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• Operation Epsom began with British Second Army's offensive near Caen, France. To the west, with naval gunfire support, American ground forces engaged in street fighting in Cherbourg. ww2dbase [Normandy Campaign, Phase 1 | TH]
• General KÅ“nig was made the head of Free French Forces. ww2dbase [Pierre KÅ“nig | TH]
• US 83rd Infantry was temporarily attached to the VIII Corps of US First Army. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Gurkha troops of the Chindits attacked Mogaung, Burma cautiously, having suffered heavy casualties during the assault two days prior. Meanwhile, the Japanese began to fall back from the town. ww2dbase [Operation Thursday | CPC]
• Captain Maurice E. Curts was named the commanding officer of USS Columbia, relieving Captain Frank E. Beatty, Jr. ww2dbase [Columbia | CPC]

• US Naval Armed Guard Service vessel James B. Weaver had shot down two V-1 flying bombs off the French Normandie coast. ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | English Channel | HM]

• Soviet troops launched a three-prong offensive at 0730 hours against Tali (now Paltsevo), Finland after a heavy artillery and air bombardment. Only the western prong breached Finnish lines, but it threatened to cut off the Finnish front lines. ww2dbase [Battle of Tali-Ihantala and Battle of Vuosalmi | Tali | CPC]

• British No. 617 Squadron attacked the German V-2 store at Siracourt, France with 17 Lancaster, two Mosquito, and a Mustang (a gift from the USAAF) aircraft; the Mustang fighter was flown by Leonard Cheshire and used as a low-level marker aircraft. ww2dbase [Bombing of Cities in France and Low Countries | Vergeltungswaffe 2 | Siracourt, Nord-Pas-de-Calais | AC]

• Barbers Point Naval Air Station: Parts of ARGUS-15, ARGUS-17, and ARGUS-23 departed. ww2dbase [Barbers Point Naval Air Station | Ewa, Oahu | DS]

• At the Imperial Conference in Tokyo, Japan, Prince Hiroyasu advocated the use of special attacks by all branches of the military. ww2dbase [Hiroyasu | Tokyo | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) departed the area around Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands and laid a course for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Bonin Islands | DS]

• USS New Mexico departed waters off Mariana Islands. ww2dbase [New Mexico | CPC]

• At daybreak, B-17s and P-51s were flown from dispersal bases to Poltava and Myrhorod and loaded and fueled with intentions of bombing the oil refinery at Drohobycz (Drohobych), Poland before proceeding to bases in Italy as part of Operation Frantic’s shuttle-bombing plan. Bad weather canceled the mission until the following day. The aircraft returned to dispersal bases for the night as precaution against air attacks. ww2dbase [B-17 Flying Fortress | P-51 Mustang | Operation Frantic | Poltava | DS]

• Following a visit to British No. 617 Squadron at Woodhall Spa in England, United Kingdom by USAAF Generals Carl Spaatz and James Doolittle, a crated Mustang fighter was delivered as a gift from the United States to Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire. Cheshire wanted to use it that evening for a raid on the V-bomb site at Siracourt, France, and his mechanics worked all day removing the grease and the guns. One hour after the Lancaster bombers had taken off Cheshire followed in the Mustang fighter (which type he had never flown before) and he arrived in time to mark the target at low level for the heavy bombers. ww2dbase [P-51 Mustang | RAF Woodhall Spa | Woodhall Spa, England | AC]
• A V-1 bomb struck the eastern side of Victoria Station, London, England, United Kingdom as the train crews were arriving in the early morning; 17 were killed, including six men on fire watch. A further 8 Londoners were killed when V-1 bombs landed in Deptford and 7 fatalities occurred in Kepler Road, Clapham. A pub, The Freemason's Arms, and 50 houses were badly damaged in Camberwell. Nine V-1 bombs were shot down by 3 Squadron RAF and 10 by 486 Squadron (RNZAF). During the evening the flying bombs were aimed at Southampton, most landed on or around the Isle of Wight. ww2dbase [V-Weapons Campaign | London, England | HM]

• USS Baya departed New London, Connecticut, United States for Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Baya | New London, Connecticut | AC]
• The FR Fireball piston-jet mix-powered fighter took its first flight with only the piston engine equipped. ww2dbase [FR Fireball | CPC]
• Submarine Brill was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by the wife of Rear Admiral Francis Low. ww2dbase [Electric Boat Company | Brill | Groton, Connecticut | CPC]

• USS Pompon arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her fifth war patrol. ww2dbase [Midway Bases | Pompon | Midway | CPC]

25 Jun 1944 Interactive Map