May 22nd, 1944 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:The USAAF's Eighth Air Force in England flies two missions.
Mission 361: 438 bombers and 568 fighters are dispatched on PFF attacks to targets in Germany and France; five bombers and seven fighters are lost:
- 342 B-17 Flying Fortresses are dispatched to the port area at Kiel, Germany; 289 hit the primary and five bomb targets of opportunity; five B-17s are lost.
- 94 of 96 B-24 Liberators hit V-weapon sites at Siracourt, France.
Escort is provided by 145 P-38 Lightnings, 95 P-47 Thunderbolts and 328 P-51 Mustangs; P-38s claim 8-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft, P-47s claim 12-1-2 and P-51s claim 2-2-1; three P-38s, three P-47s and a P-51 are lost.
130 P-47s are dispatched on a fighter-bomber attack on railroad bridges at Hasselt and Liege, Belgium; one P-47 is lost.
Mission 363: Four B-17s drop 320,000 leaflets on The Hague, Haarlem, Rotterdam and Utrecht, The Netherlands without loss.
Twelve B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions without loss.
The USAAF's Ninth Air Force on England dispatches about 330 B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs to bomb airfields and other targets in the Cherbourg, Calais, and Paris areas of France while a like number of P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb marshalling yards, airfields and other targets in the same general areas.
Submarine KNM Utsira (ex-HMS Variance) launched.
Minesweeper HMS Cheerful launched.
Salvage vessel HMS Kingarth launched.
ARCTIC SEA: U-476 encountered an enemy submarine in the Arctic Sea, but neither boat attacked.
BALTIC SEA: U-1164 hit a mine in the Baltic Sea and was damaged.
FINLAND: The Soviet 21st Army begins to transfer its tank and artillery units to the Karelian Isthmus against Finns. This is done by rail and boats during nights to keep it secret. Gen. Gusev's 21st Army comprises of 97th and 109th Army Corps and the crack 30th Guards Army Corps.
Gusev's Army has spent the most of May in intensive training, which is of essence, because it's to act as the Soviet spearhead in the coming offensive against the Finnish Army. The Red Army has not forgotten the fierce resistance of the Finns in the Winter War, so as little as possible is left to chance. To practice storm-troop tactics, training-grounds has been built south-west of Leningrad to resemble as much as possible the first Finnish defence-lines. The morale of the soldiers is also taken care of: they have received intensive political training.
ITALY: US II Corps push north on Route 7. The French take Pico.
In an attack on the Hitler Line, the Canadian Three Rivers Regiment's tanks arrive at their jump off point where 30-40 British Churchill tanks (of the North Irish Horse and the 21st RTR) sat burning in front of them. These have been destroyed by a few well-placed 88mm anti-tank guns. Fortunately the 88's were moved back by the time the Three Rivers Regiments Shermans arrived. (Stuart Millis)
The weather clears again and the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force in Italy dispatches 550+ B-17s and B-24s to attack communications and military targets in central and northwestern Italy; B-17s bomb the marshalling yard at Avezzano; B-24s hit port areas at Fano, Porto Civitanova and La Spezia; fighters fly 200+ sorties in escort to bombers; there is no fighter opposition.
PACIFIC OCEAN: A US submarine spots the IJN forces near Tawi Tawi.
The destroyer escort USS England (DE-635) sinks a second Japanese submarine in three days. HIJMS RO-106, part of Operation "NA," is sunk 250 miles north of Kavieng, New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago.
Two USN destroyers bombard Wotje Atoll, consisting of 65 islets in the Marshall Islands.
WAKE ISLAND is bombarded by a strong US destroyer force.
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Charlottetown visited namesake enroute Halifax from builder Quebec City, Province of Quebec.
Corvette HMCS Ville de Quebec commenced workups at Bermuda.
ASW towing vessel HMCS Wildwood assigned to Esquimalt, British Columbia.
U.S.A.: Ben Prime graduates Aviation Cadet School and goes on to join the USAAF.
Minesweeper USS Inaugural laid down.
Destroyer escort USS John L Williamson laid down.
Submarine USS Trutta laid down.
Submarine USS Trepang commissioned.
Minesweeper USS Instill commissioned.
Destroyer USS Little launched.
Escort carrier USS Mantanikau launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Two new RCN torpedo boat flotillas start operating off coast of France.