December 14th, 1943 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
A high tribute is paid to the discipline and steadfastness of the British soldier in a German Army Order recently captured. It is signed by von Zielberg; commander of the 65th Division, and urges on officers and men the importance, when they are captured, of not revealing information likely to be useful to the enemy.
"I myself," he says, "have been a witness of the exemplary bearing of the well-trained British soldiers under examination. Even when threatened with death, they refused to give any information except their name and number and their unit, adding sometimes that no German soldiers in their position would answer otherwise." The General says that officers must take care to instruct their men accordingly, owing to "regrettable cases which have recently occurred in other sectors."
The Times.
Submarine HMS Scorcher laid down.
Frigate HMS Riou commissioned.
Frigate HMS Loch Fada launched.
Lt (A) Rene Irving Whitley "Terry" Goddard, RNVR, a Canadian from Ottawa, Ontario, serving a member of the British Fleet Air Arm, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The citation in the London Gazette read: "For outstanding bravery and skill in many successful sorties against enemy shipping in the Mediterranean while operating from Malta and North Africa." Goddard later transferred to the RCNR and then to the RCN. He served in HMCS HAIDA (08 Sep 47) before being promoted to LCdr (O) and appointed as CO of 826 Sqn on 28 Jan 48. His other appointments included service in HMCS Magnificent commencing 08 Apr 52, and staff appointments at NSHQ in 1953 and SACLANT in 1954. Promoted to Cdr (O) on 01 Jan 55, he was appointed to NSHQ as the Assistant CNS for Air Warfare on 01 Aug 60. He also served in the Personnel Branch before being sent on exchange in 1963 to EASTLANT HQ. Cdr Goddard retired some time in 1965 or 1966 (exact date unknown).
ITALY: Capt. Paul Triquet (1910-80), Canadian Army, with the few remaining men of his company, broke through the fierce enemy defence of a town and held off heavy attacks until relieved. (Victoria Cross)
GREECE: 300 Allied bombers raid Athens.
U.S.S.R.: Cherkassy falls to Konev's Second Ukrainian Front. The Soviet Baltic Front, under Yeremenko, begins a new offensive south of Nevel, where the salient has been improved. Radomyshl, south of Maim, falls to the Germans.
Kiev: The Red Army, pursuing its tactics of keeping the Germans on the wrong foot, has launched a major attack on Nevel, in Byelorussia. The Germans say they have abandoned some positions in the face of an assault by six divisions and two tank corps.
Meanwhile, south of Kiev, General Konev's men have stormed Cherkassy, the German stronghold on the west bank of the Dnieper, and are nearing Smyela, the vital junction 16 miles south-west of Cherkassy. The Germans are in full retreat are are being harried from the air by Sturmoviks. One of the reasons for the defeat of the German Eighth Army at Cherkassy was the transfer of many of its tanks to von Manstein's attempt to retake Kiev. At first successful, this attempt inflicted many casualties on General Vatutin's First Ukrainian Front, but was halted by mud and Vatutin's artillery 25 miles from the Ukrainian capital.
General Hoth has been sacked for his failure to take Kiev. Now, both sides are gathering men and guns for the winter offensive which is bound to follow once the frost has hardened the ground.
ITALY: The U.S. Fifth Army completes preparations for an offensive by the II and VI Corps tomorrow and begins a forward movement, during the night of 14/15 December.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers hit Orte, concentrating on the marshalling yard while light bombers attack road bridge southwest of Pontecorvo in front of the U.S. Fifth Army lines. P-40 fighter-bombers hit bridges south of Roccasecca and east of Atina and A-36 Apaches destroy a bridge at Ceprano and bomb railroad yards, the town area, and highway at Sora, and docks and town area of Civitavecchia.
GREECE: USAAF Fifteenth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, with fighter escorts, bomb Greece. Forty three B-24 Liberators hit the Tatoi air depot at Athens; 44 B-17 Flying Fortresses hit the Kalamaki and 31 bomb the Eleusis air depots at Athens and 27 B-17s attack the docks and shipping at Piraeus. The heavy bombers claim 10 fighters shot down; one B-17 is lost.
CHINA: Thirteen USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells, with fighter escort, bomb Shasi and two P-40s strafe supply trucks south of Tengchung.
FRENCH INDOCHINA: Six USAAF Fourteenth Air Force P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe Gia Lam Airfield and railroad yard.
NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, USAAF Fifth Air Force P-39 Airacobras strafe barges along the Huon Peninsula and B-24 Liberators on armed reconnaissance hit Saidor.
AUSTRALIA: Final plans for the operation against Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, are made. It is decided not to use airborne troops as planned.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: In the heaviest raid to date in the Southwest Pacific Area, 228 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs bomb Arawe Island off the south coast of New Britain Island in an almost continuous attack from 0645 to 1548 hours. Gasmata on the south coast of New Britain is hit by B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders. B-24 Liberators on armed reconnaissance hit Gasmata on New Britain Island and Unea (Ball) Island.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Eighteen USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Liberators, with fighter support, bomb positions on Sohano Island while 18 B-25 Mitchells and eight fighters hit Manob village east of Buka Passage. Other Thirteenth Air Force fighters hit gun positions, communications targets, and other targets of opportunity at scattered points in the Bougainville-Shortland areas and cover USN SBD Dauntless strikes against antiaircraft positions in Chabai area on Bougainville Island. Sixteen USMC TBF Avengers attack reverse slope targets that cannot be hit by artillery. The TBFs, guided by smoke, attack a 150-yard by 50-yard (137-meter by 46-meter) area from 700-feet (213-meters). About 180 of the 192 100-pound (45 kilogram) bombs strike the target area but they do not dislodge the Japanese defenders.
Sixteen USMC TBF Avengers attack reverse-slope targets on Bougainville that artillery cannot reach. Guided by a smoke attack, the TBF pilots attack a 150-yard by 50-yard (137-meter by 46-meter) area from 700-feet (213 meters). The aircraft drop 192 100-pound (45 kilogram) bombs with 180 striking the target area. However, the bombs do not dislodge the Japanese.
At Lambu Lambu Cove, Vella Lavella Island, a faulty fuel pump ignites a gasoline dump that in turn explodes an ammunition dump. The resultant fire destroys motor torpedo boat PT-239.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Sixteen USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberators, flying out of bases in the Ellice Islands, bomb Maloelap Atoll Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
U.S.A.: Corvette HMCS Collingwood completed forecastle extension refit New York, New York.
Minesweeper USS Report laid down.
Destroyer USS Bennion commissioned.
Light cruiser USS Vicksburg launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-86 reported missing in the North Atlantic. No explanation exists for her loss. 50 dead (all hands lost).