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• The imprisoned Mussolini was transferred to the island of La Maddalena off Sardinia, Italy. ww2dbase [Operation Eiche | CPC]
• US troops landed at St. Agata, Sicily, Italy. ww2dbase [Invasion of Sicily and Italy's Surrender | TH]
• USS Gar departed Fremantle, Australia for her ninth war patrol. ww2dbase [Gar | CPC]
• Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Antrup was named the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing. ww2dbase [CPC]

• In poor weather with heavy swell south of Greenland, German submarine U-262 (Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Heinz Franke) was awaiting refueling from U-664 whilst U-760 was being supplied. At 1010 hours, a TBF Avenger aircraft and F4F Wildcat aircraft from escort carrier USS Card located the submarines and attacked. The Wildcat strafed the decks of U-262 while the Avenger approached with depth charges. The gunners aboard U-262 hit both attackers. The Wildcat crashed, killing Ensign John F. Sprague. The Avenger’s bomb bay was hit, jamming the release mechanism. The Avenger pilot, Lt(jg) Asbury H. Sallenger pulled away, and was hit again in the starboard wing. The crew manually released two depth charges (damaging U-262 with a near-miss) and jettisoned a Mark 24 FIDO torpedo, and Sallenger made a water landing. Sallenger and the gunner survived, but the radio operator went down with the aircraft. The two survivors were spotted by another aircraft from USS Card and were picked up by destroyer USS Barry in the afternoon. TBF Avenger pilots Lt(jg) C.R. Stapler and Lt(jg) “Zeke” Cormier dropped additional Mark 24 FIDO torpedoes on a moving oil slick that was likely from the damaged U-262, but results were unobserved. U-262, though damaged, made her way back to base. In a separate attack, companion German submarine U-664 launched three torpedoes at USS Card under the cover of darkness. There were no explosions and USS Card reports make no mention of this, indicating Card was unaware of the attack. Planes from Card would sink U-664 the next day. ww2dbase [F4F Wildcat | TBF Avenger | Conclusion of the Battle of the Atlantic | Card | Mark XXIV | HM]

• Battery B of the US Marine Corps 9th Defense Battalion was deployed at Kindu Point on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands to defend the southern coast of the island near Munda airfield. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | Kindu Point, New Georgia | CPC]
• The commanding officer of US Marine Corps squadron VMF-214 Bill Pace was killed when his Corsair fighter overheated and crashed in the Solomon Islands. ww2dbase [CPC]
• United States Navy Lt(jg) John Kennedy and the survivors of his crew of PT-109 were rescued from Olasana Island, Solomon Islands by PT-157 and PT-171. ww2dbase [Solomon Islands Campaign | John Kennedy | Olasana, Solomon Islands | DS]

• King Vittorio Emanuele III decreed that Italy was under a state of siege. ww2dbase [Vittorio Emanuele III | TH]

• USS Whale sank Japanese aircraft transport Naruto Maru between Japan and Mariana Islands, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired. ww2dbase [Whale | CPC]

• Submarine USS Saury arrived at Midway. ww2dbase [Saury | Midway | DS]

8 Aug 1943 Interactive Map