Air Operations, Bismarcks

• When heavy cloud cover over the target thwarts a planned attack against the Tobera airfield at Rabaul, 45 of 57 V Bomber Command B-24s sent on this mission, escorted by 47 V Fighter Command P-38s, attack the Rapopo airfield at Rabaul, where they destroy an estimated 20 aircraft on the ground.
• 49th and 475th Fighter group P-38s down 13 A6M Zeros and Ki-43 'Oscars' over the Rabaul area between 1215 and 1310 hours.

Air Operations, CBI

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the rail bridge at Meza and 6 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Htawgaw.
• Japanese fighters based in Burma down 3 C-46s along the Hump ferry route.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

A P-40 with the 15th Fighter Group’s 45th Fighter Squadon downs an H8K 'Emily' flying boat near Baker Island at 1220 hours.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 9 V Bomber Command B-25s attack the Bogadjim area.
• 348th Fighter Group P-47s down 6 Japanese fighters near Finschhafen between 1040 and 1045 hours. An 8th Fighter Group P-40 downs a Ki-61 'Tony' fighter over Finschhafen at 1110 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

24 AirSols SBDs, 18 TBFs, and 60 AirSols fighters attack the Kara airfield on Bougainville and antiaircraft batteries. 11 XIII Bomber Command B-24s and 16 XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack the Kahili airfield on Bougainville followed by 6 B-24s and 16 AirSols fighters attacking the same airfield. 24 SBDs, 18 TBFs, and 36 XIII Fighter Command fighters next attack the Kara airfield. 6 B-24s attack Kakasa. 1 aircraft is shot down and another is destroyed in an operational accident.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The US destroyer Duncan (DD-485) and the British destoyer Vidette sink U-274 using 'hedgehog' depthcharge patterns.
• In an engagement in the Bay of Biscay with German torpedo boats the British cruiser Charybdis is sunk by T-23 and T-27. 59 on board are killed and about 400 are missing. 107 are rescued. In the same engagement the British destroyer Limbourne is badly damaged by T-22 with the loss of 42 of her crew. After an unsuccessful attempt at towing, the British destroyer Talybont scuttles her. 103 crewmen are rescued.

Britain, Policy

Churchill sends Adm Mountbatten clear directives about the limits and the objectives of his mandate as Supreme Allied Commander for Southeast Asia.

Diplomatic Relations

The privisional government of India of Subhas Chandra Bose declares war on Britain and the U.S.

Eastern Front

Melitopol falls to the Gen Tolbukhin's 4th Ukraine Front after 10 days of fighting. The thrust from Kremenchug toward Krivoy Rog is still making good progress but slows as the opposition stiffens. The Soviets are now within 20 miles of the town and have cut the railroad to Dnepropetrovsk.

The 6th Army loses control of Melitopol to the 28th Army. With its line broken, 6th Army retreats rapidly to the Dniepr, losing contact with the 17th Army in the Crimea, leaving Jaenecke's force isolated.

English Channel

A German squadron protecting a blockade runner sinks the British cruiser Charbydis and the destroyer Limbourne. The German torpedo boats T-23 and T-27 each put a torpedo into the cruiser sinking her. 520 men are lost.

Italy

In the 5th Army sector Sparanise is taken by the British 56th Div. The 8th Army attacks across the Trigno River northwest of Termoli.

New Britain

Rabaul is raided on both this day and the next. 1 destroyer is sunk in the harbor along with 5 merchant ships.

Scenes from October 23, 1943

Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade run into snipers and machine gun fire. October 23, 1943, Campochiaro, Italy.

Canadians on the Watch for Snipers

Arrival of New Zealand soldiers at Taranto, Italy, during World War II. (Photograph taken by George Frederick Kaye, circa 23 October 1943.)

New Zealand Soldiers Arrive at Taranto

Medic James L. Parks of the 133rd Infantry Regiment carrying a wounded German through the streets of San Angelo d'Alife, Italy, on 23 October 1943.

US Medic Carries Wounded German

A B-24J Liberator, most probably #42-73120, that had just arrived in Australia via New Caledonia made a forced belly landing in a sugar cane field near Sarina in north Queensland on Saturday 23 October 1943. None of the crew were injured during this forced landing. The belly landing was made at night time after encountering bad weather and running out of fuel.

B-24J Makes a Forced Belly Landing