[Homer_J_Simpson]

Air Battles Waged (Middleton) * – 2
British in Ortona (Bracker) – 3
Russians Nearer Vitebsk; 20 More Towns Captured – 4
War News Summarized – 4
Nazis Threaten Reprisal Trials on American and British Fliers – 5
Bataan Hero Dies in Plane Fall; Avoids Motorist, Hits a Steeple – 5
The Chief of Staff Visits a Training Base in Hawaii (photo) – 6
It will be a White Christmas for the Seabees (photo) – 7
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 8-9
Benes Links Poles to Moscow Accord – 9
Liberal Trend in Spain Discerned in Arrese’s Speech and Amnesty (Denny) – 9

*The Lt. Col. Hall named in the article commanded the 381st Bombardment Group. My uncle was a navigator in that group at this time but his crew had yet to fly a combat mission. That would change in one week. Captain Walker Mahurin is also named in the article as a P-47 pilot. According to his Wikipedia entry he was an over-achiever. Not only was he a double ace in the ETO, he would later get 3 ½ kills in the PTO. Then he will shoot down some MiGs in Korea.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/dec1943/f23dec43.htm

Canadians battling for Ortona
Thursday, December 23, 1943 www.onwar.com

Canadian soldiers engage in fierce street fighting in Ortona [photo at link]

In Italy... The British 8th Army continues its attacks. The Canadian 1st Division seizes control of most of Ortona. Inland, other elements of the 8th Army capture Arielli.