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AMERICANS RACE INTO BRITTANY, SMASH GERMAN ATTACKS TO EAST (8/2/44)
Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/2/44 | E.C. Daniel, G.H. Archambault, David Anderson, W.H. Lawrence, Richard J.H. Johnston, George Horne

Posted on 08/02/2014 4:25:49 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

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TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: history; milhist; realtime; worldwarii
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Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles and the occasional radio broadcast delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.
1 posted on 08/02/2014 4:25:49 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Northwestern France, 1944 – The Breakout: Operations, 1-13 August 1944
The Marianas Islands: Guam 1944 – Invasion of Guam, 21 July-8 August 1944
Eastern Europe, 1941: Operation Bagration – Operations, 22 June-19 August, 1944
The Western Pacific, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands: Allied Advances to the Palaus and Morotai, 30 July-17 September 1944 and Air Attacks on the Philippines, 7-22 September 1944
Northern Italy 1944: Allied Advance to Gothic Line, 5 June-25 August and Gains 29 August-31 December
China, 1941: Operation Ichigo, April-December 1944 and Situation 31 December
China-Burma, 1941: Third Burma Campaign – Slim’s Offensive, June 1944-March 1945
2 posted on 08/02/2014 4:26:18 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
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The Nimitz Graybook

3 posted on 08/02/2014 4:27:14 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; 2banana; henkster; meandog; ...
Allies Batter Foe (Daniel) – 2-3
Germans Periled in Rear by French – 3
Germans Moving Wounded en Masse (Archambault) – 3
Luftwaffe Bases in France Bombed (Anderson) – 3-4
Red Army at Coast (Lawrence) – 4-5
The Germans Picture Their Own Flight (page 1 photo) – 5
75,000 Germans Defend Florence – 5-6
New Looting Laid to Nazis in Italy (Johnston) – 6
War News Summarized – 6
Conquest of Tinian Termed Complete (Horne) – 7
Fate of Hengyang Called Uncertain (by Brooks Atkinson) – 7
Stilwell Named Full General – 7-8
Americans Attack Foe in Aitape Trap – 8
Admiral Cecil Dies in Pacific Crash – 10
Recalls Truman Criticism (by Arthur Krock) – 10
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 11-13
Silent Robot Adds Horror to Attack – 13
4 posted on 08/02/2014 4:28:35 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/aug44/02aug44.htm#

Turkey breaks with Germany
Wednesday, August 2, 1944 www.onwar.com

In Ankara... The Turkish government breaks off diplomatic and commercial relations with Germany.

On the Western Front... The US 3rd Army advances. The 8th Corps reaches Dinan and the outskirts of Rennes, in Brittany. To the left, elements of US 1st Army capture Villedieu in an attack around Tessy toward Mortain.

In the English Channel... During the night (August 2-3), off the coast of Courseulles-sur-Mer, 58 German Marder midget submarines attack allied shipping and sink the destroyer HMS Quorn as well as two other vessels. Only 17 of the German vessels survive the Allied counterattack.

In the Mariana Islands... On Guam, US forces make progress in attacks on the west side of the island but American attacks on the east side are repulse by the Japanese garrison.


5 posted on 08/02/2014 4:32:17 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/02.htm

August 2nd, 1944 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The US Eighth Air Force in England flies 2 missions:

- Mission 510: 319 bombers and 158 fighters, in 2 forces, are dispatched to attack oil and supply dumps and bridges in the Paris area (number in parenthesis indicates number of bombers attacking); 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost.

(1) Targets for 156 B-17s are Paris/Gennevilliers (51), Paris/Dugny (38), Mery-sur-Oise (37), Bernay marshalling yard (12), Courtalain rail junction (7) and targets of opportunity (4); 2 B-17s are lost.

(2) Targets for 163 B-24s are bridges at Neuvy-sur-Loire (36), Nogent-sur-Seine (31), Mantereau (28); 26 hit Sens oil depot; airfields at St Dizier (12) and Creton (3); and Pacy-sur-Armancon (10). The two forces above are escorted by 132 P-51 Mustangs; 2 P-51s are lost.

- Mission 511: 517 bombers and 249 fighters are dispatched in 2 forces to attack CROSSBOW (V-weapon) sites and bridges in France; 3 bombers and 5 fighters are lost.

(1) 77 B-17s hit V-weapon sites, and rail bridges at Jussy (31), Aulnoye (21), Beautor (21) and Crocal de St Quentin (11); 3 B-17s are lost.

(2) 182 B-24s hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area, 22 hit Thennes Bridge, 12 hit Peronne Rail Bridge, 11 hit Achiet Airfield and 8 hit targets of opportunity. Escort for the 2 forces above is provided by 236 P-51s; 5 are lost.

- 49 P-38s, 183 P-47 Thunderbolts and 51 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against rail and road transport in the Paris-Amiens-Brussels-St Quentin area; 1 P-51 is lost.

- 42 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.

