Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 69

Today in World War II History—December 28, 1943

Canadian troops in Ortona, Italy, December 1943 (National Archives of Canada: PA-114030)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 28, 1943: Canadians take Ortona, Italy, after fierce house-to-house fighting.

In Naples, Italy, US Army opens mass delousing stations for civilians to control a typhus epidemic.

US Army delousing station in Naples during the typhus epidemic, 1943-44 (US Army Office of Medical History)

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Today in World War II History—December 27, 1943

US poster, WWII

80 Years Ago—Dec. 27, 1943: Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold gives New Year’s address to commanders of US Eighth (England) & Fifteenth (Italy) Air Forces: “Destroy the Enemy Air Force wherever you find them, in the air, on the ground and in the factories.”

In Italy, the Allied advance halts at Monte Cassino.

US government seizes railroads to stop the nationwide rail strike.

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Today in World War II History—December 26, 1943

US Marines landing at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 26 December 1943 (US National Archives: 127-G-68998)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 26, 1943: US Marines land at Cape Gloucester, New Britain in the Solomon Islands; they encounter little opposition due to heavy pre-invasion bombing.

In Battle of the North Cape off Norway, British ships sink German battlecruiser Scharnhorst while it’s attacking Allied Arctic convoys; only 36 of 1963 men survive.

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Today in World War II History—December 25, 1943

US troops eating Christmas dinner on a haystack, Italy, 25 December 1943 (US National Archives: SC 186786)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 25, 1943: US airborne engineers land at Shingbwiyang, Burma, and build the first airfield behind Japanese lines.

Throughout the world, Christmas is celebrated! Read more: “Christmas in World War II–The US Home Front” and “Christmas in World War II–The Military.”

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Today in World War II History—December 24, 1943

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 31 Dec 1943 (US National Archives: USA C-2182)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 24, 1943: British Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson is named to replace Gen. Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, while Eisenhower will go to England as Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force for Operation Overlord (D-day).

Pres. Franklin Roosevelt broadcasts a Fireside Chat about the Tehran and Cairo Conferences.

Movie premiere of Jane Eyre, starring Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine.

Pres. Franklin Roosevelt at his home in Hyde Park, NY, delivering a Fireside Chat, 24 Dec 1943 (US National Archives: 195428)

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Today in World War II History—December 23, 1943

US COMAIRSOLS B-25 Mitchell bombers attacking Rabaul, New Britain, late 1943; note Lakunai airfield in top center of photo (public domain via Wikipedia)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 23, 1943: Allied air forces in the Solomon Islands (COMAIRSOLS) begin all-out offensive against Japanese naval & air bases at Rabaul that continues through March 1944.

Aircraft drop 1500 American Red Cross Christmas packages to isolated US Tenth Air Force detachments in India.

Movie premiere of A Guy Named Joe, starring Spencer Tracy & Irene Dunne.

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Today in World War II History—December 22, 1943

First edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, 1902 (public domain via Wikipedia)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 22, 1943: Allies officially recognize and agree to support Marshal Tito’s partisans in Yugoslavia.

Children’s author Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit) dies at her home in Lancashire, England, age 77.

The post Today in World War II History—December 22, 1943 first appeared on Sarah Sundin.

Today in World War II History—December 21, 1943

“Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona,” by Dr. Charles Comfort (public domain via Canadian War Museum: CN 12245)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 21, 1943: Canadians enter Ortona, Italy, and begin first large urban battle in Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

Movie premiere of religious drama The Song of Bernadette, starring Jennifer Jones.

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Today in World War II History—December 20, 1943

The effect of “Window” on the display of a German Giant Würzburg (Würzburg-Riese) radar: the right half shows a normal display with a target blip in the 3 o’clock position; the left half shows the effect of jamming by “Window,” making target blips indistinguishable. (United Kingdom government photo, public domain)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 20, 1943: In bombing mission to Bremen, the US Eighth Air Force first drops “Window,” strips of foil that confuse German radar (first used by the RAF in July 1943).

Bolivian government is overthrown in a coup; President Enrique Peñaranda goes into exile, succeeded by Maj. Gualberto Villarroel López.

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Today in World War II History—December 19, 1943

Canadian recruiting poster, WWII

80 Years Ago—Dec. 19, 1943: In Kharkov Trials, the first war crimes trials, Soviets execute four Germans for murdering 30,000 civilians in Ukraine.

In Italy, Canadian troops take the gully Torrente Saraceni below Ortona.

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