World War II in real time

Day 1438 of World War II, August 21st 1943

Eastern Front

Soviet forces captured Zmiev, south of Kharkov. Field Marshal von Manstein warned Adolf Hitler that the Soviet Army's crunching offensives may overwhelm out-numbered German forces in the Ukraine. Wehrmacht intelligence determined 287 Soviet divisions were battering 52 German divisions.

Battle of the Atlantic

'U-134' was attacked by Wildcat and Avenger aircraft from the escort-carrier USS 'Croatan' escorting convoy UGS 14. The boat escaped.

Battle of the Mediterranean

US Ninth Air Force B-24s attacked a railroad station, marshalling yard, and air depot at Cancello Arnone. US Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-26 Marauders and B-17s bombed marshalling yards at Villa Literno and Aversa. The P-38 escort also attacked Aversa. NASAF aircraft claim 20+ enemy fighters shot down. NATAF fighter-bombers hit traffic on the Bovalino-Bagnara road.

The 'Lily' was sunk by 'U-596' with eight shells from her deck gun about 20 miles north-northwest of Beirut. At 12.42 hours, the 'Panikos' was sunk by 'U-596' with 25 rounds from the deck gun. And at 15.00 hours the 'Namaz' was sunk by 'U-596' with 13 rounds from the deck gun.

North Africa

In Algeria, Maj. André Gilbert Kempster (b.1916), Duke of Wellington's Regiment, threw himself on a grenade which had rolled into his trench - he died instantly.

German occupied Denmark

Riots, strikes and sabotage paralyzed Copenhagen and other Danish cities and towns. The Germans rushed 40,000 troops from Norway to quell the disturbances.

Pacific War

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 B-24's, 7 B-25's, and 11 P-40's attack docks and the airfield at Hankow; a large force of fighters,
estimated at 50+, attacks the B-24 formation, shooting down 2 of the B-24's; gunners on the B-24's claim 40+ fighters shot down. In the Hengyang area, 19 P-40's battle 33 airplanes, shooting down 5 Zekes. S of Changsha, 9 P-38's clash with 12 Zekes, shooting down 3.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): B-25's and fighters strafe barges in Doveli Cove and Marquana and Paraso Bays in the Central Solomons.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): B-25's attack But Airfield and Dagua Airfield, with close escort by sixteen P-38s of the 80th FS. There were scattered clouds over the target and an overcast en route over the mountains. The formation was attacked by between 20 and 40 Ki-43 Oscars about 15 miles south of Dagua, eleven of which were claimed to have been shot down. Lost are P-38G piloted by Guttel, P-38 piloted by Feehan and P-38G piloted by Krisher also P-38F 42-12637 ditched, pilot DeGraffenreid survived. Japanese sources indicate 25 fighters intercepted from 13th Sentai (mostly flying Type 1 fighters at this time), 59th Sentai and 68th Sentai, and seven were lost (another source lists 6 pilots killed: 2 from 68th Sentai and three from 13th Sentai and one from 59th Sentai). Japanese claims 11 plus 4 uncertain.

L2D Tabby is shot down over Bono Bay by 380th BG B-24 "Juarez Whistle".

B-17's bomb the Bogadjim area; and single B-24's hit the Salamaua area and targets of opportunity at Lahang. B-24's carry out a damaging strike against Pombelaa in the Celebes.

In Northeast New Guinea, Komiatum, 3.6 miles ESE of Salamaua, is captured by Australian troops. Meanwhile, B-25 Mitchells of the USAAF's 5th Air Force bomb But Airfield (But West) and Dagua Airfield (But East).

ALASKA

(Eleventh Air Force): During the Aleutian Campaign, 3 Jun 42 to 21 Aug 43, the Eleventh Air Force destroyed 69 aircraft, sank 21 and damaged 29 ships, and lost 29 of its own aircraft.

PACIFIC

Motor torpedo boats PT-181 and PT-183, operating from Rendova, are damaged by strafing of Japanese floatplane, northwest of Turovilu Island.

AUSTRALIA

Election returns in Australia show that Premier Curtin's Labor Party on top.

Day 1440 of World War II, August 23rd 1943

Eastern Front

Red Army forces entered Kharkov, the fourth, and last time the city would change hands in this war. The Germans attempted to launch a spoiling attack, but this was met by the newly reconstituted 5th Guards Tank Army and beaten back. Troops of General Konev's Steppe front took the city after Field Marshal von Manstein pulled his XI Corps out in defiance of Hitler's orders that Kharkov had to be held at all costs. Von Manstein had no alternative. His soldiers were about to be cut off by immensely superior Russian forces sweeping round the city, and he knew that the men of XI Corps were of more value to him than the shattered ruins of Kharkov. In the south, General Tolbhukin had broken the German line at the river Mius and was driving for the Donets bason with the aim of recovering the area's mineral riches and cutting off the German forces still in the Crimea and the Kuban bridgehead. The Germans admitted that a "Soviet spring flood" was pouring through a gap smashed in their lines at Mius. The fall of the city effectively ended the Battle of Kursk. A massive 224-gun salute by the Red Army thundered out in Moscow in celebration of the recapture of the principal city of the Ukraine.

