September 10th, 1944 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Montgomery's proposal for an airborne attack across Holland, to become known as Market-Garden, is accepted by Eisenhower. It is based on the assumption that only light German forces hold the area.
The US Eighth Air Force in England flies 4 missions. Numbers in parenthesis indicate the aircraft attacking the target:
- Mission 619: 1,144 bombers and 570 fighters, in 3 forces,
attack targets in the Stuttgart, Germany area; 7 bombers are lost mostly to flak
along with 5 fighters.
(1) B-24s hit secondary targets, the marshalling yards at Ulm (247) and
Heilbronn (100); 2 others bomb targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost; escort is
provided by 153 P-38 Lightnings and P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost.
(2) B-17s bomb a tank factory at Nurnberg (173), Giebelstadt Airfield (112) and
an aircraft components plant at Furth (60); 8 others hit targets of opportunity;
3 B-17s are lost; escort is provided by 221 P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51s and they
claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 38-0-44 on the ground; 3 P-51s are
lost.
(3) B-17s attack a motor vehicle factory at Gaggenau (140), a jet-propulsion
units plant at Zuffenhausen (116) and an engine factory at Sindelfingen (73); 19
others hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost; escort is provided by 135
P-51s; they claim 1-1-0 aircraft in the air and 29-0-1 on the ground.
- Mission 620: A B-17 flies a mission to trial the GB-4 radio/visual control bomb against Duren, Germany
- Mission 621: 3 B-17s fly a radar and photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; leaflets are also dropped.
- 6 B-17s drop leaflets on France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
- 121 P-47s strafe airfields and ground and rail traffic in a sweep over the Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, and Kassel areas; they claim 10-0-21 aircraft on the ground; 8 P-47s are lost.
- 35 B-24s and C-47s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
Advance HQ, US Ninth Air Force, assigns rail lines approaching the River Rhine from the west, north of Karlsruhe, to be attacked by IX and XIX Tactical Air Command fighters in the first of a series of orders setting up rail interdiction programs to cut lines west and east of the River Rhine in September and early October; changes and additions to targets appear on 12 and 14 September when a list of all lines to be cut is published.
NETHERLANDS: During the night of 10/11 September, one of two RAF Bomber Command Lancasters lays mines off Texel Island.
FRANCE: In northern France, the British I Corps, after a very strong aerial bombardment during which almost 5,000 tons (4 636 tonnes) of bombs are dropped, and after naval softening of defenses by the British battleship HMS Warspite (03) and the monitor HMS Erebus (I 02), launches an all-out assault on Le Havre at 1745 hours with two divisions penetrating the German defenses.
U.S. Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, Commanding General 12th Army Group, orders the U.S. First Army to break through the West Wall and secure crossings over the Rhine River in the vicinity of Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne; U.S. Third Army is to secure crossings of the Rhine at Mannheim. This offensive is scheduled to open on 14 September.
In northern France, the U.S. VIII Corps closes up to Brest proper and finishes clearing the Le Conquest Peninsula. The XIX Corps advancing northeastward with little difficulty, finds Fort Eben Emael undefended. The U.S. 90th Infantry Division takes Aumetz, Hayange and Algrange. The 5th Infantry Division begins crossing the Moselle River between Noveant and Arnaville about 0200 hours under a smoke screen taking the Germans by surprise.
In southern France, the French II Corps reaches Dijon.
Advance HQ, USAAF Ninth Air Force, assigns rail lines approaching the Rhine River from the west, north of Karlsruhe, to be attacked by IX and XIX Tactical Air Command fighters in the first of a series of orders setting up rail interdiction programs to cut lines west and east of the Rhine River in September and early October; changes and additions to targets appear on 12 and 14 September when a list of all lines to be cut is published.
In northern France, about 340 B-26s and A-20 Havocs hit strongpoints and ammunition stores in the Foret de Haye, Custines rail bridge, and a road bridge over the Mosel River; escorting fighters provide general air cover in the Metz-Nancy area, and support US Third Army ground forces in stemming a counterattack there; 800+ C-47s complete supply and evacuation missions; the southern invading forces and those of the Normandy invasion meet. The XV Corps makes contact with the French II Corps that landed in southern France.
In the air in southern France, 54 USAAF Fifteenth Air Force bombers attack Bron supply depot at Lyon. Fighters and fighter-bombers of the USAAF Twelfth Air Force’s XII Tactical Air Command attack communications in the Belfort and Dijon areas, cutting railroads and hitting several trains.
During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 992 aircraft, 521 Lancasters, 426 Halifaxes and 45 Mosquitos to attack eight different German strong points around Le Havre; 961 aircraft bomb targets. Each target is separately marked by the Pathfinders and then accurately bombed. No aircraft lost.
During the night of 10/11 September, 25 USAAF Eighth Air Force B-24s and C-47 Skytrains fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
BELGIUM: Canadian forces enter Zeebrugge.
Conferring with his commanders in Brussels, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief Supreme Headquarter Allied Expeditionary Force, decides to defer operations to open the port of Antwerp until after Operation MARKET-GARDEN to secure a Rhine bridgehead.
In the British XXX Corps area, the Germans disposed along the Albert Canal continue to offer stiff opposition to Allied forces holding bridgeheads across it.
The U.S. 113th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) crosses the Meuse River at Liege and drives north. Meanwhile the 28th Infantry Division overruns Bastogne, Longvilly, Wiltz, Selange and Arlon.
