Year 1943

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 25, 1943: Home Fronts USA: Death of Edsel Ford, President of Ford Motor Company, aged 49.

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 24, 1943: Sea War Atlantic: ADMIRAL DOENITZ SUSPENDS U-BOAT OPERATIONS AGAINST CONVOYS (56 U-boats lost April – May, 1943). ‘Flak-trap’ U-boat U-441 shoots down

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 23, 1943: Air War Britain: Fighter-bomber raids on Bournemouth and Hastings; night raid on Sunderland. Total sorties: 99 (5 aircraft lost). Germany: 724 RAF

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 22, 1943: Air War Germany: Adolf Galland, fighter ‘ace’ and ‘General of Fighters’, test-flies Me 262 jet fighter. He reports to Luftwaffe QMG Milch

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 21, 1943: Sea War Mediterranean: In operations off French Riviera, British submarine Sickle sinks U-boat U-303 and ‘torpedoes’ Monte Carlo Casino – 2 torpedoes

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 20, 1943: Far East China: Chinese counter-attack in Middle Yangtze front. Sea War Atlantic: US 10th Fleet formed for anti-U-boat operations. Air War Mediterranean:

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 19, 1943: Air War Mediterranean: Me 109Gs intercept US formations bombing airfields on Sicily and Sardinia, but are driven off with loss.

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 18, 1943: Far East China: Japanese launch offensive in Middle Yangtze area. Politics United Nations Food Conference.

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 17, 1943: Air War Western Europe – IJMUIDEN RAID: Formation of 10 B-26 Marauders annihilated by anti-aircraft guns and Me 109 Gs during low-level

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 16, 1943: Air War Germany – THE DAMBUSTERS RAID (Operation Chastise): 19 Lancaster special bombers (8 lost) breach Mohne and Eder Dams in the

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 15, 1943: Occupied Territories Yugoslavia: Fifth Axis Offensive against Tito’s Partisans (May 15-June 15). Germans, Bulgarians and Croats participate, supported by Luftwaffe. Tunisia: Pro-Axis

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 14, 1943: Sea War Pacific: Australian hospital ship Centaur sunk off Brisbane by Japanese submarine I-177; 268 killed. Air War Germany: 125 US bombers

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 13, 1943: Africa Tunisia: Surrender of Marshal Messe, commander of Italian 1st Army. Air War Germany: RAF night raids by 378 bombers with 1,055t

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, May 12, 1943: Africa Tunisia: END OF ALL ORGANIZED AXIS RESISTANCE. Colonel-General von Arnim surrenders to British forces. 150,000 (approx.) Axis troops captured since April.

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, May 11, 1943: Sea War Pacific – Operation Landcrab: Americans land on Attu (Aleutian Islands). Japanese garrison withdraws to strong defensive positions and fights to

WW2 War Diary for Monday, May 10, 1943: Africa Tunisia: British 6th Armoured Division races across base of Cap Bon to outskirts of Hammamet, trapping German forces.

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, May 9, 1943: Secret War Air War Western Europe: Luftwaffe defectors land new Ju 88 night-fighter at Aberdeen.

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, May 8, 1943: Occupied Territories Poland: Mordechai Anielewicz, 25-year-old commander of Jewish fighters in Warsaw, and 80 others blown up and killed by SS troops

WW2 War Diary for Friday, May 7, 1943: Africa Tunisia: British occupy Tunis. Americans take Bizerta. Air War Britain: Fighter-bomber raid on Great Yarmouth: there are 4 day and 1

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, May 6, 1943: Africa Tunisia: FINAL BRITISH OFFENSIVE. 1st Army, reinforced with 7th Armoured and 4th Indian Divisions from 8th Army, smashes through Medjerda Valley