Air War over Europe

The Battle of Berlin: RAF bombers once again took to the night skies over Berlin. This was the opening of a new Bomber Command terror campaign which would come to be known as “The Battle of Berlin”. 335 Lancasters, 251 Halifaxes, 124 Stirlings and 17 Mosquitoes attacked Berlin, 56 aircraft were lost. The Mosquitoes were used to mark various points on the route to Berlin in order to help keep the Main Force on the correct track. A Master Bomber was used. He was Wing Commander K.H. Burns of RAF No.97 Squadron. Wing Commander Burns was blown out of his Lancaster when it was shot down near Berlin a week later and lost a hand. Bomber Command suffered its greatest loss of aircraft in one night so far in the war. The raid was only partially successful and was badly scattered but still managed to kill over 900 people. The Pathfinders were not able to identify the centre of Berlin by H2S and marked an area in the southern outskirts of the city. The Main Force arrived late and many aircraft cut a corner and approached from the south west instead of using the planned south south east approach. This resulted in more bombs falling in open country than would otherwise have been the case. The German defences, both flak and night fighters were extremely fierce. Much of the attack fell outside Berlin. 25 villages reported bombs with 6 people killed there and in the sparsely populated southern suburbs of the city. Despite this, Berlin reported the most serious raid of the war so far with a wide range of industrial, housing and public properties being hit. 2,611 individual buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged. The worst damage was in the residential areas of Lankwitz and Lichterfelde and the worst industrial damage was in Mariendorf and Marienfelde. These districts are all well south of the city centre. More industrial damage was caused in the Tempelhorf area, nearer the centre, and some of those bombs which actually hit the centre of the city fell by chance in the 'government quarter', where the Wilhelmstrasse was recorded as having not a building undamaged. 20 ships on the city's canals were sunk. Casualties in Berlin were heavy considering the relatively inaccurate bombing. 854 people were killed. 684 civilians, 60 service personnel, 6 air raid workers, 102 foreign workers (89 of them women) and 2 prisoners of war. 83 more civilians were classified as missing. The city officials who compiled the reports found out that this high death rate was caused by an unusually high proportion of the dead not having taken shelter, as ordered, in their allocated air raid shelters. With the first of the Berlin raids, the 'Wilde Sau' concept was fully realized. Every available night-fighter including all servicable 'Wilde Sau' fighter became airbourne to intercept the Berlin raiders. On the ground, searchlights brilliantly lit up the sky and gun batteries had been issued incandescent rockets to launch, providing even more illumination. With the raiders illuminated by all this, the night-fighters destroyed 56 of the attacking bombers.

40 Wellingtons went minelaying in the Frisians and off Lorient and St Nazaire without loss.

Battle of the Atlantic

The 40th Escort Group, consisting of sloops HMS 'Landguard', 'Bideford', 'Hastings' and frigates HMS 'Exe', 'Moyola' and 'Waveney' were deployed on a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. Light cruiser HMS 'Bermuda' covered the whole operation. On the 25th, the Canadian 5th Support Group, consisting of frigates HMS 'Nene', 'Tweed' and corvettes HMCS 'Calgary', 'Edmundston' and 'Snowberry' were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked by 14 Dornier Do-217's and 7 Ju-88's with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. HMS 'Landguard' and 'Bideford' were the first of the Allied and RN ships to be attacked and damaged by them. Several sailors were injured on 'Bideford' and one sailor was killed.

Battle of the Baltic Sea

The Soviet motor torpedo boat TK 94 sank the Finnish minelayer 'Riilahti' in the Baltic Sea. 24 men, including commander, Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lt.-Cdr Osmo Kivilinna were lost.

Battle of the Mediterranean

US Ninth Air Force B-24 Liberators hit a marshalling yard at Bari and Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-26 Marauders bombed the Battipaglia marshalling yard.

