Air Operations, CBI

• 13 11th Medium Bombt Squadron B-25s escorted by 24 14th Air Force P-40s and 7 A-36s, attack rail yards and warehouses and Yoyang.
• 8 P-40s attack Japanese Army cavalry and river traffic near Hanshow.

Air Operations, East Indies

V Bomber Command B-24s attack a convoy near Halmahera Island.

Air Operations, Europe

• 383 aircraft raid Berlin

  365 Lancasters, 10 Halifaxes and 8 Mosquitoes.

• The time over the target is 19:58-20:15. 1,377 tons of bombes are dropped

  734 of high explosives and 643 of incendiaries.

• The plan for the raid was almost as the previous night's. The route and Zero Hour are about the same, but with a smaller number of aircraft. The Luftwaffe mounts a major effort for defense in spite of the low cloud cover over many of the night fighter bases. As a result at least 10 bombers are lost on the outward route. There are clouds over the target but fires from the previous night's effort can still be seen. The Pathfinders arrive on time and mark accurately. The raid is classified as successful but no photos can confirm this because of the cloud cover.
• The target is again cloud-covered and the Pathfinders carry out skymarking, but many of the Main Force crews aim their bombs through the cloud at the glow of 11 major fires still burning from the previous night. Much further destruction is caused in Berlin. The bombing results are reported as 1,989 buildings destroyed, 2,442 as seriously damaged and about 20,000 slightly damaged. Approximately the same areas are hit as on the previous night. The casualties are reported as 1,315 people killed, 6,383 injured and another 180,000 having to leave their homes.
• 20 Lancasters are lost with 6 more being destroyed in crashes and accidents on return to England. Aircrew casualties include 127 killed and 24 POWs.

• 6 Oboe Mosquitos attack the Knapsack power station near Cologne without a loss.

Air Operations, Gilberts

VF-16 F6Fs down 17 A6M Zeros near Makin Atoll at appromimately 1005 hours.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• 6 VII Bomber Command B-24s based at Nukufetau attack the Jaluit Atoll.
• Task Group 50.1 carrier aircraft attack the Mille Atoll.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s attack occupied villages around Finschhafen.
• P-40s with the 35th Fighter Group’s 40th Fighter Squadron down an A6M Zero and a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Saidor at 0955 hours.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 19 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Bonis and Buka airfields on Bougainville.
• 23 42d Medium Bomb Group B-25s, 6 Navy PVs, and 24 AirSols F4Us, attack Chabai.
• 4 B-25s attack coastal villages on Bougainville while conducting anti-shipping patrols.

Bougainville

The 3rd Marine Div still faces determined resistance by the Japanese in the Piva River area. The 1st Parachute Battalion of the Marines reaches the island.

Burma

The Japanese overrun the Chinese 112th Regt and capture their headquarters.

Eastern Front

Gomel in Byelorussia is virtually encircled by the Russians. The Russians also launch a counterattack near Kiev.

The Belorussian Front forces apart the 2nd and 9th Armies, compelling the Germans to pull back.

Germany, Planning

The prototype of the Me-262 jet airplane is demonstrated before Hitler. He hails it as the ideal light bomber

a decision which is believed to have hindered its development and production for its true role as a fighter. The aircraft first flew in July 1942 and becomes operational in June 1944.

Gilbert Islands

By noon the battle on Tarawa is over. The Americans have lost 1,000 killed and 2,000 wounded. The Japanese garrison has been annihilated; 5,000 have been killed, while 17 wounded have been captured and 129 Koreans laborers have surrendered. In preparation to the forces engaged it has been the most costly operation in the United States' military history.

There have been important lessons for the organization of future attacks, particularly of the need for precise bombardment. Equipment can also be improved. In one respect it has been a successfull trial for the new system of the fleet train which provides support and repair for the naval units far from their bases. During the battle Japanese aircraft based on Nauru have attacked the American invasion fleet with great courage, suffering heavy losses and achieving very small results, except for torpedo damage to aircraft carrier Independence (CVL-22).

The Americans complete the capture of Makin island also. They have lost only 64 dead and 154 wounded, the Japanese about 450 dead and 105 prisoners. The escort carrier Liscombe Bay is sunk offshore by Japanese submarine I-175 with the loss of 600 more lives.

Lebanon

The Free French decide to reinstate the Lebanese government and in fact recognize the measure of independence previously granted by Vichy.

Mediterranean

The Allied garrison on Samos surrenders.

Pacific

The Japanese frigate Wakamiya is sunk by the US submarine Gudgeon (SS-211) in the East China Sea.

Scenes from November 23, 1943

Relief Marines Wade into Betio, 23 November 1943

Tanks return from Eastern Butaritari after pushing with 3rd Battalion to the island's tip on 23 November 1943.

Tanks Return from Eastern Butaritari

The Ostrich House at the Berlin Zoo on the morning of November 23, 1943. The Berlin Zoo had been heavily bombed the previous night.

Ostrich House at the Berlin Zoo

On 23 November 1943, Tiger 133 crashed through this wooden bridge near Putoschka, killing the tank commander

Tiger Tank Crashes Through Bridge