Air Operations, Carolines

• 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at Saipan attack the Yap Atoll.
• 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in the Marshall Islands attack the Truk Atoll.
• During the night, 868th Heavy Bomb Squadron SB-24s attack Japanese airfields and defenses in the Palau Islands.

Air Operations, CBI

• 24 10th Air Force P-47s support Allied ground forces around Thaikwagon.
• 4 P-51s attack various targets of opportunity at Aledaw and Myintha.

• 4 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 7 14th Air Force P-40s attack a pontoon bridge, sampans, and buildings in the Hengyang area.
• 13 P-40s attack river traffic, road traffic, and buildings in the Hengshan area.
• More than 60 fighter-bombers attack numerous targets while conducting sweeps across east-central China.
• A 23rd Fighter Group P-40 and a 26th Fighter Squadron P-51 each down a Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter near Hankow at an unspecified time.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Namlea (Boeroe) and Tobelo Island in the Molucca Islands.

Air Operations, Europe

142 Russian planes attack U-boats and shipping at Constanta.

Allied planes begin dropping limited supplies to the Polish Home Army in Warsaw.

• 3 Mosquitos make Ranger patrols and 1 Wellington is on 'signals watch'.
• There are no losses.

• 7 aircraft lay mines off La Pallice without a loss.

Air Operations, Japan

• 61 of 75 58th Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s dispatched from Chengtu, China, attack a steel plant at Yawata with 96 tons of bombs. 6 B-29s attack secondary targets and targets of opportunity. 14 B-29s are downed in combat or operational accidents, including one from which the crew bails out over Soviet territory. 2 of the B-29s lost over Yawata are downed as a result of an intentional ramming by a Ki-45 'Nick' figher.
• During the night, 10 of 13 58th Very Heavy Bombt Wing B-29s taking off late from Chengtu, China, attack a steel plant at Yawata and 5 attack nearby secondary targets.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s attack the airfield at Langgoer.
• A-20s and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack troops at Marubian, stores at Wom, and many targets in the Wewak area.
• P-39s and P-40s attack the Manokwari area.
• P-39s attack Windissi.
• P-40s support Allied ground forces at Napido.

Air Operations, Philippines

While 17th Reconnaissance Squadron B-25s photograph the area, 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack two villages on Talaud Island in the Sunda Islands. Also 5th Air Force F-5s begin photographing Japanese installations on Mindanao.

Baltic Sea

The Prinz Eugen bombards the Russian positions on the Gulf of Riga.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German submarine U-1229 is sunk by aircraft (VC-42) from the US escort carrier Bogue in the North Atlantic area.

Burma-China

On the Salween front, the Chinese blow up the Japanese fortifications at Sung Shan with mines, and after a bloody assault with flame-throwers and with bayonets, succeed at last in seizing the positions.

Eastern Front

After a fierce artillery preparation during the night a major Soviet offensive begins in the south with two main attacks near Jassy and Tiraspol. It is a massive undertaking involving 939,000 Red Army troops, 1,400 tanks and 1,700 aircraft. Malinovsky's 2nd Ukraine Front advance south around Jassy and Tolbukhin's 3rd Ukraine Front southwest from Tiraspol. Their attacks fall on the 3rd and 4th Rumanian Armies and the German 6th Army which in fact contains many Rumanian troops. At the same time the Rumanians turn on the Germans, seizing the bridges over the Danube and Prut Rivers, effectively trapping 16 German divisions. These forces are all part of Gen Freissner's Army Group South Ukraine. In the north in Latvia the Russian attacks also continue fiercely. The fire of the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen helps beat off one important Russian advance near Riga.

The Soviet Jassy-Kishinev Offensive begins. The 2nd Ukrainian Front launches a devastating assault on the Romanian 4th Army, the IV and VI Corps being shattered. The Soviet 52nd Army crashes into the junction between the German IV and Romanian IV Corps at Jassy, while the 27th Army pummels the Romanian VI Corps. Soon the Romanians are fleeing and the Soviet 53rd Army is inside Jassy.

The 3rd Ukrainian Front enjoys similar success. XXX and XXIX Corps are attacke by the Soviet 37th, 46th and 57th Armies and, following heavy fighting are put to flight. The Soviet 5th Shock Army attacks LII Corps at Kishinev as an assault by the 13th Panzer Div fails.[MORE]

France, Politics

Pétain is arrested by the Germans in Vichy for refusing to leave to go to an area safe from the Allied advance. Gen de Gaulle is in France and the FFI (resistance) forces claim to control eight departments.

