Chronology of World War II
Sunday, August 1, 1943
Over Romania... The USAAF conducts a daytime bombing raid on the Ploesti oil fields. Of the 177 B-24 Liberator bombers, 50 are lost.
Over Germany... Bomber Command carries out a small raid on Hamburg.
In Algiers... The Free French leadership is reorganized. General Giraud will only chair the National Liberation Committee when military issues are discussed. General de Gaulle will chair the committe at all other times.
In Tokyo... The Japanese announce recognition of an independent Burma which has declared war on the United States and Britain. The leader of the Burmese government, Ba Maw, signs a secret treaty with the Japanese.
In Sicily... Heavy fighting is reported around Troina, Regalbuto and Cenuripe. The rugged terrain in the northeast of the island assists the defending Axis forces.
Monday, August 2, 1943
In Sicily... Canadian forces capture Regalbuto. The British 78th Division penetrates Centuripe.
In the Solomon Islands... On New Georgia, American forces have advanced to the edge of Munda airfield. The Japanese have decided not to reinforce the garrison on New Georgia. Some of its garrison are withdrawn to Kolombangara where the Japanese intend to make their next stand.
On the Eastern Front... The Red Army takes Znamenskaya in their advance toward Orel.
In the Aleutian Islands... American naval forces bombard Kiska Island, unaware that the Japanese garrison has been evacuated.
Tuesday, August 3, 1943
From Germany... News of the heavy American bomber losses in the Ploesti oil field raid is made public.
Wednesday, August 4, 1943
In the Solomon Islands... On New Georgia, Americans capture Munda and the air field.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces enter Orel. South of the Kursk salient, the Steppe and Voronezh Fronts compete regrouping after the battle of Kursk and begin to attack toward Belgorod. The German 4th Panzer and 8th Armies defend this axis.
In Sicily... British forces strike Catania. American forces continue to fight for Troina.
Thursday, August 5, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Konev's armies capture Belgorod and continue to advance southwest. To the north, near Orel, German forces are forced back. The 2nd Panzer Army suffers severe losses.
In Sicily... The British occupy Catania and Paterno.
Friday, August 6, 1943
In Sicily... The US 1st Division takes Troina after several days of heavy fighting. There are new British attacks toward Adrana.
On the Eastern Front... Northwest of Kharkov, Zolochev falls to the advancing Red Army.
In the Solomon Islands... In Vela Gulf there is an encounter engagement between 6 American destroyers and 4 Japanese destoyers carrying troops and supplies to Kolombangara. Three of the Japanese vessels are sunk.
In Italy... At Verona, representatives of the German and Italian governments meet. The Foreign Ministers (Ribbentrop and Guaniglia) and the Chiefs of Armed Forces High Commands (Keitel and Ambrosio) are among those present. The Italians attempt to assure the Germans that they are not negotiating with the Allies.
Saturday, August 7, 1943
In Sicily... The British take Adrana and advance on Bronte.
Sunday, August 8, 1943
In Sicily... Americans land a small force east of Sant Agata in an amphibious operation supported by 1 cruiser and 3 destroyers. The Germans withdraw and US forces take Sant Agata and Cesaro. British forces capture Bronte and Acireale.
In the Solomon Islands... On New Georgia fighting continues. US forces are attempting to prevent further Japanese evacuations to Kolombangara.
Monday, August 9, 1943
In Occupied Denmark... The Danish prime minister, Scavenius, rejects a demand that suspected saboteurs be tried in German courts.
Tuesday, August 10, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Soviet force capture Khotinets, to the east of Orel. To the south, Red Army offensives continue to make progress despite German resistance.
In Sicily... Another Allied amphibious operation is carried out on the north coast. Forces land at Brolo, east of Cape Orlando. The Germans again fall back.
Wednesday, August 11, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Red Army forces cut the Poltava-Kharkov railroad about 30 miles west of Kharkov.
Thursday, August 12, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Near Kharkov, Chuguyev is captured by Soviet forces. They also threaten Plotava which is crucial for the possession of Kharkov and would unhinge German defenses farther south. Consequently, the Germans pull 3rd Panzer Corps out of the Taganrog fighting to address the threat to Plotava.
Friday, August 13, 1943
In Canada... The Quebec Conference begins. British and American military leaders meet in Quebec. They are joined by Roosevelt and Churchill to discuss Allied strategy.
Over Borneo... The US 5th Air Force raids the oilfields at Balikpapan with 380 planes from bases in Australia.
On the Eastern Front... Red Army forces close in on Kharkov, taking Bolshaya and Danilovka. An new Soivet offensive toward Smolensk results in the capture of Spas-Demensk, west of Kirov.
Saturday, August 14, 1943
In Sicily... American and British forces converge on Randazzo and capture it. Allied advances are making rapid progress now.
In the United States... New draft regulations come into force. There is a revised list of reserved occupations and having dependents are now deciding factors in deferments.
Sunday, August 15, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Karachev falls to elements of the Bryansk Front (Popov) after heavy fighting.
In Sicily... British forces enter Taormina. Further American amphibious operations on the north coast land after the Axis defenders have pulled back.
In New Guinea... Japanese aircraft attack the Allied air base at Tsili Tsili.
In the Aleutian Islands... An invasion of Kiska Island commences. Three American battleships provide support for the landing of 34,000 US and Canadian troops. The Japanese evacuated the island by the end of July but the Americans failed to take note of it.
