Yesterday      Tomorrow

November 6th, 1943 (SATURDAY)

UNITED KINGDOM: The USAAF Ninth Air Force's IX Bomber Command, which has transferred from Bengasi, Libya, establishes headquarters at Marks Hall, Essex, England.

Frigate HMS Stayner launched.

NETHERLANDS: During the night of 6/7 November, six RAF Bomber Command Wellingtons lay mines off Texel Island.

FRANCE: During the night of 6/7 November:

  - The USAAF Eighth Air Force's  VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 123. Two B-17 Flying Fortresses drop 440,000 leaflets over Paris at 0241-0250 hours.

  - RAF Bomber Command dispatches Wellingtons to lay mines off coastal ports: nine each lay mines off Brest, Gironde and Lorient, eight off St. Nazaire, five off La Pallice, three off St. Jean de Luz and two off Bayonne. An additional 15 aircraft drop leaflets over northern France.

GERMANY:

During the night of 6/7 November, RAF Bomber Command sends Mosquitos to bomb six targets: seven hit the Vereinigte Stahl steel factory at Bochum, four attack Duisburg while two attack the Vereinigte Stahl steel factory at Duisburg, two each attack Dusseldorf and a steel factory at Hamborn, and one each bombs Grounau and Recklinghausen.

U.S.S.R.: Kiev is liberated by Vatutin's units. Stalin issues a special order of the day and broadcasts to celebrate this victory. Despite losing 6,000 as POW the Germans slip out again.

Kiev: Celebrations for tomorrow's anniversary of the 1917 Revolution started early today with the news that Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, has been liberated after more than two years of German rule.

The battle to free the city was launched by General Vatutin three days ago, Vatutin first tricked von Manstein into thinking that he was going to attack out of the bridgehead across the Dnieper at Bukrin and then, when the Germans concentrated at Bukrin, made his assault out of the smaller lodgement at Lyutezh.

The Russians ripped a great hole in the German lines and swung west behind Kiev. It rapidly became obvious that the Germans would not be able to hold the city. 

Von Manstein pulled out most of his men, leaving only the 88th Infantry Division behind as a rearguard. The 88th, outnumbered and outgunned, has been cut to pieces and its few survivors are straggling back to the German lines having lost all their heavy equipment.

The fall of Kiev marks not only a psychological victory for the Russians but also an end to a short series of successful German counter-attacks.

They had virtually wiped out 7,000 paratroopers dropped across the Dnieper; they had foiled an early breakout from Bukrin and administered a severe check at Krivoi Rog, where they killed 10,000 Russians and captured 5,000. Now the Red Army is once again sweeping westwards.

Moscow: More men, more tanks, more guns, more aircraft - that is the secret of the Red Army's astonishing turnabout success against the most professional army in the world just when it seemed that the Soviet Union was about to collapse.

The inexhaustible supplies of men and materials emerging from the depths of Russia have ground down the Germans. The Red Army now fields 6.5 million men against 4.3 million Germans. The Russians have 5,600 tanks against the Germans' 2,600. They have 90,000 guns against 54,000, and 8,000 aircraft against 3,000. But it is a matter of quality as well as quantity. Russian tanks and aircraft now match the once superior German equipment.

The Russians have also learnt how to fight a modern war. New commanders have emerged to use new tactics. But most important of all has been the fortitude and patriotism of the Russian soldier.

ITALY: German armour is being raced eastwards to counter a major threat to the Gustav Line by the Eighth Army which stormed Vasto yesterday, meeting fierce resistance from General Herr's tanks. British destroyers are giving supporting fire from the Adriatic as British and Canadian troops advance along the coast.

The 8th Indian Division had reached Palmoli and  the US Fifth Army is reported to be ten miles from Capua, a key point on the road to Rome, held up by torrential rain as well as the Germans.

In the U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps area, the 56th Division continues an attack toward Mt. Camino, elements taking Calabritto. In the U.S. VI Corps' the 3d Infantry Division sector, the 7th Infantry Regiment is still fighting for Mt. Ia Difensa; efforts of the 15th Infantry Regiment to take Hill 253, the southeast nose of Mt. Lungo, are unsuccessful, as are those of the 30th Infantry Regiment to take Mt. Rotondo. To the east, the 45th and 34th Infantry Division batter at hills and mountains with little success.

