Air Operations, Aleutians

15 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s, 15 B-25s, 28 343rd Fighter Group P-38s, and 20 P-40s mount 11 seperate attacks against Kiska. A B-25 and 2 P-38s are damaged by antiaircraft fire, and 1 of the battle-damaged P-38s crashes at sea during the return flight.

Unloading P-38 fighter planes, for the French Army, Casablanca, 13 April 1943. Note Arab helpers on the dock.

Unloading Fighters

Air Operations, CBI

9 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge at Myitgne, 9 B-25s attack the airfield at Monywa, and 6 51st Fighter Group P-40s attack a bridge at Shadazup.

Air Operations, Europe

• 24 Venturas bomb railway targets at Abbeville and Caen, but most of the bombs miss their targets. There are no losses.

• 208 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes bomb the dock area at La Spezia and cause heavy damage. 4 Lancasters are lost and 3 more, either because of damage or technical difficulties, fly on to recently captured North African airfields. It is believed that this is the first time this has occurred. The 3 Lancasters later fly back to England.

Damage to the docks at La Spezia; 2 fires (1 and 2) continue to burn while a large store has been completely gutted (3).

Damage at La Spezia

• 6 Mosquitos of No. 105 Squadron carry out nuisance raids to Bremen, Hamburg and Wlhelmshaven, 2 planes to each target. These are the first non-Oboe Mosquito night raids and are the forerunners of Light Night Striking Force operations. The Germans hate the nuisance and harassing effect of the Mosquito raids and rarely shoot down any of these fast, high-flying aircraft.

• 10 Lancasters lay mines off Germany and there are 18 OTU sorties.
• 1 OTU Wellington is lost in the sea.

Air Operations, Mediterranean

Allied air raids continue without pause on the Italian mainland and the larger islands.

Air Operations, Pacific

US bombers begin raiding Kiska around the clock assaulting the airfield and military barracks.

Air Operations, Sardinia

XII Fighter Command P-38s mount bombing attacks against an Italian navy cruiser at La Madallena and other Axis ships at Porto Torres.

Air Operations, Sicily

NASAF B-17s attack Castelvetrano and Trapani/Milo Airdromes.

Air Operations, Solomons

AirSols light bombers and P-38s attack the Munda Point airfield on New Georgia and strafe barges.

Air Operations, Tunisia

NAAF B-25s attack Oudna Airdrome.

Battle of the Atlantic

During the night the Norwegian destroyer Eskdale, escorting Convoy PW-323 with British destroyer Glaisdale, is damaged by German motor torpedo boat S-90 and later sunk by S-112 off Lizard Head. 25 of the crew are lost, 105 are rescued.

This pattern of anti-aircraft fire provides a protective screen over Algiers at night. This photo, recording several moments of gunfire, shows a defense thrown up during an Axis raid upon Algiers in North Africa 13 April 1943.

Anti-Aircraft Fire over Algiers

North Africa

In the British 8th Army area, advance elements of the X Corps, continuing northward along the coast, reach an anti-tank ditch guarding the enemy's next delaying position at Enfidaville. Subsequent efforts, on a limited scale, to force the enemy from his Enfidaville position before it can be strengthened are futile.

Original caption: Tunisia: Not Quite Asleep In The Deep. Pvt. Ernest G. Thompson of Sharpsburg, Kentucky, catches up on his reading as he makes himself comfortable in a slit trench on the African front. His gun of course is in readiness. April 13, 1943

Not Quite Asleep In The Deep

Occupied Soviet Union

Radio Berlin announces the discovery of a mass grave (at the Russian forest village of Katyn) or 4,500 Polish officers who have been murdered, it claimes, by the Soviet NKVD. The Soviet Government responds two days later, counter-charging that the Germans have killed the Poles. On April 23, 1943, Churchill will assure Soviet Ambassador Maisky in London: 'We shall certainly oppose vigorously any investigation by the International Red Cross or any other body in any territory under German authority. Such investigation would be a fraud and its conclusions reached by terrorism.' (The Russians will in November 1989 admit responsibility for the Katyn shootings.)