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http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/8/21.htm

September 21st, 1944 (THURSDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Frigate HMS Burghead Bay launched.

FRANCE: Brest: US General Omar Bradley’s controversial insistence on a drive west from Normandy to the outer rim of Finisterre reached its conclusion this week with the surrender two days ago of Brest after a 27-day siege. The German prisoners total 35,000. The core garrison of 6,600 marched out in good order after tying up a third of Lt-Gen Patton’s Third Army, when much more of the German force defending the road to the Reich might have been enveloped. As the 4th Armoured Division leader, Maj-Gen. John Wood, said six weeks ago: “We’re winning the war the wrong way: we ought to be going to Paris.”

Paris fell on 25 August, and Brussels and Antwerp some two weeks before Brest. Bradley, doggedly loyal to the original Overlord plan, feared that a German counter-attack north, to the Channel coast could cut off Patton’s tanks from their logistical tail, with disastrous results. The Allied now control all ports in north Brittany. These are useful, but not war-winning assets. On the Atlantic coast enemy garrisons at Lorient and St. Nazaire refuse to give in; naval bombardment might be necessary.

In the U.S. Third Army’s XX Corps area, the 83d Infantry Division is attached to corps. The 7th Armored Division continues to meet intense fire from Seille River line; two companies of the Armored Infantry Regiment of CCB ford the river south and east of Longueville after dark but withdraw at daylight of 22 September to await a coordinated attack. The 5th Infantry Division remains in place because of an ammunition shortage; 2d Battalion,10th Infantry Regiment, suffers heavily under continuous enemy fire and repeated counterattacks against Pournoy-la-Chetive. In the XII Corps area, the 8oth Infantry Division continues the battle for Eois de la Rumont, where 2 battalions are isolated and must be supplied by tanks. The 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division, recovers Agincourt in bitter fighting; the 137th is still held up in Foret de Champenoux. CCE, 6th Armored Division, is attached to the 35th Infantry Division to assist in an attack on the Amance position. Moving north from Lunevllle between 35th Infantry and 4th Armored Divisions, CCE assembles in Foret de Gremecey. CCA, 4th Armored Division, continues sweeping its zone, taking Eures and Coincourt with ease and reaching the canal to the south. Corps prepares for a concerted assault by the 80th and 35th Infantry Divisions and CCE of the 6th Armored Division in order to bring XII Corps’ center and left abreast the 4th Armored Divisions’s salient on the right flank. In the XV Corps area, the 313th Infantry Regiment of 79th Infantry Division, leaving a battalion at Luneville where fighting continues in the streets, drives southeast along the Meurthe River, clearing Moncel and halting under fire at the edge of Foret de Mondon; the 315th Infantry Regiment (-) moves into Luneville and takes up defensive positions. Against heavy fire, the 3d Battalion of the 314th Infantry crosses the Meurthe near St Clement but is unable to advance across open ground leading to Foret de Mondon and withdraws after dark.

In the U.S. Seventh Army area, the VI Corps begins crossing the Moselle River. On the left flank, the 157th Infantry Regiment (-) of the 45th Infantry Division, having shuttled to the Epinal area, begins crossing XV Corps’ bridge at Chatel, during the night 21/22 September, and moves to Vaxoncourt; the 3d Battalion, with the task of clearing Thaon before crossing, gets patrols into the town and wades the river near Igney. The 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, moves up to the river in the Arches area; the 180th Infantry Regiment, ordered to clear Epinal, works forward to the heights overlooking the town. The 36th Infantry Division, in the center of the corps, is first to secure crossing; the 1st and 3d Battalions, 141st Infantry Regiment ford the river at Eloyes while the 2d Battalion clears Eloyes as far as the river bank; the 143d follows the 141st across to clear rest of Eloyes and exploit bridgehead, taking Hill 783 overlooking the town; 142d is moving on Remiremont against firm opposition and penetrates into west part of town. Enemy is delaying advance of 3d Infantry Division toward the Moselle.

In the French 1st Army area, the 2d Corps, which has been reinforced for the coming offensive, is moving forward to gain contact with enemy.

One hundred twenty two USAAF Eighth Air Force bombers transport supplies from England to Lille.

NETHERLANDS: The British XXX Corps attacks toward Arnhem from Nijmegan. Their attacks are confined to the roads and are relatively easy for the Germans to counter.

British tanks cross the Waal at Nijmegen, and advance towards Arnhem where the Germans recapture the road bridge.

The Polish Parachute Brigade drops at Arnhem. They land on the river bank opposite the British. This was the first choice of the British Brigade. They have arrived in the right spot at the wrong time, too late to change the outcome of the battle.

