World War II in real time

Day 1409 of World War II, July 22nd 1943

Air War over Europe

The results of the first phase of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) are good according to a report of the British Joint Intelligence Committee. The report maintains the CBO has caused Germany to adopt a defensive air strategy resulting in more than half its fighter strength being employed on the Western Front at the expense of the Eastern and Mediterranean Fronts as well as causing considerable damage to transportation, the synthetic rubber industry, and the fuel, iron, and coal industries of the Ruhr.

Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 13: Patton's 2nd Armored Division drove into Palermo and completed the isolation of 45,000 Italian troops in western Sicily. German mobile forces were able to avoid the advance and withdraw in good order to the northeast. As advance units of Lt-Gen Patton's Seventh Army swept down from the mountains and raced along the coastal road towards this city, the Axis garrison fled in complete disorder. Patton's advance across Sicily was spectacular, with opposition weakening daily as the American strength grew. Now the race for Messina, in the east of the island, could really start.

The British Eighth Army, fighting in the shadow of Mount Etna, was facing a much more difficult task against the German paratroopers whose 88mm anti-tank guns were again proving a formidable weapon - particularly in hilly terrain. Canadians of Lord Tweedsmuir's Hastings and Prince Edwards Regiment managed to take the hill town of Assoro using a ruse employed by General Wolfe in his capture of Quebec almost 200 years ago. The town stood on a precipitous cliff face, and it was this that the Canadians scaled "in 40 sweating, tearing minutes", surprising the German defenders completely. The Canadians began to advance on the main objective, the town of Leonforte, which was cleared after street fighting which lasted all night.

In the air, Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) light bombers hit Randazzo, the railroad at Falcone, the road west of Marina, Adrano, Paterno, Troina, and Misterbianco. During the night, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons bombed Capodichino Airfield and Salerno marshalling yard. During the day, 100+ B-17s bombed the Battipaglia marshalling yard and Foggia; B-26s hit a Salerno bridge and marshalling yard; and fighters fly a sweep over Maddalena Island, strafing factories, trucks, and small vessels.

Battle of the Atlantic

The unescorted 'Cherry Valley' was hit by two torpedoes from 'U-66', while steering a zigzagging course at 15.5 knots. The torpedoes struck the starboard side between the #6 and #7 tanks. The explosions ripped open the #5, #6, #7 and #8 starboard and centre tanks. The engines and steering gear were not damaged and the tanker tried to escape at a reduced speed of 13 knots. 'U-66' followed the tanker and fired a spread of three torpedoes at 1130; one was seen passing ahead and one other astern. The U-boat then surfaced to stop the vessel with gunfire. The tanker was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm and fired back, forcing the U-boat to break off the attack. The list to port was adjusted by emptying the #1 starboard tank and the 'Cherry Valley' successfully escaped. She arrived at San Juan, Puerto Rico, under her own power, escorted into port by the HNLMS 'Jan van Brakel' on 24 July. There were no casualties among the eleven officers, 40 crewmen and 28 armed guards. Eventually she was repaired and returned to service.

At 1510, 'U-81' torpedoed the 'Empire Moon', which was sailing in an unidentified convoy, escorted by HMS 'Stroma'. The ship reached port safely.

Third boatload of survivors from U.S. freighter Richard Caswell, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-513 off the coast of Brazil on 17 July 1943, reaches safety at Florianapolis. Small seaplane tender Barnegat (AVP-10), which had ironically rescued survivors from U-513 (which had sunk Richard Caswell) when the enemy submarine had been sunk on 19 July 1943, rescues the last of Richard Caswell's survivors from a raft.

Battle of the Mediterranean

A Rumanian Air Force pilot, disillusioned with his Luftwaffe superior officers, decided to defect and flew his Ju 88D-1/Trop photographic reconnaissance plane to Cyprus where he surrendered to the Allies. The British Royal Air Force turned over the Junkers, named 'Baksheesh' to the U.S. Army Air Forces.

Photo: The German Junkers Ju 90/0007 (serial J4+JH) of Lufttransportstaffel 290 turns for the land as it comes under cannon attack from a Royal Air Force Martin Marauder piloted by Wing Commander W.S.G Maydwell, the Commanding Officer of No. 14 Squadron, off Bastia, Corsica on 22 July 1943. Maydwell and his crew, who had taken off from Protville, Tunisia, on a low-level reconnaissance sortie over the Tyrrhenian Sea, continued to attack the Ju 90 until they were shot at by the Corsican coastal defences and forced to break off. The Ju 90 crash-landed in Bastia and exploded shortly afterwards



United States

Photo: Launch of the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS James E. Craig (DE-201) at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, South Carolina (USA), on 22 July 1943



Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657) on 22 July 1943. She was commissioned in the U.S. Navy the next day



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

In the Aleutian Islands, 26 B-25's, 17 B-24's, 13 P-40's, and 20 P-38's hit North Head, Main Camp, and the submarine base at Kiska Island, as well as coastal defenses and AA guns at both Kiska and Little Kiska Islands, starting numerous fires. Intense and heavy AA fire downs one B-25 (crew saved) and damages 18 aircraft of which another B-25 crashes at base. 1 B-25 photographs the S and W Kiska Island shores. 1 B-24 flies radar reconnaissance over Kiska Island. The 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Composite Group, based on Adak Island begins operating from Attu Airfield with B-25's.
Two battleships and fours cruisers are the heavy ships in the US bombardment of Kiska in the Aleutians.

Photo: The U.S. Navy cruisers USS Santa Fe (CL-60), USS Louisville (CA-28), USS San Francisco (CA-38), and USS Wichita (CA-45), left to right, bombarding Kiska on 22 July 1943



Amplifying the above: In the Aleutians, the USN's Task Groups 16.1 and 16.2, under Rear Admiral Robert C. Griffin, bombard Kiska Island. TG 16.1, composed of the heavy cruisers USS Louisville, USS San Francisco and USS Wichita, the light cruiser USS Santa Fe and fivedestroyers, fires 1,719 rounds for 21 minutes at the Main Camp and Little Kiska Island. TG 16.2, composed of the battleships USS Mississippi and USS New Mexico, the heavy cruiser USS Portland and four destroyers, fires 1,084 rounds for 18 minutes on North and South Head, Sunrise Hill and the Submarine Base. The Japanese return fire but it is ineffective. IJN submarines are reported but they turn out to be two porpoises and three whales.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) 20+ B-17's and B-24's, 40+ US Navy dive bombers, and 100+ Allied fighter aircraft attack shipping in the area off Buin. Sunk is Nisshin, a seaplane carrier, and damaging hits are claimed on several other vessels.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, 50+ B-24's, B-25's, and B-26's blast troops, AA guns, defensive positions, and targets of opportunity in the battle zones at Komiatum, on Komiatum Ridge, at Kela Mountain, at Salamaua, and along trails near Komiatum and Salamaua. B-24's bomb an oil refinery, docks, and railroad yards at Soerabaja, Java. B-25's hit targets of opportunity on Selaroe Island in the Moloccas Islands.

