Germany: The Nazis force Jewish performers and artists to join the Jewish Cultural Unions.
1936 — , August 6
Germany: Day 6 of 16 of the Berlin Olympics.
Spain: Day 21 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
1937 — , August 6
Spain: Day 386 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War. Falangist artillery units bombard Madrid.
CBI - China: Day 31 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 31 of 33 of the 2nd Battle of Hebei.
Day 6 of 12 of the Battle of Chahar.
1938 — , August 6
UK: Nevile Henderson, the British Ambassador to Germany, sends a note to German diplomats saying that the United Kingdom will not risk British lives over Czechoslovakia.
Spain: Day 751 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 396 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 57 of 139 of the Battle of Wuhan. Japanese and Chinese troops clash at Jinjiashan, Jinguanqiao and Dengjiahe exchanging territory repeatedly throughout the day.
CBI - Russia: Day 9 of 14 of the Battle of Lake Khasan, a border dispute between the Soviet Union and Japan.
1939 — , August 6
CBI - China: Day 761 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 54 of 68 of the Battle of Tianjin.
CBI - Mongolia: Day 88 of 129 of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, a border dispute between the Soviet Union and Japan.
1940 — , August 6
Atlantic: British sub HMS SEALION is rammed by German anti-submarine vessel UJ-123 while running at periscope depth during an attack on a convoy 20 miles off the South coast of Norway. The SEALION will make the return trip to the Tyne for repairs.
ETO - UK: Day 28 of 114 of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe attacks convoys in the Channel off Suffolk. Goering sets August 10th as EAGLE DAY, to begin a major offensive against the RAF and its Airfields.
Baltic: The US Army transport AMERICAN LEGION reaches Petsamo, Finland, to pick up American citizens wishing to return to the US from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
East Africa: Day 58 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt. Italian troops capture Odweina, British Somaliland. Other battles begin at Tug Argan and at Hargeisa.
CBI - China: Day 1,127 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 266 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
1941 — , August 6
USA: The Japanese foreign minister, Admiral Nomura, proposes a meeting between Roosevelt and Prime Minister Konoye.
UK: British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden issues another warning to Japan stating that any action against the independence of Thailand will be regarded as a threat to imperial security.
Atlantic: US Navy planes based in Reykjavik, Iceland, begin flying routine patrols of the North Atlantic.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 39 of 142 of Operation SILVER FOX, a joint German-Finnish campaign to capture the Russian port of Murmansk in the Arctic.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 37 of 140 of Operation ARCTIC FOX, a joint German-Finnish campaign against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 46 of 164 of the Battle of Hanko.
Russian Front: Day 46 of 167 of Germany's Operation BARBAROSSA, the invasion of the USSR. German strategic reports claim that so far in Russia they have taken nearly 900,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured some 13,100 tanks, 9,100 aircraft and more than 10,000 heavy guns.
Russian Front - North: Army Group North continues their slow advance toward Leningrad.
Russian Front - Center: Day 14 of 38 of the Battle of Gomel, Belarus. Heavy fighting continues at Gomel.
Russian Front - South: Day 23 of 25 of the Battle of Uman, Ukraine. Romanian troops continue advancing into the Ukraine.
Russian Front - South: German and Romanian troops keep pushing toward Vinnitsa and the Black Sea port of Odessa, Ukraine.
MTO - Libya: Day 119 of 256 of the Siege of Tobruk.
East Africa: Day 423 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,492 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
1942 — , August 6
ETO - UK: The British section of the World Jewish Congress claim that a million Jews have already died in occupied Europe.
Russian Front - North: Day 333 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 94 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.
Russian Front - Center: Day 8 of 64 of the 1st Battle of Rzhev-Sychevka, Russia. German troops near Rzhev continue their attempts to break their encirclement.
Russian Front - South: Day 40 of 150 of Germany's CASE BLUE, the failed offensive to take the Caucasus oil fields.
Russian Front - South: Day 15 of 20 of Germany's Operation EDELWEISS. The 1st Panther Army crosses the Kuban river near Armavir as the Soviets set up a defense for the region.
