1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

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must be carried out in W part of island before final
phase—drive to E—can start. Prov Corps takes
Palermo without a fight: While TF X thrusts W
along coast protecting left and rear, 2d Armd Div is
committed to action and drives rapidly NE to outskirts
of Palermo. At the same time, 3d Div continues
NW to positions SE of the city. Since there is
no show of resistance, planned attack on Palermo is
withheld and 2d Armd Div enters without opposition.
City surrenders at 2000. In II Corps area, left
flank elements of 45th Div make contact with 3d Div
in outskirts of Palermo while others push on toward
N coast. 1st Div continues N toward coast on right
flank of corps, taking Bompietro.
USSR—Bolkhov, NW of Mitsensk, falls to Red
Army. Soviet troops begin local offensive on northern
front S of Lake Ladoga.
23 July
TROBRIAND Is.—6th Fighter Sq arrives on Woodlark
to begin operations from airfield there.
SICILY—15th Army Group: Gen Alexander
orders U.S. Seventh Army to exert maximum pressure
eastward along Highways 113 and 120 as soon
as possible, leaving elements behind to complete
mop–up of W part of island. As a result of this
order, preparations are made to reinforce II Corps
with 3d and 9th Divs and arty units.
U.S. Seventh Army mops up in W Sicily, taking
many prisoners. Engineers begin to repair badly
damaged port of Palermo. In Prov Corps area, while
3d Div polices Palermo, 82d A/B Div, to which
control of TF X components passes, clears Marsala-
Trapani area of W coast. In II Corps area, 157th Inf
of 45th Div cuts Highway 113, N coastal road, 6
miles E of Termini Imerese; while elements push
W from there to Termini Imerese, rest of regt drives
E along highway to positions beyond Campofelice.
179th Inf, 45th Div, takes Collesano and advances
toward Castelbuono. 1st Div overcomes resistance
at Petralia, cutting Highway 120, and patrols eastward.
In Br Eighth Army area, 30 Corps is meeting
strong resistance as it attempts to drive E from Leonforte.
24 July
NEW GEORGIA—XIV Corps prepares for assault
on Munda on 25th. 161st Inf, attached to 37th Div,
runs into tenacious opposition as it tries in vain to
reach line of departure.
SICILY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh
Army area, Prov Corps continues to mop up W
part of island, taking record number of prisoners.
II Corps pursues enemy eastward, 45th Div in
coastal sector and 1st Div on S flank. 45th Div takes
[ 23–26 JULY 1943 ]
Cefalu and Castelbuono. 1st Div overruns Gangi and
attacks toward Nicosia.
USSR—Red Army has recovered positions in
Belgorod area, which was held by the Russians at
start of German offensive on 5 July.
NORWAY—U.S. Eighth Air Force makes its first
attack on Norway. 167 B–17’s drop 414 tons of
bombs on industrial targets at Heroya while 41 release
79 tons on naval installations at Trondheim.
Only 1 plane fails to return. This is the longest
flight yet undertaken by U.S. planes based in England.
25 July
Solomon Is.—Gen Twining replaces Rear Adm
Marc A. Mitscher as COMAIRSOLS. Air strength
of this command has increased from 235 to 539
planes since 2 April. Since invasion of Rendova on
30 June, Fighter Command alone has destroyed 316
planes for loss of 71. Enemy discontinues daylight
air attacks on Rendova.
NEW GEORGIA—XIV Corps opens final offensive
for Munda airfield. Although supported by naval
gunfire and powerful air bombardment, assault
troops can make only slow progress against strongly
entrenched enemy. 43d Div, with 103d Inf on left
and 172d on right, attacks on left (S) and gets elements
to coast near Terere but withdraws the salient
since it is exposed. 37th Div, with 145th, 161st, and
148th Regts in line from left to right, cannot begin
general advance until opposition on ridge (called
Bartley Ridge in honor of 2d Lt Martin E. Bartley)
in front of 161st Inf is cleared and then starts to envelop
enemy there. 148th advances without serious
opposition but is out of contact with 161st.
ITALY—King Victor Emmanuel proclaims fall
of Mussolini, whose offices are taken over by Marshal
Pietro Badoglio; takes command of Italian
Army.
SICILY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Seventh
Army’s II Corps area, 45th Div makes limited
progress along N coastal road (Highway 113). 1st
Div, on Highway 120, repels counterattack E of
Gangi.
In Br Eighth Army’s 30 Corps area, hard fighting
is in progress in Agira sector.
26 July
U.S.—CCS request Gen Eisenhower to plan at
once for AVALANCHE, invasion of Italy at Salerno, in
order to gain Naples and nearby airfields.
ALEUTIAN IS.—Eleventh Air Force makes heaviest
attack to date on Kiska, dropping 104 tons of
bombs.
Solomon Is.—Adm Halsey proposes to Gen
MacArthur that plans for invasion of S Bougainville