World War II in real time

Day 1232 of World War II, January 23rd 1943

Eastern Front

The last resistance in Stalingrad was crumbling. The 6. Armee had been split into 2 pockets north and south of the city. The Germans inside the pocket outside retreated from the suburbs of Stalingrad into the city itself. The loss of the 2 airfields at Pitomnik and Gumrak meant an end to air supplies and to the evacuation of the wounded. The last German airfield in the Stalingrad pocket, at Gumrak, fell 2 days ago to Soviet tanks. The last German airplane, an He 111 carrying 19 wounded soldiers and 7 bags of mail - the last letters from doomed men to their families - flew out of the pocket as the last German airfield fell. Now the only way in which the defenders could be supplied was by parachute. The Germans were now literally starving and running out of ammunition. With defeat inevitable, some Germans were surrendering or saving their last bullets for themselves. General von Hartmann, commander of the 71st Infantry Division, stood upright on a railway embankment and fired his carbine at the advancing Russians until he was mowed down by a machine-gun. Nevertheless, they continued to resist stubbornly, partly because they believed the Soviets would execute those who surrendered. In particular, the "HiWi" troops - ex-Soviets fighting for the Germans - had no illusions about their fate if captured. The Soviets in turn, were initially surprised by the large number of German forces they had trapped and had to reinforce their encircling forces. Bloody urban warfare began again in Stalingrad, but this time it was the Germans who were pushed back to the banks of the Volga. With all hope of relief or rescue now gone, von Paulus radioed Hitler yet again, asking for permission to surrender and save what he could of his army.

"The troops are out of ammunition and food, effective command is no longer possible. There are 18,000 wounded without any supplies, dressings or drugs . . . Further desfense senseless. Collapse inevitable. Army requests permission to surrender in order to save the lives of remaining troops."

Hitler gave the same response that he did to all similar requests for a humane ending to the now futile struggle;

"Surrender is forbidden. 6.Armeee will hold their positions to the last man and last round and by their heroic resistance make an unforgettable contribution towards the establishment of a defensive front and the salvation of the Western world."

For once there was a measure of truth in one of Hitler's statements. Each day that 6.Armee held out, tied up Soviet forces which might be diverted from their push towards Rostov.

Soviet forces recaptured Armavir, securing a line of communications with the Maikop oil fields in the Caucasus.

Air War over Europe

By the beginning of 1943, due to the strength of the British defenses, it became almost impossible for the Luftwaffe to fly daylight recon missions over much of Southern England and a switch was made to night sorties. When engaged in this work, the aircraft carried photographic flash bulbs and the base plates of 2 such spent devices were recovered for the first time at Long Ashton this night when a single aircraft operated over the Exeter, South Wales and Bristol areas. There were bombing incidents reported in Durham and Yorkshire.

The Luftwaffe determined that its head-on tactic against the Allied bombers might be more effective if fighters approached the bomber formations at a slightly higher elevation than used previously. An angle of attack at 10 degrees above the horizon - also known as 12 o'clock high - as opposed to level flight was decided upon. The new tactic was tried for the first time this day. The US 1st BW dispatched 73 B-17s against the port area of Lorient and were met by the fighters of JG 2 and JG 26 using the new tactic. 5 B-17s were shot down out of a formation of 35 and 2 more crashed on returning to England. The fighters of 9./JG 26 were credited with 2 of the destroyed Fortresses while fighters from 7./JG 2 were credited with 4 bombers destroyed including 2 Fortresses for Oblt. Erich Hohagen. 19 B-17s hit the secondary target, the U-Boat base at Brest and dropped 45.25 tons of bombs on the target. No B-17s were lost from this raid. The US 2nd BW dispatched 17 B-24s on a diversionary raid.

Around noon Uffz. Peter Crump of 5./JG 26 shot down 2 Allied P-51 Mustangs on a freie jagd near Boulogne. After landing, Uffz. Crump had to wait for his wingman to return to base before being credited with the kills. When his wingman, Uffz, Hans Meyer, brought his shot-up fighter back to base, he was covered in blood and feathers. He explained that as he watched Uffz. Crump attack the Mustangs, his plane was hit in the canopy by a bird that knocked the armoured glass loose and allowed the body of the animal to fly into the cockpit. Uffz. Crump was given credit for the kills.

75 Halifaxes (15 were RCAF Halifaxes), 33 Stirlings, 8 Lancasters and 5 Wellingtons successfully bombed Lorient, 1 Stirling lost.

6 RAF Wellingtons raided a target near Wilhelmshaven through cloud cover without loss. 4 Mosquitoes bombed Osnabruck railway yards, 1 was lost. 80 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes bombed Dusseldorf through complete cloud cover, 2 Lancasters lost. 6 RCAF Wellingtons bombed Essen in daylight without loss.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine U-175 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter Benjamin Smith off Cape Palmas, Liberia, 04°05'N, 07°50'W. The 23-man Armed Guard detachment (as well as the 43-man merchant complement) survives intact; all hands reach Sassandra, French Ivory Coast, the next day.

Battle of the Mediterranean

(Twelfth Air Force) B-17’s, in 2 forces, hit Bizerte naval base and shipping in the immediate area. Much damage is done to base facilities and 1 motor vessel is sunk. 75 to 100 ftrs attack formations, and HBs and escorting P-38’s claim 20 destroyed. B-26’s hit shipping off NE Tunisia, attacking several vessels and claiming 1 destroyed. Escorting ftrs hit trucks and tanks near Enfidaville during return flight. A-20’s, and escorting P-40’s, attack heavy gun battery, machine-gun nests, and 2 inf cos while supporting ground forces in battle area S of Ousseltia. Ftrs of XII A Spt Cmd destroy over 20 vehicles on Gabes-Ben Gardane highway.