MTO - Libya: US B-24s bomb the harbor at Tobruk.
East Africa: Day 94 of 186 of the Battle of Madagascar.
CBI - China: Day 1,857 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 84 of 124 of Japan's Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, launched to punish anyone suspected of aiding the Doolittle raiders in China. Roughly 250,000 Chinese will be killed.
US B-25s bomb the Tien Ho Airfield in Canton.
PTO - Alaska: Day 61 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
PTO - Malaya: Day 169 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 17 of 119 of the Battle of the Kokoda Track. 5th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - Solomon Islands: US 5th Army Air Force continues attacking the north coast of Guadalcanal where the US invasion troops will soon be landing.
1943 — , August 6
Germany: A partial evacuation of Berlin is announced in order to avoid another Hamburg.
Russian Front - North: Day 698 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 459 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.
Russian Front - Center: Day 33 of 50 of the Battle of Kursk, Russia. Soviet troops engage the German 4th Panzer Army HQ unit at Bogodukhov.
Russian Front - Center: Day 26 of 38 of the Battle of Orel, Russia.
Russian Front - South: Day 15 of 23 of the Battle of Belgorod, Russia. The Soviets capture Belgorod and now threaten to take Kharkov.
Russian Front - South: Day 25 of 48 of the USSR's Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive. The outflanked German Army Group South retreats backwards in order not to become encircled.
MTO - Italy: Day 29 of 40 of the Battle of Sicily. RAF and US Air Forces provide air support. US troops secure Troina but are stopped one mile past it. British troops capture Biancavilla and the Germans begin pulling out of Adrano.
CBI - China: Day 2,222 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO - Alaska: Day 426 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 107 of 148 of the 2nd Battle of Lae-Salamaua. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 48 of 67 of the Battle of New Georgia. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 1 of 2 of the Naval Battle of Vella Gulf, Kolombangara. Three Japanese destroyers are sunk, killing 600 sailors and 900 Japanese Army passengers.
1944 — , August 6
ETO - UK: Day 55 of 86 of the V-1 "Buzz Bomb" offensive on Britain.
ETO - France: Day 13 of 29 of the Breakout Battle of Normandy. Allied Air Forces provide air support. US 4th Armored Division advances to Vannes and Lorient.
ETO - France: Day 62 of 62 of the Battle of Caen. All of the initial objectives for the British regarding Operation OVERLORD have finally been met.
[+] show related dates
Operation OVERLORD related dates...
30 May 44: Allies begin loading their assault forces
05 Jun 44: Bad weather postpones invasion for 24 hours
ETO - France: Day 6 of 284 of the Battle of Brittany. US 6th Armored Division advances toward Brest.
ETO - Germany: US 8th Air Force bombs aircraft, ordnance and other factories in Germany.
Germany: The last Jewish ghetto in Lodz, Poland, is liquidated as 60,000 Jews are sent to Auschwitz.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 12 of 19 of the Battle of Ilomantsi, North Karelia.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 47 of 50 of the Battle of Karelia. Soviet troops continue their offensive against the Finns in eastern Karelia between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in northern Russia.
Russian Front - North: Day 187 of 191 of the Battle of the Narva Isthmus, Estonia. Day 13 of 19 of the Battle of Tannenberg Line, Estonia. The Germans continue holding the Sinimaed Hills west of Narva.
Russian Front - Center: Day 10 of 32 of the Battle of Kaunas, Lithuania.
Russian Front - Center: Day 1 of 9 of the Battle of Osovets, Poland. The Soviets capture the refinery city of Drohobyez, Poland.
MTO - Italy: Allied troops continue pressing the German line holding the Po Valley. Allied Air Forces provide air support.
MTO - France: US 12th and 15th Air Forces bomb targets in southern France.
CBI - Burma: Day 155 of 166 of the UK's Operation THURSDAY. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
CBI - Burma: Day 128 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive. US 14th Air Force provides air support.
CBI - China: Day 2,588 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 112 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.
Day 46 of 48 of the Battle of Hengyang. US 14th Air Force provides air support.
