This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

7 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Walter Heitkamp, a 40 victory pilot with JG 52, died of his wounds while in Russian captivity. Some believe that he was actually killed by his captors.

MEDITERREANAN : RAF Liberators, under IX Bomber Command control, bomb the Naples area.

USAAF Ninth Air Force B-24s hit the ferry and slips at Messina harbor. Northwest African Air Force B-17s bomb the docks and ships at Trapani.


WESTERN FRONT: Hptm. Kurt Ruppert was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26 in place of Hptm. Fritz Geisshardt who had died of his wounds the day before.

Hptm. Lothar Otto, Staffelkapitaen of 3(F)./122 had a narrow escape when a fire started in one of the engines of his Ju 88D-1. He forced landed at St. Remis en l'Eau due to the fire and was injured.

8 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: With the spring thaw turning battlefields into mud and hampering military maneuvers, both the Germans and Soviets planned ahead for the summer. Marshal Zhukov suggested to Stalin in a letter that his forces should be first on the defensive against the expected panzer onslaught.

"It would be better to make the enemy first exhaust himself against our defenses and knock out his tanks," he wrote.

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GERMANY: 156 Lancasters, 97 Wellingtons, 73 Halifaxes, 56 Stirlings and 10 Mosquitoes attacked Duisburg. 19 aircraft were lost. Thick cloud again ruined the Pathfinder marking and the resultant bombing was widely scattered. Duisburg experienced only moderate damage with 40 buildings destroyed, 72 seriously damaged and 36 people killed. Bombs fell on at least 15 other towns in the Ruhr.

A 4 day meeting between Hitler and Mussolini begins at Salzberg. They decide to hold in North Africa.

MEDITERRANEAN: Ninth Air Force B-24s attack Palermo harbor.

NORTH AFRICA: Axis forces continued their withdrawl towards Enfidaville. Units of the British Eighth Army captured Sfax. Lt. Graf von Westerholt of III./SKG 10 was hit by AA fire and his Fw 190A-4 crashed near Mezzouna, Tunis and he was killed.

USAAF 9th AF P-40s flew 29 bomber escort and other missions against retreating German columns along the coast north of Gabes. NAAF P-40s and Spitfires flew sweeps and recon over the Faid Pass - Fondouk el Aouareb - Kairouan area as the British X Corps attacked Fondouk. Other fighters flew recon and sweeps attacking motor transport south of Zaghouan. Western Desert AF fighters hit retreating German columns in the Cekhira-Sfax area.

WESTERN FRONT: 27 aircraft went minelaying off the Biscay coast. 1 Wellington was lost.

9 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: The Geschwaderkommodore of JG 51, Obstlt. Friedrich Beckh - who had succeeded Werner Moelders in 1941 when Moelders was named General der Flieger - was posted to a staff position within the RLM. In his place was appointed the Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 51, Major Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.

GERMANY: 104 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes were dispatched to Duisburg but thick cloud caused a scattered attack. 50 houses were destroyed and 27 people were killed in Duisburg. Other bombs fell over a wide area of the Ruhr. 8 Lancasters were lost. During the RAF raid on Duisburg, Fw. Heinz Vinke from 11./NJG 1 destroyed 3 of the bombers but Lt. Oskar Kostler of 10./NJG 1 was killed shortly after he had destroyed a Lancaster for his 6th victory.

4 Mosquitoes attacked various targets just over the German border but a raid by 4 more Mosquitoes to a railway target at Orleans was abortive. No aircraft were lost.

NORTH AFRICA: The British Eighth Army took Maharos, 50 miles southwest of Gabes. 9th AF P-40s in a fighter-bomber role attacked Sfax, as the British Army pursued the retreating Axis. NAAF fighters continued recon of the northern half of Tunisia and the Straits of Sicily and hit German movement and defenses over wide areas between Sfax and Enfidaville.

10 April 1943

GERMANY: 144 Wellingtons, 136 Lancasters, 124 Halifaxes and 98 Stirlings raided Frankfurt with 21 aircraft lost. Complete cloud cover in the target area again led to a failure. The bombing photographs of every aircraft showed nothing but cloud and Bomber Command had no idea where bombs had fallen. Frankfurt reported only a few in the suburbs of the city south of the River Main. The only damage listed was fires in a paper goods store and in the rafters of a few neighboring houses. The Frankfurt report said that there were no casualties in the city but another report said that 18 people died presumably in country areas.

MEDITERRANEAN: IS 12th AF B-17s raided Italian fleet units at La Maddalena in Sardinia sinking the Italian cruiser 'Trieste' and 2 motor torpedo boats and badly damaging the cruiser 'Gorizia'. US 9th AF B-24s bombed the harbor at Naples. RAF Liberators hit Palermo.

NORWAY: Fw. Hainz Graupner of 2./JG 5 lost speed when banking his Bf 109 sharply and stalled, crashing near Jonstrup not far from Fliegerhorst Vaerlose. Fw, Graupner was killed in the crash and the Bf 109 was a total loss.

NORTH AFRICA: The British Eighth Army entered Sfax and continued north to La Hencha. The British IX Corps broke out of Fondouk Pass too late to cut off the retreat of the Axis forces.

P-38s destroyed another 20 German transports and 8 escorting German and Italian fighters. Later that afternoon, B-25 medium bombers and their escorts downed 21 transports and 4 of the escorting fighters. Despite these serious losses, the Luftwaffe continued to fly these aerial convoys.

During the night NAAF Wellingtons bombed troops and transports on roads in the area surrounding Enfidaville. In daytime, B-26 Marauders followed up the Wellingtons with raids on roads and military concentrations near Enfidaville. Fighter-bombers also hit ground targets. Fighters escorted bombers and flew sweeps from Medjez el rah to Sousse.

11 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: In a dogfight with Russian fighters over his airbase at Anapa, Ofw. Willi nemitz, Staffelkapitaen of 4./JG 52, was shot down and killed. He was one of the oldest frontline pilots in the Luftwaffe at the age of 32 - his nickname was 'Altvater' or 'Old Father' - and had 81 kills at the time of his death.

Another Eastern front pilot, Oblt. Albrecht Walz of 4./JG 3, was listed as missing in action. He had 27 victories during the war.

