World War II Day by Day: September 1943

Allied successes in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, together with hard-won British and Chinese advances in Burma, forced the Japanese onto the defensive in the Pacific and Far East. Allied forces also triumphed in North Africa and went on to invade Italy, triggering the fall of Mussolini, while in the Soviet Union the clash of armor at Kursk resulted in a key German defeat.

3 September

Mediterranean, Italy

General Bernard Montgomery’s Eighth Army crosses from Sicily to seize a bridgehead in Calabria. The British encounter little opposition as the Germans in southern Italy have orders to withdraw.

4-5 September

Pacific, Papua New Guinea

An Allied offensive is launched to capture the major settlement and airfield at Lae. Amphibious landings are made around 20 miles (30 km) east of Lae on the 4th. US paratroopers land at Nadzeb on the 5th and begin securing the Markham River valley.

8 September

Politics, Italy

The surrender of Italy is officially announced by the Allies. German forces take over the north of the country and occupy coastal defenses in anticipation of a major Allied invasion. They disarm Italian ground units but the navy succeeds in sending 24 warships to Malta.

9 September

Mediterranean, Italy

Lieutenant General Mark Clark’s US Fifth Army, plus the British X Corps, lands in the Gulf of Salerno.

10-11 September

Mediterranean, Sardinia/Corsica

The Germans withdraws 25,000 men from Sardinia to Italy, via Corsica. A 7000-strong French and US force leaves Algeria to occupy Corsica at the beginning of October.

11-15 September

Pacific, Papua New Guinea

Salamaua is captured on the 11th and Lae four days later.These victories deny the Japanese a key port and airfield. The Japanese are now left occupying the Finschhafen fort. The fort has to be taken to clear the peninsula, which is adjacent to the sea approaches to New Britain - the next Allied objective.

12 September

Politics, Italy

Jubilant German paratroopers photographed afetr their rescue of Mussolini from the Gran Sasso hotel
Jubilant German paratroopers photographed afetr their rescue of Mussolini from the Gran Sasso hotel

German airborne troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Otto Skorzeny rescue Mussolini from imprisonment in Gran Sasso in the Abruzzi Mountains. Mussolini, however, will now be under Germany’s control.

12-18 September

Mediterranean, Italy

German forces fiercely counterattack the Allies around Salerno and threaten the entire bridgehead. Only massive aerial and artillery support saves the besieged Allied units.

15 September

Mediterranean, Aegean Sea

German troops on their way to the Dodecanese following the landing of British forces on the islands
German troops on their way to the Dodecanese following the landing of British forces on the islands

British forces land on the island of Kos in the Dodecanese. The islands, off southwest Turkey, are a potential approach to southeast Europe and a base for air operations against German communications and oil resources in Romania. A victory here might also persuade Turkey to support the Allied cause as the threat of German air raids from Rhodes would be eliminated. Kos is to be a springboard for an assault against the German stronghold on Rhodes. By the end of September, British forces make contact with cooperative Italian troops on most of the neighboring islands.

17 September

Eastern Front, Soviet Union

The Red Army capture Bryansk.

19-23 September

Sea War, Atlantic

A German sailor struggles to keep his footing on a U-boat during an opeartion in the Atlantic Ocean
A German sailor struggles to keep his footing on a U-boat during an opeartion in the Atlantic Ocean

The German U-boat packs resume operations against Allied convoys. They are now equipped with electronic monitoring devices, improved anti-aircraft guns, and acoustic torpedoes. Twenty U-boats inflict serious losses on warships and merchant vessels in convoys ON-202 and ONS-28 from the 18th to the 23rd.

21 September

Sea War, Far East

Australian commandos sink two Japanese transports after canoeing into Singapore harbor.

22 September

Eastern Front, Crimea

The Soviet Thirteenth Army crosses the Dniepr River south of Kiev and bridgeheads gradually emerge along it.

Pacific, Papua New Guinea

Allied land and seaborne offensives begin against the Japanese on the Huon Peninsula.

Sea War, Arctic

A raid by British midget submarines to destroy the German battle squadron at Altenfiord in Norway cripples the battleship Tirpitz. The submarines, however, are unable to attack the battlecruiser Scharnhorst as it is at sea, and the pocket battleship Lützow could not be found. The three midget submarines involved in the attack on the Tirpitz are sunk.

22-23 September

Mediterranean, Italy

The Eighth Army’s 78th Division lands at Bari. British forces then advance to seize Foggia and its valuable airfield five days later.

23 September

Politics, Italy

Benito Mussolini announces the formation of the Italian Social Republic in northwest Italy. Germany, however, is given control of some northern areas by this ‘republic.’

25 September

Eastern Front, Soviet Union

The Soviets recapture Smolensk in their continuing offensive. Germany’s Army Group Center is now falling back in some disarray.