December 22nd, 1943 (WEDNESDA)
UNITED KINGDOM: USAAF Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz, deputy commander of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF), is ordered to take command of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe in the U.K. at once. Lieutenant General Ira Eaker, Commanding General USAAF Eighth Air Force, is to command Allied air forces in the Mediterranean upon relief by RAF Air Chief Marshal (U.S. General) Tedder, Air Commander-in-Chief MAAF, who is to become Air Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. General Eaker is subsequently given permission to remain in the European Theater of Operations until he can advise Generals Spaatz and Major General James H. Doolittle, who will assume command of the USAAF Eighth Air Force, in England and does not reach the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) until mid-January. A North African Theater of Operations, U.S. Army, directive results in reorganization of USAAF elements in the Mediterran ean Theater of Operations (MTO).
Frigate HMS Hotham launched.
Frigate HMS Rowley commissioned.
Escort carrier HMS Ruler commissioned
FRANCE: The USAAF Eighth Air Force's VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 162: six B-17 Flying Fortresses drop 1.212 million leaflets on Paris, Amiens, Chartres, Orleans and Rennes, France at 1942-2018 hours.
During the day, RAF light bombers attack numerous NOBALL (V-weapons) targets in conjunction with the USAAF Eighth Air Force raids on Osnabruck and Munster, Germany.
During the night of 22/23 December, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 51 aircraft, 29 Stirlings, 11 Lancasters, eight Mosquitos and three Halifaxes, to attack two flying-bomb sites between Abbeville and Amiens; Thirty aircraft hit the site at Ailly-Le-Haut-Clocher but the second site cannot be located and two aircraft bomb the site at Freval. Twenty one bombers drop leaflets over the country during the night. Finally, bombers lay mines off ports on the Bay of Biscay: six lay mines off La Pallice, five off Lorient, two off Cherbourg and one off Le Havre.
GERMANY: The USAAF Eighth Air Force's VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 161: marshalling yards (M/Ys) are targeted; 22 US bombers are lost. Heavy cloud conditions along with a malfunction of Pathfinder equipment result in a large number of heavy bombers failing to attack targets: 218 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators bomb the M/Y at Osnabruck at 1356-1434 hours with the loss of five B-17s and 12 B-24s; 197 B-17s and B-24s bomb the M/Y at Munster at 1353-1417 hours with the loss of three B-17s and two B-24s; 23 other aircraft hit targets of opportunity. The bombers are escorted by 40 P-38 Lightnings, 448 P-47 Thunderbolts and 28 Ninth Air Force P-51 Mustangs; the fighter pilots claim 15-1-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; two P-38s and two P-47s are lost
During the USAAF Eighth Air Force's VIII Bomber Command Mission 163, a B-17 Flying Fortress drops two 2,000 pound (907 kilogram) general purpose bombs and a Photoflash on Cologne, at 2020 hours.
During the night of 22/23 December, 11 RAF Bomber Command Mosquitos are dispatched to attack two cities: nine bomb Frankfurt-am-Main and one hits Bonn.
POLAND: Warsaw: Gestapo police discover and execute 62 Jews hiding in a basement.
ITALY: In the British Eighth Army's V Corps area, Villa Grandi falls to the Indian 8th Division. The 2nd Canadian Brigade has entered Ortona and is heavily engaged in fighting, the German 1st Paratroop Division, from house to house.
P-40s and Spitfires of the USAAF Twelfth Air Force and Australian, British and South African aircraft hit strong points in the Tollo-Miglianico-Chieti areas. P-40s attack bridges, locomotives, trucks, and railroad tracks at and near Tortoreto and Benedello.
YUGOSLAVIA: Marshal Tito, Yugoslavia's partisan leader has told the country's exiled King Peter that his services will not be required after the war. The young king has angered the partisans by living in comfort in London - and by awarding a medal to a Chetnik commander who was living in Italian headquarters at the time. The Chetnik guerrillas, led by the royalist Drazha Mihailovich, are accused of switching sides since the Allies put their money on Tito as likely to cause Hitler most trouble.
USAAF Twelfth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts strafe targets of opportunity in the area around Zara.
U.S.S.R.: 14,284 Spanish soldiers are repatriated to Spain; 3,000 volunteer to continue fighting with the Nazis in the Legion Azul [Blue Legion].
NEW GUINEA: In Northeast New Guinea, nearly 40 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-25 Mitchells, with P-38 Lightning escort, bomb Wewak and Boram. The P-38 Lightnings, B-25s and some P-47 Thunderbolts on a sweep claim at least 13 aircraft shot down. B-25s and P-39 Airacobras bomb airfield and barges at Madang and the town of Alexishafen; and A-20 Havocs and B-26 Marauders attack the occupied area north of Finschhafen.
CHINA: Seven USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells, with fighter escort, bomb Hwajung while two others claim three direct hits on a freighter 105 miles (168 kilometers) south of Hong Kong. Sixty five Japanese bombers and fighters attack Kunming Airfield ten P-40s and a P-38 Lightning from Kunming and several fighters from Yunnani engage the enemy force in a 50-minute running battle, claiming 12 Japanese airplanes shot down; two US aircraft are destroyed on the ground; damage to airfield is not serious. Seven P-40s intercept a force of 58 airplanes heading toward Chengkung, shooting down three of them and preventing an attack on the airfield.
GILBERT ISLANDS: 47th and 48th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) with B-25's moved from Hawaii to Abemama and then to Makin on 21 Apr 44.
BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: On New Britain Island, over 30 USAAF Fifth Air Force B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs continue the bombardment of Cape Gloucester while a Japanese air raid on Arawe causes minor damage.
PACIFIC: From Glen Boren's diary: In the morning, our air group flew in and landed. One fighter pulled out his tailhook and ended up in the barriers. No other accidents.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Bougainville, USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells carry out strikes against Numa Numa, the Kahili supply area, the Chinatown area on Buka Island, and scattered targets of opportunity; fighter aircraft. B-24 Liberators attack barge concentrations and hide-outs at Sohano Island, the Chabai-Porton area, Anewa Bay, and Ambitle Island, and several targets of opportunity throughout Bougainville while B-24s, operating individually and in pairs, attack targets of opportunity near Bonis, near Porton, and at Sohano Island.
MARSHALL ISLANDS: Eleven USAAF Seventh Air Force A-24 Dauntlesses from the Gilbert Islands dive-bomb cargo ships in Mili Atoll lagoon and sink a transport; escort is provided by 32 P-39 Airacobras and USN F6F Hellcats. The P-39s strafe the ships and antiaircraft guns and gasoline dumps on the island and the vessel is left burning.
CANADA:
Corvette HMCS Norsyd commissioned incomplete. Completed at Indiantown, New Brunswick.
U.S.A.: Orders are issued for General Carl Spaatz to take command of the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSAFE). Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker, Commanding General USAAF Eighth Air Force, is to Command Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, after remaining in the UK until mid-January to advise Spaatz and Lieutenant General James H Doolittle, the new Commanding General Eighth Air Force.
The USN escort aircraft carrier St Joseph (CVE-50) is transferred to the British Navy under Lend Lease and commissioned as HMS Ruler (D 72). She is the 32nd escort aircraft carrier transferred to the Royal Navy and will be returned to the USN on 29 January 1946.
Sporting goods manufacturers receive permission to use synthetic rubber for the core of baseballs. The move, of course, produces livelier baseballs.
Destroyer escorts USS Maurice J Manuel laid down.Destroyer USS Purdy laid down.
Escort carrier USS Savo Island launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Convoy JW.55B is discovered by Luftwaffe Reconnaissance aircraft.