NEW GEORGIA CAMPAIGN

Photo: Soldiers of the 151st Infantry debarking from an LCI, New Georgia, 22 July 1943



PACIFIC

Submarine Sawfish (SS-276) damages Japanese ammunition ship Seia Maru, 30°54'N, 125°15'E.

Day 1411 of World War II, July 24th 1943

Eastern Front

German aircraft bombed Leningrad, killing 210 people.

Air War over Europe

Operation "Gomorrah" / The Hamburg Raids / Blitz Week: RAF Bomber Command continued its bombing campaign against German cities, hitting Hamburg with 780 bombers carrying 2300 tons of bombs, equivalent to the explosive power of the 5 most destructive raids on London. 347 Lancasters, 246 Halifaxes, 125 Stirlings and 73 Wellingtons attacked Hamburg, 12 aircraft lost. The aircraft dropped 2,284 tons of bombs in 50 minutes. Conditions over Hamburg were clear with only a gentle wind. The marking, a mixture of H2S and visual, was a little scattered but most of the target indicators fell near enough to the centre of Hamburg for a concentrated raid to develop quickly. The bombers attacked on a narrow front, known as a 'stream' instead of spread out. Wave after wave of British bombers broke through the German night defenses and left the Luftwaffe helpless to stop it. The bombs produced a firestorm, the first in history, in which the flames were visible for 200 miles. Temperatures in the centre reached 1400 degrees F and as the inferno sucked in more oxygen, winds reached an incredible 150 mph. The firestorms that engulfed Hamburg were the worst in its 750 year history. Bombing photographs showed that less than half of the force bombed within 3 miles of the centre of Hamburg and a creepback 6 miles long developed. But, because Hamburg was such a large city, severe damage was caused in the central and north western districts, particularly in Altona, Eimsbuttel and Hoheluft. The Rathaus, the Nikolaikirche, the main police station, the main telephone exchange and the Hagenbeck Zoo (where 140 animals died) were among the well-known Hamburg landmarks to be hit. Approximately 1,500 people were killed. This was the greatest number of people killed so far in a raid outside the area in which Oboe could be used. The RAF used a new tactic, causing the Luftwaffe its largest defeat of the night-fighter war to date. The lead RAF aircraft used the Laminetta method of disrupting German defenses by dropping thousands of tinfoil cut to the wavelength of German radar. The tinfoil or 'Window' ('Duppel') created massive echoes on the German receivers and chaos in German ground stations. Without the controllers, the night-fighters could only fumble about in the dark. Goring ordered Major Hermann and his experimental unit to take-off from Bonn-Hangelar airfield and attack the bombers. All 12 fighters took off to defend the city and they were able to destroy 12 of the bombers. Goring soon ordered all night-fighters to adopt the "Wilde Sau" tactics until German technical experts could defeat the effects of "Window".

Photo: . Annotated vertical aerial taken during the night raid on Hamburg of 24/25 July 1943. Sticks of incendiaries are burning in the Altona and Dock districts (top, '4'). A photoflash bomb at lower left has illuminated the camouflaged Binnen Alster ('2'), and the Aussen Alster ('1') on which a flak position has been built ('3')



13 Mosquitoes carried out diversionary and nuisance raids to Bremen, Kiel, Lubeck and Duisburg.

6 Wellingtons laid mines in the River Elbe while the Hamburg raid was in progress. No losses.

The VIII Bomber Command flew Mission Number 75 to attack 3 targets in Norway. This was the Eighth Air Force's first mission to Norway and its longest (1,900 miles or 3,040 km round trip) to date. 167 B-17s hit the nitrate works at Heroya; 1 B-17 was lost. Work at the plant was disrupted for 3.5 months, and unfinished aluminum and magnesium plants were damaged and subsequently abandoned by the Germans. 41 B-17s bombed the port area at Trondheim without loss. One of the casualties was the German submarine 'U-622' which was sunk near Trondheim. 84 B-17s were dispatched against the port area at Bergen but found heavy cloud cover and returned to base with their bombs. A number of Fw 190s belonging to 1./JG 11 attacked the formation of B-17s as they returned to England after having bombed the Trondheim harbour and Porsgrun. The Focke-Wulfs did not claim any bombers but lost 2 aircraft over the North sea south of Lister. One was piloted by Staffelkapitaen Hptm. Erwin Linkiewicz who was found washed ashore on the beach east of Skiveren on 12 August. Another fighter belly landed in a field south of Lild Strand. The landing was watched by a local boy, and when he came to the landing site he found the pilot sitting on the tail smoking a cigarette. The one lost battle-damaged USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress crash-landed in Sweden. Its ten-man crew became the first of nearly 1,000 American and other Allied airmen to be granted refuge in neutral Sweden during World War 2.

Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 15: In Sicily, the drive of the 45th Infantry Division on the northern coast continues as Cefalu was captured while the US 1st Infantry Division seized Gangi and headed toward Nicosia.

Photo: Men of 51st Highland Division show off their stock of cigarettes, 24 July 1943



In the air, Ninth Air Force P-40s flew armored reconnaissance and fighter-bomber missions over the Adrano and Milazzo area. The attacks were concentrated against motor transport targets. In Sicily, Northwest African Tactical Air Force fighter-bombers hit barges, warships, and docks in the Messina-Milazzo area and transport northeast of Mount Etna. Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-17s and B-25 Mitchells bombed the railroad yards at Bologna and B-26 Marauders hit the railroad yards at Paola.

33 Lancasters of RAF 5 Group returning from North Africa bombed Leghorn docks but the target was covered by haze and bombing was scattered. No losses.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine 'U-459' was scuttled after being attacked by an RAF Wellington Mk XII 'Q' of No. 172 Squadron and a Wellington Mk XI 'V' of No 547 Squadron near Cape Ortegal, Spain. 41 of the 60 crewmen survived. 'U-459' was a "Milchkuh" operating a fueling and replenishment service for 72 other U-boats.

USAAF aircraft sink German submarine U-622 off Norway, 63°27'N, 10°23'E.

Planes (VC 29) from escort carrier Santee (CVE-29) damage German submarine U-373 about 130 miles west of Madeira Islands.

USAAF B-24s damage German submarine U-466 off Cayenne, French Guiana, 07°30'N, 50°15'W.

