5 July 1939

Yesterday Tomorrow

July 5th, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Minesweeping trawler HMS Thirlmere launched.

JAPAN: The 20,250-ton aircraft carrier HIJMS Hiryu is completed at Yokosuka Naval Dock Yard.

U.S.A.: Battleship USS South Dakota laid down.

Submarine USS Triton laid down.

Destroyer USS Wilson commissioned.

5 July 1940

July 5th, 1940 (FRIDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - occupied airfields at Merville. Naval targets at Wilhelmshaven.
10 Sqn. Three aircraft to Merville. None bombed, weather atrocious.

51 Sqn. Three aircraft to Merville. None bombed, weather atrocious.

58 Sqn. Six aircraft to Wilhelmshaven. Five bombed, one returned early. Opposition severe.

2 Group ( Blenheim). 18 Sqn. Bombing - Northern France.

82 Sqn. Bombing - barges at Zwolle.

110 Sqn. Bombing - barges near Katwyke.

The London Gazette:

"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the following Awards:—

The Medal of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry:

536451 Leading Aircraftman Michael Campion, Royal Air Force.

612282 Aircraftman 1st Class Ernest Ralph Clyde Frost, Royal Air Force.

These two airmen displayed great courage in effecting the rescue of an unconscious pilot from a burning aircraft which resulted from a collision in which two Blenheim aircraft were involved while taking off.

Aircraftmen Campion and Frost were among the first to arrive on the scene. Not knowing that the pilot was the sole occupant, Aircraftman Frost promptly entered the rear cockpit, which was full of smoke and fumes, in search of the wireless operator. Satisfying himself that no one was there, he climbed out and, nearly exhausted, ran to the front cockpit where Leading Aircraftman Campion was trying to rescue the pilot.

Working heroically both men, with great risk to themselves, due to the imminent danger of the petrol tanks exploding, extricated the pilot from the burning wreckage. Shortly afterwards the tanks exploded and the whole aircraft was rapidly burned out. Unfortunately the pilot died later."

(London Gazette - 5 July 1940) (Daniel Ross)

Destroyer HMS Southdown launched.

Submarine HMS Sahib laid down.

NORTH SEA: Submarine HMS Shark is badly damaged by German aircraft late in the day.

FRANCE: VICHY FRANCE: France has severed diplomatic relations with Britain as a result of the British attack on the French fleet at Oran. The French statement spoke of "an unjustifiable attack by a powerful English fleet". M Baudouin, the foreign minister of the Petain government, called the British attack "an indelible blot on British honour," and the German government has declared that it will suspend article 8 of the armistice with France, in effect serving notice that it will use those French warships still in German control against Britain, as expressly forbidden by the terms of the armistice.

In London, however, the Royal Navy’s action at Oran, carried out with much reluctance, is being hailed as a major strategic success. Adding the powerful French fleet to the German and Italian navies would have roughly doubles Axis naval forces, made the blockade of a lengthened Nazi-controlled border harder, and raised doubts about the protection of the Atlantic convoys. With the French fleet now in British hanDave Shirlaw or at the bottom of the sea, the admiralty can breathe more easily.

GERMANY: U-103 is commissioned.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: LIBYA: Nine Torpedo carrying Swordfish of 813 Squadron, nominally assigned to HMS Eagle, had been forwarded to an advanced airbase near Sidi Barrani, giving them the range to hit shipping in and around Tobruk, 110 nm away. Besides sinking the destroyer Zeffiro the destroyer Euro was damaged and beached (later salvaged) and two other merchant ships were damaged. (Mark Horan and Alex Gordon)

The sunken merchant ship was apparently the SS Serenitas [ex. Sierra Roja(25), ex. War Coot(19), built 1918, 5,171 BRT], though has been variously misidentified as SS Manzoni [ex. Lydia(25), ex. Szell Kalman(19), built 1902, 3,955 BRT] and steam liner Liguria. [ex. Melita(35) built 1918, 15,354 BRT]. It is possible that these two were actually the ships damaged. 813 Squadron had ten officer pilots and eight officer observers at the time. (Mark Horan)

ROMANIA: The new pro-Iron Guard government decides to align its policy with that of the Axis.

SWEDEN: Stockholm: The government signs an agreement allowing Germany to use Swedish railways to move troops and supplies to and from Norway.

