Air Operations, Carolines

28 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in the Marshall Islands attack the Truk Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 10th Air Force P-47s attack Japanese Army positions at Myothit.

• 4 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack shipping in the Formosa Strait.
• 30 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack targets at and near Chuanhsien, Lingling, and Taohsien.
• 14th Air Force fighter-bombers mount nearly 115 effective sorties against numerous targets across east-central China.
• 8 10th Air Force B-25s attack dumps and other installations at and around Chefang.
• 18 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s transport fuel from India to Liuchow.

Air Operations, East Indies

• Despite bad weather, FEAF B-24s are able to mount individual and small attacks against targets, including four airfields on Amboina and Ceram.
• B-25s attack the Langoan airfield on Celebes.

Air Operations, Europe

• 74 aircraft including 34 Lancasters, 30 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups, attempt to bomb a coastal battery at Domberg on the island of Walcheren, but the Master Bomber abandons the raid after 8 Mosquitos had attempted to mark the target in poor weather conditions.
• There are no losses.
• 7 RCM sorties are flow without a loss.

• 206 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group are sent to Bremerhaven. This is another successful No. 5 Group method raid and Bremerhaven, which had not been seriously bombed by the RAF before, requires only this one knock-out blow by the comparatively small force of aircraft carrying fewer than 900 tons of bombs. The center of the town, the port area and the suburb of Geestemünde are gutted by fire as 420,000 incendiaries are dropped. 2,670 buildings are destroyed and 369 seriously damaged.
• No. 100 Group's RCM Operations successfully keep German night fighters away from the force and only 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito are lost.

• 33 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin and 6 to Rheine, 4 Lancasters lay mines in the Weser River, and there are 67 Mosquito patrols and 30 RCM sorties.
• There are no losses.

• VIII Fighter Command and IX TAC pilots down 11 Luftwaffe aircraft over Germany between 1000 and 1715 hours.
• 4 IX TAC P-47s are lost.
• 248 B-24s of the 2nd Bomb Division's 14th and 20th Combat Bomb Wings each drop 20 bundles of supplies from very low altitude to airborne troops already on the ground
• 7 B-24s are lost to intense flak concentrations

• 22 VIII Fighter Command fighters are lost while supporting the airborne operation

• In response to desperate appeals form Polish Resistance fighters whose uprising in Warsaw is not being supported by nearby Red Army forces, 107 8th Air Force B-24s ot the 13th Combat Bomb Wing join an RAF resupply effort already under way over the besieged city. Although Operation FRANTIC has been terminated, the heavy bombers and their escorts--64 355th Fighter Group P-51s--fly on to bases in the Soviet Union. Future USAAF missions to Poland are canceled when Soviet Premier Josef Stalin refuses future landing rights.
• 2 B-24s are lost
• 355th Fighter Group P-51 escort pilots down 3 Bf-109s near Warsaw about 1215 hours.

• Due to bad weather, fewer than 100 fighter sorties are mounted over northwestern Europe by 9th Air Force tactical air commands.

• The second airborne echelon (paratroop and glider-borne forces0 of Operaton MARKET-GARDEN is dropped or towed from England by IX Troop Carrier Command transpsorts.

• Despite bad weather, 12th Air Force B-25s attack gun emplacements and troop concentrations in the British 8th Army zone.
• B-26s and XII Fighter Command P-47s attack bridges and transportation targets in the Po River valley.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Szeged, and rail bridges at Budapest and Szob.
• 15th Air Force fighters conduct an unchallenged patrol over the Budapest area.

• 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack bridges and marshalling yards throughout Hungary and Yugoslavia.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Subotica and rail bridges at Belgrade and Nov Sad.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Manokwari, the airfield there, and anti-aircraft batteries at Moemi.

Air Operations, Philippines

• 27 22nd and 43rd Heavy Bomb group B-24s attack Japanese Army barracks at Davao, Mindanao.
• 23 90th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack oil stores at Sasa, Mindanao.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-855 is returning home from a weather-reporting patrol when she hits a mine.

U-855

Eastern Front

The German defenses at Tartu collapses. As the 2nd Shock, 42nd and 67th Armies advance the Narva Group begins to abandon its increasingly exposed positions. The 8th and 59th Armies press along the Estonian coast, harrying the Narva Group.

Estonia

As the German army is leaving Talinn, Estonian civilians rise up and proclaim an independent government. The Estonians, under Otto Tief, battle the retreating Germans until the 21st when Russian armor sweeps through the city.

Morotai

On the south coast, east of Gila peninsula, surveying begins for the construction of an airfield able to accommodate heavy bombers. The Pitoe airfield only takes fighters.

Occupied Rumania

Ion Antonescu is arrested by the Russians.

Pacific

• The US submarine Flasher (SS-249) sinks the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Saigon Maru (5350t) off Manila Bay.
• The US submarine Thresher (SS-300) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Gyoku Maru (6854t) in the Yellow Sea.
• The British submarine Tradewind sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Junyo Maru (5065t) off Sumatra.

Palaus

On Peleliu the Marines, with perhaps inadequate preparation, try to extend their attacks on Mount Umurgrobol but they are thrown back by the Japanese and suffer heavy losses.

The American force makes a confident advance inland toward the center of Angaur. Although the Japanese infiltrations cause some problems, they are too heavily outnumbered to do much more.

Poland

In the only major attempt to drop supplies allowed by the Soviets 1,284 containers are dropped to the AK in Warsaw by a force of B-17 bombers, but only 228 fall in Polish held territory. Stalin refuses further missions of this kind. The Soviet air force also stops airlifts to the Polish garrison in Warsaw, but they are resumed 3 days later.

Western Front

The British XXX Corps links up with the 101st Airborne Div at Eindhoven and Veghel. These attacks continue, meeting gradually increasing resistance. To the north both the other airborne divs in the MARKET GARDEN operation are fighting fiercely to maintain their position. German units counterattack around Arnhem. Allied reinforcements are late in arriving. The 5th Panzer Army counterattacks to eliminate the US bridgeheads over the Moselle but are rebuffed with the loss of 50 tanks.

Images from September 18, 1944

Sherman Tanks Advancing Through Valkenswaard

Recon Squadron near Arnhem

Dropping Supplies

Eindhoven September 17-18, 1944

Troops Digging In

Salvaging Equipment From Wrecked Glider

British Paratroopers in Arnhem

Cornwall's Light Infantry in the Netherlands

German Soldiers Searching for Allied Troops

SS Troops Ready to Repulse Allies Troops

Dutch Underground Share Intelligence

Irish Guards