September 23rd, 1943 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: London: Ten million of Britain's taxpayers are included in the new pay-as-you-earn plan announced tonight. It will cover weekly wage-earners, and employers will act as tax collectors. There will be no change for salaried employees paid monthly. They will continue to pay twice-yearly lump sums in tax on the income of the previous year. Everyone on PAYE will have a code number telling employers how much tax to deduct. The working classes are now seen as permanently within the income-tax range.
Corvette HMCS Leaside (ex HMS Walmer Castle) laid down South Bank-on-Tees.
FRANCE: Free French forces occupy Bonifaccio, Corsica. They now control more than half of the island.
Nantes: In USAAF raids on 16 September and today, 1,150 civilians have been killed.
The USAAF Eighth Air Force’s VIII
Bomber Command flies Mission 100 against three targets: (1) 46 B-17s bomb the
Nantes port area at 0813-0818 hours; they claim 22-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; (2)
55 B-17s hit Meucon Airfield at Vannes between 0825-0826 hours; and (3) 53 63
B-17s hit Bastard Airfield at Kerlin between 0814-0818 hours claiming 2-0-0
Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost.
In the afternoon, the VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 101: 61 B-17s bomb
the port area at Nantes at 1810-1815 and 19 bomb St Jacques Airfield at Rennes
at 1834 hours; 2 B-17s are lost.
During the night of 23/24 September, 25 RAF Bomber Command aircraft drop leaflets over France with the loss of one aircraft.
GERMANY: The USAAF Eighth Air Force’s VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 102: 4 B-17s of the 422d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), bomb Mannheim between 2211 and 2222 hours with the RAF in a night attack.
During the night of 23/24 September, RAF Bomber Command sends 628 aircraft, 312 Lancasters, 193 Halifaxes, 115 Stirlings, eight Mosquitos and five USAAF Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses to bomb Manheim; 571 bomb the target. Thirty two aircraft, 18 Lancasters, seven Halifaxes and seven Wellingtons, are lost, 5.1 per cent of the force. The Pathfinder plan worked well and concentrated bombing fell on the intended area, although later stages of the raid crept back across the northern edge of Ludwigshafen and out into the open country. Twenty one Lancasters and eight Mosquitos carried out a diversionary raid on Darmstadt without loss; all 29 aircraft bombed the target. The diversionary purpose of this raid is not achieved because Darmstadt is too close to Mannheim and the German night fighters could see the main attack only 20 miles (32 kilometers) away quite clearly. But the small force of bombers caused much damage in this university town which had little industry and which had not been seriously bombed before. The third attack tonight is by six Mosquitos which bombed Aachen without loss.
German minesweeper M-343 collided with U-962 in Danish waters causing some damage to the U-boat.
U-247
launched.
U-997 and
U-1192 commissioned.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet forces recapture Poltava in the Ukraine and push toward Kremenchug.
ITALY: Three British sergeants were sentenced to death by firing squad, and 189 corporals and other ranks were given long prison sentences, for mutiny after the Salerno landings, it was revealed here today. The men, from the 51st Highland Division and the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, all of whom were wounded in North Africa, had been rushed to the beach-head without proper orders. In the past their divisional commanders had said that they could insist on their right to rejoin their old battalions, so they refused to join the English country regiments. The sentences were suspended when the men agreed to fight with the new units.
The U.S. Fifth Army begins a general
advance. The British X Corps, making the main effort, attacks toward the Nocera-Pagani Pass on the left with the 46th Division; the 56th Division drives
northward on the Salerno-San Severino road but firm enemy opposition makes
progress slow. In the U.S. VI Corps area, the 3d and 45th Infantry Divisions
continue northward, hampered more by extensive demolitions than by the enemy.
Engineers are playing an important role in keeping routes of advance open. The
British Eighth Army drives the enemy from Altamura.
In the air, USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-26s bomb bridges at Cancello Arnone
and 3 miles (4,8 km) northeast of Capua; light bombers and fighter-bombers
attack motor transport, roads, railroads, town areas, gun positions, and targets
of opportunity in the areas of San Severino Rota, Avellino, Sarno, Torre
Annunziata, Aversa, Nocera, Resina, Serino, Pompeii, and Camarella.
Benito Mussolini announces the "Italian Social
Republic." This puppet government will showcase control of Northern Italy for
the Germans. (John Nicholas)
During the night of 23/24 September, aircraft of RAF No. 205 Group bomb two targets in Pisa: 21 bombed San Guisto Airfield and 39 hit a marshalling yard. Meanwhile, two aircraft dropped leaflets over Milan.
Naples: Retreating German troops wreck the port and sink Italian shipping.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: In the Dodecanese Islands, the 2,428 ton Italian transport MV Gaetano Donizetti, taken over by the Germans, takes off 1,576 Italian POWs. The POWs are mostly sailors and airmen from the Garrison of Rhodes. While southwest of Rhodes, the Donizetti is attacked by the British destroyer Eclipse (H 08), is severely damaged, capsized and sunk taking all aboard with her.
NEW GUINEA: The Australian 20th Brigade advances south and reaches Japanese defensive positions on the River Bumi. They are heading for Finschhafen. They also capture a satellite airfield.
US Fifth Air Force B-25s bomb and strafe villages in the upper Markham River Valley.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s bomb Gasmata Island off New Britain Island.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Twenty three USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24s, 16 P-38s, and 60+USNand USMC SBD Dauntlesses, covered by USAAF, USMC, USN, and RNZAF fighters, attack Kahili Airfield on Bougainville Island; Allied aircraft claim at least 9 fighters shot down. 21 B-24s bomb area from Stanmore Plantation to the mouth of the Vila River on Kolombangara Island. P-39s strafe 2 barges, at Sasamunga and Malanono, leaving both aflame.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: Admiral Thomas C Kinkaid issues Operations Plan (Op Plan) 9-43 which reorganizes the Alaskan Army and Navy air strength. The Commanding General Eleventh Air Force becomes Commander of Task Force 90 (TF 90), composed of Task Group 90.1 (TG 90.1), designated the Air Striking Unit (comprising 16 medium bombers, 12 heavy bombers, 100 fighters) and of TG 90.2, designated the Air Search Group, a Navy air arm. For operations, the Eleventh Air Force is now under the jurisdiction of Commander Northern Pacific (COMNORPAC) Forces. There is no administrative change.
CANADA: 48-ft harbor patrol craft
ordered for RCN: HMC HPC 29, HPC 30 and HPC
31
46-ft harbor patrol craft orderered for RCN:
HMC HC 268, HC 269, HC 270, HC 271, HC 272, HC 283 and HC 274
Frigate HMCS Glace Bay (ex
HMCS Lauzon) laid down Levis, Province of
Quebec.
U.S.A.:
Continental US: Submarine USS Brill laid down.
Escort carrier USS Commencement Bay laid down.
Destroyer escorts USS Eisner and Garfield Thomas laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Rall launched.
Destroyer escorts USS Joseph E Campbell, Micka and Pettit commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Corvette HMCS Morden attacked by U-666 Oblt Herbert ENGEL CO, first Gnat exploded in MORDEN's wake, second Gnat hit frigate HMS Itchen at 2355hrs south of Greenland, 53-25N 39-42W.
U-238 sank SS Fort Jemseg, Oregon Express and Skjelbred in Convoy ON-202.
U-952
damaged SS James Gordon Bennett and sank SS Steel Voyager in Convoy ON-202.
U-422 was attacked by a
Liberator aircraft from 10 RAF Squadron. A few crewmembers were wounded and the
boat was damaged.
U-601 and
U-960 laid a mine barrier off
Port Dikson.