Air Operations, Gilberts

9 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at or staging through the airfields at Funafuti and Nonomea attack targets in Tarawa Atoll.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s attack a convoy and bivouac near Sio.

Air Operations, Marshalls

9 11th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based at Funafuti attack Mille Atoll.

Air Operations, Solomons

During the night, 6th Night Fighter Squadron P-70s mount night harassing missions against Faisi and targets in the Shortland Islands.

Eastern Front

Von Manstein orders Gen Hasso von Manteuffel's 7th Pzr Div to counter-attack south of Zhitomir from around Berdichev. On the Kerch peninsula, in the Crimea, violent battles are takeing place.

Rechitsa falls to the Belorussian Front.

Limited German counterattacks at Fastov continue as a prelude to the main attack due on the 15th. As the 4th Panzer Army completes its preparations, the 2nd Ukrainian Front prepares to launch a new offensive. The aim of this attack is to drive toward Kirovograd and Krivoi Rog, destroying the German 8th and 1st Panzer Armies.

Soviet attacks in the Crimea continue but are becoming bogged down. The German 17th Army consolidates its positions as its V Corps deploys to defend the Kerch peninsula, and the XLIX Mountain Corps move to the Zivash coast and Perekop to defend against attacks from the mainland. The XLIV Corps has already been handed over to the 6th Army fighting along the lower Dniepr.

Germany, Home Front

U-794, the world's first 'true sub', enters service at Kiel, powered by the Walter hydrogen peroxide/fuel oil turbine. Unfortunately, the submarine's phenomenal performance is marred by serious unsolved technical problems.

Italy

Perano is captured by troops from 8th Indian Div supported by tanks of the 2nd New Zealand Div. The Germans retire northward toward Archi and Tornareccio. The New Zealanders have only just come into 8th Army's order of battle and Montgomery now has 5 divs and 2 arm bdes. His opponents, LXXVI Pzr Corps, have 65th Inf Div, 1st Parachute Div and part ot 26th Pzr Div.

During the night the British 56th Div begins to leave its advance positions on Monte Camino.

Solomons

On Bougainville the Americans continue to push the Japanese back along the jungle tracks, helped now by a few tanks. Their defensive perimeter is widened and the safety of the airfield that they are to build is guaranteed.

Scenes from November 14, 1943

Burning Hellcat of VF-25 returning to the USS Cowpens, November 14, 1943