North African campaign

Panzerarmee Afrika evacuated Tripoli and the retreat continued towards the Tunisian border, which was reached by the end of the month. An hour before dawn, a lone scout car of the 11th Hussars drove gingerly through the deserted suburbs of Tripoli and into the city centre itself - to find no sign of Axis troops. At first light a Valentine tank called 'Dorothy' - named after the driver's sweetheart in Liverpool - rumbled into the main square with 7 Gordon Highlanders clinging to it. Tripoli was in British hands. Three columns had been poised all night outside the city walls for this moment. Highlanders of the 51st Division had approached from the east along the heavily mined and booby-trapped coastal road, where every bridge and culvert had been demolished. Another force had approached from the west, but the most spectacular approach was made by the 7th Armoured Division which had waited on the mountain overlooking Tripoli and charged towards the south of the city. A delighted Montgomery - who had even predicted the date of Tripoli's fall - accepted surrender from the city's mayor, his battledress and beret contrasting with the Italian's full dress uniform.

"I have nothing but praise for the men of the Eighth Army!"

he told his assembled war correspondents.

In Tunisia, B-17s in two forces, hit Bizerte and shipping in the immediate area. Much damage was done to these facilities and one motor vessel was sunk. 75 to 100 German fighters attacked the formations and the bombers and escorting P-38s claimed 20 Luftwaffe planes destroyed. 16 P-38s of the US 48th FS / 14th FG clashed with the Bf 109s of II./JG 51 of about the same strength as the Americans, and the Lightning pilots Lt. Schottlekorb, Lt. Mark Shipman, Lt. Stuteville, Lt. Harley, Lt. Yates and Lt. Soliday - a total of 6 P-38s - were shot down without any German losses. Again Ofw. Otto Schulz - an Eastern Front veteran who started to emerge as a first class "Lightning killer" - was among the successful pilots. Uffz. Hans-Gunther Koch of 6./JG 51 claimed 2 of the Lightnings while his Staffel-mate, Lt. Herbert Puschmann, claimed 3 of the twin-boomed fighters.

US 12th AF A-20s and escorting P-38s attacked a heavy gun battery, machinegun nests and 2 infantry columns while supporting ground forces in the battle area south of Ousseltia. Fighters of the US 12th Air Support Command destroyed over 20 vehicles on the Gabes-Ben Gardane road. In the Med., B-26s hit shipping off northeastern Tunisia, attacking several vessels and claiming one destroyed. Escorting fighters hit trucks and tanks near Enfidaville on the return flight.

Photo: An RAF Vickers Wellington DWI (Directional Wireless Installation) mine-clearing aircraft flies over the harbour at Tripoli, 23 January 1943. The aircraft belongs to the No. 1 General Reconnaissance Unit, flying south-west over the harbour at Tripoli, during a mine-clearance operation soon after the occupation of the town by the Allies on 23 January 1943. The DWI version of the Wellington was fitted with a 48-foot diameter electromagnetic ring for exploding magnetic mines sown by the Axis forces)



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, weather reconnaissance over Kiska and a search mission for the two B-24s missing since Monday reveal nothing. Enemy aircraft appear over Amchitka twice but inflict no damage. Durint the period of 18 to 23 Jan, a period of continuous storms and sudden changes to extreme foul weather, non-combat losses are exceptionally high as 13 aircraft are lost; no losses result from enemy action.

CENTRAL PACIFIC

(Seventh Air Force) 24 P-40Ks of the 78th Fighter Squadron, 18th FG, escorted by three LB-30s, fly from Barking Sands, Hawaii to Midway. This flight of about 1,100 nautical miles is the longest over-water massed flight of single-engine aircraft made as of this date. The 78th has been dispatched to Midway to replace the 73rd Fighter Squadron which has been on the since 17 Jun 42.

SOLOMON CAMPAIGN

US ground forces, aided by P-39s and USMC fighter-bombers, have by this date pushed up the Guadalcanal coast. The XIV Corps' westward advance captures Kokumbona and Poha on Guadalcanals coast. The enemy has now lost control of a good landing beach west of the airfields; captured with the beach are the artillery pieces that have menaced Henderson Field and the ground forces in the Mount Austen area. The enemy's supply routes, communications systems and ammunition dumps are also lost.

On Guadalcanal, an attack by an estimated 100 Japanese occurs about 2:30 AM from the "Gifu". Later that morning the 2nd Btn 35th Infantry formed skirmish lines and moved in. Captured were 40 mg; 200 rifles; and an estimated 431 Japanese soldiers dead. The stronghold has finally fallen after a month of isolation.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC

(Fifth Air Force) In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s attack the airfields at Rabaul and shipping off Cape Gazelle. B-24s, operating individually, attack transports north of Rabaul and at Simpson Harbor, Rabaul. B-25s pound supply dumps in the terrace area of Lae. B-24s, operating individually, hit Madang and Finschhafen. HQ 317th Troop Carrier Group and its subordinate 40th, 41st and 46th Troop Carrier Squadrons with C-47s arrive at Garbutt Field from the US. The 63d Bombardment Squadron, 43d BG with B-17s transfers from Mareeba to 7-Mile Drome.

PACIFIC

Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) sinks Japanese destroyer Hakaze south of Steffen Strait, between New Ireland and New Hanover, 02°47'S, 156°38'E.

Japanese submarine I-8 bombards Canton Island.

Day 1234 of World War II, January 25th 1943

Eastern Front

At Stalingrad, the Red Army succeeded in further splitting the remnants of 6.Armee into a northern and southern pocket. German forces evacuated Armavir and Voronezh. After a stay of only 3 days, III./KG 4 moved from Konstantinovka to Makejewka.

Air War over Europe

17 Spitfire Mk Vs of the US 4th FG escorted RAF Bostons on an uneventful 'Circus 255'. 12 Bostons bombed Flushing docks, 1 'plane lost.

