Air Operations, Bismarcks

• 5th Air Force bombers and fighters open a pre-invasion bombardment campaign against Japanese Army defenses and facilities in western New Britain.
• 9 V Bomber Command B-25s and 18 RAAF Kittyhawks attack Gasmata and photograph a wide area around Gasmata.

Air Operations, CBI

• During the night, 1 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24 sows mines in the Rangoon River.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

Japanese Navy bombers attack the airfield at Funafuti, where 2 aircraft are destroyed on the ground.

Air Operations, Europe

• 9 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin and 8 Oboe Mosquitos are sent to hit the blast furnaces at Bochum.
• There are no losses.

Air Operations, Gilberts

• 18 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at or staging through the airfields at Funafuti and Nanomea attack Betio Island with 27.5 tons of general-purpose bombs and 126 20-pound fragmentation bombs. There is no opposition from Japanese Navy fighters, but antiaircraft coverage is intense and 1 B-24 is downed.
• During the night, US Navy Task Force 57 land-based bombers attack targets at Tarawa and Makin atolls and Nauru Island.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in the Ellice Islands attack the airfield at Mille.
• VD-3 PB4Ys based at Canton Island and staging through the Ellice Islands mount their first photo-reconnaissance missions to the Wotje and Maloelap atolls.

Air Operations, New Guinea

Nearly 120 V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack Alexishafen, B-24s attack Kaukenau and Timoeka, and V Fighter Command P-40s strafe targets in and around Alexishafen.

Air Operations, Pacific

Flying Fortresses form Funafuti bomb Tarawa Atoll in the first attack in preparation for the coming landings. There is little resistance from fighters but, there is a powerful anti-aircraft barrage. These attacks are repeated daily for the next week.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 17 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Bonis airfield on Bougainville while 6 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Buka airfield at low level.
• During the night, 6th Night Fighter Squadron P-70s mount night harassing missions against the Bonis and Kahili airfields on Bougainville and targets in the Shortland Islands.
• A VMF(N)-531 PV night-fighter crew downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber 50 miles southwest of Cape Torokina at 0420 hours. This is the US Marine Corps’ first night victory, and the first by a PV.

Diplomatic Relations

The Allies officially recognize the 'status' of Italy as a 'co-belligerent nation'.

Eastern Front

The Soviets complete the capture of Zhitomir and begin to extend their advance north toward Korosten.

The Kiev offensive has in 10 days cost the 1st Ukrainian Front 6,500 killed and 24,000 wounded.

Italy

Gen Mark Clark, Commander of the US 5th Army, tells Alexander that any further attempts by the Allies to advance in the prevailing conditions can only lead to the pointless sacrifice of his divisions, particularly of the British 56th and the American 3rd Divs. The Americans take Liberi and Alvignano.

Mediterranean

• Germans land on the islands of Krk, Cres, and Losingj off the Yugoslav coast.
• The British destroyer Dulverton is sunk by German bombing off Kos with the loss of 78 of her crew. 109 men are rescued by the British destroyers Belvoir and Echo.

Occupied France

French Resistance attack the SRO ball-bearing factory at Annecy.

Pacific

The build-up for the US offensive against the Gilbert and Marshall Islands began back in January with the assembly of troops, ships and aircraft in Hawaii, the Fijian Islands and New Hebrides. The force now arraigned against the Japanese fores in the Marshall Islands is enormous, and includes 8 aircraft carriers and more than 100,000 troops, The first operations, against the Gilbert Islands, are under the overall command of the Commander Central Pacific Force, Vice-Adm R. A. Spruance. The southern group for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands sails from the New Hebrides.

Solomons

The third wave of the US landing force, the remainder of the 37th Inf Div and the 21st Marines, begins to disembark on Bougainville. US troops levels on Bougainville now reach 34,000 men, but the pace of advance through the island's jungle swamps is painfully slow. A priority is to establish an airstrip at Torokina to provide the advance with air cover. Merrill's Task Force 39 again provides cover with the cruiser Denver (CL-58) taking a torpedo hit from a Japanese aircraft. The Americans attack Japanese positions at the crossing between the Numa Numa track and the track running east to west.

Scenes from November 13, 1943

Boeing B-17F radar bombing through clouds over Bremen, Germany, on November 13, 1943.

Bombing Through the Clouds

Torokina Fighter Field, November 13, 1943. Snaking logs for use in construction of field facilities.

Torokina Fighter Field

Panzer IVs in Zhitomir, November 1943

The BM-13 multiple rocket launcher (known as Katyusha). November, 1943.

The BM-13 Multiple Rocket Launcher