Aegean

In Operation EISBÄR (POLAR BEAR) the Germans land on Cos(Kos?), which has been used as an RAF base. They complete the capture on October 4 and take 1,388 British and 3,145 Italians prisoner. The loss of this island, the only Allied air base in the Aegean, endangers the Allied hold on Leros and Samos.

During the German invasion of Kos, a vessel is attacked by three Bristol Beaufighters, possibly of No. 227 Squadron, on October 3, 1943. The lead aircraft has just been shot down.

German Vessel Under Attack

Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-25s attack barges along New Britain’s west coast.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a coastal freighter at sea.
• 7 14th Air Force P-40s attack a large river vessel near Chiuchiang whle 4 P-38s attack docks at Chiuchiang.

Air Operations, Europe

• 547 aircraft are sent to Kassel. Included in this total are 223 Halifaxes, 204 Lancasters, 113 Stirlings and 7 Mosquitos.
• The H₂S 'blind marker' aircraft overshoot the aiming point badly and the 'visual markers' cannot correct this because of ground haze. There may also have been German decoy markers present. The main bombing falls on the western suburbs and outlying towns and villages.
• 14 Halifaxes, 6 Stirlings and 4 Lancasters are lost.

• 10 Mosquitos are sent on a diversionary raid to Hannover, 12 Oboe Mosquitos are sent to attack the Knapsack power station near Cologne, and 4 more on Mark II Oboe trial runs to Aachen. Also, 7 Stirlings lay mines in the Frisians and there are 7 OTU sorties.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Solomons

• XIII Fighter Command P-39s attack barges near Choiseul.
• VMF-222 F4Us down 6 A6M Zeros over Vella Lavella at 0800 hours.

China

There is a new Japanese drive on a broad front in central China.

Italy

In the VI Corps sector the 34th Div and the 133rd Inf Regt take Benevento and establish a bridgehead across the Calore River.

In the Termoli sector the Germans send reinforcements, the 16th Pzr Div which was operating on the Volturno, in an attempt to drive the British back across the Biferno River, and a fierce battle begins. During the night a brigade of the 78th Div lands in the sector in which the British have captured. Meanwhile the Canadian 1st Div, held up by the terrain, is about 12 miles from Vinchiaturo.

The 3rd Panzergrenadier Div takes the place of the 16th Panzer on the Volturno.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Usurper is lost probably on a mine in the northern part of the Gulf of Genoa. She fails to arrive in Algiers on the 12th and is presumed lost with all 41 of her crew.

Pacific

The US destroyer Henley (DD-391) is sunk by a submarine torpedo in the eastern New Guinea area.