The USS PINTADO sinks the Japanese cargo ship SHONAN MARU and damages another ship in the East China Sea.
PTO - Caroline Islands: US planes hits targets on Yap Island.
PTO - Dutch New Guinea: Day 36 of 61 of the Battle of Noemfoor. Although the island has been declared secured, bitter fighting from Japanese continues.
PTO - Mariana Islands: Day 17 of 21 of the 2nd Battle of Guam. US 7th Air Force provides air support. Although this battle is declared as completed, it'll be a while before it's really over.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 72 of 83 of the Battle of Biak. There are still 3,000 Japanese soldiers on the island who won't give up.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 236 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain. US 13th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 107 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea. 5th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 54 of 80 of the Battle of Lone Tree Hill.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 28 of 47 of the Battle of Driniumor River, a failed Japanese offense on US troops near Aitape.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 280 of 295 of the Battle of the Bougainville Islands. US 13th Air Force provides air support.
1945 — , August 6
PTO - Japan: US 20th Air Force: The B-29 Superfortress ENOLA GAY drops the first atomic bomb, code-named Little Boy, on Hiroshima. It will take hours for the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff to begin to piece together what has happened, let alone to comprehend the magnitude of the destruction caused by this single bomb.
Spotlight...
The explosion of "Little Boy" rising up from Hiroshima
About an hour before the bombing, Japanese early warning radar detected the approach of some American aircraft headed for the southern part of Japan. An alert was given and radio broadcasting stopped in many cities, among them Hiroshima. Just before 8:00 am, Aug 6, 1945, the radar operator in Hiroshima determined that the number of planes coming in was very small - probably not more than three - and the air raid alert was lifted.
To conserve fuel and aircraft, the Japanese had decided not to intercept small formations. Hiroshima's anti-aircraft batteries were put on alert, but held their fire to avoid the typical collateral damage and casualties that would be caused on the ground. A normal Japanese radio broadcast warning advised people to get to air-raid shelters. However, because it was assumed to be a reconnaissance mission, the "all clear" was sounded in the city.
At 8:09 am Colonel Tibbets in the Enola Gay started his bomb run and handed control over to his bombardier.
The Tokyo control operator of the Broadcasting Corporation of Japan noticed that the Hiroshima station had suddenly gone off the air. Attempts to telephone the station failed. The main line telegraph out of Hiroshima had also stopped working.
Unofficial and confused reports of a terrible explosion in Hiroshima began to trickle in, which were transmitted to the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. The complete silence from Hiroshima puzzled them. They knew that no large enemy raid had occurred and that no sizable store of explosives was in Hiroshima at that time.
A young officer of the Japanese General Staff was dispatched to fly to Hiroshima and return to Tokyo with reliable information. It was generally felt that nothing serious had taken place and that the explosion was just a rumor. While still nearly 100 miles from Hiroshima, the officer and his pilot saw a great cloud of smoke from the bomb. In the bright afternoon, the remains of Hiroshima were burning. Their plane soon reached the city, around which they circled in disbelief.
USA: Top American fighter Ace Major Dick Bong, with 40 kills to his credit in the Pacific Theater, is killed in an explosion while test flying a new P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter in Burbank, California.
Spotlight...
Major Richard Ira "Dick" Bong
America's top fighter Ace Major Dick Bong was a fighter pilot and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. All of his aerial victories were in the P-38 Lightning fighter.
In 1941 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program, received his wings and commission as a second lieutenant on January 9, 1942, and became a gunnery instructor.
Bong's first operational assignment was to the 49th Fighter Squadron (FS), 14th Fighter Group at Hamilton Field, California, where he transitioned into the twin-engine P-38 Lightning.
On June 12, 1942, Bong "buzzed" a house at very low level in nearby San Anselmo, the home of a pilot who had just been married. He was cited and temporarily grounded for breaking flying rules, along with three other P-38 pilots who had looped around the Golden Gate Bridge on the same day. For looping the Golden Gate Bridge, for flying at low level down Market Street in San Francisco and for blowing the clothes off of an Oakland woman's clothesline, Bong was reprimanded and told by Gen George C Kenney, commanding officer of the Fourth Air Force, "If you didn't want to fly down Market Street, I wouldn't have you in my Air Force, but you are not to do it any more and I mean what I say."
