OCTAGON Conference Over

SAT 16 SEP 1944
Second Quebec Conference (OCTAGON) attended by President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill ends. Combined Chiefs of Staff approve Admiral Halsey's recommendation to advance the invasion of Leyte from 20 December to 20 October.

Pacific
Marine Air Wings, Pacific is redesignated Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (Major General Francis P. Mulcahy, USMC) with headquarters at Ewa, Oahu.

Motor torpedo boat operations begin from Morotai, N.E.I., to maintain patrols, break up the movement of Japanese troops in barges, and prevent seaborne counterattacks from Halmahera. Two Morotai-based boats, PT-489 and PT-363 transit 60 miles of mined waters and then run an 11-mile gauntlet of coast defense batteries to rescue downed F6F pilot from escort carrier Santee (CVE-29) in Wasile Bay, Halmahera; under fire for two and a half hours, both boats receive superficial shrapnel damage in the successful operation that snatches the aviator out of danger. Lieutenant Arthur M. Preston (Commander, MTBRon 33), commanding the operation, will receive the Medal of Honor.

Destroyer Wadleigh (DD-689) is damaged by mine off eastern entrance to Kossol Passage, Palau, 07°51'N, 134°39'E.

U.S. submarines operate against Japanese shipping south of Formosa: Picuda (SS-382) sinks army cargo ship Tokushima Maru in Bashi Channel, 21°27'N, 121°35'E; Redfish (SS-395) sinks fleet tanker No.2 Ogura Maru, 21°24'N, 121°14'E.

Submarine Sea Devil (SS-400) sinks Japanese submarine I-364 off Yokosuka, Japan, 34°30'N, 145°23'E.

Submarine Shad (SS-235) attacks, unsuccessfully, Japanese cargo ship Hakozaki Maru, 34°30'N, 138°25'E. Other Japanese losses include army cargo ship Imaharu Maru, sunk by aircraft, 05°08'N, 121°14'E; and cargo vessel Imaji Maru, sunk by mine, 05°08'N, 115°05'E.

Mediterranean
U.S. motor torpedo boats engage German explosive control boat and four drones off Cap Martin.

Atlantic
Salvage vessel Escape (ARS-6) brings damaged U.S. freighter George Ade into Hampton Roads; the ship is repaired and returns to active service.