GERMANY: Hermann Goring, the man whose Luftwaffe was going to bring Britain to its knees, decreed that air-raid patrol duty would be compulsory for every able-bodied German. Women would not be spared their place in the duty rotas which were now being organized. Factory workers were also being drafted into civil defense or the emergency services as they battled to minimize the effect of the raids on production. The raids caused particular damage to the rail and road networks, making travel difficult as well as dangerous.

MEDITERRANEAN: US 9th AF B-24s attacked Naples harbor. AA fire was intense and Luftwaffe fighters attacked the bombers from all sides, knocking down one bomber. The B-24s claimed the destruction of 3 fighters. NAAF B-17s struck the harbors of Marsala and Trapani. During the night, NAAF Wellingtons bombed airfields at Decimomannu and Monserrato.

NORTH AFRICA: In northern Tunisia, the British First Army took Kalrouan, 100 miles south of Tunis.

The Luftwaffe again tried to re-supply the Afrika Korps in Tunisia and sent a formation of 35 transports on an aerial convoy from Sicily. Bounced by B-25s and P-38s out on a shipping sweep over the Sicilian strait, both bomber and twin-engined fighters tore into the German formations. Within minutes, 25 German planes including 21 Ju 52 transports were shot down. In an unusual victory, Uffz. Gaisberger of III./TG 3 claimed one P-38 destroyed during the battle. Uffz. Herbert Romeikat of 2./JG 27 was listed as missing after landing on the sea near Derna with engine damage. The Luftwaffe was being bled white.

1(F)./122 sent a Ju 88A-4 on a sortie to the Algiers - Bone area. the aircraft was shot down 120 miles north of Bone by Spitfires of RAF No. 87 Sqdrn while they were on a convoy patrol.

In the late morning a patrol led by Hptm. Siegfreid Freytag of Stab II./JG 77 flew escort for Stukas attacking Allied positions around Medjez el Bab. The force was intercepted by Spitfires and in the ongoing battle Ofw. Wilhelm Baumgartner of 7./JG 77 was shot down south of Sedjoumi. He wore the Deutsches Kruez in Gold and had 34 victories at the time of his death. Hptm. Freytag and Ofw. Heinrich Hackler of 8./JG 77 each claimed a Spitfire.

US 9th AF B-25s attacked motor transport and troop concentrations north of Sfax as Allied ground troops pushed toward Sousse. NAAF P-38s carried out fighters sweeps and recon flights, claiming numerous aircraft shot down. B-26 Marauders bombed Oudna airfield, B-25s hit Sainte Marie du Zit airfield and B-17s struck the harbor at Tunis. Fighter-bombers and A-20s attacked trucks south of Enfidaville and east of Kairouan, the Sousse docks and numerous other targets.

NORTHERN FRONT: Robert McClintock, the chief American diplomat in Finland, had offered his good services to mediate peace between Finland and Soviet Union. Four days later the Finnish Foreign Minister Henrik Ramsay answered and asked for more information to substantiate whether there is a real basis for a negotiated peace. The American answer is received today. McClintock states that the offer concerns only arranging a direct contact between Finland and Soviet Union, not any offer to act as an intermediary. After receiving the American statement, President Risto Ryti empowers Ramsay to give the Finnish answer. Finland does not think it possible to start negotiations in the present circumstances. One reason is that the Soviets are unwilling to state their terms for starting the negotiations (Molotov has in fact informed the Americans what their minimum demands are, but has also forbidden to inform the Finns of these). The Germans are also applying heavy pressure on Finland; ambassador Wipert von BlŸcher has already left Finland for an undetermined period of time. The Germans also demand Finland to conclude a formal alliance with Germany, but this is refused.

WESTERN FRONT: 8 Mosquitoes bomber an engineering factory at Hengelo and railway workshops at Malines. 2 aircraft were lost. The 2 RAF Mosquitoes shot down during the attack on the engineering factory at Hengelo and railway workshops at Malines were claimed by Hptm. Paul Steindl of 9./JG 26 and Uffz. Werner Wiegand of 2./JG 1 for his first victory.

46 aircraft were sent to lay mines off Texel, Brittany and the Biscay ports. 1 Stirling and 1 Wellington were lost.

12 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: German troops of Heeresgruppe Mitte (von Kluge) evacuated Vyazma. 4(F)./122 conducted operations over the Kuban bridgehead. Two Ju 88D-1s failed to return from a sortie in that area.

GERMANY: Oblt. Joachim Blechschmidt was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of ZG 1 in place of Oblt. Paul-Friedrich Darjes.

German radio announced that 4,150 Polish officers that were deported by the Russian authorities in 1940 had been found in mass graves near Smolensk, "....a ditch was found, 28 meters long and 16 meters wide, in which the bodies of 3,000 Polish officers were piled up in twelve layers. they were fully dressed in military uniforms, some were bound and all had pistol shot wounds in the back of their heads...." the reports, coming from Goebbels Propaganda ministry were suspect, but the relationship between Russian and Poland had never been a happy one.


WESTERN FRONT: Fw. Karl Bugaj of 11./JG 1 was killed in a flying accident. He had only 5 kills flying with JG 1.

13 April 1943

GERMANY: 6 Mosquitoes carried out nuisance raids to Bremen, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven. These were the first non-Oboe Mosquito night raids and were the forerunners of Light Night Striking Force operations. The Germans hated the nuisance and harassing effect of the Mosquito raids and could rarely shoot down any of these fast, high-flying aircraft. The Mosquito was later modified to carry a 4000 lb bomb as far as Berlin - a favorite Mosquito target - and in winter individual Mosquitoes were sometimes able to make 2 flights to Berlin under the cover of darkness in the same night, changing crews after the first landing.

10 Lancasters went minelaying off Germany.

MEDITERRANEAN: NAAF P-38s bombed a cruiser at La Maddalena and other shipping at Porto Torres. NAAF B-17s bombed the airfields at Castelvetrano and Milo. US 9th AF B-24s were dispatched against the harbor at Catania. Total cloud cover prevented visual contact with the target. One bomber dropped bombs in the target area but others jettisoned their load or returned to base without bombing.


WESTERN FRONT: 24 Venturas bombed railway targets at Abbeville and Caen but most of the bombs missed their targets. No aircraft were lost.

