Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-17s and B-24s attack the Cape Gloucester airfield and targets in the area on New Britain.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack rail facilities at Monywa.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s mount light attacks against Penfoei (Timor) and Amboina and Selaroe islands in the Molucca Islands.

Air Operations, Gilberts

20 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s leaving from the airfields at Canton Island and Funafuti attack and photograph Tarawa and Abemama atolls. 1 B-24 is lost to Japanese Navy fighters.

Air Operations, Europe

Of 144 3rd Medium Bomb Wing B-26s dispatched attack the Lille/Nord and Merville Airdromes, only 18 from the 386th Medium Bomb Group attack Lille/Nord with 26 tons of bombs at 1139 hours.

NATAF aircraft mount numerous attacks on rail and road targets around the expanding Salerno beachhead.

Air Operations, Gilberts

20 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s leaving from the airfields at Canton Island and Funafuti attack and photograph Tarawa and Abemama atolls. 1 B-24 is lost to Japanese Navy fighters.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s and B-26s mount preinvasion strikes against Finschhafen, which is to be assaulted from the sea on September 22.
• The airfield at Kaiapit is seized by an Australian Army infantry company and held against several counterattacks.

Air Operations, Solomons

42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s and AirSols SBDs attack the Vila airfield on Kolombangara, a causeway, an ammunition dump, and troop emplacements. B-25s also attack Ringa Cove and Webster Cove.

Battle of the Atlantic

• Over the next few days 20 U-boats are deployed against convoys ON-202 and ONS-18. The Germans claim outstanding successes with acoustic torpedoes against the escorting warships. They claim 12 sunk and 3 probably sunk, but only 4 are actually hit. 7 merchant ships are sunk. 3 U-boats are lost.
• Liberator 'A' of No 10 Squadron RCAF is patrolling around Convoy ONS-18 when a surfaced U-boat is seen. On the second pass over U-341 the aircraft drops six depth charges which exploded along side the submarine. A second explostion occurs at the U-boat's bow causing her to slow, stop and then sink.

U-341

Central Pacific

Tarawa is again attacked by land-based Liberator bombers.

Eastern Front

Further great victories are announced by Stalin. The Kalinin Front under Yeremenko and the West Front under Sokolovsky continue their attacks against von Kluge's Army Group Center liberating Yartsevo and Dukovschina to the northeast of the Smolensk. In the southern sector the Germans withdraw on to the Dniepr, giving up Priluki, Piryatin, Lubny, Khorol and Krasnograd to the Russians.

Italy

In the British 8th Army area, XIII Corps reaches the line Auletta-Potenza as the 5th British Division occupies the former the the 1st Canadian Division the latter. From there, light forces are to clear to the line Altamura-Potenza, then continue to Spinazzola and Melfi.

The US 5th Army gains firm control of the Salerno plain. The 45th Division occupies the high ground overlooking Eboli. Unit so fhte 36th Division take Sere and Ponte Sele.

The Germans, in one of their reprisal measures, burn down Boves, in Cuneo province, and kill 32 civilians. The episode sparks off the partisan struggle in Italy.

New Guinea

After some hard fighting the Australians take Kaiapit and drive off repeated Japanese counterattacks.

Pacific

• The US submarine Harder (SS-257) sinks the Japanese merchant cargo ship Kachiyama Maru southwest of Kushimoto, Japan.
• The US submarine Scamp (SS-277) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Katsura Maru (1368t).

Images from September 19, 1943

Seabees Constructing Quonset Hut

Australian Poet and War Correspondent Ken Slessor

Surgery Near the Front

After the Capture of Lae

F4Fs of VMF-441 at Nanumea

Montgomery and Senior Officers at Vasto