Submarine HMS TALISMAN is commissioned.

NORTH SEA: U-99 was attacked in the North Sea by a "friendly" aircraft with three bombs. The boat suffered slight damages.

GERMANY: Radio propaganda interprets British moves to block landing strips as popular sabotage of the wealthy classes’ cricket pitches.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 0615 the Italian submarine Argonauta was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya by destroyers HMS Dainty, Decoy, Defender, Ilex and HMAS Voyager. It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450 that same day by an RAF Sunderland in position 37.29N, 19.51E.

U.S.S.R.: Submarine SC-411 is laid down.

JAPAN: Tokyo: Japan announces its interest in controlling the South Seas, which it sees as part of its sphere of influence.

ATLANTIC OCEAN:

About 0500, the unescorted Empire Toucan was torpedoed by U-47 190 miles SW of Fastnet and broke in two. The U-boat sank the afterpart by gunfire. The bow section was sunk by gunfire by destroyer HMS Hurricane, which picked up the master and 30 crewmembers and landed them at Plymouth. Three crewmembers were lost

At 0012, decoy ship HMS Edgehill was hit by one torpedo from U-51 amidships and stopped but did not sink due to her buoyant cargo. The U-boat surfaced and fired a coup de grâce at 0106, but it needed a third torpedo at 0124 to let the vessel sink slowly by the stern. Built as motor ship West Lynn (4702 tons), 1931 renamed Willamette Valley for Sir William Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd, Cardiff. On 17 Sep 1939 requisitioned by the Royal Navy and converted to a decoy ship, commissioned as special service vessel (SSV) HMS Edgehill (X 39). The ship had a concealed armament of nine 4in guns and four torpedo tubes and carried a buoyant cargo to help keep her afloat if hit.

U-26 sank SS Frangoula B. Goulandris at 49.59N, 11.24W. Six dead and 32 survivors. (DS)

FRANCE: VICHY FRANCE: The French Government announced in a communiqué:

The British Fleet has bombed our coastal positions in the Middle East. We have evacuated several of our bases in the mountains of southern Lebanon under cover of artillery fire which inflicted heavy losses on our assailants. Out aerial forces, supported by naval aircraft, repeatedly intervened in the ground fighting, especially around Palmyra (Syria). A British colonel and 40 men were captured.

FINLAND: This day sees the first fighting in Karelia. Col. Pajari's 18. Div. is given the assignment to recapture Enso, an industrial town that was just barely left on the Soviet side of the border after the peace-making of the Winter War in 1940.

The Karelian Army (Karjalan Armeija) is formed to operate in northern Karelia.

ROMANIA: Jassy: Local police and militiamen kill 260 Jews in their homes, rounding up 5,000 for deportation in sealed cattle trucks.

U.S.S.R.: Stalin, recovering from the shock of being attacked by his former ally, has put himself at the head of a committee of defence in which the whole power of the state will be concentrated to fight the Nazis. The Red Army, too, is recovering from its initial unpreparedness and its well-armoured, fast T34 tank has given the Germans a nasty surprise. What has really surprised the Germans, however, is the resistance being put up by the ordinary Russian soldiers fighting in the defence of their homeland.

The new Committee of Defence, takes complete control of the country.

The German forces commanded by Hoth and Guderian complete the encirclement near Minsk. The pocket captured includes Gorodische.

EASTERN FRONT: The fortress of Brest-Litovsk falls after a week long seige when it is bombed by Squadrons of Ju88s. Guderian's Panzer Group links up near Minsk with the Panzers of General Hermann Hoth, creating a huge Soviet pocket.

SYRIA: At Palmyra, French Foreign Legion defenders drive Wiltshire Yeomanry from ridge overlooking the town. Next day it is partly recaptured by 1/Essex. On the coast, Brig Stevens' policy of holding the main forces of 21 Aust Bde back from the Damour Valley limits the casualties inflicted by French artillery. He maintains pressure on the defenders by vigorous patrolling.  (Michael Alexander)

LEBANON: In an effort to kill Gen Dentz, four Blenheims bomb the residency in Beirut. (Michael Alexander)

Beirut: The French Havas News Agency reported:

