Replies

Allies Press Foe (Middleton) – 2-3
British Push Forward on the Road to Paris (page 1 photo) – 3
French Patriots Beat Nazis Twice – 3-4
French Propose Exchange of Food – 4
War New Summarized – 4
East Front Widens (Lawrence) – 5-6
Americans Seize Leghorn; 8th Army Poles Take Ancona (Matthews) – 6-7
2,000 U.S. Bombers Strike in Germany (Anderson) – 7
Himmler Hinted as Boss of Army (Axelsson) – 7-8
Robots Rain on Britain All Day in Greatest Sustained Attack Yet – 8
Chinese Widen Arc around Hengyang – 9
Japanese Forced into Hills in New Guinea; Try Flanking Move to Escape Aitape Trap – 9
‘Shotgun Sight’ Now Used by the British Obviates Need for Straight Run on Target – 9
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the Fighting in Various War Zones – 10-12
Spellman Expected in Rome This Week – 12

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/jul44/20jul44.htm#

Hitler survives bomb plot
Thursday, July 20, 1944 www.onwar.com

Adolf Hilter announcing the failure of the plot to kill him [photo at link]

In Germany... Shortly after noon, a bomb explodes in the conference room at Hitler’s headquarters at Rastenburg, in East Prussia. The bomb was planted by Colonel Count von Stauffenberg. The conspirators include General Beck, Carl Gordeler, Field Marshal Witzleben and General Halder. Most of them are either aristocrats or Roman Catholics. Many others know about the plot, including Rommel, Kluge and Canaris. After it becomes clear that Hitler has survived the plot falls apart. Several of the leading participants, including Stauffenberg, are arrested and shot in Berlin by the end of the day.

On the Western Front... The British 2nd Army continues attacks south and east of Caen. German forces, particularly antitank defenses, have reduced the Allied momentum.

In the Mariana Islands... The bombardment of Tinian is expanded as army artillery based on Saipan becomes available, in addition to the air attacks and naval shelling.

In the United States... The Bretton Woods conference continues.

My dad's 33rd Infantry Division in New Guinea is "now" working ingloriously as a "4F" division: the Finschhafen Freight Forwarding Force, they called it, unloading war materials for use by more active forces, such as Homer's dad's 32nd ID.

But, life was not without its more dramatic moments, as some units undergo rigorous amphibious landing training:

"Only one unfortunate incident marred the conduct of the amphibious course for the 33d.
On the night of 20 July the Kanimbla, loaded with 130th RCT troops, slipped anchor a few hours past sundown and ran aground on a reef close to the Division headquarters beach.
No one was injured although damage to the vessel required a trip into drydock the following day.
Ironically, the ship beached within two hundred yards of the Division theater where Jack Benny, Carole Landis, Larry Adler and Martha Tilton were staging a show for the remainder of the Golden Cross.
Hearing raucous laughter from the direction of the beach, men aboard the transport rushed from their compartments to the rail.
However, the Kanimbla chose to drift aground directly behind the large stage.
Her passengers could neither see nor hear the performance; they could just listen to the galling roars of appreciation."

Doubtless a perfect metaphor for the 33rd's participation in the war... so far.

Many thanks to colorado tanker for agreeing to post the German situation maps while I was away. I very much appreciate that he took the time to do so. Here is today's map of the 7th Army sector. You will notice that the map is not charred, does not have chunks of plaster on it, and is not shredded like Hitler's pants. I'm guessing it was not the one one the map table at Rastenburg.