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• » 6 Jul 1943

• Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Kavieng, New Ireland departing later on the same day. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | CPC]
• After four hours of sea trials off the Golden Gate, USS Bailey returned to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California. ww2dbase [Bailey | DS]

• Troops of German 1st Mountain Division massacred 107 people of the village of Borova in Albania. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Lieutenant Frederic Hargesheimer of US 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, who had survived the shot down of his aircraft over New Britain, was found by natives after spending a month in the jungle. ww2dbase [New Britain | CPC]

• During Battle of Kula Gulf in the Solomon Islands, US cruisers USS Honolulu, USS Helena, USS St. Louis with destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Radford, USS Jenkins, and USS O'Bannon engaged a Japanese force of destroyers Niizuki, Yunagi, Suzukaze, Tanikaze, Amagiri, Hatsuyuki, Nagatsuki, Satsuki, Mochizuki, Mikazuki and Hamakaze in the early morning darkness. Helena fired on the incoming Japanese convoy at 0157 hours, but the many gun flashes in turn made Helena an attractive target for Japanese gunners. Suzukaze and Tanikaze each launched Type 93 torpedoes. One struck Helena at 0203 hours, followed by two more at 0205 hours. Helena would sink at 0225 hours. Niizuki is sunk by gunfire. Nagatsuki was badly damaged and beached near Bambari Harbor, Kolombangara. ww2dbase [Helena (St. Louis-class) | Nicholas | Tanikaze | Suzukaze | Honolulu | Walden Ainsworth | Solomon Islands Campaign | New Georgia Sound, Solomon Islands | CPC]
• Destroyers USS Renshaw, USS Philip, USS Saufley, USS Waller, and USS Pringle arrived in the southern Solomon Islands and began operating out of Tulagi. ww2dbase [Philip | Renshaw | Saufley | Waller | Pringle | Solomon Islands | DS]

• Irako arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Irako | Truk | CPC]
• Sendai and Yugure departed Truk, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Sendai | Yugure | Truk | CPC]

• After sundown, B-25 bombers of US 14th Air Force attacked Tianhe Airfield in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. ww2dbase [Tianhe Airfield | Guangzhou, Guangdong | CPC]

• Submarine USS Thresher departed her patrol area bound for the Philippines. ww2dbase [Thresher | Celebes Sea | DS]

• French and Belgian prisoners of war began to be transferred out of the Oflag IV-C camp at Colditz Castle in Germany for the Oflag X-C camp in Lübeck; the transfer would continue until 12 Jul when the last French and Belgian prisoners were transferred out. ww2dbase [Colditz Castle | Colditz, Sachsen | CPC]

• Captain Franco Lucchini, Italian fighter ace with 26 victories, was shot down and killed by a Spitfire fighter over Sicily, Italy. ww2dbase [Sicilia | AC]

• Dwight Eisenhower arrived at Malta by B-17 aircraft. ww2dbase [Dwight Eisenhower | CPC]

• USS Permit sank a Japanese transport off Hokkaido, Japan, hitting her with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Permit | CPC]

• In Russia, in the north of the Kursk salient, on Central Front, Konstantin Rokossovsky launched a counter-attack, throwing in three tank corps. But it foundered on former Soviet minefields which the Germans had reinforced, and the Soviets instead took up fixed positions to act as a breakwater against a renewed German assault. ww2dbase [Battle of Kursk | Kursk | AC]

• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) exited Chesapeake Bay, United States on her way to the Pacific Ocean. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | J. J. Clark | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]

6 Jul 1943 Interactive Map