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July 25th, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The Avro Manchester medium-heavy bomber prototype (L 7247) makes its maiden flight at Woodford, Cheshire. (22)

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25 July 1940

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July 25th, 1940 (THURSDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - industrial targets Ruhr.

51 Sqn. Nine aircraft to Sterkrade - Holten. Five bombed. Opposition heavy.

77 Sqn. Ten aircraft to Bottrop. Opposition severe. One hit by flak and landed at Bircham Newton.

78 Sqn. Five aircraft to Ruhr. One returned early, four bombed. One fighter seen.

RAF Fighter Command: Weather fine, very heavy attacks on Channel convoy in co-operation with E-boats. 18 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, 7 RAF aircraft lost.

Patrols covering shipping off Portland are attacked by Bf109s. Two German aircraft are destroyed.

At 10:40 Ju87s of III/StG1 try to attack Portland. 152 Sqn destroys a Do17M west of Eastfleet and a JU87. Bf109s and several bombers approach Dover around noon. 65 Sqn intercepts. Flt. Sgt. Franklin by manoeuvring extremely low in N3164 caused a Bf109 to plunge into the sea.

32 Sqns Hurricanes joined 615 Sqn in another battle. Plt. Off. V.G.Draw of 32 Sqn mixed with six Bf109s received leg wounds and force landed a badly damaged P3677.

Convoy CW8 comprising small ships carrying coal, cement and general cargo sailed at 07:00 from Southend. By 14:30 it was off Dover while many British fighters were rearming, at which time JU87s dive-bombed the convoy, sinking three small ships and damaging two. Defence rested with AA gunners, Dover Site D1 claiming a JU87 before frantic calls brought along Spitfires of 54 Sqn the 65 Sqn upon which a hoard of Bf109s pounced. They destroyed two Spitfires including the 54 Sqn’s ‘B’ Flight Commander, Flt. Lt. BH Way, who was killed. 54 Sqn. call this ‘Black Thursday’. When eight Spitfires of 64 Sqn arrived they faced 30 Ju88s of III/KG 4 accompanied by more than 50 Bf109s. Three more 64 Sqn Spitfires arrived along with 12 Hurricanes of 111 Sqn. Despite engaging the bombers they could not prevent the sinking of two more ships. One Spitfire was lost.

At 16:21 Spitfires of 54 Sqn. patrolling off Dover spotted E-boats leaving Boulogne. Two destroyers, HMS Boreas and HMS Brilliant along with two MTBs, leave Dover and attack the E-boats. Ju87s dive-bomb the destroyers which are also the targets of shore-based artillery from the French coast. Boreas is hit and calls for smoke and tugs. Both damaged destroyers head back for Dover, whose No.4 LAA gunsite claimed a Stuka. More Spitfires of 54 and 64 Sqns tried to protect the warships, along with Hurricanes of 56 Sqn even though they were challenged by over 100 enemy aircraft. Just as the destroyers came under further attack 610 Sqns Spitfires arrived to bag two Bf109s and damage several more without loss.

London: Charles de Gaulle asks Captain Jacques Philippe, Vicomte de Hautecloque [alias Philippe LeClerc] to rally Free French forces in Equatorial Africa.

 

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Italian bombers attack British naval bases at Haifa and Alexandria.

U.S.A.: The US prohibits the export of oil and metal products to countries outside the Americas and Britain. This is primarily aimed at Japan.
At this point the United States actually stopped only the export of aviation gasoline, aviation lubricants, and no. 1 iron and steel scrap (it also seems unlikely that the Soviet Union was included in this embargo). In late September 1940, after the occupation of northern Indochina, all scrap was embargoed, followed within the next few months by steel, iron ore, etc. Exports of oil were not stopped until late July 1941, when the United States, in response to the Japanese occupation of southern Indochina, froze all Japanese funds--in effect ending trade between the United States and Japan. (Keith Allen)

The light cruiser USS Trenton (CL-11), carrying the royal family of the Duchy of Luxembourg, arrives at Annapolis, Maryland.