LUXEMBOURG: Units of the US 1st Army enter and liberate Luxembourg City when Combat Command A of the U.S. 5th Armored Division, takes the city of Luxembourg with ease and probes eastward toward German; Combat Command R drives to within 8 miles (13 kilometers) of the German border.
GERMANY: Berlin: Himmler orders the families of all deserters to be executed.
Aachen: The first Allied vehicle, a US Jeep, crosses the border into Germany.
Soviet submarine M-96 sunk by a mine off Narva.
During the night of 10/11 September, 41 of 47 RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb Berlin without loss; one Mosquito bombs Lubeck.
U-3019 laid
down.
U-2336 launched.
AUSTRIA: The USAAF Fifteenth Air Force dispatches 344 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators to bomb four targets in the Vienna area: 134 bomb the industrial area; 82 hit an oil refinery; 79 bomb the Schwechat synthetic oil refinery; and 50 attack the Ostmark Ordnance Depot. Seventeen aircraft are lost.
ITALY: The US 5th Army renews attacks toward the Futa and Il Giogo Passes north of Florence.
In the U.S. Fifth Army area, the 6th Armored Infantry Battalion takes Villa Basilica and the II Corps opens a drive toward the Gothic Line at 0530 hours with two divisions abreast. The British XIII Corps attacks toward the Gothic Line with three divisions with their main effort on the left in support of the U.S. II Corps.
The US Twelfth Air Force flies tactical missions in ITALY and southern FRANCE. In Italy, B-25s and B-26s continue the campaign against railroad bridges in the Po Valley and execute 4 attacks against supply and ammunition dumps; fighter-bombers hit dumps and communications as the ground assault on the Gothic Line commences during the early morning. In France, XII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers blast communications in the Belfort and Dijon areas, cutting railroads and hitting several trains.
The USAAF Fifteenth Air Force dispatches 80 B-24 Liberators to bomb the port area at Trieste.
BLACK SEA: Three German submarines, U-19, U-20 and U-23, are scuttled by their crews in the off the coast of Turkey in position 41.16N, 31.26E.
BURMA: Troop carrier and cargo hauls continue on a large scale to numerous points in the CBI; 24 US Tenth Air Force B-24s haul fuel to Kunming, China.
About 140 US Fourteenth Air Force P-40s and P-51 Mustangs on armed reconnaissance over eastern Burma, south-western China, and inland south=eastern China attack a huge number of targets of opportunity including troops, aircraft, river shipping, trucks, runways, bridges, and supply areas.
KURILE ISLANDS: 6 US Eleventh Air Force B-25s fly shipping sweep off Suribachi.
VOLCANO ISLANDS:
US Seventh Air Force B-24s from Saipan hit Iwo
Jima and strike shipping near Iwo Jima. Eniwetok Atoll-based B-24s bomb
Truk Island.
NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES: CELEBES ISLAND: US Far East Air Force B-24s pound airfields at Langoan and Mapanget and hit Tomohon and the waterfront area of Menado. On Halmahera Island, Lolobata and Hate Tabako Airfields are bombed and areas along Wasile Bay strafed. B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s hit airfields and oil storage at Namlea on Buru Island, and Amahai and Boela on Ceram Island while B-24s hit Laha Airfield, Celebes Island.
In Dutch Borneo, a USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator of 868th Bombardment Squadron, based in Sansapor, strafes the Balikpapan refineries and oil storage at Lutong. In British Sarawak, small refineries and a large oil storage facility (ten 50,000 barrel tanks) at Lutong in British Sarawak are also hit. (Robert McFaul)
NEW GUINEA: A-20s and fighters hit airfields at Samate, Sagan, Nabire, Urarom, Manokwari, Moemi, and Ransiki.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Carrier-based aircraft of the USN's Task Groups 38.1, 38.2 and 38.3 continue their attacks against Japanese installations on Mindanao in the Philippine Islands.
PACIFIC OCEAN: USN submarine USS Sunfish (SS-281) sinks a Japanese merchant tanker east of Quelpart (now Cheju) Island south of (South) Korea. Other Japanese ship loses include an army tanker sunk by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Porpoise on 8 July 1944) in the Strait of Malacca between Sumatra and Malaya; and a merchant tanker sunk by mine off Woosung, China.
CAROLINE ISLANDS: USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Truk Island.
In the Palau Islands, carrier-based aircraft of the USN Task Group 38.4 (TG 38.4) begin preinvasion air strikes against Japanese airfields and defenses on Peleliu and Angaur. During the night, radar-equipped B-24s of the US Thirteenth Air Force also attack targets on the two islands.
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Kirkland Lake arrived Halifax from builder Quebec City, Province of Quebec.
Corvette HMCS Asbestos departed St John's escort for Convoy HXF-307.
U.S.A.: The Fairchild C–82 Packet, the first US airplane designed in World War II to carry cargo exclusively, makes its first flight at Hagerstown, Maryland. The C-82 is the predecessor of the C-119 Flying Boxcar.
The top songs on the pop music charts are "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Swinging on a Star" by Bing Crosby, "I'll Walk Alone" by Dinah Shore and "A Soldier's Last Letter" by Ernest Tubb.
Submarine Submarine USS Dentuda launched.
Frigate USS Dearborn commissioned.