Market Garden

101st Airborne Division. UK VIII Corps and UK XII Corps of UK Second Army move north onto the flanks of the 506th Parachute Infantry and take over responsibility for the area. Other regiments conduct local attacks in order to widen the corridor.

82nd Airborne Division. The division continues to defend area.

Guards Armoured Division. The division must now advance from its forward positions, vicinity of Lent, over an 11 mile road which is built to a height of six feet above the surrounding ground. The division will have to continue to advance on a one tank front as it did south of Nijmegan. There is a difference now. The tanks will not be able to deploy off the road when resistance is met. Only infantry can do this. At 1040 hours the commander of the lead troop of 2nd Battalion Irish Guards is told by his commander that he will lead the attack beginning at 1100. He is, to say the least, concerned about launching an attack within 20 minutes. There is hardly time for him to be briefed and then to conduct reconnaissance and an O Group with his officers. Nevertheless at 1100 hours he moves out followed by another squadron with infantry riding on its tanks. It is now 16 hours since the battalion had moved to the north side of the Nijmegan Bridge. During the night the Germans had moved in tanks, infantry and anti-tank units to cover the road to Arnhem. The British advance continues for five miles when four tanks are hit with anti-tank fire from an SP gun in woods to the flank and disabled. The infantry dismount but are unable to attack the enemy position successfully.

Typhoons in the cab rank overhead cannot be employed because the radio of the forward air controller in inoperative. The attack on the main route is stopped until stronger infantry forces can be brought up. On the right flank of the road the Welsh group had attacked north but had moved only five miles before they were stopped. No further advances are made this day by the Guards Armoured.

1st Airborne Division. At dawn six five hours before the Guards Armoured attack began 2 Para has an effective strength of 150 men holding positions on the northern end of the Arnhem Bridge. At 0900 SS panzer grenadier overrun the positions of 2 Para and soldiers, out of ammunition, have to surrender.

The same morning howitzers of the 64th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery began firing in support of the remainder of the division in its perimeter centered on the division CP in the Hartenstein Hotel.

The fires are controlled by the Commander Royal Artillery, 1st Airborne Division using his radio. He had also been in contact with his observers at the bridge until they, too, were overrun. Throughout the operation radios of the Royal Artillery are the only consistent means of communication for the division. The Germans continue pressure on the perimeter with artillery, mortar and tank fire and infantry attacks which are repulsed everywhere except in the area of 10 Para holding a portion of the eastern side of the perimeter. The battalion has a strength of 50 men, its commander is fatally wounded in this attack and all remaining officers will become casualties.

Typical of the strength of other battalions is that of the 7th battalion of The Kings Own Scottish Borderers which is at 150 men.

1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade. The brigade is attached to the 1st Airborne Division. It’s drop in the area has been delayed for two days by bad weather at airfields in the UK. On the run up to its dropping zone less than two miles south of Driel, ½ mile south of the river, it is attacked by Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft fire. At 1508 Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski, its commander goes out the door of his C-47. The DZ and the men dropping are under fire from the Germans. They assemble and look for the ferry which they were supposed to use to cross the river to the British side. They are unable to locate it. Promised rafts to carry them across the river do not arrive. (Jay Stone)

In the air, 90 USAAF Eighth Air Force P-47s and P-51s support the First Allied Airborne Army’s C-47s dropping supplies and paratroops of the Polish 1st Brigade near Driel; they encounter about 50 Luftwaffe fighters, claiming 20-0-2; 3 P-47s are lost.

GERMANY: In the U.S. First Army’s XIX Corps area, the West Wall offensive is again postponed because of weather conditions. In the VII Corps area, CCA of the 3d Armored Division completes the mop up of the Muensterbusch area; in CCB’s sector, Task Force Mills, leaving the defence of Donnerberg to Task Force Lovelady, drives into the town of Donnerberg, a suburb of Stolberg, gaining a precarious foothold. On the south flank of the corps, 6oth Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, tries in vain to push into the village of Huertgen and makes very slow progress toward Germeter. The V Corps authorizes the withdrawal of the Wallendorf bridgehead. This is accomplished before dawn of 22 September, using a ford since Germans have destroyed the Wallendorf bridges. The USAAF’s IX Tactical Air Command, Ninth Air Force, gives unusually effective air support.
In the air, the USAAF Eighth Air Force flies Mission 644: 486 bombers are dispatched to hit targets in western Germany using pathfinder force methods; 2 bombers are lost:
(1) 154 B-17s escorted by 39 P-38s and P-51s, are dispatched to hit the synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshafen/Opau and 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 54 B-17s are damaged;
(2) 153 B-17s, escorted by 34 P-51s, are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Mainz;
(3) 179 B-24s, escorted by 44 P-51s, are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Koblenz while 12 others hit targets of opportunity.