This afternoon British aircraft bombed and destroyed the residence of the French High Commissioner in Beirut. There were large numbers of dead and wounded.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Destroyer HMS Waterhen is attacked by an Italian Ju 87 aircraft  in the Mediterranean 100 miles east of Tobruk. She is brought to a standstill; so much of her equipment is taken off in readiness for a tow. However, as flooding had spread from the engine room through to the boiler room it became impossible to effect the tow, and she rolled over and sank. (Alex Gordon and Mike Yaklich)(108)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Another U-boat has been sunk by the escort of convoy HX-133, which has been harried by German submarines for most of the past week. The "wolfpack", originally consisted of ten U-boats, has sunk five ships of the convoy despite a strong destroyer escort including the Canadian destroyer "Ottawa". The pack struck first on 23 June, sinking one merchantman. Four more ships have been lost since, although the Canadians with their Asdic equipment and depth charges have so far replied by sinking three U-boats. Today, destroyers Scimitar and Malcolm, corvettes Arabis and Violet and minesweeper Speedwell sink U-651 (Type VIIC) with depth charges south of Iceland at 59.52N, 18.36W. All 45 U-boat crew survive. The escort had been reinforced to a total of 13 ships as a result of 'Ultra' intercepts. This is the first of the big convoy battles and leads to the development of additional support groups.

U-69 departed Las Palmas de Gran Canaria harbour in the early hours of the morning having secretly refuelled from the interned German supply ship Charlotte Schliemann.

At 0051, U-103 hit a steamer of 6600 tons with its last torpedo in the engine room that sank by the stern after 21 minutes about 450 miles west of Las Palmas. The ship had been spotted at 1642 the day before and was missed by a stern torpedo at 2328. After the sinking, Schütze questioned some survivors but he did not believe them when they told him that they were from the Italian steamer Ernani en route from Las Palmas to Horta, because the course of the ship did not correspond with the mentioned route. In fact, the U-boat had sunk the Italian blockade-runner Ernani, disguised as the Dutch steam merchant Enggano. Schütze was not blamed for his mistake because he was not informed about the presence of an own vessel in the area.

At 1936, the Rio Azul in Convoy SL-78 was hit near the bridge by one stern torpedo from U-123 about 200 miles SE of the Azores. Hardegen assumed that the ship was a Q-ship but this was not the case. She broke in two and sank in a short time. The master, 31 crewmembers and one gunner were lost. Six crewmembers and three gunners were picked up by HMS Esperance Bay and landed at Scapa Flow, Orkneys.

At 1958, the unescorted Hekla was torpedoed by U-564 and sank within two minutes. Seven men survived the sinking and spent 10 days on a life raft before they were picked up by HMS Candytuft that was being employed as a scout before a westbound convoy. One man died the next night onboard the corvette. The surviving 6 men were taken to St John's, Newfoundland. One of the men spent over 6 months in a hospital before going back to Iceland.

At 0030, U-651 attacked the convoy HX-133 south of Iceland and sank the Grayburn. Later that day, the U-boat was sunk by the escort vessels from this convoy. The master John William Sygrove and 16 survivors from the Grayburn were picked up by corvette HMS Violet and transferred to the British rescue ship Zaafaran. Later they were transferred to the British armed trawler HMS Northern Wave and landed at Gourock. Another survivor was rescued by corvette HMS Arabis and landed at Londonderry. 27 crewmembers and 8 gunners were lost.

UNITED KINGDOM:

VIII Bomber Command flies Mission Number 70: 
108 B-17s are dispatched against the air depot at Villacoublay, France and another 40 against the airfield at Tricqueville, France; neither group hits the target due to heavy cloud cover and they return to base claiming 0-3-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 B-17s are damaged. 
Another 84 B-17s are dispatched against the aeroengine works at Le Mans, France; 76 hit the target between 1959 and 2003 hours local. Both of the two YB-40s dispatched as escorts are forced to abort.

The lack of success of the YB-40s in this and previous missions in June 43 convinces Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, Commanding General Eighth Air Force, that if the escort bomber is to succeed it must be able to carry bombs and must be endowed with the same flight performance as the B-l7.

London: Germany is reported to have recalled all U-boats in anticipation of the Allied invasion of Europe.

Also that night, Task Unit 36.2.2, the light minelayers USS Breese (DM-18),  USS Gamble (DM-15) and USS Preble (DM-20) lay mines off the Shortland  Islands and Bougainville; USS Gamble also lays mines off New Georgia Island.

U.S.A.: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF) Shemya, Alaska, on Shemya Island, is commissioned. The Navy facility consists of a seaplane ramp and barracks for 12 officers and 132 enlisted men.

U.S.A.:  The motion picture "Best Foot Forward" is released in the U.S. This musical, based on a Broadway play and directed by Edward Buzzell, stars Lucille Ball, Gloria De Haven, June Allyson and Harry James and his band. A cadet at a military school invites movie star Lucille Ball to a dance and her publicity hungry agent convinces her to go. The trouble begins when the cadet's girlfriend also shows up.

