http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/sep1943/f08sep43.htm
Italy surrenders to the Allies
Wednesday, September 8, 1943 www.onwar.com
Badogoglio announces the Italian surrender [photo at link]
In Rome... Italian General Badoglio publicly announces the Italian surrender. The Italian Fleet (3 battleships, 6 cruisers, 9 destroyers) leaves port, from La Spezia and Genoa, to surrender to the Allies.
In Italy... The British 8th Army captures Locri and takes Pizzo in an amphibious operation.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces occupy Stalino as well as Yasinovataya nearby and Krasnoarmeisk.
In the Solomon Islands... American and Japanese reinforcements arrive on Arundel. Fighting continues.
In New Guinea... Australian forces advancing on Lae from the east capture Saingaua but are held by Japanese resistance at Busu River. The Japanese begin to withdraw from Salamaua under Australian pressure. For US destroyers shell Lae.
In a dramatic account of the Tunisian campaign General Marshall cleared up any doubts that may have existed as to why Lieut. Gen. George C. Patton, Commander of the United States Second Corps, surrendered his command in mid-campaign to Lieut. Gen. Omar N. Bradley. General Patton's particular job was done, General Marshall related, and since it had been decided at the Casablanca conference in January, 1943, that Sicily was next on the Allied timetable, General Patton "was withdrawn in order to go ahead with the plans for the expedition to Sicily."
Since his presentation was to cover the state of the war as of June 30, 1943, he was spared the delicate task of explaining why Patton is no longer in command of the 7th Army. Possibly that development will remain unknown to all but the top American commanders until tomorrow, when it is revealed that Gen. Clark is in charge of the next American campaign.