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25 July 1941

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July 25th, 1941 (FRIDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: London: The William Temple endorses the British-Soviet Pact. He says:

"It may seem strange to combine the alliance with Russia with the claim that we are contending for Christian civilization, but such misgivings are really misplaced, for the one, first, and essential aim of the whole widespread struggle is the overthrow of the tyranny of evil embodied in the rulers of Germany and all who are engaged in the cause must needs be our allies."

FRANCE: Paris: The German-controlled radio here announced that the Vichy government had decided to deport all British subjects from its territory.

Members of the sizeable British expatriate community on the Cote d'Azur were told to leave a month ago. Many of them are elderly and cut off from their incomes by the speed of the French collapse last year.

Nov Vichy has decided to deport British subjects from France and "to regulate the position of Britons in France". In part, the decision reflects increasing German pressure on the Vichy rulers. "After getting rid of the Free French parasites and the enemies of France as well as of the communists and the Jews," Paris radio said, "it is now the turn of the British."

The decision also reflects the bitter anti-British resentment of Admiral Darlan, the Vichy vice-premier, over what the radio called "the numberless British aggression" against Dakar, Syria and the French fleet.

VICHY FRANCE: The risk of war in the Far East escalated today with the surrender by the Petain regime of its military bases in Indochina to Japan. Britain and America have both denounced the French surrender.

By gaining access to airfields in western Indochina, Japan can now launch more frequent bombing raids against the Burma Road. Occupation of Indochina's east coast ports constitutes a threat to the Philippines (800 miles) and Singapore (750 miles).

FINLAND: Seven Soviet MO boats, carrying 60 Border Guards under the command of Lt. P. Kurilov and Commissar A.I. Rumjantsev set out from the Soviet-held port of Hanko to seize the Finnish island of Bengtskär, which is held by less than 30 men. (Cris Wetton)
The advance of Finnish Karelian Army is stopped north of Lake Ladoga after Col. Lagus' 5th Div. reaches Tuulos, about 20 miles east of pre-1939 border. After beating back Soviet counter-attacks the Finnish troops regroup into defence. More to north (in northern Karelia) the Finnish advance is slowed down by heavy Soviet resistance in well-prepared positions.

U.S.S.R.: The Spanish Volunteer Division of the Wehrmacht is designated the 250th ("Azul/Blue") Infantry Division. It is called the "Blue Division"  because the original uniform includes the dark blue shirts of the Spanish Fascists (the Falange). (Raymond Merriam)

MALTA: With the Grand Harbour unusually filled with merchant ships from the newly-arrived convoy - Operation Substance - high-speed Italian motor boats, their bow packed with high explosive, made a daredevil attack here tonight. Only one freighter had been damaged in this successful attempt to beat the Axis in "bomb alley" - although the cruiser HMS Manchester was damaged and the destroyer HMS Fearless sunk. Fifteen brave young Italians died when their MTLs (literally "tourist motor boats") came under fire from harbour defences manned by the Royal Malta Artillery. The attack had been planned for months.

One group of "frogmen" would blow up a hindrance net suspended from a bridge to all the MTLs access to the harbour. The MTL pilots would race down the huge harbour and aim their exploding boats at ships before ejecting themselves over their sterns.

The plan almost worked, except that one of the Italians, Major Tesei, blew up the bridgre and himself, blocking access to the MTLs, which found themselves helpless, floodlit by harbour searchlights.

ICELAND: The air echelon of the USAAF's 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), consisting of 30 P-40s and 3 primary training aircraft (Stearman PT-13 Kaydets), was loaded aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) at Naval Operating Base Norfolk, Virginia, yesterday, for transport to Reykjavik, Iceland.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Dundas launched Victoria, British Columbia.

U.S.A.: Reports come over the radio that "five bombing planes made for England have crashed at different places in Ohio. All these accidents have taken place within 24 hours."

War and Naval Departments send a message to the Pacific commanders advising them that Roosevelt was going to close the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping and would freeze all Japanese assets in the US, and those of banks situated in Japanese occupied China.  These commanders were advised to “guard against possible eventualities”.

