Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 179
May 26, 2019
Today in World War II History—26 May 1944
Patient being loaded into plane for air evacuation, Nettuno, Italy, June 1944 (US Army Office of Medical History)
75 Years Ago—26 May 1944: Gen. Mark Clark makes controversial decision to send the US Fifth Army toward Rome rather than to Valmontone to cut off the retreating Germans.
Countdown to D-day: Assembly of D-day assault forces in southern England is complete.
All rail bridges across the Seine north of Paris have been knocked out by Allied pre-invasion air raids and will remain so for 30 days.
US 802nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron begins air evacuation from Anzio-Nettuno.
May 25, 2019
Today in World War II History—25 May 1944
German prisoners of war at Cisterna, Italy, 25 May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—25 May 1944: US VI Corps from Anzio joins US II Corps from the Gustav Line, near Littoria, Italy.
US VI Corps takes Cisterna, Italy.
German paratroopers raid the hideout of Yugoslavian partisan leader Tito, almost capturing him—and visitor Randolph Churchill, son of Winston Churchill.
Countdown to D-day: Outgoing mail from US soldiers in in Britain is impounded until after D-day as a security precaution.
Map showing link-up of US II and VI Corps in Italy, 25 May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
May 24, 2019
Today in World War II History—24 May 1944
Aerial view of Terracina, Italy, May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—24 May 1944: US II Corps takes Terracina in Italy unopposed, opening Highway 7 to Anzio.
May 23, 2019
Today in World War II History—23 May 1944
US patrol in Cisterna, Italy, 25 May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—23 May 1944: In Italy Allies launch assault to break out at Anzio and cut Highway 7 below Cisterna.
In breakout from Anzio, US 3rd Division suffers 1000 casualties, among the costliest days for any US division of the war.
May 22, 2019
Today in World War II History—22 May 1944
Destroyer escort USS England off San Francisco, CA, 9 Feb 1944 (US Naval History and Heritage Command)
75 Years Ago—22 May 1944: In the Solomons, destroyer escort USS England sinks RO-106, the second of six Japanese submarines sunk in twelve days, the most successful antisubmarine operation by a single ship in history.
French Resistance blows up hydroelectric station in Bussy.
May 21, 2019
Today in World War II History—21 May 1944
Sailors fighting fires on USS LST-480 resulting from explosion of LST-353 the previous day, Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, 22 May 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—21 May 1944: US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces conduct first “Chattanooga” strafing mission against Nazi railroad targets.
At Pearl Harbor, ammunition explosion on landing craft USS LST-353 kills 163, destroys 8 other ships.
May 20, 2019
Today in World War II History—20 May 1944
Men of 163rd Infantry Regiment hit the beach from Higgins boats during the invasion of Wakde Island, New Guinea, 18 May 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—20 May 1944: US troops secure Wakde Island off New Guinea.
Iceland holds referendum: 99.5% will vote to sever ties with Denmark and establish a new republic.
Polish resistance captures an intact German V-2 rocket and will ship the parts to England in July.
May 19, 2019
Today in World War II History—19 May 1944
B-17G Flying Fortress “Miss Donna Mae II” drifting under another bomber over Berlin, 19 May 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—19 May 1944: Final German U-boat victory in the Mediterranean as U-453 sinks British freighter Fort Missanabie off Taranto, Italy.
On US Eighth Air Force mission to Berlin, B-17 Miss Donna Mae II of the 94th Bomb Group is lost when a bomb falls on her from above.
May 18, 2019
Today in World War II History—18 May 1944
Polish soldiers inside the ruins of the Monte Cassino monastery, Italy, 18 May 1944 (public domain via WW2 Database)
75 Years Ago—18 May 1944: Polish troops take Monte Cassino and the abbey; British take Cassino town.
First air evacuation from Myitkyina Airfield in Burma: Japanese planes strafe the C-47 cargo planes on the ground, many are wounded, but two flight nurses are unharmed.
US secures Manus—the Admiralty Islands in the Pacific are now in Allied hands.
May 17, 2019
Today in World War II History—17 May 1944
P-51B Mustang “Old Crow” of the US 357th Fighter Group in invasion stripes for D-day (Imperial War Museum, Roger Freeman Collection)
75 Years Ago—17 May 1944: Countdown to D-day: Allied Expeditionary Air Force approves “invasion stripes” for Allied aircraft for D-day, not announced yet to maintain security (black & white stripes to prevent friendly fire).
Chinese troops and Merrill’s Marauders (US guerillas) take Myitkyina airfield, the only hard-surfaced field in northern Burma.
US 879th Engineer Aviation Battalion arrives at Myitkyina Airfield by gliders and opens airstrip that night.
Chinese crew of a 105-mm howitzer at Myitkyina, Burma, May 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
