Air Operations, Bonin and Volcano Islands

USN carrier aircraft from Task Group 38.4 attack Chichi Jima and Iwo Jima, then Task Group 38.4 departs to take part in attacks on targets in the Caroline Islands.

Air Operations, Carolines

5th and 307th Heavy Bomb group B-24s attack Koror Island. 1 battle-damaged B-24 ditches and only 4 members of the crew are rescued.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 10th Air Force B-25s attack two bridges and other targets along the Burma Road near Wanling and one B-25 attacks a target near Indaw.

• 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the airfield at Hengyang. 30 14th Air Force P-40s attack troops, river traffic, and artillery positions in the Changning and Hengyang areas.
• 20 P-40s attack troops, river traffic, and artillery positions around Changsha, Pengste, and Siangtan.
• 12 P-51s attack a bridge at Yangtien.
• A 23rd Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Pengste.
• 24 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s transport fuel to Kunming.

Air Operations, East Indies

• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Lautem, Timor.
• 13 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s dispatched against the Langoan airfield on Celebes attack shipyards and warehouses on the Lembeh Strait when their P-38 escorts fail to appear.
• 38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack defenses near the Pitoe airfield on Morotai at minimum altitude.
• 2 B-25s are downed by ground fire over Lembeh, and 2 other B-25s are severely damaged.

Air Operations, Europe

• 67 Lancasters of No. 5 Group bomb shipping Brest harbor in clear visibility.
• There are no losses.

• In the day's only 8th Air Force operation, 56th Fighter Group P-47s strafe targets of opportunity in Belgium.

• 8th Air Force and IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.

• Despite bad weather, XII TAC fighter-bombers attack rail lines and barracks in the Lyon area.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack three bridges in the Po River valley.
• XII TAC fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements, roads, and bridges tin the Po River valley, dock facilities ad Savona, and ships at sea.
• During the night, XII TAC A-20s start fires in the Genoa port area.

• More than 380 15th Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge at Kraljevo, a marshalling yard and bridge at Mitrovica, three marshalling yards at Nis, and a rail bridge at Supovac.
• 15th Air Force P-38s bomb a road bridge at Cuprija.
• 113 P-51s and 57 P-38s strafe roads and bridges in the Belgrade and Nis area.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Fighter Command P-39s attack Sorong and several other areas.
• During the night, a Japanese bomber attacks the Mokmer airfield on Biak, where 1 man is killed, 7 men are wounded, and 5 aircraft are damaged.

Air Operations, Philippines

• V Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by 21 V Fighter Command P-38s, staging through the Sansapor airfield attack various targets on Mindanao.
• 12 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack dumps at Bunawan.
• 24 22nd Heavy Bomb Group attack military targets near Lasang.
• 22 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a Japanese Army barracks near Likanan.
• 8th Fighter Group P-38s down 1 Ki-48 'Lily' bomber, 1 A6M Zero, and 1 E13A 'Jake' reconnaissance plane over the Davao area of Mindanao at 1215 hours. These are the first USAAF fighter victories in the Philippines since April 12, 1942.
• During the night, 6 345th Medium Bomb Group B-25s staging through the Middleburg airfield attempt to attack shipping at Davao, but only 1 B-25 reaches the target area, and the results are nil.

Eastern Front

The Russians reach the Bulgarian border.

The Finns break off diplomatic relatinos with Germany and demand that all fores leave their country by September 15.

Finland

Following the collapse of Rumania, the Finnish Prime Minister Antii Hackzell announces that Finland is breaking diplomatic relations with Germany and demands that all German troops be withdrawn.

Germany, Armed Forces

Strength of the German armed forces at the beginning of Septempber 1944: 10,163,303, including 7,536,946 in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, 1,925,291 in the Luftwaffe and 703,066 in the Kriegsmarine. But few of these are troops comparable with those serving at the beginning of the war; many of them are elderly men and boys.

Germany, Home Front

Field-Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, condemned to death by a People's Court for his part in the conspiracy against Hitler, is barbarously executed, hung on a butcher's hook.

Italy

The Canadian forces in 8th Army make a partial breakthrough and advance several miles to the Conca River west of Cattolica. San Giovanni is taken. The advance toward Rimini makes progress. The Polish forces of Gen Wladyslaw Anders' II Corps fighting in Pesaro have nearly completed the capture of the city. The 5th Army captures Pisa. The eastern end of the 'Gothic' Line has been overrun despite the arrival of some German reserves.

New Guinea

Operations in the area of the Wadke-Sarmi beachhead are officially declared closed. Although there are no published figures for casualties, losses were probably high on both sides.

Northern France

The Allied advance continues all along the front, in the west toward Le Havre by the British I Corps, and in the east toward the Belgian frontier by units of the US 1st Army. Among the towns liberated by various Allied forces are Douai, St Valery and Lens.

The US 3rd Army under Patton is temporarily immobilized through lack of fuel. In Brittany the German garrison at Brest still holds out.

Eisenhower orders a halt to the drives of the US 1st and 3rd Armies because of a lack of fuel. They are to remain in place until gasoline supplies are replenished. Each army needs about 400,000 gallons a day. The 3rd Army is down to about 25,000. The US 3rd Cavalry Group is one of the few units still attacking, but with captured gasoline. Germany uses this pause to build up its defenses along the Siegfried Line.

Norwegian Sea

As Convoy RA-59 is passing the Kola Inlet, Swordfish 'A' of 825 NAS sights a U-boat and drops a smoke marker. The British frigates Mermaid and Peacock and destroyers Whitehall and Keppel are sent to investigate. All 4 ships drop numerous depth charges until oil and wreckage come to the surface.

U-394

Pacific

• A US naval task group consisting of 1 aircraft carrier, 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers bombards Japanese positions on Wake Island. The island is one of the most isolated outposts of the Japanese Empire and will be bypassed by the main US advance across the Pacific toward the Philppines and the Ryukyu Islands.
• The US submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Shirakami Maru (720t) north of Chichi Jima.
• The British submarine Sirdar sinks the Japanese guardboat No. 5 Kaiyo Maru off northwestern Sumatra.
• The British submarine Strongbow sinks the Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Toso Maru off the west coast of Siam.

Southern France

Having reached the outskirts of Lyons, the American 36th Div halts to allow the French II Corps to enter the city first. In southern France the Allied landings have now put ashore 190,000 men with 41,000 vehicles and 220,000 tons of supplies.

United States, Planning

JCS issues orders for a combined SWPA-Central Pacific attack on Leyte, set for December 20. As a preliminary to the Leyte invasion, MacArthur will capture Morotai Island, while Nimitz will attack the Palau Islands. The JCS avoids providing any instructions on the next objectives of the theater commanders. Nevertheless, the JCS orders plans drawn up for offensive operations against both Formosa and Luzon.

Images from September 2, 1944

The British Enter Rouen

7.2-in Howitzer

German Tiger Tank Passing Through Beauvais

Tanks in the Assault on the Gothic Line

Young Polish Soldiers