1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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MARIANAS—Adm Spruance postpones indefinitely
landing on Guam, tentatively scheduled for
18 June, since major naval battle appears to be
imminent from enemy fleet movements; issues
orders to meet this threat. Naval surface forces
begin preinvasion bombardment of Guam. On N
flank of Saipan beachhead, 2d Mar Div consolidates
and strengthens present positions, committing 2d
Marines on left; 8th Marines, on 2d Div right,
quickly clears Afetna Pt and Charan Kanoa pier
and establishes contact with 4th Mar Div. 4th Mar
Div, rearranging its lines before renewing assault,
commits reserves, 24th Marines. Jumping off at 1230,
4th Div advances to positions generally along 0–1
ridge line against strong resistance particularly on
right where terrain is also an obstacle. Advance
party of XXIV Corps Arty lands and establishes
CP. 27th Div’s 165th Inf lands, night 16–17.
17 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s
VII Corps area, 9th Div, against disorganized resistance,
breaks through to W coast, sealing off Cotentin
Peninsula as attack continues through night 17–18.
Coastal road is cut at Barneville-sur-Mer and Grande
Huanville. 90th Div reaches assigned defensive line
Golleville–Urville and halts. 82d A/B Div, which
is to pass to VIII Corps control, is ordered to establish
bridgehead S of the Douve at Pont l’Abbé.
In XIX Corps area, efforts of 29th Div to advance
are largely contained by enemy strongly established
in gap between 175th and 116th Regts near Villiers-
Fossard. 115th Inf is committed in center but is
unable to reduce the enemy salient. 175th Inf, employing
a single bn, is stopped on Hill 108.
ITALY—AAI: 2 Pol Corps, under AAI control,
takes command of Adriatic coastal sector from Br 5
Corps, which by this time has advanced to line
Teramo–Giulanova. Poles are to continue pursuit
toward Ancona.
In U.S. Fifth Army area, IV Corps commits RCT
517 (Para) on right of Highway I to give it battle
experience before it joins U.S. Seventh Army for
Operation ANVIL. 36th Div continues steadily
northward.
In Br Eighth Army’s 10 Corps area, torrential
rains begin, slowing movement. When bridge across
the Tiber 3 miles N of Todi is completed, advance
on Perugia continues astride the river. Ind 8th Div
encounters strong opposition SE of Perugia at
Bastia, where Chiasco R is forced.
ELBA—Fr TF based on 9th Colonial Inf Div,
under control of AFHQ, lands on Elba and begins
clearing the island. This operation, coded BRASSARD
and originally planned for an earlier date, is under-
[ 17–18 JUNE 1944 ]
taken to disrupt enemy’s seaborne traffic and assist
offensive on mainland.
CBI—On Salween front, Ch 88th and 87th Divs
are ordered to fall back in Lung-ling area, and XI
Group Army later withdraws to line Mengmao–
Hwangtsoapa.
11 Army Group: In Br Fourteenth Army area,
Br casualties during battle of Imphal Plain, 4 March
to date, total 2,669 killed and nearly 10,000 wounded
and missing. Japanese are estimated to have lost
30,000.
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, TF HURRICANE, attacking
with 1st Bns of 186th and 162d Regts, clears
heights commanding West Caves strongpoint.
P–38’s, unable to reach Wakde I., after attack on
Sorong, land successfully at Owi, although the field
is not yet completed. Since reinforcement of Aitape
sector is being considered to meet imminent threat,
Gen MacArthur offers Gen Krueger use of a regt of
31st Div.
SAIPAN—RCT 105, 27th Div, lands but is not
committed to action; 2d Bn is attached to 4th Mar
Div and 1st to 165th Inf. NTLF commander, Gen
Holland Smith, and XXIV Corps Arty commander,
Brig Gen Arthur M. Harper, set up CP’s ashore.
After intense preparatory bombardment, marines
begin attack that gains immediate objectives except
in center, where heavy enemy fire is directed from
600-yard gap existing between 2d and 4th Mar Divs
in difficult terrain around Lake Susupe. On N flank
of beachhead, 2d Mar Div’s 2d and 6th Marines
press NE and 8th Marines, reinf by elements of
29th Marines, advances due E. Enemy holds out
stubbornly in coconut grove in 8th Marines sector.
In 4th Mar Div zone, enemy soon pins down left
flank of 23d Marines, causing gap to develop between
the assault bns that is filled after dark by
3d Bn of 24th Marines. 24th Marines, in 4th Div
center, and 25th Marines, on right, reach 0–2 line,
24th against strong resistance; 25th Marines, from
N part of ridge W of Aslito airfield, penetrates
building area N of airfield proper. 165th Inf of
27th Div, attached to 4th Mar Div, is closely supported
by arty and naval gunfire as it fights for
Aslito airfield and heights commanding it. Because
of threat of naval battle, planes of TF 58 are diverted
from support duties to conduct searches and neutralize
Guam and Rota.
18 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery,
CG, issues his first written directive since invasion
of France, calling for speed-up of operations to take
Caen and Cherbourg.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, plans are
completed for drive on Cherbourg, next big ob-