Air Operations, Europe
RAF BOMBER COMMANDEvening Ops:
- 5 Mosquitos are sent to Aachen and 4 each to Cologne and Hamborn. There are also 4 OTU sorties.
- There are no losses.
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]Air Operations, New Guinea
V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfields at But and Dagua and several other targets in the Wewak area.
[ | ]Air Operations, Pacific
The Japanese airstrips at Wewak are struck once again by US aircraft. More than 60 Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground and, offshore, 6 Japanese ships are sunk.
[ | ]Air Operations, Solomons
- 21 XIII Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by 14 XIII Fighter Command P-38s, attack a bivouac area near Kahili.
- 50 AirSols SBDs and 45 AirSols fighters attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville and gun batteries.
- A VMF-214 F4U downs an A6M Zero at 1435 hours.
| ]Corsica
The Free French occupy Ghisonaccia airfield.
[ | ]Eastern Front
NORTHERN SECTORThe Soviets continue to pierce the Dnieper line, the 38th Army crossing north of Kiev at Lyutezh and the 6th Army at Dnepropetrovsk. The 4th Panzer "Army's XIII Corps attacks at Lyutezh to eradicate the bridgehead but fails. The German 6th Army comes under heavy attack from the 5th Shock, 2nd Guards, 28th and 44th Armies of the Southern Front.
CENTRAL SECTORKhotimsk falls to the Bryansk Front.
SOUTHERN SECTORThe Soviet 3rd Airborne Brigade suffers a crushing defeat at Bukrin. Dropped during the night, the 3rd was unfortunate to land in the midst of the XLVIII Panzer Corps and is virtually destroyed. The 5th Airborne Brigade, also dropped into the bridgehead, suffers heavy casualties.
Soviet Cavalry on the March |
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Red Flyers about to Take Off on a Bombing Mission |
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The 38th Army crosses the Dniepr north of Kiev, establishing a small bridgehead around Lyutezh. Hauffe's XIII Corps (4th Panzer Army) launches a furious counterattack and almost smashes the 38th, but the Soviets are able to hang on.
Soviet 6th Army crosses the Dniepr near Dnepropetrovsk and establishes 2 small bridgeheads. The South Front unleashes a new attack on the Nogaisk Steppe, 5th Shock, 44th and 2nd Guards Armies crashing into Hollidt's 6th Army. South of Melitopol the 28th Army surges forward, heavy fighting erupting along the Molochnaya River.
With the Dniepr line falling apart, the Soviets prepare to begin the Lower Dniepr Operation. Aimed at breaking German resistance in the Dniepr elbow, the Stavka has amassed considerable forces. Steppe Front deploys 463,000 men, Southwest Front 461,000 and the South Front 581,000 for this next operation.
[ | ]English Channel
During the night British MGBs and Dutch MTBs attack a German convoy in the English Channel. 2 cargo ships and a patrol boat are sunk.
[ | ]Italy
The attack of the British X Corps today meets no resistance because the Germans have withdrawn, having won enough time for their forces farther inland to pull back. They have left behind many demolitions and booby traps which prove a real hindrance. To the east, patrols from XIII Corps of 8th Army enter Canosa on the Ofanto River.
[ | ]Mediterranean
The British destroyer Intrepid and the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga are sunk by Ju-88s at Port Laki, Leros. 14 are lost on the Intrepid, 70 on the Vasilissa Olga. The British motor launches ML-356, ML-836 and ML-354 rescue survivors from both ships.
[ | ]New Guinea
The Japanese mount a series of counterattacks on the Australians around Finschafen(Finschhafen?) but they are unsuccessful.
[ | ]Singapore
During the night, using canoes for covert night-time deployment, 6 Australian Special Forces soldiers let by Maj Ivan Lyon penetrate Japanese shipping in Singapore harbor and place limpet mines on select vessels. 2 Japanese transports are sunk, and a 5 more are damaged.
[ | ]Pics from September 26, 1943
Royal Engineers constructing a bridge |
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Preparing for Counterattack |
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Volcano Eruption |
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