208 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes bombed the dock area of La Spezia and caused heavy damage. 4 Lancasters were lost and 3 more, either damaged or in mechanical difficulty, flew on to land at Allied airfields in North Africa. It is believed that this was the first occasion that the recently captured North African airfields were used for Bomber Command aircraft in distress. The 3 Lancasters flew back to England later. This target was regarded as at maximum range therefore the balance between fuel and bomb load was critical. Max Chivers and his crew in Lancaster ED717 QR-N of 61 Squadron crossed the French coast at 20,000 feet when it was attacked by 2 German night fighters which were outwitted by the two gunners and the violent corkscrew maneuver by the pilot. The navigator was asked for a new course to the target when the wireless operator told the pilot that the navigator was unwell and was unable thereafter to do his duty. As they were half way to the target they decided to continue the operation. Two hours later the target was nearing and despite the fact that most of the Main Force had left the pilot from 8000 feet made his bombing run. On clearing the target area they set a north westerly course and headed for home. Four hours after leaving the area the flight engineer reported a serious loss of fuel possibly due to flak damage. They had been in the air for almost ten hours but decided to make for an emergency landing in the south of England. An hour later, almost out of fuel, they prepared to ditch somewhere between Cherbourg and the Isle of Wight. The impact broke the back of the aircraft but it floated long enough for the crew to clamber into the aircraft's dinghy. Unfortunately the emergency radio was left in the aircraft so their only hope was that an Air-Sea Rescue launch would pick them up. For two days they drifted but on the third day they were spotted by a Whitley bomber of Coastal Command. Later that day they were rescued by a launch. They were given a great reception by the sailors and were taken to their base on the Isles of Scilly. After recovery the crew, except for the navigator, returned to RAF Syerston to continue their tour of operations. The pilot, Flying Officer Max Chivers, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and all the crew became members of the Goldfish Club.

14 April 1943

GERMANY: 146 Wellingtons, 135 Halifaxes, 98 Lancasters and 83 Stirlings attacked Stuttgart, 23 aircraft were lost. The Pathfinders claimed to have marked the center of this normally difficult target accurately but the main bombing area developed to the north east, along the line of approach of the bombing force. This was an example of the 'creepback', a feature of large raids which occurred when Main Force crews, and some Pathfinder backers-up, failed to press through to the center of the marking area but bombed, or remarked, the earliest markers visible. Bomber Command was never able to eliminate the creepback tendency and much bombing fell outside city areas because of it. On this night the creepback extended over the suburb of Bad Canstatt, which was of an industrial nature, and some useful damage was caused, particularly in the large railway repair workshops situated there. The neighboring districts of Munster and Muhlhausen were also hit and the majority of the 393 buildings destroyed and 942 severely damaged and the 200-plus civilian casualties were in these northern areas. Only a few bombs fell in the center of Stuttgart but the old Gedachtnis church was destroyed. In the district of Gaisburg, just east of the center, 1 bomb scored a direct hit on an air raid shelter packed with French and Russian prisoners of war. 257 Frenchmen and 143 Russians were killed. This tragedy brought the total death roll in Stuttgart to 619, a new record for raids to Germany. The 23 aircraft lost during the RAF raid to Stuttgart were shot down by fighters from NJG 4 and NJG 2. Many night-fighter pilots recorded double kills including Major Kurt Holler of Stab III./NJG 4, Hptm. Materne of 4./NJG 4, Oblt. Rudolf Altendorf from 2./NJG 4, Hptm. Hans-Karl Kamp of 7./NJG 4 and Fw. Robert Luddecke from 5./NJG 2. A Lancaster was returning to Spalding Moor airfield from the operation when just 2 miles from the airfield it crashed out of control. All seven crew were killed. One Stirling collided with an electricity pylon and had to jettison part of its load when the incendiaries caught fire.

WESTERN FRONT: A fighter sweep by 8./JG 2 in the afternoon brought a victory over a Whirlwind bomber by Lt. Wilhelm Godt. But the victory was not without cost as another pilot from 8./JG 2, Fw. Rudolf Eisele, was shot down over Brest by friendly fire from flak. He was killed.

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15 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Fw. Josef 'Jupp' Zwernemann of 7./JG 52 shot down the Soviet ace, Dmitriy Glinka of 45 GIAP. Fw. Zwernemann's fellow pilot in 7th Staffel, Lt. Erich Hartmann, destroyed a Russian lend-lease Airacobra near Taman.

At Heiligenbeil, Major Reinhard Seiler was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54 in place of Hptm. Hans Philipp who was transferred to JG 1 as Geschwaderkommodore on 1 April 1943.

JG 54's Oblt. Siegfried Graf von Matuschka of 4./JG 54 was killed by a lend-lease Spitfire over St. Inglevert in his Bf 109. He died with a victory total of 29 aerial victories.


MEDITERRANEAN: RAF bombers attacked La Spezia. RAF Liberators bombed Naples and Messina. NAAF B-26 Marauders on recon of the Naples area attacked a vessel south of Ustica Island. US 9th AF B-24s attacked Catania and Palermo. NAAF Wellingtons bombed Decimomannu, Villacidro and Elmas airfields during the night.

UNITED KINGDOM: RCAF No. 402 Sqn converted from Hurricane II to the Spit MkV.

WESTERN FRONT: The Luftwaffe met the American P-47 Thunderbolt single-engined fighter for the first time. Over Ostend, a flight of 59 P-47s from the US 4th FG on a 'Rodeo' of the St. Omer area, bounced a formation of 15 Fw 190s from II./JG 1. Although the Americans claimed 3 Focke-Wulfs shot down, JG 1 claimed no fighters lost but - matching the report from the Thunderbolts - JG 1 claimed 2 P-47s shot down by Obfw. Ernst Heesen of 5./JG 1. The P-47 was the heaviest single-engined fighter the Allies had at this time and despite the need for a long-range escorting fighter for the bombers, its range was little better than the RAF Spitfires, at least until a usable fuel tank could be developed. Most of the American fighter groups in England were being equipped with the Thunderbolts as their P-38 Lightnings were being removed from combat operations in Europe and taken to North Africa as replacement for losses in that theatre.

