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• US First Army isolated Cherbourg, France. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 1 | TH]
• US 83rd Infantry Division arrived in Normandy, France. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Mingo departed Manus, Admiralty Islands for her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Mingo | CPC]
• Gurkha troops of the Chindits made contact with Chinese troops at the village of Lakum in northern Burma. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]

• In China, the strategic city of Changsha, 200 miles south of Hankou, fell to the Japanese, having successfully defied them three times before. ww2dbase [Operation Ichigo | Changsha, Hunan | CPC, AC]

• British No. 617 Squadron attacked the 20-foot thick concrete dome containing V-2 rockets at Wizernes, France without success. They would return to this target on multiple occasions in the following month. ww2dbase [Vergeltungswaffe 2 | La Coupole | V-Weapons Campaign | Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Wizernes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hamburg, Germany but diverted to targets of opportunity due to thick clouds over the target area. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | RAF Thurleigh | Hamburg | DS]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Part of Air Group 11 arrived on board. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• British troops captured Assisi, Italy. ww2dbase [Advance to the Gothic Line | Assissi, Umbria | TH]

• The keel of landing ship No. 138 was laid down by Kawanami Kogyo. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]

• In the early morning darkness and again in the evening darkness, destroyer USS Saufley fired many star shells over Japanese positions on Saipan, Mariana Islands as directed by fire control parties ashore. ww2dbase [Saufley | Saipan | DS]

• USS Nashville arrived at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. ww2dbase [Nashville | Espiritu Santo | CPC]

• USS New Mexico escorted transports out of the Mariana Islands area. ww2dbase [New Mexico | CPC]
• Submarine USS Tinosa sank a 400-ton sailing vessel in the Tsushima Strait by tossing fuel oil and hand grenades onto the deck. ww2dbase [Tinosa | Tsushima Strait | DS]

• A search plane from Shokaku detected US Navy Task Force 58 in the Philippine Sea about 380 miles west of Yap Island in the Philippine Sea. At 2000 hours, as planned, the Japanese carrier fleet divided up in two. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Zuikaku | Mariana Islands Campaign | Shokaku | Taiho | Philippine Sea | CPC]

• A V-1 flying bomb struck the Guards Chapel across from Buckingham Palace in London, England, United Kingdom during worship services, killing 119. ww2dbase [Vergeltungswaffe 1 | V-Weapons Campaign | London, England | TH]
• Winston Churchill impressed on Dwight Eisenhower that there must be no change of plans as a result of the V-1 attacks; London and the South-east would endure the bombardment as long as was necessary. ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | Winston Churchill | AC]
• Glenn Miller arrived in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Glenn Miller | England | AC]

• Submarine Chub was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by Mrs. T. A. Risch. ww2dbase [Chub | Electric Boat Company | Groton, Connecticut | CPC]

• Submarines USS Guardfish, USS Thresher, and USS Piranha arrived at Midway to refuel and then departed again bound for their patrol area. An hour-and-a-half out, Thresher suffered a minor malfunction to her radar display that required her to return to Midway for a spare part. Once collected, Thresher set out to join Guardfish and Piranha again. ww2dbase [Piranha | Thresher | Guardfish | Midway | DS]

18 Jun 1944 Interactive Map