Air Operations, CBI

• 7 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s destroy a rail bridge at Meza.

• 8 14th Air Force P-40s attack an ammunition dump and match factory at Tengchung while 8 other P-40s attack a supply dump and targets of opportunity around Lungling.

• 20 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, escorted by 18 P-40s, attack the Haiphong port area.

Air Operations, East Indies

During the night, V Bomber Command B-25s attack Saumlakki.

Air Operations, Europe

• 206 1st and 3rd Bomb Division B-17s attack rail targets and canals in and around Munster with more than 700 tons of bombs between 1503 and 1518 hours.
• 30 B-17s are lost, 105 damaged; 2 crewmen killed, 306 missing
• A total of 216 P-47s from five VIII Fighter Command groups provide escort and support for the Munster mission. 20 Luftwaffe fighters are downed by the P-47s over the Netherlands and Germany betwen 1204 and 1550 hors.

30 1st Bomb Division B-17s of the 305th and 379th Heavy Bomb Groups go off course and finally attempt to bomb the Twente/Enshede Airdrome. Most of the bombs, however, land in the adjacent town and kill 155 civilians.

XII Bomber Command B-17s attack two airfields at Athens, and B-24s attack the airfields at Calato, Haraklion (Crete), and Maritsa.

NATAF aircraft attack numerous gun emplacements, a variety of road and rail targets, vehicles, and tactical targets throughout the US 5th Army battle area.

Air Operations, Mediterranean

XII Bomber Command P-38s escorting heavy bombers to Greece attack the Antimachia Aircrome, in the Dodecanese Islands, and Axis ships at sea and in several Aegean harbors.

Air Operations, New Guinea

3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s and RAAF aircraft attack defensive positions at Sattelberg.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 5th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Kahili.
• A Japanese Navy air strike against Allied shipping off Vella Lavella results in the sinking of 1 LST. 52 US servicmen are killed or missing.
• A VMF-214 F4U downs an A6M Zero off southeastern Bougainville at 1135 hours.
• 18th and 347th Fighter group P-38s down 5 A6M Zeros over Kahili between 1115 and 1145 hours.
• 347th Fighter Group P-38s down 5 Zeros near Choiseul in a large engagement between 1600 and 1630 hours.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal is mined by a German submarine.

Eastern Front

The Soviets take Dobrush, just to the east of Gomel.

Fighting erupts up on the southern wing of Army Group Center as Rokossovsky's Central Front attacks the Germans around Gomel.

The Southwest Front attacks the Zaporozhe bridgehead in force, its 8th Guards, 3rd Guards and 12th Armies attackin the XL Panzer and XVII Corps. The 12th Army attacks from the north, 8th Guards in the center and 3rd Guards on the left. Fierce fighting erupts as the Germans defend with great vigor.

The Spanish Blue Div, which has fought on the Eastern Front since 1941, is recalled by the Spanish Government. Gen Franco began negotiations with Hitler to withdraw his fighting men from the conflict in the spring of this year due to increased Allied pressure, as well as his own realization that Germany will lose the war on the Eastern Front. However, 3,000 Spaniards will choose to remain on the Eastern Front to carry on fighting.

Italy

Troops from 5th Army enter Portelandalfo, north of Benevento.

Occupied Soviet Union

Hitler orders the transfer of all Russian volunteers serving in the Wehrmacht to western Europe.

Pacific

• The US submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Isuzugawa Maru (4212t) and merchant transport Teibi Maru (10,086t) off Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina.
• The US submarine Kingfish (Ss-234) lays mines off Cape Pepe, Makassar Strait, Celebes.

Scenes from October 10, 1943

"M'lle Zig Zig"

US Soldier in Naples

German Soldiers in Flooded Trenches