1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 13–14 JUNE 1944 ]
headquarters of TF TORNADO, replacing Hq, RCT
158.
MARIANAS—Aircraft of TF 58 continue attacks
to complete destruction of enemy planes and wreck
airfields; attack enemy convoy attempting to escape,
sinking 10–14 ships; sink a cargo vessel just off
Saipan and severely damage another; sink enemy
vessel in Tanapag harbor.
13 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: U.S. First Army
halts southward attack of V Corps at end of day,
ordering it to hold positions while VII Corps makes
main effort to cut Cotentin Peninsula and take Cherbourg.
XIX Corps (Gen Corlett), which is not yet
operational, is given mission of securing and deepening
corridor between VII and V Corps in
Carentan–Isigny region. In VII Corps’ 4th Div
sector, 39th Inf (attached) makes limited progress
against coastal strongpoints S of Quinéville; 22d Inf
gets into position for drive down ridge to Quinéville;
12th maintains positions at W end of Quinéville
ridge; 8th contains enemy at Montebourg.
90th Div, whose commander is replaced, continues
extremely slow advance, reaching general line
Gourbesville–Pont l’Abbé. The 508th Para Inf force
of 82d A/B Div reaches Baupte by 0800 as Germans
withdraw hastily. Enemy makes strong effort from
SW to recover Carentan and gets almost to city
limits before 101st A/B Div, assisted by elements of
2d Armd Div, halts attack. 101st A/B Div then
attacks with 502d Regt, which passes through 506th,
on N and 501st on S and reaches line along road
from Baupte to Carentan–Périers highway; 327th
Gli Inf, expecting counterattack that does not materialize,
pulls back to defense positions along N side
of RR between Carentan and the Vire. VII Corps is
now securely joined with V Corps. V Corps halts
attack toward St Lô at end of day. Isolated elements
of 175th Inf, 29th Div, withdraw from Montmartin-en-Graignes
area; 116th Inf takes St Clairsur-Elle
and Couvains. 38th Inf, 2d Div, with strong
arty support, pushes about 2 miles beyond Elle R
toward St Lô. Caumont falls to 1st Div in morning.
In Br Second Army’s 30 Corps area, 7th Armd
Div reaches Villers-Bocage, important communications
center, but withdraws northward to tie in
with U.S. V Corps, after enemy counterattack gets
almost to road from there to Caumont. 50th Div is
still held up near Tilly-sur-Seulles.
ITALY—AAI: In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps
area, S African 6th Armd Div breaks through
enemy positions at Bagnoregio and pushes on toward
Orvieto. In 10 Corps area, Br 6th Armd Div advances
through Narni to Terni, arriving just as
enemy demolishes bridge.
[ 209 ]
BURMA—In NCAC sector, hard fighting is in
progress in Myitkyina area, where Japanese penetrate
positions of Co K, NEW GALAHAD, but are
finally halted.
CHINA—CBI theater ships trainload of arms and
ammunition from Kweilin to Hengyang for Chinese
IX War Area in response to information by U.S.
observer group there that Chinese need them.
NEW GUINEA—Acceding to request by Gen
Fuller for a fresh regt, Gen Krueger alerts 34th Inf,
24th Div, for movement to Biak on 18 June. On
Biak, Mokmer airfield is repaired sufficiently for
fighter planes to use it. 186th Inf, 41st Div, continues
to patrol from first phase line; 162d endeavors
in vain to close gap between 3d and 2d Bns;
1st Bn moves forward to protect right and rear of
162d Inf. Enemy fire from East Caves position has
been neutralized enough for trucks to use coastal
road.
MARIANAS—G–2 estimates that 15,000–17,600
enemy troops are on Saipan and 10,150–10,750 on
Tinian. TF 58 continues aerial bombardment of the
Marianas and begins naval bombardment as well in
effort to destroy enemy’s defenses. 7 fast BB’s and
11 DD’s pound W coast of Saipan and Tinian at
long range with doubtful results. During further
air attacks on enemy shipping, a transport is sunk
and other vessels are set on fire. Mine sweepers
operate off W coast of Saipan under protection of
TF 58. Enemy offers no opposition to air attacks
on Saipan.
U.S.—JCS ask Adm Nimitz and Gen Mac-
Arthur to comment on the following proposals: (1)
advance target dates so that invasion of Formosa,
tentatively planned for 15 February 1945, can be
advanced; (2) bypass certain objectives, among
them S Philippines, also to hasten invasion of Formosa;
(3) bypass certain targets, including S Philippines
and Formosa, in order to advance directly
to Japan. Both men subsequently reply in the negative.
14 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s
VII Corps area, enemy’s MLR on N crumbles under
attacks of 4th Div: 39th Inf (attached) overcomes
strong opposition in Quinéville and finishes clearing
coastal region to S with capture of Fort St
Marcouf; 22d Inf clears heights W of Quinéville.
90th Div is relieved of task of driving W to the
Douve by 9th Inf and 82d A/B Divs and starts
pivoting northward to protect left flank of 9th Div:
357th Inf begins fighting in Gourbesville; 359th
starts swing to N; 358th, after pushing about 1,000
yards W of Pont l’Abbé, is relieved by 82d A/B
Div. 60th Inf, 9th Div, attacks toward Ste Colombe
on narrow front as 90th Div turns N, reaching