North African campaign

The British Eighth Army took Zaula in Libya, less than 100 miles from the Tunisian frontier. Rommel was told that he would be relieved by Italian General Messe. The jabos of III./SKG 10 raided the Allied airfields at Souk el Arba and destroyed 2 RAF Beaufighters on the ground and danaged 4 more aircraft.

Photo: A lorry carrying infantry leaving the outskirts of Tarhuna during the advance towards Tripoli, 25 January 1943



Battle of the Atlantic

Submarine Shad (SS-235) torpedoes German blockade runner (ore transport) Nordfels in Bay of Biscay, 43°28'N, 02°59'W.

German submarine U-575 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter City of Flint, straggling from Casablanca-bound convoy UGS 4, about 300 miles south of the Azores, 34°47'N, 31°40'W; 4 of 24 Armed Guard sailors are lost.

United Kingdom

Photo: HMS Dianella (corvette). 25 January 1943, Royal Albert Dock



Photo: HMS Forth, the Submarine Depot Ship. 25 January 1943, Holy Loch



Photo: The King, riding in a White scout car, inspecting Crusader tanks of 11th Armoured Division in Eastern Command, 25 January 1943



Battle of the Mediterranean

In Italy, headwinds prevented B-24s from reaching Naples, the primary target, before dark so they diverted to Messina, bombing the town and the area around the train ferry terminal. B-26s in the Med on a shipping strike, aborted because of weather that limited most air activity.

Between 02.45 and 03.16 hours, the sailing vessel 'Hassan' (80 tons) was rammed five times by U-431 in the Eastern Med south of Cyprus. At 03.33 hours, the U-boat shelled the vessel with her 8.8cm and 2cm gun and set her on fire. The U-boat then left the burning and sinking ship.

Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, P-38s are dispatched too late to engage two floatplanes bombing Amchitka. Reconnaissance is flown over Kiska, Buldir, Semichis, Attu and AgAttu. One B-24 and two P-38s fly two patrol missions over Amchitka. An attack mission to Kiska is turned back by weather. B-25s unsuccessfully search for missing aircraft.

CENTRAL PACIFIC

(Seventh Air Force) Six B-24s carry out a photographic reconnaissance missions over Wake and drop 60 bombs. They claim one fighter shot down.

CHINA-INDIA-BURMA

(Tenth Air Force) In Burma, five B-25s of the India Air Task Force bomb the bridge (which the enemy is striving to rebuild) at Myitnge. The southern approach to the bridge is destroyed and repair work on the bridge suspended. Three B-25s add to the destruction at the Mandalay Marshaling Yard, tearing up tracks, wrecking about 75 railroad cars, and setting the freight house aflame. Three other B-25s inflict similar damage on the marshaling yard at Naba. Six B-24s pound the Rangoon dock area.

SOUTH PACIFIC

(Thirteenth Air Force) In the Solomons, the final phase of the Guadalcanal offensive begins with orders to begin pursuit of the enemy along the northwestern coast toward Cape Esperance. The enemy retreat is to be cut off by the landing of a US battalion just southwest of the cape. B-26s and P-38s hit the airfield at Munda, New Georgia and bomb the wharf at Repirepi, demolishing it. Other P-38s bomb installations in the Rekata Bay area of Santa Isabel.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC

(Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, A-20s strafe areas in northeastern Papua where there appears to be some enemy movement. B-25s blast supply dumps and AA and machinegun positions around Lae. Single B-24s attack a beached ship at Finschhafen. Single B-24s attack runways on Gasmata and at Cape Gloucester.

Day 1236 of World War II, January 27th 1943

Eastern Front

The railway line between Leningrad and Moscow was reopened, enabling supplies to be delivered to the starving population. Erich Hartmann scored his 2nd kill, a Russian MiG-1, with 7./JG 52 and his first solo victory, while flying as Hptm. Walter Krupinski's wingman.

Air War over Europe

The first of the American daylight raids over the Reich began when 64 B-17s and B-24s of the US 8th AF targeted the submarine yards at Vegesack, Wilhelshaven which had also been the target for the first British daylight raid in 1939. All previous raids had been over Occupied countries. Wilhelmshaven was considered a tough target by the RAF but while the 55 bombers which actually carried out the raid were attacked by fighters, the crews said it was;

"not nearly as tough as St. Nazaire."

'Ground Marking' was used for the first time in a night raid on Dusseldorf by 162 RAF aircraft - 124 Lancasters, 33 Halifaxes and 5 Mosquitoes. It was the first occasion when OBOE Mosquitoes carried out ground marking for the Pathfinders. There was athin sheet of cloud over the target and without OBOE and new target indicators the raid could have been another failure. Bombing was concentrated and damage was reported to a wide variety of property. 3 halifaxes and 3 Lancasters were lost with Hptm. Reinhold Knacke of 1./NJG 1 claiming a Lancaster near Nijmegen and Oblt. Manfred Meurer of 3./NJG 1 destroying a Halifax.

Mosquitoes knock out Burmeister and Wain diesel engine works at Copenhagen.

23 Liberators from the US 44th and 93rd BG lost their way over the North Sea and instead identified Lemmer in Holland as the target and dropped their bombs north of the harbor city. The Luftwaffe was able to send between 50 and 75 fighters to intercept the remaining 55 B-17s on the return flight. The only home defense fighter units in Germany at this time were the Fw 190s of JG 1 under Oblt. Dr. Erich Mix, who attacked the bombers for the first time. The FWs engaged the bombers head-on and succeeded in destroying 8 bombers. The Luftwaffe lost 8 Fw 190s and Bf 109s with 4 pilots killed.