FRANCE: Patton’s soldiers advance into Brittany, reaching Dinan and Rennes; Hitler orders that they be cut off.
The worlds first ever Jet reconnaissance mission is flown by Oblt.Erich Sommer of 1/Versuchsverband OKL in the Arado 234 V7 T9+MH, WerkNummer 130007. The mission consisted of three runs over the Normandy beach head and surrounding area. The photographs survive the war and can be seen here. (Dave Wadman)

The US VIII Corps, now part of Patton’s 3rd Army, reaches Dinan and Rennes in Brittany. First Army units to their left attack around Tessy toward Mortain and liberate Villedieu, France.

The US Ninth Air Force’s IX Bomber Command halts bombing of bridges, fuel dumps, and similar targets in Brittany except on the request of the 12th Army Group, as the US Third Army wants the use of bridges access to all fuel they may find in their advance across France; around 300 A-20 Havocs and B-26s attack bridges at Mezieres-sur-Seine, Mainvillers, Cinq Mars-la-Pile, Nantes, and Lisle, and ammunition dumps at Caudebec-les-Elbeuf and Le Lude; fighters fly armed reconnaissance in wide areas surrounding Paris and the southwest as far as Laval, escort IX Bomber Command aircraft, and provide cover for armoured columns and close support for ground forces.

GERMANY: An Arado AR-234 jet aircraft completes the first photo-recon sortie of the type over the Western Front. During a single flight he “achieves what had been beyond the entire Luftwaffe reconnaissance force in the West for the previous eight weeks: he had photographed almost the entire Allied lodgement area in Normandy.” (Mike Yared)

U-771 shot down a Norwegian 333 Sqn Mosquito
U-2337 laid down.

U.S.S.R.: Baltic Fleet, Ladoga Lake and Chudskoe Lake Flotillas: MS “T-37” (ex-”Tulen”) - by aviation, in Narva Gulf. (Sergey Anisimov)(69)

ITALY: Germans deport 222 Jews from Verona to Auschwitz.

The US Fifteenth Air Force in Italy dispatches 330+ bombers to hit targets in France and Italy; B-24s attack Genoa, Italy harbour; B-17s hit targets in southern France, including Le Pouzin oil storage, Portes-les-Valences torpedo factory and marshalling yard, Le Pontet oil storage, and Avignon railroad bridges; P-38s and P-51s provide escort.

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Frigate SAS Transvaal launched.

TURKEY: Ankara: Turkey cuts off diplomatic and commercial relations with Germany.

MARIANAS ISLANDS: US forces launch a further assault on Guam, capturing the west half of the island.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: US Far East Air Force B-24s bomb the airfield on Yap Island.

PACIFIC OCEAN: A USN submarine attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks an army cargo ship.

CANADA: Frigate HMCS Loch Morlich (ex HMS Loch Morlich) commissioned.
Corvette HMCS Guelph arrived New York after Bermuda workups.

U.S.A.: Destroyer escort USS Haas commissioned.
Destroyer USS Van Valkenburgh commissioned.

Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-188 was commissioned at New Orleans with LTJG A. R. Freedy, USCGR, her first commanding officer. She was assigned to and operated in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Maijuno, Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, etc. On 3 October 1945, the commanding officer was relieved of all responsibilities and accountabilities for the vessel, Coast Guard crew was replaced by an Army crew.

Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-184 was commissioned at New Orleans. Her first commanding officer was LT E.G. Berdaw, USCGR. He was succeeded by LT Juan R. Root, USCGR, who in turn was succeeded by LTJG Henry P. Hancock, USCGR, on 12 September 1945. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific area.

Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-261 was commissioned at New York with LTJG L. W. Conover, USCGR, as first commanding officer. On 9 September 1944, she departed New York for the Southwest Pacific where she operated during the war.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Destroyer escort USS Fiske was part of the hunter-killer Task Group 22.6 formed around the escort carrier USS Wake Island and was detached together with the destroyer escort USS Douglas L. Howard to investigate a visual contact about 800 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The surfaced U-804 quickly dived and fired at 1536 three Gnats on the approaching ships. The first missed, but after 3 minutes the second hit the USS Fiske on her starboard side amidships and the third struck her after 4 minutes 30 seconds, breaking her in two. The survivors, among them 50 wounded men abandoned ship and were picked up by destroyer escort USS Farquhar, which took them to Argentia for medical attention and then to Boston.


6 posted on 08/02/2014 4:33:11 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

Germans Periled in Rear by French – 3

A nuanced little article that emphasizes the unquestioned courage of the FFI and the inarguable fact that their activity impacted the German defense ... without bringing up the very small scale of these events.


7 posted on 08/02/2014 5:25:16 AM PDT by Tax-chick (No power in the 'verse can stop me.)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

August 2, 1944:


"Pictured is probably the most famous diary in history--Anne Frank's.
The adolescent girl kept the diary from June 12, 1942, until August 1, 1944.
The diary, published for the first time in 1947, records not only the family's extraordinary experiences during its years of concealment, but also the inner life of a truly remarkable young girl.
On July 15, 1944, she wrote: '[I]n spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.' "



8 posted on 08/02/2014 6:44:08 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective...)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
page 1 headline: "DEWEY DENOUNCES 'HITLER-LIKE' SMITH FOR BRICKER 'SMEAR'...

