October 1943

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

  Axis Oct-43 United Nations
Vichy France Thailand Romania Germany Japan Total Class Total USAGreat Britain Free France Soviet UnionCanada AustraliaNew Zealand Poland
0 0 0 3 8 11 Battleship 31 15 12 1 2 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 4 4 Fleet Carrier 8 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 2 2 Light Carrier 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 11 12 Heavy Cruiser 29 11 7 3 6 0 2 0 0
1 0 0 3 16 19 Light Cruiser 70 23 30 5 1 0 2 2 1
0 8 7 62 76 153 Destroyer 522 270 132 15 46 24 10 0 5
0 4 0 333 56 393 Submarine 461 158 93 18 169 0 0 0 2
0 0 0 0 4 4 Escort Carrier 44 19 24 0 0 1 0 0 0
3 0 3 9 24 36 Escorts 529 85 320 15 12 78 2 0 2
0 3 0 3 0 6 Other 18 0 11 2 0 0 2 1 0

 

United Nations Neutral
ClassNetherlands NorwayGreece Brazil Yugoslavia Italy Argentina ChileColumbiaPeru DenmarkSweden Portugal SpainTurkey
Battleship 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Fleet Carrier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Light Carrier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Heavy Cruiser 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Light Cruiser 2 2 0 2 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
Destroyer 2 4 7 7 0 21 15 8 2 2 0 21 5 16 6
Submarine 12 1 3 4 1 30 3 9 0 4 0 23 3 5 9
Escort Carrier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Escorts 2 6 5 2 0 14 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Other 0 1 1 0 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 7 0 0 2

 

Friday 1st October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Italy Euro Destroyer Lost Bombed by German Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber aircraft in Partheni Bay, Leros Island, Greece 01/10/1943
Germany U-305 SubmarineDamaged Damaged by depth charges from British Ventura VP 128 aircraft SW of Iceland 01/10/1943
Soviet Union K 01 Submarine Lost Lost cause unknown Kara Sea 10/1943
Soviet Union M 172 Submarine Lost Lost possibly mined off Verangerfjord 01/10/1943
 
Military

The Italian Campaign: American forces capture Naples. Before retreating, the German Army laid waste to the city, damaging or destroying the cultural landmarks, including the University of Naples and the Teatro di San Carlo. More than 200,000 books, many of them priceless, were soaked in gasoline and burned.

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 240+ aircraft attack on Hagan, Germany. The attack damaged several factories involved in the manufacture of U-boat accumulator batteries.

Saturday 2nd October 1943
Daily Report
Politics

The government of Sweden issued a proclamation welcoming all refugees from Denmark to the kingdom, which had remained neutral during the war.

Nazi-occupied Poland, Governor Hans Frank issued a decree implementing the creation of Standgerichte, a special court operated by members of the Gestapo, with the authority to carry out its sentences immediately. Hundreds of citizens in Krakow, who had been jailed and were awaiting trial, were indicted, tried and executed in the first sessions of the Standgericht.

A decree by the government of Japan eliminated the student exemption from induction into the Empire's armed forces.

Military

The Second Battle of Smolensk ended in Soviet victory.

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 290+ aircraft attack on Munich, Germany. Poor results from attack

Sunday 3rd October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
USA Henley Destroyer Lost Torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-108, off Cape Cretin, Finschafen, New Guinea. The ship was hit in the No. 1 fire room, destroying her boilers, damaging her keel & breaking her back. 15 dead, 225 injured 07.40S 148.06E 03/10/1943
Great Britain Usurper Submarine Lost Lost cause unknown. Possibly mined on a German minefield in the Gulf of Genoa or depth charged by German subchaser JU 2208 03/10/1943. Overdue Algiers 12/10/1943
 
Politics

The United States agreed to loan Saudi Arabia two million dollars worth of silver for the Saudis to create a stable currency.

Military

The Italian Campaign: The Battle of Kos began for the island of Kos in the Aegean Sea, between British & Italian forces against German forces

German forces committed the Lyngiades massacre in northwest Greece as an arbitrary reprisal against Greek partisan guerrillas.

