1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 29–30 JUNE 1944 ]
27th Div, which completes reduction of organized
resistance at Hell’s Pocket on left but makes little
headway and suffers heavy casualties in Death
Valley proper and on Purple Heart Ridge. 4th Mar
Div maintains and improves positions on right flank
of corps, additional elements reaching 0–6 line;
provides fire support for 27th Div.
29 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army’s
VII Corps area, 9th Div—employing 47th Inf on
right, 60th in center, and 4th Cav Gp ( — ) on left—
attacks to clear Cap de la Hague; comes to a halt
before enemy line through Gruchy, Gréville, and
crossroads SE of Beaumont-Hague. Forts in Cherbourg
harbor surrender. In VIII Corps area, 101st
A/B Div is detached from corps and starts from
St Sauveur-le-Vicomte to Cherbourg. In XIX Corps
area, first elements of 3d Armd Div enter combat:
CCA begins limited action to reduce Villiers-
Fossard salient in 29th Div’s line NE of St Lô in
preparation for renewing drive on St Lô.
In Br Second Army area, 8 Corps, as it continues
action to expand Odon bridgehead and corridor
leading to it, undergoes determined counterattacks
by enemy armor against W flank, which temporarily
gain some ground but leave the attackers
exhausted. In view of the strong concentration of
enemy armor in front of 8 Corps, it is decided to break
off offensive and consolidate present positions.
USSR—Germans yield Bobruisk to First White
Russian troops.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, 442d Inf, which has recently cleared villages of
Belvedere and Sassetta, is withdrawn from center of
34th Div line and replaced by 135th Inf; 133d Inf,
driving along Highway 1, is stubbornly opposed
but gets to within a mile of Cecina.
Br Eighth Army takes command of Pol 2 Corps
in Adriatic coastal sector. Germans begin general
withdrawal in front of Eighth Army. 13 Corps
commander orders 6th Armd Div to relieve 78th
Div, night 3–4 July; 9th Armd Brig to move to 10
Corps sector between 30 June and 4 July. S African
6th Armd Div takes Acquaviva and Montepulciano.
4th Div advances to ridge through Petrignano and
Valiano, which enemy rear guards are defending.
78th Div takes Castiglione del Lago, former enemy
strongpoint N of the Pescia, without opposition.
BURMA—In NCAC area, Col Charles N. Hunter
takes command of all U.S. troops at Myitkyina.
1st Bn of 42d Regt, Ch 14th Div, after making considerable
progress through enemy territory, is halted
by fire. Co F, NEW GALAHAD, attempts to support
the bn but loses its way and is destroyed as a
fighting body.
[ 221 ]
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, 34th Inf continues
mopping up in region N of 186th Inf against little
opposition. Mortars and tanks fire on East Caves,
from which engineers have recently received fire. On
Aitape front, Gen Hall reorganizes TF PERSECUTION
into 3 commands—Western Defense Area (Brig
Gen Alexander N. Stark, Jr.), Eastern Defense Area
(Gen Gill), and Eastern Defense Command (Gen
Clarence Martin). Gen Martin’s command, holding
outer defense line along Driniumor R, includes 3d
Bn of 127th Inf, 128th Inf (less 3d Bn), and Cav
RCT 112.
SAIPAN—6th and 8th Marines, 2d Mar Div, continue
to clear rugged terrain on left flank of corps.
27th Div’s 106th Inf, after regrouping, drives northward
in Death Valley with 1st and 2d Bns of 106th
Inf and 3d Bn of 105th abreast, gaining about 1,000
yards. To right, 2d Bn of 165th tries in vain to take
northernmost hill of Purple Heart Ridge. 4th Mar
Div, with elements of 165th Inf still attached, consolidates
and improves positions on right flank of
corps, meeting strong opposition on left.
30 June
FRANCE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery,
CG, orders U.S. First Army to make breakout attack
while Br Second Army continues efforts to
take Caen and contains enemy between there and
Villers-Bocage.
In U.S. First Army’s VII Corps area, enemy’s defense
line on Cap de la Hague Peninsula collapses
under 9th Div’s attacks. 39th Inf begins exploring
tip of the peninsula after nightfall. 101st A/B Div
relieves 4th Div at Cherbourg and latter starts S
for coming offensive. In XIX Corps area, CCA of
3d Armd Div gains its limited objectives NE of St
Lô and is relieved there by 115th Inf, 29th Div.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, 34th Div continues battle for Cecina: bn of
135th Inf establishes bridgehead across the Cecina
R and, with assistance of tanks, defends it successfully;
133d Inf makes main effort against town of
Cecina, which is still stoutly defended; to protect
right flank, 168th Inf is moved forward to Cecina
R by truck, and 3d Bn begins crossing without
opposition.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, 4th Div overruns
Petrignano in lively fighting.
NEW GUINEA—Main body of Noemfoor attack
forces leaves Toem at 1800. On Biak, 34th Inf
finishes mopping up its sector, ending main phase of
action on Biak, and withdraws to beach. 162d and
186th Regts move into assigned positions on main
and reserve lines. In Wakde-Sarmi area, TF TOR-
NADO completes mop up of Lone Tree Hill and surrounding
region.