U.S.A.: A U.S. Army platoon is formed at Fort Benning, Georgia, to begin training as paratroopers. This is the U.S.'s first paratroop unit.

The motion picture "All This, and Heaven Too" opens in New York City. This period romantic drama, based on the Rachel Field novel, is directed by Anatole Litvak and stars Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara O'Neill and June Lockhart. Davis becomes a governess for Boyer's children but O'Neill spreaDave Shirlaw rumors of an affair and then demanDave Shirlaw that Davis leave. Boyer and O'Neill argue and the next morning she turns up dead. The film is nominated for three Academy AwarDave Shirlaw including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (O'Neil).

Washington: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt invokes the Export Control Act passed by Congress two day ago, by prohibiting exportation of strategic minerals and chemicals, aircraft engines, parts and equipment to Japan without an export license issued by the U.S. government.

New York: President Roosevelt today warned the American people to entertain no thoughts of compromise with what he called "the new corporate governments" of the world - Germany, Italy and the USSR.

Speaking at a press conference, the President said that the many Americans who were evidently impressed with the efficiency of the "corporate" or totalitarian states should not be deluded into compromising with them. They were indeed more efficient than the democracies, but only because they swept aside the democratic system of checks and balances in the legislature, executive and judiciary: "The new governments generally destroy the legislative and judicial branches and delegate all powers to an executive or a dictator, thus striking at the heart of fundamental liberties by which men should and must live." He outlined "Four Freedoms" as conditions for a permanent peace:

1. Freedom from fear.

2. Freedom of religion.

3. Freedom of expression.

4. Freedom from want.

Mr Roosevelt said that it was an important issue whether the USA should encourage, by lack of opposition, countries which removed these "freedoms".

More...

and here are the Norman Rockwell posters which so evoke the freedoms covered.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Chicoutimi laid down Montreal, Province of Quebec.

SS Mont Joli chartered as examination vessel HMCS Mont Joli.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Detached from an outward bound OB (Liverpool to North America) convoy to search for a reported U-boat, destroyer HMS Whirlwind is lost 120 miles to the west of Land's End at 50 17N, 08 48W, to U-34. The destroyer does not sink from the torpedo attack but is considered to be damaged so severely that she is scuttled and sunk by HMS WESTCOTT some 4 hours later. (Alex Gordon)(108)

The Canada Steamships bulk canaller Magog (2,053 GRT), Captain T.S. Doughty, Master, was sunk by gunfire and a torpedo from U-99, Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer, Knight's Cross, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Knight's Cross with SworDave Shirlaw, off the south-west coast of Ireland, in position 50.31N, 011.05W. There are no casualties from among her crew. Magog was a member of convoy HX-52 but had detached for her destination port. Sources indicate that HX-52 arrived safely in Liverpool on 06 Jul 40 with all of its 29 ships intact. Magog was intercepted only a few miles from where she left the convoy and was shelled by U-99 until she stopped. Next a single torpedo hit her. After the ship sank, U-99 came near to the lifeboats and inquired about her cargo. Kptlt. Kretschmer seemed disappointed to learn that the ship was carrying only lumber. He tossed a bottle of brandy to Captain Doughty before departing.

5 July 1941

July 5th, 1941 (SATURDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Boom defence vessel HMS Barova launched. Destroyer HMS Oribi commissioned. (DS)

GERMANY: Rastenburg: Hitler's adjutant says that the murder of thousands of Russian Jews by SS Einsatzgruppen [action squads] or by local militia is part of a "necessary mopping-up operation."

U-197 is laid down. U-136, U-355, U-754 launched. U-133, U-208, U-654 commissioned. (DS)

AEGEAN SEA: The British submarine 'Torbay' sinks the Italian submarine 'Jantina'.

YUGOSLAVIA: Belgrade: A 49-year-old Communist who organized groups of his fellow Yugoslav's to fight Franco in the Spanish Civil War today issued a call to his country "to rise llike one man in this battle against the invaders and hirelings."

Josip Broz, alias "Tito", has recruited many partisans from the Yugoslavs who have fled to the mountains to escape forced labour under the Germans.

U.S.S.R.: The German Sixth Army breaks through the Stalin line near Lwow.
The Soviet defence line west of Zhitomir is breached by the German 6th Army. To the north, east of Minsk, the German advance reaches the Dnepr River.

