Air Operations, Carolines

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

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 10th Air Force B-25s attack a Japanese Army headquarters at Manwing.

• 5 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping in the South China Sea.
• 24 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and about 50 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous targets in east-central China.
• 17 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s transport fuel from India to Kunming.

Air Operations, East Indies

• V Bomber Command B-24s attack the Mapanget airfield on Celebes.
• FEAF B-24s attack the Galela airfield on Halmahera.
• More than 100 V Bomber Command A-20s and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack the Boela and Haroekoe airfields on Ceram, the Liang airfield on Amboina, and the Namlea airfield on Boeroe.

Air Operations, Europe

US and British bombers batter cities along the Rhine form Düsseldorf and München-Gladbach to Mannheim-Ludwigshafen.

• 272 aircraft including 230 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitos of Nos. 4, 6 and 8 Groups are sent to Le Havre, but because of poor visibility the Master Bomber orders the raid to be abandoned before any of the planes drop their bombs.
• There are no losses.

• 1 Hudson is on a Resistance operation and there are 2 Wellington RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• 113 Lancasters and 24 Mosquitos of Nos. 5 and 8 Groups carry out a devastating raid on the center of Münchengladbach.
• No aircraft are lost.

• 39 Mosquitos are sent to Brunswick and 6 to Steenwijk, and there are 30 Mosquito patrols and 22 RCM sorties.
• Thee are no losses.

• VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity throughout Belgium.

• 68 3rd Bomb Division B-17s drop supply containers to French Resistance fighters in southern France near Besancon.

• 387 1st Bomb Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Mannheim.
• 265 2nd Bomb Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Mainz.
• 251 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack a munitions plant at Dusseldorf.
• 69 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity.
• Hundreds of VIII Fighter Command escort fighters attack ground targets throughout western Germany following their release from bomber-escort duties. 8 Luftwaffe aircraft are downed over Germany by VIII Fighter Command pilots between 1725 and 1800 hours.

• VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack shipping and shore targets in the Dutch islands. 1 Do-217 is downed by a 353rd Fighter Group P-47 pilot at 1815 hours.

• IX Bomber Command bombers drop leaflets over large areas of Occupied Belgium.
• 1 FW-190 is downed near Liege at 1905 hours by a IX TAC fighter pilot.

• IX Bomber Command bombers drop leaflets over the remaining areas of Occupied France.
• 9th Air Force fighters attack bridges at Custines and Pompey.
• IX Troop Carrier Command transports complete more than 700 supply and evacuation sorties.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack supply points and troop concentrations near Bologna.
• B-26s attack rail bridges spanning the Po River.

Air Operations, Japan

• Of 6 28th Composite Bomb Group B-25s dispatched on an anti-shipping mission around Paramushiro Island, 4 return to base without locating targets, 1 lands at Petropavlovsk in the Soviet Union (where it and its crew are interned), and 1 ditches after colliding with the mast of a ship.
• During the night, 3 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack Kashiwabara.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• A 421st Night Fighter Squadron P-61 crew downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane near Japen Island at 0310 hours.
• V Bomber Command B-25s attack the airfield at Babo.
• V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack the airfields at Manokwari, Moemi, and Ransiki.
• During the night, 10 Japanese bombers attack Owi and Biak islands. Anti-aircraft fire downs 2 of the raiders, but 3 men are killed and 12 are wounded by bombs.

Air Operations, Philippines

• US carrier aircraft from Task Group 38.1, Task Group 38.2, and Task Group 38.3 attack targets on Mindanao in support of the upcoming invasion of the Palau Islands.
• A VF-15 F6F downs 2 D3A 'Val' dive bombers near Del Monte at 0700 hours.
• VF-18 F6F downs a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber near the airfield at Davao at 0710 hours.
• VF-15 and VF-8 F6Fs down 2 Ki-57 'Topsy' transports over northern Mindano between 0715 and 0730 hours.
• A VF-15 F6F downs a P1Y 'Galaxy' bomber at sea at 0910 hours.
• A VF-21 F6F downs a Ki-45 'Nick' fighter at sea at 0946 hours.
• A VF-15 F6F downs a Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance plane at sea at 1445 hours.

Battle of the Atlantic

The sinking of U-484 is attributed to depth-charge attackes by the British corvette Portchester Castle and the frigate Helmsdale.

U-48

Eastern Front

It is announced by Moscow radio that Russian troops have ceased operations in Bulgaria. The Allies prepare peace terms.

The Germans concentrate forces in Hungary for a counterattack against the 2nd Ukraine Front.

The attacks by the 38th Army in the Dukla Pass make reasonable progress despite determined German resistance. A penetration is maked near Krosno but 1st Panzer Army counterattacks to seal the gap.

France, Politics

Gen de Gaulle appoints a new Cabinet. The principal change is the appointment of Georges Bidault as Foreign Minister.

Italy

The British V Corps and Canadian I Corps step up their attacks on the Coriano and Gemmano hills. In Val d'Ossola and Val Cannobina, held by the partisans, a provisional government is set up.

Pacific

• The US submarine Bang (SS-385) sinks the Japanese transport Tokiwasan Maru (1804t) and the merchant cargo ship Shoryu Maru (1916t) south of Japan.
• The US submarine Queenfish (SS-393) sinks the Japanese transport Toyoka Maru (7097t) and the merchant passenger/cargo ship Manshu Maru (3054t) and damages the torpedo boat Manazuru northwest of Babuyan, Luzon.
• The US submarine Seal (SS-183) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Shonan Maru (5859t) in the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Etorofu, Kurils.
• The Japanese merchant cargo ship Tsinan Maru (3232t) is sunk by a mine off Woosung, China.

Philippines

Over the next 2 days, 3 groups, 12 carriers in all, from TF 38 attack Japanese industrial, naval and aviation targets around Mindanao. Airfields at Del Monte, Valencia, Cagayan, Buayan and Davao are targeted; and, and on the first day of the attack, 60 Japanese aircraft are destroyed. There is little Japanese resistance.

Western Front

Units of the American XIX Corps cross the borders of Belgium and Holland in the area of Maastricht. In Belgium the Canadians take Bruges while in southern France Beaune, Le Creusot and Autun all fall to the French II Corps.

Images from September 9, 1944

Advancing into Brest

M5A1 Light Tank in Verviers

M8 75-mm Howitzers

M20 of the 3rd Armored Division

Ernest Hemingway with 4th Infantry Division

Using a Tank for Protection

M2 Half-track Towing 76-mm ZIS-3 Gun

Sofia, Bulgaria, September 9, 1944

Near Neerveld, Holland

Infantry of the Toronto Scottish Regiment

Canadian Soldiers in Dieppe

Germans Fighting the Polish Resistance