Kenney later wrote: "We needed kids like this lad." In all subsequent accounts, Bong denied flying under the Golden Gate Bridge. Nevertheless, he was still grounded when the rest of his group was sent without him to England in July, 1942. Bong then transferred to another Hamilton Field unit, 84th Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group. From there Bong was sent to the Southwest Pacific Area, assigned to the 9th Fighter Squadron (aka "Flying Knights"), 49th Fighter Group, based at Darwin, Australia.
Dick Bong in his P-38 Lightning
On 27 Dec 42, Bong claimed his initial aerial victory, shooting down a Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" and a Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" over Buna. For this action Bong was awarded the Silver Star.
He went on to rack up an astonishing number of kills. The dates of his first ten victories are listed below. By April 1944, Bong had shot down 27 Japanese aircraft, surpassing Eddie Rickenbacker's American record of 26 credited victories in World War I.
Though assigned to the V Fighter Command staff and not required to fly combat missions, Bong continued flying from Tacloban, Leyte, during the Philippines campaign, increasing his official air-to-air victory total to 40 by December. Upon the recommendation of Far East Air Force commander General George Kenney, Bong received the Medal of Honor from General Douglas MacArthur in a special ceremony in December 1944.
Bong's Medal of Honor citation states that he flew combat missions despite his status as an "instructor", which was one of his duties as standardization officer for V Fighter Command. His rank of major would have qualified him for a squadron command, but he always flew as a flight (four-plane) or element (two-plane) leader.
In January 1945, General Kenney sent America's Ace of Aces home for good. He got married and participated in numerous war bond sales tours and PR activities before becoming a test pilot, assigned to Lockheed's Burbank, California plant, where he flew P-80 Shooting Star jet fighters.
On August 6, 1945, the plane's primary fuel pump malfunctioned during takeoff on the acceptance flight of P-80A. Bong either forgot to switch to the auxiliary fuel pump, or for some reason was unable to do so. Bong cleared away from the aircraft, but was too low for his parachute to deploy. The plane crashed into a narrow field at Oxnard St & Satsuma Ave, North Hollywood.
Los Angeles Times, Aug 6, 1945
Bong's death was featured prominently on the front page of national newspapers, even though it occurred on the same day as the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Dick Bong related dates...
09 Jan 42: Receives wings, commissioned 2nd Lieutenant
12 Jun 42: Reprimanded, grounded for reckless flying
10 Sep 42: Assigned to 9th Fighter Squadron, Australia
27 Dec 42: Shoots down his first two Japanese planes
07 Jan 43: Shoots down his 3rd and 4th Japanese planes
08 Jan 43: Gets 5th Japanese plane, becoming an Ace
Belgium: The Belgians announce that 2,117 collaborators have been sentenced to death out of the 16,000 found guilty.
CBI - China: Day 2,953 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
US 14th Air Force hits 10 locomotives between Tehsien and Suchow and 5 more in other areas.
CBI - Malaya: The USS BLENNY sinks four small Japanese boats while the USS BUGARA sinks 4 small enemy vessels in the Gulf of Siam during the day and sinks another one during the night.
CBI - Malaya: The USS BULLHEAD is sunk by Japanese airplanes in the Java Sea.
PTO - Borneo: Day 58 of 67 of the Battle of North Borneo. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 588 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 472 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - Philippines: Day 290 of 299 of the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, aka the Liberation of the Philippines or the Philippines Campaign.
PTO - Philippines: Day 235 of 244 of the Battle of Luzon. The battle is said to over but hold-outs will continue fighting until the end of the war.
PTO - Philippines: Day 150 of 159 of the Battle of Mindanao Island. The battle is said to over but hold-outs will continue fighting until the end of the war.
Day-By-Day listings for August 6 were last modified on Thursday, August 1, 2019
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