Air Operations, Carolines

• 30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at Saipan 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

• 32 10th Air Force P-47s support British Army ground forces advancing on Pinbaw.
• 8 P-51s attack Japanese Army ground troops near Kadu.
• 6 P-47s attack Onsansaing.

• 7 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 21 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets in and around Anjen, Hengyang, and Lingyang.
• More than 40 fighter-bombers attack various targets across east-central China.
• 30 10th Air Force fighter-bombers attack targets on the Salween River front or along the Burma Road.
• A P-40 with the 3rd CACW Fighter Group’s 8th CACW Fighter Squadron downs 2 Ki-44 'Tojo' fighters over Kaifeng Bridge at 1130 hours.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Galela area and Saumlakki.

Air Operations, Europe

211 people are killed by a V-1 at East Barnet, London.

• 46 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne. Local reports mention the heavy damage caused by 13 4,000-lb bombs which fall in residential areas. 721 domestic and 64 commercial or industrial buildings are either destroyed or damaged with 571 receiving only slight damage. 1 gasometer is blown up.
• 8 other Mosquitos are sent to Hombert, Castrop-Rauxel and the airfield at Venlo.
• There are no losses.

• 142 VIII Fighter Command P-47 fighter-bombers from four groups sweep the region from St.-Omer to Reims.

• More than 80 VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack a marshalling yard at Hamm.

• 9th Air Force fighter-bombers attack artillery batteries and provide support for Allied ground forces.
• XIX TAC fighter pilots down 5 Bf-109s over France during the day.

• In southern France, 12th Air Force medium bombers attack bridges in the Rhone River valley.
• XII TAC fighters and fighter-bombers attack tactical and lines-of-communications targets.
• During the night, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Rhone River valley.

• 12th Air Force medium bombers attack rail and road bridges.
• During the night, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity near Genoa, Miland, and Turin.

• 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack oil and other industrial targets in and around Vienna, as well ass the Markersdorf Airdrome.
• P-51 escort pilots of the 52nd, 325th, and 332nd Fighter Groups down 20 Axis fighters over Austria between 1205 and 1245 hours.

• 15th Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge near Ferrara, but all bombs go astray and hit a synthetic rubber plant.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfield at Langgoer.
• B-25s, A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack numerous targets in the Wewak area.
• Fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Nabire, Manokwari, Moemi, and Urarom.

Air Operations, Volcano Islands

30th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at Saipan attack Iwo Jima.

Battle of the Atlantic

• Schnorkel U-boats operate around the Scottish coast until early October. Only U-482 achieves any success reporting 5 sinkings.
• The US freighter Louis Kossuth, bound for Utah Beach, Normandy, is torpedoed by U-989 which injures 13 of the 334 embarked troops. There are no casualties among the crew or Armed Guard. The ship is towed to Cowes, England by the British tug Empire Winnie.

Britain, Home Front

A Liberator bomber crashes on an infants' school at Freckleton in Lancashire killing 57.

CBI

On the Salween front, the Japanese defending Lung-ling asks for reinforcements.

The War Department notifies Gen Joseph Stilwell that operations to open a land route to China must be limited to construction of a 2-way, all-weather road to Myitkyina and opening a trail from there to China. This decision is made in order to increase manpower for Pacific offensives but limits tonnage to China over the Ledo Road. Gen Hearn presents a message from President Roosevelt to Chiang Kai-shek, urging that Gen Stilwell be put in command of Chinese forces soon and commenting on conditions proposed by the Chinese. Gen Hearn also informs Gen Chennault that his proposal to send US supplies to eastern China for the recapture of Heng-yang is refused.

Eastern Front

The attacks of the 2nd and 3rd Ukraine Fronts link up cutting off a large part, about 12 divs, of the German 6th Army. The 2nd Ukraine Front also takes Vaslui, 35 miles south of Jassy. About 130,000 men are caught in the pocket. The few troops that escape encirclement, mostly Germans, retire hurredly toward the Carpathian passes. Many of the Rumanian troops formerly allied with the Germans have either simply deserted or gone over to join the Soviets.

The Soviet 52nd Army has severed the German line of retreat by cutting the road to Husi, VII Corps has been destroyed by the 4th Guards Army. IV Corps is mauled on the Barludi River, and to compound the army group's difficulties XXX, XLIX and LII Corps have collapsed.[MORE]

Italy

In the US 5th Army's IV Corps area, advance elements of the 92nd Division--the 370th RCT--take over part of the zone held by the 1st Armored Division.

Marianas

US destroyers shell Aguijan.

New Guinea

The battle for Numfoor is over and most of the victorious American 503rd Parachute Regt is withdrawn to other sectors.

Northern France

The resistance forces have, for the moment, largely freed Paris after a bitter struggle. The French Forces of the Interior (FFI) under Gen Marie Pierre Koenig and Paris civilians free the French capital. Since August 19 when Koenig announced a general uprising against the Germans in Paris, there has been bitter fighting in the city, finally leaving it in the hands of the patriots.

The French 2nd Arm Div of the American V Corps begins to move towards Paris along 2 center lines in support of the final assault on the city by the FFI. The US 4th Div captures Arpajon, south of Paris.

The 30th Div of the US XIX Corps enters Evreux, while further north units of the 2nd Arm Div capture Le Neubourg and press on toward Elbeuf.

Deauville on the Channel coast is taken by the Allies, led by Belgian troops.

In the American 3rd Army sector the 79th Div of XV Corps maintains firm control of its bridgehead at Mantes-Gassicourt, north of Paris, while the 5th Div of XX Corps takes Fontainebleau and the 7th Arm Div approaches Melun.[NF]

Pacific

• The Japanese destroyer Asakaze is sunk by the USS Haddo (SS-255) near the Philippines.
• The Japanese minesweeper No. 22 is sunk by the US submarine Batfish (SS-310) in the Palau Islands area.
• The US submarine Tang (SS-306) attacks a Japanese convoy off Honshu sinking the cargo ship Tsukushi Maru (8135t) off Hamamatsu.

Romania, Politics

There is a Coup d'etat in Bucharest. The pro-German premier, Ion Antonescu, conducator of Rumania since 1940, is deposed and arrested. King Michael I asks the moderate Constantin Sanatescu to form a government, and on the same day he orders the cessation of hostilities against the Red Army and accepts the unconditional surrender demanded by Moscow. At the same time he allows the Germans to leave his country unmolested. On August 25 Rumania declares war on Germany. There is fighting near Bucharest.

Southern France

The French 9th Colonial Div and 1st Div of II Corps penetrate into the suburbs of Toulon and advance resolutely toward the city center. Units of the 3rd Algerian Div and the 1st Arm Div break into the outskirts of Marseilles from north and east. The German garrison there rejects a demand to surrender by the French headquarters.[SF]

Images from August 23, 1944

A Truck Drives into Gace

Scout Car Crew Greeted by Locals

Climbing a Free French M3A3 Stuart Tank

7th Armored Division Rolls into Lisieux

7th Armored Division Enters Lisieux

Tank Destroyer With Bazooka

French-manned US Tank in Marseilles

French Resistance Fighter Known as Nicole