INCOMPLETE TEXT OF JULY 25, 1941, MESSAGE (CNO on his own behalf and for COS to overseas naval commanders and to be forwarded to Army commanders):

YOU ARE ADVISED THAT AT 1400 GCT JULY 26 UNITED STATES WILL IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST JAPAN STOP IT IS EXPECTED THESE SANCTIONS WILL EMBARGO ALL TRADE BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION THROUGH A LICENSING SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN MATERIAL STOP IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT EXPORT LICENSES WILL BE GRANTED FOR CERTAIN GRADES OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTIONS COMMA COTTON AND POSSIBLY SOME OTHER MATERIALS AND THAT IMPORT LICENSES MAY BE GRANTED FOR RAW SILK STOP JAPANESE ASSETS AND FUND (sic) IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE FROZEN EXCEPT THAT THEY MAY BE MOVED IF LICENSES ARE GRANTED FOR SUCH MOVEMENT STOP (missing section) CNO AND COS DO NOT ANTICIPATE IMMEDIATE HOSTILE REACTION BY JAPAN THROUGH THE USE OF MILITARY MEANS BUT YOU ARE FURNISHED THIS INFORMATION IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY TAKE APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AGAINST POSSIBLE EVENTUALITIES STOP (rest of message missing)

 

Stimson advises Roosevelt that it is necessary to substantially bolster Philippine defenses.

Bureau of Ordnance issues first Navy "E" certificates (for excellence) for industry.

Baseball, 41-year old Boston Red Sox pitcher Lefty Grove joins Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and Eddie Plank to achieve 300 career wins. The lefthander gave up 12 hits beating the Cleveland Indians, 10-6. In 17 years in major league ball, he accumulated a 300-141 record.

The motion picture "Blossoms In the Dust" is released in the U.S. The film, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, stars Greer Garson, Walter Pidegeon and Marsha Hunt. This tear-jerker, set in Texas, has Garson opening an orphanage and fighting to get equal rights for illegitimate kids. The film is nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress (Garson); it wins one technical award.

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN: The British cruiser HMS Newcastle intercepts the German ship 'Erlangen', which scuttles herself.

 

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25 July 1942

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July 25th, 1942 (SATURDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: London: The Allies agree to invade North Africa (Operation Torch) rather than open a second front in Europe.

Escort Group C3 (HMCS Saguenay, Skeena, Galt, Sackville, Wetaskiwin and Louisburg depart Londonderry to escort Convoy ON 115.

U.S.S.R.: The German Army Group A completes the capture of Rostov, USSR.

German troops occupy Novocherkassk.

Moscow: Soon after the 32,000-strong Second Soviet Assault Army surrendered to the Germans east of Leningrad, a Russian peasant came to German intelligence officers with an intriguing piece of information. The commander-in-chief of the Assault Army, General Andrei Vlasov, awarded the Order of the Red Banner by Stalin as one of the saviours of Moscow, wished to join the fight against Communism.

Vlasov, quietly efficient and unassuming, has impressed his interrogators. He is, however, only the latest of thousands of Red Army men, many of them senior officers, who have given up the fight for the Red Army. The 436th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Major I. N. Kononov, a Cossack, has offered its services to the Germans.

Hitler's orders are that no Slav Untermensch [subhuman] can be allowed to carry arms. But German generals in the field have other ideas. They have been using ex-Red Army men as auxiliaries, and many have been in action against their former comrades.

Now it is being put about that Cossacks are not, after all, Slavs, but a Germanic people. Hitler has enthusiastically accepted this fable. The mass defections are a direct consequence of Stalin's liquidation of thousands of senior Red Army officers in the years of the great purges.

EGYPT: Aircraft of the USAAF 344th and 2 HQ aircraft arrive.

PACIFIC: Daily search and photographic reconnaissance missions by USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-26 Marauders and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Hudsons over the southern Solomon Islands are begun from New Caledonia Island. USMC photographers using USN cameras often fly on these missions.

