Air Operations, Carolines

• FEAF B-24s attack the Yap Atoll.
• During the night, 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s attack Japanese airfields and defenses in the Palau Islands.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 10th Air Force B-25s attack Shwekyina.
• Several 10th Air Force P-51s attack the railroad station at Mingon.

• 16 14th Air Force P-40s attack motor vehicles around Changsha and Siangtan.
• 9 P-40s strafe the airfield at Taiyuan.
• 2 P-40s attack junks off China’s south coast.
• 5th CACW Fighter Group P-40s down 2 Ki-27 'Nate' fighters over the airfield at Taiyuan between 1250 and 1310 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfields on Halmahera and Boeroe.
• During the night, 31 58th Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s based at Chengtu, China, and staging through China Bay, Ceylon, attack an oil refinery at Palembang, Sumatra.
• 8 B-29s sow 16 mines in the Moesi River near Palembang.
• 3 B-29s attack targets of opportunity.
• The flight from Ceyon to Palembang and back is the longest direct, non-stop flight undertaken by USAAF combat aircraft in World War II — 3,900 miles. One B-29 is lost due to a fuel shortage.

Air Operations, Europe

• 98 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups attack aviation fuel storage tanks at Dugny, near Paris. The bombing starts badly but becomes concentrated.
• There are no losses.
• 60 Lancasters of No. 1 Group and 20 Pathfinder Mosquitos attempt to bomb a flying bomb site at Ferme du Forestal, but cloudy conditions create difficulties. Only 17 Mosquitos and 13 Lancasters actually attack, possibly because the aircraft of No. 1 Group are not used to the Oboe-leader technique.
• There are no losses.
• 4 Wellington fly RCM sorties without a loss.

• 215 aircraft including 109 Lancasters, 101 Halifaxes and 5 Mosquitos, of Nos. 5, 6 and 8 Groups successfully attack oil depots at Bordeaux and La Pallice.
• There are no losses.
• 104 Halifaxes of No. 4 Group and 20 Lancasters of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups attack a railway junction and the railway yards at Dijon. The damage is extensive.
• 2 Halifaxes are lost and a third crash-lands in a liberated part of Normandy.

• 32 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 3 Lancasters of No. 8 Group are sent to Bremen, 12 Lancasters lay mines off the Biscay ports, 8 aircraft are on Resistance operations, and there are 37 Mosquito patrols and 8 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.
• The 3 Pathfinder Lancasters which bomb Bremen are the first Lancaster Mark VIs flown on operations by Bomber Command and they drop the Command's first 10,000lb bombs.

• 162 2nd and 3rd Bomb Division b-24s, escorted by 238 VIII Fighter Command P-51s, attack bridges and fuel dumps southeast of Paris. Escort fighters strafe rail and other transportation targets.
• 1 B-24 and 3 P-51s are lost
• Throughout the day, VIII Fighter Command fighters mount 298 effective sorties against numerous rail targets in eastern and central France.
• 11 planes are lost with their pilots

• Nearly 200 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack rail embankments and bridges around Paris.
• USAAF fighter pilots down 15 Luftwaffe fighters over northern France between 0806 and 1830 hours.
• IX Troop Carrier Command C-47s parachute supplies to elements of the US 30th Infantry Division that are encircled at Mortain.

• 12th Air Force fighter-bombers attack coastal gun emplacements.

• More than 450 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack six oil refineries in the Ploesti comples.
• 31st Fighter Group P-51 pilots down 4 Bf-109s in an engagement over Romania at 0955 hours.

Air Operations, Japan

• 4 28th Composite Bomb Group B-25s attack 2 Japanese Navy patrol boats near Shimushu Island in the Kuriles.
• During the night, 24 58th Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s based at Chengtu mount individual attacks against the Nagasaki city area, and 3 B-29s attack targets of opportunity.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s attack the airfield at Langgoer.
• V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Manokwari, Sorong, occupied villages around Geelvink Bay, and IJA ground forces between Aitape and Wewak.

