Daily World war 2 History

B-17G of the 381st Bomb Group are escorted by a P-51B of the 355th Fighter Squadron, Summer 1944

USS Cowpens at the Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 Jun 1943


Goes to show the size difference between these aircraft carries and modern ones!

Covenanter tank of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade, British Guards Armoured Division crossing a scisssors bridge laid down over an anti-tank ditch, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 25 Jun 1942

Japanese ship Yamakaze sinking as seen from the periscope of USS Nautilus, 25 Jun 1942

📜 THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR II HISTORY – JUNE 14, 1944

82 years ago today, World War II was entering one of its most decisive phases.

Just eight days after D-Day, Allied forces were fighting fiercely across Normandy, France. On June 14, 1944, American troops successfully captured the strategic town of Carentan, linking the Utah and Omaha beachheads and strengthening the Allied foothold in Nazi-occupied France. This victory helped secure the momentum needed for the liberation of Western Europe.

Meanwhile, British forces officially ended Operation Perch, an ambitious attempt to capture the city of Caen. Despite fierce resistance from German armored divisions and the operation's failure to achieve its objective, the battle tied down significant German forces and contributed to the broader Allied campaign in Normandy.

Across the English Channel, a new threat emerged as Germany's V-1 flying bomb campaign intensified against Britain. On this day, RAF pilots achieved one of the first successful interceptions of a V-1 "buzz bomb," marking the beginning of a long defensive battle against these early cruise missiles.

In the Pacific Theater, the United States launched its first B-29 Superfortress bombing raid against the Japanese home islands, targeting industrial facilities at Yawata. This historic mission demonstrated America's growing ability to strike directly at Japan and foreshadowed the strategic bombing campaign that would continue until the war's end.

June 14, 1944, reminds us that World War II was truly a global conflict. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the skies over Japan, thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians faced extraordinary challenges that would shape the course of history.

Remembering the courage, sacrifice, and determination of the Greatest Generation.

WWII veteran Paul Robbins visited his museum last week from Omaha, Nebraska. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Robbins joined the US Navy, initially serving as a Seaman Second Class aboard the USS New Jersey and rising to the rank of Gunners Mate Third Class by the end of the war. After shipping out to the Pacific, Robbins and his crew went to the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Guam, and Iwo Jima, shooting down a plane at Saipan with Task Force 58 during the Marianas Turkey Shoot. Robbins recalls going back to Pearl Harbor and then the USS New Jersey joining the 3rd Fleet as the flagship for Admiral Halsey. After the action at Iwo Jima, Robbins returned stateside before pulling a short stint of occupation duty in the Philippines and Japan. Robbins is a plank owner, meaning he is part of the original crew on the USS New Jersey (BB-62). Thank you for your service, Mr. Robbins!

Prototype C-69 Constellation aircraft at Burbank, California, United States, 9 Jan 1943; seen in 15 Feb 1943 issue of US Navy publication Naval Aviation News

Ki-51 special attack aircraft of Japanese Army Sekicho Squadron diving at USS Columbia in Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Islands, at 1729 hours on 6 Jan 1945; photograph taken from USS California