Canada

Quebec, Canada: The "Quadrant" conference between Mr. Churchill, President Roosevelt and the Canadian prime minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, and their staffs ended with a decision to press for a "second front" against Germany in France. This invasion, to be codenamed "Overlord", would be the top priority. The communiqué issued today said that "the whole field of world operations" had been surveyed, and the "necessary decisions have been taken to provide for the forward action" of Allied forces. Mr. Churchill had favoured a number of operations, against Norway and in southern Europe by continuing the offensive in Italy; the Americans wanted a frontal assault in France. A study was to be made of a landing in southern France. There were also strategic differences over the conduct of the war in South-east Asia, where the US generals want to invade Burma, while Mr. Churchill wants to attack Sumatra. Again the Americans won the argument, although the new South-east Asia Command (SEAC) to direct operations in Burma would likely be headed by a Briton. Preparations for a new offensive in Burma would now proceed, along with a second campaign behind Japanese lines by Brigadier Wingate's Chindits. Britain also approved US plans for the next stages of the Pacific War.

United States

Photo: The U.S. Navy troop transport USS Wharton (AP-7) underway in San Francisco Bay, California (USA), 23 August 1943



Pacific War

ALASKA

Photo: USS LST-478 and USS LST-20 unloading on the beach at Kiska Island, Alaska, 23 August 1943. Just visible In the distance is the Japanese cargo ship Nozina Maru, beached by the Japanese after bombing by American forces



Photo: USS LST-481 unloading on the beach at Kiska, Alaska, 23 August 1943



SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): B-24's and P-39's strafe targets of opportunity on Wagina Island in the Solomon Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): B-24's bomb the town and airfield of Kendari on Celebes Island. B-25's hit targets in the Aroe Islands. In New Guinea, B-26's pound Kela; and B-25's hit Marawasa, Finschhafen, and Lillum Saun. Lost is P-38G piloted by Mathers.

BURMA-INDIA

(Tenth Air Force): B-25's fly low-level strike against Myitnge, Burma bridge, knocking out a center span and badly damaging 2 others.

NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGN

Tonight 4 US destroyers will bombard Finschhafen, New Guinea. They are supporting air ops against Wewak.

Amplifying the above: The main 5 AF raids against Wewak were delivered on 17 and 18 August, so this shoot would have been too late to provide an effective diversion. Perhaps this bombardment was part of the deception plan designed to draw attention from the landing of 9th Division AIF at Lae on 4 Sep 43?

CHINA

In China, the Japanese bomb Chungking for the first time since 1941.

JAPAN

The Japanese General Staff decides to abandon the central Solomons and concentrate its forces in the northern islands of the archipelago, notably Bougainville.

JAPANESE OCCUPIED PHILIPPINES

Submarine Grayling (SS-209) delivers supplies to Filipino guerrilla forces on Panay.

PACIFIC

USN submarine USS Paddle sinks Italian merchant passenger/cargo ship SS Ada off Hamamatsu, Japan, in position 34.37N, 137.53E.

Coastal minesweeper Crow (AMc-20) is sunk by erratic running friendly aircraft torpedo, Puget Sound, Washington.

Japanese transport Heito Maru is sunk by Allied aircraft east of Car Nicobar.

Day 1442 of World War II, August 25th 1943

Eastern Front

Red Army forces pursued the retreating Germans occupying Zenkov and Akhtyrka, west and north of Kharkov.

Air War over Europe

The US Eighth Air Force was assigned to the role of bombing important Luftwaffe targets in Operation STARKEY, designed to contain enemy forces in the west to prevent their transfer to the Eastern Front, and to serve as a dress rehearsal in the Pas de Calais, France area for the invasion of western Europe. The Allies hoped to provoke the Luftwaffe into a prolonged air battle.

The US VIII Air Support Command flew Missions 34A and 34B against two targets in France. 21 B-26B Marauders bombed the power station at Rouen and 31 B-26s attacked Tricqueville Airfield. They claimed 1-8-5 Luftwaffe aircraft.

In a military first, the Germans test a new guided bomb, the Hs293, in the Bay of Biscay. The Canadian 5th Support Group, consisting of frigates HMS 'Nene', 'Tweed' and corvettes HMCS 'Calgary', 'Edmundston' and 'Snowberry' were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hours by 14 Dornier Do-217s of Hptm. Molinus' II./KG 100 and 7 Ju-88s with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner, the device, launched from a bomber, was guided by radio signal from an airborne observer to the target. HMS 'Landguard' and 'Bideford' were the first of the Allied and RN ships to be attacked and damaged by them. Several sailors were injured on 'Bideford' and one sailor was killed. The initial test failed to hit the ship, but the system did show great promise.

32 aircraft went minelaying off Brest and the Biscay ports without loss.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine 'U-523' was sunk west of Vigo, by depth charges from the RN destroyer HMS 'Wanderer' and the corvette HMS 'Wallflower'. 37 of the 54-man crew of the U-boat survived. 'U-340' rescued 5 Luftwaffe airmen off Spain. Shortly afterwards the boat was attacked by an aircraft and a few men were wounded, the boat being damaged.

