Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Rabaul and the Rapopo and Keravat airfields at Rabaul. B-25s and A-20s attack coastal targets and barges around New Britain.

Air Operations, Europe

The crew of 9th squadron's Lancaster board their aircraft at Bardney, Lincolnshire, before taking off the ten-hour Shuttle Raid to Friedrichshafen, one of the longest they would be expected to make.

Lancaster Crew Board for Raid to Friedrichshafen

• 60 Lancasters are sent to bomb the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance.
• This factory makes Würzburg radar sets which are an important part of the German-fighter interception boxes through which Bomber Command has to fly every time they attack a target in Germany. This is a special raid with interesting and novel tactics. Like the recent Dams Raid, this attack is to be 'controlled' by the pilot of one of the Lancasters. This feature will become known as 'the Master Bomber' technique. The plan is formulated by No 5 Group which provides the Master Bomber 'Group Captain L. C. Slee' and nearly all of the aircraft involved; the Pathfinders send 4 Lancasters of 97 Squadron. Group Captain Slee's aircraft develops engine trouble and he hands over to his deputy, Wing Commander G. L. Gomm of 467 Squadron. The attack, like the recent raid on Le Creusot, is intended to be carried out from 5,000 to 10,000ft in bright moonlight, but the flak and searchlight defences are very active and Wing Commander Gomm orders the bombing force to climb a further 5,000 ft. Unfortunately the wind at the new height is stronger than anticipated and this causes difficulties.
• The bombing is in 2 parts. The first bombs are aimed at target indicators dropped by one of the Pathfinder aircraft. The second phase is a 'time-and-distance' bombing run from a point on the shores of the lake to the estimated position of the factory. This is a technique which No 5 Group was developing. Photographic reconnaissance shows that nearly 10 per cent of the bombs hit the small factory and that there is heavy damage there. Nearby factories are also hit. The bomber force confuses the German night fighters waiting for the return over France by flying on in the first shuttle raid to North Africa.
• There are no losses.

A crew of No 9 Squadron board their Lancaster before taking off for Friedrichshafen.

Boarding for Friedrichshafen

One of the giant Zeppelin airship hangars still dominates the surrounding factory areas despite suffering a number of hits.

Zeppelin Airship Hangar

A Lancaster crew endure the traditional post-op interrogation after the raid on Friedrichshafen.

Post Raid Debrief

• 4 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 1 Mosquito to Düsseldorf, 15 aircraft lay mines off La Pallice and in the Gironde River and there are 3 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s attack Finschhafen while other A-20s attack Lae.

Air Operations, Solomons

• XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville and nearby targets, and Kieta.
• AirSols light bombers and fighters attack the Vila airfield on Kolombangara.

Atlantic

The first of 5 troop convoys leaves the Clyde for Operation HUSKY.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British naval anti-submarine 'Support' and 'Escort' groups supplement the Allied air offensive against U-boats in the Bay of Biscay.
• The German submarine U-388 is sunk by naval land-based aircraft (VP-84) in the North Atlantic area.

India

Gen Auchinleck takes over as Commander-in-Chief of British forces in the Far East.

Mediterranean

King George VI arrives at Malta aboard the HMS Aurora.

New Guinea

Gen Walter Krueger establishes his US 6th Army HQ at Milne Bay. A Japanese attack on 17th Australian Bde of the 3rd Div in the hilly area between Mubo and Lababia is unsuccessful.

United States, Home Front

After a population explosion in Detroit causes a severe housing crisis, a riot erupts when blacks and white start fighting at a Belle Isle amusement park. Nine whites and 25 blacks are killed in two days of rioting. [MORE]

Race Riot in Detroit

A Scene from the Detroit Race Riot