5 Jul 1943

- German submarine U-759 sank American ship Maltran of Allied convoy GTMO-134 70 miles west of Port Salut, Haiti. The entire crew survived. ww2dbase [Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico Campaigns | CPC]
- The Indian National Army held a military parade in Padang, Sumatra, Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Captain Takeo Taizuka was named the commanding officer of light carrier Hosho. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
- Destroyer Yukikaze arrived at Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]
- USS Ancon departed from Oran, French Algeria for Operation Husky with Admiral Alan Kirk and Lieutenant General Omar Bradley on board. ww2dbase [Ancon | Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender | Oran | CPC]
- Yugure arrived at Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Islands at 1150 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]
- The US Northern Landing Group under Colonel Harry Liversedge landed at Rice Anchorage on the northern coast of New Georgia, Solomon Islands. On the same day shortly after midnight, US cruisers USS Honolulu, USS Helena, and USS St. Louis escorted by destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Strong, USS Chevalier, and USS O’Bannon entered Kula Gulf to shell Japanese positions on Kolombangara and New Georgia in support of the landings at Rice Anchorage. At the same time, Japanese destroyers Niizuki, Nagatsuki, Yunagi, and Satsuki arrived at the north end of Kula Gulf loaded with 1,300 reinforcement troops and 180 tons of provisions bound for Vila, Kolombangara at the south end of Kula Gulf. Upon the commencement of the American shelling at Bairoka Harbor, New Georgia, the Japanese commander, Commander Kunizo Kanaoka, aborted the mission and ordered a withdrawal. As they turned, Niizuki, Nagatsuki, and Yunagi launched a spread of 14 Type 93 “Long Lance” torpedoes into the gulf. At a range of 22,000 yards (11 nautical miles), one of the torpedoes struck and sank destroyer USS Strong. This is believed to be the longest successful torpedo attack of the war. The Americans never detected the presence of the Japanese destroyers and believed Strong was torpedoed by a submarine. ww2dbase [Nagatsuki | Solomon Islands Campaign | Type 93 | Nicholas | St. Louis | Honolulu | Helena (St. Louis-class) | Walden Ainsworth | Kula Gulf, New Georgia | CPC]
- Submarine USS Thresher detected a tanker in the Celebes Sea and chased it for over 10 hours before firing four torpedoes in two different attacks. One torpedo hit the ship causing damage but the tanker remained afloat. ww2dbase [Thresher | Celebes Sea | DS]
- USS S-41 fired two torpedoes at a Japanese patrol craft in the Pacific Ocean off of Kamchatka Peninsula; both torpedoes missed. ww2dbase [S-41 | CPC]
- Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Card arrived at Norfolk Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia. ww2dbase [Norfolk Navy Yard | Card | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]


5 Jul 1943 Interactive Map
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