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 290+ aircraft attack on Kassel, Germany. Target factories of Henschel & Fieseler aircraft damaged. Ammunition dump at Ihringshausen hit by random bomb caused massive explosions.

Other

SS General Dr Werner Best declared Denmark to be judenfrei, although most of the nation's Jews had learned of the impending mass arrests and were in hiding, awaiting the chance to flee to Sweden.

Monday 4th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Dido Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by collision with British warship Aurora in the Mediterranean Sea, S of Cos Channel 04/10/1943. Arrived for repair Alexandria 07/10/1943
Germany U-264 SubmarineDamaged Damaged by 500 lb bomb & strafing from Avenger aircraft from American warship Card 04/10/1943
Germany U-279 Submarine Lost Depth charged & strafed by American Ventura aircraft in the North Atlantic Ocean SW of Iceland, 48 dead, 0 survivors 60.40N 26.30W 04/10/1943
Germany U-389 Submarine Lost Depth charged & strafed by British B-24 Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, SW of Iceland, 50 dead, 0 survivors 62.43N 27.17W 04/10/1943. The liberator dropped 3 dinghies on men seen in the water, but no one survived
Germany U-422 Submarine Lost Depth charged by Avenger & Wildcat aircraft from American warship Card, in the North Atlantic, N of Azores, 49 dead, 0 survivors 43.18N 28.58W 04/10/1943
Germany U-460 Submarine Lost Damaged by strafing from Avenger & Wildcat aircraft from American warship Card, in the North Atlantic, N of the Azores, boat crash-dived & never resurfaced, probably lost from a diving accident, 62 dead, 0 survivors 43.18N 28.58W 04/10/1943
Soviet Union ShCh 403 Submarine Lost Lost on patrol off Tanafjord, Norway 04-17/10/1943
 
Military

The Italian Campaign: The Battle of Kos ended in German victory. Adolf Hitler ordered the execution of any captured Italian officers who switched allegiance to the Allies

The Italian Campaign: The French island of Corsica was liberated by the Allies after 25 days

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 400+ aircraft attack on Frankfurt, Germany. Extensive damage was caused to the eastern side of the city

Other

Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler delivered the first of the two Posen speeches to assembled SS officers and German administrators in the German city of Posen (now Poznań in Poland). "What happens to the Russians, what happens to the Czechs, is a matter of utter indifference to me," he said. "Such good blood of our kind as there may be among the nations we shall acquire for ourselves, if necessary by taking away the children and bringing them up among us. Whether the other races live in comfort or perish of hunger interests me only in so far as we need them as slaves for our culture." He added, "We shall never be rough or heartless where it is not necessary; that is clear. We Germans, who are the only people in the world who have a decent attitude to animals, will also adopt a decent attitude to these human animals...I shall speak to you here with all frankness of a very serious subject. We shall now discuss it openly among ourselves, nevertheless, we shall never speak of it in public. I mean the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish race...."

Tuesday 5th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Aurora Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by collision with British warship Dido, S of Cos Channel, in the Mediterranean Sea. Damage was above the waterline on 05/10/1943. Arrived for repair Alexandria 06/10/1943
Germany U-336 Submarine Lost Sunk by rocket firing British Hudson aircraft in the North Atlantic, SW of Iceland, 50 dead, 0 survivors 62.43N 27.17W 05/10/1943
 
