Air Operations, Bonin and Volcano Islands

Carrier aircraft from Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.3 attack Chichi Jima and Iwo Jima. When a Japanese convoy composed of 5 freighters, 2 large landing ships, 1 destroyer, and 2 destroyer-escorts attempts to flee the area, the US Navy carrier aircraft claim all 5 freighters, the 2 landing ships, and 1 destroyer sunk, and escorting US Navy cruisers sink the 2 destroyer-escorts.

VF-19 F6Fs down 2 A6M Zeros over the Iwo Jima area at 1100 and 1240 hours, respectively.

Air Operations, Carolines

FEAF B-24s attack Utagal Island and the airfield on Yap.

Air Operations, CBI

• 10th Air Force B-25s support Allied ground forces advancing on Sahmaw.
• 10th Air Force P-51s support Allied ground forces around Sahmaw and Taungni.
• Fighter-bombers attack a wide range of targets across northern and central Burma.
• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s under 14th Air Force control attack the airfields at Hsenwi and Lashio.
• 4 449th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack two bridges at Mongyu.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Mangshih.
• 70 14th Air Force P-40s attack shipping, dumps, and ground troops in the Tungting Lake and Yangtze River areas.
• 32 P-40s attack Tengchung.
• A 5th CACW Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter over the Siang River at 0555 hours.
• 3rd CACW Fighter Group P-40s down 2 transports near Sinti during the morning.
• A 23rd Fighter Group P-40 downs a D3A 'Val' dive bomber in an engagement near Hengyang at 1400 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack oil facilities at Boela.
• A 475th Fighter Group P-38 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter over Piroe (Ceram) at 1145 hours.
• A 49th Fighter Group P-38 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter over Amboina.

Air Operations, Europe

For the first time, at the request of the Russians, fighter-bombers of the US 15th Air Force carry out a huge raid on a number of Rumanian airfields, and land on Russian bases.

The Gloster Meteor jet fighter debuts against V-1s.

• 291 aircraft of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups attack the flying bomb sites at Bois de Cassan and Trossy St Maxim in clear visibility. Include in the total are 169 Halifaxes, 112 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos.
• 2 Halifaxes of No. 6 Group are lost on the Bois de Cassan raid and 2 Lancasters are lost on the Trossy St Maxim raid.
• 288 Lancasters of Nos. 1, 3 and 8 Groups attack the Bec-d'Ambes and Pauillac oil storage sites in clear conditions and without a loss. 27 Serrate Mosquitos are used as escorts to the bombers attacking these 2 sites. This is the first use of Group No. 100 Mosquito fighters in this way. They do not encounter any German fighters.
• 27 Lancasters, 2 Mosquitos and 1 Mustang of No. 617 Squadron attack a railway bridge at Étaples. Some hits are scored but the 1,000-lb bombs used fail to destroy the bridge.
• There are no losses.
• 3 Mosquitos attache the Forêt de Nieppe storage site without a loss.

• 12 Halifaxes lay mines off Brest, 29 aircraft are on Resistance ops and there are 11 OTU sorties.
• 1 Halifax and 1 Lysander are lost on Resistance operations.

A posthumous Victoria Cross is awarded later to Squadron Leader I. W. Bazalgette of No. 635 Squadron, captain of one of the aircraft lost on the all-No. 8 Group raid on Trossy St Maxim. Bazalgette's Lancaster was hit by flak and set on fire while approaching the target but the pilot carried on to release his markers and bombs on the target. (The statement in the VC citation that Bazalgette was Master Bomber for this raid is not correct, although he had acted as Master Bomber on earlier raids.) On leaving the target, the Lancaster dived steeply, almost out of control, but the pilot was able to recover from this and 4 members of his crew were able to bale out. Bazalgette then made a good crash-landing in an attempt to save his wounded bomb aimer and the mid-upper gunner who was overcome by fumes or smoke, but the Lancaster exploded and all 3 men still inside were killed. Squadron Leader Bazalgette and his 2 comrades are buried at the small village of Senantes.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack Faan.
• B-25s and A-20s attack the airfield at Nabire and oilfields at Kasim Island and Klamono.
• A-20s and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack barges, troops, and dumps east of the Driniumor River and in bypassed areas.
• P-39s attack Pegun Island.

Atlantic

Germant MTBs fire T3D Dackel ('Daschhund') long-range torpedoes at shipping in Seine Bay. This is repeated 5 more nights in August. Only 2 ships are hit.

Burma

On the Salween front the Chinese succeed in penetrating the town of Teng-chung, where bitter house-to-house fighting takes place. The British 2nd Div, XXXIII Corps, coming up from the area of Imphal, occupies Tamu, across the Burmese frontier.

Eastern Front

The German Army Group North pushes back the troops of the 1st Baltic Front which have reached the Gulf of Riga and reopens the Estonia-Latvia corridor between Riga and the Russian salient north of Jelgava.