NEW GUINEA: USAAF B-25 Mitchells and P-39Airacobras pound barges and concentrations at Gona and Japanese troops on the Gona and Kokoda trails advancing towards Port Moresby; Japanese forces push to Oivi, within 6 miles (9.7 km) of Kokoda.


 

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25 July 1943

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July 25th, 1943 (SUNDAY

UNITED KINGDOM: Both the US VIII Air Support Command and the VIII Bomber Command fly missions.

VIII Air Support Command Mission Number 3: 18 B-26B Marauders are dispatched against the coke ovens at Ghent, Belgium; 13 hit the target at 1458 hours.

VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 76: Three locations in Germany are targeted; 19 heavy bombers are lost, mostly to effective formation attacks by German fighters. The raid on Hamburg is part of six Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) missions against that port city and follows a raid of the previous night during which nearly 750 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers did tremendous damage to the target. The three targets are:

1. 123 B-17s are dispatched against the diesel engine works at Hamburg but due to cloud cover, 100 hit the shipyard at 1630-1645 hours; they claim 38-6-27 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17's are lost.

2. 59 B-17s are dispatched against the Kiel Shipyard but return because of cloud cover.

3. 141 B-17s are dispatched against the aviation industry at Warnemunde; 118 hit the Kiel Shipyard at 1630-1700 hours; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost.

GERMANY: Hamburg was the target of the RAF overnight with 2300 tons of bombs. The USAAF follows today with daylight raids. This raid and those on Hamburg which follow tomorrow and the next 2 nights introduce the use of "Window", strips of metal foil, to confuse the German radar.

Rastenburg: Hitler orders mass production of rockets for attacks on London to avenge today's Hamburg bombing.

ITALY, Rome: Mussolini meets with the King and is relieved of his offices. He is arrested after the meeting. Marshal Pietro Badoglio is chosen by the King to form a new government and command the military.
Benito Mussolini, the Fascist who led his country into a disastrous war, was stripped of his office today by King Vittorio Emmanuel III after being outvoted by his former supporters on the Fascist Grand Council, following a two-day meeting. The king has taken command of the armed forces and appointed an anti-Fascist, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, as prime minister. The heavy-jowled Mussolini arrived back from his meeting with Hitler to find Rome bombed and rebellion in the air. He did not expect to be placed under armed guard after making a courtesy visit to the palace. The king was part of a far larger conspiracy to depose the dictator. Mussolini was content to ignore his rubber-stamp council; but he dared not ignore the king.

The latter-day Caesar is under arrest tonight, his whereabouts unknown. Before the palace guard took him away in an ambulance, the king told him: "My dear Duce ... my soldiers don't want to fight anymore ... at this moment, you are the most hated man in Italy."

Badoglio has said: "The war continues." However, with anti-war demonstrations sweeping through the industrial north and the Allies storming Sicily in the south, there is little will left for fighting in Italy.

The heavy bombing of Rome and other major cities was the last straw. The people are angry. The Fascists who claimed "Viva il Duce!" in their millions are disillusioned. Il Duce promised them victories; they see only defeats in East Africa, Albania, Greece, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

Ordinary Italians fear the inevitable invasion of the mainland which will bring war to every town and village. The questions in every mind are: how will Hitler react to the news that he has lost his faithful junior partner? And what will the Allies do?

Resistance is growing on the north coast of Sicily against US forces. The US 9th Divison and the British 78th Division are landed to reinforce Sicily.

The US Seventh Army makes slow progress along the northern coastal road, while the British Eighth Army's 30 Corps takes part in hard fighting in the Agira area.

In the air, Ninth Air Force B-25s bomb docks and shipping at Milazzo and almost 100 P-40s strafe and bomb Milazzo, Taormina, and Catania harbor. Meanwhile, Northwest African Tactical Air Force medium and light bombers, and fighters during night and day raids, attack shipping and docks at Milazzo and in the Santo Stefano di Camastra-Orlando area, and hit roads and motor transport, bridges and armor concentration in the Orlando-Adrano-Troina-Nicosia areas.

