Posted on 07/09/2013 5:24:33 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/jul1943/f09jul43.htm
Allied landing on Sicily
Friday, July 9, 1943 www.onwar.com
Allied troops disembarking on Sicily [photo at link]
In Sicily... Operation Husky. The invasion of Sicily begins. The landing force is concentrated around Malta. There are 1200 transports and 2000 landing craft which will land elements of 8 divisions. In the evening, there are airborne landings by the US 82nd Airborne Division and British units which cause disruption in the Axis defenses, although they do not manage to seize their objectives. The Italian 6th Army (General Guzzoni) is responsible for the defense of Sicily. There are a total of about 240,000 troops (a quarter of which are Germans).
On the Eastern Front... The battle of Kursk continues. The German advance is bogged down. Active Soviet defenses are wearing down the attacking German forces.
In the Solomon Islands... On New Georgia American forces attack toward Munda. Heavy Japanese resistance limits the advance. Meanwhile, Americans send reinforcements to Rendova and the Japanese send reinforcements to Kolombangara.
http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/thismonth/09.htm
July 9th, 1943 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigates HMS Kingsmill, Lawford, Louis laid down. Minesweeper HMS Rosario commissioned.
GERMANY: Heidelberg: Goebbels vows that Allied bombing will be avenged by a new secret weapon.
ITALY: General Guzzoni is now in command on Sicily with the Italian 6th Army.
In Sicily during the night of 8/9 July, Northwest African Strategic Air Force Wellingtons bomb the airfields at Catania, Gerbini, and Comiso and Northwest African Tactical Air Force planes hit Sciacca and Milo Airfields.
During the day, Ninth Air Force B-24s bomb airfields at Maleme, Crete, and Comiso and Taormina while B-25 Mitchells hit Sciacca landing ground and Biscari Airfield and dispersal areas and P-40s escort bombers over Castelvetrano, and Milo Airfields. Northwest African Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25s, B-26 Marauders, and fighters attack other targets, including Sciacca and Biscari Airfields, Gerbini satellite field, and Cape Passero Island radar stations. This pre-invasion air bombardment of Sicily provides air superiority over the enemy.
The Allied forces for Operation Husky are gathered around MALTA. The invasion of Sicily will begin with airborne landings tonight. These will include the US 505th PIR landing at Gela. (Mike Yared)
2,590 Allied ships headed for Sicily to mount the first amphibious assault on Occupied Europe - Operation Husky - while transport aircraft and gliders from North African bases inserted troops from the British 1st Airborne and US 82nd Airborne Divisions, beginning half an hour before midnight.
U.S.S.R.: The Battle for Kursk continues. The Germans are becoming bogged down.
Operation Citadel, Hitler’s desperate attempt to change the course of the war by destroying the Soviet armies in the Kursk salient, is grinding to a halt as Soviet tanks, cunningly constructed defences, and swarms of Sturmoviks blunt the pincer attacks of General Hoth from the south and General Model from the north.
Citadel has been off-balance from the start. Hitler postponed it three times in order to introduce his new Panther and Tiger tanks and the huge Elefant tank destroyers. But the delays simply gave the Russians time to deploy their own T-34s and build formidable anti-tank defences. Surprise, a vital element of the Blitzkrieg, was entirely missing. From spies - particularly “Lucy” in Switzerland - from Enigma decodings passed on by the western Allies and from deserters the Russians knew everything about Citadel. Two and a half hours before German tanks were due to crash over the start line, four days ago, they were hit by a storm of fire from Russian guns.
There were heavy casualties among the Germans caught in the open, and the start of their attack was disrupted. Model’s men were hammered by Katyusha rockets.
The Elefants, with only one defensive machine gun each, proved themselves useless without infantry support, and the untried Panthers and Tigers broke down and caught fire. On that first day Model gained only six miles, and on the second day only four, and on the third he was fought to a standstill only 12 miles from his starting point. And there he is stuck. Hoth, with a six-to-one advantage in tanks, made better progress, breaking through the first Soviet defence line. But now he is stopped dead by a line of dug-in tanks.
BURMA: The RAF bomb Maungdaw.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: A USN submarine lands men, equipment and ammunition on Negros Island.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: US forces on New Georgia are now advancing on Munda, in the Solomon Islands. Aerial support for the operations on New Georgia continue. During the night of 8/9 July, Thirteenth Air Force B-24s bomb Kahili Airfield and Buin on Bougainville Island, and Poporang Island.
Marine SBD Dauntlesses bomb Japanese ground defenses at Bairoko Harbor on New Georgia while B-25s and several fighters sent against forces near Vella Lavella Island, fail to locate the target and strafe Buki and Ganongga Islands, and a destroyer beached on southeast Kolombangara Island. At least 4 A6M “Zekes” are shot down by a P-39Airacobra and Navy F4F Wildcat pilots in the early afternoon over Rendova.
Four USN destroyers shell the area near Munda on New Georgia Island. Later in the day, 18 USMC SBD Dauntless bomb the same area.
AUSTRALIA: Minesweeper HMAS Kiama launched.
TERRITORY OF ALASKA: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The 159th Regimental Combat Team arrives on Attu Island to relieve the 17th Infantry Regiment of garrison duty. The 17th ships out for Adak where it begins training for the invasion of Kiska; during the Kiska invasion, the 17th is designated Landing Force 16.8.
