Froggies Invade Elba

SAT 17 JUN 1944
Pacific
Escort carrier Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) is damaged by horizontal bomber off Marianas, 15°00'N, 145°00'E; tank landing ship LST-84 is damaged by friendly fire, Marianas, 15°10'N, 145°58'E; infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-468, damaged by Japanese torpedo planes en route to Saipan, is scuttled by destroyer Stembel (DD-644), 13°28'N, 148°18'E. TF 58 aircraft sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 56 at Rota; and transport Marudai Maru off Saipan.

PB4Y-1 (VB 109) from Eniwetok sinks Japanese submarine RO-117, 11°05'N, 150°31'E.

Submarine Hake (SS-256) attacks Japanese convoy as it proceeds from Palau to Davao, and sinks transport Kinshu Maru about 65 miles southeast of Davao, 06°10'N, 126°18'E. Later that same day, submarine Flounder (SS-251) attacks the same convoy beset earlier by Hake and sinks torpedo recovery ship Nihonkai Maru south of Mindanao, 06°36'N, 127°55'E. Flounder survives depth-chargings by submarine chasers Ch 35 and Ch 64.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) supported by fighters, work over Japanese shipping in Sorong harbor, sinking army cargo ships Minyu Maru and No.12 Sanko Maru, and merchant cargo ship Shofuku Maru, 00°53'N, 131°15'E.

Japanese tanker Nichiyoko Maru is damaged by mine off Belawan, Sumatra, N.E.I., 03°40'N, 99°07'E.

Atlantic
Motor minesweeper YMS-377 is damaged by mine off Normandy, 49°29'N, 01°08'W.

Aircraft (VC 95) from escort carrier Croatan damage German submarine U-853.

Mediterranean
Allied task force (Rear Admiral Thomas H. Troubridge, RN), including U.S. naval vessels, lands French troops on island of Elba off Italy. U.S. Navy ships participating in the landings include 6 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort, 5 minesweepers, 15 motor minesweepers, 16 submarine chasers, 10 tank landing ships, 20 tank landing craft, and 19 infantry landing craft; one LCI(L) is damaged by shore battery fire. Four U.S. motor torpedo boats sink four German F-lighters loaded with German troops being evacuated from Elba.