German warships attack and sink two Swedish trawlers in Danish waters.

Battle of the Mediterranean

US Ninth Air Force B-24s bombed the marshalling yard at Foggia while about 135 Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and 140 P-38 Lightnings attacked satellite airfields at Foggia. The P-38s of the US 1st FG swept in on a low level attack and destroyed 43 Ju 88s, 1 Ju 52 and 1 Bf 109 along with dozens of others damaged for the loss of two Lightnings to flak. Unwilling to expose their aircraft and pilots to the free ranging Lightnings, the Luftwaffe found itself on the ground at Foggia when another 136 B-17s with P-38 escort blasted the complex into ruin. As many as 47 aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Major Johannes Steinhoff of Stab./JG 77, intercepting the Allied force, accounted for 4 P-38s destroyed while 3 B-17s fell to pilots from JG 53 and JG 3.

Arctic naval operations

The Soviet 'Shkval' (Senior-Lt V.S. Timofeev) struck two mines laid on 12 August by 'U-625' in the east part of the Yugorskij Shar Strait in the Kara Sea and sank immediately. The ship provided a transfer of river ships from Pechora to Ob´ river.

Germany

The Arado 234 V3 jet bomber made its first flight. This aircraft had a pressurized cabin, an ejector seat and RATOG (Rocket Assisted Take-Off Gear).

Pacific War

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force): 8 B-25's, with fighter escort, bomb Kowloon Docks at Hong Kong.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): 13 B-25's, along with 40+ US Navy dive bombers and an escort of fighter aircraft, pound barge centers at Webster and Ringa Coves on New Georgia Island. 6 B-24's, along with 24 fighters, hit Kahili Airfield. Other P-40's strafe large motor vessels and a barge in the NW part of the Slot. The 371st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands begins operating from Guadalcanal Island with B-24's; they will fly their first mission tomorrow.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, almost 100 B-24's, B-25's, and B-17's carry out an hour-long strike against the Hansa Bay area, Nubia, and Awar, and nearby shipping; and small flights of B-24's attack Finschhafen and hit a transport off New Hanover Island in the Bismarck Archipelago. A-20's hit Gasmata; and B-25's bomb targets on Timor Island. HQ 433d Troop Carrier Group arrives at Port Moresby, New Guinea from the US. They will remain at this station until Oct 44.

PACIFIC

Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitscher is relieved as Commander Aircraft, Solomons, by Major General Nathan F. Twining, USA.

Admiral Louis F Mountbatten is appointed Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia.

TG 34.4, covered by four destroyers, sows mines off Wilson Cove, western Kolombongara; light minelayers Montgomery (DM-17) and Preble (DM-20) are damaged in collision as they retire from the area, 09°01'S, 159°50'E.

Destroyer Patterson (DD-392) sinks Japanese submarine RO 35, 170 miles southeast of San Cristobal Island, Solomons, 12°57'S, 164°23'E.

USAAF B-24 damages Japanese vessel Mito Maru 60 miles west-northwest of Mussau Island.

Day 1444 of World War II, August 27th 1943

YouTube (Kharkov Changes Hands for the Fourth Time)



Eastern Front

The Soviet offensive contiued as the Central Front took Sevsk and Vatutin’s forces took Kotleva. Field Marshal von Manstein told Adolf Hitler that his Army Group South can't hold off the Soviet offensives in southern Russia and Ukraine. He urged falling back to the Dnieper, the largest river in the western Soviet Union. Hitler insisted the Donets area must be held.

Air War over Europe

349 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes and 104 Stirlings attacked Nuremberg, 33 aircraft lost. The marking for this raid was based mainly on H2S. 47 of the Pathfinder H2S aircraft were ordered to check their equipment by dropping a 1,000 lb bomb on Heilbronn while flying to Nuremberg. 28 Pathfinder aircraft were able to carry out this order. Heilbronn reported that several bombs did drop in the north of the town soon after midnight. The local officials assumed that the bombs were aimed at the industrial zone. Several bombs did fall around the factory area and other bombs fell further away. No industrial buildings were hit. One house was destroyed but there were no casualties. Nuremberg was found to be free of cloud but it was very dark. The initial Pathfinder markers were accurate but a creepback quickly developed which could not be stopped because so many Pathfinder aircraft had difficulties with their H2S sets. The Master Bomber, whose name is not recorded, could do little to persuade the Main Force to move their bombing forward. Only a quarter of the crews could hear his broadcasts. Bomber Command estimated that most of the bombing fell in open country south-south-west of the city but the local reports said that bombs were scattered across the south-eastern and eastern suburbs. The only location mentioned by name was the Zoo which was hit by several bombs. 65 people were killed.

