Air Operations, Aleutians

6 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s and 5 B-25s attack a convoy near Attu.

Air Operations, East Indies

380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Boela in the Molucca Islands.

Air Operations, CBI

• 9 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the port area at Haiphong.

Air Operations, Japan

8 28th Composite Bomb Group B-25s operating from the airfield on Attu attack Paramushiro Island in the northern Kurile Islands. Technically, this is the first attack by Allied land-based bombers against mainland Japan.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s attack Logui and Salamaua and support a link-up between the Nassau Bay invasion force and large Australian Army forces.
• B-24s attack Babo and 1 B-24 attacks Kela.

Air Operations, Solomons

US Marine Corps TBFs drop supplies to US Marine ground forces near Enogai, New Georgia.

Eastern Front

In the north Model's attacks finally grind to a halt in the Battle of Kursk. In the south the unrelenting German pressure has seriously worried Vatutin and help is sent from Konev's Steppe Front

principally the 5th Guards Tank Army.

German success at Kursk now hinges on the 4th Panzer Army. The Totenkopf crosses the Psel and captures the northern slopes of Hill 226.6. The Leibstandarte advances up the Prokhorovka road and captures the Komsomolets State Farm and becomes engaged in vicious fighting for Hill 241.6. The hill is taken shortly after nightfall. After a gruelling battle of attrition, Das Reich gains only a foothold in the small village of Ivanovskii Vyselok. the II SS Panzer Corps has made slow progress, but enough for Hitler to order that Operation CITADEL be continued. On the Soviet side, the 5th Guards Army arrives at Prokhorovka during the night and the 5th Guards Tank Army moves into assembly areas in the 5th Guards Army's rear.

The Battle of Kursk. July 10, 1943. Two Russian soldiers tensed up and ready for action. By their side lies a dead German soldier.

Russians Ready for Action

A Waffen-SS Tiger I tank scores a direct hit on a Soviet T-34 medium tank during the Battle of Kursk, July 10, 1943. The quality of the optics of the Tiger I and the high velocity 88mm gun it mounted allowed it to devastate targets at long range with great accuracy.

German Tiger I Takes Out a Soviet T-34

Hitler rejects his generals' advice and decides to persevere with the Kursk offensive.[MORE]

New Guinea

The Australians and Americans manage to link up in another sector, cutting the Japanese in Mubo off from Salamaua.

Solomons

The American advance on New Georgia is largely being held by the Japanese and because of the difficult terrain supply is becoming a problem for the combat troops. The battalion pinned down at Enogai Point manages to wipe out Japanese resistance, but is short of rations and drinking water. Supplies have to be dropped by parachute.

Bette Davis Serves Cake To Allied Troops: American actress Bette Davis smiles as she serves a slice of cake to U.S. Army private Vazquez while helping Allied troops in the Stage Door Canteen, New York City, July 10, 1943.

Bette Davis Serving American Soldiers

Sicily

The main Allied landings for Operation HUSKY begin. 160,000 men with 600 tanks set foot on the southeast coast of Sicily. Patton's 7th Army lands in the Gulf of Gela between Licata and Scoglitti. They meet only slight opposition and quickly take Gela, Licata and Vittoria. After taking Gela about 8:00a.m. Americans of the 1st Div and the Rangers encounter powerful counterattacks by the German Hermann Goering and Italian Livorno Divisions. Naval support for the landings come from 6 battleships, 2 carriers, 18 cruisers, 7 submarines and 210 other warships.

In the south where the American 45th Div is in action, Vittoria and Santa Croce Camerina are taken. To the north the US 3rd Div, 2nd Armored Div and Rangers take Licata, including the harbor and airfield, and consolidate their positions, keeping an eye on the movements of the German 15th Pzr Div, whom they have identified between Canicatti and Caltanissetta, and who are reported by American reconnaissance to be moving east.

The British landings between Syracuse and the southwest tip of the island are unopposed and Syracuse is taken by the end of the day. The landings are carried out without much difficulty, thanks to the accurate and intense fire of the warships, and because the defending forces did not expect a landing in such bad weather. 200 landing craft are put out of action because of the rough seas. During the operation British and American fighters from bases in Malta and Pantelleria fly in formation over the landing places to deal with any possible Axis counterattacks.

The bad weather has helped put the Italian coastal divs off their guard and the Allied bombardment has helped complete their demoralization. New equipment has also been used, including LST's and LCT's which enable the armor to be put ashore with the assaulting infantry.

US naval casualties in the landings include the destroyer Maddox (DD-622) sunk by a dive bomber, LST 313 sunk by a horizontal bomber and the minesweeper Sentinel (AM-113) sunk by a dive bomber. Damaged in collisions during the landing operation are destroyers Roe (DD-418) and Swanson (DD-443); attack transport William P. Biddle (APA-8) and the LST 382; and the LST 345 and the submarine chaser PC-611.

The Commander of the 1st Canadian Division, Major General G G Simonds, wading ashore from a landing craft.

Maj-Gen G.G. Simonds

Operation HUSKY: The Sicily Landings 9-10 July 1943: A tractor comes to the rescue of an armoured vehicle which had stuck in the mud temporarily during the invasion of Sicily, several landing craft can be seen in the background at dawn of the opening day of the invasion.

Tractor Rescues an Armored Vehicle

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9-10 July 1943: Instructions being signalled to waiting landing craft by semaphore at dawn of the opening day of the invasion of Sicily. One is LCI (L) 124 the other is an unidentified LCT.

Instructions Signalled by Semaphore

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9-10 July 1943: Troops drying their clothes after the wade ashore during the start of the invasion of Sicily. In the background is part of the Invasion Fleet.

Troops Drying Their Clothes

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9-10 July 1943: Ambulance parties resting after clearing the beach during the start of the invasion of Sicily.

Ambulance Parties Resting

British wounded being treated, and Italian prisoners waiting to be evacuated from the beach on the first day of the invasion of Sicily, 10 July 1943.

British Wounded Being Treated

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9

10 July 1943: View of the Canadian landing sector in the Pozallo area. In the foreground, two rows of barbed wire illustrate the flimsy Italian defences which were easily overcome by Canadian forces. In the background, landing craft unload men and equipment onto the beach.

View of the Canadian Sector

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9

10 July 1943: British troops manhandle vehicles and equipment on the beaches as they are unloaded from landing craft.

Troops Moving Vehicles and Equipment

A British Universal Carrier Mark I comes ashore during the invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943.

A British Mark I Carrier Comes Ashore

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9

10 July 1943: American soldiers drive a US army scout car from a landing craft onto the beach at Licata while under fire. The American sector attracted the first and severest Axis counter attacks.

American Soldiers Drive a US Army Scout Car

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9

10 July 1943: American troops place steel matting over the sandy beach near Scoglitti to provide traction for heavy vehicles. As invasion craft transport supplies and men, Allied warships lie offshore to lay down barrages.

Matting Being Placed for Traction

A US crew checks their Sherman tank after landing at Red Beach 2, Sicily on July 10, 1943

US Crew Checking Out Their Sherman Tank