AUSTRALIA: Minesweepers HMAS Cairns and Wollongong launched. (DS)

U.S.A.: The New York Yankees begin a three-game baseball series against the Philadelphia Athletics in Yankee Stadium in New York City. Joe DiMaggio hits a home run going 1-for-4 against A's pitcher Phil Marchildon and extending his hitting streak to 46-games.

Destroyer USS Frazier laid down. (DS)

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Drumheller launched Collingwood, Ontario. (DS)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: In the morning, U-96 was pursuing a convoy contact report from a Condor aircraft through fog about 300 miles north of the Azores, when she came upon a curious formation of six vessels: survey vessel HMS Challenger, leading the troopship Anselm, the AMC HMS Cathay and three corvettes, HMS Petunia, Lavender and Starwort, which were deployed to port, starboard and astern of the troopship. At 0829, U-96 fired a salvo of four torpedoes and thought that she had scored hits on the AMC and a yacht (the survey ship). However, two torpedoes hit the Anselm, sinking her within 22 minutes, but that was time enough for the crew to launch all but one of the lifeboats. None the less, four crewmembers and 250 of the service personnel on board were lost. The three corvettes immediately started a counter-attack on the U-boat, but the ASDIC of Starwort was out of commission, so Petunia and Lavender, which had firm contacts, delivered the attack. The first corvette launched six depth charges and the latter twenty. Then the attack carried the corvettes close to the survivors in the water, so the depth charging had to be broken off, but they had damaged U-96 so badly, that she had to abort her patrol. In the meantime the master, 93 crewmembers, three gunners and 965 service personnel were picked up by the survey ship (including 60 men from the water) and the third corvette. The survivors were later transferred to the AMC and landed at Freetown. (DS)

Sqn-Ldr the rev Herbert Cecil Pugh (b. 1898) asked to be lowered to some trapped men aboard the torpedoed troopship Anselm; he prayed with them as they went down with the ship. (George Cross)

Italian submarine Michele Bianchi sunk near Bordeaux by submarine HMS Tigris.

CANARY ISLANDS: U-103 refuelled from the German supply ship Charlotte Schliemann in Las Palmas. (DS)

5 July 1942

July 5th, 1942 (SUNDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The first prototype Avro York (LV 629) long-range transport makes its first flight. With the same wings, undercarriage and power units as the Lancaster but with a fuselage with twice the cubic capacity it is to be produced in small numbers as a VIP aircraft. (22)

Destroyer HMS Myrmidion commissioned.

BARENTS SEA: Fifteen merchant ships of convoy PQ-17 (Iceland to Murmansk, USSR), eight American, five British, one Dutch and one Panamanian, are sunk by German submarines U-88 (1 ship), U-251 (1 ship) U-255 (4 ships), U-334 (1 ship), U-355 (1 ship), U-376 (1 ship), U-456 (1 ship), U-457 (2 ships) and U-703 (3 ships). Seven of the ships had been previously damaged by Luftwaffe He 111s and Ju 88s. All are sunk between 144 nm (267 km) southeast of Spitsbergen Island and 161 nm (298 km) east of Murmansk.

The unescorted Earlston, dispersed on 4 July from Convoy PQ-17, was damaged by bombs from German Ju-88 aircraft of III/KG 30 based at Banak, Norway. At 1747 the same day, U-334 sank the ship with two coup de grâce NE of North Cape. The master and three gunners were taken prisoner. The second officer and 20 survivors landed on the Rabachi Peninsula after seven days. The chief officer and 26 survivors landed on Norwegian-occupied territory.

At 1431, the Honomu, dispersed from Convoy PQ-17, was torpedoed by U-456 in the Barents Sea. One torpedo struck on the starboard side at the #3 hold. The explosion destroyed the fireroom, killed two men on watch below and shut off all power. As the ship began to settle, a second torpedo struck at the #4 hold, causing her to sink by the stern within ten minutes. 19 of the seven officers, 28 crewmen, four British gunners (the ship was armed with two .30cal guns) and two navy signalmen managed to launch a lifeboat and 20 others scrambled onto four rafts. The master was taken prisoner by the U-boat and they gave meat and bread to the survivors before leaving. The lifeboat set sail and took the rafts in tow until 16 July, when the Chief Mate decided to cut the rafts loose and continue alone. The 19 survivors on the rafts were picked up 13 days after the sinking by a British minesweeper and another escort vessel about 360 miles from Murmansk and taken to a small village near Murmansk. At 1013, U-209 picked up five crewmembers and three British gunners from the lifeboat and took them as prisoners to Norway. They had been without food for the last 6 days. Two officers, eight crewmen and one British gunner had died of exposure in this boat