An RAF Coastal Command Liberator Mk. V, RAF s/n BZ802, aircraft "V" of No. 86 Squadron based at Aldergrove, County Antrim, Ireland, crashed at Kilmacown, County Cork in poor weather. Seven crewmen were killed.

The last Westland Wallace (K 4344) biplane target-tug was 'struck off charge' by the RAF.

The 77th and 79th Fighter Squadrons, 20th Fighter Group, arrive at Kings Cliffe, England from the US with P-38's. The squadrons will fly their first mission on 28 Dec 43.

US VIII Bomber Command Mission 87: 224 B-17s were dispatched to the German rocket-launching site construction at Watten, France and lost 4 B-17s. The bombers thoroughly destroyed the site. The mission escort consisted of 173 P-47s and they claimed 8-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft. 1 P-47 was lost and the pilot was listed as MIA. This was the first of the Eighth Air Force's missions against V-weapon sites (later designated NOBALL targets).

US VIII Air Support Command Missions 36A - 36B: Two missions were scheduled to targets in France. 36 B-26s were dispatched to the Poix Nord Airfield and 21 B-26s were dispatched to the Rouen Power Station but the mission was aborted because of bad weather and extremely heavy enemy fighter opposition.

47 aircraft went minelaying in the Frisians and off La Pallice, Lorient and St Nazaire, 1 aircraft was lost.

Ex French president Lebrun was arrested by the Gestapo. Lebrun deferred to the National Assembly's 10 July 1940 vote approving Marshal Henri Petain as head of state and then he retired to Vizille in the Italian zone of occupation. He was arrested after the Germans moved in and deported to Austria from 1943 to 1945. He survived the war and met with de Gaulle shortly after the war ended to acknowledge the General's leadership.

A second operation using the new Luftwaffe guided missle weapon brought a better result that the first operation on 25 August. Sloop HMS 'Egret', HMCS 'Athabaskan', a Tribal-class destroyer, Capt. G.R. Miles, OBE, RCN, in company with three other British warships, was attacked in the Bay of Biscay by 16 German Dornier Do-217 bombers from II./KG 100, each carrying one HS-293 radio-controlled bomb. HMS 'Egret', the name ship of her class of sloops, was hit. When the smoke of the initial explosion cleared, all that could be seen of 'Egret' was her upside down bow section. 'Egret' was thus the first ship to be sunk by a guided missile. Three missiles were launched at 'Athabaskan'. Two were near misses - one missed astern and the other skimmed over the bridge and landed to starboard. The third hit the port side abaft ‘B-turret’, flew straight through the wheelhouse and the CPO’s Mess, exited the starboard side and exploded after hitting the water. There was extensive damage from the missile, exploding cordite in the gun house, and shrapnel. Amazingly, only four men were killed and another 36 were wounded. 'Athabaskan' was dead in the water for about two hours. She was transferred the survivors from 'Egret' and detached for Plymouth, which she reached under her own power on 30 August after a very difficult voyage. Two German Do-217s were shot down and another was damaged in this engagement. 'Athabaskan' was under repair until 01 Jan 44. HM ships 'Grenville', the flotilla leader for the U-class fleet destroyers, 'Rother' and 'Jed', both River-class frigates, were undamaged in the engagement.

Battle of the Atlantic

USN Composite Squadron One (VC-1) in the escort aircraft carrier USS 'Card' (CVE-11) has a busy day with German submarines. TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats attacked 'U-508' but the sub escaped. Later, they sank 'U-847' in the Sargasso Sea, by air-launched (Fido) torpedoes. All hands, 62 men, on the U-boat were lost.

'U-354' fired a single torpedo at a Soviet convoy consisting of four merchants and two patrol boats and heard a detonation after 1 minute 55 seconds and two further detonations five minutes after firing a spread of three torpedoes at 20.22 hours. The U-boat saw after the attack only two merchants and one escort and claimed the sinking of two ships. In fact, the 'Petrovskij' was only damaged.

Battle of the Atlantic

USN Composite Squadron One (VC-1) in the escort aircraft carrier USS 'Card' (CVE-11) has a busy day with German submarines. TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats attacked 'U-508' but the sub escaped. Later, they sank 'U-847' in the Sargasso Sea, by air-launched (Fido) torpedoes. All hands, 62 men, on the U-boat were lost.

Arctic naval operations

'U-354' fired a single torpedo at a Soviet convoy consisting of four merchants and two patrol boats and heard a detonation after 1 minute 55 seconds and two further detonations five minutes after firing a spread of three torpedoes at 20.22 hours. The U-boat saw after the attack only two merchants and one escort and claimed the sinking of two ships. In fact, the 'Petrovskij' was only damaged.

