Air Operations, Aleutians

9 28th Composite Bomb Group B-25s attack Kiska.

Air Operations, CBI

• 22 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s escorted by 13 23Rd Fighter Group P-40s attack port facilities and shipping at Haiphong.

Air Operations, Europe

• 282 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitos are sent to attack Cologne.
• The Oboe skymarking is accurate and another successful raid follows. The northwestern and southwestern parts of the city are the hardest hit.
• 7 Lancasters are lost.

• 8 Mosquitos are sent to Duisburg, 46 aircraft lay mines off Texel, Brittany and the Biscay ports, and there are 27 OTU sorties.
• 1 mine-laying Wellington is lost.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s support Australian Army ground troops in the Mubo area.
• P-40s of the 49th Fighter Group’s 9th Fighter Squadron down 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over Bena Bena at 1045 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

During the night, XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville, Buin, and Poporang.

Atlantic

Strong forces of the British Home Fleet cruise off Norway but they are not noticed by the Germans. This operation is designed to draw attention away from the Mediterranean operations.

In an attempt to divert German attention from Operation HUSKY, the US Alabama and the South Dakota carry out an unsuccessful sortie along the Norwegian coast.

Battle of the Atlantic

• A U-boat is sunk by an acoustic homing torpedo for the first time when U-514 is attacked by a B-24 Liberator.
• The German submarine U-232 is sunk by Army aircraft off Portugal.

Eastern Front

The fierce fighting in the Battle of Kursk continues. The position in the south is still quite hopeful for the Germans despite their considerable losses but gradually their force is being worn down and in the very confused situation command and weapon-handling skills are becoming devalued. The losses attributed to the Germans by the Russians today are 304 tanks and 161 aircraft. The Germans claim the loss of 400 tanks and 193 aircraft by the Russians. There can be no question about the outcome of the battle. From the start the attackers have been outnumbered by the defenders, and Russian's intelligence network has always kept them minutely informed about the plans of the Wehrmacht.

On the northern flank of the Kursk salient. the Soviet 307th Rifle Div counterattacks at Ponyri. The Soviet 51st and 103rd Tank Bdes simultaneously strike at the 1st May State Farm, which they take after 3 hours of fighting. Meanwhile, the II SS Panzer Corps destroys 121 Soviet tanks and links up with XLVIII Panzer Corps at Sukho-Solotino. However, Hausser is forced to use Das Reich as the right flank guard.

In Kempf's sector, the 6th Panzer Div advances about 5 miles and captures the next key road junction at Melikhovo, east ot the Lipovyi Donets River. However, both the 7th ane 19th Panzer Divs have failed to keep up. Although the III Panzer Corps is clear through the first Soviet defensive belt east of the Northern Donets River, it cannot break through the line of the Libovyi Donets River and into the rear of the Russians, east of Belgorod.[MORE]

Pictured here is a photo of the USS Leonard Wood and other attack transports headed for Sicily, Italy, July 8, 1943. (US Navy photo)

Heading for Sicily

Germany, Policy

Hitler orders that all Russian PoWs be set to arms-making and not shot as previously.

Occupied France

Jean Moulin, the leader of the French Resistance, is execute by the Gestapo.

Solomons

On New Georgia the US 43rd Div finally succeeds in driving off the Japanese troops that were blocking the Zanana-Munda track and takes up positions on the Barike River. On Kolombangara Island US aircraft bomb Vila.