U.S.S.R.: Polar Fleet and White Sea Flotilla: MS "T-904" (ex-RT-94 "Zdanov") - mined in Matochkin Shar strait(Sergey Anisimov)(69)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Units of the 25th Division are added to the 43th and 37th Divisions on New Georgia.
On New Georgia Island, the final push on the Japanese base at Munda opens with a bombardment by 7 destroyers and the heaviest air attack in the South Pacific (SOPAC) Theater to date; 171 B-17s, B-24 Liberators, B-25s, TBF Avengers, and SBD Dauntlesses, covered by 70+ fighters, pound the target thoroughly, dropping more than 145 tons of bombs in little more than a half hour; later in the afternoon 10 B-24s with fighter cover, bomb Bibolo Hill, and 54 SBDs and 53 TBFs dive-bomb gun positions; and later in the day, gun positions northeast of Kindu Village are hit. The 43d and 37th Infantry Divisions open the ground assault against the firmly entrenched enemy.
The Japanese try to hit US forces on Rendova Island and send 30-40 Aichi D3A Navy Type 99 Carrier Bombers, Allied Code Name "Val," and 30 A6M "Zeke" fighters to hit US forces on Rendova Island but Allied fighters shoot down several Zekes (8 claimed) and force the enemy bombers to drop their bombs indiscriminately. This is the last mission flown by Navy F4F Wildcats in the Solomons. 



TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS:  - The Eleventh Air Force dispatches 40 P-40s to fly 7 attack missions, 2 by Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots, against Kiska Island, bombing and strafing North Head AA batteries, the runway, Main Camp, and Little Kiska Island.
 - US Navy Task Groups 16.21 and 16.22 consisting of 2 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser and 9 destroyers fights the "Battle of the Pips" 90 miles (145 km) south of Kiska. The ships pick up targets on radar and fire 518 14-inch (356 mm) and 487 8-inch (203 mm) shells at the "targets." The only ship that does not fire is the light cruiser USS Santa Fe (CL-60) which has the newest, most modern radar; the only targets her radar picks up are the shells fired by the other ships. Nobody has ever determined what caused the seven pips on the ship's radar.
 - The Japanese rescue force tasked with evacuating the personnel from Kiska, Operation "KE GO," arrives at the standby point, 500 miles (805 km) southwest of Kiska by mid afternoon. They dash in to rescue the garrison. Because of the expenditure of fuel and ammunition fighting the "pips", the UAN's TG 16.21 retires to refuel and rearm leaving the door open to the Japanese.

U.S.A.: Launching of USS Harmon, first ship named for an African-American.

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25 July 1944

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July 25th, 1944 (TUESDAY)

FRANCE: US Operation Cobra begins. The main attack is west of St. Lo by the US VII, VIII, and XIII Corps. 3000 planes from the 8th and 9th USAAF are involved in the pre-attack bombardment. Many of the bombs fall short and cause many casualties, including a general, Lt. Gen. Leslie J. McNair, former Commander of Army Ground Forces and currently "commander" of the fictional "1st Army Group".  He was killed in his foxhole by a direct bomb hit as he waited to observe the follow-up ground attack.

There were three more friendly bombings, all by B-24s. First, a lead bombardier failed to synchronize his bombsight properly, so that when he dropped-and eleven other bombers dropped on his signal-a total of 470 100-lb high- explosive bombs fell behind the lines. Then a lead bombardier failed to properly identify the target and took the easy way out- bombing on the flashes of preceding bombs. A total of 352 260-lb fragmentation bombs fell in friendly lines. In the third case, a command pilot overrode his bombardier and dropped on previous bomb flashes; previous bombs had been off target but within a safe "withdrawal" zone. The pilot's bombs fell within friendly territory.

