August 21st, 1943 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigates HMS Conn and Cotton launched.
Escort carrier HMS Ruler launched.
GERMANY: U-1226 launched.
DENMARK: Riots, strikes and sabotage paralyze Copenhagen and other Danish cities and towns. The Germans rush 40,000 troops from Norway to quell the disturbances.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet forces capture Zmiev, south of Kharkov.
Moscow: Andrei Gromyko is appointed Soviet ambassador to the US.
Field Marshal von Manstein warns Adolf
Hitler that the Soviet Army's crunching offensives may overwhelm out-numbered
German forces in the Ukraine. Wehrmacht intelligence has determined 287 Soviet
divisions are battering 52 German divisions.
ITALY:
- US Ninth Air Force B-24's attack a railroad station, marshalling yard, and air depot at Cancello Arnone.
- US Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-26 Marauders and B-17s bomb marshalling yards at Villa Literno and Aversa; the P-38 escort also attacks Aversa; NASAF aircraft claim 20+ enemy fighters shot down.
ALGERIA: Maj. André Gilbert Kempster (b.1916), Duke of Wellington's Regiment, threw himself on a grenade which had rolled into his trench, he died instantly.
NEW GUINEA: Komiatum, 6 miles SW of Salamaua, is captured by
Australian troops.
USAAF 5th AF B-25s bomb But and Dagua Airfields on New Guinea.
AUSTRALIA: Election returns show that Premier Curtin's Labour Party is on top.
Menzies retained Kooyong, though the United Australia Party, led by WM Hughes, lost heavily. The Curtin Labour government increased its majority, winning 49 seats to 12 United Australia Party seats, 7 Country Party, 3 Country National Party, 1 Liberal Country Party, 1 Queensland Country Party, and 1 Independent seats in the House of Representatives. Labour won all 19 Senate seats contested. (Daniel Ross)
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: During the Aleutian Campaign, 3 June 42 to 21 August 43, the US Eleventh Air Force destroyed 69
aircraft, sank 21 and damaged 29 ships, and lost 29 of its own aircraft.
U.S.A.: The motion picture "The 7th Victim" is released today. This horror film, directed by Mark Robson, stars Tom Conway and Kim Hunter. The plot has Mary Gibson (Hunter) going to New York City in search of her missing sister and finding a group of devil-worshippers.
Submarine USS Batfish commissioned.
Destroyer escorts USS Cooner and Bunch commissioned. Destroyer escorts USS Gary and Greenwood launched. Corvette HMCS Eyebright completed foc'sle extension refit Baltimore, Maryland.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-596 sank SS Lily, SS Namaz and SS Panikos.
The Allies, while building up for Overload (D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944) established a new troopship convoy route called UT. This was a fast and heavily escorted convoy route averaging 15 knots.