A B-24 from the US 68th BS was attacked by Fw. Fritz Koch of 12./JG 1. As Fw. Koch passed the Liberator, he clipped the wing and right tailfin of the bomber, sending both machines crashing to the ground, killing everyone. It was believed that Fw. Koch was hit and killed by return fire from another B-24 and this allowed his Focke-Wulf to crash into the bomber he was attacking. But Fw. Koch wasn't the only pilot lost as 7 other pilots from JG 1 were either killed or wounded including Uffz. Rolf Bolter and Ofw. Gerhard Witt of 1./JG 1 and Fw. Helmut Speckhardt of 3./JG 1 who were all killed.

Major E. R. T. Homes, the Surrey and England batsman, now a flak specialist, flew in the raid and took over a gun when the gunner was injured. He praised the tight formation of the Americans. Capt. Richard Riordan, recently awarded the DFC for bringing home 3 crippled B-17s, said that the raid was one of his easiest missions;

"We came home on all four engines and that was an agreeable change."

The relatively light losses of American bomber forces against German fighters led many American officers and airmen to believe that the guns of the B-17s and escorting fighters could drive off attacking Luftwaffe fighters.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-376 had to break off her one-day old patrol in the North Atlantic when some crew members were wounded in an air attack.

The unescorted Merchant ship 'Cape Decision' (5106 tons) was hit by two torpedoes from U-105, as she steered a zigzag course in mid Atlantic Ocean. The torpedoes struck on port side between the #4 and #5 hatches. The blasts damaged the ship throughout and knocked out the electrical system, which halted the engines. As the ship settled by the stern, her complement of nine officers, 36 men, 26 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and six US Army passengers abandoned ship in the two lifeboats and two of the four rafts. Two of the armed guards remained at their gun until the last moment and had to jump overboard. The master jumped into the water and brought the exhausted men, which were in danger of being caught by the suction of the sinking ship to his lifeboat. The U-boat moved around the stern at periscope depth and fired a third torpedo at 09.55 hours, which struck on the starboard side in the engine room. The vessel immediately began to list to port and sank five minutes later. U-105 surfaced, questioned the survivors and directed them to the nearest land. The third assistant engineer and an able seaman were taken aboard, but were later put back into the boats after checking their papers. The boat of the master with 21 crewmen, three passengers and 16 armed guards reached Bridgetown, Barbados nine days later having traveled 957 miles. The boat of the chief mate with 37 men arrived at Saint Barthelemy, French West Indies, 14 days after the sinking and were provided with food and medicine by the natives.

The Merchant ship 'Julia Ward Howe' (7176 tons), convoy UGS-4, was torpedoed by U-442 about 175 miles south of the Azores. The ship was a straggler from the convoy UGS-4 due to heavy weather. One torpedo struck on the starboard side between #3 hold and the deckhouse. The explosion blew off the #3 hatch cover, wrecked two lifeboats and destroyed the radio equipment. The ship immediately took a 15° list but flooded slowly afterwards and gradually righted herself on an even keel. Three shots from the after 5in gun were fired in the direction of the U-boat. The eight officers, 36 crewmen, 29 armed guards and one passenger (US Army security officer) abandoned ship in two lifeboats and two rafts. The master, one armed guard and the passenger were lost. 40 minutes after the attack, a coup de grâce struck amidships and broke the ship in two. The U-boat then surfaced and questioned the crew, taking the second mate on board for closer examination. Then the mate was released and the U-boat left. The rafts were secured to the lifeboats and they set sail for the Azores. After 15 hours, the survivors were picked up by the Portuguese destroyer 'Lima' about 330 miles southwest of the Azores and landed at Ponta Delgada, but the chief engineer died of wounds on the rescue ship. (Syscom)

On 21 Jan, 1943, the Merchant ship 'Charles C. Pinckney' (7177 tons) straggled from the convoy UGS-4 in heavy weather. Early on the 27 January lookouts spotted a U-boat, the master changed the course, increased the ship´s speed and the armed guards fired at the U-boat. U-514 fired three torpedoes at the Liberty ship, a lookout spotted one of the torpedoes 750 yards away approaching the ship off the port bow. The master tried to evade, but one torpedo struck just abaft the stem. The explosion ignited a portion of the cargo, the blast blew the bow off forward of the #1 hold and created a pillar of flame that shot skyward. The engines were immediately secured and the most of the nine officers, 32 crewmen, 27 armed guards and two US Army security officers abandoned ship in four lifeboats and one raft. A portion of the gun crew and the gunnery officer remained on board and opened fire, as U-514 surfaced 200 yards away. They claimed several hits and the sinking of the U-boat, but the Germans made an emergency dive and escaped undamaged. The crew reboarded the vessel, but the chief engineer discovered that he could not get steam up. At 23.26 hours, a coup de grâce missed, but a second fired hit and all survivors abandoned ship a second time. The U-boat surfaced again, questioned the men in the lifeboats and then left her victim in sinking condition, which later sank over the bow. The four lifeboats set sail, but during the night of 28 January, they became separated. On 8 February, the second mate, four men and nine armed guards in one boat were picked up by the Swiss steam merchant 'Caritas I' and landed at Horta, Fayal Island, Azores. The other three boats with eight officers, 28 men, 18 armed guards and two passengers were never found.

Battle of the Mediterranean

In Italy, B-24s bombed Naples and Messina during the night. In Sicily, B-24s hit Palermo during the afternoon, after weather caused a diversion from the primary target at Naples.

Photo: in Malta, on the bridge of HMS UNA, Lt T W Lancaster, RN, Navigator, and Coxswain C Falck. UNA is changing berth



Photo: in Malta, close up of the gun platform of HMS Una, Lt T W Lancaster, (with beard) RN, Navigator, is shown



Photo: HMS submarine Una in Malta harbour



Photo: British Submarine Base at Malta. 27  January 1943, Malta, HMS Talbot, the British Submarine Base at Malta



North African campaign

In Libya, the British 7th Armoured Division met stiffening resistance near Zuwarah. In Tunisia, A-20s attacked the towns of Al Mazzunah while fighters escorted the bombers. 3 P-40s were claimed by Hptm. Heinz Bar of Stab I./JG 77 to bring his score to 122.