The USAAF Ninth Air Force dispatches 79 B-26s and A-20s to bomb
marshalling yards at Gerolstein, Pronsfeld, and Ebrang; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance over the Bonn, Koblenz, Karlsruhe, Cologne, and the Strasbourg area, and support the US First and Third Armies in western Germany and eastern France.

The IX Tactical Air Command reports that it is exceptionally effective in aiding the V Corps withdrawal from the Wallendorf bridgehead. The V Armor Division after action report for the withdrawal states: “A heavy gun disguised as a house was shelled and bombed by the Air Forces.” (Perry Stewart)

During the evening IX Air defence Command fighters patrol the Luxembourg-Chaumont, France area.

U-2334 and U-2509 commissioned.

DENMARK: The Germans crush the general strike.

FINLAND: Finnish military intelligence begins to execute Operation Stella Polaris. In the following days the personnel, equipment and archives of the military intelligence is transferred covertly by sea to Sweden, so that under no circumstances they would fall in the Soviet hands. Many of the officers involved use the intelligence they have to secure jobs in the Swedish and diverse western Allied intelligence services.

POLAND: The Soviet Red Army, along with the Polish 1st Army (PPA), liberates the eastern district of Warsaw known as ‘Praga’. The Soviets make little effort to aid the insurgents across the river Vistula.

HUNGARY: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at Debreczen and Bekescsaba, and highway bridges at Baja, in the Kiskore area, and at Tiszafured.

YUGOSLAVIA: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack the railroad at Brod, and the Novi Sad railroad bridge; 42 P-38s dive-bomb the Osijek marshalling yard. Two C-47s, with 8 P-51s escorting, evacuate Fifteenth Air Force personnel from Yugoslavia to Italy.

U.S.S.R.: Polar Fleet and White Sea Flotilla: (Sergey Anisimov)(69)Submarine loss.”Sch-402” - accidentally, by Soviet Boston aircraft, North to Hamvik near Cape Slentes.

GREECE: German forces of Army Group E evacuate the Peloponnes peninsula.

During the night of 21/22 September, 71 RAF heavy bombers of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group attack the Salonika port area.

ITALY : The British 8th Army reaches Rimini, which is liberated by Canadian and Greek units.

After four weeks of bitter fighting this ancient city fell to Canadian infantrymen and men of the Greek 3rd Mountain Brigade, marking the end of one of the most critical battles of the Italian campaign. Other units of the British Eighth Army are fighting their way on to the Lombardy plains where, the generals believe, British armour will find the terrain smoother to fight its way to the foothills of the Alps and through to Austria. The eastern end of the Gothic Line has been broken; and in the west, the US Fifth Army has begun an equally bloody attack.

In the U.S. Fifth Army’s IV Corps area, Task Force 45 extends its positions along the coast to Forte dei Marmi. Regimental Combat Team 6, Brazilian Expeditionary Force, tries unsuccessfully to take Mt Prano. Reorganized CCA, The South African 6th Armored Division reaches Serra. In the II Corps area, 338th Infantry Regiment, 85th Infantry Division, seizes Firenzuola; the 339th Infantry Regiment takes Mt Frena and Mt Coloreta; the 337th Infantry is withdrawn to reserve. The 91st Infantry Division, to the west, gets advance elements of 361st and 363d Infantry Regiments to the Santerno River; the 362d, against rear-guard opposition, clears St Lucia and Mt Gazzari and enters Futa Pass, but the enemy retains the hill dominating it to west. On the left flank of the corps, the 133d Infantry Regiment of the 34th Infantry Division at last clears Torricella Hill; the 168th Infantry is withdrawn from reserve and enters the line between the 133d and 135th Regiments. On the right flank of the corps, the 88th Infantry Division is committed through the right flank of the 85th Infantry Division and, with the 349th Infantry Regiment on the left and 350th on right, starts quickly down the Santerno valley toward Imola. In the British 13 Corps area, the 1st Infantry Division is half way between Crespino and Marradi. The 6th Armoured Division takes Mt Peschiena.
The British Eighth Army pursues the retreating enemy toward the Marecchia River. 5 Corps finds the Ceriano ridge abandoned and gets patrols to the river before dawn of 22 September. The strength of the 1st Armored Division and 56th Division is so badly depleted that the divisions must be reorganized. The 56th Division is ordered to withdraw from the line on 22 September. In the Canadian I Corps area, the British 4th Division gets patrols across the Marecchia River during the night 21/22 September. The Canadian 1st Division mops up the San Fortunato position and establishes a bridgehead across the Marecchia River west of Rimini; the attached Greek 3d Mountain Brigade, having cleared the airfield south of Rimini, enters the coastal city, from which the enemy has withdrawn.
In the air, bad weather and unserviceable landing grounds cancel all USAAF Twelfth Air Force operations.

