Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 71

Today in World War II History—December 10, 1943

Canadian 48th Highlanders in drive for Ortona, Italy, 10 December 1943 (public domain via WW2 Database)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 10, 1943: In Italy, British Eighth Army takes Vino Ridge in drive for Ortona.

Nobel Prizes are awarded but prizes will not be received until 1944: physics to Otto Stern (German, in US), chemistry to Georg von Hevesy (Hungarian, in Sweden, having escaped from Denmark), medicine to Henrik Dam (Danish) & Edward Doisy (US), no literature or peace prizes awarded.

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Today in World War II History—December 9, 1943

F4U-1A Corsair of Marine Squadron VMF-216 at Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 10 Dec 1943 (US Marine Corps photo)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 9, 1943: In Italy, British Eighth Army secures Moro River beachhead near Ortona.

US airfield opens at Torokina on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, only 220 miles from major Japanese base at Rabaul.

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Today in World War II History—December 8, 1943

Douglas C-47 Skytrain of US Air Transport Command, 1940s (US Air Force photo)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 8, 1943: Italian troops, in first combat action for the Allies, attack Monte Lungo, Italy, but are repelled with heavy casualties.

US Twelfth Air Force C-47 cargo planes fly first mission dropping supplies to partisans in northern Italy.

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Today in World War II History—December 7, 1943

US paratroopers approaching San Pietro, Italy, Dec. 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 7, 1943: US Fifth Army launches first of several bloody attempts to take San Pietro, Italy.

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Today in World War II History—December 6, 1943

Niels Bohr in front of his Institute for Theoretical Physics in 1957, Copenhagen, Denmark (Photo: Niels Bohr Institute)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 6, 1943: Soviets take Yeysk on Sea of Azov in Russia, cutting off German Army Group A.

Danish Nobel Laureate physicist Niels Bohr, having escaped from Denmark by boat, arrives in New York; Bohr will meet with Manhattan Project scientists and visit Los Alamos.

Back in Copenhagen, Germans occupy Bohr’s Institute for Theoretical Physics.

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Today in World War II History—December 5, 1943

B-17 Flying Fortress “Maiden America” of the 385th Bomb Group is escorted on a mission by two P-51 Mustangs, including P-51D “Marymae” of the 357th Fighter Group (Imperial War Museum, Roger Freeman Collection: FRE 1404)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 5, 1943: US P-51 Mustang fighter planes first escort US Eighth Air Force bombers on missions, extending range of raids.

Japanese G4M bombers bomb Calcutta, India (350 killed) and nearby US Tenth Air Force airfields (500 casualties).

Pres. Franklin Roosevelt selects Gen. Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord (D-day).

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Today in World War II History—December 4, 1943

Cdr. Robert Ward, WWII (US Navy photo)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 4, 1943: Submarine USS Sailfish, under command of Lt. Cdr. Robert Ward of Antioch, CA, sinks Japanese escort carrier Chuyo off Japan.

New song in Top Ten: “Shoo Shoo, Baby.”

Japanese escort carrier Chuyo after torpedo strike (public domain via WW2 Database)

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Today in World War II History—December 3, 1943

Monte Sammucro and San Pietro, Italy, on the Winter Line (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 3, 1943: US Fifth Army launches main ground attack on the Winter Line in Italy after an artillery barrage and infantry assault at night.

The post Today in World War II History—December 3, 1943 first appeared on Sarah Sundin.

Today in World War II History—December 2, 1943

Allied ships burning at Bari, Italy, after Luftwaffe air raid 2 Dec 1943 (US Army Signal Corps: 177084)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 2, 1943: Luftwaffe sends 105 Ju 88 bombers to bomb Allied ships at Bari, Italy, sinking or destroying 24 cargo ships and warships, including US Liberty ship John Harvey, which carried mustard gas; about 1000 soldiers, sailors, and civilians are killed.

Four correspondents fly on an RAF raid to Berlin: Nordahl Greig (Daily Mail) & Norman Stockton (Australian Associated News) are killed, Lowell Bennett (International News Service) is shot down and taken prisoner, but Edward R. Murrow (CBS) returns safely.

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Today in World War II History—December 1, 1943

“Queen Elizabeth Comes Up The Clyde,” US Army painting by Byron Thomas, depicting troopship HMT Queen Elizabeth bringing US troops to England during WWII (US Army Center of Military History)

80 Years Ago—Dec. 1, 1943: First use of US P-51 Mustang fighter planes in Europe, as US Ninth Air Force P-51s fly a sweep over France.

Mussolini orders the arrest of all Jews in Italy, but Italians shelter many.

Troopship HMT Queen Elizabeth disembarks US 2nd Ranger Battalion and US 357th Fighter Group at Greenock, Scotland.

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