Italy

The Italian Fascist Grand Council met for the first time since December 1939. The topic of debate was the continued leadership of Mussolini. In the end, the council voted 19-7 to remove el Duce from command of all Italian forces. The Fascist rebels were led by Dino Grandi, one of Mussolini's former close friends and admirers, Giuseppe Bottai and the Duce's son-in-law, Count Galeazzo Ciano. What the Duce did not realize was that he was the target of a far wider plot involving Crown Prince Umberto and leading generals.

As the stench of burning still hung over the heavily-bombed suburbs of Rome, the Pope appealed to all combatants to avoid further bombing of the Eternal City. The Vatican denied that the Pope wrote to President Roosevelt condemning the raids - which badly damaged one church in the city. Vatican radio said:

"The Pope is impartial. He does not intend to increase the hatred between the opposing sides. However, Rome is unique and both sides should recognize this. The Pope knows that churches have been destroyed in England too."

Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force)

In the Aleutian Islands, 62 P-40's fly 9 missions to Kiska Island [2 of them with Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots] bombing the runway and scoring many hits. An AA battery takes a direct hit and explodes. AA guns are strafed on North Head and Little Kiska Island. Intense AA fire downs 1 P-40.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Seventh Air Force) 8 B-24's from Midway attack Wake, bombing oil storage, barracks, and a gun emplacement. 20-30 Zekes attack the formation; 9 fighters are claimed destroyed; 1 B-24 is lost in a collision with a falling Japanese fighter.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) 48 fighters join US Navy and Marine dive bombers in support of ground forces in the Bairoko area. Later in the day gun positions at Bibolo Hill near Munda are hit, along with other targets.

CENTRAL SOLOMONS

Admiral Ainsworth leads a US naval taskforce into the Kula Gulf to bombard a Japanese airfield site on Kolombangara north of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Cruisers Honolulu, St. Louis, Nashville, Helena and destroyers Nicholas, DeHaven, Radford and O'Bannon are involved.

Amplifying the above: Later in the day, aircraft of Carrier Air Group Six in the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, Douglas SBD's of Bombing Squadron Six, Grumman F4F's of Fighting Squadron Six and Grumman TBF Avengers of Torpedo Squadron Six, bomb the same objectives.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) B-25's bomb Lautem, Fuiloro, Koepang, and Tenau on Timor Island, the airfield and surrounding areas at Lae, New Guinea, and attack barges in the Wapelik and Cape Busching area of New Britain Island and villages on the Itni River on New Britain.

PACIFIC

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) torpedoes Japanese oiler No. 3 Tonan Maru, 06°56'N, 147°52'E; towed to Truk, the oiler is utilized as a floating oil tank. Tinosa, however, fires 15 torpedoes; 13 hit but only two explode! The incident highlights torpedo exploder problems that have plagued the submarine force since the beginning of the war.

Japanese army cargo ship Mie Maru is sunk by mine, Babo harbor, 02°31'S, 133°26'E.

Day 1413 of World War II, July 26th 1943

Eastern Front

The Germans were pulling out of the great bastion at Orel. Having failed at great cost to cut off the Russian salient at Kursk, the Wehrmacht was having to withdraw from its own salient, 200 miles south of Moscow, in the face of a massive Soviet counter-offensive. Hitler reluctantly gave permission for Field Marshal von Kluge to withdraw his armies from the salient two days ago after it became apparent that they were in danger of suffering another defeat on the scale of Stalingrad. The Red Army has broken through the German's fortified lines east of Orel on a front 20 miles long and has defeated five German divisions. Both sides are also weighing the lessons, as well as counting the cost, of the great tank battle at Kursk. Each deployed tank-busting aircraft fitted with large-calibre cannon. On the German side, the Stuka, fitted with two 37mm flak cannon, and the Henschel Hs-129 with its 30mm cannon performed with great effect. The Russians replied with Sturmovik Il-2s fitted with deadly 37mm cannon which on one occasion reduced 70 tanks of the 9th Panzer Division to burning wrecks within 20 minutes.

Hitler ordered a number of Waffen-SS divisions sent from Russia to Italy, but only the 1st SS 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler' (Adolf Hitler’s bodyguard), Panzerdivision was actually transferred. 2nd SS 'Das Reich' and 3rd SS 'Totenkopf' remained in the East. Those two divisions and the 3. Panzerdivision, which replaced Leibstandarte, were transferred to the 6. Armee area, where they conducted a counterattack from July 31 to August 2 that eliminated a strong Soviet bridgehead at the Mius River.

Air War over Europe

Operation "Gomorrah" Day 3: During US VIII Bomber Command's Mission Number 77, two targets in Germany and a convoy were hit. 24 B-17s were lost mostly to Luftwaffe fighters. In the first raid, 96 B-17s bombed rubber factories at Hannover losing 16 B-17s. 54 of 121 B-17s dispatched against Hannover bombed the U-boat yards at Hamburg. 119 B-17 and 2 YB-40 Flying Fortresses were dispatched against rubber factories at Hannover and 49 of 61 B-17s dispatched against Hannover hit a convoy and other targets of opportunity losing 6 aircraft. The fighters of JG 1 and JG 11 again intercepted the formations and shot down several bombers with II./JG 1 claiming 7 shot down by the Gruppe's pilots for the loss of 2 fighters. Shortly after mid-day, a group of B-17s heading for home came under attack from the fighters of II./JG 11 and Jasta Helgoland. The Germans managed to shoot down 5 bombers.

6 Mosquitoes went to Hamburg, no losses.

After a heavy raid on the Krupp armaments works last night, Dr. Gustav Krupp von Bohlen suffered a stroke when he saw the burning ruins.

Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 17: Heavy fighting was reported in Sicily as attacks at Agira and Nicosia occurred. The German theater commander, General Kesselring, ordered preparations to begin for the evacuation of the island.

In Sicily during the night, Northwest African Tactical Air Force medium bombers attacked Milazzo, Adrano, and Paterno; throughout the day light bombers hit Regalbuto at intervals, and fighter-bombers harassed shipping, rail, and road movements. Ninth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bombed Milazzo, Paterno, and Adrano while P-40s strafed and bombed Catania and shipping at Riposto harbor. Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-26s bombed the Marina di Paola marshalling yard.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine 'U-359' (Type VIIC) was sunk in the Caribbean south of Santo Domingo, by depth charges from a PBM-3C Mariner of Patrol Squadron Thirty Two (VP-32) based at NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone. All 47 crewman of the U-boat perished.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Hitler ordered defensive preparations in Greece, which he assumed would be the Allies' next landing site.