Battle of the Mediterranean

In Italy, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-17s bombed the Sulmona marshalling yard, and medium bombers hit the Benevento and Caserta marshalling yards. Nearly 150 P-38s escorted the bombers. Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) medium and light bombers, and fighters attacked targets in S Italy, including Cantanzaro rail and road junction, guns near Reggio di Calabria, Sibari rail junctions, Cetraro marshalling yard, barracks at Tarsia, train and repair shops at Paola, and a barge at Diamante.

Fighting broke out between the Germans and elements of the Italian 15th Corps in Ljubljana, Slovenia after the Italians refused to withdraw from the city.

A British reconnaissance group found the toe of the Italian boot had been deserted by German and Italian forces and was open for invasion.

The Badoglio government secretly moved former dictator Benito Mussolini to a mountaintop resort in the Apennine mountains 70 miles (112.7 kilometres) east of Rome. For the past month, Mussolini's guards moved him from place to place to foil German rescue schemes.

Battle of the Indian Ocean

Last 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 44 days at sea. Only one survivor perishes from exposure.

United States

Photo: The U.S. Navy light aircraft carrier USS Cabot (CVL-28) off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania (USA), on 27 August 1943



Photo: The French battleship Richelieu underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 27 August 1943, after her refit at the New York Naval Shipyard (USA)



Pacific War

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 P-40's strafe a large truck convoy between Sintsiang and Yoyang, destroying 5 trucks and damaging 15 others; 1 P-40 is downed by ground fire; 6 other P-40's hit communication lines between Yoyang and Hankow; targets include 2 small steamboats, a gunboat, several railroad cars, and a water tower.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): 10 B-24's Snoopers equipped with radar devices that permit blind bombing, begin operations from Carney Field, Guadalcanal Island. 12 B-25's, 8 P-40's, and 8 US Navy F4U's strafe barges and shoreline targets at Kakasa on Choiseul Island; and P-39's strafe barges and shore targets at Ringa Cove on New Georgia Island.

Ten USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Snoopers, i.e., B-24s Liberators equipped with radar devices that permit blind bombing, begin operations from Carney Field, Guadalcanal. Twelve B-25s, 8 P-40s, and 8 USMC F4U Corsairs strafe barges and shoreline targets at Kakasa on Choiseul Island; and P-39 Airacobras strafe barges and shore targets at Ringa Cove on New Georgia Island.

The USN's Fighting Squadron VF-33, equipped with F6F-3 Hellcats, lands on Guadalcanal for shore-based duty. These are the first F6Fs deployed to the war zone.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): B-26's attack bridges in the Bogadjim area; and A-20's strafe barges and troops along the Babui River in the Lae area. On Timor Island, B-25's bomb Dili and Cape Chater airstrip. The 67th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group, arrives at Port Moresby, New Guinea from the US with C-47's.

NEW GEORGIA CAMPAIGN

The U.S. 172d Infantry Regiment of the 43d Infantry Division lands on Arundel Island off the northwest tip of New Georgia Island. The regiment meets determined opposition by the Japanese.

Map: Actions in western New Georgia



PACIFIC

Army troops (RCT 172 of 43d Infantry Division) are landed on Arundel Island, Solomons.

Submarine Drum (SS-228) damages Japanese transport Yamagiri Maru, 01°31'S, 148°41'E.

Submarine Grayling (SS-209) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Meizan Maru, 13°35'N, 120°45'E.

Submarine Pollock (SS-180) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taifuku Maru, 32°28'N, 132°23'E, although minesweeper W.17 arrives on the scene in time to open fire on Pollock, the submarine escapes.

Submarine Snapper (SS-185) inflicts further damage on the previously damaged Japanese transport Tokai Maru (see 26 January and 5 May 1943), Apra Harbor, Guam, 13°31'N, 144°37'E.

USAAF B-17s and B-24s, escorted by P-38s, bomb Japanese installations in the Hansa Bay area, damaging small cargo vessel No.8 Manryu Maru.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping off western tip of New Hanover, damaging army cargo ship No.18 Shinsei Maru.

USAAF B-25s bomb Japanese shipping and installations at Choiseul, damaging fishing vessel Kokusei Maru.

Day 1446 of World War II, August 29th 1943

Air War over Europe

4 Oboe Mosquitoes went to Cologne and 4 to Duisburg, 1 aircraft lost.

Battle of the Atlantic

German auxiliary cruiser Michel (Schiffe 28) eludes light cruiser Trenton (CL-11) off the coast of Chile.