When the moon period began in mid-April, the night rangers of RCAF No. 410 Sqdn. were at last able to get into action. W/C Frank Hillock who, with his navigator, F/L O'Neil.-Dunne, was the first to take off, on the night of the 15th, headed for the Ruhr. The weather was not too good and, as the Mosquito was skipping along at 300 feet over Holland, Hillock suddenly saw the eight radio masts of Apeldoorn Station rushing at him. There was no time to climb and no room to fly between them, so the pilot threw the Mossie on its side and ripped through the antennae, tearing away several wires. On return to base it was found that one wing tip of the aircraft had been sliced off, and another wing had been cut through to the main spar before the wire broke; about 300 feet of well-made quarter-inch copper cable were trailing behind the Mosquito. Despite this shaking experience Hillock had coolly flown to his target area before coming home.

Major Adolf Dickfeld was appointed the new Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 1 in place of Hptm. Gunther Beise.

16 April 1943

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Two Consolidated PBY-5A Catalinas of the USN's Patrol Squadron Eighty Three (VP-83) based at Natal, Brazil, attack the 913 ton Italian submarine 'Archimede' off the coast of Brazil. The crew of the first PBY drops four depth charges that damages the sub; a few minutes later, the crew of the second aircraft drops four more depth charges from an altitude of 50 feet. The sub sank six-minutes later after 30 crewmen abandoned ship and boarded three rafts; one raft was found 27 days later by Brazilian fishermen. The raft contained two bodies and one survivor who identified the submarine.

EASTERN FRONT: Oblt. Walther Dahl of JG 3 shot down 2 LaGG-3 aircraft.

197 Lancasters and 130 Halifaxes attacked Pilsen, 36 aircraft lost. This raid on the Skoda armaments factory took place by the light of a full moon but was not a success. In a complicated plan the Main Force was ordered to confirm the position of the Skoda factory visually. The Pathfinder markers were only intended as a general guide. In the event a large asylum building 7 miles away was mistaken for the factory and only 6 crews brought back bombing photographs which were within 3 miles of the real target. The Skoda factory was not hit. One report says that 200 German soldiers were killed when their barracks near the asylum was bombed.


WESTERN FRONT: 25 B-24s were dispatched against the Brest U-Boat base while 83 B-17s were dispatched against the Lorient U-Boat base. 19 B-24s dropped 52 tons of bombs on Brest and 59 B-17s dropped 147 tons on Lorient. The attack was hindered by an effective smoke screen and strong fighter opposition. The bomber formations were met by fighters from JG 2 and lost 3 B-24s and one B-17. Although these losses were confirmed by the Allies, JG 2 claimed 3 B-24s and 6 B-17s destroyed. Ofw. Friedrich May of 8./JG 2 and Hptm. Mayer of Stab III./JG 2 each claimed 2 bombers. 4 Spitfires were also claimed shot down.

The II Gruppe of JG 1 had a mixed day over Occupied Europe. Around noon, Fw. Georg Hutter of 5./JG 1 gained his 9th victory when he destroyed a Mosquito east of Oostmalle. Near Vlissingen in the afternoon, the fighters of JG 1 engaged several Allied Spitfires and Thunderbolts. Major Herbert Kijewski, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 1 was killed when his Fw 190 was shot down by one of the new P-47s. Hptm. Dietrich Wickop, having destroyed 2 Spitfires in the same engagement to bring his score to 8, took his place as Gruppenkommandeur. Major Kijewski had destroyed 21 enemy aircraft during his combat career.

17 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Operation NEPTUNE - Soviet forces in the Kuban launched a series of attacks against the German 17.Armee. The Germans counter-attacked and tried to hold back the Soviet army. The German ground assault was preceeded by an attack of 450 Stukas, bombers and ground-attack aircraft of I Fliegerkorps against Soviet airfields. Throughout the day, I Fliegerkorps carried out 1,560 sorties over the Kuban bridgehead, mainly against Myshako. The Soviets, who by this time were inferior in numbers, could only mount 538 sorties. Nevertheless, the concentration of AA batteries that the Soviets had shipped in to Myshako since February 1943 met the assaulting German aircraft with a wall of steel and fire. 7 Stukas were shot down or returned to base with severe damage.

Some 550-600 aircraft under VIII Fliegerkorps were sent to bases in the Crimea and commenced intensive operations. The Russians weren't allowing the Luftwaffe to rest on its laurels and at the very time when rest and re-equipment was necessary, the Luftwaffe was forced to fly around 400 sorties per day.

The Germans launched Operation Magic Flute, an anti-partisan operation in the Minsk area. Soviet partisans had been creating serious delays in the build-up of forces and supplies for Heeresgruppe Mitte in preparation for the Kursk offensive.



NORTH AFRICA: Despite Rommel's plea to Hitler and Mussolini to evacuate North Africa and prepare for the invasion of Europe, German engineers were working feverishly to prepare new defensive lines in Tunisia. The High Command in Berlin reasoned that if Axis troops could hold out in Tunisia until the autumn, the invasion of mainland Europe would be delayed for another year..Allied numerical superiority was overwhelming however. The British and American Air forces could muster 3,000 aircraft - the Axis, 500. The Allies had 1,200 tanks - the Axis, 130. Despite this the Germans were skilled improvisors, particularly when it came to defense.

In the skies over Tunisia, it was JG 53's turn to defend against the Allies. Flying against Allied bombers and fighters, the Geschwader pilots added to their scores. Hptm. Franz Gotz of Stab III./JG 53 destroyed a B-25 to reach 44 kills while Oblt. Franz Scheiss of 8./JG 53 got his 42d victory when he downed a Spitfire.

US 9th AF P-40s flew sweeps, sea patrol and fighter-bomber missions. During the night NASAF Wellingtons bombed the 'N' quay in Bizerte harbor. Shortly after noon, B-17s bombed shipping and docks at Ferryville. B-25s hit the town area and marshalling yard at Mateur. NATAF Blenheims bombed La Sebala airfield and A-20s hit Ksar Tyr and concentrations near Grich el Oued. NACAF airplanes flew sea patrol and attacked shipping in the Strait of Sicily.

