77 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Kassel. Nine bombed. One hit by flak and landed at Bircham Newton.

78 Sqn. Three aircraft to Osnabruck. One returned early, one bombed primary, one bombed alternate.

102 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Hamburg. Seven bombed.

2 Group ( Blenheim). Three aircraft raided airfields around Wilhelmshaven.

The Local Defence Volunteer force is renamed the "Home Guard".

Submarine minelayer Narwhal (instructed to proceed on the surface) is attacked and sunk by a Dornier flying boat in the Norwegian Sea at 55 30N 01 10E. All crew of 59 are lost. (Alex Gordon)(108)

London: Dr. Eduard Benes, the Czech leader, has formed a provisional Czechoslovak government in London with the approval of the British government. It is probable that a British minister will be accredited to Dr Bene’s government. Mgr Sramek is appointed prime minister.

Dr Benes, who becomes president, said today: "Our main effort will be the organisation of our forces on land and in the air so that our share in the defence of Britain and the defeat of Nazism will be as effective as possible.

An emergency budget today ushered in tough new taxes, including 24% on luxuries such as furs, real silk stockings and cosmetics. "In the hard circumstances of the times we can do without them," said Sir Kingsley Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He also announced all-round tax increases, including an extra shilling on income tax. This will be 8/6 in the pound from next January. (42.5%)

In future income tax will also be compulsorily deducted at source. People will "pay as they earn" instead of the present system with lump sums paid twice a year.

U.S.S.R.: Soviet submarine M-99 commissioned.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Quezon awards Marquat the Philippine Distinguished Service Star for his work in establishing the Philippine Army Coast Artillery School at Fort Wint from 1938 to 1940.

U.S.A.: A British Purchasing mission is given permission to buy 40% of the USA’s production of aircraft.

GERMANY: Berlin: The German News Bureau announced:

The initial reports about the air assault on Moscow reveal that the German air crews who reached Moscow in the second assault wave, could see the sea of flame in the Russian capital while they were still almost 85 miles from Moscow. One of the pilots reports that the conflagrations were as huge and wide-reaching as those he had already viewed in Manchester or Sheffield. He spoke of the strong air defence and said that the incessant muzzle flashes from the anti-aircraft artillery could be observed amidst the houses even after they had begun to burn.
 

FINLAND: The defending forces on the Finnish island of Bengtskär are reinforced by a 20 mm Madsen cannon with a crew of three. (Cris Wetton)

 

U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Following the heavy air attacks, the Communist Party and STAVKA start to evacuate the families of government members and high-ranking military men from Moscow.

General S. M. Shtemenko, the Soviet chief of operations, reports that bombs were frequently dropped near his offices at night, and that consequently the Red Army general staff headquarters was always shifted to the Byelorosskaya subway station in the evening so that the Soviet officers could get on with their work in peace. Later the general staff are moved to the Kirovskaya subway station, which had been specially remodelled for the purpose.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: One destroyer, HMS Fearless, in the convoy of Operation Substance, from Gibraltar to Malta, is hit aft by an air dropped torpedo and completely disabled. As nothing can be done to save her, the crew are taken off and she is scuttled by HMS Forester, south of Sardinia at 37 40N, 08 20E. There are 27 casualties. (Alex Gordon)(108)One cruiser and three destroyers are also damaged in Italian air attacks.
Andrea Galliano adds: Airplanes from Sardinia attacked the convoy starting from 9.42, they were part of the 283 and 280 Sqd AS (SM79 torpedo bombers), 32 Stormo BT (SM79 level bombers) and 51 Gruppo BT (Cant Z1007).

A plane from the 283 Sqd hit and damaged the cruiser Manchester, while a SM79 of the 280 Sqd badly damaged the DD Fearless, which was later scuttled.

In the afternoon SM79 bombers damaged with a near-miss the DD Firedrake, which is forced to return to Gibraltar.

During the night MAS 532 and MAS 533 hit and damaged the freighter Sidney Star.

EGYPT: Cairo: The Syrian armistice is again changed to allow the Free French to contact Vichy troops; the captured war material was French property and the Syrian and Lebanese troops would be placed under Free French command.

AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Mildura commissioned.

CANADA: Small craft ordered for RCN: HC 1, HC 2, HC 3 and HC 4.
 

U-187, U-632 commissioned.

POLAND: Warsaw: The Judenrat [Jewish Council] leader, Adam Czerniakow, commits suicide.