German occupied Denmark

The Danish government of Prime Minister Erik Scavenius, resigned and the Danish Army was disbanded after the Danes refused to yield to a German demand that saboteurs be executed. General von Hanneken declared marshal law and moved in 50,000 troops as sporadic fighting was reported. Most of the Danish fleet was scuttled, preventing its capture by the Germans. 1 coast defence ship, 9 submarines, a tender, 3 minesweepers and 4 minelayers, were scuttled at Copenhagen and a coast defence ship was scuttled at Isefjord. A patrol boat, 3 motor minesweepers and 9 small auxiliary vessels sortied to Sweden; the German captured 3 minesweepers and 2 patrol boats.

Photo: Danish officers are detained on 29 August 194



Photo: Germans on patrol at Højbro Plads following the declaration of martial law, 29 August 1943



Photo: Danish Ships sunk, 28 August 1943



Photo: Niels Juel attacked by German aircraft on 29 August 1943



Pacific War

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force): 9 B-25's, with fighter escort, bomb the airfield at Chingmen, China.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 35 B-24's, escorted by 44 P-38's, strike airfields at Wewak and Boram; and 48 B-25's and 2 B-17's bomb and strafe Alexishafen and Bogadjim areas. A-20's hit dumps at Gasmata. B-24's bomb Babo, New Guinea and Adodo in the Moluccas Islands.

Day 1448 of World War II, August 31st 1943

Eastern Front

The Red Army advanced south from Sevsk and captured Glukhov and Rylask.

Air War over Europe

Battle of Berlin cont.: RAF Bomber Command dispatched 613 aircraft: 331 Lancasters, 176 Halifaxes, 106 Stirlings with nine Oboe Mosquitoes as route markers. 47 aircraft lost, among them was Lancaster JB132 which collided with Lancaster R5698 of 1654 HCU after the raid and crashed at Beasley Moreton, Nottinghamshire. The crew were S/Ldr D.C. Wellburn, F/Lt R.E. Davies, F/O R.L. Clarke, F/O T.F. Joyce, Sgt J. Blackett, Sgt J.R. Forrest, Sgt A. Paterson and Sgt J.K. Watson, from 61 Sqdn. The Stirling casualties were 16%. This raid was not successful. Many of the crews were tired, having had only a few hours sleep since the raid of the previous night. The force was easily tracked on its approach and at least 18 bombers were shot down by fighters. Twenty-two aircraft, mostly Stirlings and Halifaxes were shot down in the target area and during the initial 70 miles of the journey back to England. Approximately two thirds of the bombers lost were shot down by German fighters operating over or near Berlin. The use of 'fighter flares' dropped by German aircraft to 'mark' the bomber routes into and away from the target was noted for the first time in Bomber Command records. There was some cloud in the target area. This, together with difficulties with H2S equipment and probably the ferocity of the German defences, all combined to cause the Pathfinder markers to be dropped well south of the centre of the target area and the Main Force bombing to be even further away.The main bombing area eventually extended 30 miles back along the bombers' approach route. 85 dwelling houses were destroyed in Berlin but the only industrial buildings hit were classed as damaged, 4 severely and 3 lightly. The only important public buildings hit were the headquarters of the Berlin inland canal and harbour system, the state police hospital and some market halls. 66 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed, 109 people were injured nd 2,784 bombed out. After this raid Gauleiter Goebbels ordered the evacuation from Berlin of all children and all adults not engaged in war work to country areas or to towns in Eastern Germany where air raids were not expected. A total of 377 bombing photographs were examined. Only ten of the photos showed aircraft bombing in the center of Berlin. Most bombs fell in a long spread 30 miles south of Berlin, scattered in a wide area of the south. Sixty-eight people were killed in Berlin and 19 in the countryside.

US Ninth Air Force B-24s bombed the marshalling yard at Pescara and claimed 9 enemy fighters destroyed. About 150 Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-17s blasted the Pisa marshalling yard, doing a large amount of damage. Northwest African Tactical Air Force medium and light bombers bombed the Cosenza marshalling yard and road-railway junction in Cantanzaro during the morning, and in the afternoon bombed the area around Cosenza when clouds prevented hitting specific targets; and fighter-bombers hit Sapri railroad and seaplane base; and during the night light bombers hit the bivouac areas southeast of Reggio di Calabria.

During this month RAF Bomber Command losses, killed or POW, were 2,030.

The US Eighth Air Force's VIII Air Support Command and VIII Bomber Command both fly missions against targets in France. The US VIII Air Support Command flew Missions 41 and 42: 104 B-26B Marauders bombed the Rouen and Mazingarbe power stations, Poix/Nord and Lille/Nord Airfields and the Hesdin fuel dump. 1 B-26 was lost.

The US VIII Bomber Command flew Mission 88 against two aviation locations. 105 B-17 Flying Fortresses attacked Glisy Airfield at Amiens and claimed 5-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft. 3 B-17s were lost. 149 B-17s were dispatched to the aircraft plant at Meulan. The plant was cloud covered and 1 B-17 hit a railway northeast of Rouen. These missions were escorted by 160 P-47 Thunderbolts which claimed 2-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft. 2 P-47s were lost.