UNITED KINGDOM: 3(F)./122 sent out a Ju 88D-1 from Creil on a convoy recon sortie off the English east coast. About 6km north of Ostend, it was repeatedly attacked by a Spitfire flown by F/O Hogarth of RAF No. 41 Sqdrn. Both aircraft suffered damage - the German ditched in the sea while the Hogarth returned to base.

WESTERN FRONT: 37 Venturas bombed railway targets at Abbeville and Caen and a power station at Zeebrugge. All targets were hit and no aircraft were lost.

24 aircraft laid mines off the Biscay ports without loss.

18 April 1943

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine 'U-175' is sunk southwest of Ireland by depth charges and gunfire from USCGC 'Spencer' (WPG-36); 41 of the 54 U-boat crewmen survive. USCGC 'Spencer' was escorting convoy HX 233.

MEDITERRANEAN: Over 75 NAAF B-17s, escorted by P-38s, attacked Boccadifalco airfield and the Palermo marshaling yard. US 9th AF B-24s attacked Catania. NAAF B-25s, escorted by P-38s, hit the Alghero-Fertilia airfield and shipping at Porto Torres while RAF Beaufighters attacked Decimomannu airfield.

175 RAF Lancasters and Halifaxes were dispatched to bomb the dockyard at La Spezia but the centre of the bombing was northwest of the aiming point. The main railway station and many public buildings were hit. One Lancaster was lost. 8 further Lancasters laid mines off La Spezia harbor.

Ninth Air Force B-24s (including Liberator Mk IIs of the RAF 178 Squadron, under operational control of the IX Bomber Command) bomb Catania. Northwest African Strategic Air Force B-17s bomb
shipping and docks at Palermo.


WESTERN FRONT: 12 Venturas attacked shipping and dock installations at Dieppe without loss.

10 Stirlings went minelaying in southern Biscay, no losses.

Admiral William D. Leahy, USN (Retired), Ambassador to France, announces that he is being recalled to Washington "for consultation. "

19 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Alfred Grislawski of II./JG 52 gained his 95th aerial victory, destroying a Soviet fighter during the battle at Myshako. But one of the most serious losses of the day was when Lt. Rudolf 'Rudi' Muller of Stab I./JG 5 with 94 victories, was shot down and taken prisoner by the Russians.

The final liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto began on the Eve of Passover, April 19, 1943. The deportation did not come as a surprise. The Germans had amassed a military force to carry it out, but did not expect to engage in a confrontation that included street battles. Armed German forces ringed the ghetto at 3:00 a.m. The unit that entered the ghetto encountered armed resistance and retreated. The main ghetto, with its population of 30,000 Jews, was deserted. The Jews could not be rounded up for the transport; the railroad cars at the deportation point remained empty. Possessing one machine gun, less than 20 rifles, a handful of pistols, grenades and Molotov cocktails, 1200 Jews led by 23 year old Mordecai Anielewicz, rose up against the Germans in the Warsaw ghetto. In the attack, the Germans surrounded the ghetto and sent infiltration parties forward under cover of darkness. At dawn, the SS troopers brashly marched down the vacant streets. They came under fire and attempted to retreat, but were pinned down. They called for reinforcements and tank support. After a 7 hour battle, the bloodied SS troopers withdrew, leaving behind their dead, 2 destroyed tanks and scores of weapons. The remainder of the day saw artillery and aircraft attack the ghetto. After Germans and rebels fought in the streets for three days, the Germans began to torch the ghetto, street by street, building by building. The entire ghetto became a sizzling, smoke-swathed conflagration. Most of the Jews who emerged from their hideouts, including entire families, were murdered by the Germans on the spot. The ghetto Jews gradually lost the strength to resist. On April 23, Mordecai Anielewicz the ZOB commander wrote the following to Yitzhak Zuckerman, a member of the ZOB command who was stationed on the "aryan" side: "I cannot describe the conditions in which the Jews are living. Only a special few will hold out; all the others will perish sooner or later. Their fate is sealed. None of the bunkers where our comrades are hiding has enough air to light a candle at night.... Be well, my dear, perhaps we shall yet meet. The dream of my life has risen to become fact. Self-defense in the ghetto will have been a reality. I have been a witness to the magnificent, heroic fighting of Jewish men of battle". The rebels pursued their cause, even though they knew from the outset that they could not win. Even before the war ended, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising became a symbol of Jewish resistance.

The Russians respond to the Katyn Massacre incident with a lie. They claim that it was concocted by the Germans.

NORTH AFRICA: The British Eighth Army made small gains but suffered heavy casualties near Enfidaville, 45 miles south of Tunis. The US II Corps took over the northern end of the Allied line and prepared to attack. US 9th AF B-25s hit landing grounds and defensive positions and P-40s escorted bombers and flew sweeps in support of the British assault on Enfidaville.

During the night, NAAF Blenheims bombed La Marsa landing ground and the roads nearby and attacked activity on the beach at Reyville. During the day, B-17s bombed shipping at Tunis. B-25s and A-20s raided the La Sabal airfield and fighter-bombers attacked tanks in the battle area.

JG 53 continued its defense of the dwindling German forces in Tunisia. In air battles during the afternoon, several Experten destroyed Allied aircraft including 2 kills each for Hptm. Gerhard Michalski of Stab II./JG 53 (54 kills) and Hptm. Freidrich-Karl Muller of Stab I./JG 53 (111 kills).

Another German effort to fly supplies into Tunisia failed. A Me 210 was dispatched on a sortie by 2(F)./122 to North Africa. F/L Alexander Hendry Thom, 'B' Flight Commander of RAF No. 87 Sqdrn claimed the Messerschmitt over Tunisia. Uffz. Forster was killed.

MEDITERRANEAN: Various Luftwaffe sorties were dispatched to Algeria and the Straits of Sicily including one from 1(F)./122 to Algiers and Cap Serat. One Ju 88D-1/trop was dispatched from Sardinia to the North African coast. On the return journey, low fuel levels caused the plane to put down in a wheat field at Muro village, Mallorca after having failed in an attempted landing at Alcudia. The 4 man crew were repatriated two days later. The aircraft sustained severe damage to its engines and underbelly in the crash. Another Ju 88D-1/trop failed to return from the Algerian coast.

