July 1944 (2)

Soldiers near Aitape, New Guinea, July 1944

1o-11 July – on the night of 10th/11th July the trapped Japanese 18th Army attempted to break through US lines.  In what became known as the Battle of Driniumor River they attacked in a solid mass of around 10,000 men in a suicidal frontal assault. This was an attempt to ensure that some men would successfully break through – which they did – but it was achieved at appalling cost.

The Japanese were now aware of how strongly defended the US positions were. US machine gunners cut down hundreds of the Japanese, with some reports of so many bodies piled up in front of US positions that that they blocked the field of fire and men had to go forward to clear them away.    MGeneral H. W. Blakeley recorded:

 

“Shortly before midnight, after a short artillery preparation, which came as a surprise because no enemy artillery had been identified within range of the Driniumor, [10,000] enemy infantry in screaming waves began charging across the river against Companies E and G 128TH Infantry, in the south part of the sector of the 2D Battalion, 128TH Infantry

“The attack in the Company G sector was stopped, but another attack which hit Company E shortly after the first assault was more successful largely because of the physical impossibility of holding a position in the dark against an attacking force believed to have a ten to one superiority over the defenders. By dawn the Japanese held a good-sized area of wooded high ground to the left rear of Company G.”

 

11 July – Franklin Roosevelt announced his intention to run for an unprecedented fourth term in office as President of the United States.

On New Guinea, the Babo airfield was hit along with supply dumps at Kokas.  Manowari, Waren and Moemi were also bombed.  Halmahera Island received destruction of various enemy installations.

Aitape area

13-14 July – the land/sea war in and around New Guinea continued as warships bombarded Aitape to support the Australian and US troops advancing up the northern coastline.  Heavy fighting and a Japanese attack, under Gen. Adachi, at the Wewak River had slowed their progress.  The Allied troops launched a double enveloping counteroffensive that divided Adachi’s men into two groups, which soon rendered them useless.  Nevertheless, combat would continue for 4 more weeks.

 

In the CBI arena, the 10th Air Force was bombing and strafing the Myitkyina area to support their ground troops, while bridges were bombed at five other areas.  The 14th Air Force in China caused massive damaged at the Pailochi and 2 other air fields along with compounds, river shipping, troop concentrations and railroad yards.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Martin Alexander – Columbia, FL; US Air Force, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, (Ret.) pilot

Arthur Brown Jr. – Spokane, WA; US Navy, WWII

Ray Cochran – Melbourne, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division

Arturo Franco – Dallas, OR; US Army, Kosovo & Afghanistan, 82nd Airborne Division

Leon Glowicki – Bay City, MI; US Army, Korea, 7th Division, Engineers

Theodore Larson – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII

John McGinn – Portsmouth, NH; US Army, HQ Co/88th Infantry Division

George Roberts – Birkenhead, ENG; Fleet Air Arm, WWII

Albert G. Smith – AUS; RA Army, WWII, PTO, Z Force

George Thompson – Albury, AUS; RA Air Force, WWII, B-24 co-pilot

Peter Vukovich Sr. – Hammond, IN; US Navy, WWII, ETO

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