AegeanBritish forces occupy Leros and Samos. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, CBICHINA
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, EuropeRAF BOMBER COMMANDEvening Ops:
FRANCE:
ITALY:
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, New Guinea
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Air Operations, Solomons
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Eastern FrontSouthwest of Bryansk the Soviets take Novgorod Seversky and Romny, north and south of Konotop respectively, on the flanks of their advance toward Kiev. The Germans announce the evacuation of Bryansk. Lozovaya, a railroad junction northeast of Pavlograd, is taken and Novorossiysk, in the Kuban falls to Petrov's troops after a terrible struggle. A large part of the German 17th Army has already managed to reach the Crimea across the Kerch Strait. This is the end of the Germans' venture into the Caucasus. CENTRAL SECTORYartsevo falls to the 31st Army after a bloody battle. The 10th Army crosses the Desna and approaches Roslavl while Novgorod Seversky falls to the 60th Army after a long battle. SOUTHERN SECTORLozovaya falls to Soviet 6th Army while Romny falls to the Voronezh Front. In the Kuban, Novorossiysk falls to the 18th Army after a fierce battle. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ItalyVon Vietinghoff orders another attack on the British between Salerno and Battipaglia but it is driven off. By midday Kesselring has authorized a withdrawal to the Volturno line along the Garigliano and Sangro Rivers. In the afternoon the battleship Warspite, which has been providing gunnery support, is hit by 2 glider bombs and seriously damaged. US 5th Army's Field Order No. 2 directs the 180th RCT, reinforced, under army command, to drive on Benevento. In the VI Corps area, the 504th Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, begins an attack to recover Altavilla, during the night. Patrols of the 505th Parachute Infantry find Roccadaspide free of the enemy. In the British 8th Army's XIII Corps area, a 5th Division patrol makes contact with a patrol of the VI Corps and reconnaissance elements of the Canadian 1st Division make contact with British 1st Airborne Division units from the Taranto bridgehead. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() New GuineaLae is taken by the converging attacks of Australian 9th and 7th Divs. Many of the Japanese garrison, some 7,500 men plus the remnants of the garrison of Salamaua decimated in earlier fighting, are able to slip away into the jungle, and head for the north coast of the Huon Peninsula. It takes them a whole month before they reach Sio, on the north coast of the island opposite New Britain. In a major air attack on Wewak the Japanese lose many planes. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Occupied ItalyMarshal Cavallero, ex-Chief of the Italian General Staff, commits suicide. [![]() ![]() Occupied YugoslaviaSplit is occupied by Tito's Partisans. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() PacificThe Japanese gunboat Seikai Maru (2663t) is sunk by a mine laid by the US submarine Silversides (SS-236) on June 4 off Kavieng. [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() SolomonsOn Arundel, the 27th Infantry, assisted by tanks, bagins a coordinated drive southeastward toward the 172nd Infantry's block at the base of the Stima Peninsula. The 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry, suspends its attack on Sagekarasa, while fire is placed on enemy positions. At a conference of Allied commanders at Port Moresby, New Guinea, Gen MacArthur maintains that it is necessary to establish a beachhead on Bougainville as quickly as possible and build up a big base there which would give the Allies control over the whole Southwest Pacific and enable them to break out towards the Central Pacific. > [![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Pics from September 16, 1943
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[September 15th - September 17th] |