20 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Pilots of JG 52 were busy supporting "Operation Neptun'. Lt. Heinrich Sturm of II./JG 52 was credited with 5 Soviet kills, Alfred Grislawski of II./JG 52 claimed a LaGG-3 over Myshako, Fw. Helmut Kabisch downed a LaGG-3 and Oblt. Gunther Rall of 8./JG 52 claimed his 116th and the Geschwader's 5,000th kill. But the Soviets were also victorious. From 9 April to this date, the Russian fighter squadron 16 GIAP claimed 57 German aircraft destroyed in the Kuban bridgehead area. JG 52 lost personnel when Hans Gleissner was killed in action. He had destroyed 37 enemy aircraft at the time he was killed.

WESTERN FRONT: Over the Channel, 6 Fw 190s of 5./JG 26 were bounced by a large formation of RAF Spitfires. One Focke-Wulf was shot down before the remaining 5 planes broke away and returned to base.

36 RAF Venturas bombed railway yards at Boulogne, shipping at Cherbourg and the power station at Zeebrugge. No Venturas were lost.

18 RAF Wellingtons were minelaying off Brittany ports. (Hugh Spencer)

NORTH AFRICA: Montgomery's Eighth Army began a series of attacks on Axis defenses around Enfidaville. The British failed to budge the Axis and took heavy losses in the process. The US II Corps was far more successful, taking the mountainous stronghold north of Medjez el Bab, allowing tanks to move into the Tine River valley. The British finally took Enfidaville - only 45 miles from Tunis - but made only limited headway against strong Italian defenses. US 9th AF P-40s flew sweeps and missions in support of the British Eighth Army. NAAF B-17s and B-25s bombed the landing grounds of Mabtouha, La Marsa, La Sebala, Sidi Ahmed, Creteville and near Protville. Fighters flew escort and attacked various Tunisian airfields.

Intense air battles over Tunisia caused the Luftwaffe to lose an Experte. In the morning, Oblt. Wolfgang Tonne of 3./JG 53 destroyed 2 Spitfires north of Tebourba to reach 121 kills. After combat with US Spitfires in the afternoon in which he destroyed another fighter, Oblt. Tonne tried to land his badly shot-up Bf 109G-5 "Yellow 7" at Tunis-Protville airfield but was killed when his plane crashed. That last Spitfire brought his score to 122 victories. JG 53 then prepared to leave North Africa.

NORTHERN FRONT: Kampfgruppe I./KG 2 and II./KG 2 were moved to the airfield at Sola with 30 Do 217s in preparation for an attack on Britain from Norway.

GERMANY: The RAF celebrated Hitler's 54th birthday with 425 bombers inflicting heavy damage on the German ports of Stettin and Rostock. Stettin, a key port supplying the German armies in north Russia, was most heavily hit. More than 140 4,000lb bombs were dropped in 40 minutes. Hitler, it was thought, was far from the bombing in a mountain retreat.

194 Lancasters,134 Halifaxes and 11 Stirlings attacked Stettin, 21 aircraft lost. This raid, on a target more than 600 miles from England, proved to be the most successful attack beyond the range of Oboe during the Battle of the Ruhr. Visilibity was good and the Pathfinder marking was carried out perfectly. 24 fires were still burning when a photographic reconnaissance aircraft flew over Stettin a day and a half later. Approximately 100 acres in the centre of the town were claimed as devastated. Much of this area comprised industrial buildings. German reports showed that 13 industrial premises and 380 houses were completely destroyed. Alarge chemical factory was among the places where production was completely halted. 586 people were killed in Stettin. (Hugh Spencer)

86 Stirlings were despatched to attack the Heinkel factory near Rostock but a smokescreen concealed this target and bombing was scattered. 8 Stirlings were lost. (Hugh Spencer)

11 Mosquitoes carried out a raid to Berlin as a diversion for the forces attacking Stettin and Rostock. (Hugh Spencer)

During the night defenses against the RAF bombers, Oblt. Gunter Koberich of 11./NJG 3 was flying a Ju 88C-6 and came upon a Stirling bomber of RAF No. 149 Sqdrn and shot it down in the area near Esbjerg. Major Helmut Lent, Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 1, shot down a RAF Mosquito, the first recorded at night by the Luftwaffe.

21 April 1943

EASTERN FRONT: Heavy fighting over Myshako was a sign that 'Operation Neptun' was a failure. Fighting intensified as Soviet forces in the Kuban peninsula pressed the German 17.Armee back into the Novorossivsk area. ./JG 52 tangled with a formation of the new Soviet LaGG-5 fighter and Alfred Grislawski claimed his 97th victim. Fw. Helmut Kabisch of 2./JG 52 was shot down near Kabardincka but survived with severe wounds.

At JG 51, Lt. Hans Boos of Stab./JG 51, having achieved 41 victories against the Allies, was killed in action. And JG 3 lost Lt. Lothar Myrrhe of 5./JG 3 when he was listed as missing in action.

German SS forces were able to establish a secure position in the Warsaw Ghetto against continuing stubborn opposition. They achieved this by using flamethrowers to methodically burn down whole blocks, thus clearing the Jewish fighters from their strongholds. After the day's fight, the German commander, General Stroop, gave the inhabitants a day to turn themselves over to his authority.


WESTERN FRONT: An inspection by Generalfeldmarschal Sperrle at the II./JG 26 base at Vitry was interrupted when 11 Lockheed Venturas of RAF No. 21 Sqdrn were reported bombing the railroad yards at Abbeville. The Gruppe took off to intercept the raiders leaving the General on the podium. Approaching the British formation, Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. 'Wutz' Glland ordered his Focke-Wulfs to split formation with one group attacking the bombers and the other attacking the escorting Spitfires. Hptm. Galland destroyed 2 bombers and Oblt. Horst Sternberg downed another as did Hptm. Erich Hohagen, Gruppenkommandeur of Stab I./JG 27. A Spitfire was shot down by Fw. Peter Crump of 8./JG 26 for his 8th victory while another Spitfire was downed by Lt. Hans Fischer of 4./JG 26 for his first kill. The Gruppe lost no fighters or pilots and returned to Vitry and Generalfeldmarschal Sperrle.

