Chronology of World War II

December 1943

Friday, December 17

Air Operations, Bismarcks

V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack Cape Gloucester and shipping in the Cape Gloucester area.
An estimated 40 Japanese aircraft on their way from Rabaul to attack the Allied beachhead at Arawe are intercepted by the 58th Fighter Group’s 69th Fighter Squadron and the 348th Fighter Group. 7 D3A 'Val' dive bombers and 2 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters are downed at 0815.
31 Marine Corps F4Us, 22 Navy F6Fs, and 23 RNZAF Kittyhawks based in the central Solomons reach Rabaul after stopping off at Torokina Field on Bougainville to refuel. This is the first time that Solomons-based single-engine fighters have penetrated as far as Rabaul, but they are unable to coax Japanese fighters into the air, so nothing much is accomplished beyond demonstrating the new capability. Nevertheless, RNZAF Kittyhawks down 5 Japanese fighters and VMF-214 F4Us down an A6M2-N 'Rufe' fighter-bomber and 2 A6M Zeros over Rabaul’s Simpson Harbor between 1100 and 1115 hours. A VF-33 F6F also downs an Zero over St. George’s Channel at 1110. 3 RNZAF Kittyhawks are lost with 2 of their pilots.

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Air Operations, CBI

CHINA

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

FRENCH INDOCHINA

6 14th Air Force P-40 fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity at Hanoi.

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Air Operations, Europe

12th AIR FORCE
ITALY:

All XII Air Support Command B-25s abort due to bad weather, but XII Air Support Command A-20s are able to attack a German Army artillery concentration.
XII Air Support Comman A-36s and P-40s attack barracks, warehouses, port facilities, and marshalling yards at Anzio and Nettuno, and troop concentrations at three locations.

YUGOSLAVIA:

12th Air Force P-40s and P-51s, escorted by South African Air Force fighters, attack a ship near Trpanj.
57th Fighter Group P-47s down 3 Bf-109s near Metkovic during an afternoon mission.

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Air Operations, Marshalls

Of 10 VII Bomber Command B-24s sent from Nanomea to attack the Maloelap Atoll, 9 are recalled because of bad weather and 1 diverts to attack the Mille Atoll.

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Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s attack targets in the Sio area and V Fighter Command P-39s attack barges in the Huon Peninsula area.
As a part of Operation DEXTERITY, Gen Douglas A. MacArthur orders the US 6th Army to plan for the seizure of Saidor for development as an advance air and naval base.

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Air Operations, Solomons

18 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Malai. AirSols SBDs and 6 B-25s attack the Mutupina Point area. 5 US Navy PVs attack targets on Bougainville.

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China

Chiang Kai-shek again asks Pres Roosevelt for substantial financial aid and for more aircraft.

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Eastern Front

A German counterattack in the Kirovograd sector is repulsed.

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Italy

The Germans begin to withdraw some troops from San Pietro and from other positions a little to the north. US assault troops capture the shattered village of San Pietro, the key to the 'Mignano Gap', 13 km southeast of Monte Cassino. Monte Sammucro is also in Allied hands. After sunset units of the 45th Div take Monte la Posta meeting with no opposition. The Germans are beginning to withdraw from Monte Pantano.

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Pacific

Gen MacArthur orders Gen Krueger to prepare plans and detail forces for the capture of Saidor, in New Guinea, for use as an air and naval base against the Japanese forces both in New Guinea and in New Britain.
The US coastal transport APC-21 is sunk by a dive bomber off New Britain.

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