1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 9–10 JULY 1944 ]
but asks that an influential personal representative
of the President’s be sent to China.
On Salween front, 5 Ch divs have encircled Tengchung.
NEW GUINEA—During conference at Gen
Krueger’s CP, plans are made for operations in
Sansapor-Mar region of the Vogelkop but on a
tentative basis since terrain information is lacking.
In Aitape area, Gen Krueger orders Gen Hall to
reconnoiter in force across the Driniumor. The 3
commands of TF PERSECUTION are renamed to avoid
confusion, Western Defense Area becoming Western
Sector, Eastern Defense Area becoming Eastern
Sector, and Eastern Defense Command becoming
PERSECUTION Covering Force.
SAIPAN—2d Mar Div ( — ), with 165th Inf attached,
attacks through 27th Div to clear remaining
enemy from Saipan. 6th Marines reaches beach by
1830 against little opposition; 8th Marines, to E,
mops up in hills and ravines. 165th Inf attacks on
right from positions above Harakiri Gulch, driving
through Paradise Valley. 4th Mar Div attacks toward
N tip of Saipan. 23d Marines drives through
Karaberra Pass to the sea by 1205. To right, 2d
and 24th Marines reach assigned positions in afternoon.
25th Marines is unopposed as it continues up
E coast about 600 yards.
GUAM—Warships of Southern Attack Force
begin naval bombardment of Guam coastal defenses.
9 July
FRANCE—U.S. 5th Div arrives on Continent.
21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII
Corps attempts to push beyond La Haye-du-Puits
but makes little headway against dual handicaps of
stubborn enemy and hedgerow terrain. In VII Corps
area, 4th and 83d Divs gain several hundred yards
toward Périers in violent fighting, 83d overrunning
St Eny. 9th Div arrives from Cherbourg and is
given sector E of the Taute, previously right flank
of 30th Div’s zone. Boundary between VII and XIX
Corps is adjusted accordingly. In XIX Corps area,
while 113th Cav Gp and CCA of 3d Armd Div
hold on right flank of corps, 30th Div and attached
CCB continue offensive toward Hauts-Vents, immediate
objective. Strong enemy counterattack in
region W of main road to St Lô is checked, largely
by arty fire. CCB, attacking between assault regts
of 30th Div, thrusts rapidly toward Hauts-Vents
along main highway until stopped short of objective
by div order. Late in day CCA, 3d Armd Div, is
attached to 9th Div, VII Corps.
In Br Second Army’s I Corps area, Caen falls as
3d Div, driving S into the city, meets Cdn 3d Div,
which enters from W. Elements of Cdn 3d Div at
[ 227 ]
last take Carpiquet airfield, which enemy has defended
stubbornly, and Bretteville-sur-Odon.
USSR—Lida falls to Third White Russian
Front.
ITALY—AAI: In U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps
area, 34th Div’s 135th and attached 442d Regts make
slow progress above Rosignano; with recapture of
Hill 634 (M. Vase) by 363d Inf on div right, 363d
and 168th are able to continue northward; 168th
thrusts into Casale and clears it before dawn of 10th.
On right flank of IV Corps, 88th Div’s progress is
also limited by strong opposition. TF Ramey is given
mission of protecting right flank of corps along
Highway 68 and maintaining contact with FEC.
The TF, consisting entirely of armd units, begins
slow advance on road net E of Villamagna. In
FEC. area, enemy forces 4th Gp of Tabors from
Hill 380 after seesaw battle. 1st and 6th Moroccan
Inf relieve goumiers and start toward Hill 380, regaining
it before dawn of 10th. Germans apply
pressure against other units, forcing back Fr salient
on Highway 2.
In Br Eighth Army area, plans are made for attack
by 13 Corps on Arezzo on 15th, by which time
N7, 2d Div of Cdn 1 Corps will have moved forward
to strengthen the assault. 13 Corps will meantime
maintain pressure on limited scale against
enemy below Arezzo. In Pol 2 Corps area, Italians
take Filottrano after about a week of hard fighting.
NEW GUINEA—On Biak, AAF joins in bombardment
of Ibdi Pocket. In Wakde-Sarmi area,
1st Bns of 1st and 63d Regts complete battle for
crest of Hill 265, SW of Hill 225. This is the last
enemy strongpoint in Maffin Bay region.
SAIPAN—2d Mar Div mops up additional enemy
on W flank of corps; attached 165th Inf reaches
coast except for company that remains behind to
mop up Paradise Valley. 4th Mar Div attacks with
2d Marines of 2d Mar Div and 24th and 25th
Marines and quickly reaches Marpi Pt, final objective.
Saipan is declared secure by Adm Turner at
1615. Final mop up of stragglers is assigned to 2d
and 4th Mar Divs, with 165th Inf still attached to
latter. During the Saipan operation, Northern
Troops and Landing Force suffers 14,111 casualties,
about 20% of its total strength of 71,034. Of the
14,000 casualties, 3,674 are Army and 10,437 are
Marine Corps. Japanese garrison of about 30,000 is
virtually destroyed. Saipan is within bombing range
of Japan and is to become base for B–29’s.
10 July
FRANCE—21 Army Group: Gen Montgomery
issues orders for offensive, calling for strong southward
drive (COBRA) by U.S. First Army, which will