Wednesday 6th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Japan Yugumo Destroyer Lost Sunk by torpedoes & gunfire of American warships Chevalier, O'Bannon & Selfridge, 15 miles NW of Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, during the Battle of Vella Lavella. 110 dead, 78 survivors captured 25 survivors 07.33S 156.14E 06/10/1943
USA Chevalier Destroyer Lost Damaged by a torpedo from the Japanese warship Yugumo, 18 miles NW of Vella Lavalla, Solomon Islands, during the Battle of Vella Lavalla. Hit on the portside forward, her bow was torn off as far as her bridge she was then rammed in the stern by the American warship O'Bannon, which could not avoid a collision. O'Bannon's bow hit & flooded her engine room stopping her engines. She was abandoned by her crew, 54 dead, 36 injured 07.30S 156.14E 06/10/1943. Hulk was scuttled by a torpedo from American warship La Vallette. Her severed bow was found a mile away & was sunk by depth charges on 07/10/1943
USA Selfridge DestroyerDamaged Damaged by a torpedo from a Japanese warship, 18 miles NW of Vella Lavalla, Solomon Islands, during the Battle of Vella Lavalla. Hit on the starboard side forward, her bow was blown off as far as a second gun turret, 49 dead, 11 injured 06/10/1943. Arrived at Purvis Bay for temporary repair on 08/10/1943. Temporary bow fitted & ship arrived 29/12/1943. Arrived Mare Island Navy Yard 24/01/1944
Soviet Union Besposhchadny Destroyer Lost Bombed by German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, S of Feodosiya, Crimea 06/10/1943
Soviet Union Kharkov Destroyer Lost Bombed by German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, S of Feodosiya, Crimea 06/10/1943
Soviet Union Sposobny Destroyer Lost Bombed by German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, S of Feodosiya, Crimea 06/10/1943
Japan I-183 SubmarineDamaged Accidentally flooded when crew member failed to close main induction valve, during practice crash dive W of Ozu Island, in Hiroshima Bay. The boat's bow is sticking out of the water whilst her stern hits the bottom. Crew members escape from the forward part of the boat through the torpedo tubes. Her engine room & electric motor room were flooded, with 16 crewmen trapped in the stern on 06/10/1943. Divers & floating crane arrived from Kure and the boat was refloated. The 16 men in the stern were found to be dead on 07/10/1943. Recommissioned 01/01/1944
 
Other

Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler delivers the second of his two Posen Speeches, outlining the carrying out of the Holocaust to the assembled SS officers. The text of the speech would not be published until 1974. In his address, Himmler said, "The question will be asked: 'What about women and children?' I did not consider myself entitled to exterminate the men, to kill them or have them killed, and then allow their children to grow up to revenge themselves on our sons and grandsons. The painful decision had to be taken, to remove this person from the face of the earth..."

Thursday 7th October 1943
Daily Report
Naval

The Pacific Campaign: Two days after the American bombardment of Wake Island, the remaining 97 American civilians there were executed on orders of Japan's Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara. Under the direction of Lieutenant Torashi Ito, Japanese soldiers marched the blindfolded prisoners to a beach on the northeast side of the island, shot them with machine guns, and then buried their bodies in a mass grave.

Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Penelope Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bombs from German aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea, on Scarpanto Strait, a bomb hit abreast Y turret, 12 dead, 29 injured 07/10/1943
USA Concord Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by an internal gasoline explosion, whilst in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of South America. The explosion caused considerable damage & knocked out her steering for a while, 24 dead on 07/10/1943
USA S 44 Submarine Lost Sunk by gunfire from the Japanese warship Shimushu. The boat was on the surface & thought she was approaching a small Japanese merchant ship that turned out to be a warship. The boat tried to crash dive but was hit by a salvo of gunfire. The crew abandoned the boat & despite a flag of surrender gunfire continued. 56 dead 2 survivors captured 07/10/1943
 
Military

The New Georgia Campaign ended in Allied victory.

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 340+ aircraft attack on Stuttgart, Germany. Extensive damaged caused

 

Other

In the aftermath of the Białystok Ghetto Uprising, 1,313 Jews arrested at Białystok, nearly all of them children, were murdered shortly after arriving at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The Auschwitz camp log for that day states that "1,260 Jewish children and 53 Czech chaperones arrived from Theresienstadt in a transport arranged by the Reich Main Security Office. They were killed in gas chambers on the day of their arrival..."

More than 100 people, most of them Italian civilians, were killed in the explosion of a time bomb at the main post office in Naples. The explosive had been planted more than a week earlier by agents of the German occupation forces as they retreated from the Allied advance.