All of the above errors were incidental to the real causes of the tragic bombings-the restricted size of the bomb zone and confusion over whether the air attack would be flown perpendicular or parallel to the front lines. The Army wanted a parallel attack so that short bombs would not land in friendly territory. (Actually, this approach would not guarantee an absence of friendly casualties.) The AAF, concerned about the run-in to the target and enemy antiaircraft fire, preferred to fly a perpendicular approach. AAF bomber commanders also recognized that the "heavies" were not as precise as the fighter-bombers. They asked Bradley to keep friendly troops at least 3,000 yards from the bomb line; Bradley compromised on a minimal distance of 1,200 yards, with a preceding fighter bomber attack to cover the next 250 yards so that, in fact, the heavy and medium bombers would strike no closer than 1,450 yards-a distance a heavy bomber would cover in approximately fifteen seconds. A distinct aiming point and a split-second precise drop were thus critical. (Drew Philip Halevy)

A speaker at the Liaison Pilots Reunion at the National Museum of the US Air Force (2006) described flying at about 300 feet and watching in horror as the initial target markers dropped short (toward the US lines) and a wind shift came up which started to blow the marker smoke over American forward positions. Even though they screamed over their radio to their ground control, he noted they had no way to radio, nor did the ground controllers, to notify the Air Force to abort the bomb drop. Clear indication of the cost of lack of interoperability in airborne and ground communications. (Perry Stewart)

The VII and VIII Corps make good progress. British attacks around Caen contribute to the success.
The US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in England flies tactical missions to attack tactical targets in the vicinity of Saint-Lo in support of the US First Army assault (Operation COBRA):

The USAAF's Eighth Air Force in England flies two missions.

Mission 494: 1,581 bombers and 500 fighters are dispatched to support a US First Army assault (Operation COBRA) with saturation bombing in the VII Corps area in the Marigny-Saint-Gilles region, just west of Saint-Lo; 5 bombers and 2 fighters are lost; 843 of 917 B-17s and 647 of 664 B-24s hit the Periers/St Lo area and 13 B-17s hit targets of opportunity; a B-17 and 4 B-24s are lost. Escort is provided by 483 P-38 Lightnings, P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs and also provide escort for Ninth Air Force B-26s; they claim 12-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-0-0 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost. Due to a personnel error, bombs from 35 bombers fall within US lines; 102 US troops, including Lieutenant General Lesley J McNair, are killed and 380 wounded.

Mission 295: Late in the afternoon 106 B-24s are dispatched to bomb the Brussels/Melsbroek Airfield, Belgium but they are recalled because of heavy cloud formations. Escort for this mission is provided by 26 P-38s and 110 P-51s.

A P-38 and 78 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against the Fournival/Bois de Mont fuel dump; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft.

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

In France during the morning 11 Ninth Air Force B-26 and A-20 Havoc groups attack tactical targets in the vicinity of Saint-Lo in support of the US First Army; in the afternoon 4 groups bomb bridges on the Seine and Loire Rivers; 42 B-26s, repeating errors of the previous day, short-bomb behind US lines and casualties again are concentrated in the 30th Infantry Division; fighters strafe and bomb military targets in the Saint-Lo area in support of Operation COBRA, fly area patrol and sweeps south of the battle area, and carry out armed reconnaissance against installations in the Laval-Ghent-Amiens areas.

South of Caen, Canadian forces attack along the road to Falaise and meet heavy resistance.

GERMANY: Goebbels is appointed "Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War". New decrees are issued which cancel vacations for women involved in war work.

AUSTRIA: The US Fifteenth Air Force in Italy attacks targets in Austria; 420 B-17s and B-24s
bomb the Hermann Goring tank works in Linz while other bombers hit the Villach marshalling yard and targets of opportunity in Austria and Yugoslavia; fighters provide escort and carry out sweeps; 175-200 enemy fighters oppose the attacks; 21 USAAF aircraft are lost. Operating from USSR Operation FRANTIC bases, 34 P-51s and 33 P-38s attack the airfield at Mielec, Poland and return to the USSR.


FINLAND: Marshal Mannerheim informs the political leadership that the German help is not enough. He wants that measures are taken to free Finland from the obligations of the Ribbentrop-pact. In practice this would mean that the President of the Republic Risto Ryti should resign. There has already been a tacit agreement between the military and political leadeship that if and when the Ribbentrop-pact becomes a liability (i.e. when the time comes to make peace with Soviet Union) Ryti should resign (as he was *personally* bound by the pact) and he will be replaced by Mannerheim.