After Placing Wreath at Tomb of Lincoln He Promises Negros 'Complete Equality'."

The article's words are hard to make out, so can't tell what that 'Hitler-like' smear was all about, but it's just interesting to see how politicians have already begun to call-out their opponents with words like "Hitler" or "Nazi".
I predict we might see such words used again, in the future... ;-)

Also, it's good to remember that in those days, around half of blacks still considered themselves to be Republicans, even though 70% were voting for Franklin Roosevelt.

Republicans did not completely lose the black vote until 1964.

9 posted on 08/02/2014 7:08:34 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective...)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
This is the big map for the American sector from the online archive. I've been cropping various sections of these maps to show the areas where fighting has been taking place. Today I decided to post the whole map for a couple of reasons. First, just to show how big these original maps really were (and for a guy who likes maps, to me they are works of art). Second, the map shows how the Americans have started to spread out from the Cotentin and into Brittany and the area of active operations is now much larger. I'll crop a few sections of this for more detail.

02 AUG 44 Pieux-Caen photo 02AUG44Pieux-Caen_zpsa9fcbbd0.jpg

10 posted on 08/02/2014 7:31:04 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
This is the cropped sector for 7th Army. As you can see, the Germans are patching together some kind of line and have transferred LXVII Panzer Corps from Panzer Group West. LXXXIV Corps is no longer on the map. Remnants of divisions from that parent organization are assembled in the center of the line. The chaos is so great the Germans don't even have divisional boundaries identified. More ominously, the German line peters out somewhere south of 116th Panzer's reconnaissance battalion, where they aren't sure if 275th Infantry Division is there or not.

02 AUG 44 7a photo 02AUG447a_zps10595ec2.jpg

11 posted on 08/02/2014 7:38:14 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
This is the even more worrisome part of the map for the Germans; the area south of where 7th Army's defensive line ends. Von Kluge is more or less taking personal control over this area because the command, control and communications in this zone has completely vanished. This is in part a result of Hausser's decision a few days ago to abandon Coutances and break out to the southeast, where the fragments of Das Reich and 17th SS Panzergrenadier are. Kluge wanted him to break out to the south to maintain some sort of cohesive front to the sea. By going southeast, Hausser left the door to Brittany wide open.

There are some scattered German troops in this area, but Kluge has no contact with them. Worse, he has no solid information on the Americans in this area, but he has a pretty good idea what they're up to.

02 AUG 44 Avranc photo 02AUG44Avra_zps146d578a.jpg

12 posted on 08/02/2014 7:44:51 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
This is the sector just to the west of the preceding map. The Germans just have a few scratch units at roadblocks south of St. Malo. Once the Americans brush them aside, the road to Brest is open.

02 AUG 44 St Malo photo 02AUG44Stmalo_zps9a742926.jpg

13 posted on 08/02/2014 7:47:04 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
To the south of Avranches lies Rennes, capital of Brittany, and held by a scratch group of Luftwaffe flak units. Kluge is planning on bringing up 708 Infantry Division, a static coastal defense unit. (I figured out the German map color scheme. Red is the enemy, blue is where their units are, and green is where they have ordered units to go, but they aren't there yet).

02 AUG 44 Rennes photo 02AUG44Rennes_zps1d4706f1.jpg

14 posted on 08/02/2014 7:51:10 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: BroJoeK
Republicans did not completely lose the black vote until 1964.

When the democrats bought it for trillions of dollars stolen from everyone who works for a living.

15 posted on 08/02/2014 8:24:19 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

That was an interesting p7 story about Gen. Quesada getting his jeep shot out from beneath him. Perhaps the Germans only had AP, or if HE, the fuze was bad. Either way, the bullet was never made with the general’s name on it and he went on to enjoy a long career.


16 posted on 08/02/2014 10:03:16 AM PDT by fso301
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To: henkster
(I figured out the German map color scheme. Red is the enemy, blue is where their units are, and green is where they have ordered units to go, but they aren't there yet

Wish I had the time and resources to compare their fond "green" wishes with how it actually played out in real battle. :-)

17 posted on 08/02/2014 11:42:58 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: EternalVigilance
Wish I had the time and resources to compare their fond "green" wishes with how it actually played out in real battle.

At this point in the war, the green doesn't usually turn blue.

18 posted on 08/02/2014 2:29:43 PM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarc tag?)
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To: henkster

Yeah, that’s what I figured.


19 posted on 08/02/2014 4:08:46 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (Destroy them before they learn how to aim.)
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To: henkster

At least not for long anyway...


20 posted on 08/02/2014 4:11:35 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (Destroy them before they learn how to aim.)
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