Empire Byron in Convoy PQ-17 was torpedoed by a German He111 torpedo bomber of II/KG 26 and fell behind the convoy, where she was sunk by a coup de grâce by U-703 at 0827 the next day. Three crewmembers, three gunners and one passenger were lost. The master, 45 crewmembers and 16 gunners were picked up by corvette HMS Dianella and landed at Archangel on 16 July. Another passenger, Capt J. Rimington (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers) was taken prisoner and landed at Narvik on 15 July.

At 2102, the River Afton, dispersed from Convoy PQ-17, was torpedoed by U-703 NE of Kola. She was the ship of the convoy commodore John C.K. Dowding CBE Dave ShirlawO RNR RD. The vessel exploded, broke in two and sank after being hit by two coup de grâce at 2105 and 2122. 15 crewmembers, eight gunners, one passenger and two naval staff members. The master, the commodore, 31 crewmembers, one gunner, one passenger and three naval staff members were picked up by HMS Lotus and landed at Matochkin, Novaya Zemlya.

At 0315, the Carlton was in Convoy PQ-17, when German He 115 aircraft of the Küstenfliegergruppe 906 attacked the convoy with torpedoes 200 miles NE of Bear Island (75.49N/22.15E). One aircraft dropped a torpedo about one-half mile away. It passed between the Carlton and the Samuel Chase but struck the Christopher Newport, which was later sunk by U-457. The convoy was scattered by the convoy commodore on Admiralty orders in the evening of that day. In the morning on 5 July, U-88 spotted the Carlton and pursued her for three hours before firing a torpedo, which struck the ship but did not detonate. At 10.15 hours a second torpedo struck the starboard side amidships, entering the tank containing 5000 barrels of Navy special fuel oil and ignited the cargo. The blast collapsed the forward fireroom bulkhead and the after bulkhead of the #2 hold. The two starboard lifeboats were also destroyed and the #3 hatch was blown away, dispersing the cargo of flour in this hold all over the deck. The burning Carlton sank on even keel by the bow within ten minutes. Two men died on watch in the engine room and the remaining men of the complement of eight officers, 26 crewmen and eleven armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) abandoned ship in one lifeboat and four rafts, which were later lashed together. Ten hours after the attack German seaplanes landed near the survivors and took 18 crewmembers and eight armed guards ashore. By 17 September, they had all been transferred to Milag Nord, a POW camp near Bremen. On 9 July, a British aircraft dropped food for the remaining 14 crewmembers and three armed guards. At 1930 on 13 July, U-376 offered the men medical assistance, which they declined and gave them the position, a compass, charts, biscuits, water, blankets and cigarettes. 19 days after the attack they made landfall at Tufjord, Norway near the North Cape. Before landing, the first assistant engineer died of exposure. The 16 survivors were captured by the Germans and arrived at Milag Nord on 27 August. The survivors of the Carlton provided valuable information to the Germans regarding the convoy and the cargo carried by the ships. This proved to be quite a propaganda coup for Germany. 27 crewmembers of the Carlton were repatriated, arriving in New York aboard the Swedish motor passenger ship Gripsholm on 21 Feb 1945. The others remained at Milag Nord until after hostilities ceased.

After Convoy PQ-17 was dispersed on 4 Jul 1942, the Daniel Morgan travelled with four other ships to Archangel. On 5 July, they were attacked many times by German Ju 88 aircraft of the KG 30. About 1800, five Ju 88 from the III/KG 30 attacked the ship at 75.08N/44.10E and three near misses caused the #4 and #5 holds to flood and the ship to list to starboard. At 2252, the crippled Daniel Morgan was hit by one torpedo from U-88 on the port side amidships. A few minutes later a second torpedo struck the engine room put the main and steering engines out of commission. The ship sank stern first shortly afterwards. The eight officers, 31 men and 15 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and four .50cal guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats. One of the boats capsized, the Chief Mate and one crewman drowned. A third man died from a concussion. Bohmann questioned the master and got wrong answers. He told them to follow the U-boat, which they did for 90 minutes, before U-88 suddenly pulled away at full speed. At 0800 on 6 July, the Soviet steam tanker Donbass picked up the survivors. The Soviet ship dropped anchor at Ioanka two days later and proceeded later for the White Sea and Molotovsk. The earlier ship of the master George T. Sullivan was the City of New York, which had been sunk by U-160 on 29 Mar 1942.