Photo: General Montgomery stands beside a Grant command tank near Tripoli, 27 January 1943



Photo: A Chevrolet FAT (Field Artillery Tractor) towing a 25-pdr leads a column of other vehicles on a road during the 8th Army's approach to Azizia, south of Tripoli, 27 January 1943



Photo: Sherman tanks during the advance along the coast road towards Tripoli, 27 January 1943



Photo: A Bren gun carrier pass by a bridge outside Hom which was blown up by the retreating Germans, 27 January 1943



United kingdom

Photo: HMS Whimbrel. the Latest Sloop, 27 January 1943, at Greenock



Photo: HMS Franklin,Port Quarter stern view at London Docks



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force)

In the Aleutians, a negative weather reconnaissance sortie is flown over Kiska . Four P-38s fly protective patrol over Amchitka . Upon their departure, three Japanese aircraft appear and unsuccessfully bomb shipping but cause three casualties.

SOUTH PACIFIC

(Thirteenth Air Force) B-17E 41-2403 ditches south of Guadalcanal. Passengers included Major General Nathan F Twining, Commanding General Thirteenth Air Force and a crew of 14 are down at sea between Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo. The entire group is rescued six days later. General Twining's raft had no radio, an item which Lieutenant General Millard F Harmon, Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific, had been requesting for some time. This incident results in the rapid appearance of dinghy radio sets in the area. Six B-26s and eight P-39s attack the airfield at Munda.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC

(Fifth Air Force) In New Guinea, A-20s hit huts and AA positions at Garrison Hill while B-25s pound the supply storage and runway at Lahang. Individual B-24s bomb Finschhafen town and the runway. In the Bismarck Archipelago, individual B-24s bomb the airfield on Gasmata.

PACIFIC: USS Whale damages Japanese transport Shoan Maru in the central Pacific, 14.39;N, 153.39;E; towed to Saipan and grounded to facilitate salvage, Shoan Maru performs no more active service.

Japanese ship No.2 Choko Maru rescues about 1,000 survivors of army cargo ship Buyo Maru, sunk the previous day by submarine USS Wahoo.

Japanese destroyer Karukaya is damaged off Takao, Formosa, by marine casualty.

Submarine I-27 is damaged by marine casualty off Penang, Malaya.

Day 1238 of World War II, January 29th 1943

YouTube (Time to Fire Rommel)



Eastern Front

General von Paulus radioed Hitler saying;

"The swastika flag is still flying above Stalingrad. May our battle be an example to the present and coming generations, that they must never capitulate even in a hopeless situation, for them Germany will emerge victorious."

Hitler decided then to promote von Paulus to Feldmarschall. The Luftwaffe made its last major effort to supply the surrounded forces at Stalingrad, dropping supplies from 124 airplanes. It would far too little, far too late.

Air War over Europe

Six Spitfire Mk Vs of the US 4th FG flew an uneventful defensive patrol. A US 93rd BG (Heavy) B-24 attempted a Moling mission.

At 14.34 hours, Oblt. Heinz Wurm of 5./BFGr 196 claimed his first victory for 1943 and his last in the Ar 196, when he shared a Boston with a German flak unit in the Morlaix area. Oblt. Wurm's victim was probably a Boston of RAF No. 226 Sqdrn. Fighters of 8./JG 2 were also involved in this air battle, claiming 3 Spitfires destroyed for one Fw 190A-4 shot down.

This was 'Ramrod 50', carried out by RAF's 10 Group. It involved 6 squadrons of Spitfires covering 12 Bostons attacking the viaduct at Morlaix. RAF No. 310 Sqdrn claimed 2-1-2 Fw 190s and lost 2 pilots killed. In addition to the Boston shot down by Oblt. Wurm, the 3 Spitfires were claimed by Uffz. Groiss, Fw. Eisele and Hptm. Stolle - all from 8./JG 2 - and another Spitfire was claimed by Hptm. Dietrich Wickop of 4./JG 1.

75 Wellingtons and 41 Halifaxes of RAF Nos. 1, 4 and 6 Groups (22 Halifaxes and 49 Wellingtons were RCAF), attacking Lorient, encountered thick cloud and icing and, with no pathfinder marking, dropped a scattered bombload. 2 Hailfaxes and 2 Wellingtons were lost with Hptm. Horst Patuschka of Stab II./NJG 2 claiming one of the Wellingtons. (pbfoot)

Only 2 RAF Venturas out of 12 bombed a steelworks at Ijmuiden.

Battle of the Mediterranean

US B-26s on a shipping strike between Tunisia and Sicily, severly damaged a cargo liner. During a Luftwaffe attack against the coastal convoy 'TE 14', the British destroyer escorts 'Avon Vale' and 'Pozarica' were damaged off Bougie by 8 SM 79s from Gruppos 105, 130 and 132 and 10 He 111s from I./KG 26. They hit the 'Avon Vale', eliminating the prow and forcing it to strand on the coast of Algeria.

Arctic naval operations

The U-255 sinks the Soviet merchant ship "Krasnyj Partizan" (2418 tons) in the Barents Sea. At 05.47 hours, U-255 reported one Myronich class freighter (2274 grt) sunk with one torpedo in the Barents Sea. The 'Krasnyj Partizan' left the Kola Inlet on 24 January and went missing thereafter, the last radio message was received on 26 January.

North African campaign

Advance units of the British Eighth Army crossed the Tunisian frontier from Libya. In Tunisia, 3 consecutive waves of B-17s attacked the docks and shipping at Bizerte while B-26s hit El Aouina airfield. Fighters escorted the bombers and clashed with German fighters. Three P-38s were claimed by Fw. Horst Schlick of 1./JG 77, Oblt. Kurt Niederhagen of 3./JG 77 and Oblt. Kurt Buhligen of 4./JG 2. Major Heinz Bar's I./JG 77 was then transferred from Ben Gardane to Matmata.

