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• From before dawn into the day, aircraft of the Allied Northwest African Tactical Air Force attacked Catania, Paterno, and other targets on Sicily, Italy. Meanwhile, the Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories was formed for Sicily with General Sir Harold Alexander at its helm. On the front lines, American troops captured Agrigento and Porto Empedocle. ww2dbase [Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender | TH]
• American light cruiser Vincennes was launched. ww2dbase [CPC, DS]
• Frederick Aikman shot down an Italian Macchi fighter. ww2dbase [Frederick Aikman | CPC]
• Destroyers USS Nicholas, USS O’Bannon, USS Radford, and USS Jenkins departed Tulagi, Solomon Islands and joined cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Hobart with destroyers USS Lamson, HMAS Arunta, and HMAS Warramunga for two days of patrols in the shipping lanes between the Solomon Islands and Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. ww2dbase [Australia | Nicholas | Hobart | DS]

• Yugure received word at 0900 hours that her current transport mission was canceled; she arrived at Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Islands at 1850 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Rabaul, New Britain | CPC]

• The survivors of Norwegian motor tanker B. P. Newton, sunk by German submarine U-510 9 days prior, were landed at Pernambuco, Brazil. ww2dbase [HM]

• The US Army-Marine Corps joint offensive at Laiana Beach, New Georgia, Solomon Islands successfully penetrated the Japanese defensive line near Laiana Beach; Japanese troops of the 13th and the 229th Regiments attempted a counterattack; behind the front lines, 161st Infantry Regiment of the US Army 25th Division arrived as reinforcements. At Bougainville, 192 US aircraft struck the Japanese airfield at Buin. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | CPC]

• Suffren rescued two survivors of British merchant ship City of Canton, which was sunk by torpedo in the Mozambique Channel. ww2dbase [Suffren | Mozambique Channel | CPC]

• Yamato was undocked at Kure, Japan. ww2dbase [Yamato | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]
• USS S-35 set sail for the Aleutian Islands. ww2dbase [S-35 | Paramushiro, Hokkaido | CPC]

• Four British Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boats made a seemingly suicidal night attack on the Italian cruiser Scipione Africano off Messina, Sicily, Italy. During the action MTB 316 was hit by intense gunfire and was blown up. MTBs 260 and 313 suffered superficial damage before turning away. The British torpedoes failed to achieve an effective result. ww2dbase [AC]

• Rear Admiral Walden Ainsworth and his chief of staff departed Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides by airplane bound for Nouméa, New Caledonia for a conference with Admiral William Halsey. ww2dbase [Walden Ainsworth | Honolulu | Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo | DS]

• Marcel Albert, flying a Yak-9 fighter, shot down a Fw 190 aircraft over Jagodnaja, Krasnikovo, Russia. ww2dbase [Marcel Albert | Jagodnaja, Krasnikovo | CPC]
• Marcel Albert, flying a Yak-9 fighter, shot down a Fw 190 aircraft over Beloto, Orel, Russia. ww2dbase [Beloto, Orel | CPC]

• The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against Hanover, Germany but the group was recalled prior to reaching the target. ww2dbase [Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities | RAF Thurleigh | Thurleigh, England | DS]

• USS Bailey arrived at San Diego, California. ww2dbase [Bailey | San Diego, California | DS]

17 Jul 1943 Interactive Map