Friday 8th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Poland Orkan Destroyer Lost Torpedoed by GNAT acoustic homing torpedo from German submarine U-378, SW of Iceland, in the North Atlantic. The ship sank in 5 minutes, 178 dead, 44 survivors 56.08N 27.05W 08/10/1943
USA O'Bannon DestroyerDamaged Damaged in collision with torpedoed American warship Chevalier, 18 miles NW of Vella Lavalla, Solomon Islands, during Battle of Vella Lavalla. She could not avoid a collision with the damaged Chevalier, her bow caused the flooded Chevalier's engine room stopping her engines. She helped the crew to escape before leaving 07.30S 156.14E 06/10/1943. Arrived for repair Tulagi 08/10/1943
Germany U-419 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, SSW of Iceland, 48 dead, 1 survivor captured, 56.31N 27.05W 08/10/1943
Germany U-610 Submarine Lost Depth charged by Canadian Sunderland aircraft in the North Atlantic, WSW of Rockall, 51 dead, 0 survivors 55.45N 24.33W 08/10/1943
Germany U-643 Submarine Lost Depth charged & strafed by 2 British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, the boat was down by the bow & listing to starboard, the crew came on deck & attempted to escape, but many were killed when the forward part of the boat exploded & sank, 30 dead, 18 survivors captured, 56.14N 26.55W 08/10/1943
 
Military

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 500+ aircraft attack on Hannover, Germany. Extensive damaged caused

Allied Bomber Offensive: Large night-time British air raid, 120+ aircraft attack on Bremen, Germany. Poor results.

The last Jewish residents of the Liepaja Ghetto, in German-occupied Latvia, were deported and sent to the Kaiserwald concentration camp. Before the 1941 invasion, there had been more than 7,000 Jewish residents of Liepaja. Only 832 remained by mid-1942 when the order went out to confine them to a small area of the city.

Saturday 9th October 1943
Daily Report
Naval

The Pacific Campaign: The Land Battle of Vella Lavella ended in Allied victory.

Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Carlisle Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bombs & near misses from German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, S of Scarpanto Strait, in the Aegean Sea. 4 direct hits & several near misses caused extensive flooding & structural damage. Her starboard propeller & shaft were blown off & her port propeller shaft was buckled, 20 dead, and 17 were injured 35.48N 27.36E 09/10/1943. Towed stern first by British warship Rockwood to Alexandria arrived 16/10/1943. Declared constructive total loss 11/1943. Used at Alexandria as an accommodation ship. Scrapped Alexandria 1949
Great Britain Panther Destroyer Lost Bombed by German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, in the Scarpanto Strait, in the Aegean Sea. The ship hit twice & four near misses, sank her quickly, 33 dead 35.48N 27.30E 09/10/1943
USA Buck Destroyer Lost Torpedoed by German submarine U-616, S of Sorrento, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the ship sank quickly going down by the bow & sinking in 4 minutes, 150 dead, 97 survivors 39.57N 14.28E 09/10/1943
 
Other

Three days after sending a request to German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop to allow the 8,000 Jews of occupied Rome to be used in construction projects rather than being deported to Germany, SS representative Herbert Kappler was told that their removal was being ordered directly on instructions from Adolf Hitler. The arrests would be made one week later, although all but 1,259 of the 8,000 would be caught in that night's roundup.

Sunday 10th October 1943
Daily Report
Naval

The Pacific Campaign: The Land Battle of Vella Lavella ended in Allied victory.

Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Carlisle Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bombs & near misses from German Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber aircraft, S of Scarpanto Strait, in the Aegean Sea. 4 direct hits & several near misses caused extensive flooding & structural damage. Her starboard propeller & shaft were blown off & her port propeller shaft was buckled, 20 dead, and 17 were injured 35.48N 27.36E 09/10/1943. Towed stern first by British warship Rockwood to Alexandria arrived 16/10/1943. Declared constructive total loss 11/1943. Used at Alexandria as an accommodation ship. Scrapped Alexandria 1949
 
Military

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy day-time American air raid, 240+ aircraft attack on Munster, Germany. Extensive damaged caused

Monday 11th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
USA Wahoo Submarine Lost Depth charge attack by Japanese aircraft & warships Ch-15, Ch-43 & W-18 in La Perouse Strait, Hokkaido Island, 0 survivors 43.15N 141.56E 11/10/1943
 
