1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 140 ] [ 11–15 OCTOBER 1943 ]
In Br Eighth Army area, 5th Div is transferred
from 5 to 13 Corps.
USSR—Red Army eliminates final resistance
on Taman Peninsula.
11 October
ITALY—15th Army Group: In Br Eighth Army
area, gap is developing between 78th Div on Adriatic
coast and Cdn 1st Div, and Gen Montgomery regroups
units: 5 Corps, with 78th Div and Ind 8th
Div under command, is given responsibility for right
flank; 13 Corps is to advance on 2-div front, employing
Cdn 1st and Br 5th Divs; NZ 2d Div, which is
to concentrate in Taranto area by mid–November,
is to be held in army reserve.
USSR—Soviet forces closing in on Gomel take
suburb of Novo Belitsa.
12 October
POA—Adm Halsey issues basic plan for invasion
of N Solomons.
NEW BRITAIN—U.S. Fifth Air Force begins
strong air offensive against Rabaul in effort to isolate
and neutralize Bismarck Archipelago. 349 aircraft
participate in the surprise attack and considerably
damage Japanese shipping and aircraft at cost
of only 4 planes lost.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army
begins assault crossing of the Volturno on 40–mile
front during night 12–13. Operations in VI Corps
sector start at midnight with feint on left flank by
1st Bn of 15th Inf, 3d Div.
13 October
MAKIN—Photographic coverage of the atoll is
obtained.
ITALY—Formally declares war on Germany,
thereby becoming a cobelligerent of the Allies.
15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army establishes
bridgeheads on N bank of the Volturno against
sharp resistance. Engineers play an important part
since enemy has destroyed bridges while making
planned withdrawal. Fall rains and mountainous
terrain make forward movement difficult. Weather
conditions curtail NAAF support of the operation.
Br 10 Corps, on W flank of army, makes main effort
with 46th Div at Cancello while 7th Armd Div, in
center, and 56th Div, on right, make diversionary
attacks at Grazzanise and Capua, respectively. 46th
Div establishes bridgehead in coastal sector, and
7th Armd Div gains toehold on N bank, but 56th
Div is unable to cross at Capua. VI Corps, to right
of to Corps, crosses river on 2-div front. On left,
3d Div crosses E of Capua with 34th Div to its right.
3d Div seizes M. Majulo, M. Caruso, and Piana di
Caiazzo. 34th Div gains bridgehead from Piana
di Caiazzo to junction of Calore and Volturno
Rivers. On right flank of VI Corps, 45th Div is
clearing M. Acero area with 179th and 180th Regts.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, 5th Div,
advancing along Route 87, reaches Casacalenda.
14 October
Solomon Is.—8th Brig Gp, NZ 3d Div, begins
rehearsal for the Treasuries at Florida, concluding
on 17th.
ITALY—15th Army Group: Unloading of supplies
is transferred from Salerno to Naples.
In U.S. Fifth Army area, Gen Clark, CG, alters
boundary between corps and changes plan of attack.
Since 56th Div, on right flank of Br to Corps,
is unable to cross the Volturno at Capua, boundary
is moved E to permit it to use bridge within the Triflisco
Gap, formerly 3d Div zone. 3d Div of VI Corps
is to take over mission of 34th and latter is
to move to right to make contact with 45th Div.
45th Div, upon reaching Piedimonte d’Alife, is to
be relieved. VI Corps is to advance astride the Volturno
to Venafro–Isernia area, clearing upper Volturno
Valley. 3d and 34th Divs are to make converging
attacks toward Dragoni, but 34th is forced to
await improvement of its supply situation. Army
bridgeheads across the Volturno are being expanded.
In Br Eighth Army’s 13 Corps area, Cdn 1st Div
takes Campobasso.
USSR—On the Dnieper bend, Soviet forces successfully
conclude struggle for Zaporodzhe, industrial
center of the Ukraine; others are fighting in
streets of Melitopol.
GERMANY—Of 291 B–17’s of U.S. Eighth Air
Force attempting to bomb ball-bearing plants at
Schweinfurt, 228 reach target and drop 483 tons of
bombs accurately. Although severe damage is done,
cost is heavy—60 B–17’s lost and others damaged.
As a result of these losses, daylight bombing attacks
against strategic targets deep in Germany are not
resumed for some time.
15 October
POA—I MAC issues final orders for invasion
of N Solomons. The attack force (TF 31 under
Adm Wilkinson), with ground forces of Gen Vandegrift’s
I MAC, will seize Treasury Is. bases on 27
October in preparation for main invasion of Bougainville
on 1 November. In support will be carrierbased
and land-based aircraft, surface forces, and
submarines.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s Br 10 Corps area, 56th Div crosses the