18 Aug 1944
  • German Seventh Army retreated across Orne River in France, leaving 18,000 men behind to be captured. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 2 | TH]
  • In southern France, Germans began evacuating from areas of Spanish border and Bay of Biscay. ww2dbase [TH]
  • Air Marshal Sir Frederick Bowhill was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of RAF Coastal Command. ww2dbase [AC]
  • USS Gabilan completed her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Gabilan | CPC]
  • USS Ray attacked a Japanese convoy and sank Japanese tanker Nansei Maru (hitting her with 3 of 4 torpedoes fired) and transport Taketoyo Maru (hitting her with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired) north of the Balabac Strait in the Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Ray | CPC]
France Hawaii
  • Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Sargent Bay departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii bound for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.n ww2dbase [Sargent Bay | Pearl Harbor, Oahu | CPC]
  • Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Night Attack and Combat Training Unit commissioned, Capt JH Griffin, commanding. On this date it was composed of 21 F6F's, 10 TBM's, 4 F4U's, 2 SB2C's, and 1 SNV. Compliment: 11 officers and 24 men. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]
Japan Marshall Islands
  • USS Honolulu departed Eniwetok bound for Tulagi, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Honolulu | Eniwetok | DS]
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Gunnel attacked a Japanese transport with her deck gun in the South China Sea, causing no damage. ww2dbase [Gunnel | South China Sea | CPC]
Poland Singapore
  • Kamoi took on a cargo of heavy oil at Singapore. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • A V-1 bomb blew up and destroyed the railway bridge over Oak Lane in Newington, Kent, England, United Kingdom. This happened as an express train was approaching. The locomotive and tender jumped the gap, but the first two carriages crashed onto the road. Seven passengers and a railway worker who had run to the bridge for shelter were killed. Two days later the bridge was repaired, and traffic was as normal. ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | Vergeltungswaffe 1 | Newington, England | HM]
  • Flight Lieutenant Brian Williams of 605 Squadron RAF flying his Mosquito VI fighter from RAF Manston brought down 2 V-1 flying bombs on his patrol bringing his total to 5 in just two weeks of action. A typically economic report entered by pilots on patrol was written by Flight Lieutenant K. A. Roediger of 456 squadron RAAF: "23.24hrs attacked Diver astern, height 1,200ft, speed 360 mph fired at range of 1,200 feet. Target dived straight in and exploded on ground." ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | Vergeltungswaffe 1 | England | HM]
United States Photo(s) dated 18 Aug 1944
Russian Army Captain Orset Chevstov receiving a painting from African-American merchant seaman and artist George Wright, 18 Aug 1944; note painting theme of Russo-American cooperationLord Louis Mountbatten visiting General Bernard Montgomery at Montgomery’s mobile headquarters in Blay, Normandy, France, 18 Aug 1944.

18 Aug 1944 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Famous WW2 Quote
"All that silly talk about the advance of science and such leaves me cold. Give me peace and a retarded science."

Thomas Dodd, late 1945


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