Tuesday 12th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Japan Minazuki DestroyerDamaged Damaged by bombs from American aircraft, at Rabaul, New Britain Island. Ship's No. 1 & No. 2 guns temporarily disabled 12/10/1943
USA Bristol Destroyer Lost Torpedoed by U-boat 371, off Algiers, in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was hit on the port side in the forward engine room, the ship broke in half & both ends sank quickly, 52 dead 37.19N 06.19E 12/10/1943
USA Dorado Submarine Lost Bombed in error by American Mariner aircraft, N of Panama, in the Caribbean Sea, 60 dead, 0 survivors 12.21N 78.50W 12/10/1943
 
Military

The Pacific Campaign: American forces launched an aerial attack on the Japanese airbase at Rabaul on the southwestern Pacific island of New Britain, part of Papua New Guinea. During the raid, 87 B-24 bombers sank the 6,000-ton Japanese transport Keisho Maru and two small craft. Two destroyers were damaged by near misses and the storage area was set aflame by the bombing. Two Japanese fighters were shot down, nine were destroyed or heavily damaged on the ground and 36 aircraft suffered minor damage. Five American aircraft were shot down.

The Pacific Campaign: The Battle of John's Knoll–Trevor's Ridge began between Australian and Japanese forces in the Territory of New Guinea.

The Eastern Front: The Battle of Lenino began on the Eastern Front.

Wednesday 13th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-402 Submarine Lost Torpedoed by Fido acoustic homing torpedo by Avenger & Wildcat aircraft from American warship Card, in the North Atlantic, N of the Azores, boat dived as aircraft appeared, but it could not escape torpedo, 50 dead, 0 survivors 48.56N 29.41W 13/10/1943
 
Politics

Italy declares war on Germany. Thirty-five days after it had been fighting as a member of the Axis powers against the Allies, Italy declared war on Germany, with a broadcast by Prime Minister Pietro Badoglio at 3:00 pm local time. Italy entered the war on June 10, 1940, with a declaration of war against France and the United Kingdom.

Military

The Pacific Campaign: The two-day Battle of John's Knoll–Trevor's Ridge ended in Allied victory.

The Eastern Front: The two-day Battle of Lenino ended in Soviet-Polish offensive failure.

Thursday 14th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Soviet Union M 174 Submarine Lost Lost possibly mined off Verangerfjord in the Baltic Sea 14/10/1943
 
Military

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy day-time American air raid, 650+ aircraft attack on Schweinfurt, Germany. Extensive damage was caused but considered a failure

Other

Jewish prisoners at the Sobibor extermination camp in Poland launched an uprising against their German captors. The attack, coordinated by Leon Feldhendler and Captain Alexander Pechersky (a Soviet prisoner of war), was partially successful. Eleven German SS men and several Ukrainian guards were killed, and about 300 of the 700 inmates were able to escape. Many of the escapees died when they fled through the minefields that surrounded the death camp, and others were recaptured and killed, but about 50 were able to survive. Those prisoners who had elected not to escape were killed and the camp was closed.

Friday 15th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Trooper Submarine Lost Lost cause unknown. Possibly mined on a German minefield off Leros Island 15/10/1943. Reported overdue 17/10/1943
 
Military

The Italian Campaign: British forces capture Vinchiaturo.

Saturday 16th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-470 Submarine Lost Depth charged by 2 British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, SW of Iceland, 46 dead, 2 survivors captured 58.20N 29.20W 16/10/1943
Germany U-533 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British Bisley Blenheim aircraft Gulf of Oman, 52 dead, 1 survivor captured, 25.28N 56.50E 16/10/1943
Germany U-844 Submarine Lost Depth charged by 2 British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, SW of Iceland, as boat submerged British warship Duncan depth charged the spot, 53 dead, 0 survivors 58.30N 27.16W 16/10/1943
Germany U-964 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, SW of Iceland, 47 dead, 3 survivors 57.27N 28.17W 16/10/1943
 
Other

With 3,000 people being released to their home countries in one of the largest repatriations during the war between the United States and Japan, the Swedish "repatriation liner" MS Gripsholm docked alongside the Japanese liner Teia Maru, at the Portuguese Indian port of Mormugao. The Gripsholm was carrying 1,500 Japanese nationals, while the Teia Maru had 1,503 citizens from the United States, United Kingdom and France.

German police in occupied Rome arrested 1,259 Jews, though 252 were subsequently released after being deemed to be children of mixed marriages. Many others had gotten word of the order of October 9 and fled from their homes to find sanctuary with Gentile friends or in Roman Catholic churches or institutions.

