Air Operations, East Indies

During the night, 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack the Laha airfield on Ceram.

Air Operations, Europe

• 8 Mosquitos are sent to Cologne and Duisburg, 20 Stirlings and 14 Wellingtons lay mines south of Texel and off Brest and the Biscay ports, and there are 13 OTU sorties.
• 2 mine-laying Stirlings are lost.

Air Operations, Mediterranean

• A P-39 with the 350th Fighter Group's 346th Fighter Squadron downs 1 Ju-88 recon bomber at sea 100 miles off the coast from Cherchell, Algeria, at 1355 hours.
• A 52nd Fighter Group Spitfire downs a Bf-109 40 miles northeast of Palermo at 1740 hours.

Air Operations, Sicily

• NASAF B-17s attack the coastal roads leading to Messina.
• NASAF B-25s attack rail bridges and road junctions.
• NATAF aircraft attack frontline targets, including Axis-occupied towns.
• NAAF and IX Fighter Command fighter-bombers moutn aggressive anti-shipping sweeps and attacks from Vito Valentia to the Straits of Messina, and in direct support of attacks by British 8th Army ground forces.
• IX Bomber Command attack Axis-held towns north of the Biancaville-Adrano road.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 24 XIII Bomber Command B-17s and B-24s, 24 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, and more than 50 Marine Corps F4Us and SBDs attack Rekata Bay.
• 20 XIII Fighter Command P-39s and P-40s attack Tanagaba Harbor.
• VMF-214 and VMF-221 F4Us down 6 A6M Zeros and 2 E13A 'Jake' reconnaissand floatplanes over and around Morgusaisai Island at 0920 hours.

Axis Politics

German and Italian representatives meet at Verona(?Tarvisio, on the border between Italy and Austria). The purpose of the meeting is to clarify relations between the 2 countries. Foreign Ministers Ribbentrop and Guaniglia and the Chiefs of Staff Keitel and Ambrosia are present. The Italians try to assure the Germans that they are not negotiating with the Allies. The fact that neither of the leading German delegates is in the first rank of the Nazi hierarchy shows that the Germans attach little importance to the conference.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German submarine U-615 is sunk by US naval land-based aircraft (VB-130, VP-204, VP-205) and Army aircraft in the Caribbean.

Eastern Front

In Moscow 120 guns fire 12 salvos in honor of the forces that liberated Orel and Belgorod. The daily bulletin announces that Kromy, 25 miles southwest of Orel, and 70 other places have been liberated, and that the great offensive in the direction of Kharkov is developing favorably. The Soviets also capture Zolochev, northwest of Kharkov.

The 9th Army falls back upon the Hagen line, Kromy being given up to the advancing 13th Army.

During the early hours of the morning the 1st Tank Army launches an attack aimed at isolating the Germans at Borisovka. Lead units of the 27th Army, supporting the attack, smashes the Germans aside and drives upon Grayvoron. Near the town elements of the LII Corps launch a counterattack.

The 5th Guards Tank Army attacks the redeploying III Panzer Corps near Zolochev and becomes embroils in heavy fighting. The ferocity of the German defense halts further Soviet progress.

Italy

German reinforcements begin arriving in Italy. Hitler orders four operations: the rescue of Mussolini from imprisonment by the new Italian government, the formation of a strong defense line, the revival of fascism, and the seizure of the Italian fleet. Hitler also wishes to occupy as much of Italy as possible, using it as a bastion to keep the war as far away from Germany as possible.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Parthian is lost in the South Adriatic probably to a mine with the loss of her entire crew of 65. She is due to arrive in Beirut on the 11th.

US 16th Infantry on Patrol

Sicily

At first light the 16th Regiment of the American 1st Div finally enters Troina after 5 days of heavy fighting. The British 78th Div take the important position of Adrana.[MORE]

Italian Weapons in Palermo

Solomons

During the night the Battle of the Gulf of Vella takes place. 6 US destroyers under the command of Commodore F. Moosbrugger meet 4 Japanese destroyers having sailed from Rabaul carrying men and supplies to Kolombangara in Vela Gulf. The engagement lasts until a little after midnight and ends in a brilliant victory for the Americans. 3 of the Japanese ships, the Kawakaze, the Hagikaze and the Arashi, are sunk by torpedoes while the Americans suffer no damage. About 300 Japanese manage to reach Vella Lavella in the one remaining destroyer, and are later transferred to Kolombangara. About 1,500 others, soldiers and seamen, lose their lives.

United States, Planning

JCS planners present an outline of operations in the Pacific from the present to the end of 1944. MacArthur's mission in the Southwest Pacific Area is to neutralize Rabaul and advance west along the north coast of New Guinea to the Vogelkop Peninsula. British forces will conduct an offensive in Burma to open the overland route to China. Forces in Nimitz's Central Pacific Area will attack to seize the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and then advance to capture the Japanese naval base at Truk. An assault on the Palau Islands will follow. Airbases will be established in China to mount an air offensive against the Japanese home islands. The outline provides no direction for either the SWPA or Central Pacific Area forces after accomplishing these objectives, nor are any details provided concerning how US bombers will be supplied in China.