Air Operations, Aleutians

7 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s, 11 B-25s, 20 343rd Fighter Group P-38s, 27 P-40s, and 2 F-5s mount 9 separate attacks against Kiska and one reconnaissance mission to Attu.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

• V Bomber Command B-25s strafe the Gasmata airfield on New Britain.
• 1 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17 strafes launches near Lolobau Island.

Air Operations, Europe

• 12 Venturas of 487 (New Zealand) Squadron are sent to attack a power station on the northern outskirts of Amsterdam. 1 of the planes returns early. The rest of the planes proceed with an escort of 3 squadrons of Spitfires. Unfortunately, an earlier Spitfire sweep has alerted the German defences while the Ventura force is still flying at low level over the North Sea. It is also unfortunate that an exceptional number of experienced German fighter pilots are present at Schiphol airfield for a conference. As a result, 69 German fighters are up in the air near Amsterdam when the Ventura force crosses the Dutch coast. Some of the German fighters go after the Spitfires while the remainder attacks the bombers. 9 Venturas are shot down before reaching the target and a tenth is badly damaged but it manages to turn back and reach England. The only remaining Ventura from the formation is that of Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, a New Zealander. His Ventura, completely alone, presses on to the target and bombs it. The bombs just miss but some blast damage is caused. This last Ventura is then immediately shot down. Squadron Leader Trent and his navigator are the only survivors and become prisoners of war. The story of this action, in which 10 out of 11 Venturas were shot down, was reconstructed after the war and Squadron Leader Trent was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1946.
• 6 Bostons successfully bomb the steelworks at Ijmuiden.
• 1 Boston is lost crashing into the sea.

• 4 OTU Whitleys make leaflet flights over France without a loss.

Air Operations, Solomons

• USAAF and USN fighters and dive-bombers attack buildings and antiaircraft emplacements at Rekata Bay.
• ;During the night, XIII Bomber Command B-24s mount single-plane attacks against the Vila airfield at Kolombangara and at Rekata Bay.

Air Operations, Tunisia

• NASAF B-17s attack Axis shipping at Bizerte.
• NASAF B-25s attack the Axis landing ground at Protville.
• NATAF fighter-bombers attack ground targets around Massicault.
• IX Fighter Command P-40 fighter-bombers attack targets in northeastern Tunisia.

Allied Planning

Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower is the supreme allied commander for HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily. However, his deputy commander as well as all of his component commanders are British. Gen Sir Harold Alexander is both the deputy commander and the commander of the 15th Army Group. The air commander is Air Chief Marshal Tedder, and the sea commander is Adm Sir Andrew B. Cunningham. The 15th Army Group consists of the British 8th Army commanded by Gen Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, and the US 7th Army commanded by Lt-Gen George S. Patton, Jr.

The plan for HUSKY is very basic. The British will make the main attack and the Americans will support the British left flank as Montgomery's army marches on Messina. The US forces are to land in the Gulf of Gela, stretching from Licatta eastward to the Pachino peninsula, which marks the boundary between the two armies. From the Pachino peninsula eastward, the British 8th Army will land, capture Syracuse, advance on Catania and then to Messina. The Americans are given two limits of advance from the beachhead, the Yellow and Blue Lines. Control of this area will bring the US forces to the high ground overlooking the beaches and provide a good defensive position to protect Montgomery's advance. After that, Alexander has no plan. He intends to sort things out once the armies have established themselves on the beach. The British also have the advantage of major ports, which once captured, will supply their forces. The Allied amphibious landings will be preceded by a major airborne landing of US paratroopers and British glider-borne infantry. The British 1st Airborne Division troops will land at Catania to seize key bridges along the British intended line of advance. The American 82nd Airborne Division will drop near Gela. The Americans will have no major port facility and will have to depend on ship-to-shore transport to maintain their supply lines. This transportation is in the form of the 2-1/2-ton amphibious truck called DUKW. The air attack on Sicily and Sardinia is intended to defeat Axis airpower. After the landings, there will be little coordination between air and ground forces. The intention is to allow the air forces the flexibility to attack targets they determine to be the priority. This plan, run by the British, for the British, leaves the Americans cold and puts further strain on a relationship which has not been all that amicable since the beginning of the Tunisian campaign.

Eastern Front

Red Army troops halt a German counteroffensive in the Kuban area.

Iceland

Lt-Gen Frank M. Andrews, Commanding General of US forces in the ETO, is killed in an air crash over Iceland. He was 59.

May 3, 1943: Plane crash kills General Frank M. Andrews, Commander of U.S. Army operations in Europe

Plane Crash Site of Gen Andrews

North Africa

The American 1st Div finally fights its way out of 'Mousetrap' Valley and captures Mateur, but the Germans manage to improvise a new defense line and the advance is halted. Meanwhile, there is also activity on the central and southern sectors of the front, scene of what may the final attacked.

Gen Alexander outlines his plan for the final attack to Gen Anderson. The IX Corps, with 2 infantry and 2 armored divisions, is to make the main effort, thrusting directly toward Tunis along the road from Medjez el Bab. A lightning attack is planned in order to split and destroy the enemy rather than compress his bridgehead, since the schedule for the invasion of Sicily requires a quick conclusion to North African operations.

In the US II Corps area, the 81st Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, followed by other elements of the 1st Armored Div, advances to Mateur as the enemy is withdrawing from it and quickly secures the town. The 34th Div moves eastward toward Chouïgui, making no contact with the enemy.

United States, Command

Gen Frank Andrews, US Gen commanding the European Theater, is killed in an air accident. Gen Jacob L. Devers is selected to replace him.

United States, Policy

Gen George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the US Army, sends a message to Gen Joseph Stilwell, Chiang Kai-shek's Chief of Staff, that the President had decided to provide substantial air forces to take part in the Chinese war effort. The President also asks for a revision of the plan code-name ANAKIM, the recapture of Burma.