Sunday 17th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Sirius Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by a bomb from German aircraft off Scarpanto, in the Aegean Sea. 250 Kg bomb hit the quarterdeck causing a major fire, damaging her main armament & splinters wrecked her radar aerials, 14 dead, and 30 injured on 17/10/1943
Germany U-540 Submarine Lost Depth charged & strafed by 2 British Liberator aircraft in the North Atlantic, E of Cape Farewell, 55 dead, 0 survivors 58.38N 31.56W 17/10/1943
Germany U-631 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British warship Sunflower, in the North Atlantic, ESE of Cape Farewell, 54 dead, 0 survivors 58.13N 32.29W 17/10/1943
Germany U-841 Submarine Lost Damaged by depth charges from British warship Byard, in North Atlantic, SE of Cape Farewell, the boat was forced to the surface & attacked by gunfire, the boat was scuttled crew, 27 dead 27 survivors captured 59.57N 31.06W 17/10/1943
Germany Michel Auxiliary Cruiser Lost Torpedoed by American submarine Tarpon, off Chichi Jima, Bonin Island 17/10/1943
 
Military

The Burma Campaign: The Burma Railway was completed between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma (modern-day Myanmar) (415 km (258 mi)) by the Empire of Japan to support its forces in the Burma campaign using the forced labour of Asian civilians and Allied prisoners of war.

Monday 18th October 1943
Daily Report
Military

The Burma Campaign: Four provinces of Japanese-occupied British Malaya (Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu) were transferred by Japan to the Kingdom of Thailand, under a treaty signed between the two monarchies to be made part of Thailand. Thai administration would begin on August 20.

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 360+ aircraft attack on Hannover, Germany. Poor results

Other

Two days after the roundup of Jews in Rome, 1,007 were sent directly to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they would arrive on October 23 for extermination

Tuesday 19th October 1943
Daily Report
Military

The first exchange of prisoners of war, between the United Kingdom and Germany, began in Sweden at the port of Goteborg. A group of 4,340 POWs from Allied nations, released because of illness and injuries, arrived by trains and on hospital ships from Germany; most had been imprisoned for more than three years, including 17 Americans. Later in the day, 835 German prisoners arrived on two British liners, with more due to arrive later in the week. The exchange was supervised by the Swedish Red Cross.

Other

The antibiotic Streptomycin was first isolated in a laboratory, by Albert Schatz, a 23-year-old student at Rutgers University. Schatz was working for Professor Selman Waksman, who gave the new medicine, developed from a culture of the bacteria Actinomyces griseus, which was able to kill certain bacteria that could not be treated with penicillin. Treatment for human patients would be approved in 1946.

Wednesday 20th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-378 Submarine Lost Depth charged & strafed by Avenger & Wildcat aircraft (VC 13) from American warship Core, in the North Atlantic, N of the Azores, the boat was last seen rolling over & the stern rising before slipping beneath the waves, 48 dead 0 survivors, 47.40N 28.27W 20/10/1943
Germany U-420 Submarine Lost Missing no explanation in the North Atlantic, ENE of St John's, Canada, last reported position 50.49N 41.01W 49 dead, 0 survivors 20/10/1943
 
Politics

The United Nations War Crimes Commission was established by the representatives of 17 Allied nations at a meeting in London.

Military

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 360+ aircraft attack on Leipzig, Germany. First attack on the city. Difficult weather conditions bombing scattered, poor results

Thursday 21st October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Japan Kiso Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bombs from Australian Bristol Beaufort aircraft 53 miles off Cape St George, New Ireland. One 250 Ib bomb destroyed her starboard engine room & limiting her speed to 15 knots on 21/10/1943. Arrived for emergency repairs at Rabaul on 22/10/1943
Japan Tama Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bomb near miss from Australian Bristol Beaufort aircraft, 53 miles off Cape St George, New Britain Island. A 250 lb bomb near miss damaged her hull plates on 21/10/1943
USA Murphy DestroyerDamaged Damaged in collision with tanker SS Bulkoil, 75 miles off the coast of New Jersey, during convoy protection duty. The ship was hit between the bridge & first funnel, cutting the ship in two. The bow sank quickly whilst the rest of the ship remained afloat. She was towed to New York for repair, 38 dead on 21/10/1943. Stern towed to New York & new bow added
Germany U-271 SubmarineDamaged Damaged by depth charges & strafing from Avenger aircraft from American warship Core, NNW of the Azores, 1 dead, 21/10/1943
Germany U-431 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British Leigh Light Wellington aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea, SE of Cartagena, boat illuminated on the surface & attacked 52 dead, 0 survivors 37.23N 00.35E 21/10/1943
 
