track & field athlete and AFL wide receiver, in Clarksville, Texas; Bud Harrelson, major league baseball player (mostly for the New York Mets), in Niles, California Died: Jimmie W. Monteith, 26, U.S. Army officer and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor (killed in action on D-Day); John J. Pinder, Jr., 32, U.S. Army soldier and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor (killed in action on D-Day) June 7, 1944 (Wednesday) The Battle of Bréville began. The British began Operation Perch, an attempt to encircle and capture the city of Caen. Operation Tonga ended in Allied tactical victory. Operation Hasty ended with less than half the original force returning safely to British lines. The Ardenne Abbey massacre begins. 11 Canadian POWs from The North Nova Scotia Highlanders and The Sherbrooke Fusilers are shot by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division. German submarine U-629 was sunk in the English Channel by a B-24 of No. 53 Squadron RAF. Japanese destroyer Hayanami became the second ship to be torpedoed and sunk in the Sibutu Passage by USS Harder in as many days. American destroyer Meredith struck a mine in the English Channel and was severely damaged. Salvage efforts would be abandoned on June 9 when Luftwaffe bombing broke the ship in two. Actress Judy Garland divorced her husband of three years, songwriter David Rose, on grounds of general cruelty. June 8, 1944 (Thursday) The Battle of Port-en-Bessin ended in Allied victory. Pietro Badoglio and the Italian government moved to Rome. A B-24 of No. 224 Squadron RAF sank German submarine U-373 in the Bay of Biscay and then sank U-441 only some 20 minutes later in the English Channel. Japanese destroyer Harasume was bombed and sunk northwest of Manokwari, New Guinea by a U.S. B-25 Mitchell. Japanese destroyer Kazagumo was torpedoed and sunk in the Davao Gulf by the American submarine Hake. American destroyer escort USS Rich struck a mine and sank off Normandy. The war film Days of Glory starring Tamara Toumanova and Gregory Peck (in their feature film debuts) was released. The first Tallboy bomb was dropped. Born: Mark Belanger, baseball player, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (d. 1998); Don Grady, actor, composer and musician, in San Diego, California (d. 2012); Marc Ouellet, Cardinal of the Catholic Church, in La Motte, Quebec, Canada; Boz Scaggs, musician, in Canton, Ohio June 9, 1944 (Friday) The Battle of Ushant was fought off