The USN and USAAF finally got their acts together and issued a joint instruction, Army-Navy Aeronautical Specification AN-1-9a, dated 29 June, with the effective date of 1 September 1943, specifying the addition of white horizontal triangles to the national star insignia. The whole insignia was to be outlined in red.

Destroyer escorts USS Greenwood and Finch laid down

Destroyer escorts USS Eisele, Newell and Rhodes launched.

Destroyer USS Sigourney commissioned.

1. Of 179 B-17s, 81 bomb the synthetic oil plant at Bohlen and 61 strike an aircraft components factory at Wittenberg; four B-17s are lost and 111 damaged.

2. Of 380 B-17s, 41 hit Heiterblick Airfield and 30 hit Taucha Airfield, both at Leipzig; 19 hit Leipzig; 18 hit Wittenberg; 15 hit Limbach;14 hit Quackenbruck; and two hit targets of opportunity; two B-17s are lost, one is damaged beyond repair and 76 damaged.

3. Of 591 B-24s, 81 hit Magdeburg, 74 hit Oschersleben, 54 hit Bernburg,  47 hit Aschersleben, 46 hit Burg Airfield, 42 hit an aviation plant and the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben, 35 hit targets of opportunity, 26 hit Stendal Airfield, 9 hit Gardelegen Airfield, 8 hit Oebisfelde/Kaltendorf, 8 hit Zerbst Airfield, and 4 hit Leopoldshall marshalling yard; nine B-24s are lost, three damaged beyond repair and 204 damaged.

The missions above are escorted by 203 P-38s, 216 P-47 and 352 P-51s of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces; they claim 34-0-9 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 16-0-8 on the ground; three P-51s are lost.

Four P-38s fly a fighter-bomber mission against shipping at Ijmuiden, the Netherlands without loss.

FINLAND: Finnish troops leave Äänislinna (Petroskoi), the largest town occupied by Finns in Eastern Karelia. 

Battle of Tali-Ihantala

This morning Commander of the Isthmus Troops Lt. Gen. Karl Oesch, after consulting commander of the IV Corps Lt. Gen. Taavetti Laatikainen, orders the IV Corps to straighten its line by withdrawing its right flank to a new line at the level of Ihantala. Maj. Gen. Ruben Lagus's Armored Division shall be withdrawn from battle to form the Isthmus Troops reserve, and Maj. Gen. Kaarlo Heiskanen's 11th Division will be transferred to Maj. Gen. Antero Svensson's V Corps as soon as Maj. Gen. Einar Wihma's 6th Division can replace it. This evening IV Corps front is also narrowed by transferring Col. L. Haanterä's 3rd Brigade on its right flank to the V Corps.

Since the Soviet forces broke free from the salient east of Lake Leitimonjärvi, Col. Albert Puroma's Jäger Brigade, Col. Martti Aho's IR 50 and Lt. Col. E. Polón's IR 30 have been in danger of being isolated. Now their task is to disengage from battle and withdraw to the new line. However, the Soviet forces press on, and Finns have to conduct a fighting withdrawal.

After midnight the enemy tanks reach the Portinhoikka crossroads, but once again Maj. Heikki Mikkola pushes them back with a prompt counter-attack. Soviets stage another attempt at 7 am, but are slowed down by fierce resistance by the I and II battalions of the IR 50 supported by StuG IIIg's of the Armored Division. Finally the enemy is stopped a kilometer short of the crossroads. But IR 50's position is becoming endangered as the enemy forces are reaching its rear. The orders to withdraw to a new line reaches the IR 50 at noon. All through the afternoon and evening the two battalions slowly withdraw under heavy artillery fire, fighting back and slowing the enemy advance. Col. Aho is wounded, and replaced by Maj. I. Kaila. At one point III/IR 50 has to fight its way out from encirclement, but by evening both battalions have reached the new line. The Portinhoikka crossroads has to left to the enemy.

North of Lake Leitimonjärvi the Jäger Brigade, I/IR 50 and IR 30 (minus one battalion) still man the positions they had reached after the attempts to cut the Soviet salient yesterday. They also receive the order to withdraw around noon, but not all the units receive it on time. There are serious problems with communicating the orders to the battalions. Finally some units have to fight their way out from encircelement, carrying their dead and wounded.

The newly arrived 6th Division continues this morning its offensive from Ihantala south along the Portinhoikka-Ihantala -road. It's able to conquer some ground, but is stopped by enemy artillery and air forces. At 12.30 pm. Col. Y. Hanste's IR 12 tries again. It's supported by artillery, air forces and German StuG's of the Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303. The aim is to reach the point where a road branches north-west towards Vakkila. By 2 pm. Hanste's regiment has advanced near its goal, but taken heavy losses from the enemy artillery. It's forced to withdraw. The regiment repels several attacks by enemy tanks, destroying a number with the newly arrived German at-weapons, Panzerfausts and -schrecks.

