In Sicily. Capture of Trapani announced.
In Italy. Benito Mussolini, Fascist Dictator of Italy, resigned.
King Victor Emmanuel assumed supreme control of Italian armed
forces, Marshal Pietro Badoglio became Premier.
Russian Front. The Russians made further advances against
the Wehrmacht ground forces in the Orel sector.
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) Lancasters, Halifaxes, Stirlings,
Wellingtons, Mosquitos attack Essen,
Krupps
armament centre, which was subjected to 2,000 ton bomb attack,
for loss of 26 bomber aircraft. The British Royal Air Force
(RAF) Mosquitoes raided Cologne and Hamburg, no losses.
Eighth Air Force. 218 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
heavy bombers bomb targets in Germany, with shipyard at Hamburg
and Kriegsmarine U-boat base at Kiel as major targets. 19
heavy bombers are lost, mostly to effective formation attacks
by Luftwaffe fighters. This raid on Hamburg is part of 6 Combined
Bomber Offensive (Plan) missions against that port city and
follows a raid of the previous night during which nearly 750
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers did tremendous
damage to the target. Bergen, one of the scheduled targets,
is completely obscured by clouds and no bombing attempt is
made there because of the policy of no indiscriminate bombing
over enemy occupied countries. 13 B-26 Marauder medium bombers
hit coke ovens at Ghent.
Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF). Northwest African Tactical
Air Force (NATAF), medium bombers, light bombers, and fighters
during night and day raids, attack shipping and docks at Milazzo
and in Santo Stefano di Camastra-Orlando area, and hit roads
and motor transport, bridges and armour concentration in Orlando-Adrano-Troina-Nicosia
areas. United States Seventh Army makes slow progress along
North coastal road, while British Eighth Army's 30 Corps takes
part in hard fighting in Agira area.
Ninth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-25
Mitchell medium bombers bomb docks and shipping at Milazzo.
Almost 100 P-40 fighters strafe and bomb Milazzo, Taormina,
and Catania harbour. Other P-40 fighters escort C-47 Skytrain
transport aircraft.
Fourteenth Air Force. 9 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, escorted by 17 P-40 fighters
and P-38 Lightning fighters, bomb Hankow airfield.
Fifth Air Force. Single United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers attack large transport vessel
West North West of Buka Passage and bomb Lingat, Adaoet, and
area near Finschhafen.
Thirteenth Air Force. General Twining becomes Commander Air
Solomons (COMAIRSOLS). Fighter Command and Bomber Command,
Solomons, are taken over by General Strother and Colonel William
A Matheny, respectively; Strother retains his position as
Commanding General XIII Fighter Command. The Japanese try
to hit United States forces on Rendova Island but Allied fighters
shoot down several Zeros (8 claimed) and force the enemy bombers
to drop their bombs indiscriminately. Final push on Japanese
base at Munda opens with bombardment by 7 destroyers and the
heaviest air attack in South Pacific (SOPAC) to date. 170
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, B-25 Mitchell medium bombers
, B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, Navy torpedo Bomber,
and SBD Dauntless dive bomber, covered by more than 70 fighters,
pound the target thoroughly, dropping more than 145 tons of
bombs in little more than a half hour. Later in the afternoon
10 more B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, with fighters cover,
bomb Bibolo Hill, and SBD Dauntless dive bomber and Navy torpedo
Bomber dive-bomb gun positions. Later in the day, gun positions
Northeast of Kindu Village are hit. 43d and 37th Divisions
open ground assault against firmly entrenched enemy.
Eleventh Air Force. 343d Fighter Group moves from Adak to
Amchitka. 40 P-40 fighters fly 7 attack missions (2 by Royal
Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots) bombing and strafing North
Head antiaircraft batteries, runway, Main Camp, and Little
Kiska.
R186
R-boat
Sunk 25 July 1943
Go To: 26th
July
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
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