Thursday, August 8, 2024

Tuesday, August 8, 1944. Hengyang falls, Wittmann killed, Falaise noticed.

The Japanese took Hengyang, China.  The vastly outnumbered Chinese forces had held out for six weeks.


German panzer ace SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann was killed when his tank was hit by fire from a Canadian tank and the ammunition within it detonated, killing the entire crew.

The British buried the bodies of the tankers in unmarked graves at the location, which is not surprising as the crew would have been just another group of dead Germans to them.  In 1983, German authorities recovered the bodies and reburied them in a German military cemetery in France.

Wittmann had cult status within Nazi Germany and has since retained it with German armor fans.  He died during Operation Totalize which was seeing large-scale success.

The possible encirclement of the German forces as a possibility began to be noticed by Omar Bradley, with Falaise already noticed as a focal point.  Bradley brought it to Eisenhower's attention on this day.

Greek partisans attacked German forces, with the aid of the SAS, aat Damasta in Crete. Predictably, the action resulted in severe German reprisals.

The United States and United Kingdom signed the Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement in Washington, D.C.  The agreement, which would have regulated the petroleum industry globally, fell apart and was never ratified by the U.S. government due to petroleum industry opposition.

The HMCS Regina was sunk north of Trevose Head by the U-667.

The somewhat bizarre Ju 287 jet bomber made its first flight.


Only two would be made and the project was then cancelled.

Last edition:

Monday, August 7, 1944. German counter attack.

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