Battle of the Caribbean

PBM (VP 32) sinks German submarine U-759, 18°06'N, 75°00'W.

Battle of the Indian Ocean

Third group of survivors from U.S. freighter Alice F. Palmer, torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-177 on 10 July 1943, reaches safety at Mozambique.

Italy

Marshal Badoglio was appointed head of Italy by the Italian King after the arrest of Benito Mussolini. The Marshal immediately excludes all Fascists from his new cabinet and dissolves the Fascist Party.

United States

Photo: USCGC Campbell (WPG-32) heading to port at Norfolk Navy Yard 26 July 1943



Photo: The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Scott (DE-214) off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania (USA), on 26 July 1943



Photo: French Cruiser Montcalm Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 26 July 1943. She had just finished a refit at that Yard



Photo: stern of French Cruiser Montcalm Off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 26 July 1943. She had just finished a refit at that Yard



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutian Islands, 3 bombers and 5 fighters fly 5 armored reconnaissance missions to Kiska Island. 32 B-24's, 38 P-4O's, and 24 P-38's fly 13 attack raids, bombing and scoring hits on numerous Kiska Island and Little Kiska Island targets, including North Head, Main Camp, the runway, Gertrude Cove, AA batteries, and on a suspected submarine in Kiska Island harbor. A submarine is sighted near Rat Island. AA fire claims 1 P-40 (pilot rescued), and damages 3 others. 1 B-25 and 15 P-38's fly 2 air cover missions to Kiska Island for the US Navy. Over 104 tons of bombs are dropped on Kiska Island this day, highest one-day bomb load so far dropped by the Eleventh Air Force.

In the Aleutians, the USN's Task Group 16.21, consisting of battleships and cruisers, fights the "Battle of the Pips" off Kiska Island. Radar on the ships detected seven pips and believing them to be a Japanese force resupplying Kiska, all ships, except the light cruiser USS Santa Fe open fire. (USS Santa Fe had the most modern radar and saw nothing and she did not fire on the "targets.") A total of 518 14-inch rounds and 487 8-inch rounds are fired at the "Japanese ships." Nobody has ever determined what caused the seven pips on the ships's radar.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Seventh Air Force) The last mission against Wake from Midway is flown. 8 B-24's bomb targets including oil storage area. 20+ fighters (including an aircraft identified as a possible Fw 190) intercept the formation. The B-24's claim 11 of the fighters shot down.

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force) 5 B-25's, escorted by 12 fighters, bomb Hankow Airfield, China. An estimated 30-50 fighters intercept the force; the B-25's and fighters claim 14 airplanes shot down and 17 probably destroyed; 1 P-40 is lost.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) B-24's, P-38's, P-40's, and Navy aircraft hit a bivouac area and the runway at Kahili. B-25's, P-40's, and US Navy fighters over S Kolombangara Island hit the E shore of Webster Cove and bivouac area and buildings on Simbo Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea 40+ B-24's and B-17's bomb Salamaua, Malolo Mission, Komiatum, Komiatum Ridge, and Lae Airfield. The 65th Troop Carrier Squadron, Fifth Air Force, arrives at Port Moresby, New Guinea from the US with C-47's. The squadron flies it's first mission upon arrival.

Day 1415 of World War II, July 28th 1943

Air War over Europe

US VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 78: The aviation industry in Germany was targeted but bad weather hampered the raids. The targets were: 58 of 182 B-17 Flying Fortresses dispatched bombed the Fieseler Works at Kassel, Germany. They claimed 27-15-22 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s were lost. 37 of 120 B-17s dispatched bombed the Fw 190 plant at Oschersleben, Germany. They claimed 56-19-41 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17s were lost. This was the deepest US bomber penetration into Germany to date. The raid achieved good results however, 22 B-17s were lost as fighters scored first effective results with rockets. 105 P-47 Thunderbolts, equipped with jettissonable belly tanks for the first time on a mission, escorted the B-17s into Germany. Other P-47s, going more than 30 miles (48 km) deeper into Germany than they have ever penetrated before, met the returning bombers. They surprised about 60 German fighters and destroyed 9 of them; 1 P-47 was lost. Bf 109s from II./JG 11 and I./JG 1 intercepted the bombers. But 11 Messerschmitts of 5./JG 11, led by Hptm. Heinz Knocke, hung back away from the attack. Each of these fighters was carrying a 55lb bomb underneath the fuselage with timed fuses. The fighter-bombers set themselves at 3,000 ft above the bombers and after setting direction and range, released the bombs. One bomb exploded in the middle of a formation and 3 B-17s crashed together, destroyed. Free of the bombs, the fighters attacked. The fighters of II./JG 11, under Gunther Sprecht, scored 11 kills while JG 1 pilots claimed 8 bomber kills. The remaining B-17s were then attacked by I./Jg 26 who claimed 2 more bombers. The escorting P-47s of the US 4th FG then entered the melee over Holland, attacking about 45 Luftwaffe fighters. One P-47 was shot down by Hptm. Hermichen of I./JG 26 but fighter losses for the Germans was heavy. JG 1 and JG 11 lost 20 Fw 190s and Bf 109s shot down with 3 pilots killed while the fighters of I./JG 26 lost 3 Fw 190s.

Photo: A U.S. Air Force Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress drops incendiary bombs on Oschersleben, Germany, 28 July 1943



Photo: A formation of U.S. Army Air Forces Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress of the 91st Bombardement Group return to RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire (UK), after a mission, 28 July 1943



4 Mosquitoes attacked Hamburg and 3 Dusseldorf. 17 aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands. No losses.

Goring gave orders to Milch that the aircraft industry would forthwith concentrate of defensive production. Milch then ordered the electronics industry to accelerate the production of radar units impervious to 'Window'. The objective was to be: "To inflict losses on enemy night bombers in the shortest time amounting to at least 20 to 25%."

A Hurricane fighter operating from Milfield airfield, near Wooler, crashed at East Fenton, also near Wooler at 10.40. The plane took fire whilst in the air. The pilot baled out and was uninjured.

US VIII Air Support Command Mission Numbers 6 and 7: The primary targets were in Belgium and France. 18 B-26B Marauders were dispatched against the coke ovens at Zeebrugge, Belgium and 18 B-26Bs were dispatched against Tricqueville Airfield, France but the mission was recalled when the accompanying fighters did not join up.