30 Wellingtons with 6 Mosquitoes and 5 Halifaxes of the Pathfinders bombed an ammunition dump in the Foret de Hesdin and 6 Mosquitoes were sent to Brauweiler without loss.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Negotiations for Italy's surrender resumed near Syracuse, with General Giuseppe Castellano of the Italian General Staff pleading with the Allies to occupy Rome and protect King Victor Emmanuel and the Badoglio government. U. S. General Walter Bedell Smith insisted on unconditional surrender, with the armistice to be announced as a large Allied army lands in Italy. Smith refused to tell Castellano where the Allies would come ashore or how large the army would be. Disappointed by the unconditional surrender demand and fearful of the large numbers flooding into Italy, Castellano returned to Rome to confer with Italy's new head of state, Marshal Pietro Badoglio.

Battle of the Baltic Sea

Soviet motor torpedo boat TK 94 sank the Finnish minelayer 'Riilahti'. 24 men, including the commander, Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lt.-Cdr Osmo Kivilinna were lost.

German occupied France

The Japanese submarine I-8 reached Brest from Singapore.

North Africa

Photo: DUKWs carrying 6-pdr anti-tank guns during training in North Africa, 31 August 1943



Photo: A 6-pdr anti-tank gun is loaded onto a DUKW during training in North Africa, 31 August 1943



Pacific War

CHINA

(Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 7 B-24's bomb Gia Lam Airfield; and 22 P-40's and 2 P-38's bomb a dike near Co Bi barracks. 6 B-25's hit Ichang Airfield, China while 3 others attack an oil storage area to the E; P-40's also hit the oil stores. 3 P-40's claim heavy damage to a freighter off Stonecutter's Island near Hong Kong. In China, 4 P-38's dive-bomb Yoyang railroad yards and Sinti warehouses; a P-38 is shot down by ground fire.

JAPANESE OCCUPIED FRENCH INDOCHINA:

Seven USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Gia Lam Airfield and 22 P-40s and two P-38 Lightnings bomb a dike near Co Bi barracks.

JAPANESE OCCUPIED EAST INDIES

In the air in the Netherlands East Indies, (1) USN PBY Catalinas sink small Japanese cargo vessels off Ceram; (2) RAAF Mitchells sink a small Japanese cargo vessel off north coast of Alor Island; and (3) U.S. aircraft sink a guardboat off Halmahera Island.

NORTH PACIFIC

The USN's Task Force 15, consisting of the aircraft carriers USS Essex with Carrier Air Group Nine (CVG-9), USS Independence with Light Carrier Air Group Twenty Two, and USS Yorktown with CVG-5 with a battleship, 2 light cruisers and 11 destroyers, attack Marcus Island located about 725 miles NW of Wake Island. A total of 275 sorties are flown against the Japanese and several IJN "Bettys" are destroyed and ground facilities are heavily damaged.

This strike marks the combat debut of the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The fighting squadrons on all three aircraft carriers are equipped with F6F-3s, (VF-5) in USS Yorktown, VF-9 in USS Essex and detachments of VF-6 and VF-22 in USS Independence. The Hellcats destroy four aircraft on the ground and later in the day, an F6F pilot shoots down a Japanese aircraft.

Photo: Marcus Island (Minami Torishima) under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft of Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5) from the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10), on 31 August 1943



Photo: Marcus Island (Minami Torishima) under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft of Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5) from the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10), on 31 August 1943



Photo: Aerial view attack on Minamitori Island (formerly Marcus island) on 31 August 1943. The photo was taken from a plane from the USS Yorktown



SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force): P-40's, in a running battle over Vella Lavella, claim 5 Japanese airplanes shot down; other P-40's strafe barges in Timbala Bay on Vella Lavella Island. 22 B-25's and 50 US Navy airplanes bomb gun positions and the radio station at Vila.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO

(Fifth Air Force): Bombers fly scattered strikes against shipping and shore targets in the Saint George Channel and in the Netherlands East Indies. Lost is B-24D "Little Beaver" 42-40984.

PACIFIC

Tank landing craft LCT-154 is lost during amphibious operations, 37°8'N, 10°58'E.

Submarine Seawolf (SS-197) damages Japanese torpedo boat Sagi and sinks army cargo ship Shoto Maru and merchant cargo ship Kokko Maru, 28°30'N, 123°05'E.

U.S. tanker W.S. Rheem is torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-20 near Espiritu Santo, 15°51'S, 167°02'E, but reaches port under her own power; there are no casualties to either the 49-man merchant complement or the 25-man Armed Guard.