Air Operations, Pacific

The USAAF begins a 7-month bombardment of Iwo Jima.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

B-24s of the VII Bomber Command’s Saipan-based 30th Heavy Bomb Group mount the first land-based attack of the war against Iwo Jima.

Battle of the Atlantic

Liberator 'C' of No 53 Squadron RAF spots submerged U-boat U-608 and drops 6 depth charges. The aircraft reports the contact to the 2nd Escort Group. The British destroyer Wren and the frigate Loch Killin take up the search. After receiving a firm echo sounder trace Loch Killin attacks with 6 depth charges. Badly damaged, the U-boat surfaces and is scuttled.

U-608

CBI

Because it is no longer combat effective, the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders, is disbanded. The unit has suffered 2,394 casualties (sick, killed, wounded, and missing) during the campaign.

The 14th Air Force reports that since its operations against Japanese ground forces in China began on May 26 over 100 Japanese aircraft have been destroyed, along with nearly 600 trucks, 1,000 small boats used for supply, and 100 bridges. During this same period 3 US aircraft have been lost in combat.

Eastern Front

There is a lull along a great part of the front. The Polish patriots in Warsaw still have to bear the weight of German repression by themselves. The Russians ignore their request to give them at least some support from the air. The patriots now ask London for help.

Troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front force the crossing of the Narew River near Bialystok.

The 3rd Baltic Front extends its attack as the 67th and 1st Shock Armies join the push toward Riga. In heavy fighting on the southern wing of the 1st Baltic Front, the 2nd Guards Army takes Rasianiai.

The 3rd and 48th Armies of the 2nd Belorussian Front cross the Narew near Bialystok.

Guam

The Americans wipe out the last serious opposition in the north of Guam. Several hundred Japanese have been killed during the mopping up operations. In the fierce fighting for the capture of the island the Americans have suffered 7,000 casualties including 1,400 killed. The Japanese have lost over 10,000 according to official figures, though since the number of troops manning the island was over 15,000, their losses may have been even higher. There are less than 100 Japanese prisoners. There are various small groups of Japanese holding out in jungle hideouts and one survivor at least will stay in the jungle until 1972.

Italy

The advance of the Polish II Corps reaches the Cesano River.

Mediterranean

The Allies open the first phase of the air operations in preparation for Operation DRAGOON, formerly ANVIL, the landing of Allied forces in the south of France.

New Guinea

On Numfoor Island paratroopers of the 503rd Regiment make contact again with the Japanese southwest of Inasi, and try to surround them. The last defenders are encountered at Hill 380 and eliminated by elements of the 503rd Parachute Infantry. The battle for the island costs the Americans 65 killed and 343 wounded. Over 2,000 Japanese are killed.

The last Japanese forces resisting near the Driniumor River are eliminated. Those who have not been killed have retreated toward Wewak. The 43rd Infantry Division takes over the Driniumor-Aitape defenses. The Japanese have lost over 8,800 men in 30 days of near continuous combat. American losses stand at 597 killed, 1,692 wounded, and 85 missing.

Pacific

• The US submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Seiyo Maru (10,536t) off Minami Daito Shima.
• The US submarine Cod (SS-224) sinks the Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Toseki Maru south of the Celebes.
• The US submarine Guitarro (SS-363) attacks a Japanese convoy off the northwest coast of Luzon and sinks the merchant tanker Shinei Maru (5135t).

Western Front

British troops of the 49th Div operating as part of Canadian 1st Army, meeting with tough resistance, take Vimont in the attack south of Caen.

In Brittany units of the American VIII Corps continue their operations against Dinard and St Malo, Brest and Lorient. To the south, units of the 4th Arm Div enter Nantes and reach the Loire. In the US XV Corps sector, armored columns continue to advance toward Alençon.

In the Avranches-Mortain sector the US VII Corps now takes the initiative and the German divisions begin slowly to withdraw to the east.

Images from August 10, 1944

Inspecting a Knocked-out King Tiger Tank

A US 105-mm M3 Howitzer In Action

The 155-mm Artillery Piece

Diamond Awards Ceremony for Sepp Dietrich