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• 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]

• Foch's wreck was sunk at the mouth of Toulon harbor, France as a blockship. ww2dbase [Foch | Toulon Military Port | Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | CPC]
• USS Marblehead arrived at Corsica, France. ww2dbase [Marblehead | Corse | CPC]

• 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]

• Landing ship No. 139 was launched. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | CPC]

• USS Honolulu departed Eniwetok bound for Tulagi, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Honolulu | Eniwetok | DS]

• USS Gunnel attacked a Japanese transport with her deck gun in the South China Sea, causing no damage. ww2dbase [Gunnel | South China Sea | CPC]

• Soviet forces captured Sandomierz, Poland. ww2dbase [Operation Bagration | Sandomierz, Swietokrzyskie | TH]

• Kamoi took on a cargo of heavy oil at Singapore. ww2dbase [Kamoi | Singapore | CPC]

• 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]

• Fleet oiler USS Severn with destroyer escort USS Tabberer departed Norfolk, Virginia, United States bound for the Panama Canal. ww2dbase [Henry Plage | Tabberer | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]

18 Aug 1944 Interactive Map