'Joltin Janie' B-24D-30-CO Liberator 42-40065 of the 403rd Bomb Squadron, shown parked in a revetment at Dobodura Airfield on Papua New Guinea on June 11, 1943. This aircraft was lost on December 9, 1943 when it crashed into the sea after take-off for a mission.

'Joltin Janie' B-24D-30-CO Liberator

Air Operations, Aleutians

7 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s, 8 B-25s, 4 343ed Fighter Group P-38s, 10 P-40s, and 2 F-5s reconnoiter and attack Kiska.

Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-24s attack airfields in the Rabaul area and targets of opportunity around Gasmata and Keravia Bay.

Air Operations, CBI

• 8 23rd Fighter Group P-40s attack motor vehicles at Mangshih, military camps on the Salween River, and warehouses at Tungling.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Koepang, Timor and B-25s attack the Dili and Penfoei airfields on Timor.

Air Operations, Europe

Fortresses of the American 8th Air Force, unescorted, attack Wilhelmshaven in the evening, damaging shipyards where U-boats are built. It does become clear though that, without adequate fighter protection, precision bombing is prevented by enemy interceptor aircraft.

• 783 aircraft are sent to Düsseldorf. In this total are 326 Lancasters, 202 Halifaxes, 143 Wellingtons, 99 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitos.
• The Pathfinder marking is progressing well until an Oboe Mosquito inadvertently releases a load of target indicators 14 miles northeast of the target area. This causes part of the Main Force to release its bombs in open country. The main bombing, however, does cause extensive damage to the center of the city where 130 acres are claimed to have been destroyed. 1,292 people are killed. This proves to be the most damaging raid of the war for Düsseldorf.
• 14 Lancasters, 12 Halifaxes, 10 Wellingtons and 2 Stirlings are lost. 5 of the aircraft are claimed shot down by 'ace' Maj Werner Streib, flying the first purpose-built German night fighter, the He-219.
• In a smaller effort, 29 Lancasters, 22 Halifaxes and 21 Stirlings attack Münster.
• All the aircraft are provided by No. 8 Group and is really a mass H₂S trial. 33 aircraft carry markers or flares with the remaining planes acting as the bomb force although some of the marking planes also drop bombs. The marking and bombing are very accurate and the whole raid lasts about 10 minutes. Photo reconnaissance shows that heavy damage is done to railway installations in Münster as well as to housing areas.
• 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters and 1 Stirling are lost.

Aerial recce picture of extensive damage to the Derendorf district of Dusseldorf.

Aerial View of Damage in Düsseldorf

Aerial recce picture of Munster after the raid of 11/12 June.

Aerial View of Damage in Münster

• 3 Mosquitos are sent to Duisburg, 2 to Cologne and there are 23 OTU sorties to France.
• 1 OTU Wellington is lost.

• In VIII Bomber Command's largest heavy-bomber attack to day, 248 B-17s on their way to attack the U-boat yards at Wilhelmshaven are force to disperse by heavy clouds. The target are is also blanketed by the Germans with smoke. As a result, only 218 B-17s manage to drop more than 426 tons of bombs over a wide are of Wilhelmshaven and several scattered targets of opportunity.
• 8 B-17s are lost, 62 damaged; 3 crewmen killed, 20 wounded, 80 missing

IX Bomber Command B-25s and fighters and Royal Navy warships open an intense bombardment that continues through the night of June 11.

As the landing on Pantelleria begin, a large formation of bomb-equipped Luftwaffe FW-190s and Bf-109s attempt to attack Royal Navy ships. The attack is turned back by 57th Fighter Group P-40s.

As the first British troops are going ashore, at 0735 hours, the Italian commander issues a proclamation calling for unconditional surrender. For the first time in history, the aerial bombardment campaign is given full credit for a victory over a lang objective. Since May 5 and the landings, the island has been subjected to 5,285 combat sorties dispensing 6,200 tons of bombs.

Despite the surrender, Axis fighter continue to attack Allied aircraft and ships in the area. In the course of two morning attacks, aircraft of the 52nd and 57th Fighter Groups down 8 Luftwaffe fighters. About 1300 hours, 81st Fighter Group P-39 dive-bombers down 3 FW-190s. Also, about 1540 hours, 3 31st Fighter Group Spitfires down 6 Luftwaffe fighters.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s attack coastal targets at Huon Gulf and P-40s attack a Japanesesubmarine off Cape Nelson.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-417 is heading out into the Atlantic when she is spotted by Fortress 'R' of No 206 Squadron. The U-boat opens up a heavy and accurate fire on the aircraft as it comes in scoring several hits. The Fortress drops four depth charges and obtain a perfect straddle. The U-boat is completely enveloped by the explosions and sinks with her bows rising to the vertical. The aircraft was so badly damage it had to ditch in the sea. The crew are rescued in their rubber dinghy three days later.

U-417

Diplomatic Relations

• The US and Britain recognize the new provisional government in Argentina.
• The French Committee of National Liberation is given official recognition by Uruguay, the first nation to do so.
• Saudi Arabia rejects the idea of a Jewish state.

Body of a Dead German near a Nebelwerfer, June 11, 1943

Germany, Policy

Himmler orders the liquidation of all the Jewish ghettos in Poland.

Mediterranean

After 10 days of intense attack by air and sea, Pantelleria's 11,000-strong Italian garrison surrenders without a fight at 12 noon on the approach of an Allied assault force. More than 5,000 tons of bombs have been dropped on this one small island in the last month and although the damage has been great, it has been far less than has been expected. This is an important indication of the difficulties in store for the main strategic-bombing campaign. The British 1st Div lands on the island and meets very little opposition. The fall of Pantelleria allows the Allies to concentrate the activities of the Mediterranean air forces on Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily.

British Troops Advance Inland on Pantelleria

During the night the Allies carry out an intensive air and naval bombardment of Lampedusa.

Pacific

• The US naval vessel PT-22 is damaged in a storm, then beached and abandoned in the Adak area of the Aleutian Islands.
• The Australian corvette Wallaroo is sunk after a collision with the American steamer Gilbert Costin off Freemantle with the loss of 3 of her crew. An Australian warship rescues the survivors.
• The US submarine Finback (SS-230) attacks a Palau-bound Japanese convoy sinking the Japanese army cargo ship Genoa Maru (6785t). She is in turn attacked by Patrol Boat No. 46, but suffers no damage.
• The US submarine Runner (SS-275) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Seinan Maru (1338t) off Monomi Zaki, northwest coast of Honshu.
• The US submarine Silversides (SS-236) attacks a Japanese convoy sinking the transpsort Hinode Maru (5256t) north of New Ireland.

82nd Airborne load a 75mm howitzer into a CG-4A Troop Glider during training at Oujda, French Morocco, North Africa a month before the Sicily invasion, Jun 11 1943.

Howitzer Being Loaded into a Troop Glider