8 May 1944
  • Eisenhower set the date for the cross-Channel invasion at 5 Jun 1944. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 1 | CPC]
  • USS Rock arrived at Majuro, Marshall Islands, ending her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Rock | CPC]
  • USAAF fighter ace Robert Johnson scored his 27th victory, exceeding the 26 victories achieved by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, making him the second-highest scoring American fighter pilot in Europe. ww2dbase [AC]
  • Brigadier William Lentaigne, commander of the Chindit, flew to the front lines in Burma to meet with Michael Calvert, repeating the order to abandon the Broadway and White City sites of Operation Thursday in order to build a new forward base, Blackpool. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]
  • USS Nicholas departed Buna, New Guinea as part of an escort for a convoy of transport ships bound for the Russell Islands in the Solomon group. ww2dbase [Nicholas | DS]
Germany Guam
  • Gato-class submarine USS Silversides arrived in her patrol area off Guam, Mariana Islands and almost immediately detected a convoy of six or seven Japanese ships departing Apra Harbor. Silversides fired four Mark XVIII electric torpedoes (her first of the war) and scored one hit, with unobserved results due to depth charging counterattack. ww2dbase [Silversides | Mark XVIII | DS]
Hawaii
  • Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Two officers and 97 men of ARGUS-8 arrived on board. Two officers and 91 men of ARGUS-7 arrived on board. Parts of Air Group 11 arrived on board. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]
Japan
  • Nachi refueled from oiler Teiyo Maru in Kawauchi Bay, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. ww2dbase [Nachi | Kawauchi Bay, Aomori | CPC]
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Hoe attacked a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea, damaging army tanker Akane Maru and freighter Sado with 2 of 6 torpedoes fired in the South China Sea west of Luzon Strait. ww2dbase [Hoe | South China Sea | CPC]
Poland Singapore
  • Kamoi took on a cargo of canned goods at Singapore. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]
United States Photo(s) dated 8 May 1944
A FM-2 Wildcat fighter prepared to launch from USS Charger while another flew overhead, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, United States, 8 May 1944USS Coral Sea underway, 8 May 1944, photo 1 of 3USS Coral Sea underway, 8 May 1944, photo 2 of 3USS Coral Sea underway, 8 May 1944, photo 3 of 3
See all photos dated 8 May 1944

8 May 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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