1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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of 23d Marines on div right. Heavy fire is placed on
this position, night 3–4.
VOLCANO-BONIN Is.—TF 58 makes destructive
attacks on ground installations and shipping at Iwo
Jima in Volcano Is.. and Haha Jima and Chichi Jima
in Bonin Is.., employing naval gunfire as well as
carrier aircraft.
4 July
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army
area, VIII Corps continues to make slow progress
southward on W flank of army. 82d A/B Div takes
Hill 95, overlooking La Haye-du-Puits from NE,
where it remains until pinched out by 79th and 90th
Divs on its flanks. VII Corps opens attack to E of
VIII Corps on narrow front between swamps of
Prairies Marcagéuses and Taute R. 83d Div, in action
for first time, leads off toward Priers but meets
firm resistance that makes progress negligible.
In Br Second Army’s I Corps area, in preparation
for all-out assault on Caen, Cdn 3d Div seizes
Carpiquet but is held up short of its airfield for some
time by enemy defenders. In 8 Corps area, 43d Div
is attacking NE astride the Odon to ease pressure on
1 Corps.
USSR—Troops of First Baltic Front overrun
Polotsk.
ITALY—U.S. Seventh Army moves to Naples in
preparation for invasion of S France.
AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, 135th
Inf, on 34th Div’s W flank, clears about a third of
Rosignano; 442d Inf slightly improves positions in
center; to right, 168th attempts in vain to reach
Castellina, key enemy position, but overruns Hill
675 (M. Vitalba); 363d Inf is committed to right of
168th and gains ground on heights E of Hill 675.
CCA, 1st Armd Div, gets elements of 361st Inf into
Casole d’Elsa before dawn after most of the enemy
garrison has withdrawn. After this action 361st Inf
is detached from 1st Armd Div and reverts to 91st
Div. Subsequent action of 1st Armd Div on right
flank of IV Corps is limited until time of its relief.
In FEC area, 3d Algerian Div completes withdrawal
from corps zone to Naples and is replaced by 4th
Mtn Div.
In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps, with S African
6th Armd Div on left, Br 4th Div in center, and
Br 6th Armd Div on right, moves forward to M.
Lignano hill mass below Arezzo against sporadic
resistance. 6th Armd Div, using Highway 71, most
direct route to Arezzo, quickly reaches Castiglion
Fiorentino but is slowed soon afterward by
demolitions.
NEW GUINEA—On Noemfoor, 3d Bn of 158th
Inf, continuing along N coast unopposed, takes
Kornasoren airfield. 1st Bn ( — ) crosses Kamiri R
and seizes Kamiri village without enemy interfer-
[ 4–5 JULY 1944 ]
ence; continues SE against scattered fire to large
Japanese garden area, some 1,700 yards distant,
where defensive perimeter is established for night on
Hill 201. 3d Bn, 503d Para Inf, drops on Kamiri airfield,
suffering casualties exceeding 8%, and relieves
elements of 3d Bn, 158th Inf. Because of high
casualty rate during airdrops, it is decided to fly rest
of 503d Para Inf to Kamiri airfield when the field
can receive C–47’s safely. In Wakde-Sarmi area,
Hill 225 falls to elements of 63d Inf.
POA—CINCPOA, in radio message to
COMINCH, rejects suggestion of 13 June that target
dates for operations in the Pacific be advanced; states
that air forces should be established on Mindanao
before Formosa is invaded; expresses doubt that Gen
MacArthur can reach Mindanao by 25 October as
hoped.
SAIPAN—VAC completes drive to northern neck
of Saipan and prepares for final phase of battle in
which 2 divs will advance NE on Marpi Pt and its
airfield. 2d Mar Div’s 2d Marines completes mop
up of Garapan and forces enemy remnants into tip
of Mutcho Pt, but 6th Marines is checked on ridge
about 1,000 yards from coast. 27th Div, after fire
fight with large group of retreating enemy, completes
drive to Tanapag Plain. 106th Inf reaches
seaplane base at Flores Pt and is joined by 8th
Marines; eliminates the cave strongpoint to rear; in
center, 1st Bn of 105th Inf reaches beach; on right,
1st Bn of 165th Inf quickly gains last ridge overlooking
Flores Pt seaplane base. 4th Mar Div drives
forward to Hill 767 area, taking Hill 721 and the
nose from it with ease. In preparation for 2-div
assault on 5th, 2 bns of 165th Inf, 27th Div, relieve
2 left flank bns of 4th Mar Div in late afternoon;
during the relief, gap develops in line through which
almost a hundred Japanese infiltrate, but the hole is
later filled and Japanese are driven back or killed.
U.S.—JCS, in memorandum to President
Roosevelt, recommend that Gen Stilwell be promoted
from rank of It gen to general; that Chiang
Kai-shek be urged to place Gen Stilwell in command
of all Chinese forces; that G en Sultan be given command
of Chinese Corps in Burma; and that Gen
Wheeler replace Stilwell as Deputy to Adm Mountbatten.
5 July
FRANCE—21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army
area, 35th Div begins landing on the Continent.
VIII Corps overruns RR stations of La Haye-du-
Puits. VII Corps continues to make slow progress
toward Priers.
ITALY—AAI: Gen Wilson, as result of decision
to undertake ANVIL, issues new directive calling for
AAI to advance to Po R line and from there to line
Venice–Padua–Verona–Brescia; promises that U.S.