August 4th, 1943 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: In England, the USAAF's Eighth Air Force's VIII Air Support Command flies Mission 14. 33 B-26B Marauders bomb shipyards at Le Trait, France at 1926 hours local without loss.
Frigates HMS Riou, Rutherford laid down.
Frigate HMS Duckworth commissioned.
Destroyer HMS Rocket commissioned.
Escort carrier HMS Trumpeter commissioned.
Frigate HMS Meon launched Glasgow, Scotland.
GERMANY: U-291, U-430, U-676 commissioned.
U.S.S.R.: South of Kursk, Konev and Vatutin begin to attack toward Belgorod at the junction of the 4th Panzer Army and the German 8th Army.
ITALY:
US aircraft attack Naples in what Rome calls "the most barbarous and merciless" raid so far: 150 people are killed.Other American forces are halted by fierce opposition at the Furiano River and Troina.
In the air, Ninth Air Force P-40s attack shipping at Messina and support ground forces at the north end of Mount Etna. Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) medium and light bombers, and fighters attack communications targets, gun positions, and storage areas in the Milazzo-Adrano-Biancavilla and Bronte-Riposto-Fiumefreddo areas. A number of NATAF aircraft hit rail sidings on the toe of Italy and attack shipping off Messina, Sicily.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The Canadian-built, British-registered cargo ship Fort La Montee (7,130 GRT) sank after a fire and explosion while in Algiers. Fort La Montee was loaded with a cargo of phosphorous. As soon as the fire was discovered, the ship was moved out of the harbour due to her hazardous cargo. The Acasta-class fleet destroyer HMS Arrow was standing by to render assistance when an enormous explosion destroyed the forward end of Fort La Montee. Over 100 lives were lost in Fort La Montee and Arrow. A British submarine was eventually able to sink the after end of the freighter with gunfire. Arrow was declared a Constructive Total Loss. Fort La Montee was a North Sands-class freighter built by North Van Ship Repairs Ltd., at North Vancouver BC. She was completed in Aug 42. Fort La Montee was one of 90 North Sands-class freighters built in Canada for American order under the Hyde Park Declaration and subsequently provided to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease Agreement. C. and J. Harrison Ltd. of London managed the ship for the British government. Twenty-two of these ships were sunk and another seven were damaged.
INDIAN OCEAN: At 0030, the unescorted Dalfram
was torpedoed and sunk by U-181
east of Madagascar. Three crewmembers were lost. The master, 34 crewmembers and
five gunners landed after eight days on the island of
Ile Ste Marie, east of Madagascar.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: On New Georgia Island, USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25s, and USMC dive bombers, bomb the Gurasai-Kindu Village area; some of the B-25s also strafe areas emitting intense small arms fire, silencing it.
P-40 pilots claim 8 A6M "Zekes" downed in a series of running battles over the central Solomons while USMC F4U Corsair pilots claim 3 others..
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Between 0855 and 1846 hours, the USAAF Eleventh Air Force flies 134 sorties dropping 153 tons of bombs on Kiska Island, a new one-day record; 6 armoured weather, photo and reconnaissance missions, flown by 3 B-24s, 2 P-40s, and 2 F-5A Lightnings bomb through clouds, take photos and observe fires in Main Camp and on Little Kiska Island; later 48 B-25 Mitchells, 22 B-24s, 16 A-24 Dauntlesses, 8 P-40s, and 40 P-38's fly 17 bombing and strafing attacks to Kiska Island; targets hit include buildings near the radio station, and the gun battery area on North Head. Little Kiska Island and Segula Island are also strafed.
CANADA: Frigate HMS Meon launched Glasgow, Scotland.
U.S.A.: Destroyer escorts USS Gaynier, Ingraham, Janssen, Wilhoite laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Elden commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-489 is sunk southeast of ICELAND at position 61.11N, 14.38W by an RCAF Sunderland Mk III, s/n DD859, of No 423 Squadron based at Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland. 53 of the 54 crewman on the U-boat survive. This supply U-boat had set out on its first patrol on 22 July, barely a fortnight before its sinking, and did not, consequently provide replenishment to any other U-boat. (Alex Gordon)