U.S.S.R.: The 4th Panzer Armee reaches the Don in the suburbs of Voronezh.

The last Soviet resistance in the Crimea ends.

NORTH AFRICA: US Army, Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF) B-24s bomb the harbour and ships at Benghazi, Libya during the night of 4/5 July.

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: An 11th Air Force B-17 flies a weather mission.

U.S.A.: Minesweeper USS Pilot launched.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Leigh Light, an airborne RDF-operated searchlight, scores its first success when an RAF Wellington of 172 Squadron sinks U-502 west of La Rochelle in position 46.10N, 06.40W. 52 dead (all hands lost). Although the development of airborne radar allowed Coastal Command aircraft to detect U-boats recharging their batteries on the surface at night, the minimum range of the radar often exceeded the maximum visual range at which the submarine could be identified and attacked. Squadron Leader Leigh successfully developed a powerful airborne searchlight that could be fitted beneath a Wellington, and, cued by the radar operator, switched on to illuminate the target on the attack run.

During the return to Britain of Convoy QP 13, HMS Niger led a column of Merchantmen in bad weather with visibility reduced to one mile. Niger had been unable to take bearings due to the weather but made a sighting of land, which was in fact an iceberg. She had unfortunately led the convoy into a British minefield off Iceland at 66 35N 23 14W. She was mined and blew up at 2240 with heavy loss of life, as were six of the merchantmen she was escorting, all but one also sank. (Dave Shirlaw and (Alex Gordon)(108) )

ASW trawler HMS Sword Dance sank after collision in Morey Firth.

5 July 1943

July 5th, 1943 (MONDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: ASW trawler HMS Grilse commissioned. Frigate HMS Ekins laid down.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: At 1543, U-593 attacked Convoy KMS-18B NE of Cap Bengut and sank the ship of the convoy commodore, the Devis. She had 289 Canadian troops and two British landing crafts (LCTs) on board for the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. 52 soldiers were lost. One of the LCTs sank with the ship; the other was damaged but remained afloat. The master, the convoy commodore, six naval staff members, 38 crewmembers, eight gunners and 237 soldiers were picked up by HMS Cleveland and landed at Bougie.

U.S.S.R: On the Eastern Front around Kursk both the Germans and the Red Army have assembled large groups of land and air forces. The Germans hope to cut of the Kursk salient and exploit the resulting gap in the Soviet lines. The Soviets, knowing the general German intentions, are following the advice of Zhukov and prepare to stand on the defensive rather that mount their attack first. The northern German forces, commanded by General Model and Kluge, are the XLVII Panzer Corps of the 9th Army. The southern German forces, commanded by General Hoth and Manstein, are the 5th Panzer Army and Operational Group Kempf. The Soviet northern defence is commanded by Rokossovsky and Zhukov and the Soviet southern defence is commanded by Vatutin and Vasilievsky, the Soviet reserve is commanded by Konev. The German attack begins at dawn today along a 170-mile front. PanzerKampfwagen V [Panther] tanks are used for the first time.

At 02:25 a.m., the Germans begin "Operation Citadel" to cut off the Kursk salient and thereby shorten the eastern front and free up considerable forces for offensive operations. On the northern side of the salient, troops of Army Group Centre (GFM Guenther von Kluge) are assembled in 9th Army (GO Walter Model) and include XXIII Army Corps, XLI Panzer Corps, XLVI Panzer Corps, and XLVII Panzer Corps. On the southern side of the salient, troops of Army Group South (GFM Erich von Manstein) are assembled in the 4th Panzer Army (GO Hermann Hoth) and Provisional Army Kempf (Gen. d. PzTr. Werner Kempf) and include XLVIII Panzer Corps, SS Panzer Corps, III Panzer Corps, and "Korps Raus." (Jeff Chrisman)

Polar Fleet and White Sea Flotilla: Submarine "M-106" - sunk by surface ASW ships Uj1206 and Uj1207 by depth charges and ramming, at Varanger-fjord. (Sergey Anisimov and Dave Shirlaw)(69)

Soviet submarine SC-422 damaged by depth charges of German hunter-group and rammed by Uj-1217 near cape Bludschutudde. All hands lost.

