SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

9 July 1944

What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.

About this page

Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.

8 of 11 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

France

U.S. 5th Div arrives on Continent. 21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps attempts to push beyond La Haye-du-Puits but makes little headway against dual handicaps of stubborn enemy and hedgerow terrain.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Saipan

2d Mar Div mops up additional enemy on W flank of corps; attached 165th Inf reaches coast except for company that remains behind to mop up Paradise Valley.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
USSR

Lida falls to Third White Russian Front.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Saipan is declared secure, the Japanese having lost over 30,000 troops; in the last stages numerous civilians commit suicide with the encouragement of Japanese military.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 72 Allied sorties (17 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1944-07-09, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, USAAF 14th Air Force. Targets included BURMA, CHINA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 444 Allied sorties (18 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1944-07-09, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force, USAAF 15th Air Force. Targets included ROMANIA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.

The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.

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9 July in other years 1940 1941 1942 1943 1945

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9 July 1944

Entries

U.S. 5th Div arrives on Continent. 21 Army Group: In U.S. First Army area, VIII Corps attempts to push beyond La Haye-du-Puits but makes little headway against dual handicaps of stubborn enemy and hedgerow terrain.

2d Mar Div mops up additional enemy on W flank of corps; attached 165th Inf reaches coast except for company that remains behind to mop up Paradise Valley.

Lida falls to Third White Russian Front.

Saipan is declared secure, the Japanese having lost over 30,000 troops; in the last stages numerous civilians commit suicide with the encouragement of Japanese military.

Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern Europe.

American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing the downfall of the Tojo government.

THOR mission records show at least 72 Allied sorties (17 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1944-07-09, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force, USAAF 14th Air Force. Targets included BURMA, CHINA.

THOR mission records show at least 444 Allied sorties (18 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1944-07-09, flown by USAAF 9th Air Force, USAAF 15th Air Force. Targets included ROMANIA.

Talk about it