The destroyer USS Aylwin (DD-355) shells antiaircraft gun positions in the Gertrude Cove area of Kiska on the night of 8/9 July. Approaching her target under an overcast sky, she manoeuvred into range guided solely by her SG radar. Utilizing director-controlled indirect fire the destroyer made two passes at that island, firing 46 rounds of 5-inch (127 mm) on the first run and 38 rounds on the second. Meanwhile, two Japanese cruisers and 8 destroyers attempt to evacuate Japanese troops from Kiska.
The USN submarine USS Permit (SS-178) mistakenly shells a Soviet oceanographic vessel believing it to be a Japanese trawler. Realizing the mistake, the sub comes alongside and rescues the Soviet crew and takes them to Akutan Island, Aleutian Islands.
U.S.A.: Louisiana: The US Navy orders a version of the Consolidated Catalina from the new New Orleans factory. This mark will have two 0.50-in nose guns, search radar in a radome above the cockpit and amphibious undercarriage. They will be designated PBY-6A and 900 are ordered.(23)
Destroyer escort USS Cabana commissioned.
Minesweeper USS Zeal commissioned.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0243, U-508 attacked Convoy ST-71 60 miles SW of Lagos in the Gulf of Benin and torpedoed the De La Salle and Manchester Citizen. The ships were sunk by coup de grâce at 0425 and 0452. The master, 129 crewmembers, 12 gunners and 97 passengers from the De La Salle were picked up by corvette FS Commandant Detroyat and the British SS Calabar and landed at Lagos. Eight crewmembers and two passengers were lost. Twelve crewmembers, two gunners and 14 Krooboys from the Manchester Citizen were lost. The master, 44 crewmembers, eight gunners and 23 Krooboys were picked up by Commandante Detroyat and landed at Lagos.
The unescorted Samuel Heintzelman was torpedoed and sunk by U-511 in the Indian Ocean. The U-boat dived after firing torpedoes and not observed the results, but they heard underwater explosions and found no trace of the ship after surfacing, only debris floating in the water and lying on deck. All eight officers, 34 crewmen, 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and six passengers on board were lost. The Samuel Heintzelman was reported missing after being seen the last time in 20°S/103°E on 4 July and it was first believed that she had been sunk by a Japanese surface raider. On 30 September, wreckage of the ship was found off Minni Minni village, Maldive Islands and two empty lifeboats had been spotted the day before.
U-953 attacked by an aircraft killing one and wounding two of its crew. [Matrose I Egon Döring].
U-642 shot down an RAF 210 Sqn Catalina.
U-435 sunk west of Figueira, Portugal, in position 39.48N, 14.22W, by four depth charges from an RAF 179 Sqn Wellington. 48 dead (all hands lost)
U-590 sunk near the Amazon Estuary in position 03.22N, 48.38W, by depth charges from a USN VP-94 Catalina aircraft. 45 dead (all hands lost).
Maps are taken from David Glantz & Jonathan House, "The Battle of Kursk."
Maps are taken from David Glantz & Jonathan House "The Battle of Kursk."
“U.S.A.: Louisiana: The US Navy orders a version of the Consolidated Catalina from the new New Orleans factory. This mark will have two 0.50-in nose guns, search radar in a radome above the cockpit and amphibious undercarriage. They will be designated PBY-6A and 900 are ordered.”
Is this a forerunner of the P-3 Orion for anti-submarine duty, or is it the forerunner of the AWAC for early warning against air attack? I can see valuable use for both; the Catalina had good range and endurance, and with search radar, it can give a very early warning for Japanese aircraft out in the vast expanses of the Pacific.
Here’s the real problem for the Axis, though. The PBY-6A is a technological innovation; put a radar on a flying platform. OK, good idea. Let’s build NINE HUNDRED OF THEM. Why?
Because we can.
The first objective in the invasion of Sicily, therefore, must be the seizure of one or more airfields.
Airfields can be seized by attacks by parachute troops and glider-borne infantry . . .
This is cutting it pretty close. The airborne troops are taking off right about now, aren't they?
Awesome read..... Funds provided by session very interesting.
Thank you....
“The airborne troops are taking off right about now, aren’t they? “
Was this the group who were mistaken for Germans and got blown out of the sky by US AA fire from the fleet transporting the landing troops?
Or maybe the ones who missed the island entirely and were dropped in the sea to drown. This airborne business is trickier than you might think.
The ones shot down by friendly fire were later. Homer has this one pegged.
To what do you attribute the lack of German progress in the northern line at Kursk?
I think the lack of progress by 9th Army was mainly attributable to the decision to lead with infantry as opposed to the panzer wedge.
Both sides put stronger forces in the south than in the north, and I don’t know if the Germans had a significantly greater force ratio in the south as opposed to the north. Model committed his panzers piecemeal as it became clear the infantry had bogged down. Manstein concentrated the panzers up front on day one.
Given the experience of the blitzkrieg early in the war, one would think Model would know better how to employ his armor. In the grand scheme of things it’s just as well he didn’t.
It is a patrol plane it is both. But mainly the anti submarine one. Also it did search and rescue and much more. reconnaissance was key including spotting enemy fleets. Those 900 will go to good use.
But this is not remotely the first plane to have a radar or the first PBY. It isn’t going to do a NEW role. It is just adding radar to its existing role. Patrol float-planes have been around for decades by now. PBYs have been killing subs for a long time now. A PBY was the first to spot one of the forces approaching Midway. Long range recon was a big part of its mission. So you could call it a precursor to spy satellites too.
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