The 16th Army launches a fierce counterattack in Latvia, hitting the 51st Army south of Jelgava. Heavy fighting ensues but the German progress is slow.

In Warsaw the Poles gain control of the Mokotow, Czerniakow, Powisle, Old Town and Zoliborz districts but come under increasingly heavy German counterattack. More and more German units, mainly SS, are poured into the city. Some of these units are of the worst type, made up of criminals and murderers, an example being the infamous Dirlewanger Brigade, Elements of the 19th Panzer Divison fight their way across the city from the Praga suburb but encounter fierce resistance.

To the south the 1st Ukrainian Front commits the 5th Guards Army to the fighting at Sandomierz.

Finland, Home Front

Pres Risto Ryti resigns and Carl Mannerheim takes over and forms a 'peace government'.

Guam

The US 77th Inf Div takes Mount Barrigada and links up with the 3rd Marine Div advancing on its left. American progress is slowed down more by the terrain than by Japanese resistance. The bombardment of Mount Santa Rosa by American warships continues day and night.

Italy

Indian and New Zealand troops of the British XIII Corps reach the south bank of the Arno near Florence. Advance guards of the South African 6th Arm Div penetrate into the southern suburbs of the city, from which the Germans have withdrawn after destroying all the bridges over the Arno except the Ponte Vecchio. The Allied plans are revised according to proposals from Gen Oliver Leese that the next major offensive should be mounted by 8th Army in the sector near the east coast.

New Guinea

After a last, desperate attack in the Afua area the Japanese withdraw to the south. The Americans prepare to advance across the Driniumor River.

Occupied Holland

In Amsterdam the Jewish Frank family are betrayed to the Gestapo.

Occupied Poland

The Home Army now controls the Mokowot, Czerniakow, Powisle, Old Town and Zoliborz districts of Warsaw.

United States, Home Front

The XP-47J experimental fighter aircraft attains a speed of 811 km/hr in level flight.

Volcano Islands

Adm Joseph J. Clark leads two groups of TF 38 in attacks on Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima. One Japanese destroyer, the Matsu, and two transports, Nos. 4 and 133, are sunk and considerable damage done.

Western Front

In Brittany the German forces, Gen Wilhelm Farmbacher's XXV Corps, pull back to major ports, St Malo, Brest, Lorient and St Nazaire (these last two will hold out until May 1945). The 6th Arm Div advances on Brest, the 4th moves northwest toward Vannes. Rennes is captured by the 13th Regt, 8th Div. In the US 1st Army sector, VII Corps reinforces its positions at Mortain, and some of its units move southward toward Mayenne.

The XIX Corps has to face a new German counteroffensive, while the V Corps reaches its objectives in the Vire sector. In the British sector Gen Montgomery order the Canadian 1st Army under Gen Harry Crerar to advance in the direction of Falaise as quickly as possible. The 43rd Div of XXX Corps captures Hermilly while the 50th Div captures Villers-Bocage.

Images from August 4, 1944

Clearing by the Royal Canadian Engineers of rubble in order to start an other road to the river bridges, Caen, Normandy, 4 August 1944.

Clearing Rubble near Caen

A Sherman Tank Enters Florence, 4 August 1944

Sherman DD Tanks Move Along a Narrow Lane towards Ondefontaine, 4 August 1944

Sherman Tanks Pass a Column of Churchills as They Advance towards Vassy, 4 August 1944

British Royal Engineers search for mines near a knocked out German Panther tank, near Villers Bocage, 4 August 1944

Searching for Mines

A Sherman artillery tank of the 22nd Field Regiment, South African 6th Armoured Division, enter Florence through the Porta Romano, 4 August 1944.

Sherman Artillery Tank Enters Florence

Vertical aerial photograph taken during a daylight attack on an oil storage depot at Bec d’Ambes situated in the Garonne estuary at the confluence of the Rivers Garonne and Dordogne, France. An Avro Lancaster of No. 514 Squadron RAF flies over the target area while dense clouds of smoke rise as bombs burst among the oil storage tanks, 4 August 1944.

Attack on Oil Storage Depot

An American Soldier Inspects a Jeep Cut In Two by a Mine on the Road to Saint Sever, France, 4 August 1944

Jubilant citizens of Florence greet a New Zealand tank on 4 August 1944, the day the city was liberated by the Allies during the Italian Campaign

Citizens of Florence Greet Liberators

Sherman Tanks and Bren Carriers on the Road to Montchamp during the Advance towards Vassy, 4 August 1944

NZ Infantry Moving along the Road towards Florence after Engaging Enemy Forces West of the City, 4 August 1944

Mannerheim was elected President of the Republic (from 4 August, 1944, till 8 March, 1946), because he was considered the only person that could steer the country to peace.

Finnish President Mannerheim