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• Soviet forces began another offensive against the Finns between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in northern Russia. ww2dbase [TH]
• Mussolini transformed the Partito Fascista Repubblicano into a military organization. ww2dbase [Benito Mussolini | CPC]
• USS Guitarro departed Darwin, Australia. ww2dbase [Guitarro | CPC]
• USS Puffer arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her fourth war patrol. ww2dbase [Puffer | CPC]
• Karl Burk was made the commanding officer of SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien. ww2dbase [Karl Burk | CPC]

• USS Harder arrived at Darwin, Australia and took on additional torpedoes. ww2dbase [Harder | Darwin, Northern Territory | CPC]

• US Vice President Henry Wallace arrived in Chongqing, China. ww2dbase [Henry Wallace | Chongqing | CPC]

• Finland attempted to negotiate for peace with the Soviet Union; Soviets expressed that they would only accept unconditional surrender. ww2dbase [Battle of Tali-Ihantala and Battle of Vuosalmi | CPC]

• More than 1,300 US 8th Air Force bombers took off from airfields in Britain to attack Berlin, Lüne-Merseburg, and the hydrogenation plant at Ruhland in the Gau of Mark Brandenburg. The 163 that attacked Ruhland went on to Ukraine instead of returning to Britain, and this was noticed by the German Luftwaffe, which had plans to counter such an attempt for a shuttle bombing operation. He 111 bombers from various units of KG 4 (pathfinders), KG 53, and KG 55 took off for Poltava and Mirgorod (Myrhorod) Airfields in Ukraine. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | TH, CPC]
• 145 B-17s began an Operation Frantic shuttle bombing mission between the United Kingdom and bases in Ukraine. 72 P-38s, 38 P-47s and 57 P-51s escorted the bombers to the target, the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, Germany. 123 B-17s bombed the primary target while the rest bombed secondary targets. The fighter escort returned to England while fighters based at Pyriatyn, Ukraine relieved them. 1 B-17 was lost to unknown causes and 144 B-17s landed in the USSR, 73 at Poltava and the rest at Myrhorod. During the night, the 73 B-17s at Poltava were attacked for 2 hours by an estimated 75 German bombers led by aircraft dropping flares. 47 B-17s were destroyed and most of the rest were severely damaged. Heavy damage was also suffered by the stores of fuel, ammunition, and ordinance. ww2dbase [B-17 Flying Fortress | P-51 Mustang | Operation Frantic | Ruhland | DS]

• British XIII Corps engaged in heavy fighting with German forces at San Fatucchio, Italy. Further east, Polish II Corps reached the Chienti River. ww2dbase [Advance to the Gothic Line | San Fatucchio, Umbria | CPC]

• Nachi arrived at Yokosuka, Japan for refitting. ww2dbase [Nachi | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]

• USS Bluefish sank the Japanese transport she had been pursuing for several hours in the Makassar Strait, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Bluefish | Makassar Strait | CPC]
• USS Wasp was attached to Willis Lee's battleship group, which was sent in pursuit of the retreating Japanese ships after the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The group would fail to find any targets. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) and Task Force 58 chased the enemy but made no contact with the Japanese fleet. ww2dbase [Mariana Islands Campaign and the Great Turkey Shoot | Yorktown (Essex-class) | DS]

• The southern boroughs of London, England, United Kingdom suffered multiple V-1 flying bomb strikes during the day. The bombs started to arrive at 0525 hours when one exploded in Bexley close to the river Thames; it killed four people and wrecked 7 houses. Bombs followed in Addington Road, West Wickham where 65 houses were damaged and Queens Road in Beckenham where 3 were killed. Pilot Officer N. P. Gibbs of 41 Squadron at RAF West Malling shot down his second in two days over Beachy Head on the Channel coast. ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | London, England | HM]

• The keel of submarine Menhaden was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. ww2dbase [Menhaden | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | CPC]

• USS New Mexico bombarded Guam. ww2dbase [Mariana Islands Campaign and the Great Turkey Shoot | New Mexico | CPC]

21 Jun 1944 Interactive Map