Politics

The Provisional Government of Azad Hind (literally, "Free India") was proclaimed, with Subhas Chandra Bose as President, in those territories of British India that had been captured by Japan. The Japanese government provided the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the new state. At the same time, Bose announced that Azad Hind was joining Japan in the war against the Allies

As Japan began the drafting of high school and university students into its armed forces, the first parade of newly drafted shutsujin was held. A group of 25,000 students, from 77 schools, marched past the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, with Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and Education Minister Nagakage Okabe reviewing the recruits.

Other

German forces, retreating from the Byelorussian SSR, began the liquidation of the Minsk Ghetto. Over 12 days, more than 2,000 Jewish residents were deported to the Maly Trostenets extermination camp outside of the city.

Friday 22nd October 1943
Daily Report
Naval

The Western Front: The Battle of Sept-Îles, France

Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Hurworth Destroyer Escort Lost Mined in a new German minefield, E of Kalymnos Island, in the Aegean Sea. Greek warship Adrias was damaged by a mine & Hurworth approached to help when she too struck a mine. The ship broke in half, the forward section sank in 3 minutes whilst the stern sank in 15 minutes, 113 dead, 85 survivors 36.59N 27.06E 22/10/1943
Greece Adrias Destroyer EscortDamaged Damaged by a German mine, E of Kalymnos Island, in the Aegean Sea. British warship Hurworth attempted to help, but she too hit a mine. Mine had blown the bow off Adrias up to the forward gun mounting. Despite the damage her engines were still working & she was able to get underway, 20 dead 22/10/1943. Beached in Turkish water at Gurvergenik Bay whilst crew started emergency repairs on 23/10/1943. Departed for Alexandria 01/12/1943. After temporary repair arrived in Alexandria 06/12/1943. Declared Constructive Total Loss
 
Military

Allied Bomber Offensive: Heavy night-time British air raid, 570+ aircraft attack on Kassel, Germany. Despite German decoy markers accurate attack resulted in a devastating attack & firestorm causing extensive damage. Severe damage to 3 Henschel aircraft factories making V-1 flying bombs, putting back their production of these 'Vergeltungswaffen' weapons

Saturday 23rd October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Charybdis Light Cruiser Lost Torpedoed by German MTBs T 23 & T 27, N of the Ile de Batz, Brittany, during Operation Tunnel, an operation to intercept German blockade runners. Hit twice on her port side she sank quickly, 462 dead, 0 survivors 48.59N 03.39W 23/10/1943
Japan Ro-106 SubmarineDamaged Damaged by depth charges from American aircraft, E of Lae, Papua New Guinea. Damage forced her to abort her mission on 19/10/1943. Arrived Rabaul, New Britain for temporary repair 23/10/1943
Great Britain Limbourne Destroyer Escort Lost Damaged by a torpedo from German MTB T 22, N of the Ile de Batz, Brittany, during Operation Tunnel, an operation to intercept German blockade runners. Torpedo-blowing bows of the ship & she was disabled. After an attempted tow failed she was sunk by gunfire from the British warship Rocket, 42 dead, 100 survivors 23/10/1943
 