SOLOMON ISLANDS:

Brooklyn-class light cruiser USS Helena broke in half after being hit by 3 Japanese torpedoes at the battle of Battle of Kula Gulf, off New Georgia. Her bow was sunk the following morning by US destroyers. US Admiral Ainsworth is trying to stop Japanese reinforcement of New Georgia. Shortly after midnight, (1) the USN's Task Group 36.1 consisting of cruisers and destroyers bombards Vila and Kolombangara Islands and Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia Island; and (2) the 1st Marine Raider Battalion and one battalion each from the Army's 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments land at Rice Anchorage. In the afternoon, the Allies learn that ten Japanese destroyers, the "Tokyo Express," are sailing towards New Georgia Island and by 2400 hours local 5 July, TG 36.1 is positioned off the NW corner of New Georgia to meet them.

The 1st US Marine Raider Battalion and one battalion each from the US Army's 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments land at Rice Anchorage.

In the afternoon, the Allies learn that ten Japanese destroyers, the "Tokyo Express," are sailing towards New Georgia Island and by 2400 hours local 5 July, TG 36.1 is positioned off the northwest corner of New Georgia to meet them.

Destroyer USS Strong sunk after being torpedoed by a Japanese destroyer off New Georgia, Solomon Islands. 46 of her crew were lost.

U.S.A.: The first turbojet engine developed for the U.S. Navy, the Westinghouse I9A, completes its 100-hour endurance test.

Destroyer escorts USS Creamer, Finnegan, Gustafson, Hollis, Samuel S Miles laid down.

Destroyer escorts USS Baron and J Richard Ward commissioned.

CARIBBEAN SEA: At 0330, the Maltran in Convoy GTMO-134 was torpedoed by U-759 about 70 miles west of Port Salut, Haiti. One torpedo struck on the starboard side at the #2 hatch. The explosion blew the hatch cover off and threw portion of the cargo over the deck and into the sea. As the ship settled rapidly the engines were secured and she first listed to starboard but then settled on even keel. The armed guards fired one round to indicate the direction of the U-boat. As the water reached the forward deck after ten minutes, the eight officers, 27 crewmen and 12 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) abandoned ship in two lifeboats and three rafts. The overboard discharge from the condenser swamped one of the boats. The ship sank by the stern 15 minutes after the torpedo hit. The survivors were picked up by USS SC-1279 about two and a half hours after the attack and taken to Guantanamo the same day.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-535 sunk NE of Cape Finisterre, Spain, in position 43.38N, 09.13W, by depth charges from an RAF 53 Sqn Liberator. 55 dead (all hands lost).

5 July 1944

July 5th, 1944 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The Eighth Air Force in England dispatches 371 bombers and 445 fighters on Mission 453 are dispatched to attack 3 airfields in the Netherlands and 2 in Belgium, a factory near Mol, and 3 V-weapon supply sites in France; five fighters are lost.

1. Of 79 B-17 Flying Fortresses dispatched to the Netherlands, 38 hit Gilze-Rijen Airfield, 20 hit Volkel Airfield and 19 hit Noll.

2. Of 221 B-24 Liberators, 43 hit Bois de Cassan V-weapon site, 36 hit Le Coulet Airfield, 29 hit Foret de L'Isle Adam and 29 hit Mery sur Oise V-weapon sites, 13 hit Eindhoven Airfield, five hit Melsbroek Airfield and two hit Tulemont Airfield.

The two missions above are escorted by 180 P-51 Mustangs that claim 4-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; two P-51s are lost.

3. 70 B-17s hit Beziers marshalling yard; 228 P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51s escort the bombers and claim 18-1-9 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; two P-47s and a P-51 are lost. Of 93 P-47s, 22 bomb Rouen, ten hit L'Arche Bridge, ten hit Seine River locks, seven hit Boissy le Bois, seven hit Pantgouin, seven hit Veulettes Bridge and six hit communication targets; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; two P-47s are lost. The P-47s are escorted by 181 P-38s Lightnings; two P-38s are lost .

