Air War
Eastern Europe – Poltava raid: Luftwaffe stages surprise night raid (60 planes) on 8th AF ‘shuttle bombing’ base in Ukraine. 44 B-17 Fortress destroyed; 26 men killed; 2,045,745 liters fuel burned. Shuttle raids subsequently abandoned.
Western Front
Normandy: Saturation bombing attack heralds major US infantry assault on Cherbourg.
Politics
Finland: Ribbentrop flies to Helsinki and brow-beats Finnish ministers into making public announcement that Finland will continue to support Germany (and not make a separate peace), in return for despatch of German troop reinforcements and arms.
Home Fronts
USA: GI ‘Bill of Rights’ promising generous benefits for returning US Servicemen, signed by Roosevelt.
Southeast Asia
Burma: Japanese siege off Imphal lifted.
[tableX caption=”Imphal-Kohima Losses ” colwidth=”40|30|30″ colalign=”left|center|center”]
, Casualties, Planes
British and Indian, “16,700 + 5,100 Chindits”, “130 RAF, 40 USAAF”
Japanese, “30,520 dead, 23,003 wounded + 120 tanks, c. 90 guns, 17,000 horses”, c. 100
[/tableX]