Soviet warplane sinks sweepers Vilppula and Mercurius in Porkkala, Träskö.

POLAND: Russian units enter Luvov.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: The British Eastern Fleet, Admiral Somerville, attacks Sabang in the Indian Ocean. Carriers HMS Victorious and Illustrious are involved.

GUAM: The US forces are still battling to join their beachheads.

Louis Wilson, company commander of the 9th Marines, Third US Marine Division will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions today.

Captain Wilson leads his men up rugged open terrain in the face of heavy Japanese machine-gun and rifle fire, enabling them to capture a crucial position. That night, despite having been wounded three times, he repeatedly exposed himself to Japanese fire during a Japanese counterattack, at one point dashing 50 yards into the open to rescue a wounded marine. He led his men through 10 hours of combat, including hand-to-hand encounters, and headed a patrol that seized a second objective, a strategic slope.

TINIAN: The 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions advance on Tinian after stopping Japanese counterattacks. 

Three carrier groups from TF 58 attack Japanese positions on the Caroline Islands. Carrier-based aircraft of Task Force 58 attack ground targets and shipping; Task Group 58.1 attacks targets and flies photo reconnaissance missions at Yap, Ulithi, Fais, Ngulu and Sorol while Task Groups 58.2 and 58.3 attack targets in the Palau Islands. Far East Air Force (FEAF) B-24s again hit supply areas, communication, and other targets on Woleai Atoll.

The USAAF joins the attacks with Seventh Air Force B-24s, based at Kwajalein Atoll, bombing Truk Atoll and Far East Air Forces B-24s bombing the airfield and other targets in Woleai Atoll.

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July 25th, 1945 (WEDNESDAY)

GERMANY: Potsdam: Churchill, Eden and Attlee fly home for the election results.

Potsdam: Truman orders the atomic bomb be dropped on Japan as soon as possible after 3 August.

JAPAN: During the night of 25/26 July, the US Twentieth Air Force dispatches106 B-29 Superfortresses to fly 1 bombing and 1 mining mission against Japan and Korea; 1 B-29 is lost.
 -  Mission 291: 75 B-29s attack the Mitsubishi Oil Company and Hayama Petroleum Company at Kawasaki destroying 33% of the storage tanks units and other facilities; 1 B-29 hits an alternate target and 1 suffers a direct flak hit over the target and goes down.
 - Mission 292: 29 B-29s mine the waters at Nanao, Fushiki, Obama Island, Tsuruga, and Seishin, Japan, and Pusan, Korea; 1 other mines an alternate target.

Off Japan:
 - Carrier-based aircraft of Task Force 38 continue air strikes in the Inland Sea area sinking 7 ships and damaging  6 others including the heavy cruiser HIJMS Aoba; carrier-based aircraft from the Royal Navy's Task Group 37.2 also attack targets in the Inland Sea area. Carrier strikes are cancelled in the afternoon due to weather.
 - The 4 light cruisers and 6 destroyers of Task Group 35.3 bombard the Kushimoto Seaplane Base and adjacent facilities on Honshu.
 - Task Group 95.8 arrives off Japan; the TG consists of:
    USS Chenango (CVE-28) with Escort Carrier Air Group Twenty Five (CVEG-25)
    USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107) with Marine Carrier Air Group Two (MCVG-2)
    USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) with Composite Squadron Ninety Nine (VC-99)
    USS Manila Bay (CVE-61) with VC-71
    USS Suwanee (CVE-27) with CVEG-40


NEW GUINEA: In Borneo, the USAAF supports Australian troops by dispatching B-24s to bomb Pontianak and Kuching Airfields while B-25s and fighters attack a dispersal area in the Jesselton Airfield area.

U.S.A.: Henry Kaiser and Joseph Frazer announce plans to form a corporation to manufacture automobiles. Kaiser is famous for his shipbuilding feats while Frazer is an executive with Packard Auto. 

Production begins in 1946 and they manufacture 11,000 cars that year. The company was sold to Willys in 1953.

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