Photo: A German Blohm & Voss Bv 138 flying boat settles in the water after being shot down by a Bristol Beaufighter of No. 404 Squadron RCAF while escorting a Naval force off the north coast of Scotland, 28 July 1943



Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 19: On the ground in Sicily, the US Seventh Army took Nicosia and pushed toward Santo Stefano di Camastra and the Canadians took Agira. Allied cargo vessels began arriving at Palermo, and Lieutenant General Harold R Alexander, 15 Army Group Commanding General, moved his HQ to Sicily. Allied surrender terms were broadcast to the Italians by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Photo: A 25-pdr in action against German 88mm guns during the advance onto the Catania Plain from Primasole bridge, 28-29 July 1943



In the air, Northwest African Tactical Air Force light bombers hit Regalbuto, Milazzo, and Centuripe; A-36 Apaches and P-40s hit heavy traffic on the Troina-Randazzo road, bridges and roads north and west of Cesaro, the landing ground at Falcone, and buildings near Randazzo. Almost 100 Ninth Air Force P-40s hit shipping at Catania and Santa Teresa di Riva, fly patrol over the Straits of Messina, and bomb encampments.

Battle of the Atlantic

PBY (VP 32) sinks German submarine U-359, West Indies area, 15°57'N, 68°30'W.

USAAF and British aircraft sink German submarine U-404, Bay of Biscay, 45°53'N, 09°23'W.

U.S. freighter John A. Poor, straggling from convoy BX 65 in a heavy fog, fouls mine laid by German submarine U-119 at 42°51'N, 64°55'W, but reaches port under tow; there are no casualties among the 42-man merchant complement or the 28-man Armed Guard.

Battle of the Mediterranean

U.S. Naval Operating Base, Palermo, Sicily, is established.

Battle of the Indian Ocean

Fourth group of survivors from U.S. freighter Robert Bacon, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-178 on 14 July 1943 off Mozambique Light, reaches safety after two weeks at sea.

United States

Photo: The U.S. Navy submarine USS Skate (SS-305) underway off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on 28 July 1943



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

Japanese complete evacuation of Kiska Island, Aleutians (Vice Admiral Kawase Shiro), undetected by U.S. forces; among the materiel wrecked by the evacuating enemy are three midget submarines.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Seventh Air Force) The 333d Fighter Squadron, 318th FG, transfers from Hilo, Hawaii to Bellows Field, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii with P-39's.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force)

6 B-25's, with escort of 9 P-40's, bomb Taikoo Docks at Hong Kong.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) In the Solomon Islands, B-25's and US Navy aircraft hit gun positions and other targets at Webster Cove on New Georgia Island.

US attacks on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands continue. They are principally toward Horseshoe Hill.

NEW GUINIEA CAMPAIGN

There is an Australian division operating in central New Guinea against Lae and Salamaua. This division includes US infantry and artillery.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) On New Britain Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's attack barges and fuel dump between Cape Raoult and Rein Bay and hit the airfield at Cape Gloucester and 2 destroyers offshore; single B-24's bomb Unea and unsuccessfully attack shipping in Saint George Channel. B-24's bomb Manokwari and Larat and Boela. On Timor Island, B-25's hit the town of Lautem and the airfield at Cape Chater.

Photo: Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Ariake under attack of B-25 Mitchells from 3rd Attack Group 5th Air Force USAAF near Cape Gloucester, New Britain, July 28, 1943



Photo: Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Mikazuki under attack of B-25 Mitchells from 3rd Attack Group 5th Air Force USAAF near Cape Gloucester, New Britain, July 28, 1943



PACIFIC

Destroyer Farragut (DD-348) on Kiska blockade patrol sinks an empty Japanese landing craft (perhaps cast adrift by the evacuating enemy garrison) four miles east of Sobaka Rock, off the south coast of Kiska.

Japanese submarine RO 103 is last reported on this date; subsequent attempts to contact her are unsuccessful and she never returns to her base at Rabaul. Her fate is uncertain; she may have been mined.

USAAF B-24s sink Japanese army cargo vessel Tamishima Maru off Tavoy Island, 13°53'N, 097°40'E.

Day 1417 of World War II, July 30th 1943

YouTube (Mussolini Falls from Power)

Eastern Front

Heeresgruppe A lost the initative in its attack to secure positions along the Muis River. Soviet forces launched limited counter-attacks against the German positions along the Mius River, thus ending the German attacks.

Air War over Europe

B-17s of the US VIII Bomber Command flew Mission 80 in two forces against the aviation industry at Kassel, Germany. In the first force, 94 B-17s bombed the Bettenhausen Fieseler Works and 6 B-17s were lost. In the second force 40 B-17s attacked the Waldau Fieseler Works and 6 B-17s were lost. 107 P-47 Thunderbolts with auxiliary tanks escorted these raids and they surprised the attacking Luftwaffe fighters over Bocholt, Germany as the enemy was not yet accustomed to fighter escort penetration beyond the coastal fringe. P-47 pilots claimed 25 Luftwaffe aircraft shot down; 7 P-47s were lost. As the bombers approached the target, fighters from I./JG 26 took off and intercepted the B-17s. One was shot down by Lt. Gohringer of Stab I./JG 26 while another went down under the guns of Fw. Ernst Christof of I./JG 26 for his 9th kill. But Fw. Christof was bounced two hours later by fighters from the Us 335th FS 4th FG over Schouwen, shot down and killed. On the return flight, the bombers were bounced by numerous fighters from all the Luftwaffe defensive zones. The first to attack were the Fw 190s of II./JG 26 who sent 2 of the B-17s down in flames, one credited to the Gruppenkommandeur, Major 'Wutz" Galland. The other bomber was credited to Hptm. Johannes Naumann of 6./JG 26 who destroyed his bomber southeast of Est. Another bomber was brought down by Uffz. Wiegand over Eupen and another by Flg. Hans-Walter Sander over St. Trond. Hptm. Hermichen of I./Jg 26 claimed a P-47 over the Dordrecht area. But the Luftwaffe suffered losses as the escort fighters from US 4th, 56th and 78th FGs joined the combat. The first "hat trick" or triple victory for the Americans in the ETO happened when Major Eugene Roberts of the 78th FG claimed 3 fighters destroyed. Capt. Charles London also of the 78th FG was given credit for 2 kills. But the 78th suffered when its CO, Lt. Col. Melvin McNickle was shot down and captured while his wingman, Lt. Byers was killed. JG 1 lost 8 Fw 190s shot down and 3 Bf 109Gs damaged in crash-landings, JG 2 lost 7 planes destroyed, JG 11 had one Bf 109G destroyed and 5 badly damaged, JG 26 had 4 planes badly damaged and JG 54 had 4 planes destroyed - a total of 8 Bf 109s and 16 Fw 190s shot down. 10 pilots of the Luftwaffe were killed, including Ofw. Hans Laun of I./JG 1 and 9 nine pilots were injured.

