Air Operations, Bonin and Volcano Islands

Covered by carrier aircraft from Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.3, escorting cruisers bombard Chichi Jima and Iwo Jima with complete impunity.

Following the bombardment by surface warships, Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.3 depart the area for Eniwetok.

Air Operations, Carolines

FEAF B-24s attack the Yap Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 10th Air Force B-25s attack Mohnyin. 2 B-25s attack a bridge at Hsenwi.
• 21 10th Air Force P-51s attack 4 rail bridges between Naba and Pinbaw.
• Several P-40s attack targets of opportunity near Myitkyina.
• P-47s and P-51s attack numerous targets throughout northern Burma.

• 47 14th Air Force P-51s and P-40s attack the Hengyang area.
• 28 P-40s attack Tengchung.
• 19 P-40s attack sampans and trucks near Changsha.
• 20 P-40s attack targets in the Yangtze River area.
• 23rd Fighter Group P-40s down 1 D3A 'Val' dive bomber and 4 Japanese fighters near Hengyang during a morning engagement.
• 76th Fighter Squadron P-51s down a D3A 'Val' dive bomber and a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Hengyang during a mid-afternoon engagement.

Air Operations, Europe

US 15th Air Force planes return to Italy, completing shuttle bombing missions against targets in Rumania after refueling and rearming in Russia. 8th Air Force B-17s at the same time bomb the German aircraft factory at Gdynia in Poland and proceed to their Russian base.

• 222 aircraft of Nos. 4, 5 and 8 Groups attack the Bois de Cassan and Forêt de Nieppe V-weapons sites. In this total are 107 Lancasters, 105 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitos. 1 Lightning accompanies the Bois de Cassan raid. The bombing at both targets is scattered. Some markers at the Forêt de Nieppe site are not accurate and some of the Master Bomber's instructions at Bois de Cassan are misunderstood resulting in more than half the bomber force there retaining their bombs.
• 3 Lancasters are lost on the Bois de Cassan raid.
• 51 Halifaxes, 6 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos bomb the railway center at Hazebrouck. The attack opens well, but the target becomes obcured by smoke.
• 1 Halifax is lost.
• 12 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitos of No. 617 Squadron bomb the U-boat pens at Lorient without a loss. 2 direct hits are scored.

• 40 Mosquitos attack the synthetic oil plant at Castrop-Rauxel. A large fire is seen.
• 1 Mosquito is lost.

• 7 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne and 4 to Forêt de Nieppe, 12 Stirlings lay mines off Brest, 22 aircraft are on Resistance ops, 10 Lancasters of No. 8 Group are on a special operation in support of ground troops described as 'a recce of target marking by ground forced in the battle area', and there are 10 Mosquito patrols and 14 RCM sorties.
• 1 mine-laying Stirling is lost.

Air Operations, Marianas

41st Medium Bomb Group B-25 gunships mount 2 missions in support of US ground troops on Guam.

Air Operations, New Guinea

Most of the 5th Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but some aircraft are able to attack artillery positions at Dagua and several targets of opportunity, and support ground troops near Sarmi.

Air Operations, Pacific

B-24s bomb Davao in the Philippines.

Battle of the Atlantic

US Army aircraft sink 4 German submarines, U-471, U-642, U-952, and U-969, near Toulon, France.

Burma

Gen William Slim orders the British and Indian XXXIII Corps to advance to the Chindwin and occupy Sittaung and Kalewa. It is at this point that they will have to cross the Chindwin.

Eastern Front

The oil facilities around Drogobych (Drohobycz) are taken by the Russians.

27,000 Jews being held in camps east of the Vistula are transported to Germany.

Laura falls to the 3rd Baltic Front.

Guam

US Marines and infantry have by now occupied two-thirds of the island. On the right flank of the 77th Inf Div the Japanese send in tanks against the 305th Regt sector, inflicting serious losses on the Americans, then suddenly retire before the latter can mount a counterattack.

Italy

Instructions are issued for the preliminary operations for an offensive against the 'Gothic' Line.

The Allied forces in Florence begin to cross the Arno into the northeren half of the city.

New Guinea

In the area of Aitape there are hard-fought encounters between the Americans and the Japanese.

Western Front

In the American 3rd Army sector units of the VIII Corps continue their offensive into the heart of Brittany cutting off the German troops there. US forces reach the German outer defense perimeter around Brest. Nantes is occupied. On the north coast of the peninsula Dinart, to the west of St Malo, comes under attack by units of the 8th Div, and the 83rd Div. The 4th Arm Div advances on Lorient. To the east, the XV Corps is making swift progress towards Le Mans and the 79th Div captures Laval, south of Mayenne. The 3rd Arm Div of the US VII Corps also reaches Mayenne from the north. Vire is taken by the 29th Div. Panzers counterattack the US forces in the Mortain-Vire sector.

Images from August 6, 1944

Men of an RAF airfield construction wing finish off the 5,000ft runway at Lingevres (B-19), 6 August 1944. Iron stakes are being driven in to secure the metal SMT (square-meshed track) surface, which was stored in rolls and had to be correctly tensioned to prevent it flexing in use. The airstrip took a mere six days to complete, and was the first to be constructed in Normandy by RAF manpower alone.

Working on a Runway

General de Gaulle saluting as he left the Town Hall in Lavel after addressing the people who had turned out to welcome him. Lavel was liberated by United States troops driving through Normandy on 6 August 1944.

Gen de Gaulle in Lavel

Lt-Gen George S Patton, commander of the US 3rd Army which became operational in Normandy in August 1944, part of the 12th Army Group

Lt-Gen George S Patton

Gunners at a mixed anti-aircraft battery on the South Coast mark their names on a shell case after shooting down a V1 flying bomb with only one round, 6 August 1944.

Mixed Anti-aircraft Battery

The Ruins of the Railroad Workshop of Lapy after the Withdrawal of the Germans, 6 August 1944

Private Margaret Hicks of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), serving with a mixed anti-aircraft battery on the South Coast, paints another V-1 flying bomb 'kill' on the battery scoreboard, 6 August 1944.

Painting the Kills

B-24 'Vivienne' in dire straits after a direct AA hit over Toulon on 6 August 1944. The aircraft went down, taking with it five of it's crew who were not able to bail out in time.

Anti-aircraft Hit over Toulon