Photo: The crew of a 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun watch the sky after a Stuka raid during the 8th Army's advance on Tripoli, 29 January 1943



RAAF No. 460 Bomber squadron is settling in after moving from Qaiyara, Iraq to Egypt. The squadron was re-equipped with Baltimores after using Blemheims. The Baltimores were to operate as a general reconnaissance unit of Middle East Command. From bases in Egypt, Libya and Palestine, the squadron flew anti-submarine patrols, bombing raids against Crete and Greece and bombed shipping at sea.

United Kingdom

Photo: The Duchess of Kent Inspects Wrns at Combined Operations Hq. 29 January 1943, Norfolk House, Wearing Her Uniform of Commandant of the Wrns, the Duchess of Kent Inspected Wren Officers and Ratings during Her Visit To Combined Operation Headquarters



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force) In the Aleutians, weather reconnaissance over Kiska and a patrol over Rat , flown by one B-24, two B-25s and four P-38s, are recalled early due to weather. All other missions are cancelled.

SOLOMON CAMPAIGN

The Japanese submarine I-1 is detected off Guadalcanal by New Zealand corvettes Moa and Kiwi. The I-1 was making a supply run and is loaded with cargo for Guadalcanal. After depth charging and ramming by Kiwi, the I-1 serverly damaged is run aground on Guadalcanal. This submarine proves to be a treasure trove of intelligence material.

Painting: the Kiwi’s searchlight and signalling lamp trained on I-1 for the entire battle. The searchlight was controlled by Leading Signalman Campbell Buchanan, who was eventually hit. Although mortally wounded, Buchanan remained at his post, dying of his wounds the following day (he received the US Navy Cross and a posthumous mention in dispatches)



Battle of Rennell Island begins as Japanese land attack planes (701st and 705th Kokutai) attack TF 18 (Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen), cruisers and destroyers covering the movement of transport force (TG 62.8) toward Guadalcanal. Japanese 701st Kokutai land attack planes damage heavy cruiser Chicago (CA 29); in the retirement from the area, heavy cruiser Louisville (CA 28), in a masterful piece of seamanship, takes her damaged sistership in tow in complete darkness.

Map: Chart of Japanese air attack on U.S. Task Force (TF) 18 between Rennell Island and Guadalcanal on the evening of January 29, 1943. TF 18 was heading for Guadalcanal (black arrowed line, lower right). Japanese "Betty" torpedo bombers (dashed red line) departed from Rabaul (upper left), Buka (upper left), and Munda (center) airfields and joined together for a coordinated attack. The Japanese aircraft circled around to the south of TF 18 so that they could attack from the east, with the black sky of approaching nightfall behind them



Photo: The U.S. Navy heavy cruisers of Task Force 18 at sea en route to Guadalcanal on 29 January 1943, prior to the Japanese night air attack off Rennell Island, photographed from USS Wichita (CA-45). USS Chicago (CA-29) is in the right center, with USS Louisville (CA-28) in the distance. Note men on Wichita's deck, working on a paravane



SOUTH PACIFIC

(Thirteenth Air Force) B-26s and P-39s hit a bivouac area at Vila, and the airfield at Munda. B-17s bomb Kahili Airfield. The 67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group based in New Caledonia with P-39s begins operating from Guadalcanal. This squadron will continue to operate from Guadalcanal until June 1943.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC

(Fifth Air Force) B-25s pound the area around Mubo, concentrating on positions on Garrison and Mat Mat Hill. Single B-24s bomb runways at Cape Gloucester and Gasmata.

Day 1240 of World War II, January 31st 1943

Eastern Front

The Soviet government announced that at 19.45 hours, after surrounding the Univermag department store building, Chuikov's 62nd Army accepted the surrender of Feldmarschall von Paulus and 16 other Generals at Stalingrad. The Germans continued to resist from strongpoints in the northern pocket. Here General Strecker, the commander of the 11.Korps, was holding out around the tractor works and the Red October ordinance works where so much of the cruel hand-to-hand fighting, which was such a feature of this battle, had raged. Hitler radioed him;

"I expect the northern pocket of Stalingrad to hold out to the finish. Every day, every hour, thus gained decisively benefits the remainder of the front."

Such exhortations meant little to the hollow-eyed, freezing, disease-ridden men fighting to survive in the rubble of Stalingrad. Strecker could hardly hold out for more than a couple days, and then he and his men would join the columns of prisoners trudging across the icy steppe to captivity.

Air War over Europe

RAF bombers last night used a new navigation device on operations. Called H2S, but known by the crews as "Home Sweet Home", it was an airbourne downward-looking radio-location system. The image of the terrain which the aircraft was overflying was reproduced on a cathode-ray tube, which the navigator could compare with his map. Unlike 'Gee', it was not range-dependant. Aircraft of the newly formed No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group used H2S in the attack on Hamburg, chosen because the nearby coast and river Elbe would show up well. Although H2S would later become a more effective device, it use was not successful on this night even though Hamburg, close to a coastline and on a prominent river, was the best type of H2S target. The term H2S seemingly had no real meaning, and so could not give away its purpose to German spies. However when asked what H2S stood for, the scientists responsible for the equipment replied "Home Sweet Home". After initial trials of H2S had gone badly during 1942, many, who knew their chemistry, commented;

"It stinks!"

Battle of the Atlantic

U-519 went missing in the Bay of Biscay. There is no explanation for its loss. 50 dead (all hands lost).

Arctic naval operations

U-376 left Bergen, Norway on 30 Jan for its 6th patrol, but the next day at 0057 hrs lost the third watch officer when he was washed overboard. U-376 then headed back to Bergen, took aboard a replacement and departed for patrol the same day.

