June 12th, 1943 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Corvette HMS Alnwick Castle laid down.
Submarine HNLMS Tijgerhaai (ex-HMS Tarn) laid down.
GERMANY: Dusseldorf: The German authorities fear that as many as 140,000 people are homeless today in this industrial city after an overnight raid by 783 RAF bombers. Nearly 2,000 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs devastated 130 acres of the city; thousands of separate fires were reported by the authorities, with 1,292 people killed. Munster was also hit by RAF contingents which included Canadian, Australian and Polish squadrons; 38 RAF planes were lost.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The island of Lampedusa surrenders to the Allies in Strait of Sicily. (Glenn Steinberg) RAF Sergeant Cohen "captures" the island after making a false landing.
Fighters, light, medium and heavy bombers of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force, the Northwest African Tactical Air Force and the USAAF Ninth Air Force hit Lampedusa Island in the Strait of Sicily. The island surrenders unconditionally, and Coldstream Guards go ashore and take charge.
About 0330, the unescorted Palima was hit by one torpedo from
U-97 and sank rapidly. 24
crewmembers and two British gunners were lost. 37 crewmembers and two
British gunners rescued themselves on a few rafts that had floated free.
During the day they were spotted by an aircraft, picked up by a large
whaleboat and a Greek destroyer and landed at Beirut the same day.
LIBYA: Tripoli: King George VI of Great Britain arrives in North Africa to visits the troops. He will go to Malta on the 20th.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: The submarine USS Trout (SS-202) lands a five-man US Army team at Labangan, Mindanao.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: A major air raid by the IJNAF is mounted on Guadalcanal. They sustain heavy losses. Allied fighters shoot down 31 aircraft for the loss of six of their own.
An estimated 50 IJN Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters, Allied Code Name "Zeke," are dispatched to attack Allied facilities and shipping at Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands. They are met by 91 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), USAAF, USMC and USN fighters over the Russell Islands. USN F4F Wildcats down 14 "Zekes" at 1025 hours, USAAF P-40s down eight at 1030 hours and USMC F4U Corsairs down six at 1100 hours. Allied losses are six aircraft and two pilots.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: The crew of the destroyer USS Frazier (DD-607) spots the submarine HIJMS I-31 on the surface. The destroyers commences fire with 5-inch (127 mm) guns and hit a periscope as the submarine submerges.
CANADA: Frigate HMCS Montreal launched Montreal, Province of Quebec.
U.S.A.: "Taking A Chance On Love" by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra with vocal by
Helen Forrest reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. The song is
from the motion picture "Cabin In The Sky" starring Eddie "Rochester"
Anderson, Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.
This song, which debuted on the charts on 8 May 1943, was charted for 11 weeks, was Number
1 for 3 weeks and was ranked Number 8 for the year 1943.
USS R-12 (SS-89) foundered during exercises off Key West, Florida.
The song originally was sung by Ethel Waters in the Broadway production of "Cabin in the Sky." Most of the songs were composed by Vernon Duke, who also wrote "I Can't Get Started" for another show, and the lyricist John LaTouche. But during production, Duke knew that he needed one more song and ran into Ted Fetter on the street. He and Fetter had worked on a tune called "Fooling Around with Love" which was never sold and Duke suggested that Fetter dust if off with knew lyrics. It became "Taking a Chance on Love"--and the only hit standard to come out of "Cabin in the Sky."
Fetter had to share credit with LaTouche and Duke, but he still was getting at least $5,000 a year in royalties when he died a few years ago. (Matt Clark)
Chuck Baisden gets married in Quartzite, Arizona. (Chuck Baisden)
US Submarine R-12 (SS-89), CO Edward E. Shelby, is sunk during a training exercise off Key West-Cause unknown Atlantic. 42 men died, including Brazilian observers. No survivors (one report lists three survivors). (Joe Sauder)
Minesweepers USS Notable and Nucleus launched.
Destroyers USS Cotten and Porterfield launched.
Destroyer escort USS Osterhaus commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-118 (Type XB) is sunk in the mid-Atlantic west of the Canary Islands, in position 30.49N, 33.49W by depth charges from eight Avenger aircraft of the US escort carrier USS Bogue. 43 dead, 16 survivors. (Alex Gordon)
U-333 shot down an RAF Sunderland and was damaged in the action.