Year 1943

WW2 War Diary for Friday, August 13, 1943: Sea War Mediterranean: Convoy MKS.21 attacked by He 111 torpedo planes of KG 26. Germans claim devastating results, but only 2 ships […]

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, August 12, 1943: Air War Germany: 330 heavy bombers of 8th AF (25 lost) despatched to the Ruhr and Bonn. Strong defences, thick cloud and

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, August 11, 1943: Eastern Front Southern Sector: German forces in Kharkov face threat of encirclement; Poltava-Kharkov railway cut in 3 places, west of city. Sea

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, August 10, 1943: Air War Germany: First of 2 massive RAF night raids on Nuremberg in August; total of 3,444t bombs dropped for the loss

WW2 War Diary for Monday, August 9, 1943: Air War Germany: RAF night raids on Mannheim and Ludwigshafen.

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, August 8, 1943: Home Fronts Italy: Mussolini imprisoned. Mediterranean Sicily: Allies occupy 5 towns.

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, August 7, 1943: Eastern Front Central sector: Russian ‘West’ and ‘Bryansk Fronts’ (army groups) attack strong German defences east of Smolensk. Northern sector: 2,133 members

WW2 War Diary for Friday, August 6, 1943: Mediterranean Sicily: Troina, near Mt Etna, falls to Americans after 5 days’ heavy fighting. Sea War Pacific – Battle of Vella Gulf

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, August 5, 1943: Eastern Front Southern Sector: Orel and Belgorod taken by Russians. Mediterranean Sicily: British troops take Catania. Pacific Solomons: Americans capture Munda Airfield

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, August 4, 1943: Air War Mediterranean: B-17 Fortress bomb Naples harbour and factories; Cathedral and Royal Palace also hit. 150 killed, 228 injured.

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, August 3, 1943: Mediterranean Sicily: Canadians capture Agira. Patton slaps hospitalized soldier (similar incident on August 10); he later apologizes. Sea War Atlantic: 150 US

WW2 War Diary for Monday, August 2, 1943: Mediterranean Sicily: British and Canadians oust Germans from hill-top strongholds of Centuripe and Regalbuto; Gerbini airfield complex captured. Politics Portugal: Italian Ambassador

WW2 War Diary for Sunday, August 1, 1943: Air War Eastern Europe: 164 B-24 Liberator bombers (56 lost) make low-level attack on Ploesti Oilfields, Rumania (Operation Tidal Wave). Mediterranean: 25

WW2 War Diary for Saturday, July 31, 1943: Sea War North Sea: British carrier-based Martlet (US F-4 Wildcat) fighters shoot down 5 Bv 138 reconnaissance flying boats off Norway. Merchant

WW2 War Diary for Friday, July 30, 1943: Air War Germany: 8th AF raids Fieseler aircraft works at Kassel. RAF night attack with 228 bombers and 693t bombs on Remscheid

WW2 War Diary for Thursday, July 29, 1943: Air War Germany: 726 RAF bombers raid Hamburg and dropping 2,277t of bombs.

WW2 War Diary for Wednesday, July 28, 1943: Air War Germany: B-17 Fortress bomb Focke-Wulf works at Oschersleben. Mediterranean Sicily: Canadian troops capture Leonforte, northeast of Enna. Sea War Pacific:

WW2 War Diary for Tuesday, July 27, 1943: Air War Germany – OPERATION GOMORRHA: FIRE STORM ENGULFS HAMBURG. Numerous major fires started 3 nights earlier are stoked up by renewed

WW2 War Diary for Monday, July 26, 1943: Sea War Atlantic: 4 British merchant ships bombed northwest of Lisbon (July 26 and 27). Home Fronts Italy: Fascist Party dissolved. Marshal