Thursday, June 29, 1944. Epsom stalls.

Pitch fighting occured between the British and the Germans as the Germans counterattacked forces that had gained ground due to Operation Epsom. The German attacks had been anticipated.  British losses, however, had been so high that Gen. Montgomery was contemplating halting the offensive.

German troops at La Hague surrendered to American troops.

BAR gunner Pfc. Floyd Rogers, 24, of Rising Star, Texas.  He was already credited with killing 27 German soldiers, some of whom were snipers.  Not too surprisingly, he'd be killed in action on July 12.  Of note, his BAR has had the bipod removed, which was typical, meaning that it was being used as an automatic rifle as originally designed, rather than as a light machinegun.  He's wearing a helmet cover, which is generally seen in US troops in Europe only during the early stages of Operation Overlord, although his cover is of an unusual pattern.  He's also wearing his cotton utility uniform over his wool service uniform.

Operation Bagration's initial objectives were reached.

The Battle of Vyborg Bay commenced between the Finns and the Soviets.

The Red Army liberated Petrozavodsk Concentration Camp, a Finnish concentration camp holding Russians.   The Finns had created these installations in anticipation of population exchanges with the Russians.

They were different from the German camps as their purpose was different, but wartime conditions did make conditions harsh in them and fostered malnutrition and disease.

The headquarters of the BBC World Service, Bush House, was hit by a V1.

The U-478 was sunk by Allied aircraft off of the Faroe Islands.

Two Marines from Texas on Saipan.

Last prior edition:

Wednesday, June 28, 1944. Nazi Germany begins to swallow its generals.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Adolf Hitler, French Resistance Movements, German Army, German Wehrmacht, Operation Bagration, Personalities, Red Army, Vichy France, World War Two