During the night, 8 of 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France with the loss of 1 B-17; and 8 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

70 B-17s on shuttle mission (UK-USSR-Italy-UK) attack a marshalling yard at Beziers, France (with Fifteenth AAir Force B-24s) while on the last leg from Italy to the UK; 42 P-51s return to UK with the B-17s (of the 11 P-51s remaining in Italy, 10 return to the UK the following day and the last several days later).

About 180 Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs bomb bridges at Caen and also sidings, tracks, and rolling stock; in the afternoon four NOBALL (V-weapon) HQ are hit; 600+ fighters escort the bombers, carry out armed reconnaissance of communication and enemy movements, attack rail lines, rolling stock, marshalling yards, bridges, supply dumps, and cover the beach area.

ENGLISH CHANNEL:

U-390 attacked ships off the Normandy and claimed the sinking of two vessels. The ships hit were HMS Ganilly and SS Sea Porpoise. At 2115, the Sea Porpoise was hit by one torpedo when steaming at 8 knots as the last ship in the starboard column in a convoy with two columns about 10 miles off Utah Beach. The torpedo struck on the starboard side amidships, threw the shaft out of line, damaged the main turbine, cracked some hull plating and injured twelve men. The nine officers, 81 crewmen, 45 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four 3in and eight 20mm guns) and 24 passengers (US Army personnel) stayed on board. The ship developed a 10° list to starboard, but this was corrected by counter-flooding. After four hours, the ship was taken in tow to the Utah Beach and anchored. On 9 July, she was towed to Spithead in two days and later to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for temporary repairs. On 16 September, the Sea Porpoise left under tow in a slow convoy for Jacksonville, Florida, arriving on 5 October. On 4 May 1945, she returned to service after permanent repairs were completed. U-390 later sunk in position 49.52N, 00.48W, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Wanderer and frigate HMS Tavy. 48 dead and 1 survivor.

At 18.03 hours U-763 fired a spread of three LUT torpedoes at the convoy ETC-26 off Isle of Wight and hit the Ringen (Master Oskar Monsen) with one of them. One British gunner was killed and the ship sank after being abandoned. The Ringen was sunk on her third trip for Operation Neptune. She arrived the first time in the Normandy on 8 June and left five days later and made a second trip between 22 and 27 June.

At 0801, U-953 fired a spread of two LUT torpedoes and at 0805 one Gnat at Convoy ETC-27 in the English Channel off Cap d'Antifer. Marbach observed one ship sinking, heard a detonation after 4 minutes 27 seconds and claimed two ships sunk. However, only the Glendinning was torpedoed and sunk. Two crewmen and two gunners were lost. The master, 20 crewmen, seven gunners and one naval signalman were picked up by HM ML-250 of the 19th ML-Flotilla, later transferred to destroyer HMS Fernie and landed at Sheerness.

FRANCE: La Haye-du-Puits falls to US forces.

HMC Ships Qu'Appelle, Skeena, Saskatchewan and Restigouche, while engaged in Operation DREDGER, attacked a small group of three German armed trawlers escorting two U-boats that were outbound from Brest. One of the trawlers, V-715, was sunk and the other two were damaged. Skeena was hit by German gunfire and fourteen crewmembers were wounded, three of them seriously. Saskatchewan suffered five casualties, one of which subsequently died of his wounds. Qu'Appelle also suffered several non-fatal casualties, all of them among the bridge staff. This action took place at extremely short range. Qu’Appelle’s bridge was raked by 20-mm fire from V-715, wounding the CO and 10 members of the bridge staff. A secondary explosion, possibly caused by the detonation of a depth charge, caused additional damage that disabled Qu’Appelle temporarily, forcing her to transfer tactical command to LCdr. Groos in Restigouche. However, she was also damaged and passed the responsibility to LCdr. Russell in Skeena. She in turn was hit by German gunfire and fourteen crewmembers were wounded, three of them seriously. Saskatchewan also suffered five casualties, one of which subsequently died of his wounds. Disabled by multiple shell hits, V-715 was finally sunk by a torpedo fired by Skeena. EG-12 withdrew to Plymouth to disembark the wounded and to effect repairs. German survivors from V-715 were rescued later that evening by the S-boats S-145 and S-112, which were transiting from St. Malo to Brest. The close range and high volumes of fire during this night engagement resulted in significant disorder. The close range also negated the destroyers’ major advantages of heavier armament and speed. Normally, such odds would have been heavily in favor of EG-12 and the outcome should have been very one-sided. However, the confusion over the size and composition of the German formation and the results of the battle indicate that the Canadian group was unprepared for the challenges of night surface action and that they performed poorly on this occasion.

