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September 1st, 1944 (FRIDAY)

After a number of attacks, contact was lost at about 2300. Contact was regained at 0155 and further attacks by Saint John produced a secondary explosion and oil. Contact was lost but at 1400 the next afternoon an echo sounder trace located the U-boat on the bottom. Saint John delivered a final depth charge attack at 1407 that produced large amounts of wreckage that substantiated the destruction of U-247. U-247 was a type VIIC U-boat built by Germainiawerft, Kiel, launched 23 Sep 1943, commissioned 23 Oct 1943. On her second patrol at the time of her sinking. She had a record of one ship sunk on 5 Jul 44, the British fishing trawler 'Noreen Mary' which was sunk by gunfire about 20 miles west of Cape Wrath, Scotland, for a total of 207 tons.

All hands, 52-men, on the U-boat are lost. (Jack McKillop and Dave Shirlaw)

Corvette HMS Hurst Castle (K-416) is torpedoed by U-482 (Kapitanleutnant Hartmut Graf von Matuschka) at 0822 hours local north of Troy Island off Donegal at 55 27N 08 12W, whilst escorting convoy CU-36. There are no casualties, 105 survivors are rescued by HMS Ambuscade. The corvette was escorting convoy CU-36 (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)(108)

Sloop HMS Alacrity is launched.

The British Chiefs of Staff propose an airborne and amphibious assault on Rangoon, Burma, in 1944. This operation is coded Operation DRACULA

     HQ of the USAAF's IX Troop Carrier Command comes under administrative control of HQ US Strategic Air Forces in Europe and under operational control of HQ First Allied Airborne Army, to increase efficiency, especially for planning, training, and preparation of airborne operations. Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force now can deal directly with all elements of an airborne force through a single unified command instead of through various army groups and air forces, e.g., 12th and 21st Army Groups, USAAF Ninth Air Force, and RAF components.

The US Eighth Air Force in England flies 3 missions:

- Mission 595: 679 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 294 B-24s are dispatched to hit Ludwigshafen, Haguenan, Gustavsburg, Mainz and Hallach, Germany and Foret de Haguenan, France; high clouds are encountered over France and the mission is recalled; 1 B-17 bombs Hallach; escort is provided by 508 P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs; 3 P-51s are lost. 

- Mission 597: 12 Azon-equipped B-24s hit the Ravenstein rail bridge, the Netherlands without loss; escort is provided by 15 P-51s.

- Mission 599: 3 B-17s fly a Micro H mission to attack a fuel dump in the Bois del la Haussiere, Belgium; escort is provided by 2 P-51s.

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

The VIII Fighter Command flies fighter-bomber missions:

- 265 P-47 Thunderbolts attack railroads in north and northeastern France; they claim 5-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-47s are lost.

- 33 P-47s attack targets in the Brussels, Belgium area without loss. 

HQ IX Troop Carrier Command comes under administrative control of HQ US Strategic Air Forces in Europe and under operational control of HQ First Allied Airborne Army, to increase efficiency, especially for planning, training, and preparation of airborne operations. Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force now can deal directly with all elements of an airborne force through a single unified command instead of through various army groups and air forces, i.e., 12th and 21st Army Groups, US Ninth Air Force, and RAF components.

FRANCE: The LVF is incorporated, along with all other Frenchmen in German units, into the larger French Waffen SS division.

     In northern France, the Canadian 2d Division liberates Dieppe and the port is reopened within a week. The U.S. 12th Army Group, commanded by Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley, is transferred to the direct command of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) from the command of British General Bernard Montgomery. Elements of the U.S. Third Armored Division advances quickly through Vervins to La Capelle. Meanwhile, the U.S. Third Army, commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, is practically immobilized by an acute shortage of fuel. An enforced lull allows the German to build up fortifications behind the West Wall. The U.S. VIII Corps continues preparations for renewing an all-out assault on Brest when ammunition is more plentiful. .

     In southern France, the French II Corps continues toward Lyon and captures Serriers and Firminy.

The serious German collapse has caused bitter debate among senior Allied Generals. Eisenhower favours a broad front strategy. Montgomery advocates a single thrust strategy. This debate will continue for several months. Also today Eisenhower assumes direct command of Allied forces in Europe and Montgomery is promoted to field marshal.

Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) starts operations at Granville.

In northern France, US Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders attack fortifications in the Brest area which artillery fire had been unable to reduce; escorting fighters fly sweeps and armed reconnaissance in northern and eastern France, and fly cover for 6 divisions in the Amiens, Saint-Quentin, Cambrai, Reims, and Verdun areas and the Brussels, Belgium area.

     During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 121 aircraft, 97 Halifaxes, 15 Mosquitos and nine Lancasters, to bomb two V2 rocket storage sites: 56 bomb La Pourchinte, 31 bomb the North site at Lumbres and 26 hit the South site at Lumbres without loss. Both raids are successful, the Lumbres attack particularly so. 

GERMANY: During the night of 1/ 2 September, 34 of 35 RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos dispatched bomb the port at Bremen without loss. 

U-2329 commissioned.

HUNGARY: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators visually bomb five targets: (1) 52 bomb the marshalling yard at Debrecen; (2) 51 bomb the marshalling yard at Szajol; (3) 31 bomb the railroad bridge at Szolnokl (4) 25 bomb the railroad bridge at Mezotur; and 11 bomb the marshalling yard at Berettyo Ujfalu. Two B-24s are lost.

FINLAND: This evening Finland receives an ultimatum from the Soviet Union, stating that Finland has to accept the Soviet terms for starting the peace negotiations (as stated on the 29th of August) by the 2nd of September, or the hostilities will go on. Parliament, originally set to decide on the matter on the 5th of September, is hurriedly called to convene at 6 pm. tomorrow.

ITALY: The U.S. Fifth Army begins pursuing the Germans across the Arno River. The British V and Canadian I Corps penetrate the main defenses of the Gothic Line on Mounts Gridolfo and Tomba di Pesaro, commanding the Foglia River valley.

During the night of 31 August/1 September, US Twelfth Air Force A-20 Havocs hit gun positions and targets of opportunity in the western Po Valley; weather grounds B-26s during the day but B-25s score excellent results against road and railroad bridges north and northeast of Venice; fighter-bomber and fighters bomb and strafe roads, troop concentrations, supply dumps, and German HQ in the battle area north of Florence, and fly armed reconnaissance from Ventimiglia along the coast to La Spezia. 

The US Fifteenth Air Force in Italy dispatches 480+ B-17s and B-24s to attack targets in Italy, Hungary and Yugoslavia; B-24s attack Boara Pisani, Italy;  51 P-51s successfully strafe Debreczen Airfield, Hungary; 16 B-17s evacuate interned US airmen from Romania; fighters support bombing and evacuation missions.

ROMANIA: German submarine U-23 enters Constanta harbor and fires three torpedoes at 0230 hours local; one torpedo hits the stern of the Romanian steamer SS Oituz causing the ship to sink. The ship was later refloated and declared a total loss. U-23 left her attack position at 0400 hours and laid a mine barrage in Constanta roads near Tuzla lighthouse. No vessels were reported lost on the barrage. 

GREECE: Because of Allied successes on other fronts, German Army Group F is forced to begin withdrawing from Greece and islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. The main withdrawal route, the rail line through Skoplje and Belgrade, Yugoslavia, is so effectively hit by heavy bombers of the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force during the first half of September that an aerial withdrawal of German troops is begun from airfields in the Athens area. All three airfields are made unserviceable by USAAF attacks during the latter half of the month.

YUGOSLAVIA: Partisans join with the RAF and USAAF to launch Operation Ratweek, a seven-day attack on German communications.

USAAF Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers visually bomb five targets: (1) 56 B-24s bomb the railroad bridge at Mitrovica; (2) 56 bomb the railroad bridge at Mesgrada; (3) 55 bomb the railroad bridge at Kraljevo; (4) 55 B-17s bomb the airfield at Nis; and (5) 17 bomb the marshalling yard at Novi Sad.

BULGARIA: Prime Minister Bagrianov is replaced by Constantine Muraviev.