     The USAAF Twelfth Air Force's XII Air Support Command fighter-bombers strike gun positions, bridges, and roads around Mignano, vehicles north of Cassino, and a train north of Aquino Airfield. Other Northwest African Tactical Air Force) fighters attack numerous road and rail transport targets throughout Italy north of the battleline.

     Four USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses attack the Fiora River bridge, three bomb a bridge north of Orbetello, and 11 P-38 Lightnings attack a bridge south of Orvieto. P-38 Lightnings escorted by others, hit approaches to a bridge near Monte Molino, and the escorting fighters afterwards strafe Tarquinia Airfield, a train north of Civitavecchia, and vehicles between Montefiascone and Vetralla.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: German aircraft attack Naples, Italy-bound fast convoy KMF-25A. USN destroyer USS Beatty (DD-640) is torpedoed, breaks in two and sinks about three hours and 22 minutes later with the loss of 11 crewmen. The ship sinks about 144 nautical miles (266 kilometers) east of Algiers, off Cape Bougaroun, in position 37.10N, 06.00E.

 The troop transport SS Santa Elena is also torpedoed about 160 nautical miles (298 kilometers) east of Algiers in position 37.13N, 06.21E, and abandoned. Transport SS Monterey takes on board the 1,800 Canadian troops and 99 nurses from No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, traveling in Santa Elena while the crew and Armed Guard returns to the ship. However, the ship sank with a large amount of equipment, including all of the hospital's gear. (Dave Shirlaw & Jack McKillop)

INDIA: The Government of India accepts the offer of U.S. troops to help operate the Bengal and Assam Railroad.

BURMA: Two USAAF Tenth Air Force B-24 Liberators lay mines in the Rangoon River during the night of 6/7 November.

NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, Japanese aircraft attack Nadzab, Dumpu, and Finschhafen but cause no major damage.

BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: USAAF Fifth Air Force P-40s hit Gasmata (Tsurumi) Airfield on the south coast of New Britain Island.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville Island, the 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, arrives to reinforce the 3d Marine Division’s beachhead. Meanwhile, Japanese troops, transported by destroyers, land near Cape Torokina.

     Nine USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells with USN fighter support hit the airfield and harbor of Buka Island north of Bougainville Island. On Bougainville, a B-25 bombs Kieta on the west coast and attacks Tinputs Harbor; seven barges and small vessels are claimed sunk; 24 B-25s with fighter support follow USN dive bombers and fighters in an attack on Kara Airfield in southern Bougainville; and 17 B-24 Liberators bomb Bonis Airfield on the northern tip of Bougainville. .

CENTRAL PACIFIC: Advanced headquarters, USAAF Seventh Air Force, is set up on Funafuti Atoll in the Ellice Islands to provide a headquarters closer to targets in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands; VII Bomber Command also establish forward echelons at Funafuti. Landing fields are being built on Baker Island; and Nukufetau and Nanumea Islands in the Ellice Islands, to be used, along with existing fields at Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands and Funafuti Atoll in the Ellice Islands as operational bases for attacks on Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands; Mille Atoll in the Caroline Islands; Maloelap and Jaluit Atolls in the Marshall Islands and Nauru Island. These operations will mark the assumption of the offensive by the Seventh Air Force and will play a conspicuous role in the invasion and occupation of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands.

PACIFIC OCEAN: USN Submarine Operations:

0200: USS HADDOCK (SS-231) sinks an oiler at 07-54 N, 150-06 E and an armed oiler at 08-08 N, 149-45 E. (Skip Guidry)

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Alberni departed Gaspe, Province of Quebec for refit Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

U.S.A.: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) accede to request of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander Allied Force, for retention of landing craft. Twelve U.S. and 56 British Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) due to depart from the Mediterranean are to remain until 15 December. A further extension, until 15 January 1944, is subsequently granted.

"Paper Doll" by The Mills Brothers reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. This song, which debuted on the charts on 7 August 1943, was charted for 30 weeks, was Number 1 for 12 weeks and was ranked Number 2 for the year 1943.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Captain F. J. Walker's 2nd Escort Group, built around HMS Tracker ( D 24) sinks two U-boats.

Top of Page

Yesterday           Tomorrow

Home