U.S.S.R.: There is heavy fighting in Russia along the Don from Rostov to Tsimlyansk.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: An RN 815 Sqn Swordfish failed to return from an eastern Mediterranean ASW sweep.

PACIFIC: 3 B-17 Flying Fortresses, staging through Canton Island, Phoenix Islands, carry out photo reconnaissance of Makin Island, Gilbert Islands.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: USMC photographers of Marine Observation Squadron Two Hundred Fifty One (VMO-251) using USN cameras and flying in USAAF B-17Es, based in the New Hebrides, fly their first preinvasion photographic reconnaissance mission of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi-Gavutu area. 

The B-17s are intercepted by "Rufe" floatplanes (Mitsubishi A6M2-N Navy Type 2 Fighter Seaplanes) but there are no loses on either side.

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The planned bombardment of Kiska Island by Task Force 8 is postponed due to weather.

U.S.A.: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull urges the formation of an international peace-keeping organization by the United Nations (Allies) after the war.

Destroyer USS Stevenson laid down.

Submarine USS Billfish and Bowfin laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN:

The unescorted Garmula was torpedoed and sunk by U-752 about 200 miles SW of Freetown. The master, 61 crewmembers and five gunners were picked up by armed trawler HMS Pict and landed at Freetown. 20 crewmembers and one gunner were lost.

CARIBBEAN SEA: At 2222, the unescorted and unarmed Onondaga was hit by one torpedo from U-129 about five miles north of Cayo Guillermo, while steaming on a nonevasive course at 8.5 knots. The torpedo struck on the port side amidships, causing the ship to sink within one minute. The eight officers, 25 crewmen and one passenger abandoned ship by jumping overboard and swam to two rafts that had flooded free. Six officers, 13 crewmen and the passenger were lost. The survivors were picked up by the Cuban fishing boat Laventina the next morning and landed at Punta San Juan, Cuba.

 

UNITED KINGDOM: Corvette HMCS Orangeville (ex HMS Hedingham Castle) laid down Leith, Scotland. When being built in the UK, a shipyard worker, on discovering that wartime RCN ships had no official badge, thought that Orangeville deserved one anyway. He designed and carved in wood his impression of scenes that represented Canada - forests and streams. He also added a windmill, mixing up his countries somewhat! The town of Orangeville, which like other towns and cities in Canada adopted "their" ship, somehow, in the course of time, the town received a copy of the unofficial ship's badge. Lo and behold, not having a town coat of arms, the town decided to adopt the ship's badge for their own. To this day, it remains the town's official coat of arms.

Destroyer ORP Slazak (ex-HMS Bedale) launched.

GERMANY: U-721 is launched.

BULGARIA: Sofia: Allied military successes in Sicily have set off a wave of unrest in south-eastern Europe. Large-scale rioting is reported from Sofia. Troops have been called out, and telephone links were severed for a time two days ago. Leaflets scattered by an unidentified plane called on the people to overthrow the government and kick out the Germans. In Romania all military leave has been cancelled and fresh Axis troops are being brought from Greece.

U.S.S.R.: The Germans have been pushed back to their original positions on the south side of Kursk.

II SS Pz. K. (2 & 3 SS Pz. Div.'s) and XXIV Pz.K. (23 Pz.Div. & 16 Pg.Div.) counterattack Soviet positions on the River Mius, north of Taganrog. II SS Pz.K.'s attack makes little progress initially, however XXIV Pz.K.'s attack found success and Soviet defense will start to fail. (Jeff Chrisman)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: B-25 Mitchells and P-40s, along with US Navy SBD Dauntlesses, pound the Rekata Bay area on Santa Isabel Island.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS West York laid down Midland, Ontario.

U.S.A.: The Joint Chiefs of Staff direct Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to seize Nauru Island in the central Pacific.

Destroyer escort USS Cooner launched.

Destroyer USS Charles J Badger commissioned.

Submarine USS Dace commissioned.

Corvette USS Pert commissioned.

Destroyer escorts USS Schmitt, Gantner, Foss commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Three German U-boats are sunk.

- U-613 is sunk in the mid-Atlantic south of the Azores, in position 35.32N, 28.36W, by depth charges from the US destroyer USS George E. Badger (DD-196); all 48 hands are lost.

- U-527 is sunk in the mid-Atlantic south of the Azores during support of U-648, in position 35.25N, 27.56W, by depth charges from a TBF Avenger of Composite Squadron Nine (VC-9) in USS Bogue (CVE-9); 13 of the 53 crewman survive and U-648 escapes.