95 Halifaxes, 87 Stirlings, 82 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes were dispatched to Remscheid, a previously unbombed town on the southern edge of the Ruhr. Only 26 people had been killed in Remscheid, by stray bombs, in the past 3 years. This raid marked the true end of the Battle of the Ruhr. 15 aircraft were lost. The Oboe ground marking and the bombing of the comparatively small Main Force were exceptionally accurate and this was a most successful raid. Only 871 tons of bombs were dropped but the post-war British Bombing Survey estimated that 83% of the town was devastated. 107 industrial buildings were destroyed; the town's industry, generally, lost 3 months' production and never fully regained previous levels. 3,115 houses were destroyed, 1,120 people were killed and 6,700 were injured.

B-26B Marauders of the US VIII Air Support Command VIII flew Missions 10A and 10B against 2 airfields with the loss of 1 bomber. Because the main US bomb raid took Allied bombers over the JG 26 airfield at Woensdrecht Airfield, The Netherlands, it was bombed by 11 aircraft and 1 B-26 was lost. The planes of JG 26 taking off to engage the bombers were met by escorting RAF fighters and lost 2 fighters. In the second mission, 24 B-26Bs were dispatched to Wevelghem Airfield at Courtrai, France but the mission was recalled because the escorting fighters were fog bound on the ground.

8 aircraft laid mines in the Frisian Islands without loss.

Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 21: Near Santo Stefano and Troina, US forces were fighting heavily. British forces captured Catenanouva, Sicily. German forces were trapped in the north-east.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German submarine 'U-230' laid mines off the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay in the US. Meanwhile the German Navy lost six submarines: 'U-43' was sunk south-west of the Azores, by a Fido homing torpedo from a US Navy F4F Wildcats and TBF Avenger of Composite Squadron Twenty Nine (VC-29) in the escort aircraft carrier USS 'Santee' (CVE-29). All hands on the U-boat (55 men) were lost. 'U-43' was supposed to rendezvous with 'U-403' and then go on and sow mines off Lagos, Nigeria.

'U-461' was sunk in the Bay of Biscay north-west of Cape Ortegal, by a Royal Australian Air Force Sunderland Mk III of No. 461 Squadron based at Pembroke Dock, Wales. 15 of the 68 men on the U-boat survived. Amazing numbering coincidence. The Sunderland aircraft which sank 'U-461' had the individual code letter U and so using the style of the RAF was listed in Squadron records as U/461. Thus U/461 sank U-461. The captain (pilot in command) of Sunderland U/461 was Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Dudley Marrows. The aircraft was based at the RAF flying-boat station Pembroke Dock. The attack also involved 'U-462' and 'U-504', with other aircraft including two Liberators, two Halifaxes, and a Catalina. Both those boats were eventually sunk by surface ships on the same day. 'U-462' was sunk by a Royal Air Force Halifax Mk II of No. 502 Squadron based at Holmsley South, Hampshire, England, and gunfire from the British sloops HMS 'Wren', HMS 'Kite', HMS 'Woodpecker', HMS 'Wild Goose' and HMS 'Woodcock' in the Bay of Biscay. 'U-504' was sunk at 1543 hours in the North Atlantic north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, by depth charges from the British Sloops HMS 'Kite', HMS 'Woodpecker', HMS 'Wren' and HMS 'Wild Goose' .

'U-591' was sunk in the South Atlantic near Pernambuco, Brazil, by depth charges from a US Navy PV-1 Ventura coded "B-10" of Bombing Squadron One Hundred Twenty Seven (VB-127) based at Natal, Brazil. 28 of the 47 man crew survive including the captain. They are picked up by the gunboat USS 'Saucy' (PG-65, ex-HMS Arabis).

Battle of the Mediterranean

While patrolling to the north of Corsica, a B-26 Marauder of No. 14 Squadron RAF based in Egypt and piloted by Group Captain Dick Maydwell. encountered a German Me 323, six-engined transport aircraft flying unescorted low over the sea. He maneuvered his B-26 to allow his gunners to open fire and three engines were set on fire. The massive aircraft, described by Maydwell's navigator as looking like "a block of flats", crash landed on the shore. The crew escaped unhurt and Maydwell held his fire.

Photo: A German Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport plane flown by Obfw. Walter Honig from II/TG 5 (KG zbV II/323) under attack off Cape Corse, Corsica, on 30 July 1943 by a Martin Baltimore Mark I, flown by the Commanding Officer of No. 14 Squadron RAF, Wing Commander W. Maydwell. The aircraft crash-landed on the shore and disintegrated, but the crew survived



'U-375' was sunk in the western Mediterranean north-west of Malta, by depth charges from the US submarine chaser USS PC 624. All hands on the U-boat (46 men) were lost.

Battle of the Indian Ocean

U.S. freighter William Ellery, en route from Basra, Iraq, to Durban, South Africa, is torpedoed by German submarine U-197 some 300 miles from her destination, 32°00'S, 36°00'E, but reaches it under her own power; there are no casualties among the 39-man merchant complement and the 27-man Armed Guard.

Fourth and last group of survivors from U.S. freighter Alice F. Palmer, torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-177 on 10 July 1943, reaches safety at Mozambique. All hands survive the ordeal of the loss of the ship and the ensuing open boat voyages.

Italy

A huge brawl developed over the island of Sardinia. AAF P-40s tangled with a large concentration of Bf 109s flown by young, inexperienced pilots. The P-40s were credited with the destruction of 21 Bf 109s for the loss of only one of their own. Post war analysis seems to indicate that only 5 or 6 Bf 109s fell to the Americans.

Thousands of workers threw down tools in Italy to march through the streets demanding peace. Soldiers charged with enforcing martial law - which prohibits strikes and demonstrations - refused to open fire. Guards stood back and watched as an angry mob stormed the Cellari prison and freed hundreds of anti-Fascist prisoners. Small knots of fanatical Fascists, one of them Mussolini's nephew, Vito, have barricaded themselves in Milan's Fascist headquarters, and there were reports of lynchings from other parts of the country. Events have moved at an extraordinary pace since Mussolini was deposed five days ago. Not one of Mussolini's ministers remains in Marshal Badoglio's new cabinet. Fascist prefects were being removed from their posts. Troops were being recalled from the Adriatic to enforce martial law, and there were reports of fighting between Italian and German soldiers in Trieste and Udine.

