Air Operations, Aleutians

28th Composite Bomb Group bombers join a US Navy task force in the preinvasion bombardment of Kiska. 8 B-24s, 9 B-25s, and 8 343rd Fighter Group P-38s attack the island in two waves.

Air Operations, Europe

• 740 aircraft are sent to Hamburg. In this total are 329 Lancasters, 235 Halifaxes, 105 Stirlings, 66 Wellingtons and 5 Mosquitos.
• The bombing force runs into a large thunderstorm area over Germany. Many of the crews turn back early or bomb alternate targets. At least 4 aircraft are lost because of icing, turbulence or are struck by lightning. No Pathfinder marking is possible at Hamburg and only scattered bombing takes place there. Many other towns in a 100-mile area of northern Germany receive bombs from this raid. A sizeable raid develops on the small town of Elmshorn, 12 miles from Hamburg. It is believed that a flash of lightning set a house on fire there. Bomber crews see the fire through a gap in the clouds and drop their loads there.
• 13 Lancasters, 10 Halifaxes, 4 Wellingtons and 3 Stirlings are lost.

Aftermath of the Bombing of Hamburg

Photo #1 after Hamburg Bombing

Photo #2 after Hamburg Bombing

Photo #3 after Hamburg Bombing

Photo #4 after Hamburg Bombing

Lucky Escape for Stirling and Halifax Crews

This Halifax was lucky to make it home after being attacked by a Ju88 over Hamburg.

Halifax and Crew

At first glance, nothing appears wrong with this Stirling, but a six-foot section missing from the right wing is testimony to a lucky escape after a collision with a German night-fighter.

Sterling and Crew

• 5 Mosquitos are sent to Duisburg, 6 Wellingtons lay mines in the Elbe River and there are 12 OTU sorties.
• 1 Wellington mine-layer is lost.
• The 'Battle of Hamburg' ends with night raids by 425 RAF bombers in very bad weather. 30 planes are lost. In the bombing of Hamburg by the RAF 2,752 planes dropped a total of 8,621 tons of bombs. Casualties include about 42,600 killed and 37,000 seriously wounded. 580 factories are hit, 170,000 tons of shipping and 3 U-boats are lost.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 43rd Heavy Bomb Group B-17s attack supply dumps at Hansa Bay and targets of opportunity along the Francisco River.
• V Bomber Command B-17s and B-24s attack the harbor at Lae, Salamaua, and the Voco Point area and B-25s attack barges between Bogadjim and Lae and elsewhere along the coast.
• P-38s from the 49th Fighter Group’s 9th Fighter Squadron down 11 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters near Saidor at 1310 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 6 XIII Bomber Command B-17s and 12 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, escorted by XIII Fighter Command P-40s, attack the Bairoko Harbor area.
• 13th Air Force B-24s, B-25s, and P-40s, and Marine Corps F4Us attack the Webster Cove area.

Aleutians

The Americans bombard Kiska with 2 battleships, 5 cruisers and 9 destroyers, yet again unaware that the Japanese have gone. Kiska is also being bombed every day from the air. Between August 2 and August 15, the scheduled date of the landing, the island will be shelled from the sea 10 more times.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine U-706 is sunk in the eastern Atlantic by US Army aircraft.

China

Pres Lin Sen dies at the age of 81. | ]

Diplomatic Relations

The Italian Ambassador in Lisbon contacts Allied representatives.

Eastern Front

The Russian offensive continues on all fronts. On the Orel front the Soviets take Znamenskaya.[MORE]

Red Army troops following T-34 tanks, in a counter-offensive on German positions, at the Battle of Kursk, August 1943

Action at the Battle of Kursk

Italy, Home Front

A message from the Allies to the people of Italy, broadcast from Algiers, announces the imminent invasion of the peninsula by the British and Americans.

Burning Treblinka II perimeter during the prisoner uprising, 2 August 1943. Barracks were set ablaze, including a tank of petrol which exploded set fire to the surrounding structures. This clandestine photograph was taken by Treblinka Railway Staionmaster Franciszek Zabecki.

Prisoner Uprising at Treblinka

Pacific

• (when?)PT-109 is sunk in the Solomon Islands area after a collision with an enemy ship.
• US Army aircraft sink two Japanese torpedo boats, Nos. 112 and 113, near Lae, New Guinea.

Sicily

The American 1st Div continues its attacks on Troina which is resolutely defended by the Axis troops. The advance of the US 3rd Div along the coast road is slowed down a good deal by minefields, the destruction of bridges and similar obstacles.

In the British sector the Canadians take Regalbuto and the British 78th Div fights its way into Centuripe. The Gerbini airfield complex is also captured.

Solomons

The Americans on New Georgia are now fighting on the edge of the Munda airfield. The Japanese have decided not to reinforce the island any more and are concentrating instead on Kolombangara. They are able to withdraw some of their forces to Kolombangara from New Georgia. Meanwhile another American infantry division, the 37th, has landed on the island.