East of the Soviet salient Col. Sven Björkman's forces are subjected to a furious Soviet assault early in the morning. The Border Jäger Battalion 2 repels several attacks, even after the III/IR 48 on its right flank retreats at 10am. It valiently fights on alone for ten hours, holding the enemy and destroying several tanks. But the border jägers can't hold on alone for ever, and are forced to withdraw at 8 pm.

This results in a dangerous gap in the Finnish defences east of Lake Ihantalanjärvi (which lies east of the village of Ihantala, which is just about to become the focus of the battle). As soon as he is informed of this danger, Gen. Wihma sends his reserves to plug the gap, and the neighbouring Maj. Gen. Aleksanteri Autti's 4th Division also reacts by sending troops (this fighting took place just west of the boundary between the 6th and 4th divisions). By midnight the situation is just under control.

Today is the most critical day in the Battle of Tali-Ihantala. The IV Corps is able to shorten its line under heavy pressure, but this feat succeeds just barely, and many units has to fight their way out from encirclement. But another critical phase has just begun: after the 6th Division has arrived, no more reinforcement are coming. (As these postings are concentrated at the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, it has to be pointed out that the Red Army was pressing on all along the Isthmus and elsewhere the Fenno-Soviet front. This manner they prevented Finns from transferring more divisions to Ihantala, and probed for weak spots that could possibly be exploited.) This has to be enough to stop the Soviet offensive. The line around Ihantala has to be held.

Helsinki: A pro-German clique, headed by President Rysto Ryti, is planning to fight on against the Russians, in defiance of the wishes of the people and the majority of the democratic parliament. Six members of the government have resigned in protest, and Ryti is replacing them with men who will not oppose him despite the increasing hopelessness of Finland's military position. The latest blow to the Finns is a warning delivered by the US secretary of state, Cordell Hull, that America is considering breaking off diplomatic relations.

NEW GUINEA: Australian forces have advanced west from Wewak 70 miles to the Sepik River.

MARIANAS ISLANDS: The Japanese continue aerial attacks on Saipan and the ships supporting the American operations. At least four aircraft are shot down by US Navy F6F Hellcat pilots and a USAAF P-61 Black Widow pilot.

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: In the Aleutian Islands, two Eleventh Air Force B-25s fly a negative shipping sweep.

U.S.A.: CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 66, Organized resistance at Nafutan Point on Saipan Island ceased on June 27 (West Longitude Date). The entire point has been occupied by our forces. Small gains were made along the western shore into Garapan Town, and in the center of the island.

Our advance northward is being made against severe enemy resistance.

On the night of June 27 enemy aircraft dropped bombs in the area occupied by our forces. Two of the attacking planes were shot down by antiaircraft batteries.

Carrier aircraft attacked Pagan Island on June 27. Barracks and a water reservoir were hit. Only one plane was seen on the ground, and it appeared unserviceable. Several small craft badly damaged in previous strikes were hit by rocket fire.

Truk Atoll was bombed by Seventh Army Air Force Liberators on June 27, and neutralization raids were made against objectives in the Marshall and Caroline Islands on June 26 and 27.

JUNE 29, 1944 NAVAL AVIATORS HAVE DESTROYED MORE THAN 6,259 JAPANESE AIRPLANES

Naval Aviators have shot 5,521 Japanese warplanes out of the air since Pearl Harbor, while losing 1,260 planes in aerial combat. At least 65 per cent of the U. S. Navy airmen shot down have been rescued.

In addition to the 5,521 Jap aircraft destroyed in the air, Naval Aviators have, in 1944 alone, destroyed at least 738 Jap planes on the ground. Only 17 Navy planes were lost in this way during the same period.

This 43 to 1 ratio in ground destruction partially explains the drop in ratio of U. S. air victories In the last three months from 4.7 to 1 to 4.4 to 1, according to Rear Admiral A. W. Radford, USN, Acting Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air). He explained that the accumulation of Naval strength in the Pacific, plus increasing effectiveness of Navy aerial recon-naissance, has made it possible for carrier task forces to surprise the Japanese and destroy their aircraft before they can become airborne to fight.

