Posted on 07/07/2013 5:50:27 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Michael Korda, Ike: An American Hero
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/jul1943/f07jul43.htm
Red Army lines nearly broken in the south
Wednesday, July 7, 1943 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... The battle of Kursk continues. Model’s 9th Army forces make only a small advance in the Central Front defenses. In the southern battlefield, the forces of Hoth’s 4th Panzer Army nearly breaks through Voronezh Front defenses around Syrtzevo but Soviet armored counterattacks prevent it.
In New Guinea... Japanese positions at Mubo are bombed. Australian forces capture Observation Hill about one mile from Mubo.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/07.htm
July 7th, 1943 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Deputy cabinet secretary Norman Brook, makes shorthand notes of Churchill’s conversations. Today Churchill argues passionately that leading Nazis who fall into British hands should be treated as “outlaws” and shot rather than put on trial.
“I suggested that U.N. to draw up a list of 50 or so [who would] be declared as outlaws by the 33 Nations. (Those not on the list might be induced to rat!) If any of these found by advancing troops, nearest [officer] of brigade rank [should] call a military court to establish identity and [should] then execute [without] higher authority.”. (William Ritchart)
Sloop HMS HART is launched.
Submarine HMS SIDON is laid down.
GERMANY: U-1224 is launched.
U-1275 is laid down.
U-347 and U-475 are commissioned.
USSR: Baltic Fleet and Ladoga Flotilla: MS “N179” (ex-BP “N70”) - due to collision, in Leningrad (later raised)(Sergey Anisimov)(69)
Germans are only able to make a small advance in the northern sector of attack on Kursk. In the south the Germans are close to a breakthrough near Syrtzevo. A Soviet counterattack holds the Germans.
NORTH AFRICA: In preparation for the forthcoming invasion of Sicily, 27 Airpeed Horsa gliders arrive after being towed all the way from England by Halifaxes. (22)
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: General Smuts wins a majority of 67 seats in the general election.
INDIAN OCEAN: At 0645, U-198 began shelling the unescorted Leana with 147 rounds from her deck gun about 40 miles southeast of Zavora Point, Portuguese East Africa and sank the ship with a coup de grâce at 0810. Two crewmembers were lost. The master was taken prisoner by the U-boat, landed at Bordeaux on 24 September and was taken to the POW camp Milag Nord. 57 crewmembers, five gunners and one passenger landed after five days at Inchi-Inchi Lighthouse, near Lourenco Marques.
NEW GUINEA: Australian and US troops of the 3rd Australian Division (GOC Maj-Gen Savige) attack Observation Hill overlooking Japanese positions at Mubo, lying on the southern approaches to Salamaua. It possesses an airstrip, which is vital in Papua New Guinea and also sits astride the only track for miles linking the coastal landing site of Nassau Bay with the inland Bulolu Valley.
The Japanese were in strength at Mubo. Deceptive patrols and small attacks prior to the battle by 15 Australian Brigade (militia and commandos) caused Col Araki to denude Mubo of troops, leaving it to be defended only by II/66 Bn.
17th Brigade AIF (2/5 Bn AIF, 2/6 Bn AIF and I/162 US Inf Bn, supported by 1st Aust Mtn Bty and 218 US Fd Arty Bn) launches a double-envelopment against Mubo. Over the next five days the US and Australians conduct numerous small attacks and fighting patrols in close contact with the enemy. (Michael Mitchell)
Fifth Air Force B-24s and B-25s, along with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft, operate in direct support of Allied ground operations in the Mubo area of Nassau Bay, dropping over 100 tons of bombs on numerous targets as the MacKechnie Force begins an assault on Bitoi Ridge and Australian forces (2/6 Battalion) capture Observation Hill.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Japanese continue to attack Allied shipping off New Georgia Island. Marine F4U Corsairs shoot down 6 of 12 “Betty” bombers and 10 of 60 “Zeke” fighters near Rendova in the afternoon. Thirteenth Air Force B-24s bomb Kahili Airfield on Bougainville while B-25s and P-38s attack Vila Airfield on Kolombangara Island.
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: A Japanese rescue force of two light cruisers, ten destroyers and a tanker departs Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands at 1600 hours enroute to Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands to evacuate the troops on Kiska. This force is Phase II of the KE-GO Operation.
U.S.A.: General Henri-Honeré Giraud, Commander in Chief French Army, is in Washington for discussions with various US authorities. (Glenn Steinberg)
The U.S. Army Air Forces Training Command is established to take over the functions formerly assigned to the Technical Training and Flying Training Commands.
Destroyer USS SEA ROVER is commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS FOGG is commissioned.
Frigate USS TACOMA is launched.
Destroyer USS ALLEN M SUMNER is laid down.
Frigates USS ORANGE and PASCO are laid down.
Destroyer escort USS ROBERTS is laid down.
CANADA: AMC HMCS PRINCE ROBERT recommissioned as AA cruiser in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Frigate HMCS THETFORD MINES laid down Quebec City, Quebec.
CARIBBEAN SEA: MS Poelau Roebiah in Convoy TAG-70 was torpedoed and sunk by U-759. Most of the 68 crewmembers, 24 armed guards and 31 US passengers on board abandoned ship in four lifeboats. Two crewmembers were lost. The survivors in three boats were picked up by a USCG cutter and several escort vessels. USS PC-1253 found the whaleboat of the master and brought the occupants to Guantanamo.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-951 is sunk about 308 nm (570 km) west of Lisbon, Portugal by the crew of a B-24 Liberator of the USAAF’s 1st Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) based at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. All 46 crewmen in the U-boat are lost.