Adolf Hitler learned that Italy was buying time before negotiating surrender terms with the Allies in light of Mussolini's fall from power. When Mussolini was ousted from power and arrested by his own police, Hitler had gathered Göring, Goebbels,Himmler, Rommel, and the commander in chief of the German navy, Karl Doenitz, at his headquarters to reveal the plans of action he had already been formulating. Among them: (1) Operation Oak, in which Mussolini would be rescued from captivity; (2) the occupation of Rome by German forces and the reinstallation of Mussolini and his fascist government; (3) Operation Black, the German occupation of all Italy; and (4) Operation Axis, the destruction of the Italian fleet to prevent it from being commandeered for Allied use. Hitler's advisor urged caution because the Italian government had not formally surrendered. The Germans had received assurances from Mussolini's successor, General Badoglio, that Italy would continue to fight at Germany's side but, Hitler received a message from his security police chief in Zagreb that an Italian general had confided to a Croat general that Italy's assurances of loyalty to Germany were "designed merely to gain time for the conclusion of negotiations with the enemy." Hitler reacted swiftly, closing Alpine passes and ordering Field Marshal Rommel to assemble eight divisions to ensure that bridges and tunnels were not demolished. As Sicily was poised to fall, the next strategic move would clearly be the invasion of the Italian mainland. After Il Duce's downfall, Allied commanders would be anxious to move quickly before the Germans could establish strong defensive positions in the mountainous centre of the country.

United States

Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Chester (CA-27) off the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia (USA), in July 1943



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

In the Aleutian Islands, the US destroyers USS Farragut and USS Hull bombard the Gertrude Cove and main camp areas of Kiska Island. The action is futile; all of the Japanese troops have been evacuated.

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force) 15 P-40's over the Hengyang, China area make contact with 39 Japanese fighters and 24 bombers. In the ensuing battle, 3 bombers and 2 fighters are downed; 2 P-40's are lost.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) 9 B-24's, with an escort of 16 P-38's and P-40's and 40+ US Navy F4U's, pound the airfield on Ballale.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, B-24's bomb Salamaua and Kela; B-25's hit barges off Huon Peninsula and villages in the Finschhafen area; and A-20's destroy several barges at Hanisch Harbor and Langemak Bay. Single B-24's bomb Cape Gloucester and Unea.

Day 1419 of World War II, August 1st 1943

Eastern Front

The Germans withdrew from the Orel area.

Lt. Erich Hartmann of 7./JG 52 destroyed 5 Russian aircraft - 2 LaGG-5s and 3 Yak-7s - during air battles in the afternoon. His score was now at 46 kills. Lt. Hartmann's fellow pilot at III./JG 52, Gunther Schack got his 60th victory. Lt. Franz Schall of 3./JG 52 recorded his 10th victory when he shot down a Russian Il-2. Fw. Hans-Jorg Merkle of 1./Jg 52 went missing in action after combat with a pair of Yak-1s from 31 GIAP near Dmitrievka.

8 Yak pilots engaged in an attack on a formation of Ju 87 Stukas, escorted by 6 Fw 190s. As the Russians made their attack, they were ambushed by 10 Bf 109s and 2 of the Yaks were shot down. One was flown by Guards Colonel Golyshev, while the other, carrying a white lilly painted on its nose, was Lydia Litvak's aircraft. She crashed near Dmitrievka in the Donets Basin. In her career, she was credited with 12 kills, 4 assists and 168 combat missions. Her combat career lasted less than a year and she was wounded twice in that time. She was 21 years old. The authorities suspected that she might have been captured, so they decided not to award her the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Only in 1979 was it determined that her aircraft had come down near Dmitrovka, a village in Shakhterski district and that she had been killed in action.

Air War over Europe

15 Stirlings and 14 Wellingtons laid mines off French Biscay ports without loss.

Operation "Tidalwave": 177 B-24s, of the US IX Bomber Command, including B-24s on loan from the US Eighth Air Force in England, were dispatched in a low-level attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti and nearby Campina. Flying from bases at Benghazi, Liberators from the US 44th, 93d and 389th BGs of the US Eighth Air Force and from the 98th and 376th of the US Ninth Air Force were combined to create the mission force. Enroute to the target, the formations lost the lead navigator when the bomber he was in suddenly dove into the sea.

Map: Supposed defenses of Ploiești area on August 1, 1943



Photo: B-24 Liberators at low altitude while approaching the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, August 1, 1943. In the foreground is B-24D Li’l Jughaid, serial number 42-63758, Ninth Air Force, 98th Bombardment Group, 415th Bombardment Squadron. Pilot Lyle Spencer, co-pilot Harry J. Baker, bombardier Boyden Supiani. Photograph was taken from the 98th’s lead plane, piloted by Col. John R. Kane. Following in formation behind Li’l Jughaid is Daisy Mae, and Black Magic.




A second B-24 - with the only other trained navigator on board - began circling the area and dropped from the formation, soon returning home and leaving the attack to continue with no trained navigators to guide the bombers. As a result only one bomber flight actually made all the navigation points and bombed the target while the rest of the B-24s made Ploesti in bits and pieces. Decimated by heavy AA fire surrounding the oil fields and on trains, the remaining bomber force was intercepted by fighters from I./JG 4 led by Hptm. Hans Hahn and IV./JG 27 led by Hptm. Alfred Burk, along with Romanian fighters and a few Bf 110s from Hptm. Lutje's IV./NJG 6 and mauled. 48 of the bomber force was shot from the skies and another 58 severely damaged. 10 aircraft were shot down by Romanian Bf 109s or IAR 80 fighters, 7 by Luftwaffe aircraft and the rest by flak.

Photo: Air Raid Ploesti! A B-24 flying over a burning oil refinery at Ploesti, Romania, 1 August 1943



Only 35 of the survivors returned to base without any battle damage. One plane came back with 365 holes in the plane. Another returned with corn stalks in its engine cowling. Four “Congressional Medal of Honors” were won by participants in this heroic, but ultimately fruitless raid. While an estimated 42% of Ploesti's refinery capacity had been destroyed, the attack was not considered decisive. The Germans quickly repaired the damage and brought idle units at the refinery on-line.

Map: Approximate route of flight to Ploiești on August 1, 1943



Photo: Columbia Aquila refinery burning after the raid



Photo: Columbia Aquila refinery after the bombing, with bomb craters, largely intact



Berliners at Sunday breakfast were shocked to hear a radio broadcast by Josef Goebbels calling on all citizens not vital to the war industry to evacuate the city. Up to now propaganda sources insisted that a major raid in Berlin was very unlikely, and this sudden announcement fueled rumors that the capital has been surrendered and this was the beginning of the end. Free travel permits were being issued to women, children, pensioners and the sick, together with ration cards and blankets.

