January 30th, 1943 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Frigate HMS Teviot commissioned.
FRANCE: Joseph Darnand, a pro-Nazi activist, forms the Milice Francaise [French Militia] to help the Germans to round up Resistants and Jews.
GERMANY: Berlin is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Hitler's becoming Chancellor of Germany.
The first daylight raid of Berlin, by the RAF is conducted by Mosquito bombers. This raid is timed to coincide with speeches in Berlin commemorating the tenth anniversary of Nazi Germany. The RAF caught the city by surprise, and the morning raid caused the Luftwaffe chief, Hermann Göring , to postpone a radio talk by half an hour. The second raid, in the afternoon, coincided with a speech by the propaganda minister, Dr. Goebbels. Three planes flew in each raid, and found Berlin under clear skies. Sgt. J. Massey of Sheffield said: "The only unusual thing to happen was that we brought a dead gull back on one of our wings."
Grand Admiral Raeder resigns after disagreement with Hitler about the future of the big ships of the Kriegsmarine Surface fleet. He is succeeded as Head of the German Navy by Admiral Karl Dönitz, who initially continues also to remain head of the U-Boat arm. (Alex Gordon)
U.S.S.R.: General Paulus, of the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, USSR; is appointed Field Marshall by Hitler.
Soviet forces recapture the Maikop oilfields, in the Caucasus.
The 40th Panzer Corps, commanded by Generalmajor Ferdinand Schorner, stationed in the Nikopol bridgehead east of the Dnepr river in the Ukraine, is attached by the entire Fourth Ukrainian Front. (Gene Hanson)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Flower class corvette HMS Samphire is torpedoed 30 miles NE of Bougie at 37 47N 05 32E either by U-596 or the Italian submarine Platoon both of which made claim to the sinking. 4 survivors are rescued by HMS Zetland. (Alex Gordon)(108)
TURKEY: Adana: Churchill and Alan Brooke promise Turkey direct military help if it is forced into war.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: With the arrival of the fleet tug Navajo, USS Louisville is relieved of duty towing the Chicago to safety. Coastwatcher reports and other intelligence report a possible airstrike about 4:00 pm. Leaving 5 destroyers and a destroyer transport, Rear Admiral Richard Giffen sails ahead with the 5 cruisers and ten other destroyers. At this time carriers Enterprise and Saratoga are about 40 miles to the south. Giffen allows the two escort carriers to proceed separately because they are slowing him down.
The Japanese attack as the cruisers are deployed in parallel lines and the destroyers in an arc in front - giving little protection when the 31 Japanese G4M bombers strike. The attack results in another torpedo hit about 4:25 sinking the Chicago. During this final attack, the destroyer Lavallette is described by the Japanese pilots as a "Honolulu class cruiser". She had turned and placed herself between the Bettys and the Chicago. A near miss damages her and kills 21. The Japanese lose a total of 12 Bettys today.
CANADA: Destroyer HMCS Iroquois completed workups and declared operational.
U.S.A.: Destroyer escorts USS Booth and Carroll laid down.