Diversionary Assault

THU 17 AUG 1944
Pacific
Submarine Croaker (SS-246) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Yamatero Maru off west coast of Korea,35°33'N, 126°10'E.

RAAF aircraft sink Japanese cargo vessel No.2 Jun Maru off south coast of Miscol Island.

Japanese river gunboat Hira is damaged by aircraft at Kiukiang, China.

Mediterranean
Diversionary assault is carried out with Special Operations Group (TG 80.4) penetrating Baie de Ciotat; destroyer Endicott (DD-495) and two motor torpedo boats bombard western half of the beach area; British river gunboats HMS Aphis and HMS Scarab and the 24th Motor Launch Flotilla bombard eastern half. Enemy shore battery fire is heavy but falls short. After group withdraws from beach area, German submarine chasers Uj 6073 and Uj 6081 engage the small task force. Endicott, Aphis, and Scarab engage them and sink both 13 miles off Cap Croisette light.

Heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37) is near-missed by shore battery off southern France; beachhead screen (TU 80.6.10) engages four German E-boats off southern France; destroyer Harding (DD-625) sinks two, Carmick (DD-493) and Satterlee (DD-626) one apiece. Destroyer Frankford (DD-497), damaged by E-boat, later captures the craft, which sinks subsequently.