Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Fighter Command P-40s attack Gasmata and 2 Japanese cruisers off Kavieng.

Air Operations, CBI

• 6 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack a barracks at Nawlang.

• 6 14th Air Force P-40s attack a barracks at Kunlong.

Air Operations, Europe

An American P-40 squadron destroys a Stuka formation about to attack Yugoslav Partisans.

• 11 Mosquitos are sent to Emden, the Bruderich steelworks at Düsseldorf and Dortmund. All targets are bombed without a loss.

XII Bomber Command B-17s attack rail and road bridges.

• XII Bomber Command B-17s attack a rail viaduct at Terni.
• XII Bomber Command B-24s attack a rail bridge at Orvieto.
• XII Bomber Command B-25s and B-26s attack bridges at Acquapendente and Montalto di Castro, and the rail line at Orbetello.
• XII Bomber Command P-38s attack a radar station at Pellegrino.
• NATAF A-20s and B-25s attack the town area, a rail line, and troop concentrations at Cassino.

• XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers attack numerous tactical, rail, and road targets in and around the battle area.
• P-40s of the 33rd Fighter Group's 66th Fighter Squadron down 6 Ju-87s in an engagement at 0755 hours.
• P-38s of the 1st and 82nd Fighter Groups down 8 Luftwaffe fighters over Orvieto between 1145 hours and noon.
• P-39s of the 350th Fighter Group's 345th Fighter Squadron score their first victory when they intercept Luftwaffe night raiders over a convoy off Cape Tenos and down 1 He-111 and damage another.

• XII Bomber Command P-38 fighter-bombers attack a marshalling yard at Skoplje.
• NATAF aircraft attack Axis ships at sea off the Dalmatian coast.

Air Operations, New Guinea

More than 50 V Bomber Command B-24s and 19 B-25s attack Sattelberg from high and low altitudes, respectively. Other B-25s sweep roads around Bogadjim.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 12 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s, escorted by 36 fighters, attack the Kara airfield on Bougainville. 3 Navy PVs also attack the Kara airfield.
• VF-33 and VF-38 F6Fs down 2 A6M Zeros between Bougainville and Choiseul at 1000 hours.

Britain, Home Front

The First Sea Lord Adm Sir Dudley Pound dies at age 66.

India

Lord Wavell is installed as viceroy of India.

Mediterranean

German planes attack Convoy MKS-38, strafing and torpedoing the US freighter Tivives (4596t) about 15 miles off Cape Tenes, Algeria. 1 of the 48-man crew and 1 of the 25-man Armed Guard are lost in the attack. The Free French-manned British corvette Lamalouine rescues the survivors.

Mediterranean, Command

Adm Sir John Cunningham succeeds Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham in command of the RN forces in the Mediterranean.

Occupied Malaya

Subhas Chandra Bose forms the pro-Axis provisional government of Azad Hied ('Free India') at Singapore. His proclamation says its aim is to 'bring about the expulsion of the British and their Allies from India.'

Occupied Philippines

(14th?)Japan grants 'independence' to the Philippines, but has little real value as the islands remain under Japanese jurisdiction.

Scenes from October 21, 1943

5-in Guns Fire during a Night Attack

Embarkation of 3rd Marine Division

First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound