SUN 11 JUN 1944
Pacific
Naval Base, Biak Island, Schoeten Islands, is established.
F6Fs from TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher), 16 from each carrier and 12 from each small carrier, accompanied by a TBF or SB2C from each task group (the latter to lead the fighters in and out), blankets Japanese airfields in the Marianas. This move, which achieves complete surprise, also assures control of the air over the Marianas. Combat air patrol F6Fs from TF 58 begin to intercept and down Japanese planes in the vicinity of TF 58. F6Fs also damage Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.8 Shonan Maru and cargo vessel Keiyo Maru (see 13 June).
Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese merchant fishing vessels Chihaya Maru and Toten Maru in Sea of Okhotsk, east of Karafuto, 46°50'N, 144°05'E.
Submarine Redfin (SS-272), despite presence of escort vessel, sinks Japanese tanker Asanagi Maru west of Jolo, 06°02'N, 120°50'E.
Atlantic
U.S. battleships off Normandy provide gunfire support to U.S. Army forces ten miles inland at Carentan, France.
Off the invasion beaches, German torpedo boats S 130, S 144, S 146, S 150 and S 167 launch torpedo attacks on U.S. invasion shipping, sinking tank landing ship LST-496 and tug Partridge (ATO-138), 49°30'N, 00°50'N and damaging tank landing ship LST-538, 49°48'N, 00°31'W. German motor torpedo boat S 138 torpedoes and damages destroyer Nelson (DD-623), 49°31'N, 00°50'W; infantry landing craft LCI-219 is sunk by aircraft.
Aircraft (VC 95) from escort carrier Croatan (CVE-25) team with destroyer escorts Frost (DE-144), Huse (DE-145), and Inch (DE-146) to sink German submarine U-490 midway between Flores Island and Flemish Cap, 42°47'N, 40°08'W.
Also on this date in 1944, the battleship
Missouri (BB-63) was commissioned;
the U.S.P.S. has
issued a stamp in commemoration.
[Non-stamp images from
Navsource, of course.]
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