November 7th, 1943 (SUNDAY)
EUROPE: ETO: The 78th FG flies VIII Fighter Command's first group double escort mission with A and B fighter formations.
The B-17 "Hard Luck" had a serial number ending in "13". It arrived at Thorpe Abbotts on Friday, 13 Aug. 1943. It was assigned to the "hard luck" 100th BG (H). While not superstitious, the crew had second thought when, on mission "13", they found their plane parked on hardstand "13". The mission to Duren turned out to be a milk run.
8th AF fighter losses:
20th FG: Maj. John C. Wilkins, HQ Sqnd., KIA P-38H LC*42-67022 Took off late and was never seen again.
Capt. Herbert W. Cumming, 79 FS, KIA P-38H MC*F 42-67039 Hit by an Fw-190 and went down over the Channel.
56th FG: F/O Robert E. Sheehan, 63 FS, MIA-Evaded P-47D UN*C 42-7985 Mechanical failure near Doesburg.
355th FG: Lt. Edwin O. Carlson, 357 FS, KIA P-47D OS*Q 42-7984 "On the Ball" Collided with Lt. Westphal near Montdidier.
Lt. James A. Westphal, 357 FS, POW P-47D OS*L 42-8370 "Albama Bound" Collided with Lt. Carlson near Montdidier.
Capt. Walter H. Kossack, 358 FS, POW P-47D YF*X 42-8477 Ran out of fuel and bellied in near the French coast.
Lt. William E. Roach, 358 FS, POW P-47D YF*U 42-22490 "Beetle" Ran out of fuel and landed at Caen.
F/O Chester W. Watson, 358 FS/ KIA P-47D YF*Z 42-8629 Ran out of fuel and bailed out over the English Channel. (Skip Guidry)
FRANCE: Over 200 USAAF Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders dispatched to attack airfields at Montdidier and Meulan-Les Mureaux are forced to abort the mission because of bad weather. The B-26s are escorted by 54 P-38 Lightnings and 49 P-47 Thunderbolts of the USAAF Eighth Air Force; two P-38s are lost.
GERMANY: The USAAF Eighth Air Force's VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 124. Three targets in Germany are hit without loss. Poor weather restricts operations: 54 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the Wesel industrial area at 1124-1125 hours; 38 B-17s hit the industrial area at Duren at 1114 hours and 20 hit Randerath, the secondary target, at 1114-1125 hours.
The 78th Fighter Group flies VIII Fighter Command's first group double escort mission with A and B fighter formations. The B-17 "Hard Luck" had a serial number ending in "13." It arrived at Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk, England, on Friday, 13 August 1943 and was assigned to the "hard luck" 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy). While not superstitious, the crew had second thought when, on mission "13," they found their plane parked on hardstand "13." The mission to Duren turned out to be a milk run. (Skip Guidry)
During the night of 7/8 November, four RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos bomb the blast furnaces at Bochum.
U.S.S.R.: The Soviet advance reaches Fastov, 40 miles west of Kiev, where the Germans have a quickly positioned defence line.
The commander of the 44th Soviet Army is captured when he drives accidentally into the German frontline at Nikopol.
ALBANIA: Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force bombers bomb Durazzo during the night of 7/8 November.
YUGOSLAVIA: Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force bombers bombs the town of Ulcinj. XII Air Support Command and other fighters of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force hit the harbor and shipping at Split and a train near Metkovic.
ITALY: The U.S. Fifth Army continues to battle the Germans in the mountains of the Winter Line but makes little headway. In the VI Corps sector, the 34th Infantry Division organizes Task Force A under Brigadier General Benjamin F. Caffey, consisting of the 135th Infantry Regiment and supporting units, for a drive on Montaquila.
Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force bombers hit gun position along the British Eighth and U.S. Fifth Army fronts and shipping in Ancona harbor. The USAAF Twelfth Air Forceâ's XII Air Support Command attacks bridges, road junctions, town area, and trucks in the Mignano-Cassino and Pontecorvo areas.
LEBANON's claims to independence are denied by the Free French, causing tension with Anglo-Americans. (Glenn Steinberg)
BURMA: In the British Fourteenth Army's IV Corps area, the Japanese are becoming aggressive in the Chin Hills and occupy Falam.
CEYLON: Headquarters South East Asia Command (SEAC) adopts Operation TARZAN, the India-based portion of general offensive in Burma, now called Operation CHAMPION. Operation TARZAN calls for a limited offensive on Burma’s Arakan coast for Akyab; a drive from Imphal to the Chindwin River.; the establishment of a division on the railroad to Myitkyina; amphibious operation against the Andaman Islands in the eastern part of the Bay of Bengal.
NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, nine USAAF Fifth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb Wewak and 40+ others turn back when the fighter escort is intercepted by Japanese aircraft over Nadzab. Japanese enemy aircraft attack Nadzab and Bena Bena; 16 U.S. aircraft are destroyed or damaged by the raids but 14 airplanes are shot down by U.S. fighters.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: US carriers, Saratoga
(CV-3) and Princeton (CVL-23) of TF 38, are
attacked by 100 Japanese aircraft, 240 miles SE of Rabaul
but they emerge unscathed.
A battalion of Japanese troops are landed north of the the US beachhead
on Bougainville and begins a fierce fight.
On Bougainville Island, the American beachhead undergoes its first major counterattack. Japanese destroyers from Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, land 475 troops between the Laruma and Koromokina Rivers early in morning. The troops attack at once in the vicinity of Koromokina lagoon and are held off by the 3d Marine Regiment, although a small outpost is cut off and must be rescued by sea.
Eight USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells bomb barge concentration and beach targets in Atsinima Bay, Bougainville Island while 21 B-24 Liberators pound the airfield on Buka Island north of Bougainville.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, 25 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators, with an escort of 64 P-38 Lightnings, bomb Rapopo Airfield near Rabaul. A large force of enemy fighters intercepts the formations and in the ensuing battle five P-38s are lost; U.S. aircraft claim 20+ fighters shot down and several more destroyed on the ground.
PACIFIC OCEAN: USN Submarine Operations: 1700: USS GREENLING (SS-213) sinks a civilian tanker and an armed transport at 34-34 N, 138-35 E. (Skip Guidry)
CANADA: Trawler HMS Cailiff arrived Halifax after escorting a Quebec-Sydney convoy.
U.S.A.: The BALAO class submarine USS LIONFISH (SS-298) is launched at Cramp, Philadelphia. (Marc James Small)
Submarines USS Lionfish and Manta launched.
Escort carrier USS Wake Island (CVE-65) commissioned.
Destroyer escort USS Lovelace commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-123 was attacked by a Mosquito aircraft from the 618 Squadron suffering 1 man dead and 2 wounded.