May 7th, 1944 (SUNDAY)
GERMANY: Berlin: The US 8th Army Air Force,
attacks the city for the second time in three days.
The USAAF's Eighth Air Force flies two missions during the
day.
- Mission 342: In the morning, 922 bombers and 764 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in Germany; 9 bombers and 4 fighters are lost; 1 Luftwaffe aircraft is claimed shot down:
1. 600 B-17s are dispatched on a PFF attack on Berlin; 514 bomb the primary and 39 hit targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair and 265 damaged.
2. Of 322 B-24s dispatched, 147 bomb Munster and 165 bomb Osnabruck; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 22 damaged.
Escort is provided by 153 P-38s, 317 P-47s and 284 P-51s; 2 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair and 5 P-38s, 3 P-47s and 1 P-51 damaged.
In the afternoon, 29 of 67 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Liege, Belgium without loss; escort is provided by 24 P-47s and 51 P-51s without loss.
- Mission 343: 3 of 4 B-17s drop 1.6 million leaflets on 16 towns in central France without loss.
- 14 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions during the night without loss.
INDIA: The Allies call off their attack in the Imphal area, having achieved little.
CHINA: Japanese forces link up at Suiping, on the Peking to Hankow railway.
NEW BRITAIN: US 46th Division takes Cape Hopkins Airfield.
CANADA: Frigates HMCS Magog and Stettler commissioned.
U.S.A.: The first Beechcraft A38 Grizzly, makes its maiden flight.Corvette HMCS Sackville completed forecastle extension refit Galveston, Texas.
Submarines USS Blueback and Sea Owl launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
Frigate
HMCS Valleyfield takes a hit from a Zaunkönig fired by U-548
(Kapitanleutnant Eberhard Zimmermann) and sinks 40 miles East of Cape Race at 46
03N 52 24W.
Valleyfield was part of escort group C1, escorting
convoy ON-234 from Liverpool to New York City. Valleyfield sank so quickly that
other ships in the group did not immediately realize what had happened. A
combination of the ship's quick sinking, the delay in rescue efforts, and the
cold water resulted in only 38 survivors; with 121 casualties.
The survivors are rescued by HMCS
Giffard. (Alex Gordon and Dave Shirlaw)(108)