11 RAF Venturas bombed railway yards at Abbeville. 3 aircraft were lost. (Hugh Spencer)

22 April 1943

WESTERN FRONT: 32 aircraft went minelaying off Biscay ports. 1 Lancaster and 1 Wellington were lost. (Hugh Spencer)

NORTH AFRICA: The Holy Thursday Massacre: The Allies had achieved air superiority by 22 April. There remained some Luftwaffe units in Tunisia, however they were soon destroyed or evacuated to Sicily. The Luftwaffe again tried to supply the forces in Tunisia by sending transports loaded with fuel across the Med. 10 Ju 52s of Kampfgruppe zbV 106 took off from Pomigliano at 06:40 hours bound for Tunis. The formation was led by Staffelkapitaen Oblt. Biedermann. The Junkers were supposed to fly with a group of 14 Me 323s which took off from Pomigliano at 07:10 hours with the maximum available fighter escort. Each Gigant was carrying about 12 metric tons of fuel or ammunition destined for Heeresgruppe Tunis, the remnant of the Afrika Korps. 16 Me 323s were originally supposed to take part in the mission, which was to be a repeat of a mission on 19 April when all transports returned safely. The 16 transports were not the last available to KGzbV 323 according to strength reports. I Gruppe had 15 aircraft while II Gruppe had 23 Me 323s although not all were serviceable. The fighter escort of 39 Bf 109s assembled over Trapani at 08:30 hours. Another 35 fighters were supposed to fly out from Tunis to meet the formation. At 08:35 hours, the formation overflew the island of Marettimo, west of Sicily and descended to a height of 20 to 50 meters above the sea. The specified route was not over Cap Bon, a fact which had been stressed at the flight briefing but over Cape Farina, which lay about 75 kms farther west. The area around Cap Bon was considered especially dangerous. The Ju 52 group was flying on the right, the Me 323s on the left. About halfway between Sicily and Tunisia, the Me 323s separated from the Ju 52 formation and, contrary to orders, set a course for Cap Bon. Why the Gruppenkommandeur of II./KGzbV 323, who was flying in Gigant 'C8+AR' ordered this course change will never be known. Most of the escort fighters which had taken off from Sicily stayed with the Ju 52s and did not go after the Me 323s until the fighters from Tunis had reached the Junkers. This splitting of the fighter force meant that the Giganten had only 36 escorts instead of the planned 104. The SAAF sent out 38 P-40s, covered by a SAAF Spitfire squadron and additional flights of British and Polish-manned Spitfires. Intercepted over the Gulf of Tunis by the Allied fighters, the formation was mowed down. Oblt. Biedermann saw the attack on the Me 323s beginning in the distance - however he and his formation of Ju 52s reached Cape Farina unmolested about 09:35 hours. Biedermann was supposed to take his aircraft into the holding area near Cape el Fortass. Instead, he led his formation to a German fighter base at Andeless and circled there until he received clearance to land. At 09:25 hours, two large groups of Allied fighters began attacking the Me 323s between Cap Bon and the island of Zembra. Conditions were hazy. The first group of Allied fighters engaged the Bf 109s of II./JG 27 which were flying at an altitude of about 2400 meters, and forced them away from the transports. This allowed the second formation, which was larger and made up mainly of P-40s of the SAAF to attack the Giganten. The arrival of the fighters was no accident. First, Tunis and the surrounding airfields were the transports only possible destination and they could only arrive within certain hours. Second, a secret transmitter, which was discovered that same day, had been sending information to the Allies on all German flight movements from Trapani. The radio was hidden in a confessional in a church on Monte Giovanni above Trapani. Under these circumstances, it was no problem for the Allied fighters to intercept and destroy the transport units, especially since shortages of personnel and aircraft meant that they were usually weakly escorted. The Allied fighters estimated the size of the Me 323 formation at 20 aircraft instead of the actual 14. Once attacked, the Me 323s took evasive action and the wedged-shaped formation disintegrated. The huge, cumbersome transports had little chance of even reaching the African coast. Usually able to sustain a great deal of battle damage, on this day the Giganten were carrying volatile cargoes and most caught fire and exploded after a few hits. Though they put up a stiff resistance, claiming themselves to shooting down 5 to 7 enemy fighters, the Me 323s were shot down one after another until the last Gigant crashed into the sea in flames. The escort fighters from Tunis were still with the Ju 52s and were too far away to intervene. The fighters from JG 27 did manage to tangle with some of the Allied planes and Lt. Bernd Schneider of 5./JG 27 claimed 2 Kittyhawks while Uffz. Dagobert Stanglmaier of 4./Jg 27 destroyed a Spitfire for his first victory. Only after he had arrived in Tunis did Oblt. Biedermann contact the adjutant of the Fliegerfuhrer by telephone and inform him of the air battle. On reading Oblt. Biedermann's report, the Geschwaderkommodore of KGzbV 323, Obstlt. Gustav Damm, became furious and demanded to know why the air-sea rescue had not been alerted by radio. The belated (beginning at about 12:00 hours) rescue - Fiesler Storchs dropping one-man life rafts, most of which missed their targets - was hampered by heavy seas and rain. Some men were picked up by motor torpedo boats, with the Storchs circling overhead to guide the boats to the men in the water. The last survivors were picked up at about 18:00 hours, after 8 1/2 hours in the water. Final confirmation of the early morning battle credited the Allied DAF fighters with 25 Me 323s, 8 Bf 109s, one MC 202 and one RE 2001, at the cost of 4 P-40s lost and one damaged, one Spitfire belly-landed but repairable and one damaged. However on this occasion there seems to have been a fair amount of double-claiming, particularly as the formation of Me 323s was assessed to be only 20 strong. All 14 transports with 700 drums of fuel were shot down, carrying the equivalent of a regiment into Tunisia, and 7 fighters were destroyed. Of the 140 crewmembers, the initial tally was 2 killed, 113 missing (including 6 officers), 4 badly injured and 14 with less injuries. In the end however it was found that only 19 of 138 men involved had survived the tragedy. JG 27 lost 2 pilots when Uffz. Heinz Holletz and Fw. Rudolf Lenz, both from 6./JG 27, crashed into the sea near Cap Bon. Of the transports, Gruppenkommanduer Obstlt. Werner Stephan was among the dead and he was officially honored by Generalfeldmarschall Kesselring for his "heroic actions". In transport officer circles, it was believed that Obstlt. Stephan had arbitrarily changed course to reach Tunis more quickly and thus led the Giganten to their destruction. Had he lived, he would probably have been required to answer for his actions before a court-martial. According to Me 323 pilot, Oblt. Ernst Peters, from the end of November 1942 to 22 April 1943, KGzbV 323 had transported 15,000 metric tons of equipment to Tunis and Bizerte in approximately 1,200 sorties. Among the items delivered: 309 trucks, 51 medium prime movers up to 12 tonnes, 209 guns up to 150mm caliber, 324 light guns, 83 anti-tank and AA guns, 42 AA radars including 'Wurzburg Riese' and 96 armoured troop carriers and self-propelled guns.

