TODAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
6 June
◆1218 Battle of Zibello: Milanese defeat the Cremonese.
◆1349 Battle of Melito: The Hungarians defeat the Neapolitans.
◆1513 Battle of Novara: Swiss defeat the French.
◆1639 Massachusetts granted 500 acres of land to erect a gunpowder mill.
◆1757 Battle of Prague: Frederick the Great of Prussia defeats the Austrians.
◆1799 First Battle of Zurich (Day 3): Austrians v. French (ends 7th).
◆1813 The U.S. invasion of Canada was halted at Stoney Creek, Ontario.
◆1862 Union claims Memphis, Tennessee, the Confederacy's fifth-largest city, a naval manufacturing yard, and a key Southern industrial center.
◆1862 Battle of Port Royal, SC (Port Royal Ferry).
◆1865 William Quantrill, the man who gave Frank and Jesse James their first education in killing, dies from wounds sustained in a skirmish with Union soldiers in Kentucky.
◆1918 BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD: The first large-scale battle fought by American soldiers in World War I begins in Belleau Wood, northwest of the Paris-to-Metz road.
◆1942 The first nylon parachute jump was made in Hartford, Ct., by Adeline Gray.
◆1942 Japanese troops landed on Kiska, Aleutians.
◆1942 THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY: Admiral Yamamoto considers engaging in a surface battle against the US carrier fleet, but decides to retreat instead. The loss of the main portion of the Japanese carrier fleet and their aircraft pilots in the battle on June 4th has robbed the Japanese of the initiative in the naval battle in the Pacific. Also of importance is the use of code-breaking by the Americans to intercept Japanese planning. Prior knowledge of Japanese intentions at Midway allowed the Americans to prepare a trap.
◆1944 D-DAY; THE INVASION OF NORMANDY: Operation Overlord begins. In Normandy, France, during the predawn hours, the US 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions are dropped inland from the right flank beach. The British 6th Airborne Division is landed inland from the left flank beach. These forces achieve their objectives and create confusion among the German defenders. The Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy at dawn.
◆1944 Brig. General Norman “Dutch” Cota was the first American General to step foot on Omaha Beach. Cota, assistant commander of the 29th Infantry Division, heroically spurred his men to cross the beach under withering German fire. He went on to lead his infantrymen across France to the Siegfried Line and in the battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge.
◆1944 The Allied invasion of France, commonly known as “D-Day” begins as Guardsmen from the 29th Infantry Division (DC, MD, VA) storm onto what will forever after be known as “bloody Omaha” Beach. The lead element, Virginia’s 116th Infantry, suffers nearly 80% casualties but gains the foothold needed for the invasion to succeed. The 116’s artillery support, the 111th Field Artillery Battalion, also from Virginia, loses all 12 of its guns in high surf trying to get on the beach. Its men take up arms from the dead and fight as infantrymen. Engineer support came from the District of Columbia’s 121st Engineer Battalion. Despite high loses too, its men succeed in blowing holes in several obstacles clearing paths for the men to get inland off the beach. In the early afternoon, Maryland’s 115th Infantry lands behind the 116th and moves through its shattered remnants to start the movement in off the beach. Supporting the invasion was the largest air fleet known to history. Among the units flying missions were the Guards’ 107th (MI) and 109th (MN) Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons The Normandy campaign lasted until the end of July with four Guard infantry divisions; the 28th (PA), 29th, 30th (NC, SC, TN) and the 35th (KS, MO, NE) taking part along with dozens of non-divisional units all earning the “Normandy” streamer.
◆1944 Cherokee tribal members communicated via radios in their native language on the Normandy beaches. Some 6,603 Americans were killed along the coast of France during the D-day invasion. A total of 9,758 Allied soldiers died during the invasion. “D-Day” by Stephen Ambrose was published in 1994.
◆1944 The French Expeditionary Corps (part of US 5th Army) completes the capture of Tivoli. Recent combat has depleted 4 German infantry divisions and reduced six of their panzer and panzer grenadier divisions.
◆1944 On Biak, elements of the US 41st Division (ORARNG) prepare to advance on Mokmer Airfield while other elements are engaged near Ibdi.
◆1945 On Okinawa, elements of the US 6th Marine Division advance in the Oruka Peninsula following their landing. Naha airfield is secured. Elements of the US 96th Division (US 24th Corps) reach the lower slopes of Mount Yaeju and are halted by intensive Japanese fire.
◆1945 American forces advance without meeting significant resistance in the Cayagan valley, on Luzon, as well as on Minadanao.
◆1951 U.N. naval aircraft, along with Air Force and Marine Corps reinforcements, flew 230 sorties against enemy troop concentrations and supply lines in the central and western sectors.
◆1952 Operation COUNTER began as the 45th Infantry Division (OKARNG) launched a two-phased series of attacks to establish strategic outpost sites in the Old Baldy area. The 45th Infantry Division seized 11 outposts west of Chorwon. Repeated communist counterattacks during the remainder of the month failed to dislodge friendly troops.
◆1952 F-86 Sabres scored one of the greatest single victories of the war, destroying eight MiGs and damaging two others.
◆1972 South Vietnamese forces drive out all but a few of the communist troops remaining in Kontum.
◆1977 "Washington Post" reported that US had developed a neutron bomb.
◆1982 30,000 Israeli troops invade Lebanon to drive out the PLO.
◆1991 NATO issued a statement saying it would not accept any “coercion or intimidation” against the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe.
◆1995 NATO launched 2 air raids against an ammunition dump in Serb-held central Bosnia.
◆1996 China agreed conditionally to a ban on the use of nuclear explosions for civilian projects.
◆1996 Cuba announced plans to create free trade zones on the island.
◆1998 The UN Security Council demanded in a unanimous vote that India and Pakistan refrain from further nuclear tests and sign nuclear control agreements.