GERMANY: U-2510 is laid down. U-1106 and U-1279 are commissioned.

FINLAND: Vuosalmi: Soviets capture parts of the Finnish bridgehead after the defending troops on some sectors panic and leave their positions in heavy artillery fire. Even reinforcements fail to improve the Finnish position. Finnish artillery and air attacks, however, force the Soviets to cancel further attacks for some time. This day is the beginning of the end for the Finnish bridgehead.
Bay of Viipuri: After heavy fighting Finns are forced to leave the islands of Teikarinsaari and Melansaari. Another quiet day at Ihantala. Finnish artillery prevents few Soviet attacks at Tähtelä and Ihantala, but the enemy manages to capture a piece of terrain at Pyöräkangas. They are driven back next night by elements of the II/IR 35. Auxiliary gunboats Aunus and Viena are damaged. (Mikko Härmeinen and Dave Shirlaw)

SOUTH AFRICA: Frigate SAS GOOD HOPE launched.

INDIAN OCEAN: One man was killed (Matrosenobergefreiter Hans Boldt) and three wounded, when U-859 was attacked by an RAF 262 Sqn Catalina in the Indian Ocean.

NEW GUINEA: A Japanese counterattack against the US forces on Numfoor fails.

AUSTRALIA: Frigate HMAS Hawkesbury commissioned.

PACIFIC: Aircraft of Task Groups 58.1 and 58.2 continue to attack targets in the Bonin and Volcano Islands. Aircraft of Task Group 58.3 begin preinvasion air assaults on Guam.

CANADA: Repair ship HMS Flamborough Head (later HMCS Cape Breton) laid down Vancouver, British Columbia.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2150, the Noreen Mary was sunk by gunfire by U-247 about 20 miles west of Cape Wrath. This is an amazing event at this time in the war when U-boats were constantly being hunted by Allied aircraft.

U-233 sunk SE of Halifax, in position 42.16N, 59.49W by ramming, depth charges and gunfire from destroyer escorts USS Baker and Thomas. 32 dead and 29 survivors.

U-586 sunk near Toulon in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by a USAAC 233 Sqn B-24.

U-642 sunk near Toulon in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by US bombs.

5 July 1945

July 5th, 1945 (THURSDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: Today is election day in Britain. The results of this first postwar election will not be available until July 26 so that the votes of soldiers overseas may be counted.

Britain and US recognize a new Polish Provisional government of National Unity. Mikolajczyk is one of the deputy premiers, was formerly the leader of the London exile government. A foreign office statement welcoming its establishment pointed out that under the Yalta agreement "free and unfettered elections" must be held as soon as possible on the basis of "universal suffrage and secret ballot". Ambassadors will be exchanged shortly. This means that Britain will now withdraw recognition from the Polish government in London.

JAPAN: The US Seventh Air Force dispatches 46 B-24s and 24 B-25 Mitchells, all from Okinawa, bomb Omura Airfield and two towns in the Omura-Nagasaki area and 100 Twentieth Air Force P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, strike airfields in the Tokyo area (Ibaraki, Yatabe, Yawatasaki Cape, and Maruta); they claim 5-11 aircraft on the ground.

BORNEO: Australia lands reinforcements in Balikpapan Bay; they swiftly establish beach-heads and push on to the interior.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: General Douglas MacArthur declares that the Philippine Islands have been completely liberated.

PACIFIC: General Spaatz will command the US Strategic Air Forces against Japan.

AUSTRALIA: John Curtin, Australia's prime minister, dies at the age of 60.

U.S.A.: Washington: General Carl "Tooey" Spaatz is appointed to command the US air offensive against Japan.

CANADA: Corvettes HMCS Belleville and Giffard paid off Sorel, Province of Quebec.

Top of Page

Yesterday Tomorrow

Home