In the Solomon Islands... Elements of the US 25th Division (General McLure) occupy Vella Lavella. About 4500 troops land. Admiral Wilkinson, commanding Task Force 31, provides naval support.
Monday, August 16, 1943
In Sicily... British forces attempt a small amphibious operation on the east coast but fail to cut off any of the retreating Axis forces. In the evening US patrols reach Messina.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces capture Zhidra, northeast of Bryansk.
In New Guinea... Japanese airfields around Wewak are attacked by planes of the US 5th Air Force, base in Australia.
Tuesday, August 17, 1943
Over Germany... The USAAF bombs the ball-bearing manufacturing centers at Schweinfurt and Regensburg in a daylight raid. A total of 51 bombers are lost. During the night (August 17-18), the German rocket research center at Peenemunde is bombed by nearly 600 British bombers. A total of 41 bombers are lost in the raid. This bombing creates a significant delay in the German rocket program. Also noteworthy about the raid is the British use of "window," dropped by Mosquito bombers, which causes about 200 German fighters to concentrate over Berlin.
In the Solomon Islands... A small number of Japanese reinforcements land on Vella Lavella. There is an inconclusive battle between American destroyers and the Japanese transport force.
In Sicily... General Patton's troops arrive in Messina a few hours before British troops. The camapaign in Sicily is concluded. About 40,000 German troops with 50 tanks and 100 guns plus a large quantity of supplies and 62,000 Italian troops have been evacuated from the island to Italy, across the Messina Strait. About 10,000 Germans have been killed or captured. More than 100,000 Italians have been taken prisoner. Allied forces has suffer 7000 killed and 15,000 wounded.
Wednesday, August 18, 1943
In Italy... American cruisers and destroyers bombard Palmi and Gioai Taura in Italy.
Thursday, August 19, 1943
In Lisbon... Italians have approached the Allies about negotiating a surrender. General Bedell Smith, General Eisenhower's Chief of Staff, and General Strong, his chief of intelligence, arrive to continue talks with approaches to the British ambassador, Sir Samuel Hoare. The leading Italian representative is General Castellano.
From Berlin... Luftwaffe General Jeschonnek, the Chief of Staff, commits suicide after criticism for the Peenemunde and Schweinfurt raids.
Friday, August 20, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces capture Libedin, west of Kharkov.
In New Guinea... Allied forces engage in heavy fighting over Babdubi Ridge, southwest of Salamaua.
Saturday, August 21, 1943
In New Guinea... Australian troops occupy Komiatum, 6 miles southwest of Salamaua.
In Australia... Prime Minister Curtin's Labour Party wins the election.
Sunday, August 22, 1943
On the Eastern Front... German forces begin to withdraw from Kharkov under pressure from Soviet forces. Field Marshal Manstein, commanding Army Group South, believes that holding out any longer would result in the encirclement and destruction of the defending German units.
In the Central Pacific... US forces occupy islands of the Ellice group, including Nukufetau and Namumea. There is no Japanese opposition. Work begins on constructing airfields.
Monday, August 23, 1943
On the Eastern Front... The Red Army occupies Kharkov. Farther south, Soviet forces advance beyond Voroshilovgrad.
In New Guinea... American destroyers bombard Finschafen in support of air operations against Wewak.
Tuesday, August 24, 1943
In Berlin... Himmler is appointed Minister of the Interior. Neurath resigns as Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. Frisch is designated his replacement.
In Occupied Denmark... There are several bomb incidents in Copenhagen and shipyard strikes.
Wednesday, August 25, 1943
In the Atlantic... The German Hs293 glider bombs are used for the first time in an unsuccessful attack on an Allied escort vessel in the Bay of Biscay.
In the Solomon Islands... The last Japanese resistance on New Georgia is eliminated, around Bairoko. Many Japanese troops have been evacuated to Arundel or Kolombangara.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces take Zenkov and Akhtyrka to the west and northwest of Kharkov, respectively.
Thursday, August 26, 1943
In London, Ottawa and Washington... The US, Canada and Britain give limited recognition to the Free French Committee of National Liberation.
Friday, August 27, 1943
In the Solomon Islands... American forces land on Arundel. Elements of the 43rd Division occupy Nauro Peninsula in the southeast of the island without oppostion.
On the Eastern Front... Vatutin's forces take Kotleva; Rokossovsky's Central Front captures Sevsk. The Soviet offensive continue.
In Bejing and Moscow... The China and the Soviet Union give limited recognition to the Free French Committee of National Liberation.
Saturday, August 28, 1943
In Occupied Denmark... The Danish government resigns in protest to a German ultimatum. The German commander, General von Hanneken, assumes control of the governing of the country.
Sunday, August 29, 1943
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces capture Lyubotin, west of Kharkov.
In Occupied Denmark... The German military governor, General von Hanneken, declares martial law and there is some fighting in the country. Most of the Danish Navy is scuttled, a few are captured by German forces and a few sail to Sweden.
Monday, August 30, 1943
On the Eastern Front... The Soviets announce the capture of Sokolovsky and Yelna, on the approach to Smolensk. In the south, Taganrog is captured by Soviet forces.
Tuesday, August 31, 1943
In the Central Pacific... American carrier based aircraft strike Marcus island. The Independence, Essex and Yorktown are involved. These ships are part of the newly formed Fast Carrier Task Force.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces take Glukhov and Rylsk in an advance south of Sevsk.
Copyright © 2018 Ralph Zuljan