Battle of the Mediterranean

HMS 'QUIBERON' left the Mediterranean as a unit of the escort of a convoy bound from England to Capetown. She arrived at Durban on 27 February and from there proceeded to Australia, arriving at Fremantle on 29 March, having steamed 51,000 miles on war service.

Cruiser-minelayer 'Welshman' sunk by U-617 off Crete.

North African campaign

Lt. General Lewis H. Brereton, Commanding General US 9th AF assumed command of US Army Forces in the Middle East. The British 7th Armoured division finished clearing Zuwarah. In Tunisia B-17s hit the harbor and shipping at Bizerte while B-26s bombed Gabes airfield. Fighters escorted bombers and attacked ground targets and furnished cover for ground forces along the battleline between Gafsa and Faid.

In Northern Tunisia, an American convoy was attacked by a German bomber. This incident sparked a controversy between Air Command and ground commanders. The generals in command of ground troops wanted close air support. The idea of using bombers as an extension of the battle, taking out enemy tanks and troops was preferred and pushed by the ground commanders. The air commanders wanted to take a strategic approach rather than a tactical one. They wanted permission to bomb enemy aerodromes, airfields and installations. The idea was to gain air superiority by destroying the enemy's air force. If enemy planes or installations were of no use, they effectively could not be used against Allied troops on the ground or hinder Allied planes. Because of this lack of strategic usage, the Luftwaffe was able to maintain air superiority just by staying functional.

Photo: A 3-inch mortar crew from the Queens's Own Royal West Kents in action in Tunisia, 31 January 1943



United States

Photo: The U.S. Navy fleet oiler USS Chiwawa (AO-68) near the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia (USA), on 31 January 1943



Pacific War

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS CAMPAIGN

(Eleventh Air Force)

In the Aleutians, a weather and photographic reconnaissance aircraft flies twice over Kiska . During the first mission near Attu , the aircraft is jumped by 6 fighters which it eludes. Four B-17s, 2 B-24s, 6 B-25s, 4 P-38s and 4 P-40s then attempt an attack on Kiska; P-40s turn back with mechanical troubles; the other aircraft find Kiska closed in and abort the mission. Two patrol missions, each by 1 B-25 and 4 P-38s, fly over Amchitka ; two enemy floatplanes bomb Constantine Harbor on Amchitka without results.

SOUTH PACIFIC

(Thirteenth Air Force USN) P-39s join SBD Dauntless and F4F Wilcats of VMF-112 in attacks on shipping in the Vella Gulf; hits are claimed on a destroyer. Sunk is Toa Maru 2. Lost are F4F 11983 and F4F "Impatient Virgin" 03520 (pilot Jefferson J. De Blanc earns Medal of Honor). B-17s bomb the ammunition dump and airfield at Vila. P-39s, P-38s and P-40s, and other Allied fighters, carry out sweeps over Vila and Munda.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC

(Fifth Air Force) A-20s continue to pound positions between Mubo and Komiatum. A lone B-17 bombs the runway at Wewak. In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s pound airfields, shipping and the town area at Rabaul while a single B-24 bombs the runway at Cape Gloucester. In the ocean areas, B-24s unsuccessfully attack isolated vessels over widespread areas in the Banda Sea and Solomon Sea.

AUSTRALIA

While returning from a dawn raid on Dili, two B-25 Mitchells from 18 Squadron of the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (NEI-AF) made forced landings short of their home base at McDonald airfield in the Northern Territory due to a shortage of fuel. There were no casualties.

SOLOMON CAMPAIGN

High speed transport Stringham (APD-6) and five tank landing craft (LCT) land Army 2d Battalion, 132d Infantry, at Verahue, Guadalcanal, covered by four destroyers. After unloading, three LCTs, escorted by destroyers Nicholas (DD-449) and DeHaven (DD-469), come under attack from Japanese planes about three miles south of Savo Island. DeHaven is sunk by three bombs, 09°09'S, 159°52'E, while Nicholas is damaged by near-misses. Tank landing craft LCT-63 and LCT-181, aided by SOCs (VCS Detachment RINGBOLT), rescue 146 DeHaven sailors, including 38 wounded.

To deny the Japanese "Tokyo Express" access to the channel between Savo Island and Cape Esperance, light minelayers Tracy (DM-19), Montgomery (DM-17) and Preble (DM-20) sow 255 mines in those waters. The three ships clear the mining area as Japanese men-of-war are only 12,000 yards away and closing.

Two waves of aircraft from Henderson Field (TBFs, SBDs, F4Fs, and USAAF P-38s, P-39s, and P-40s) attack Japanese destroyer force (Rear Admiral Hashimoto Shintaro), en route to evacuate Japanese troops from Guadalcanal (Operation KE), damaging Makinami (Hashimoto's flagship). U.S. motor torpedo boats later attack the Japanese force, but in that action PT-111 and PT-37 are sunk by gunfire from destroyer Kawakaze; a Japanese floatplane sinks PT-123. Hashimoto's force extracts 4,935 soldiers.

Day 1242 of World War II, February 2nd 1943

Eastern Front

The final assault at Stalingrad took place. The German perimeter had been reduced to a small area of the wrecked city around the Tractor Factory complex. The Soviets massed over 300 guns per kilometer of front and smashed the German positions under a massive barrage. Later, 2 He 111s loaded with bomb canisters full of provisions flew over the city but found no signs of life and returned to base. The remnants of 6.Armee under General Strecker in the northern pocket ceased fighting and surrendered to the Red Army. The battle for Stalingrad was over and the Luftwaffe's attempt of an airlift for von Paulus' 6.Armee was a failure. The battle of Stalingrad was the largest single battle in human history. It raged for 199 days. Of the more than 280,000 men surrounded at Stalingrad, 160,000 had been killed in action or died of starvation or exposure. 34,000 mostly wounded men had been evacuated. 90,000 German soldiers marched off into captivity. Most would die in the march from the city. Only 5000 of these men would see Germany again, the last returning 12 years later in 1955. Losses for the Luftwaffe from 24 Nov '42 to 31 Jan '43 amounted to 266 Ju 52s, 165 He 111s, 42 Ju 86s, 9 Fw 200s, 7 He 177s and one Ju 290 - a total of 490 aircraft, enough for a whole Fliegerkorps.

