Air Operations, Carolines

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 a bomb dump at Pinwe.
• 26 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack Mawlu, Pinbaw, and Pinwe.
• 20 fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army troops and dumps at Mankwi, Myothit, and Tali.
• 7 fighter-bombers attack two bridges.

• More than 30 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the airfield at Pailochi, shipping at Takao (Formosa), and the cities of Hengyang, Sinsiang, and Tungling.
• 51 14th Air Force P-51s and P-40s attack the Hengyang area.
• More than 50 fighter-bombers attack troops, rail lines, shipping, and motor traffic across a broad area.
• 18 P-38s and P-40s attack Tengchung.

Air Operations, Europe

1,000 Allied heavy bombers attack roads leading to the Seine from Paris to the sea. There are also heavy raids on railway bridges in southern France.

• 28 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of No. 5 Group attack the U-boat pens and shipping at Brest. Hits are claimed on the pens, on the hulk of an old French battleship, the Clémenceau, and on a medium-sized tanker. The object of the attacks on ships is to prevent the Germans using any of the large ships in Brest to block the harbor just before its capture by American troops.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.
• 15 Lancasters of No. 5 Group bomb an oil depot at Bordeau accurately.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.
• 8 Mosquito fighters and 1 RCM Wellington of No. 100 Group carry out operations without a loss.

• 30 Mosquitos are sent to Hannover, 10 Halifaxes and 5 Lancasters lay mines off Biscay ports, 4 Halifaxes are on Resistance operations, and there are 15 Mosquito patrols and 22 RCM and 9 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack bivouacs and dumps at Manokwari.
• V Fighter Command P-39s join US Navy PT-boats in an attack against Dagua.
• P-39s and P-47s support Allied ground forces at Sarmi and attack Cape Wom, Matapau, Suain, and Ulban.

Air Operations, Philippines

14th Air Force long-range aircraft reconnoiter the docks at Manila. Upon learning of this mission, both Gen Joseph W. Stilwell and Gen Douglas A. MacArthur warn Maj-Gen Claire L. Chennault that he is not authorized to open a bombing campaign against targets in the Philippines.

China

Gen Claire Chennault sends a number of reconnaissance aircraft of the US 14th Air Force on a mission over Manila, in the Philippines. His action is immediately criticized by Stilwell and MacArthur, who insist, on political grounds, that the Philippines must not be bombed.

Eastern Front

Verro falls as the 67th Army advances upon Tartu and the 1st Shock Army upon Valk (now Valga).

A powerful German attack was directed at the Old Town's northern and western defence lines. This afternoon soldiers of the Gustaw Battalion captured a German tank, which turned out to be a trap. German troops attacked a barricade in the Old Town Sector with three tanks. Two of their tanks withdrew under heavy fire from insurgents but the third one, though smaller in size, sped toward the barricade under cover of German fire. The crew then jumped out and escaped. The insurgents noticed that the tank was intact and seemed to be in good working order so they dismantled part of the barricade at Podwale Street and drove the tank into their compound on Kilinskiego Street. At first it caused quite a sensation and hundreds of insurgents and civilians gathered round to get a look at it. Forty five minutes later in front of house no. 1, the tank exploded with great force killing over 350 people. Among the dead are about 100 Polish soldiers from the "Rog" Regiment and units from "Gustaw","Wigry", and "Gosdawa" battalions, as well as many civilians. AK engineers later concluded that the Germans had rigged the tank with high explosives which was detonated by remote control.

Bach-Zelewski realizes it is going to take a house-by-house struggle to destroy the Home Army. To blast the Poles into submission, the Germans bring up a 600-mm mortar, a pair of 380-mm howitzers and two 280-mm howitzers.

Italy

Indian troops cross the Ponte Vecchio in Florence to help Italians clear the city of Germans.

Pacific

• The US submarine Flier (SS-250) sinks from an internal explosion in the Balabac Strait, North Borneo.
• The US submarine Bluegill (SS-242) sinks the Japanese submarine chaser No. 12 in the Philippine Islands area.

Western Front

German troops start pulling out through the Falaise gap. The escape corridor is held open by fierce German resistance. US and Canadian units begin sweeping around the Falaise-Argentan outlet to close it. Argentan is largely cleared by XV Corps attacks but Gen Bradley, commanding 12th Army Group, orders a halt here. To the south units of XII and XX Corps are advancing on Orleans and Chartres from around Le Mans. Southwest of Le Mans, meanwhile, the American 4th Arm Div and 35th Div are concentrated under the command of Gen Manton Eddy in XII Corps. Their first mission is to advance east in the direction of Orléans.

After reaching Mayenne, the VII Corps moves north toward the road connecting Vire with Argentan.

Images from August 13, 1944

Home Army soldier armed with Blyskawica submachine gun defending a barricade in Powisle District of Warsaw during the Uprising, August 1944

Home Army Soldier Defending a Barricade

Soldiers and sailors singing hymns during religious services on board LST-4 en route to Southern France, 13 Aug 1944. (US National Archives)

Religious Services On Board LST-4

Indian Soldier Checking for Mines around a Deceased Civilian in Florence, Italy, 13 August 1944

Upton Lane School, Forest Gate, London, Hit 12/13 August 1944

USAT George O. Squier (AP-130), which would carry Headquarters and Units I + III to Southern France. The transport departed the Port of Naples, Italy, on 13 August 1944, to rendezvous with the TF# 87 convoy, which was to participate in Operation Dragoon, the Invasion of Southern France set for 15 August 1944.

USAT George O. Squier (AP-130)

German heavy tank T-VIB 'Tiger II' No. 502, taken on 13 August 1944 during the fighting in Sandomierz bridgehead. On the barrel of the cannon in memory of the commander of the 2nd tank battalion of the 53rd guards tank brigade major A. G. Korobova, inscription 'Glory Korobova'.

German heavy tank T-VIB

A Cromwell Tank at 22nd Armored Brigade Workshops, 7th Armoured Division, Villers Bocage, 13 August 1944

REME officer points out the work to be done on a disabled Sherman tank recently arrived at 22nd Armoured Brigade workshops, 7th Armoured Division, 13 August 1944. The Sherman is an artillery OP tank in 5th Field Regiment RHA

Disabled Sherman Tank at a Workshop

Burnt and destroyed case of the German Borgward B IV, which exploded on August 13, 1944 (Leonard Sempolinski, August, 1944)

Destroyed Case of the German Borgward B IV

Searching of ruins and rescuing of the buried in the building at 3 Kilinskiego Street destroyed as a result of the explosion of the German charge carrier (Wieslaw Chrzanowski, 13.08.1944)

Search and Rescue in Warsaw

Destroyed apartment houses in Podwale Street (no. 32, 34 and 36), shot from the side of Kilinskiego Street after the explosion of the German charge carrier on 13 August 1944. On the left side - the insurgents of "Anna" company, "Gustaw" battalion, in their way to defense positions in Slepa Street. (Wieslaw Chrzanowski, August 1944)

Destroyed ?Apartment Houses in Podwale Street

This is the German Tank Rigged to Explode