At 0607 German submarine U-185 carries out two attacks on convoy BT 18 (Bahia, Brazil, to Trinidad) torpedoing an 8,000-ton U.S. freighter and an 8,000 ton tanker about 153 nm (284 km) east of Fortaleza, Brazil, in the first assault. The freighter, the JAMES ROBERTSON in station #21 is struck by two torpedoes in the #2 and #3 holds. The explosions destroy the engine room bulkhead and blow several hatch covers off, littering the deck with bits of metal, rock ballast and pieces of lifeboats. The holds flood to the tweendecks and he ship buckled at the #3 hatch. She then careens through the columns of the convoy with running engines and the rudder jammed at hard right, making a complete circle. She collides in succession with the American steam merchant ALCOA BANNER in station #32 and moments later with the Brazilian steam merchant GOIAZLOIDE in station #33 at the #1 hatch. A part of the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 25 armed guards (the ship was steaming with one 4in and nine 20mm guns) was ordered to abandon ship in two lifeboats and rafts. One boat swamped during launching and others jumped overboard and swam to the rafts, one of the armed guards drowned. The 21 men on the rafts, the men in one of the boats and five men in the water are picked up by the submarine chaser USS PC-575 and landed in Trinidad on 15 July. The master and 20 men abandoned ship after the collisions in two lifeboats and stood by until morning when they reboarded the vessel to recover personal effects, but the ship later went down by the bow. 24 men, including three survivors from the William Boyce Thompson were picked up by the Brazilian escort vessel CS-55 and landed at Fortaleza on 9 July. The 14 men in one of the remaining two lifeboats landed at Fortaleza on 9 July and the other boat landed at Cascavel, Brazil the same day.
At 0829, U-185 attacked the convoy for the second time and reported hits on a tanker and an ammunition ship that were sinking slowly. The ships hit were SB Hunt and Thomas Sinnickson. The SB Hunt in station #51 was hit by one torpedo on the port side at the bulkhead between the pump room and #4 tank. The explosion opened a hole 45 feet by 35 feet in the side but the tanker was able to continue with the convoy. None of the eight officers, 29 crewmen and eleven armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in and two .50cal guns) reported injuries. The SB Hunt arrived at Trinidad for temporary repairs and after permanent repairs carried out in Galveston she returned to service on 4 November. (Jack McKillop and Dave Shirlaw)
U-951 sunk NW of Cape St Vincent, in position 37.40N, 15.30W by depth charges from a USAAC 1st ASW Sqn Liberator. 46 dead (all hands lost).
“I suggested that U.N. to draw up a list of 50 or so [who would] be declared as outlaws by the 33 Nations. (Those not on the list might be induced to rat!) If any of these found by advancing troops, nearest [officer] of brigade rank [should] call a military court to establish identity and [should] then execute [without] higher authority.”.
I didn't come across this discussion in Closing the Ring. Maybe Churchill left it out of his memoirs.
U-185 gets its due a month from now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-185
Actually the Japanese lost two destroyers. Ainsworth got whipped at Kula Gulf.
We still hadn't figured out the capabilities of the Japanese Long Lance torpedo. Next week off Kolombangara Admiral Ainsworth will get another lesson.
War is a great amplifier of human folly. All wars start out in a tentative, amateurish fashion. The amazing thing about the naval campaign in the Pacific was how long it took both sides to adapt to what the other side was doing - it took Nimitz over a year, with a lot of help from Admiral Yamamoto and Charles Darwin to get rid of the peace time careerists who just couldn't bring to understand that they were in a war and if they wanted to survive they had to fight. It took longer still for the Navy to figure out that the best use for destroyers was not as sacrificial lambs in the van and on the tale of a nice straight, easily targeted, column of cruisers. The Japanese, and the Germans too, never came to grips with the capabilities of allied technology and ability to use intelligence.
In early August it'll be interesting to see if The NY Times takes note of the fact that the son of the former ambassador to the UK has his PT boat run over by a Japanese destroyer while taking a nap in Blackett Straight.
thanks ...
Neptune’s Inferno is a good book, although it does not discuss the naval battles in the Central Solomons in the 1943. So far I haven’t found any really good books about Kula Gulf, Kolombangara or Empress Augusta Bay. They are the “unknown” naval battles of WW2.
Today, Model commits much of his armor and drives a wedge into the Soviet defenses. Soviet Central Front commander K. K. Rokossovsky counters by committing his 2nd Tank Army, which had been held in reserve. However, he commits it piecemeal, and by the end of the day it is not fighting as a coherent organization. Instead, its units are parceled out in support of the units holding the front. Lt. Col. Teliakov’s 107th Tank Brigade is ambushed by the Tigers of 505 Schwere Panzer Abteilung, and the 107th loses 46 of its 50 tanks in a few minutes.
9th Army masses its forces and commences a four day slugfest of concentrated armor, infantry and artillery for possession of the fortified villages of Olkovatka, Somdurovka, Hill 274 and the linchpin of the Soviet defenses, Ponyri Station.
P. 7:
Germans blame air war on cities on Allies....
So, the Germans blame the bombing of civilian centers Warsaw and Rotterdam on the fact that “they made themselves fortresses” {— what else were they supposed to do, under attack?}
and the August bombing of London on an accident?
OK.
Hitler deserves to be shot in the head.
... Oh.
I assume on the Soviet side the G means Guards, R = Rifle, D = Division, A (as last character) = Army, C = Corps, M = Motorized, T = Tank, AT = Anti-Tank. Some of the others I'm not sure about. Does "B" mean Battery, or Battalion? Any idea what "TR" represents?
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