Accadeva 60 anni fa

[pcosta]

6 ottobre
Fronte italiano.
La 5a armata americana raggiunge la riva meridionale del Volturno, concludendo in maniera felice un’altra fase dell’avanzata lungo la penisola italiana. Truppe della 10a divisione britannica, aggregata alla 5a armata USA, si impadroniscono di Capua.

Pacifico.
Isole Salomone.La conquista delle Salomone centrali da parte degli americani può considerarsi un fatto compiuto con lo sbarco indisturbato di reparti della 25a divisione a Kolombagara, ormai evacuata dai nipponici. A esclusione di Vella Lavella, la cui occupazione non è ancora completa, la campagna è costata agli americani 1100 morti e circa 4000 feriti, ai giapponesi almeno 2483 morti (contati dagli americani). Gli Alleati dispongono ora di quattro aeroporti (Munda, Barakoma, Segi, Ondonga) da cui i loro aerei possono attaccare il prossimo obiettivo, Bougainville.
Nuova Guinea.Elementi della 7a divisione australiana prendono, con inattesa facilità, la posizione di Dumpu, ove sarà allestito un campo per gli aerei da caccia.

[pcosta]

7 ottobre

Fronte sovietico.
Nel settore centrale, i sovietici occupano Nevel, centro ferroviario a nord di Vitebsk. Su tutto il fronte si irrigidisce la resistenza tedesca, e l’avanzata russa diventa assai meno spettacolare.

Fronte italiano.
La 5a armata americana inizia i preparativi per l’attacco alla linea del Volturno. La data dell’operazione è fissata per la notte tra il 9 e il 10 (poi spostata alla notte sul 13). Intanto le truppe rinforzano le loro posizioni sulla riva meridionale del fiume.

[pcosta]

8 ottobre

Germania.
In un massiccio attacco aereo, 357 bombardieri dell’8a Forza aerea americana attaccano Brema e Vegesack.

[pcosta]

9 ottobre

Fronte sovietico.
Il Fronte del Caucaso settentrionale (Petrov) liquida ogni residua resistenza dei tedeschi nella penisola di Taman.

[pcosta]

10 Ottobre

Italia.
La 5a Armata entra a Pontelandolfo, a nord di Benevento.

Fronte Orientale.
Le forze Sovietiche conquistano Dobrush, a est di Gomel.

[marcejap]

October 16, 1943

Eastern Front: Preceeded by a massive 2-hour artillery barrage, Russian forces launched a major offensive from the bridgeheads on the Dnieper.

New Guinea: Australian troops repel further Japanese attacks on Finschhafen.

Chungking: Lord Louis Mountbatten, the supreme Allied commander of Southeast Asia Command, arrives for talks with Chinese military leaders.

Italy: The Germans retreat to the Barbara Line, between the river Trigno and San Pietro.

Britain: The US 9th Army Air Force is formed to provide tactical protection for the 8th air force's bombing raids.

[marcejap]

October 17, 1943

Pacific: The US submarine Tarpon sinks the Michel, the last operational German armed merchantman, off Japan.

Goa: Japanese and Allied internees are exchanged.

Air War/Western Europe: RAF Bomber Command mine offensive. In 11 nights there are 281 sorties, mainly against the Frisian coast and the area of Texel and also against Biscay ports. 7 aircraft are lost.

[marcejap]

October 18, 1943

Solomons: Bougainville came under heavy air attack as a prelude to an Allied landing.

Britain: General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, who escaped from a POW camp 6 weeks ago, is 1 of 7 Frenchmen flown to Britain from hiding in France.

Eastern Front: Red Army troops reach Melitopol.

[marcejap]

October 20, 1943

New Guinea: The Australian 24th Brigade reinforces Finschhafen.

New Delhi: Field-Marshal Lord Wavell arrives to take up the post of viceroy of India.

South Pacific: Japanese Operation 'Ro': the carrier aircraft of the Japanese 3rd Fleet are transferred from Truk to Rabaul to reinforce the latter and to carry out an air offensive from there against the Central Solomons. The carriers return to Japan and on the way the US submarine Halibut torpedoes Junyo. The Japanese Combined Fleet is on the alert in Truk. It consists of the 1st Battle Sqn with the battleships Yamato and Musashi; the 2nd Fleet, the 2nd DD Flotilla with the cruiser Noshiro and the destroyers Umikaze, Suzukaze, Michishio, Harusame, Shiratsuyu, Shigure, Samidare, Naganami, Makinami, Onami, Tamanami, Suzunami, Fujinami and Hayanami and the attached Shimakaze. The 3rd Fleet consists of the 3rd Battle Sqn, comprising Kongo and Haruna; the 7th Cruiser Sqn comprising Kumano, Suzuya and Mogami; the 8th Cruiser Sqn, comprising Chikuma and Tone; and the 10th DD Flotilla comprising the cruiser Agano and the destroyers Nowake, Maikaze, Yamagumo, Akigumo, Kazegumo, Asagumo, Hatsukaze, Yukikaze, Amatsukaze, Urakaze, Isokaze, Tanikaze, Hamakaze, Akizuki, Sutsuki, Hatsutsuki and Wakatsuki.

West and South Atlantic: In operations in distant waters, U516 sinks 6 ships in the Caribbean and escapes from a week-long search. U218 lays mines off Trinidad and sinks 1 sailing ship. Off the Brazilian coast, U155 and U848 each sink 1 ship. U848 is sunk by 4 Liberators of VB-107 USN and 2 Liberators of the 1st Composite Sqn USAAF from Ascension Island in a lengthy engagement. U154 has no success. Off West Africa, U68 sinks the A/S trawler Orfasay and 3 ships. U103 lays mines off Takoradi.

General Situation: Britain, Russia, and the US agreed to establish UN commission to investigate war crimes, establishing the basis for the Nuremberg war crimes trials.

[marcejap]

October 21, 1943

Singapore: Subhas Chandra Bose announced a pro-Axis provisional government of Free India. The proclamation said its aim was to "bring about the expulsion of the British and their allies from India."

General Situation: The British First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound, dies.

Western Atlantic: The Canadian minesweeper Chedabucto sinks in a collision with the SS Lord Kelvin in the St Lawrence river.

Mediterranean: After attacks against convoys east of Gibraltar which result in off-target torpedo detonations, U431 is sunk by Leigh Light Wellington 'Z' of No 179 Sqn.

Manila: The Japanese grant "independence" to the Philippines.