- U-598 is sunk in the South Atlantic near Natal, Brazil, in position 04.05S, 33.23W, by depth charges when Lieutenant (jg) Waugh, flying PB4Y-1 Liberator 107-B-6 of Bombing Squadron One Hundred Seven (VB-107) based at Natal, attacks a surfaced U-boat in conjunction with Lieutenant Ford, sinking the submarine. Waugh’s aircraft apparently sustained damage during the attack, plunging into the sea after his bombing pass, all hands were lost. The submarine was U-598, Kapitänleutnant Gottfried Holtorf commanding. Only one of the 44-men aboard the U-boat were saved. (115)

UNITED KINGDOM: The Eighth Air Force in England flies two missions.

- Mission 490: 280 bombers and 193 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields in France; 78 B-17s hit Creil Airfield while 166 B-24 Liberators bomb Couvron Airfield and Athies Airfield at Laon and Juvincourt Airfield. Escort is provided by 177 P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs.

1. 78 B-17s hit Creil Airfield; 1 B-17 is lost.

2. Of 198 B-24s dispatched, 61 hit Laon/Couvron Airfield, 57 hit Laon/Athies Airfield and 48 hit Juvincourt Airfield.

- Mission 491: 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
- 21 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.

FRANCE: The Germans have launched a ferocious attack on the Vercors, a mountainous area south-west of Grenoble controlled by the French Resistance. The "Republic of the Vercors" began life on 3 July, when the area was declared "liberated territory" and occupied by 3,000 Maquisards. Two days ago, however, the Germans responded by laying siege to the "republic" with 15,000 troops, including men from elite SS and alpine regiments, under General Karl Pflaum. The SS men took the Maquisards by surprise when they landed by glider on an airfield at Vassieux, ironically intended for Allied aircraft to bring assistance to the rebels. So far 650 Resistance fighters have fallen in heavy combat, and as reprisal for their defiance the SS has shot the population of five villages.

Normandy: The First Canadian Army, under General Henry Crerar, becomes operational.

330+ USAAF Ninth Air Force A-20 Havocs and B-26s bomb rail bridges along the Argentan-Paris and Lisieux-Bernay-Evreux railroads, and hit fuel dumps at Foret de Conches; fighters escort bombers, attack rail lines, enemy installations, and movements in the Argentan-Alencon-Chartres-Evreux areas, and bomb bridges, strongpoints, and a supply dump in support of the US First Army.

ITALY: Units of the US IV Corps occupy parts of Pisa which lie south of the Arno River.
The Fifteenth Air Force dispatches 42 B-24s to bomb the Berat, Albania oil refinery; 15 P-51s provide target cover for the bombers and afterwards strafe roads and targets of opportunity in Yugoslavia near the Albanian border.

Sowar Ditto Ram(b.?), Central India Horse, despite losing his left leg to a mine, crawled across a minefield to aid a wounded comrade, before dying. His commander, Lt. St. John Graham Young (b.1921), Royal Tank Regt., was also going to help a wounded man when a mine blew off his right leg. He reached the man and treated his wound, but died next day. (George Crosses)

German Generaloberst (Colonel-General) Schörner replaces General Friessner at Army Group North which is defending the Baltic States. Schörners Army Group is outnumbered by the Soviets and Army Group Centre is some 30 miles away. Because of this, it is said that Schörner asked Hitler to let Estonia go. The Führer refuses. (Gene Hanson)

A Polish Committee of National Liberation is announced in Moscow. The Polish government in Exile in London denounces this move by "a handful of unknown communists".

Rastenburg: Heinz Guderian, the new army chief of staff, swears an oath of loyalty to Hitler.

Theresienstadt: An inspection is made of the camp by a committee of the International Red Cross. In preparation for the visit many prisoners have been deported to Auschwitz to relieve overcrowding, dummy stores, a cafe, a bank, kindergartens, a school and flower gardens are installed. In the wake of the inspection most of the prisoners interviewed are sent to Auschwitz. (Jean Beach)(118)

Destroyer minelayer USS Adams launched.

Destroyer USS Lowry commissioned.

The assistant G-2, Island Command, Peleliu, LT. W.C. Phelan, USNR produced the document titled "Japanese Military Caves on Peleliu: "KNOW YOUR ENEMY", CinCPac-CinCPOA BULLETIN 173-45. It consists of 45 pages and is an extensive study and analysis of the cave system found on Peleliu. (William L. Howard)