New Guinea Campaign Concludes

MON 31 JUL 1944
Pacific
TF 77 (Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler) lands Army troops on Cape Sansapor, New Guinea, in second phase of Operation GLOBETROTTER, thus concluding the New Guinea campaign.

Coordinated submarine attack group TG 17.15 (Commander Lewis S. Parks) carries out succession of attacks on Japanese convoy near the Bashi Channel. Submarine Parche (SS-384) (flagship) sinks transport Manko Maru 19°08'N, 120°51'E, and merchant tanker Koei Maru, 19°00'N, 122°55'E, and damages merchant cargo ship No.1 Ogura Maru, 19°10'N, 120°58'E, and army cargo ship Fuso Maru, and teams with Steelhead (SS-280) to sink army cargo ship Yoshino Maru, 19°05'N, 120°50.5'E. Steelhead sinks Fuso Maru, 19°00'N, 120°55'E, and damages army cargo ship Dakar Maru, 19°08'N, 120°51'E, which is towed to San Fernando and abandoned. For the heroism he displays in pressing home a daring surface attack, Parche's captain, Commander Lawson P. Ramage, will be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Submarine Dace (SS-247) sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Shinju Maru 20 miles west of Palimban Point, 06°15'N, 124°11'E.

Submarine Lapon (SS-260) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking merchant tanker Tenshin Maru off the southwest tip of Palawan, 08°50'N, 116°00'E, and damages weather ship Hijun Maru, 08°51'N, 116°45'E.

Europe
U.S. freighter Exmouth is mined and sunk about 60 miles off the Scottish coast while en route from Hull, England, to Loch Ewe, Scotland, 56°33'N, 01°38'W; there are no casualties among the 43 merchant sailors and the 27-man Armed Guard.