October 15th, 1943 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: British General Pownall is appointed Chief of Staff; US General Wedemeyer is appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to Admiral Mountbatten at South East Asia Command.
HQ U.S. Army Air Forces in the United Kingdom (USAAF">USAAFUK) is activated to exercise supervision over and provide coordination between the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in the UK. Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker is appointed Commanding General in addition to his duties as Commanding General Eighth Air Force.
HQ Ninth Air Force moves from North Africa to England and Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton assumes command. Although the Ninth Air Force is scheduled to provide tactical support to Allied ground forces after the Normandy invasion, the Ninth's fighters will support the Eighth Air Force in its strategic missions over Europe.
Frigate HMS Pitcairn launched.
Submarine HMS Vigorous launched.
Frigates HMS Anguilla and Helmsdale commissioned.
Minesweeper HMS Pickle commissioned.
Frigate HMS Pitcairn launched.
Submarine HMS Vigorous launched.
FRANCE: The 1.Staffel [squadron] of Fernaufklarungs-Gruppe 5 [German for Long Range Reconnaissance Group] with Ju 290A-2s and -3s joined operations over the Atlantic. (230)(Greg Kelley)
GERMANY:
U-1405 laid down.
U-369 commissioned.
BALTIC SEA: U-23 damaged TSC-486 Sovetskaja Rossija.
ITALY: British units of General Mark Clark's Fifth Army finally break German defenses and push across the Volturno river, some on pontoon bridges built by combat engineers of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division.
In the U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps area, the 56th Division crosses the Volturno River, using bridges in the former U.S. VI Corps sector. The VI Corps' 3d Infantry Division takes Cisterna, but elements are being strongly opposed near Villa and Liberi. Elements of the U.S. 34th Infantry Division take Ruviano. The Germans withdraw from this area during the night of 15/16 October. On the right flank of the U.S. VI Corps, the 45th Infantry Division finishes clearing to Titerno Creek and makes contact with the 34th Infantry Division across the Volturno River to left.
The British Eighth Army's XIII Corps pauses as the Canadian 1st Division takes Vinchiaturo and Canadian tanks support British units attacking Termoli.
The Germans begin rounding up the Jews of Rome. Prior to these arrests, the Jewish community is told by the Germans that unless it could raise 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of gold (equivalent to US$56,000) within 36 hours, 300 hostages would be taken. When it turned out the Jews could raise only 35 kilograms (77 pounds), the Chief Rabbi, Israel Zolli, asked for and received a loan from the Vatican treasury to cover the balance. The Pope approved the transaction.
XII Air Support Command and other elements of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force hit roads, railroads, bridges, junctions, railway facilities, town areas, and motor transport at or near Piedimonte, Vairano, Termoli, Petacciato, Sparanise, and Civitanova, and hit gun positions and communications in the general battle area north of the Volturno River.
Forty seven bombers of RAF No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group attack a railroad bridge at Talamone without loss.
GREECE: Twelfth Air Force B-25s of the XII Bomber Command hit airfields at Salonika and Megalo Mikra.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: U-616 encountered the British submarine HMS Untiring, which fired three torpedoes without success.
NEW GUINEA: The Japanese attack Allied positions in Oro Bay. 59 Fifth Air Force P-38s and 8 P-40s intercept around 100 Japanese aircraft attacking Allied shipping in Oro Bay, New Guinea. The US fighters shoot down 26 "Val" dive bombers, a "Kate" torpedo bomber (Nakajima B5N, Navy Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber) and 19 "Oscar" fighters (Nakajima Ki-43, Army Type 1 Fighter Hayabusa) between 0805 and 0900 hours.
At 1730 hours, P-38s and P-40s shoot down 5 "Lily" bombers (Kawasaki Ki-48, Army Type 99 Twin-engine Light Bombers) east of Finschhafen, New Guinea.
70+ B-25s hit positions and villages from Sio to Saidor, New Guinea.
EAST INDIES: Six B-24s bomb Boela on Ceram Island in the Moluccas Islands.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: The I Marine Amphibious Corps (I MAC) issues final orders for the invasion of the Northern Solomons. The attack force (Task Force 31 under Rear Admiral Theodore Wilkinson, Commander of the 3rd Amphibious Force), with ground forces of Lieutenant General Alexander A. Vandegrift's I MAC, will seize the Treasury Island bases on 27 October in preparation for main invasion of Bougainville Island on 1 November. In support will be carrier- based and land-based aircraft, surface forces, and submarines.
21 Thirteenth Air Force B-24s and 12 P-38s plus 17 USN F4U Corsairs attack Kahili Airfield supply and personnel areas on Bougainville Island at about 1200 hours. Six "Zekes" are claimed shot down. During the late evening B-25s bomb the airfield on Buka Island.
PACIFIC OCEAN: 0100 hours: USS Tullibee (SS-284) a transport at 24-30 N, 120-26 E. (Skip Guidry)
Admiral Halsey issues orders for the invasion of Northern Solomons by Task Force 31.
CANADA: Target towing vessels ordered - HMCS Kirkwood, Atwood, Brentwood, Eastwood, Greenwood, Inglewood, Lakewood, Oakwood and Wildwood.
Corvette HMCS Camrose completed forecastle extension refit Pictou , Nova Scotia.
Corvette HMCS Halifax completed refit Liverpool , Nova Scotia.
Submarine HMS L-27 commenced refit Sydney , Nova Scotia.
U.S.A.: The Joint Chiefs of Staff accept General Henry H. "Hap" Arnolds's proposal to split the Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean into two air forces; the Twelfth Air Force will become a tactical air force while the new Fifteenth Air Force will become a strategic air force.
Submarine USS TANG (SS-306) is commissioned with Lieutenant Commander Richard H. O'Kane in command. (John Nicholas)
Destroyer escort USS Coolbaugh commissioned.
Escort carrier USS Petrof Bay laid down.
Destroyer escort USS Underhill launched.
Douglas DC-3-178, msn 1588, registered NC16008 and named "Flagship Missouri" by the U.S. airline American Airlines, crashes near Centerville, Tennessee, at 2317 hours local. This is American Flight 63 from Nashville to Memphis, Tennessee, with four crew and 11 passengers; all are killed. The aircraft struck the ground nose-first in a vertical attitude while en route and is completely demolished by the impact. The cause of the crash is the inability of the aircraft to gain or maintain altitude due to carburetor ice, propeller ice or wing ice or some combination of these icing conditions, while over terrain and in weather unsuitable for an emergency landing.
CARIBBEAN SEA: Submarine USS Dorado lost to an American patrol craft from Guantanamo Bay or possibly lost to mines from U-214. Dorado was in transit from the New London submarine base to the Panama Canal.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: A man died of illness on U-488. [Maschinenmaat Karl Bergmann].
U-371 damaged SS James Russell Lowell beyond repair in Convoy GUS-18.
U-426 sank SS Essex Lance in Convoy ONS-20.