INDIAN OCEAN: German submarine U-859 sinks a British merchant freighter in position 14.10N, 61.04E. 

HONG KONG: 12 US Fourteenth Air Force B-25s bomb Kai Tek Airfield and a supply depot south of Canton.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Japanese ship losses include a merchant a cargo ship sunk by aircraft in Celebes Sea in position 01.06N, 122.21E; and a merchant cargo ship sunk by a mine off Woosung, China. 

KURILE ISLANDS: A US Eleventh Air Force B-24 bombs Kashiwabara on Paramushiru Island during the night of 31 August/1 September; a B-25 bombs a shack on the southwestern coast of Paramushiru Island and sinks a nearby ship; and 5 other B-25s on this mission turn back due to overcast.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: A lone US Seventh Air Force B-24 on armed reconnaissance bombs Yap Island and Marshall Island-based B-24s bomb Truk Island.

BONIN AND VOLCANO ISLANDS: USN Task Group 38.4 surface units, heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32), light cruiser USS Biloxi (CL-80) and 4 destroyers, bombard Chichi Jima in the Bonin Islands and Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands. The Japanese do not return fire. 
    USN submarine USS Pilotfish (SS-386) sinks a Japanese auxiliary vessel north-northwest of Chichi Jima, in position 30.32N, 140.55E. 

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: The submarine USS Narwhal (SS-167) lands 10 tons of supplies, 5 Filipino officers and 18 enlisted men on the east coast of Luzon. The sub takes out 4 US enlisted men.

     Fifty five USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Likanan and Matina Airdromes on Mindanao.

NEW GUINEA: In preparation for the invasion of the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters moves to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea.

U.S.A.: Selective Service announces that no men over 26 years old will be drafted during the rest of 1944. 

     Project Bumblebee (as it is later known) came into being as the USN's Bureau of Ordnance reports that a group of scientists from Section T of the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) are investigating the practicability of developing a jet-propelled, guided, anti-aircraft weapon. Upon completion of the preliminary investigation, a developmental program is approved in December by the Chief of Naval Operations. In order to concentrate upon the guided missile phase of the anti-aircraft problem, the OSRD and Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, completed withdrawal, also in December, from the proximity fuze program which thus came completely under the Bureau of Ordnance. 

USS Steinaker is laid down.

Destroyer USS John R. Pierce is launched.

Submarine USS Devilfish is commissioned.

The top pop songs today are 
(1) "Amor" by Bing Crosby; 
(2) "I'll Be Seeing You" by Bing Crosby; 
(3) "Time Waits for No One" by Helen Forest; and 
(4) "Is You is or is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)" by Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five.

During WW II, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) produced numerous documents, most commonly known are the Intelligence Bulletins. The Military Intelligence Special Series continues with "Enemy Tactics in Chemical Warfare." (William L. Howard)

Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-265 was commissioned at New York on 1 September 1944, with LT H. E. Dennis, USCGR, her first commanding officer. He was succeeded on 22 October 1944, by LTJG Richard E. Youngren, USCGR, who in turn was succeeded on 12 November 12, 1945, by LT Walter R. Young, USCGR. On 18 September 1944, she departed New York for Davisville, Rhode Island, from where she returned to New York on 11 October 1944. She later departed on 22 October 1944, for the Southwest Pacific where she operated during the war. On 5 April 1945, while on course, a floating horned mine was sighted dead ahead in position 05° 43' S, 147° 09' E drifting across a heavily travelled shipping lane through which an aircraft carrier had been seen to pass not more than half an hour before. The FS-265 manoeuvred into a position from which it was possible to explode the mine with machine gun fire. The damage to the FS-265 from the exploding mine was slight, consisting of a few jammed doors and locks, short circuits in the radio transmitter and a leak in the hydraulic rudder angle indicator. All of this damage was subsequently repaired.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-859 sinks SS Troilus.

Off Greenland, the US Coast Guard gunboat, USCGC Northland (WPG-49), locates the German weather ship Kehdingen off Great Kodeyey Island and gives chase. The crew of the weather ship scuttles it to avoid capture. 
Also in the area is the German U-boat U-703 which attempts to attack USCGC Northland but is blocked by ice.

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