Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-24s mount individual attacks against Unea Island and Cape Gloucester.

Air Operations, CBI

• 24 Japanese bombers and 39 fighters are intercepted over Hengyang by 15 23rd Fighter Group P-40s at 0945 hours. The P-40s down 4 bombers and 3 A6M Zeros, but 2 P-40s are also lost.

Air Operations, Europe

The 8th Air Force raids the Fieseler aircraft works at Kassel.

• 273 aircraft are sent to the previously umbombed town of Remscheid on the southern edge of the Ruhr. In this total are 95 Halifaxes, 87 Stirlings, 82 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos.
• The target city is the center of the German machine-tool industry. Only 26 people have been killed in Remscheid by stray bombs during the last 3 years. This raid marks the true end of the Battle of the Ruhr.
• 8 Stirlings, 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters are lost.

• 8 aircraft lay mines in the Frisians without a loss.

Devastation in Hamburg

Scenes of Total Devastation in Hamburg

Scenes of Total Devastation in Hamburg

• Of 119 1st Heavy Bomb Wing B-17s dispatched, 94 attack Kassel's Bettenhausen Fieseler Aircraft factory, and 40 of 67 4th Heavy Bomb Wing B-17s attack the Waldau Fieseler Aircraft factory, also in Kassel, between 0900 and 0930 hours.
• 12 B-17s are lost, 82 damaged, 5 in crashes; 11 crewmen killed, 17 wounded, 97 missing
• 107 P-47s of the 4th, 56th, and 78th Fighter Groups, on long-range escort, down 24 Luftwaffe fighters over German and the Netherlands.

• NASAF B-17s attack Grottaglie Airdrome.
• NASAF B-25s attack Pratica di Mari Airdrome.
• 3 Axis fighters are damaged and 1 Bf-109 is downed in a melee with 82nd Fighter Group P-38s over Pratica di Mare about 1050 hours.

• On their unit's first combat mission of the war, 11 or 24 B-26s sent by the 386th Medium Bomb Group attack the Woensdrecht Airdrome abou 0700 hours with about 13 tons of bombs. Gunners of the bombers claim 6 Luftwaffe downed and 5 probables.
• 1 B-26 is lost, 5 damaged

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-24s attack Kela and Salamaua. B-25s attack villages in the Finschhafen area and barges off the Huon Peninsula. 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s also attack barges.

Air Operations, Sardinia

• While undertaking a fighter sweep over the island, 20 P-40s of the 325th Fighter Group's 317th Fighter Squadron and 16 from the 319th Fighter Squadron are attacked by 40 Bf-109s about 0950 hours. During the 35 minute air battle, 21 Bf-109s are shot down.
• 1 P-40 is lost

Air Operations, Sicily

• While moving from Tunisia to Sicily, 2 5th Fighter Squadron Spitfires each down 1 FW-190 about 30 miles northeast of Bizerte.
• NATAF A-20s attack gun emplacements near the battle area.
• About 100 IX Fighter Command P-40s attack shipping at Messina, Milazzo, and Riposto, and targets of opportunity throughout the battle area.

Air Operations, Solomons

9 XIII Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by 62 AirSols fighters, attack the airfield at Ballale.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-43 is caught refueling U-403 by an F4F/Avenger from VC-29 of the US carrier Santee (CVE-29). U-403 dives to safety, but as U-43 began diving the Avenger dropped a Fido. Moments later there is a massive underwater explosion. The U-boat had been carrying mines which were to be dropped off Lagos. Thus the massive explosion.

U-43 Class Type IX CO Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim Schwantke Location Atlantic, SW of the Azores Cause Air attack Casualties 55 Survivors None

U-461 Class Type XIV CO Kapitänleutnant Wolf-Harro Stiebler Location Atlantic, NW of Cape Ortegal Cause Air attack Casualties 53 Survivors None

• Several Allied units are hunting in the Bay of Biscay when a strong signal is picked by the British sloop Wild Goose. Several aircraft are alerted and they spot three U-boats in line abreast. A Halifax of No 502 Squadron damages U-462 so she cannot dive. The US Liberator 'O' of the 53rd Squadron attacks low but is bady damaged and has to head for safety. Because of the diversion caused by the Liberator's attack, Sunderland 'U' of No 461 Squadron attacks U-461 and she goes down quickly. Meanwhile several of the ships of the 2nd Support Group reach the area and begin firing at U-462. The submarine is badly damaged and the commanded decides to scuttle. The third U-boat, U-504, goes deep after the shells started falling. A series of creeping attacks are launched by the British sloop Woodpecker and Wild Goose resulting in the usual grim evidence comes to the surface.

U-462 Class Type XIV CO Oberleutnant zur See Bruno Vowe Location Atlantic, NW of Cape Ortegal Cause Air attack Casualties 1 Survivors 53

U-504 Class Type IXC/40 CO Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Luis Location Atlantic, NW of Cape Ortegal Cause Depth charge Casualties 53 Survivors None

• The German submarine U-591 is sunk by US naval land-based aircraft (VB-127) off Brazil.

U-591

Class	Type VIIC
CO	Oberleutnant zur See Reimar Ziesmer
Location	S Atlantic, SE of Recife
Cause	Air attack
Casualties	19
Survivors	28

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Eastern Front

After their initial attacks, von Kleist's Army Group A loses the initiative, which passes to the troops under Tolbukhin and Malinovsky.

SOUTHERN SECTOR


Hollidt's 6th Army repulses the South Front probes and restores its positions along the Mius and in the northeast Donbas. The III Panzer Corps, transferred away from Detachment Kempf during these battles, has lost a considerable number of men and tanks, as has the II SS Panzer Corps.

The Voronezh Front begins to hand over part of its sector to the Steppe Front. Deploying the 69th, 38th, 40th, 6th Guards, 7th Guards and 1st Tank Armies, the Voronezh Front gives the 69th Army and 7th Guards over to the Steppe Front while the Steppe Front gives its 27th Army up to the Voronezh Front. The 47th Army remains in reserve to support either front as required.

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Mediterranean

The German submarine U-375 is sunk by the submarine chaser PC-624 off Tunisia.

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New Georgia

In New Georgia the Americans take Bartley Ridge and repulse violent Japanese counter-attacks.

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Australian Corporal Leslie “Bull” Allen bringing down an American G.I during the battle of Mount Tambu, July 30, 1943. Corporal Allen personally saved the lives of 12 American G.I during the battle of Mount Tambu and received the American Silver Star for his actions.

Australian Bringing Down US Soldier

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Sicily

The American forces are heavily engaged on the outskirts of Santo Stefano and Troina. On the coast road the US 45th Div is heavily engaged by the German rearguards covering Santo Stefano. On the British front, at first light, Catenanouva is taken. Off the west coast the Egadi Islands surrender.[MORE]

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