Allied attacks against enemy positions began again. The US II Corps, now under General Bradley, attacked Hill 609 in 'Mousetrap Valley' on the way to Mateur. Meanwhile the British V Corps hit 'Longstop' and 'Peter's Corner', attacking on a front north and south of Medjez el Bab, while the British IX Corps attacked between Boubellat and Bou Arada. Slowly but remorselessly, the Allies were advancing on all fronts in Tunisia, driving the Axis into a corner from which escape would be almost impossible. No armies had fought a more savage defensive battle than the poorly-supplied and numerically weaker Axis forces. Their counter-attacks were fierce but always costly in men and tanks. The American 1st Division was excelling in mountain warfare in the peaks between the Dhjoumine and Tine rivers. Their colleagues of the British 78th Division were locked in a brutal combat for a hill called 'Longstop'. The British 6th Armoured Division was fighting an expensive battle - in terms of losses on both sides - with the 10.Panzerdivision at Sbkret el Kourzia.

NAAF B-26s bombed 2 landing grounds near Protville while fighters and A-20s flew sweeps and attacked positions at Djebel el Ahmera (Longstop Ridge), Sidi Nsir, Djebel el Ajred (Bald Hill) and other points as the British First Army's V Corps launched the start of the final phase of the assault on Tunis and Bizerte. In order to save supplies, Montgomery was ordered to stop his feeble efforts along the coast.

The US 309th FS / 31st FG came out on top of an engagement with the squadron shooting down 3 enemy aircraft, Major Hill sharing 2 with Lts. Payne and Rahn while Lt. McRaven accounted for the third.

23 April 1943

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Battle of Slow UK/North American Convoy ONS4 - ONS4 (these convoys were renumbered starting in March) was escorted by the British B2 Group (Cdr Macintyre) and reinforced by the 5th Escort Group with escort carrier 'Biter'. On the 23d April, 'U-191' was detected to the south of Greenland by HF/DF and sunk by the destroyer 'Hesperus' using Hedgehog forward-throwing A/S mortars.

GERMANY: The aircraft builder Messerschmitt recieved an order from the OKL for the 'Me 209 High-Altitude Fighter with DB 628', the performance specifications of which were almost exactly identical to that of the Me 155 high-altitude fighter that was cancelled in January 1943.

EASTERN FRONT: A Ju 88D-1 belonging to 4(F)./122 failed to return from a sortie over Novorossisk. Four crewmen were listed as missing. A Do 24 of 8. Seenot. was dispatched in the morning to rescue the missing Ju 88 crew but they were not successful.

Orders were given to raze the Warsaw Ghetto. Fighting became desperate as the Jewish fighters took to the vast network of sewers, cellars and underground shelters.

NORTH AFRICA: The Allies attacked the Axis in the final compaign for North Africa. The British and American armies stormed or out-flanked all the major German hill fortresses and forced a German retreat to a line east of Mateur and the Tine valley on the last hills protecting the roads to Bizerte and Tunis. The operation of the US II Corps, lasted 17 days and involved distances of 25 to 50 miles by 4 divisions. The main effort was made on the right flank. 3 divisions began the attack on a 13 mile front where the advance by the US II Coprs would best support the big British thrust in the Medjerda valley. On the northern part of the front, one division and the Corps Franc d'Afrique struck at enemy defenses west of Mateur. Air power was to play an important role as during the first 2 days of action, the NATAF made 1,500 sorties. By the opening of the battle, the Allied Air Force had won mastery of the air from the Luftwaffe. In order to reach assigned positions for the attack, the US II Corps had to move more than 100,000 men plus equipment of all types, an average of 150 miles over difficult country and across the communication lines of the British First Army. In addition, supplies for the upcoming operation had to be assembled from bases and ports many miles to the west. The accomplishment of this move was one of the outstanding achievments of transport and supply in the North African campaign.

Maj. John Thompson McKellar Anderson (1918-43), Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, led many attacks at the head of his battalion, which seized a key objective and 200 prisoners. (Victoria Cross). Lt. Wilwood Alexander Sandys Clarke (b.1919), Royal North Lancs Regt., knocked out three machine-guns posts and led his platoon to its goal, before he was killed tackling two sniper posts. (Victoria Cross). (Syscom)

UNITED KINGDOM: London: A joint Anglo-US command is set up to plan for a European landing; Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Morgan is appointed Chief of Staff Supreme Allied Command [COSSAC]. (Syscom)

24 April 1943

WESTERN FRONT: 5 RAF Mosquitoes attacked railway targets at Tours, Paderborn and Trier without loss.

EASTERN FRONT: SS forces began to reduce the Jewish strongholds in the Warsaw Ghetto. Deploying heavy artillery and flamethrowers, the defenders were burned or blown out of their defenses. But the Jews continued to fight, re-occupying the rubble and taking to the sewers in tenacious fighting. (Njaco)

Lt. Adoplf von Gordron of the Gruppenstab of II./JG 3 was killed in action against Russian Il-2 Sturmoviks. A Ju 88A-4 belonging to 4(F)./122 was destroyed by bombs during a Russian air raid on Flugplatz Sarabus. (Njaco)

NORTH AFRICA: The air battles over Tunis continued with Hptm. Friedrich-Karl Muller of Stab I./JG 53 getting 2 kills to bring his score to 114 victories while Ofw. Walter Schumann of 1./JG 77 was getting shot down and listed as missing in action, having achieved 11 victories during his career. (Njaco)