The Russians advanced to the rail link between Nikopol and Axis held territory.

Air War over Europe

Cologne was attacked at night by 161 RAF aircraft - 116 Lancasters, 35 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings and 2 Mosquitoes - in another experimental raid using a 4-engined bomber force with various forms of Pathfinder techniques. Markers were dropped by both the 'Oboe' Mosquitoes and the H2S marker aircraft. Again the results were disappointing, with no clear concentration of markers being achieved and with subsequent bombing being well scattered. Unfortunately, a Pathfinder Stirling (R9264) on this raid was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed near Hardinxveld-Giesendam (southeast of Rotterdam), handing the Germans an example of the H2S set on only the second night that this new device was used. The set was damaged but the German firm of Telefunken was able to reassemble it. This gave the Germans an early indication of the operational use of H2S and eventually led to the development of a device, 'Naxos', which would enable German night fighters to home on to a bomber which was using H2S.

Five aircraft - 3 Lancasters, 1 Halifax and 1 Stirling - were lost. Major Werner Streib of I./NJG 1 claimed 2 of the bombers and Hptm. Hans-Dieter Frank of 2./NJG 1 was credited with a destroyed Stirling.

US VIII Bomber Command flew Mission #32, dispatching 61 B-17s and 22 B-24s against the Hamm, Germany marschaling yards. The formation encountered bad weather over the North Sea and returned to base.

Battle of the Atlantic

At 03.04 hours, the Steam merchant 'Jeremiah Van Rensselaer' (Liberty, Tonnage 7,177 tons) in station #45 (last ship in the extreme port column) of convoy HX-224 was torpedoed by U-456 south of Iceland. The ship had been in station #11, but had performed poorly keeping station and kept her station about once in seven nights, she managed to catch up in the daytime and consequently her position was changed. Two torpedoes struck on the port side in the #1 hold. The explosion created a hole 8 feet by 30 feet, blew the hatch cover off, strewed cargo overboard and started a fire. A short time later, a third torpedo struck on the port side at #4 hatch and blew a truck standing on deck into the water and also started a small fire. The engines were secured and some of the eight officers, 34 crewmen, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and one passenger abandoned ship panicked, they tried to launch three lifeboats, but two capsized in the rough seas. Eight men got away in a boat and others jumped overboard and swam to three rafts, but the harsh weather and cold water caused the most men to die from exposure. Only one officer, six crewmen and 17 armed guards survived. 23 survivors and three bodies were picked up after five hours by the British rescue ship 'Accrington' and landed at Gourock. A boarding party from the US Coast Guard cutter USS 'Ingham' (WPG 35) later boarded the ship and noted that she could have been saved, but the watch below left the boilers fire lit, which burned the boilers out. The vessel was scuttled by gunfire at 13.00 hours. The boarding party also found one man, who never left the ship and took him to the escort vessel. One week later two bodies were recovered from a raft by FFL 'Lobelia' (K 05).

North African campaign

Photo: A Humber Mk II armoured car and crew of 'B' Squadron, 11th Hussars, Tripoli, 2 February 1943. A Humber Mk II armoured car and crew of 'B' Squadron, 11th Hussars - the first vehicle to enter Tripoli, 2 February 1943. Note: this is in fact Humber Mk III car, with a three-men turret



Pacific War

CHINA-INDIA-BURMA

(Tenth Air Force) In Burma, P-40s strafe aircraft, AA positions and targets of opportunity at Kentung. The 1st Troop Carrier Squadron, Tenth Air Force, attached to the India-China Wing, Air Transport Command, with C-47s arrives at Chabua, India from the U.S.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Thirteenth Air Force) B-17s, along with escorting P-40s and P-38s, attack shipping off Shortland. Of 20 Japanese aircraft which intercept, 9 are claimed destroyed. Other B-26s, P-38s and P-39s attack Munda Airfield on New Georgia. The 18th Photographic Mapping Squadron, 4th Photographic Group with B-25s transfers from Dumbea, New Caledonia to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. The bulk of the air echelon remains in the U.S. This squadron is redesignated 18th Photographic Squadron on 6 Feb 43.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS

(Fifth Air Force) In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-17s bomb the airfield at Rabaul. B-24s attack shipping between Lolobau and New Britain and north of Open Bay, bomb Gasmata runway and hit Timika. In New Guinea, A-20s continue to bomb and strafe positions on the high points between Mubo and Komiatum. The 319th Bombardment Squadron , 90th BG with B-24s transfers from Iron Range, Queensland, Australia to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

SOLOMON CAMPAIGN

Photo: A U.S. Marine Corps Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, on 2 February 1943. The markings under the cockpit indicate that this plane has been credited with shooting down 19 Japanese aircraft, while being flown by several different pilots



CAPE ESPERANCE

Japanese destroyer Makigumo is damaged by mine laid by light minelayers Tracy (DM-19), Montgomery (DM-17) and Preble (DM-20) off Cape Esperance the previous night; she is scuttled by destroyer Yugumo, 09°10'S, 159°45'E. Admiral William F. Halsey Jr., Commander South Pacific Force, lauds the success of the mining mission as resulting from "bold execution of a sound plan," while Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, calls it a "splendidly conducted operation... carried out by old ships, inadequate in speed and gun power..."