UNITED KINGDOM: Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower, Commanding General European Theater of Operations, US Army (ETOUSA), assigns to the 8th Air Force the mission of carrying out, in collaboration with the RAF, the degree of air operations with the view of attaining air domination over western France by 1 April 1943.

Destroyer HMS Zest laid down.

GERMANY: U-846 is laid down.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Mark Horan writes of the exploits of the Malta Beauforts: After an eighteen day layoff during which fuel limitations had curtailed the activities of all Maltas strike aircraft, particularly the combined Beaufort Squadron (39 and 217), activity began to pick up. Plans were well along for what would prove to be the climactic Malta convoy, due to begin in a fortnight. In preparation, their lordships had begun reinforcing the islands air power, including the first flight of another veteran Beaufort Squadron, 86, from the UK, led by one of Pat Gibbs old 1940 squadron mates, SL James Robert Hyde, DFC, RAF.

Although the details of exactly how desperate the situation was on Malta have never been fully revealed, clearly things were critical. Stocks of food, fuel, and ordnance were on there last legs. In fact, the situation was so bad, that the August convoy would, for all intents, be the final throw of the die for the British efforts to hold the island, as there was less than a months supply of food for the islands populace, civilian and military. Recognizing that the carefully hoarded fuel reserve for the strike planes could all be for naught, the new AOC Malta, Air Vice-Marshall Keith Park, RAF (hero of the Battle of Britain) intended to utilize his strike aircraft aggressively, retaining only the fuel needed to defend the convoy when it came.

Ultra reports indicated a new convoy had departed Brindisi enroute for Bengasi. So informed, a PR Spitfire from 69 Squadron was dispatched and soon located the target, the brand new 16-knot motor ship Rosolino Pilo (8,326 BRT) with a strong escort of four warships, DD Pigafetta, DD Premuda, TB Circe, and Clio.

Gibbs led off the striking force at 0955, consisting of nine Beauforts (two 39, four 86, three 217) from and five Beaufighter (one other aborted). They found the target just before noon off Cape Geroghambo, and executed a textbook attack from both bows. Sweeping in at low altitude they apparently caught the Italians by surprise, the light flak damaging only one Beaufort. Unfortunately, despite reports of three hits being obtained, Rosolino Pilo escaped with only light casualties from the Beauforts strafing as they swept past her, arriving in Bengasi on 23 July.
 

NORTH AFRICA: El Alamein: General Claude Auchinleck, launches 8th Army in Operation Splendour, a major attack against the Afrika Korps in the vicinity of Ruweisat Ridge south of El Alamein. They are aware of the logistics problems detailed by Rommel to the OKW, through their reading of ULTRA.

The operation is designed to deliver a knockout blow to the weakened German Panzer Army.

The main attack is south of the ridge while, to the north, the Australian 9th Infantry Division is to create a diversion. Eighth Army is unable to coordinate attacks in which infantry, mainly Commonwealth units and armoured and tank units mainly British take part. It is held on Ruweisat Ridge. (Jay Stone)(139)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Admiral Mikawa, CO of the IJN 8th Fleet at Rabaul, requests additional destroyers from Tokyo. He will again make this request on the 23rd adding a prediction that the Americans will land on Guadalcanal before the airfield becomes operational.


ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Four 11th Air Force B-24 Liberators fly search and bomb missions over Kiska Island but make no contact because of weather. Task Force 8, (2 heavy and 3 light cruisers plus destroyers) enroute to bombard Kiska, refuels from the oiler USS Guadalupe (AO-32) while being cover by PBY Catalinas.

 

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Matapedia completed refit Pictou, Nova Scotia.

U.S.A.: President Franklin D Roosevelt calls on Admiral William D Leahy, Ambassador to France and former Chief of Naval Operations, to serve as Chief of Staff to the Commanders-in-Chief of the US Army and Navy. 

The Vega Division of Lockheed Aircraft has prepared a report calling for the creation of a heavily-armed and armoured version of the B-17 to give formations additional protection.

Submarine USS Cod laid down.

CARIBBEAN SEA: At 1029, the unescorted Donovania was torpedoed and sunk by U-160 off Grand Matelot Point, Trinidad. Three crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master, 42 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by British MTBs and destroyer USS Livermore and landed at Port of Spain, Trinidad.

CUBA: The government prohibits the shipment of all foodstuffs to Spain.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: US Liberty ship William Cullen Bryant damaged by U-84 in Convoy TAW-4J.

Civil Air Patrol pilot Henry Cross crashes into the Atlantic 20 miles off Rehoboth Beach, Delaware at 1650 hours. The plane sinks, Cross is hurt and his observer/radio operator Charles Shelfus, is missing.

After an hour, Hugh Sharp, commander of the Civil Air Patrol base at Rehoboth arrives in a Sikorsky seaplane with Edmond Edwards as his observer. He lands in the rough water, eight to ten foot swells toss the Sikorsky and damage its left pontoon. The plane starts to fill with water. Edwards loas Cross onboard in spite of the heavy swells, and after searching in vain for Shelfus, the aircraft turns towards shore at 1820.

They cannot take off because the sea is too rough, so they taxi all the way to the shore. Shortly after they set out on their westerly course, the left pontoon sinks. While Sharp pilots the plane, Edwards crawls out onto the right pontoon and hangs onto the bomb rack to help balance the plane. He is completely immersed several times during the sail home.

A Coast Guard picket boats meets the Skiorsky at 2050 and tows it and its passengers to Chincoteague, Virginia. They arrive at 2345. (Drew Ames)