"As a result," Admiral Radford said, "fewer Jap planes are available for us to shoot down. In addition, the Jap pilot is becoming less and less anxious to close with our pilots. So the air ratio of victories has dropped slightly. This is more than compensated, however, by the 43 to 1 ground ratio. We don't care where they are when we destroy them"

Compilation of statistics in ground destruction of planes for 1942 and 1943 is being completed, but that phase of the aerial war during that period was relatively unimportant.

Combining the available figures not including ground losses of 1942 and 1943, the Navy enjoys a 4.8 to 1 advantage over Japan in the air war, having shot out of the air and destroyed on the ground a total of 6,259 planes, as against 1,277 planes lost. These figures for destruction of Jap planes do not include losses inflicted by antiaircraft fire. They cover the period from December 7, 1941, through June 23, 1944. The figures for the period May 1 through June 23, 1944, are not final.

One reason for the increased air losses of Navy planes in 1944 over 1942 and 1943 is the loss of planes in the incessant Bombing raids on Jap holdings, such as the Kuriles, Truk and the Marshalls, where aerial opposition is rarely encountered any more, but where heavy antiaircraft exacts a toll-a very small toll in relation to the frequency and intensity of the bombing raids carried out.

The record of air losses by years follows:

Year Japs Navy Ratio

1942 (including December 1941) 1134 384 3-1

1943 2212 351 6.3-1

1944 2175 525 4-1

Total 5521 1260 4.4-1

1944 (ground) 738 17 43-1

Grand total 6259 1277 4.8-1

All of the Navy's planes have played a part in amassing the victory record. Naturally, it was the fighters-Grumman Hellcat and Wildcat and Vought Corsair-which scored the large majority of the victories, either while escort-ing the torpedo and dive bombers, or while defending American sea and land forces. The bombers-Grumman Avenger, Douglas Dauntless and Curtiss Helldiver, Consolidated Catalinas and Liberators, Lockheed Venturas-drove home the heavy blows while the fighters fended off the enemy's air forces.

The Wildcat and Avenger are also built by General Motors' Eastern Aircraft Division, the Corsair by Goodyear. The Helldiver is also built by Canadian Car and Fairchild of Canada, the Liberator by Ford and Douglas.

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 464, Aslito Airfield on Saipan Island today was renamed Isely Field in honor of Commander Robert Henry Isely, USN, Commander of Torpedo Squadron Sixteen, who was shot down June 12 by Japanese antiaircraft fire as he was leading a bombing attack on the field.

The change in name was recommended by Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, Commander, Fast Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet, and was made by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas. Aslito Airdrome was first attacked by carrier aircraft of Admiral Mitscher's task force in February of this year.

A Naval aviator since 1937, Commander Isely had taken part in attacks at Tarawa and other Gilbert Islands, at Kwajalein, Palau, Woleai and Truk. He flew aerial cover for General MacArthur"> MacArthur's troops  when they landed in Hollandia in New Guinea. Admiral Mitscher's recommendation was based on Commander Isely's gallant performance of duty during all of these Pacific actions. ' (Denis Peck)

Submarine USS Greenfish laid down.

Aircraft carrier USS Randolph launched.

Destroyer escort USS Damon M Cummings commissioned.

Minesweeper USS Design commissioned.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Orillia arrived Bermuda for workups.
Corvette HMCS Sackville assigned to close escort for 116 ship Convoy HX 297 (New York City to Liverpool). The convoy arrives safely in Liverpool on 11 July 1944.
Frigate HMCS LaSalle commissioned.
Corvette HMCS Petrolia commissioned.
Corvette HMCS Tillsonburg commissioned.
PO CEG Noble RCNR and Skr Joseph Eudore Napoleon Vezina RCNR awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Prague: The government cedes 4,781 square miles of Ruthenia to the USSR.

Mission 238: 32 B-29s drop 209 tons of bombs on the Nippon Oil Company refinery at Kudamatsu, Japan.

Mission 239: 25 B-29s mine the W Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Maizuru and Sakata.

34 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit airfields at Kanoya and Kushira on Kyushu Island, Japan with rockets and machinegun fire, and attack shipping while returning, claiming seven small vessels sunk.

US Navy PB4Y-2 Privateers based on Okinawa continue their nightly aerial mining missions off Korea.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: Nine Liberators from No25 Squadron under Wing-Cmdr John Hampshire raided Malang in daylight. They staged through Corunna Downs (Western Australia) at 0800. Bombing began at 1422 in a tight box formation with 200 feet stepped down between each element of three aircraft. “The bomb pattern fell between the No1 Hangar and the barracks area at the southern side of the airfield, bracketing the main bomber strips. Interception by fighters was expected but no attempt was made and anti-aircraft fire, although encountered, burst well away from the Liberators” [Odgers p 476]. (Mike Mitchell)