Military

The Eastern Front: Soviet forces take Melitopol

Sunday 24th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Eclipse Destroyer Lost Mined in the German field, E of Kalymnos, in the Aegean Sea. The ship broke in two & sank in 5 minutes after 2 internal explosions. 119 dead crew members & 134 dead troops were in transit on board 37.01N 27.11E 24/10/1943
Japan Mochizuki Destroyer Lost Bombed by American PBY Catalina aircraft, 90 miles SSW of Rabaul, New Britain Island. The ship hit by a bomb in her engine room, 10 dead 05.42S 151.40E 24/10/1943
Japan Satsuki DestroyerDamaged Damaged hitting uncharted reef whilst en route between Grove Island & Iboki, in the Bismarck Sea. Ship's speed limited to 16 knots 24/10/1943. Arrived at Kure for repair on 12/11/1943
Germany U-566 Submarine Lost Damaged by depth charges from British Leigh Light Wellington aircraft in the North Atlantic, W of Oporto, the boat was illuminated & attacked after which the boat could no longer dive & was scuttled by her crew, 0 dead, 49 survivors 41.12N 09.31W 24/10/1943
Germany U-566 Submarine Lost Damaged by depth charges from British Leigh Light Wellington aircraft in the North Atlantic, W of Oporto, the boat was illuminated & attacked after which the boat could no longer dive & was scuttled by her crew, 0 dead, 49 survivors 41.12N 09.31W 24/10/1943
 
Military

The Pacific Campaign: The Battle of Finschhafen ended in Allied victory.

Leonard Siffleet, 27, an Australian commando, was executed by beheading. A photograph taken of the moment just before the beheading became one of the most enduring images of World War II.

Monday 25th October 1943
Daily Report
Military

The Eastern Front: Soviet forces take Dnepropetrovsk.

Tuesday 26th October 1943
Daily Report
Wednesday 27th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
USA Cony Destroyer Damaged Damaged by bombs from Japanese aircraft, in the Solomon Islands. Hit by 2 bombs on her main deck, 8 dead, 10 injured 27/10/1943. Towed to Port Purvis for temporary repair before departing to USA
 
Thursday 28th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-220 Submarine Lost Depth charged from Wildcat & Avenger aircraft from American warship Block Island, in the North Atlantic, 1000 miles NNW of the Azores 56 dead, 0 survivors 48.53N 33.30W 28/10/1943
Soviet Union A 03 Submarine Lost Sunk by German Auxiliary ship Shiff 19 in Karkinit Bay 46'10N 31.55E 28/10/1943
 
Friday 29th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-282 Submarine Lost Depth charged & hedgehog bombs by British warships Vidette, Duncan & Sunflower, SW of Cape Farewell, 48 dead 0 survivors 55.28N 31.57W 29/10/1943
 
Other

German character actor and comedian, Robert Dorsay, 39, was executed in Germany after being convicted of "ongoing activity hostile to the Reich and serious undermining of the German defence effort". In March, Dorsay had been overheard by a Gestapo informer, while joking about the government. When his mail and home were searched, an unsent letter was found in which Dorsay made fun of the Nazi Party and described the continued German war effort as "idiotic".

Saturday 30th October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Great Britain Aurora Light CruiserDamaged Damaged by bombs from German Ju 87 Stuka & Ju 88 aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Turkish coast near the island of Leros. Hit by a 500 Kg bomb abaft the after funnel causing extensive structural damage & fires from ammunition, 47 dead, 30 injured 30/10/1943. Withdrawn for repair 31/10/1943
Sunday 31st October 1943
Daily Report
Country Vessel Type Report Description
Germany U-256 SubmarineDamaged Damaged by depth charges from the American warship Borie, the boat forced to dive & escaped on 31/10/1943
Germany U-306 Submarine Lost Depth charged by British warships Whitehall & Geranium in the North Atlantic NE of the Azores, 51 dead 0 survivors 49.19N 20.44W 31/10/1943
Germany U-584 Submarine Lost Torpedoed by a Fido homing torpedo from 3 Avenger aircraft from American warship Card, in the North Atlantic, NNE of the Azores, 53 dead, 0 survivors 49.14N 31.55W 31/10/1943
Germany U-732 Submarine Lost Damaged by depth charges from British anti-submarine trawler Imperialist, the boat crash-dived to escape. When she surfaced she was attacked by gunfire from the British warship Douglas, in the Straits of Gibraltar, off Tangier. The boat was attempting to pass into the Mediterranean Sea, 31 dead, and 18 survivors were captured 31/10/1943
 
Military

The Eastern Front: Soviet forces cut the German rail link to Crimea by capturing Chaplynka.