Germany, Home Front

To commemorate the attempt on his life at the Wolf's Lair at Rastenburg on July 20, 1944, and his escape, Hitler introduces a special Wound Badge, which he awards to 24 recipients, or dependents in the case of the dead. He declines to award himself one of these medals. The Recipients are: Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Jodl, Walter Warlimont, Jesko von Puttkamer, Heinz Assmann, Nicolaus von Below, Hans-Erich Voss, Otto, Günsche, Hermann Fegelein, Adolf Heusinger, G. Borgman, Karl Bodenschatz, Walter Buhle, Walter Scherff, Gunter Korten, Heinz Brant, Berger (a Civilian), Rudolf Schmundt, von John, G. Büchs, Hagan, Welzenegger, Walter Hewell and von Schimanski.

New Guinea

Gen Walter Krueger announces that the fighting on Biak has come to an end. The Japanese have lost 4,700 dead and 220 prisoners. The Americans have had 2,555 casualties.

Northern France

The last units of the German 5th Panzer and 7th Armies which are to escape the Falaise pocket do so during the night by passing through the Allied lines around Chambois and St Lambert. 70 or 80 miles to the east troops of the 79th Div of Patton's XV Corps take crossings of the Seine at Mantes Grassicourt, 30 miles west of Paris. Farther up the river beyond Paris, XX Corps units reach the outskirts of Fontainebleau. The Americans also reach the Seine south of Paris, where the 7th Arm Div and the 5th of XX Coprs try to establish a bridgehead over the river at Melun and Montereau.

Occupied France

Resistance forces capture Toulouse and set fire to the Paix oil refinery at Douai.

Occupied Poland

The Home Army in Warsaw attacks from Zoliborz and the Old Town, but incurs heavy losses while doing so.

Southern France

The 3rd Div of the US VI Corps reaches the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence. The French troops of the II Corps continue their advance toward Toulon and Marseilles.

Images from August 20, 1944

A group of US infantrymen pose in front of a wrecked German tank while displaying a captured swastika flag. The infantrymen were left behind to mop-up in Chambois, France, last stronghold of the Nazis in the Falaise Gap area. August 20, 1944.

Posing with Nazi Flag

French People Welcome US Troops in Brignoles, France, 20 August 1944

A Sherman Firefly and Other Vehicles in the Village of Putanges, 20 August 1944

A German StuG III Assault Gun on Its side in the River at Putanges, 20 August 1944

One of the German POWs captured during the fighting at the PAST building located on Zielna Street, 20 August 1944

Captured German POWs

Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer' of Heeresgruppe Sudukraine in Hungary, 20 August 1944 (Photographer: Wilhelm Kreutzer)

Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer'

Sherman tanks of the 1st Armored Regiment (10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, 1st Polish Armored Division) at the start of Operation TOTALIZE.

Polish Sherman Tanks

Column of Cromwell tanks of the 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment (1st Polish Armored Division) moving towards enemy positions during the Battle of Falaise Pocket.

Polish Cromwell Tanks

Cromwell tanks of the 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment (1st Armoured Division) use a hedge for cover during the Operation TOTALIZE in Normandy.

Cromwell Tanks Taking Cover

Troops of the 1st Polish Armored Division showing their exhaustion after the battle of the Falaise Pocket.

Exhausted Polish Troops

German units destroyed by Polish division near Chambois – somewhere along the road Chambois – Vimoutiers, near 'Maczuga' ('Mace') – in the area called 'Psie Pole' ('Dog’s Field')

German Units Destroyed by Polish Division

German convoy destroyed by Polish soldiers in 'Korytarz Smierci' (the 'Corridor of Death'

Destroyed German Convoy

German Tiger 213 Moves along the Grand Rue Bourgtheroulde in Elbeuf, France, ca, 20 August 1944

French WACs debark a US landing craft, infantry in Provence-Alpes-CĂ´te d'Azur, France on 20 August 1944

French WACs Debark

A Sherman Tank Crossing the Newly-built Bailey Bridge at Putanges, 20 August 1944

Destroyed US Tank in Rians, France, 20 August 1944