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• » 21 Jul 1943

• The German authorities in Belgrade, Yugoslavia offered a massive reward for the betrayal and capture of Yugoslav partisan leader, Tito. ww2dbase [Josip Tito | AC]
• The keel of British frigate HMS Retalick was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of German submarine U-779 was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-1225 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Canadian corvette HMCS The Pas collided with transport Medina while escorting Allied convoy ON 192 off the New England region of the United States; two men were killed. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Destroyer escort USS Herbert C. Jones was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Minesweeper USS Revenge was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of destroyer escort Currier was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of destroyer escort McClelland was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Lydia Litvyak shot down a German Bf 109 fighter while flying a Yak-1b fighter. ww2dbase [Lydia Litvyak | CPC]

• USS S-35 arrived at Attu, Aleutian Islands. ww2dbase [S-35 | CPC]
• 9 B-24 bombers of US 11th Air Force bombed Kiska, Aleutian Islands while two US Navy destroyers bombarded the Gertrude Cove area of the same island. ww2dbase [Aleutian Islands Campaign | CPC]
• USS New Mexico shelled Japanese positions on Kiska, US Territory of Alaska. ww2dbase [Battle of Midway and the Aleutian Islands | New Mexico | CPC]

• A PBY-5A Catalina aircraft of the VP-94 squadron of the US Navy sank German submarine U-662 with depth charges in the estuary of the Amazon River, Brazil; 44 were killed, 3 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]

• A large number of US Army and US Navy aircraft attacked Japanese positions at Bairoko, New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. Despite the powerful air strikes, the Northern Landing Group's attack on Bairoko Harbor was repulsed and the Americans fell back to Enogai; the Northern Landing Group was consisted of 1st Marine Raider Regiment, 4th Raider Battalion, and 3rd Battalion of the US Marine Corps and the 148th Division of the US Army. Nearby, a very small contingent of US Army, US Navy, and US Marine Corps officers landed at Barakoma, Vella Lavella to scout the area for a possible landing site. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | CPC]
• US Marine Corps squadron VMF-214 arrived at Banika Island, Russell Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Canadian trawler HMCS Anticosti completed her refit at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada. ww2dbase [Anticosti | CPC]

• Japanese G3M bombers attacked the US airfield at Funafuti, Gilbert Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]

• Erwin Rommel inspected German defenses in Greece. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]

• Before dawn, Allied Northwest African Tactical Air Force attacked Italian ships in waters near Randazzo, Sicily, Italy. On land on this day, US 1st Infantry Division captured Alimena, US 3rd Infantry Division captured Corleone, US 45th Infantry Division captured Valledolmo, US 82nd Airborne Division captured San Margherita, US Rangers captured Castelvetrano, and Canadian 1st Division captured Leonforte. After dark, US 9th Air Force B-25 bombers attacked the Randazzo area again. ww2dbase [Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender | CPC]
• Before dawn, British Wellington bombers of the Allied Northwest African Strategic Air Force attacked the airfield at Crotone and the rail marshalling yard at Naples in southern Italy. During hte day, US B-17 bombers also of the Allied Northwest African Strategic Air Force attacked the airfield at Grosseto on the western coast of central Italy. ww2dbase [Operation Avalanche | CPC]

• Naka arrived at Wotje Atoll, Marshall Islands. ww2dbase [Naka | CPC]

• USS Haddock fired 8 torpedoes at a convoy, sinking transport Saipan Maru and damaging 3 others in the Philippine Sea with a total of 7 hits. ww2dbase [Haddock | CPC]

• USS Bluefish departed New London, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [Bluefish | CPC]
• USS Wahoo departed Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California, United States. ww2dbase [Mare Island Navy Yard | Wahoo | CPC]

21 Jul 1943 Interactive Map