SAN MARINO: The small [24 square mile (62 square kilometer)] republic in central Italy declares war on Germany.

BURMA: 7 US Tenth Air Force B-25s hit Man Mawn and 1 other bombs Indaw; 21 B-24s haul fuel to Liuchow, China. 170+ other transport sorties are flown to various terminal points in CBI.

CHINA: 27 US Fourteenth Air Force B-25s pound Kiyang, Yungming, Lingling and areas to the north, and the area west of Chuanhsien; 100+ P-40s and P-51s attack buildings, river shipping, troops, horses, and supplies at numerous points especially around Sinshih, Kiyang, Wuchou, and Isuho.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Aircraft from the twelve aircraft carriers of Task Groups 38.1, 38.2 and 38.3 begin attacks on shipping in Manila and Subic Bay, Clark and Nichols Fields and Cavite Navy Yard. Carrier-based aircraft sink 22 Japanese ships and then attack a convoy west of Luzon sinking another 7 ships. One of the ships is the Japanese transport SS Hofuku Maru which is carrying 1,289 British and Dutch POWs en route from Singapore, Malaya, to Japan. This ship had unloaded sick and dying POWs in Manila and sailed again in convoy and is attacked again when only three days out. It took only a few minutes for the ship to go down drowning around 1,047 men who are trapped in the holds; less than 250 survived.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Radar is established on Raoe Island, off the west coast Morotai.
In the air, USAAF Far East Air Forces B-24s attack Laha on Amboina Island and Kairatoe Airfield on Celebes Island and shipping in Piroe Bay. On Celebes Island, P-38s and B-25s hit Menado, Tomohon, the Kakas rest camp, small craft near Belang Island, Kairatoe, and Namlea Airfield on Buru Island, and a barge off Kaoe Point, Halmahera Island.

NEW GUINEA: USAAF Far East Air Forces fighter-bombers hit Windissi and Ransiki and strafe targets of opportunity near the Orai River; during the night of 21/22 September fighter-bombers hit the Geelvink Bay-Bentoni Bay area.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: Gilbert Islands based USAAF Seventh Air Force B-25s strike Ponape Island.

MARIANAS ISLANDS: 5 US Seventh Air Force B-24s on armed reconnaissance and training missions from Saipan bomb Marcus and Pagan Islands. Jack McKillop)

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarines sink five Japanese ships: (1) USS Haddo (SS-255), while lifeguarding for Task Force 38, sinks a surveying ship 80 miles (129 kilometres) southwest of Manila; (2) off the north coast of Luzon, USS Picuda (SS-382) and USS Redfish (SS-395) sink two transports; (3) USS Searaven (SS-196) sinks a Kurils-bound army transport northeast of Hokkaido; and (4) USS Shad (SS-235) sinks an auxiliary minesweeper east of Honshu, Japan.
In the North Pacific, USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24s on an armed reconnaissance and training missions from Saipan bomb Marcus Island.

PALAU ISLANDS: On Peleliu, the progress of the 1st Marine Division against the central ridges is still negligible.

On Angaur , elements of 322d Infantry Regiment break into the Lake Salome bowl on northwestern Angaur but pull back for the night since their positions are untenable. The attack is preceded by a heavy volume of artillery fire and bombardment of the position byUSNaircraft. The 321st Infantry Regiment is alerted for a movement to Peleliu so that 1st Marines can be withdrawn from there and the 322d Infantry Regiment thus becomes responsible for south Angaur as well as the stubborn pocket on the northeastern end.

AUSTRALIA: General Douglas MacArthur radios the U.S. Chiefs of Staff that he can mount a major assault on Luzon, Philippine Islands about 20 December as a result of the acceleration of the Leyte invasion; he also suggests that the Formosa operation may be unnecessary if Luzon is occupied.
Australian General Blamey tells the Advisory War Council that he will have two divisions available for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. This is addition to Australian responsibilities in New Guinea and adjacent islands.

TERRITORY OF HAWAII: Hawaiian Territorial Governor Ingram Stainback orders Honolulu brothels closed. (Denis Peck)

U.S.A.: The government 20-minute documentary “The Battle for the Marianas” is released. The film depicts the invasions of Guam, Tinian and Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

In baseball, after a 5-15 stretch that ate away a chunk of their 20-game lead, the St. Louis Cardinals finally clinch the National League pennant with a 5-4 win over the Boston Braves. They will finish with 105 victories and their third title under Manager Billy Southworth, whose clubs won 316 games in three years.

Destroyer USS Kenneth D Bailey launched.
Destroyer USS Borie commissioned.