1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 114 ] [ 15–26 JUNE 1943 ]
CHINA—Forward echelon hq of U.S. Fourteenth
Air Force is established at Kweilin.
LAMPIONE—Br naval party occupies island without
opposition. Allies now control all islands in
Sicily Strait.
15 June
MEDITERRANEAN—Gen Giraud is directed by
Gen Eisenhower to name ground forces commander
and staff to prepare plan for invasion of Corsica
(FIREBRAND). Gen Giraud subsequently suggests
Gen Juin as commander.
16 June
SOLOMON Is.—FO No. I, Hq, New Georgia
Occupation Force, directs seizure of preliminary objectives
in central Solomons in preparation for capture
of Munda airfield on New Georgia I. D Day is
to be 30 June. Some 120 Japanese planes attack
Guadalcanal, damaging 3 ships, 2 of which must
be beached. Intercepting Allied planes, 104 strong,
exact heavy price, claiming almost 100 enemy aircraft
destroyed. 6 Allied planes are lost.
17 June
CHINA—Gen Stilwell presents TRIDENT proposals
to Chiang Kai-shek.
18 June
SOLOMON Is.—43d Div issues orders for movement
to New Georgia Is. COMAIRSOPAC assigns
duties for New Georgia operation to his air units.
CHINA—Gen Chennault reports to the President
on operations of Fourteenth Air Force. Gen Stilwell,
now commanding YOKE-Force staff (all U.S.
organizations working with Y-Force), outlines to
Col Dorn, his chief of staff, his mission in the
program.
SICILY—Allied planes begin powerful attacks
on Messina. Other targets on and in vicinity of
Sicily are being pounded in preparation for HUSKY.
U.K.—Prime Minister Churchill announces
that Gen Auchinleck is to replace Gen Wavell as
CinC India and that Wavell will be Viceroy of
India.
20 June
NEW GUINEA—Gen Krueger opens ALAMO
(U.S. Sixth Army) hq at Milne Bay. 17th Brig,
Aus 3d Div, is holding positions in Mubo–Lababia
Ridge area against sharp enemy counterattacks that
continue for next few days.
CBI—Gen Auchinleck succeeds Gen Wavell as
CinC India.
LAMPEDUSA—Airfield becomes serviceable.
GERMANY—RAF Lancasters, on first RAF shuttle-bombing
raid between U.K. and Africa, attack
Friedrichshafen, concentrating on industrial targets,
and land safely in N Africa. On return trip to
Britain, the planes bomb naval base at Spezia, Italy,
night 23–24.
21 June
ALEUTIAN IS.—Airfield on Shemya I. becomes
operational.
SOLOMON Is.—To forestall enemy occupation of
Segi Pt on S tip of New Georgia I., 4th Mar Raider
Bn ( — ) sails there from Guadalcanal and lands unopposed.
22 June
SOLOMON Is.—Cos A and D of 103d Inf, 43d
Div, and airfield survey force join Mar Raiders on
Segi Pt, New Georgia I.
T ROBRIAND Is.—Woodlark TF (112th Cav
RCT, reinf) lands advance party on Woodlark I.
without opposition, night 22–23.
GERMANY—Eighth Air Force bombers attack
synthetic rubber plant at Huels in force with particularly
good results. Plant is temporarily put out of
operation. This is the first large-scale daylight attack
to be made on the Ruhr.
23 June
TROBRIAND Is.—Kiriwina TF (RCT 158, a
separate regt, reinf) lands advance elements on
Kiriwina I, night 23–24, without opposition.
NEW GUINEA—Enemy pressure on 17th Brig of
Aus 3d Div, in Mubo–Lababia Ridge area, eases as
Japanese withdraw a little.
25 June
SICILY—Preinvasion bombardment by Allied
planes continues. NAAF delivers heaviest single attack
of the month on Messina, dropping more than
300 tons of bombs.
26 June
NEW GUINEA—MacKechnie Force, now assembled
at Morobe where supplies have been
amassed, starts movement by water to staging area
at Mageri Pt, 15 miles N W of Morobe, in preparation
for amphibious assault on Nassau Bay.
PANTELLERIA—33d Fighter Gp (P–40) is established
on island.
U.K.—COSSAC planners select Air Marshal Sir
Trafford Leigh-Mallory, air officer commanding in
chief, RAF Fighter Command, to prepare air
plans for OVERLORD.