July 20th, 1943 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Submarines HMS Spirit and Vampire launched.
Escort carrier HMS Ameer commissioned.
GERMANY: U-242, U-292, U-1165 launched.
ITALY: On the ground in Sicily, the US Seventh Army and British Eighth Army continue to push northwest and north. The US 82d Airborne Division takes Sciacca and Menfi; the US 9d Infantry Division clears Santo Stefano Quisquina and the heights north of Mussomeli; the US 2d Armored Division, with British units, takes Enna and drives on to Villapriolo. The Canadian 1 Division pushes to the Leonforte area; the British 51 Division attacks the German airfield near Sferro; 13 Corps is halted by strong opposition on the Catania Plain.
During the night of 19/20 July, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons bomb Aquino, Sicily, and Capodichino, Italy, Airfields while Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) medium and light bombers attack vehicles, roads, and town areas around and in Randazzo, Santo Stefano di Camastra, Orlando, and Nicosia, Sicily. During the day, NASAF fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in western Sicily while NASAF medium bombers strike Montecorvino Airfield. Joining the attack are USAAF Ninth Air Force B-25s which attack Randazzo and Taormina; and RAF heavy bombers which hit Vibo Valentia Airfield.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet forces, under heavy fire from the Luftwaffe, push the Germans out of Mtensk.
The National Committee for a Free Germany broadcasts its manifesto to the German people and army.
Moscow: The STAVKA has issued an order to all partisans units declaring a "rail war" against the German railway system. From now on every effort will be made to prevent supplies and reinforcements reaching the front. The Germans have already been forced to use armoured trains to fight off partisan attacks and many units have suffered severe casualties on the way to the front. Now, the railways are going to become even more hazardous.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: - 18 Thirteenth Air Force B-24s bomb airfields at Kahili on Bougainville Island and on Ballale Island.
During the night of 19/20 July,USNPBY Catalinas and eight USMC TBF Avengers attack an IJN surface force between Vella Lavella and Choiseul Islands sinking a destroyer and damaging a heavy cruiser and a destroyer. During the day, USAAF"> USAAF B-25 Mitchells sink another destroyer.
- Navy PBY Catalinas spot a Japanese task force coming down "The Slot" and it is attacked by Marine TBF Avengers which sink a destroyer and damage a cruiser. A second wave of B-25 Mitchells and TBFs attack without success but a third wave of B-25s sink a destroyer using skip-bombing techniques. Fighters strafe barges in Pakoi Bay, New Georgia Island.
Territory of Hawai'i: The underground oil storage facility at Red Hill, Pearl Harbor is completed. (Edward S. Miller)
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: In the Aleutian Islands, the destroyers USS
Aylwin (DD-355) and USS Monaghan (DD-354) bombard Kiska Island with 100 rounds each of
5-inch (127 mm) shells.
CANADA:
Frigates HMCS Prestonian and Sea Cliff
laid down Lauzon, Province of Quebec.
Corvettes HMCS Asbestos and Hawkesbury
laid down Quebec City, Province of Quebec.
Tug HMCS Glenlea launched Owen Sound, Ontario.
U.S.A.: President Roosevelt issues a firm order that atomic information should be shared with the British. There will be staff discussions on this topic at the Quebec Conference next month.
Escort carrier USS Nehenta Bay laid down.
Escort carrier USS Natoma Bay launched.
Minesweeper USS Sway commissioned.
Frigate USS Sausalito launched.
Destroyer escorts USS Burke and Scott commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-558 is sunk in the Bay of
Biscay northwest of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.10N, 09.42W, by depth charges from
an RAF Halifax Mk II of No. 58 Squadron and a USAAF B-24 Liberator of the 19th
Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy); both aircraft are based at St. Eval, Cornwall, England.
Only 5 of the 50-man sub crew survive.
One man was lost (Matrosenobergefreiter Arthur List) during an
air attack on U-195 in the Bay
of Biscay.