http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/sep1943/f17sep43.htm
British officers in Yugoslavia
Friday, September 17, 1943 www.onwar.com
British officer aiding partisan in Yugoslavia [photo at link]
In Occupied Yugoslavia... A senior British liaison mission arrives and meets with Tito. Brigadier Fitzroy Maclean leads the mission, as Churchill’s personal representative. The mission aims to confirm reports in May and June suggesting the Tito is doing more than Mihajlovic to fight the German occupation.
On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces complete the capture of Bryansk. Soviet forces are advancing across the Desna River on a broad front. To the south, on the Sea of Azov, the town of Berdyansk is also seized by Soviet forces.
In Italy... The US 5th Army begins to advance out of its beachhead. German forces attack Altavilla and Battipaglia in rearguard action to cover their withdrawal to the Volturno Line.
In Occupied Greece... At Cephalonia, the Italian “Acqui” Division resists German forces seeking to disarm it.
Over the Gilbert Islands... American land-based Liberator bombers attack the island of Tarawa.
The Finns tell the Germans they are ready to quit, and tell the Soviets what terms they will accept. Yet Finland will have to endure another year of war and take a terrible beating next summer before any of this happens. She had a strange journey in the 1940s.
I liked the article about the British miners strike, all because an 18 year old miner refused to go into the pits. Hmmm...what’s an 18 year old doing in a coal mine anyway? If he doesn’t want to go into a pit, I’m sure there’s a nice foxhole in Italy that would suit him better. He better be thankful there’s no German soldiers in the British coal industry.
Interesting article on the new balance of naval power since Italy’s fleet left the war. Until now, the United States Navy has committed a number of modern naval units to the European theater, such as battleship Massachussetts and Brooklyn class light cruisers. Now that the Mediterranean is clear, there is no need for modern American heavy units in Europe. They can all go to the Big Blue Fleet growing in the Pacific. In fact, from this point the US Atlantic fleet will pretty much consist of destroyer escorts and CVE’s for anti-submarine duties. Those ships are being built by the score, so it’s no loss to the Pacific. Any heavier ships will be older units such as Arkansas and Texas that will be used for shore bombardment.