Based upon a recommendation by a commission comprising Generalluftzugmeister Milch, Generaloberst Weise, General der Nachtjagd Kammhuber, General der Jagdflieger Galland and the Gruppenkommandeur of NJG 1, Major Streib, to explore the defensive options of Germany's fighters against the Allied bombings, Goering issued an official order with the words; "The provision of day and night fighter defense will take priority over all other tasks." Two solutions to this problem were proposed. Col. Viktor von Lossberg, a former bomber pilot, proposed tactics that would soon to known as 'Zahme Sau' or Tame Boar. Night-fighters were meant to keep to their assigned control sector, but when it was found that a narrow bomber stream could saturate the relatively thin 'Kammhuber Line' of defensive sectors, a more free-ranging technique was introduced. The night-fighters would be released from the confines of their 'Himmelbett' radar zones and instead mix freely with the bomber streams. Once in the bulk of the enemy bombers they could choose their targets. The long-range Ju 88C-6b and Ju 88R-1 using FuG 227 Flensburg which homed in on Allied bomber 'Monica' tail-warning radars, were particularly suited to this role and began to equip many units. The second solution was to increase the fighters of Obstlt. Herrmann's special unit - soon designated JG 300 - with their mission to patrol directly over threatened cities. Goering phoned Obstlt. Herrmann and said that, "Germany was in his hands..." It was too late and not even the successful systems of the 'Zahme Sau' or 'Wilde Sau' could change the destiny of major German cities.

Allied invasion of Sicily

Operation 'Husky' Day 23: On the ground in Sicily, U.S. ground forces advanced east along the coast, approached Troina further inland, and began a movement to flank defenses. The British, to the south, penetrated into Regalbuto. The fighting was heavy around Troina.

Photo: A Sherman tank of 'A' Squadron, 50th Royal Tank Regiment, silhouetted by the setting sun, 1 August 1943



In the air, 230+ P-40s, the largest Ninth Air Force total to date, attacked Adrano, the area near Randazzo, Messina, Milazzo, Taormina, and shipping in the Straits of Messina. During the night of 31 July/1 August, Northwest African Strategic Air Force Wellingtons bombed Randazzo and Adrano and the next day, B-25 Mitchells hit Milazzo. Northwest African Tactical Air Force light and medium bombers hit Paterno, Randazzo, Adrano, Bronte, Santa Maria di Licondia, and motor transport in the Orlandoarea area. Northwest African Coastal Air Force Beaufighters scored hits on shipping between Sardinia and Italy. During the night of 31 July/1 August, Northwest African Strategic Air Force Wellingtons dropped leaflets on Rome and Naples. During the following day, B-17 Flying Fortresses bombed Capodichino Airfield.

Battle of the Atlantic

Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, is established.

Gunboat Brisk (PG-89) attacks German submarine U-732, driving her away from Guantanamo-bound convoy NG 376.

The German Navy lost two submarines: 'U-383' was sunk west of Brest, France, by depth charges from a Sunderland of RAF No. 228 Squadron based at Pembroke Dock, Wales. 'U-454' was sunk in the Bay of Biscay north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, by depth charges from a Sunderland of the Royal Australian Air Force's No. 10 Squadron based at Mount Batten, Devonshire.

SS 'Bage' was sunk by 'U-185' off the Rio Real Estuary, Sergipe, Brazil. The ship had been sailing with convoy TJ-2 until she was ordered out of the convoy by the Brazilian cruiser 'Rio Grande do Sul' because the ship was making too much smoke.

'U-198' fired its last torpedo at Convoy BC-2 and hit the 'Mangkalihat' . An earlier attack with two bow torpedoes had been unsuccessful. The crew abandoned ship because the engine room, boiler room and #3 hold were flooded. Ten crewmembers and eight passengers were lost. HMS 'Freesia' took the ship in tow the next morning, while a skeleton crew reboarded the vessel. On 3 August, HMS 'Prudent' came to assist and used her pumps to keep the ship afloat. In the early morning of 4 August, the tug took over the tow, but the 'Mangkalihat' foundered during the day.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Minesweeper Skill (AM-115) is damaged by horizontal bomber off Sicily.

Battle of the Baltic Sea

Soviet submarine S-12 of the Baltic Fleet was sunk in the Gulf of Finland by German and Finnish craft off Keri.

United States

In the U.S., ground is broken for the construction of the first uranium enriching plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The facility is built at a cost of US$280 million (US$4,619 billion in year 2022 dollars).

Photo: USS Nautilus (SS-168) off Mare Island, 1 August 1943



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force): In the Aleutian Islands, 7 B-24's bomb the Main Camp area on Kiska Island through the overcast.

BURMA-INDIA

(Tenth Air Force): 8 B-25's hit the E approach of the road bridge at Shweli, Burma, damaging cable anchorages and pylons but leaving the bridge usable.

Tokyo announces that Burma is now and independent nation. Ba Maw signs a secret treaty with Japan and declares war on the US.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): P-40's and US Navy aircraft again hit Munda bombing AA positions, ammunition dumps, and other targets. 21 B-24's, 16 P-38's, and P-40's, and 30+ US Navy airplanes pound Kahili Airfield; other P-40's and 80+ Navy aircraft hit shipping in nearby waters. The 64th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop Carrier Group, arrives at Tontouta, New Caledonia Island from the US with C-47's and begins flying missions on 7 Aug 43.

On Bougainville, 21 Thirteenth Air Force B-24s, 16 P-38 Lightnings, and P-40s, and 30+ USN aircraft attack Kahili Airfield while other P-40s and 80+ USN aircraft hit shipping in nearby waters.
The 371st Bombardment Squadron, 307th BG (Heavy) ceases operating from Funafuti Island in the Ellice Islands with B-24's and returns to it's base on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands for R&R.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): A lone B-24 bombs the airfield at Lae, New Guinea.

PACIFIC

Rendova-based motor torpedo boats patrolling off Vanga Vanga and Gatere, Solomons, encounter Japanese destroyers in Blackett Strait off Kolombongara.

Motor torpedo boat PT-117, damaged by dive bomber, Rendova Harbor, Lumbari Island, Solomons, 08°24'S, 157°19'E, is beached and abandoned; PT-164 is sunk by horizontal bomber, Rendova Harbor, 08°25'S, 157°20'E.

Submarine Finback (SS-230) damages Japanese transport Atlas Maru, 04°10'S, 112°10'E.

Submarine Mingo (SS-261) bombards Sorol Island, Carolines. USAAF planes initiate daily bombings of Kiska, Aleutians.

Submarine Steelhead (SS-280) attacks same Japanese convoy harassed by Pogy (SS-266) the previous day and damages auxiliary vessel Seiko Maru as she tries to reach Truk, 11°20'N, 153°30'E.