Posted on 11/10/2013 4:27:21 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/nov1943/f10nov43.htm
Soviet paratroops and partisans link up
Wednesday, November 10, 1943 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... Soviet paratroops drop near Cherkassy, south of the Dniepr River and link up with partisan forces in the area. The Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front is attacking towards Cherkassy and ferries tanks across the Dniepr River on rafts and pontoons. German forces launch counterattacks.
In the Soviet Union... Two new military decorations are announced: the “Victory Order” for senior officers; and the “Order of Glory” for lower ranks.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/10.htm
November 10th, 1943 (WEDNESDAY)
BELGIUM: About 60 USAAF Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders bomb Chievres Airfield.
FRANCE: The USAAF Eighth Air Force’s VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 126: five B-17 Flying Fortresses drop 1 million leaflets over Paris, Rennes, Le Mans and Rouen, France at 2020-2051 hours.
Bad weather causes the USAAF Ninth Air Force aircraft sent to bomb Vendeville Airfield at Lille to abandon their mission, though a few bombers manage to bomb other targets in the area. A force of 72 B-26 Marauders dispatched to attack Montdidier Airfield suffers numerous aborts due to weather but six bombers manage to bomb what is believed to be the secondary target of Glisy Airfield at Amiens.
During the night of 10/11 November, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 313 Lancasters to attack the railway yards at Modane on the main line between France and Italy; 301 aircraft bomb the target. The Pathfinder marking, in difficult conditions, is slightly beyond the target but 200 aircraft brought back photographs to show that their bombs fell within 1 mile (1,6 kilometers) of the target and the railway system is seriously damaged. Mining missions are flown by seven Stirlings with four laying mines off Gironde and three off La Pallice while 20 aircraft drop leaflets over the country.
GERMANY: Two RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb Dortmund without loss.
U-481, U-1101, U-1225 commissioned.
U.S.S.R.: Two new military decorations are created: the Order of Victory - large ruby star encrusted with 91 diamonds - for senior officers, and the Order of Glory for other ranks.
Ambassador Litvinov says in Moscow that the principle of unconditional surrender does not include Finland. This is in response to the Nov 3 announcement in London that unconditional surrender did apply to Finland. (Gene Hanson)
ITALY: The Allied Control Commission is formed, to yoke the Italian economy into the overall Allied war effort.
North of Mignano: Lieutenant Maurice L. Britt, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division in the face of German hand grenades and close-range machine-pistol, machinegun and rifle fire, inspired and led a handful of his men in repelling a bitter counterattack by approximately 100 Germans against his company positions. MOH
In The U.S. Fifth Army’s VI Corps area, elements of the 45th Infantry Division take the hills between Pozzilli and Filignano without opposition.
The USAAF Twelfth Air Force’s XII Air Support Command and RAF fighter-bombers hit Rocca and nearby gun positions, and trains and troops south of Rome; fighters strafe trucks and trains in the Rome-La Spezia and the Piombino-Leghorn areas.
Twenty USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb the Villarperosa ball-bearing works at Turin, and 68 B-17 Flying Fortresses pound a bridge and marshalling yards at Bolzano with the loss of three B-17s. P-38 Lightnings escort the B-24s all the way and accompany the B-17 Flying Fortresses almost to the target.
During the night of 10/11 November, 23 RAF No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) bombers attack the railroad viaduct at Recco while two others drop leaflets over Florence.
YUGOSLAVIA: Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force bombers hit shipping at Split.
ALBANIA: Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force bombers hit shipping at Durazzo.
CHINA: USAAF Fourteenth Air Force fighters on armed reconnaissance sink three large motor boats in the Yoyang-Sinti area and damage or sink 15 sampans and a barge in the Hwajung-Shasi vicinity.
EAST INDIES: USAAF B-24 Liberators bomb Surabaja (Surabaya) on the north coast of Java, Netherlands East Indies.
NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb Alexishafen Airfield.
AUSTRALIA: General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the South West Pacific, cancels the projected offensive against Gasmata on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul on New Britain Island and hit a new landing ground on Duke of York Island located between New Britain and New Ireland Islands.
During the night of 10/11 November, Australian Beauforts attack targets in the Rabaul area.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville, Marine Major General Roy S. Geiger takes command of Allied forces on Bougainville and the Treasury Islands.
Over 20 USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells carry out strikes on Kara Airfield on southern Bougainville Island and the Ballale Airfield on Ballale Island south of Bougainville. They also attack shipping between Suhane Island and Tarlena.
Marine TBF Avengers fly their first air-ground attack mission over Bougainville. At 1015 hours, 12 TBFs each drop twelve 100-pound (45 kilogram) bombs on Japanese ground targets some of which are only 120 yards (110 meters) ahead of the Marine infantry. This is the first attack of its kind in the Pacific.
PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Solomon Sea, the crew of the USN destroyer USS Spence (DD-512) spots a raft with four live Japanese on board. As Spence drew along side to attempt a rescue, the Japanese open fire with a machine-gun. Rather than face the shame of surrender the Japanese officer in charge of the raft then put his pistol in each man’s mouth and blew out the back of each man’s skull. He then turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger. All four bodies fell into the water to be devoured by sharks.
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Ribble (ex-HMS Ribble) launched.
Destroyer HMCS Athabaskan completed refit Devonport and sailed for Scapa Flow.
Corvette HMCS Giffard commissioned.
U.S.A.: The motion picture “Guadalcanal Diary” premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. Directed by Lewis Seiler, this war drama about the Marines fighting on Guadalcanal is based on Richard Tregaskis’ book stars Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn and Richard Jaeckel. This was Jaeckel’s first film.
Minesweeper USS Creddock laid down.
Minesweeper USS Competent commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Lansing commissioned.
Destroyer USS Newcomb commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-966 sunk in the Bay of Biscay near Cape Ortegal, Spain, by depth charges from British, American and Czech Wellington and Liberator aircraft (Sqn 612/B, 311/D, VB-103/E, VB-110/E). 8 dead and 42 survivors.
The U.S. Liberators came from VB-103, VB-105 and VB-110. The flak from the U-boat was intense and one Liberator was hit, returning to Dunkeswell with one engine out.
The U-966 story: Against all odds.
During stormy weather a lookout on U-373 broke his arm.
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring
Marines in Action (Kluckhohn) – 2-3
Premier is Grave (Middleton) – 3
War News Summarized – 3
New Russian Gains Add to Nazis’ Peril – 4
Eighth Army Nears Foe’s ‘Winter Line’ – 5
Pact a Product of U.S. (Krock) – 6
War and Air Power (de Seversky) – 6
The Battle of Rabaul (Baldwin) – 7
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 8-9
"Pictured is the cemetery at Hadamar, Germany, where one of the largest extermination centers of the "euthanasia" program was located.
The bodies of the victims--who had received lethal injections, were gassed, or were simply allowed to die from starvation--were usually cremated.
Next of kin were informed that they had died of a contagious disease.
During 1942 and 1943, many of the leading figures from the euthanasia program brought their 'talents' to the death camps of Eastern Europe."
"General Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel was the chief of staff of the German High Command.
As Hitler's closest military adviser, Keitel never questioned Hitler's plans and remained silent when he disagreed with the Führer.
Many of the notorious orders issued for genocidal operations in Eastern Europe bear Keitel's signature.
Keitel was convicted by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany, of conspiracy, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity.
After his request to be shot as a soldier was denied, General Keitel was hanged on October 16, 1946."
"Many different faces composed the German resistance.
Military men and pastors, diplomats and jurists, and political leaders of vastly different persuasions united in the conviction that Nazi rule must end.
"Not all agreed on the means to that goal.
In Munich, the White Rose organization of students Hans and Sophie Scholl printed leaflets opposing Hitler.
This action led to their capture and execution.
The Kreisau Circle of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke (pictured) planned for a new Germany guided by Christian principles.
Their planning for a future free of Nazism resulted in their deaths.
"The military group led by charismatic Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg plotted to assassinate Hitler with a bomb and establish a government that would make peace with the Allies.
Their plot nearly succeeded, but Hitler survived.
The conspirators and any associated with them, including Lutheran pastor Dietrich von Bonhoeffer, were killed.
Some were shot; others were tortured and then sent to the Plötzensee Prison, where they were hung from meat hooks until they slowly strangled to death.
"From all strata of society, Germans of conscience and conviction opposed Nazi tyranny and obstructed the growing persecution of the Jews.
For many, challenging authority cost them their lives."
Page 4 mentions a “ghost voice” breaking into Hitler’s radio speech.
They call it twittering...
Iirc, I read that Bougainville has they heaviest average rainfall on earth. Conditions there for both the Japanese and the Allies were almost indescribably horrible.
Bottom of page 6, Hitler’s radio broadcast is hacked.
Per Wiki, avg. annual rainfall in Bougainville is 181 inches.
Min. of 9” in June and almost 23 inches in Jan.
Ducks must love the place.
Heat, mud, bugs, disease, mold, rats and bats ... gotta love those Pacific paradises ...
I think it was before the invasion of Bougainville, the Marines were being briefed on the rainfall, swamps, deadly malaria, poisonous snakes, and all the other fun things they could expect to find there. Supposedly, when asked if there were any questions, one Marine piped in with the question:
“Are you sure we don’t want to let the Japanese keep the place?”
Japanese soldiers probably had a similar opinion.
I’m sure there were overwhelming strategic considerations at the time!
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