Air Operations, CBI

• 2 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and 4 23rd Fighter Group P-40s attack a Japanese gunboat at Fort Bayard.

Air Operations, Europe

XII Bomber Command B-25s, B-26s, and P-38s, and NATAF aircraft mount numerous attacks on a variety of tactical targets throughout southern and south-central Italy.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s mount several light raids.
• A 475th Fighter Group P-38 downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber near Finschhafen at 0845 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 16 XIII Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by nearly 30 AirSols fighters, attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville.
• 6 B-25s attack Kakasa.
• A VMF-222 F4U downs an A6M Zero near Vella Lavella at 1530 hours.
• A P-38 with the 347th Fighter Group’s 339th Fighter Squadron downs 2 A6M Zeros between Kahili and Vella Lavella between 1525 and 1540 hours.

Eastern Front

The Soviet government announces that the Red Army is advancing on Kiev in the Ukraine and on Vitebsk, Gomel and Mogilev in Belorussia. September has seen the liberation of large regions. October will see the crossing of the Dniepr, but also much more determined resistance by the Germans. The Soviets take Krichev on the River Sozh.

In the siege of Leningrad 11,394 shells fall on the city in September killing 124 and wounding 468.

The Germans have retreated behind the Dnieper, and the Red Army has again achieved great successes, liberating many towns and inflicting losses of 230,000 on the Germans. However, the Red Army's tactics have left a lot to be desired, often relying on mass to achieve results. The cost has again been high: in five days the Voronezh, Steppe and Central Fronts have suffered a staggering combined total of 102,500 killed and missing.

Army Group South has completed the evacuation of 200,000 wounded soldiers west over the Dnieper River.[MORE]

Italy

Despite the truce heavy fighting continues in Naples. About 11:00a.m. comes the news that the Allies are at the gates in the southern part of the city.

Advance units of X Corps reach the outskirts of Naples. The British V Corps has surrounded Vesuvius. Inland the VI Corps Americans take Avellino.

Badoglio forms a new Cabinet, composed, with one exception, of top-ranking military and naval officers.

Japan, Planning

Japanese Imperial Headquarters issues an order to subordinate units to make every effort to hold the important southeastern area extending eastward from the eastern part of New Guinea to the Solomon Islands by repulsing all enemy attacks in the area. To accomplish this, Rabaul is considered as the center and every effort will be made for a protracted defense of important positions in the Bismarck Archipelago and on Bougainville. The Japanese realize that important positions in northern New Guinea area must be reinforced. Air and naval forces will be used to destroy the attacking enemy before landings are made. If landings are successful, the enemy must be destroyed as quickly as possible before any consolidation of the beachhead. Supply lines that can transport supplies to outposts rapidly, especially in New Guinea, must be maintained.

Occupied Denmark

Atomic physicist Niels Bohr escapes to Sweden. The Nazis begin rounding up Danish Jews.

Pacific

• The US submarine Bowfin (SS-287) delivers supplies and evacuates people from Siquijor Island, P. I., and sinks the small Japanese cargo ship Mitake Maru.
• The US submarine Harder (SS-257) sinks the Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No. 3 Shosei Maru about 300 miles east of Yokohama, Japan.
• The US submarine Pogy (SS-266) sinks the Japanese army transport Maebashi Maru (7005t) 300 miles east of Palau.

Pics from September 30, 1943

Wounded German Soldier Discovered by Americans

The 'Squid'

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