1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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clear W side of the hill. 2d and 3d Bns, 20th Inf,
assisted by Co L of 1st, make slow progress against
numerous enemy defenses on top of the hill and
open supply route. Co M, 1st Inf, moves along coast
to assist.
SAIPAN—On W flank of V Amph Corps, 2d
Marines of 2d Mar Div reaches 0–6 line at S outskirts
of Garapan, where the regt must remain for
some days awaiting units to right. 6th Marines is
battling enemy strongpoint N of Mt. Tipo Pale.
On div right, 8th Marines, reinf by bn of 29th
Marines, reaches ridge within MG range of top of
Mt. Tapotchau. 27th Div’s zone is broadened eastward
as 165th Inf is given responsibility for clearing
valley E of Purple Heart Ridge; 106th Inf alone
is thus responsible for clearing Death Valley. Further
efforts of 27th Div to move forward are futile.
4th Mar Div veers E to clear Kagman Peninsula,
23d Marines pivoting about 24th Marines. Gap develops
between marines and 27th Div because of
turning movement. Against moderate resistance,
div overruns Laulau and Chacha villages. Failure of
27th Div to advance, despite urging of Gen Holland
Smith, results in replacement of its commander,
Gen Ralph Smith. Maj Gen Sanderford Jarman,
Island Commander, assumes command temporarily,
pending arrival of a permanent commander. Gen
Jarman’s chief of staff takes control of 27th Div
elements on S Saipan, where no progress is made
during day, and the force on Mt. Nafutan is recalled.
25 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s
VII Corps area, naval gunfire supplements aerial
and ground bombardment as battle for Cherbourg
nears its end. 9th Div’s 47th Inf drives into W suburbs
of Cherbourg, overrunning fort at Equeurdreville,
Hameau de Tot, and Redoute des Fourches;
elements reach coast but are withdrawn. 39th Inf
attacks Octeville, where enemy continues to hold
out. 79th Div’s 314th Inf gains upper defenses of
Fort du Roule against stubborn resistance; 313th gets
advance elements into outskirts of Cherbourg. In
4th Div zone, 12th Inf gains its objective with drive
to coast E of Cherbourg; when orders are changed
to permit div to participate in capture of Cherbourg,
12th Inf enters the city and clears assigned portion
in E part; 22d Inf is ordered to take Maupertus
airfield.
Br Second Army opens offensive in 30 Corps
zone for commanding ground in Rauray area. 49th
Div, reinf by 8th Armd Brig, attacks S in region E
of Tilly-sur-Seulles and makes limited progress
against strong resistance. Some elements reach Fontenay;
others thrust to Tessel–Bretteville area.
[ 25 JUNE 1944 ]
USSR—Soviet forces envelop Vitebsk, trapping
5 enemy divs, and cut Smolensk–Minsk highway.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, port of Piombino falls without opposition to
39th Engineers. This is last day of action in Italy
for 36th Div. FEC begins crossing the Orcia in
strength as enemy opposition diminishes.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, 78th Div
expands its Pescia bridgehead slowly. 4th Div forces
enemy rear guards from Vaiano. Enemy retains Chiusi
throughout day but withdraws after nightfall,
blocking exits.
CBI—On Salween front, Chinese reluctantly
admit to U.S. liaison personnel with 71st Army that
Japanese have routed 261st Regt, 87th Div, and that
the 87th Div commander has attempted suicide.
Although 8th Army is moving forward from Indochina
border to reinforce troops in Lung-ling area,
the battle has already been lost to small enemy force
of 1,500. Ch effectives in this region have totaled
10,000. Failure at Lung-ling brings orders from
Chiang Kai-shek to take Teng-chung and Sung Shan
at all costs in preparation for renewing attack on
Lung-ling.
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, 1st Bn of 162d Inf
makes limited penetration into underground positions
of West Caves. Co L, 186th Inf, seizes the
enemy guns that have been firing from positions
NW of perimeter. Elements of 2d and 1st Bns,
186th Inf, overrun the Teardrop, which has been
largely evacuated by enemy, killing 38 Japanese.
In Wakde-Sarmi area, under combined attacks of
2d and 3d Bns, 20th Inf, and 3d Bn of 1st, Japanese
begin withdrawing from Lone Tree Hill, having
received and inflicted heavy casualties there. 3d Bns
of 63d and 1st Regts are to mop up on N while
1st Bns of 20th and 1st Regts conduct holding and
mopping up operations to S.
SAIPAN—6th Marines, 2d Mar Div, is still held
up by strongpoint N of Mt. Tipo Pale. To right, 8th
Marines and attached elements of 29th Marines gain
crest of Mt. Tapotchau, whose 1,554-foot height
commands the island. Some elements of 27th Div’s
106th Inf begin wide outflanking movement eastward
while others continue northward pressure on
enemy in Death Valley, but progress is slow. 165th
Inf makes futile efforts to scale Purple Heart Ridge.
On right flank of corps, 4th Mar Div easily secures
all of Kagman Peninsula, sharply reducing corps
front; elements are now on 0–6 line. Turning point
in Nafutan battle on S Saipan comes as 2d Bn,
105th Inf, succeeds in crushing Japanese MLR on
Ridge 300, which controls Nafutan Pt. Enemy’s
position on Saipan is by now hopeless, but fanatic
resistance continues.