Air Operations, Bismarcks

• More than 90 V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack Japanese Army bivouac areas at Cape Gloucester. V Fighter Command P-40s attack coastal targets of opportunity.
• 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack targets in the Arawe area.

Air Operations, CBI

• 11 11th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s and 14th Air Force P-40s attack rail facilities at Yoyang.

Air Operations, Europe

The 8th Air Force drops 1,200 tons of bombs on Bremen.

RAF BOMBER COMMAND

• Three nights of rest have been given to Bomber Command crews after the bad weather landings. Lancasters and Halifaxes are sent on a major raid to Frankfurt while a smaller raid hits Mannheim. The German fighter force is up in force causing Bomber Command to lose 41 aircraft. The raid on Mannheim has no effect in diverting German fights from the main effort. The German fighters assemble with radio beacons of flashing light beacons and simply wait for the bomber stream to arrive. About 2,000 tons of bombs are dropped on the Frankfurt raid.

Air Operations, Marshalls

16 VII Bomber Command B-24s based at Baker Island and Nonomea attack the Maloelap Atoll. 3 B-24s are downed by Japanese Navy fighters.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command B-25s and B-26s attack Alexishafen and bivouacs in the Finschhafen area.

Air Operations, Solomons

• 13 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack Korovo and dock facilities in the Shortland Islands, 8 B-25s attack Buka, and AirSols fighters strafe Kieta and Tenekow.
• Throughout the day and during the evening and night, US Navy PVs attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout Bougainville.

Allied Command

A unified air command for the Mediterranean is set up under the title of Allied Air Force, Mediterranean. It covers the RAF units, including those stationed in the Middle East, all American air formations stationed in North Africa and occupied Italy and the French and Italian air forces operating in the theater. Commander-in-Chief is Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, with the American Gen Carl Spaatz as his deputy.

Battle of the Atlantic

Aircraft (VC-19) from the US escort carrier Bogue (CVE-9) sink the German submarine U-850 in the mid-Atlantic area.

China

In reply to Chiang Kai-shek's message of the 17th, Pres Roosevelt confirms that the US is giving consideration to the grant of a loan to China, and invites his ally to play his part in the struggle for the recapture of Burma. The United States will do everything in its power to reopen the Burma Road, which among other things would give greater security to the American pilots who are at present flying between India and China over enemy territory. ????? ies that the Chinese will go over to the attack only if the British and Americans succeed in recapturing the Andaman Islands, Rangoon or Moulmein. If Mandalay or Lashio can be retaken, the Chinese will take part in the Burma campaign without insisting, as they have previously, that the Allies mount a big combined operation across the Bay of Bengal.

Eastern Front

The lengthy battles in the Ukraine since the end of September has cost the Soviet armies dear. Koniev's 2nd Ukrainian Front has lost 77,400 killed and missing and 226,000 wounded, the 3rd Ukrainian 34,000 and 132,000 respectively, and the 4th Ukrainian 61,000 killed and 222,000 wounded.

Italy

The plans for a combined operation on the Tyrrhenian coast are cancelled on account of the slow progress being made against the German defenses along the winter line and a shortage of landing craft.

Units of the II Corps continue their attacks to clear the western slope of Monte Sammucro.

In the British V Corps sector, on the Adriatic coast, the Canadian 1st Div reaches the outskirts of Ortona, where they are engaged in heavy fighting.

Pacific

• Intensive air and naval activity in advance of the landing on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Meanwhile the Americans find no great difficulty in consolidating their beachhead on the Arawe peninsula, though it proves useless both as a naval and as an air base.
• American air formations are transferred from New Caledonia to Stirling Island and the Russel Islands to support the coming landing.
• The Japanese destroyer Fuyo is sunk by the US submarine Puffer (SS-268) in the Philippine Islands area.

Images from December 20, 1943

This close-up shows the extensive damage to El Lobo's (a B-24 of the 392nd Bomb Group) tail on 20 December 1943 after the mission to Bremen. She was transferred the same day to the sub-depot for repairs and was returned to the 392nd on 19 January 1944.

B-24 Damage from Bremen Mission

Destroyed Town of San Pietro, Italy, 20 December 1943

Four US Soldiers, Two Sets of Brothers, in Venafro, Italy, 20 December 1943

Townspeople of Lauro Clearing the Streets of Their Shattered Town, 20 December 1943

US Soldiers Walk through the Ruins of San Pietro, Italy, 20 December 1943

A Canadian Soldier of the Canadian 1st Infantry Division Takes Aim with a Lee-Enfield Rifle during the Bloody Battle of Ortona

Australian Troops in Typical Jungle Terrain near Lae, Papua New Guines, during the Offensive against the Japanese

Personnel of the Royal Canadian Engineers Clearing a Minefield, Italy, 20 December 1943

US Soldiers Reclaiming Tank in San Pietro, Italy, 20 December 1943

US Soldier Examines German Machine Gun in Italy, 20 December 1943

The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler Incident

The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, Charles ‘Charlie’ Brown’s B-17 Flying Fortress named "Ye Olde Pub” was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot and ace Franz Stigler was ordered to shoot down the crippled bomber, but instead, for humanitarian reasons, decided to allow the crew to fly back to their airfield in England. The two pilots met each other 40 years later after an extensive search by Charlie Brown and the friendship that the two developed lasted until their deaths.

British General Sir Harold Alexander Speaks with a Private in Mount Camino, Italy, 20 December 1943