanded 25.07.1944 piloted by Paul Bergmann.

Me-109 Crash Landing

American Troops Leaving the First Troop Transport to Enter Cherbourg Harbor, 25 July 1944. (US National Archives)

Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 7th Brigade/3rd Canadian Infantry on the March near Ifs, FR 25 July 1944

German Panzer Lehr Panther XXX Destroyed by Operation COBRA bombs on 25 July 1944

Men of the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division near St. Giles, 25 July 1944

The Original Fury, the M4 Sherman tank 'Fury' during Operation COBRA

Canadian Medium Artillery Supporting Canadian Infantry In Operation SPRING, South of Caen, 25 July 1944