1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 16–20 NOVEMBER 1943 ]
teenth Army sector, Japanese take Fort White in 4
Corps area, having forced British to abandon it.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army
halts advance in order to reorganize in preparation
for another assault on the Winter Line. 7th Armd
Div is withdrawn from left flank of Br 10 Corps
to 15th Army Group reserve in preparation for
movement to England. 46th Div takes over 7th
Armd Div sector. 82d A/B Div, largely engaged
in policing Naples, is also to be withdrawn to England
before next offensive. 1st Armd Div begins
arriving at Naples about this time.
USSR—Continuing offensive toward Rechitsa,
Soviet forces cut rail line between Gomel and Pinsk.
16 November
BOUGAINVILLE—Continuous road through
beachhead is completed, vastly improving supply
situation.
CBI—Adm Mountbatten activates his new command,
SEAC, and takes over operational control
from CinC India. Movement orders are issued to
U.S. forces who are to help operate the Bengal and
Assam RR. Gen Stratemeyer’s Hq, AAF, India-
Burma Sector, virtually rejects Gen Chennault’s proposals
for 1944 for logistical reasons. Hump tonnage
requested cannot be supplied. Since the TWI-
LIGHT plan for B–29’S to be brought to CBI is
approved, priority of Fourteenth Air Force must be
lowered.
LEROS I.—Enemy completes occupation of
island.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s
VI Corps area, 36th Div moves forward to relieve
3d Div in Mignano Gap.
In Br Eighth Army area, 5 Corps is ordered to
attack toward general line Ortona–Lanciano on 20
November. Adverse weather conditions subsequently
force Gen Montgomery to postpone the date.
8th Div has secured small bridgehead on N bank
of the Sangro and is gradually expanding it.
17 November
GILBERTS-MARSHALLS—During period 13–17
November, heavy bombers of Seventh Air Force
have flown 141 sorties against Gilberts and Marshalls
and have dropped some 173 tons of bombs.
BOUGAINVILLE—Final elements of 21st Marines
arrive, but APD McKean is lost to enemy plane en
route.
NEW GUINEA—Australians of 9th Div open
assault against Sattelberg, which is suited by nature
for defense. 26th, 24th, 20th, and 4th Brigs, assisted
by tanks, aircraft, and arty, participate in the battle.
[ 147 ]
USSR—Some Red Army units in Kiev sector
overrun Korosten, endangering enemy’s supply system,
but others are threatened with encirclement in
Zhitomir as German counteroffensive for Zhitomir
gains ground. To N, Soviet forces overrun Rechitsa
and close in on Gomel.
18 November
ITALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army
area, II Corps (Gen Keyes) is given zone of operations
in center and takes command of 3d and 36th
Divs. VI Corps contains 34th and 45th Divs.
USSR—Soviet troops force the Dnieper near
Cherkassy, SE of Kiev, and take Ovruch, NW of
Kiev, but continue to fall back under enemy pressure
in Zhitomir area. To N, enemy forces in Gomel
are imperiled by rapid expansion of Rechitsa salient.
19 November
CENTRAL PACIFIC—Land–based and carrierbased
aircraft join in final bombardment of Gilberts,
Marshalls, and Nauru in preparation for invasion
of Gilberts.
BOUGAINVILLE—145th Inf of 37th Div arrives.
NEW BRITAIN—Fifth Air Force intensifies action
against the island.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In Br Eighth
Army’s 5 Corps area, enemy completes withdrawal
across the Sangro in Ind 8th Div sector.
USSR—Red Army forces abandon Zhitomir to
avoid being trapped there.
20 November
GILBERT IS.—U.S. forces invade Makin and
Tarawa Atolls (Operation GALVANIC), opening
series of amphibious operations in Central Pacific
aimed ultimately at invasion of Japan. Air and naval
gunfire bombardment precede and closely support
assault teams. Aerial supremacy over enemy has already
been achieved. At both atolls, landing forces
are beset with supply difficulties and communication
failures.
MAKIN ATOLL—TF 52’s landing force (27th
Div’s 165th Inf reinf by 3d Bn of 105th, tanks of
193d Tank Bn, and other supporting units), under
Maj Gen Ralph C. Smith, invades Makin. As a
preliminary to main invasion of Butaritari I., largest
of the Makin group, special landing detachment
sails for Kotabu at 0645 and secures the island without
opposition. Invasion of Butaritari is begun on
schedule at 0830, when BLT’s 1 and 3 of 165th Inf
start landing on Red Beaches 1 and 2 on W coast.
At 1041, about 10 minutes behind schedule, BLT
2 begins landing on Yellow Beaches, located on N